I am thankful that there's the Iras reception tomorrow. I mean, I was one of the e-filing volunteers. My friends are also among the volunteers too. It's like a thankful gesture from Iras.
The World Cup is almost coming to an end, and I needed events to make me slowly get away this whole madness. After the harsh realisation that I will not be able to see Germany in the final, everything starts to settle down by itself. France will meet Italy in the final. Though not really the kind of final I wanted, I still had to accept it anyway. France and Italy had really beaten the odds to get this far, and in the case of Italy, the football scandals back in their country had actually made them grow stronger. The trial is still kind of on-going back in Italy, and few of the top Serie A (Italy's top football league) clubs may be risked being relegated because of all that match-fixing.
I was asking my father last night, and he explained that the new Champions League season (where the best of the best European football clubs coming together, based on their performances in the previous season of their country's top football leagues) might be seeing a decrease because of this. I wondered if any new additions could be added and Dad answered that it's the rule - no additions. Earlier on that night, while Dad was having his rojak, I was reading Elizabeth Bowen's 'The Last September' (borrowed from the library) and my brother was reading the TODAY paper. We were all doing that in the dining room. And I asked Dad how is he going to rate the chances between Italy and France and what both sides have that the either didn't.
I told him that I am aware (only since this World Cup) that Italians are good in defence, and what France has that Italy doesn't. He rattled off a few of the French players' names. I laughed. I mean, I wanted to know what the Les Bleus are always good at. Central defence - my father eventually replied. Or is it central midfield he said, I forgot. Either way, I wanted to know how the Les Bleus can topple the Italians.
Yes. I am still very, very (and multiply that many times because I did that when telling my father about it) bitter that Italy beat Germany in the semis. I admit, the former played well, but kicking the hosts out before heading to Berlin for the final? Unthinkable. I was like the homecrowd, literally chanting we are heading to Berlin before the two goals silenced us. I had a feeling that yesterday's ST was a little towards Italy and not so much for the hosts. Germany did played well too, but maybe...luck eventually became the reason why the hosts is not playing in the final. I don't know.
I almost sighed loudly as I read the yesterday's edition of The New Paper that Dad got it yesterday. I saw the two articles in two opposing pages about how Germany is trying pick itself up and the future fate of Germany's coach Klinsmann. Like many of the Germans, I also sincerely hope he can stay on. Maybe when Euro 2008 comes along? No harm, right? I mentioned yesterday that he is actually based in the States. It may affect his family life back there.
Prior to this World Cup in Germany, like many, my general impression of the country is that the people there are kind of, boorish. Now, I can throw all that general impression of the Germans I always had - out of the window. Like the homecrowd in Germany before the opening match, I did had some doubts if the host nation can survive. But the fantastic opening game (which I still now regretted never seeing it with Dad, except the time he told us from the living room someone had scored) had proven that the German squad know what they are doing. Klinsmann may be born a German but based his remaining adult life in America, he had brought a whole new life as (maybe) inspired from his days in America to his native country and countrymen.
Imagine Germany is actually a country not quickly accepting to very new ideas, and Klinsmann did it. A country where its people rather forget its past, rather forget that they once got Hitler (irony is, he's an Austrian), rather forget that communism once invaded their country, separating them apart. I learnt all those things in my past History classes, you know. I guess I am starting to see now whenever those past History classes come rolling, the class will always come alive whenever we are studying about Germany. I hate to admit, it's starting to become clear in front of me why I am like those in my History classes whenever Germany is concerned. To imagine four years after those History classes about Germany, the reasons why the class is always alive only start to 'show' up in this World Cup! LOL!
They rather want to show the world - they are not so boorish as we always like to think. The World Cup helped them, like it did especially to the Koreans in terms of patriotic pride four years back.
