Gasp! … it’s happened !!!!!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I went to work not really over my stomach bug of yesterday and came home feeling pretty green.

I wanted to play safe during the day so I ate two bananas and even they turned my stomach volcanic and necessitated putting my office  rubbish-bin very close by in case of emergency.

Back home Himself greets me and he’s not looking great either… seems we are a matching pair on the the evil stomach front.

I disappear immediately to bed and get up in time to watch the football, (  local kids in the street with their vuvuzela’s were a not so gentle wake-up call marking kick-off time) but my stomach still is playing havoc… it’s a toss up between the stomach churning nerves of a semi final and the backflips my stomach was already doing.

The match can be described as totally boring in places, lackluster in others, with moments of total genius in between. I wanted to walk though the TV set and shake them awake at some moments, hug them at others and at other moments I just want to go back to bed.

The noise outside escalates as the countdown the the final whistle ticks maddeningly slowly…

The Dutch score the first goal, Uruguay equalize.. the Dutch return later with two more and Uruguay add one just moments from the end, but its not enough to save them…

The DUTCH ARE THOUGH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How many vuvuzelas are there in The Netherlands? I think I can hear most of them!

Us? no hard partying here… in fact sadly pathetic… no party at all, …more laying low and trying to get rid of this pukey feeling… Let’s try and save the real Party for Sunday ! … but are we happy?  Ohhhhhh YES!!! You bet !!!

…just a “small” Dutch flag seen in town last week…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

At this moment National Dutch pride in our football team is even bigger…

Uruguay v The Netherlands…Semi-Final Fever: the temperature rises.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

The Netherlands has reached the World Cup Semi-Finals… today  in South Africa,  Uruguay met the Netherlands at 20.30 and only one of them can secure a place in the final.

Once again this means that two nations will be sitting on the edge of their seats, having heart palpitations at very near miss (no matter which end of the field the ball is) and shouting themselves hoarse if their side scores a goal…

Some will be shouting  at their TV sets, telling the players their mistakes, berating the referee for every decision they disagree with.

Some will be muttering tensely  “come one, come on“  though clenched fists… some will be hardly daring to look, but wouldn’t miss it for the world, and someone somewhere will be attempting to explain the Off Side Rule, to someone else who didn’t get it before the explanation and who also doesn’t after it.

On Sofas everywhere someone will be telling someone else that they hate the buzzing noise of the vuvuzelas … and someone’s guaranteed to be raging about the choice of players put onto the field, the positions that they are playing in, the greatness or ineptitude of the coach, disputed goals, yellow cards, red cards, the new ball,  penalty shootouts and finally the weather.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Football is drama, suspense, mystery, thriller, action, and sometimes can be also crime, comedy, (mis)-adventure, a small war and horror… These are all tied up in the love -hate romance we have with the “Beautiful Game”.

It’s a bit like  politics then isn’t it?

The silly part about football is that for both side it usually ends in tears: one the tears of joy and victory  and the other of frustration, disbelief and sadness.

People get emotionally attached, for better or worse our support gives us attacks of stomach churning nerves, raised blood pressure and sweaty palms.

Then why on earth do we do it?

How can we bear to watch and put ourselves hough this?

That’s a hard question to answer if as the person requiring a response you are not a Football Fan and cares nothing for the game…  and one that doesn’t require an answer if you are a fan and do.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

It’s in your blood,  it’s beauty personified,  it’s the smooth and skillful movement of the ball between players that looks easy but isn’t. It’s poetry in motion when the game is played right, when players are on form, when both teams are giving their all and doing it fairly and well.

Ok … in this respect it’s not like politics then.

… It’s also a slow agonizing death which would not be out of place on any operatic stage if these elements do not come together.

Hopefully today we get the former scenario and not the latter… and that’s why millions of Dutch and Uruguay fans will be watching the match tonight, dreaming, hoping, praying, yelling,  … supporting.

That’s also why billions more around the world will also be watching.. their hands will be far less sweaty than ours, but they will be cheering the team of their choice, moaning and sighing at the missed chances on goal, screaming in joy at the television if their team scores and generally enjoying the atmosphere and camaraderie  that events like the World Cup generates.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

One thing is for sure.. the streets of Uruguay and The Netherlands will fall eerily silent at about 8.30 pm this evening, traffic volume will fade to microscopic, many shops who might otherwise have been open will be closed, and any left open will be sparely staffed.

People will meet in Bars, Pubs, areas with Big Screens, party’s put on especially so that large groups can watch the game… but many more will be entertaining at home, apartments, gardens, living rooms… with family, with friends, over informal buffet meals, snacks and drinks.

Places of work that must continue service will probably have a television or radio or computer with internet on somewhere in a spot where people can just “happen by” and hear the score… the state of play.

Naturally the Dutch supporters are still out in force…  if you can’t tune into the match then at least enjoy the photos !

