Dane and I, two chemical engineering students at UF, were sent to South Korea for two months.
Google
 
Web oseasinkorea.blogspot.com

Sunday, October 15, 2006

From good to cubicle

It seems to be that every time Korea plays, my overall experience watching their game decreases significantly. Nothing can surpass, in my opinion, that glorious night in downtown Daegu when Korea defeated Togo 2-1. I mean, there was everything: victory, chicken wings and pizza, lots of cold beer (HITE), some actual females (!), lots of yelling (and hugging), and...did I mention victory with a cold shower of beer included at the end? Well, there was...



From there, Korea's second game wasn't all that great, mainly because I had to stick with the elitist, cocky bastard of Junho, and also because once the game ended (at six am), I had to return (walking) back to the university. Walking for an hour and a half is not bad, walking for an hour and a half, half-drunk and with no sleep during the last twenty four, twenty five hours, is a pain in the ass! Despite these minor difficulties, the game was still somewhat descent, as Korea managed to provide the audience with a goal, and the game ended in a promising 1-1 against France. Also, I got to see a facet of true, soccer love (well, not really, I just want to sound dramatic), as school girls in their uniform were walking to their school straight from watching the game:

IMG_0842

Last night, however, things really did reach rock bottom (?); I went to have some delicious, Korean dinner with a fellow friend whose name I can't recall (typical), and who, after paying for it,was kind enough to drive me back to my studio (saving me the usual twenty minute walk that I must undertake twice a day from the lab to my studio and vice versa). After a long and refreshing shower, I decided to take a quick nap.

Bad idea.

I overslept, and when I returned to the lab (three hours after), everyone had already left to watch the game (this was eleven thirty pm, the game started at four am!)! I tried to call some other people, but one of them had to take a test the following day (Won Chul), and the rest simply didn't answer (the bastards!).

IMG_0842

Of the three Korean games I could've missed, I chose the right one; Korea lost 2-0 against Switzerland, and with that, their chance to play in the second round of the World Cup. It would've sucked to have been up that early in the morning, and then walk back to the university just like last time, without a goal to reminisce on. So I guess the free dinner and the long, relaxing nap WAS good at the end. As they say, "it's all good!"

IMG_0842

Also, I got to watch the game in a somewhat comfortable cubicle, where I didn't have to worry about the strong, cold breeze blowing through Daegu that night, or of walking endlessly back to the lab at six am, and--even thought I wasn't surrounded by the traditional sea of red composed by all "them Koreans" with "them Devil shirts"--listening to the Korean commentators DID add a little bit of excitement to the whole thing: