...and then there was China.: Turns out, Soccer is pretty fun!

I haven't blogged in a while, mostly b/c it's a chore using these proxies and also b/c I've had plenty on my plate, but I had to take a break this afternoon to share what's been happening among the foreigners here in China. It is, obviously, THE WORLD CUP.

It started last week and I didn't really register that it would be anything significant in my life. Or in China. But I was wrong.

Although China doesn't have much of a soccer league and isn't participating in the Cup, the country seems pretty jazzed about it. This year a large number of Chinese league soccer officials were fired on charges of massive corruption, and there is a small whispered hope in some editorials and among some of my students that next year might hold a chance of reform, leading to the hopes of one day joining the world in competition. There's also plenty of cynicism that it will never happen...but the conversation is there.

Mostly, however, the World Cup as I've experienced belongs to the ever growing waigoren (foreigner) population in Wuhan. Wuhan, over the past year especially, has turned into one of China's newest boomtowns as China invests capital and infrastructure development into more central Chinese cities. I'm not sure if it's due to this or to the fact that I have larger exposure to the hangouts and enclaves of foreigners through my company and new friends, but Wuhan has blossomed into a place with a few great bars and restaurants catering to the foreign students, teachers, researchers and businesspeople of the city. And they all seem to know the importance of the World Cup to this displaced population.

And so, despite the fact that the 3 daily games of the World Cup are shown live at 6:30 pm, 10 pm, and 2:30 a.m., these places are staying open all night, and it seems, each night, are filled with people watching. I honestly don't know how these soccer fans are going to keep this up for a month, but several of my friends have loyally attended each night of the first week! I've been to two nights so far, and tonight will be up until 4 or 5 in the morning to watch the US play at 10 followed by England at 2:30.

So here's the thing, I know absolutely NOTHING about soccer except that it doesn't hold a candle to my favorite sport of FOOTBALL. I'm skeptical of any sport that allows games to end in a tie on a regular basis and in which one fluke shot could determine a winner even when the shot is made by a team that is consistently inferior throughout an entire game. I like a narrative to my sports, a systematic drive towards a goal, and a confidence in the outcome being based on the events of the ENTIRE game, instead of chance or luck or whatever. And soccer doesn't seem to fit these needs. Plus, Americans aren't very good at it.

However, I'm a sucker for any type of communal passion. I think it's one of the closest secular experiences of the Kingdom. Well..sometimes. And I have several British friends, so it was worth getting into the Cup just to bring out some Revolutionary War era trash talk during the US-England game. When else can you call someone a redcoat and so frequently reference the Boston Tea Party, right? I even got in a few jabs at Churchill while I was at it. Hilarious.

So I'm on the bandwagon. And it turns out, soccer is fascinating. I started reading up on the World Cup just to store away enough knowledge to a) not look like a total idiot, b) find a few clever conversation starters--"they sure don't make em like Pele anymore these days" "yeah, but what about the loss of a Brazil's artistry in all of this?" and c) find more ways to trash talk my British friends.

A note on objective b: it's AMAZING when you find one-liners that get people all riled up! It's like magic, you utter one sentence in a crowd and they all go crazy about the topic, carrying the conversation and you just sit back and enjoy what you started. With Canadians, all you ever have to do is say, "So, how bout those Albertans, eh?" and they're off like rockets! Seriously, try it! You will not need to speak another word for the next hour while they share with you all the ways that the people of Alberta are either destroying or saving their country. With soccer fans, so far, a few lines have been: "But what about this new ball they're using?" and "so if Argentina doesn't win, will you still think Lionel Messi is the greatest player in the game" and "Does it really matter WHO the coach is during play?" So far, these lines allow the people who really know what they're talking about to go on and on...while you sit back and eat their french fries.

Moving on-- so I've been reading up on "football" and after a few podcasts, and cursory readings of ESPN and the NYT World Cup section, have more of an idea of what's at stake, how teams advance, and the amazing endurance that it takes to win a tournament like this. This is a MONTH and soccer has to be one of the more totally-mess-with-your-head games that exist. I will say that I truly feel that soccer requires more actual SKILL than any of our major American sports. But for all that skill, the element of luck plays a greater role than any of our sports as well. It's incredibly frustrating. And fascinating.

So I'm hoping that the US can hang in there for a few more games and actually have a shot at advancing to some of the quarter finals at least. I doubt that we will, especially b/c our tie w/England was based solely on the British goalkeepers error (not much pride there). But I want us to. Then, I'm moving on to pull for either Argentina or Brazil. Anything could happen. I'm enjoying the camaraderie for now...but I will say...I return to the U.S. this year just in time for NFL season. sooo....Go Titans!