For more photos related to this try these links: http://kiwidutch.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/new-36/ and http://kiwidutch.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/new-33/

(and Pie… you will surely appreciate several of these photos very much… I’ve posted them especially for you LOL)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

The long banner says ” ??? in Africa” but the first bit definitely isn’t Dutch so it doesn’t make any sense to me at all,  the banner on the right says ” Orangje wint W.C. 2010” which translates as “Orange (ie the Dutch) win the World Cup 2010“

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Another one where you may need your sunglasses…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Dutch World Cup Football, Quarter-Final…sweating and celebrating.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Phew! Yesterday I started work ultra early, and at  15:00  joined the city-wide traffic jam that was the throng of Dutch  streaming out of their workplaces to go and watch the Dutch v Brazil Football match that would be taking place in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Kick-off was at 16:00 and initially we held our breath as the usually brilliant Dutch defense showed cracks. The Dutch are missing Joris Mathijsen in the defensive line, the Dutch media reporting that he  injured his knee in the warm-up minutes before the start of  the game… it’s serious enough that he had to miss this match.

Brazil scored first and on a hot,windless  afternoon with all the windows  to our balconies open, the  collective gasp of  dismay was audible throughout the neighbourhood.

Then Brazil try and defend a Dutch attack and  the ball deflects off one of their own and into the net… an own goal!!!

Ok, so we didn’t exactly score it, but with it the scoreboard is now level again.

The reaction in the Netherlands to this is a little strange,  events happened so fast that we didn’t realise for several seconds that a goal had even been made…  apparently we aren’t the only ones, because a half cheer  goes out and then stops as people wait to see if it was all for real or not.

Then the action replay shows the events,  it become clear that the goal has been given and the neighbourhood erupts in cheering… the kids are on the street with their vuvuzela’s  and the Dutch are back in the match.

Half-time comes and goes and then it’s Game On for both sides and a clear signal that someone has to move into a higher gear to achieve a win here.  The Dutch Players tell us after the match that they decided as a team at half time… “now we put in everything…”

The breakthrough moment comes when sixty-eight minutes into the ninety minute game, Sneijder  grabs a goal for the Dutch, and this time with a clear goal from one of our own players the reaction in the neighbourhood is  instant… cheers, shouts, whistles, vuvuzela’s.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Now we are REALLY on the edge of our seats… counting the minutes until the end of the game,.. desperately wishing for another Dutch goal “just to make sure” , happy when we have possession of the ball and it’s close to the Brazilian goal and holding our breath, whitening our knuckles and getting nervous when the Brazilians take the ball too close to the Dutch goal.

The Brazilians are getting desperate, the Dutch are holding fast…  our little Nation in Europe is willing them on, not to relax for a moment because it’s never over until  the final whistle blows:  goals have appeared  in the last seconds of a match upsetting the applecart many times before now.

The final whistle blows with the score 2-1 to the Dutch… Brazil stand in total shock,  their Fans sit stunned, whilst the Dutch fans are celebrating hysterically in Port Elizabeth.

The  Dutch players have shaken the hands of the Brazilians and given out some hugs of condolence, but then go on to do a victory lap to acknowledge the fans and celebrate.

Here in my neighbourhood, large booming fireworks are going off… it’s still very much daylight, but who cares?… noise, LOTS of it… the vuvuzela’s are now out in force, the big BBQ party in a house down the street , spills out onto the footpath and celebrate the length of the street and back before returning to their party… cars start driving along a larger street several streets away and all we can hear is  toot, toot, tooting of car horns as the occupants celebrate too. Cheering and singing can be heard…

Suddenly my  five year old son goes close to our balcony ( it has insect screen across it ‘cos  Little Miss daughter and I are  allergic to mosquitoes) so he can’t get out on it proper…and yells loudly in his little five year old voice “  Yeah Nederland!” … actually he really said  it the dutch way: ” yea aaah Nay -der -lond“.

He stops to catch his breath, in this pause there suddenly comes a reply from a house somewhere close by… ” Weee are the chhhamp-i-ions !…” it’s clearly  the voice of an adult man, but some distance away… Mr Five recovers his startled look and gleefully cheers back “”yea aaah Nay -der -lond“. Again the reply is returned… next time, I add my voice to Little Mr’s chant and the returning reply includes an extra  male adult voice too.

Then my friend who’s cooking dinner for us tonight joins both of us in our chant, and we hear laughter echoing back to us in the very still early evening air and more voices join from the other side.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Much to Little Mr’s complete and utter delight, this goes on for several minutes before all the adults taking part start laughing to much to continue. After a pause we hear a distant “dooi”  (pronounced “do we”) which is informal Dutch for “Goodbye”. We return the greeting.

So World Cup Football is brilliant, not just for getting a nation to stand or sit restlessly and nervously on the edge of our seats waiting to find out if we go forwards in the competition, to get closer to World Cup victory or back home in defeat, but also in letting complete strangers celebrate in a short , funny, impromptu,  uplifting ways together.

For now we can breathe a collective sigh of relief… our team goes on, Brazil’s go home, and we get to repeat this stress all over again next Tuesday!

The Netherlands v Brazil … nailbiting in Orange…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I’m interrupting your Singaporean Tour transmission because something veeeeery important is happening in the Netherlands today.

