the world cup in midstream

ah...how nice it is to be back home. my mind cleared up as soon as i purchased the ticket to come back to singapore. and i am so happy to be back to, just in time for the world cup. the world is watching the world cup collectively, but over the years the surging popularity of the english premier league has created an excellent football viewing infrastructure in this lovely city. bars are stocked with plasma tvs, there are numerous world cup deals to be had and if you take a taxi in between games to get from nightspot to nightspot, the taxi driver will probably know a thing or two about the games. and the odds, from bookies and from singapore pools.

i have to admit that when i am out, say at walas or zouk, i dont really watch the games as intensely and thus get less enjoyment out of it...but it is still great to have the games on just as a background. or set to techno music. it is ridiculous. i dont see any place making money if they are not showing the world cup in some capacity. i mean, it is the world cup right.

england are shite. everybody knows that. i still dont know why they seem to be rated so highly when they are clearly rubbish. there is the whole rooney factor, but it is more like the rooney excuse. people seem to think that his mere presence on the field, half fit, would transform an otherwise underperforming team. lampard and gerrard dont play well together, mostly because gerrard is wasted as a holding midfielder. beckham should be dropped in favor of lennon, the young teenager from spurs is a gem. even though it was beckham's cross that led to the first goal, lennon changed the game. rooney did nothing, but the whole nation got off collectively just seeing him come on to the pitch. i doubt they will make it past the second round, i hope they get knocked out by ecuador, who look like they could do it. why does england complain about the heat? i mean, it is summer...in europe...they must be used to it. it could be a bit hotter, but come on now, it is a minor minor problem, nothing that a bit of the good ole hydration couldnt take care of.

still we are disappointed by the african teams. spirited and talented as they are, they are yet to register a win. here is to ghana today against the czech republic. ivory coast played so well yesterday, and they deserved at least the point that would have made the last game meaningful for them. they look like the best team from the continent, it is sad to see them go. fifa rankings suck. had england been thrown in that group, the paparazzi following the footballer's wives would be headed back to get snapshots in heathrow.

i wonder where tonights game watching should be...hmmm. more tasty treats. should i attempt to quit smoking today? i do have almost one full pack left though...

oh man. i already dread july 9th. world cup hangover starts as soon as the final whistle blows. mark my words.