2010 World Cup

Mid-July! Wow, how the time has flown by. Everywhere I go, I'm constantly noticing new subtleties and gaining a deeper appreciation for my environment here in Buenos Aires. Thankfully, my pen and journal have never been too far behind. I’ve been working on this blog post (and the next one) for quite some time, but keep adding things and not able to post! I am excited to share some of these experiences and feelings with you now.

Argentina has been a country characterized by anticipation, excitement, laughter and tears for the past few weeks.

June 12. Shops closed..deserted streets..silence in a city that never sleeps..no taxis..no cars - in a city overly congested with traffic, air and noise pollution at all hours of any day and night?! Bizarre! What happened?!

--> Four words: FIFA 2010 World Cup. :)

We watched with faith, pride and joy as Argentina won their first, second, third, and fourth matches in the World Cup! We were silenced and devastated by the way “we” were eliminated during the quarter finals (*note: engulfed in a feeling of total unity with my new host country). July 9, Independence Day. I took advantage of the long weekend and took a night bus to Uruguay to arrive in its capital city, Montevideo, the day of its final match against Germany: what a sight! What celebration! Drums, firecrackers, noisemakers, cheering, chanting, face paint, glitter, flags, empanadas being fried and peanuts being sugared at every block, streets closed, light blue jerseys (Uruguay) in front of you, behind you, above you, for meters and meters. We stood up once again in restaurants and city squares as Uruguay played a fantastic final match.

At the end: a final score of 2:3 Germany. What followed however was an unexpected and incredible display of Uruguayan nationalism at its best. The final loss did not at all deter the proud fans of Uruguay. The game itself was victory enough. The Uruguay selection had done its country proud and the celebrations could be heard through our bedroom windows until far into the night. (side note: I ducked into an internet café through all the celebrations…only to make a new Uruguayan friend who had friends living in North York and studying at York U!! What a small world! Brought the whole experience home again :) )

The day after Uruguay’s final match, we prepared for the day that soccer fans around the world had been waiting for. We watched with the world, at the edges of our seats, as Spain and the Netherlands played the final game of the World Cup. When Spain took the 2010 World Cup with zeal, the energy of the crowd was sensational!

Back in Argentina the following day, it was clear that Argentineans too were very proud of Spain’s victory (probably also because so many of them are of Spanish descent). The characteristic excitement and enthusiasm of Buenos Aires was back! Spain’s victory was the topic of conversation all over the city in cafes, in the subway, on the radio, and in taxi cabs, for at least the next few days.