Well, to be exact the action will be taking place in a brand new stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, but most of a nation back here will be sitting on the edges of their seats nervously in anticipation as they await the result of a duel of the sporting kind.

Just in case  you have been out of range of radio, television or computers  in the last 2 weeks… the Football World Cup is currently taking place in South Africa.

By “Football”  I mean the Football that European’s, Asians, South American’s play… the game that’s bizarrely called “Soccer” in the other remaining  places that play this game.

The Group rounds kicked off on the 11th of June, eight groups of four teams each, played each team in their own group, the three points for a win, two points for a draw and zero points for a loss were tallied and the two teams with the highest points in the group go though to the next round.

The two teams with the lowest points in the group, go home.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

So, by this method, 32 teams become 16…. and then the Elimination Round begins…

New Zealand ( the “Kiwi” section of “Kiwidutch”), have been in the qualifying 32 teams of this World Cup… since Rugby (the “All Blacks”) is by far the biggest Sport in New Zealand, and Football, the poor relation, nothing at all was expected of New Zealand’s team, (the “All Whites”).

Amazingly, instead of fulfilling the predictions that  the All Whites would be the proverbial New Zealand Lamb to the slaughter, (and pass the mint sauce), they held all of their opponents in the Group stage to a Draw… including Italy, who were the defending World Cup Champions, and who  finished last in the final Group score.

New Zealand may have gone home already, but they went home with their heads held high and feeling like winners. Good on Ya Kiwi’s .. I was cheering you on all the way!

Now that the All Whites are out, I can feel free to take my Kiwi cap off and replace it with one of Dutch colours LOL (Dual nationality has it’s tricky moments I’ll admit).

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

So.. back to explaining the workings of the World Cup…

The winner of one Group, play the runner’s-ups of the next Group, and since it’s  Elimination from now on in, the winner of this match goes forward and the looser goes home.  And in this manner, 16 teams got whittled down to 8.

Still with me? Good. So…  This is where we pick up the story in the Netherlands. Eight teams are now in the Quarter-Finals.

The Dutch have made it to the Quarter-Finals.. that’s good news.  Our next opponent is Brazil.. that’s not quite so good news.

Actually the Dutch have beaten Brazil several times before,  both teams have star players in top form… both teams have been playing well, although, Brazil was held to a nil-nil draw with Portugal in their Group round, whereas the Dutch cruised though their group with three wins.

Brazil however have a big “Name”  in the football world to live up to…  and have won the World Cup more times than any other nation. This  means that more often than not they are able to put the right cards on the table (or rather balls in the back of the net) when it matters most.

That said, they meet one of the most on-form Dutch teams ever in the history of the World Cup, so when today the referee blows the whistle at 16.00 Dutch Time, it will be a battle of the titans, a match of closely matched equals,  and a nail biting ninety minute duel  of skill on a football pitch.

There can only be one winner… in these Elimination rounds,  8 will become 4… Will we go on? Will we go home?  Only time will tell.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

In the meantime,  since the first game on June 11th, Football Fever has hit the Netherlands and houses, neighbourhoods, workplaces and shops are all decked out in the Dutch national colour of Orange.

Why Orange? Well, the British have a Royal house of Windsor… the Dutch have a Royal house of Orange… only in Dutch it’s spelled “Orangje”  and pronounced ” Oh rung ya”.

The other popular war cries of the football pitch are “Hup Holland Hup!”  .. that’s pretty much translated as “Go Holland Go!” and “Orangje Boven!”  …literally” Orange on top” and the colours of the Dutch flag are Red, White and Blue, and the national symbol is a Lion… so we are not short of some very distinctive colours and icons  to celebrate with.

Traditionally the more upmarket the neighbourhood, the less decoration you will see in the streets… our Little Mr. was inconsolable that there is not a single orange flag in our street ( that may change if we get though the next round mind you) so Himself has strung orange flags the length of our living room, and several kids in the street have made beautiful kid drawings and  taped their home made posters of support to the inside of their  living room windows…

That said, if you REALLY want  to see the party get started, then you have to know that certain streets in certain neighbourhoods  show decidedly less restraint in showing their support…  and should not disappoint.

first, some “regular” support…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

..a boldercar full of football books and magazines…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

… Balconies…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

This flag has an added stork..(the symbol of  The Hague)…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

But honestly… this is nothing… lets get serious about showing our support !… this is more like it...

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

This Turkish run take-away is supporting too…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

.. although they seem more than a little confused… Shoarma is an Egyptian specialty, popular in the Netherlands, and a Kabap is a Kabab…   but the mystery sets in because ” kapsalon” means “hairdresser” and clearly multi-tasking the two would not be a terribly bright idea…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

um… cheeky support with sauce?

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Get your sunglasses out…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

All that’s left now, is to sit on the edge of my seat at 16.00 and become a bag of nerves, whilst we see if our team come out winners or losers …  So unless you are logging in at your computer from Brazil, I  hope that you too will do your part and cheer loudly with me… Hup Holland Hup !!!… Orangje Boven !!!….