Tuesday, June 4

i've been going to sleep at around 5:30am and waking up at noon for a while now, except on Sunday. so i was really, really, REALLY surprised when i woke up at 8:45 this morning. i seriously don't even gain consciousness, to even make a decision to get up or not, until noon usually. the first thing that came into mind when i woke up? (actually, the very first thought was, i can't believe i'm awake!) the 2nd thought was, WORLD CUP! Korea vs. Poland!!!

i washed up and headed down to my lounge, which i thought would be empty. it was, except for three korean guys from the class below. they were delirious, because KOREA WAS UP, 2-0. i sat with them for the remainder of the game.

ESPNsoccernet.com World Cup 2002: Match Report: South Korea 2 - 0 Poland

now, i am a rabid basketball fan, but i must say, soccer is a completely different beast. as i sat there, watching the crazy Korean crowd, i realized, soccer fans are so much more intense. these guys sweated through their shirts, just as much as the players. some fans were clearly crying. and even in the last minutes, the korean players kept pushing, pushing, and making brilliant plays in attempts to score.

i remember watching the last world cup, and how insanely dedicated the Korean fans were. i think all of Korea must be flipping out like mad, and 50% of its alcohol will probably be consumed today. after the game was the collective scream of joy and so many years' frustration. the FIRST WORLD CUP WIN for Korea, EVER. wow. if the fans were that crazy during 10 losses and 4 ties, i can only imagine how they are now... the way soccer grips a nation is kinda scary.

i am in awe of the soccer fan, the collective soccer fan beast that is ALL of Korea, and how God woke me up for this moment. ok, back to sleep until noon.

(can i just say, the hair for the korean players was so much better than the last world cup. i usually wouldn't care about something like this, HAIR, but seriously, i was pretty embarrassed to be a korean during the last world cup. cause the korean players had ugly mullets. short guys with long mullets are real ugly to see. i kept thinking that they looked like retarded, midget horses, with their short legs and long mullets that reminded me of horses' manes. this time, they were coiffed much more nicely. Ahn, a great playmaker for the game, actually had a pretty nice perm going. so these guys looked very good with the win. they looked like winners.

GO, COREA (all the fans were carrying mini-banners with this spelling. i don't know what's up with that...)!!!!!

yakob at 9:43 AM

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