Sharron Kidney-Stone Live From Berlin: Still Football Crazy in Berlin

Friday, June 30, 2006

Still Football Crazy in Berlin

The streets in Berlin were almost empty as the German team played against Argentina in the WC quarter finals today. It seems like now everyone is hooked on the championship by now. When Germany won after a very exciting match with overtime and penalty shoot outs the streets came alive again, fireworks went off and convoys of fans in cars honking their horns and wavin flags were suddenly everywhere. I have always have found it kind of weird that people love to run out of their homes and jump into their cars to celebrate a victory! But there are other ways to do it: below -
- German chancellor Angela -Angie - Merkel: the distinguished way of really hitting it off but not allowed to show too much down to earth enthusiasm. At least the match triggers a kind of smile in her usually hound-dog-serious face.
- The team: in lack of cars and honking horns they run around the field like lost rabbits, hugging each other and waving their shirts - after over 2 hours of chasing the ball it's amazing they can still walk anyway.
- Soccer moms and friends at my place: cheering and having a ball (what a pun!). The ultimate proof that football somehow makes you unashamed and lets you forget that you are usually a cool stylish person: nothing else can explain why intelligent women would sit around wearing silly cardboard crowns in the colors of the german flag!!! And now I'm putting this embarrassing moment online- my friends will just love me for it!