Just after the first day of the World Cup here in Germany, the Germans are full of life wearing jerseys, facepaint, scarves, etc in a show of nationalistic pride that I had not further scene during my time here in Dortmund.
Last night, I got together with some local Germans and other international students at the university dining hall to see the game on the big screen. Every goal was met with a great applause from both Germans and internationals alike.
Before the game, I remembered that I had a Costa Rican jersey at home, but I decided it wasn't the best idea to wear that around due to my lack of connections with the country. Although two goals were scored and some doubt was cast upon the team, we were able to celebrate the 3 points in the group late into the night at a local student summerfest party!
For the second game between Poland and Ecuador, my hopes were completely split. On one hand, I have been hanging out with Polish people here in Dortmund for quite some time and I have even traveled around the country a little bit. However, on Thursday evening, I received couchsurfing visitors from England and Ecuador excited and ready to see Ecuador's chances in the cup and not really expecting too much into further rounds. I hung out with them most of Friday and I think the Ecuadorian spirit rubbed off on me a little bit because I found myself excited each time that Ecuador scored a goal.
After the Poland-Ecuador match, my Polish friends in Dortmund were obviously stunned, upset, and fearful of the next game against Germany. With their faces in their hands and their mouths open in awe, I couldn't help but feel their pain.
When I returned home to my apartment early Saturday morning, I discussed with Pablo (Ecuadorian couchsurfer) his experiences at the Ecuador-Poland game. He was still livid with excitement as he had seen friends and celebrities from Ecuador that he had not seen in about two years.
He said after the match, the Polish were great sportsmen and congratulated the Ecuador team and fans on the victory. He said he traded away his Ecuadorian scarf for a Polish hat and all the other fans were joining the fun during the exchange.
When I woke up this morning, I found an Ecuadorian welcome bag for me as a reminder of their visit and a small token of appreciate for letting them stay. In basically about one day of hanging out, I must say that Lucy and Pablo were great guests, warm people, and I hope to see them again!
Now its time for day two.... Greg, a friend from Winchester is arriving this afternoon with some other Americans and we have three games to see today!
Last night, I got together with some local Germans and other international students at the university dining hall to see the game on the big screen. Every goal was met with a great applause from both Germans and internationals alike.
Before the game, I remembered that I had a Costa Rican jersey at home, but I decided it wasn't the best idea to wear that around due to my lack of connections with the country. Although two goals were scored and some doubt was cast upon the team, we were able to celebrate the 3 points in the group late into the night at a local student summerfest party!
For the second game between Poland and Ecuador, my hopes were completely split. On one hand, I have been hanging out with Polish people here in Dortmund for quite some time and I have even traveled around the country a little bit. However, on Thursday evening, I received couchsurfing visitors from England and Ecuador excited and ready to see Ecuador's chances in the cup and not really expecting too much into further rounds. I hung out with them most of Friday and I think the Ecuadorian spirit rubbed off on me a little bit because I found myself excited each time that Ecuador scored a goal.
After the Poland-Ecuador match, my Polish friends in Dortmund were obviously stunned, upset, and fearful of the next game against Germany. With their faces in their hands and their mouths open in awe, I couldn't help but feel their pain.
When I returned home to my apartment early Saturday morning, I discussed with Pablo (Ecuadorian couchsurfer) his experiences at the Ecuador-Poland game. He was still livid with excitement as he had seen friends and celebrities from Ecuador that he had not seen in about two years.
He said after the match, the Polish were great sportsmen and congratulated the Ecuador team and fans on the victory. He said he traded away his Ecuadorian scarf for a Polish hat and all the other fans were joining the fun during the exchange.
When I woke up this morning, I found an Ecuadorian welcome bag for me as a reminder of their visit and a small token of appreciate for letting them stay. In basically about one day of hanging out, I must say that Lucy and Pablo were great guests, warm people, and I hope to see them again!
Now its time for day two.... Greg, a friend from Winchester is arriving this afternoon with some other Americans and we have three games to see today!
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