Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum-FIFA

Soccer!  I don't like it, I don't understand and if I am being perfectly honest (and really why wouldn't I be, it is MY blog after all) I equate it to an elementary game of keep away chartered by all the "cool" kids who used to sit around outside the bandhall passing time by playing hacky-sack.  But that is probably an insult to both the game of keep away and hacky sack, both of which I secretly enjoy (and to continue with the honesty thing, I was in the band too).

For the past month I have been stuck in soccer mania, aka....Europe during the World Cup!  For those of you who haven't been following the World Cup (and really I wouldn't know this stuff if I wasn't stuck LIVING amidst the soccer feens) Germany made it to the final four.  Which really calling it the "final four" would be just too cool of terminology for soccer, I belive they call it the "semi-finals"....LAME!  I never watched a single game of the World Cup, a fact in which I am quite proud, but I ALWAYS knew what was going on based on what flags were being waved around my neighborhood, the amount of horn honking, and the triumphant tune of vuvuzela's.  (Vuvuzelas being the obnoxious horns that the soccer fans blow during the ENTIRE game, because yelling for your team enthusiastically isn't enough for soccer fans apparently) 

I have been in Germany for 5 months now (WOW 5 months!) and had yet to see a single German flag flying outside of houses until the World Cup rolls around and suddenly there are red, black and yellow flags EVERYWHERE....on cars, hanging outside every window, on light poles, on tents, they are seriously everywhere!  The majority of German cars even had little sideview mirror covers that looked like little German flags!  It is crazy!

Sadly, Germany lost in the 'semi-finals' last night and thus ends their World Cup dream dashing the hopes and dreams of millions of optimistic Germans.  Although the mood in Germany is somber today, there is one little girl discreetly celebrating that this World Cup mania is finally drawing to an end and the baritone sound of vuvuzelas along with the cold, uncomfortable stares from strangers as I walk the dog while they watch the game under their giant party tents can finally cease!