And The Crowd Goes Wild
This blog entry about the events of Saturday, February 14, 2004 was originally posted on February 18, 2004.
DAY 119: In the U.S.A., “football” refers to the classic American sport where teams of padded warriors duke it out under their coaches’ plays, so they can ultimately work their way to the Big Game where Janet Jackson gets her boob flashed on national television. In the rest of the world, “football” refers to what Americans call “soccer,” and it is an international phenomenon which brings out the obsessed craziness in most people. No where is football (soccer) more a part of national culture than in Brazil.
As if timing couldn’t be more perfect, Lara and I had arrived in Rio de Janeiro in time for Brazil’s Caroica 2004 semi-finals. On that Sunday, it was the place to be, even if you weren’t Brazilian. Luckily the Botofogo Easy Hostel made it easy to be a part of it, with tickets and transport for just R$50.
After a lazy morning, Lara and I joined the twenty or so others spread over two mini-buses to the Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho for the crazy madness of Brazilian football. We made our way through stadium traffic and found ourselves at the entrance of the stadium where thousands of fans across the street were already jumping and twirling their shirts in the air in support of the favored Rio-based team, Flamengo. The red and black uniformed team was up against another Rio-based team Vasco. The crowd was already cheering during the pre-match match of the minor leagues of the two teams.
Our group had decent seats in the upper tier with the thousands of crazed and fanatic Flamengo fans. Some brought huge banners to spread across their entire sections, others brought huge flags to wave around like they had just taken a fort, and those without props just waved their shirts in the air (picture above). Everyone knew the words to the various chants and songs to scream to the other side of the stadium supporting the other team — everyone that is, except us gringos, but we improvised with the “ooh"s and “aah"s, the rhythmic clapping, the yelps, the arm swaying and occasionally, the doing of “The Wave.” Lara who wasn’t normally a beer drinker, got into the swing of things and bought cans of Brahma with me from the stadium vendors walking through the rows. It only enhanced the Brazilian football experience.
We watched the match with the rest of the group and although it was exciting — way more exciting than just watching it on television — it could have been crazier. The game was too easy for our favored team; they beat Vasco 2, nil. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a downer, but being in Brazil, I thought things would have been a lot crazier. In fact, for the two English sisters from the hostel, the most excitement of the day was when one got her camera stolen out of her pocket during a beer run during the first half.
AFTER THE VICTORY OF OUR TEAM FLAMENGO, the stadium cleaned out and took to the streets. It wasn’t as rowdy as I thought it’d be, probably because they stopped serving alcohol at half time. A group of us went out after the game to fill the void at the pizzeria across the street from the hostel. Everyone but Lara and I seemed to take the rowdiness too far, yelling at the waiter or just bitching about the quality of the food.
“1981ers?” Lara whispered to me.
“Definitely.” It was more supporting evidence of my theory that people born after 1981 were just rude and ungrateful of others — although there are exceptions out there. Lara got so embarrassed sitting at the table with the big group that she just put her money in and left. I stayed a little bit longer but left after David the Aussie really starting belittling the poor waiter. The 1981ers continued to be loud as I left back for the hostel.
If only the concession stands at the football stadium served beer after halftime, perhaps the rowdiness of the westerners could have been put to good use.
Next entry: Miscommunications
Previous entry: Fantasies From The Thirteenth Floor
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Comments for “And The Crowd Goes Wild”
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAL!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 12:44 PM
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAL!!! wait?! What is it in porteguese?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 01:32 PM
objetivooooooooooooooo!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 02:00 PM
and in Chinese?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 02:28 PM
Gaaaaaaagooooooooo!!!!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 03:28 PM
and the blog hogs score again!
goooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaal!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 03:36 PM
BLOGHOGS: 4
SILENT BLOG READERS: 0Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 04:29 PM
that’s right! BHs rock!!!
SBRs - who will be the chosen one to defend?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 04:30 PM
how do you say goal in fish??
WHHHHHEEEEEEEAAAAAAATTTTTTTT!!!!!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 05:03 PM
oh wow. i didn’t think that the 1981 theory was a common theory. but apparently it must be true, cause you are like the 50th person i know who believes this theory. and yeah, most people born after ‘81 are rude, ungrateful little brats. must be a reagan era thing that influenced the parents from teaching their kids any manners. who knows.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 07:44 PM
Markyt tottaly took my post!! Not only the position, but the text too!
Lara: I can’t believe that you are a SBR! What’s up with that?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 08:33 PM
sorry Td0t….I’ll let you have the FIRST spot while I’m in the air…..
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/18 at 09:27 PM
hey, i resent that post-1981er comment!!
i prefer to think of myself as one of the exceptions..
actually, i think it’s more like post 1983
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 12:06 AM
It’s ok markyt… When are you arriving in Rio?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 01:53 AM
Td0t - Arriving in Rio 830AM Rio Time (2 hours + EST) on Saturday morning.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 01:59 AM
did you wear the ronaldo jersey?
(i’m jealous)
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 02:05 AM
ELAINE: Nope… that’s at home… I got a new one for Flamengo for the finals…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 12:57 PM
ALICE: Yeah, I made the 1981 theory even before I left NYC, with Francis.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 12:58 PM
CRISTINA: It used to be 1980, but I extended it out to 1981… that’s the swing year—can go either way. BUT, like I said, there ARE exceptions!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 12:59 PM
Check this out: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/02/20/brazil.condom.carnival.ap/index.html
A samba school is in a bit of trouble for a float of Adam and Eve having sex.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 01:12 PM
yes there are exceptions.. but cristina certainly isn’t one of them.. hahahaha fish..
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 03:35 PM
i knew that was coming—- FISH!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 02/19 at 08:30 PM
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This blog post is one of over 500 travel dispatches from the trip blog, "The Global Trip 2004: Sixteen Months Around The World (Or Until Money Runs Out, Whichever Comes First)," originally hosted by BootsnAll.com. It chronicled a trip around the world from October 2003 to March 2005, which encompassed travel through thirty-seven countries in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It was this blog that "started it all," where Erik evolved and honed his style of travel blogging — it starts to come into focus around the time he arrives in Africa.
Praised and recommended by USA Today, RickSteves.com, and readers of BootsnAll and Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree, The Global Trip blog was selected by the editors of PC Magazine for the "Top 100 Sites You Didn't Know You Couldn't Live Without" (in the travel category) in 2005.
Next entry:
Miscommunications
Previous entry:
Fantasies From The Thirteenth Floor
THE GLOBAL TRIP GLOSSARY
Confused at some of the jargon that's developed with this blog and its readers over the years? Here's what they mean:
BFFN: acronym for "Best Friend For Now"; a friend made on the road, who will share travel experiences for the time being, only to part ways and lose touch withThe Big Trip: the original sixteen month around-the-world trip that started it all, spanning 37 countries in 5 continents over 503 days (October 2003–March 2005)
NIZ: acronym for "No Internet Zone"; a place where there is little to no Internet access, thus preventing dispatches from being posted.
SBR: acronym for "Silent Blog Reader"; a person who has regularly followed The Global Trip blog for years without ever commenting or making his/her presence known to the rest of the reading community. (Breaking this silence by commenting is encouraged.)
Stupid o'clock: any time of the early morning that you have to wake up to catch a train, bus, plane, or tour. Usually any time before 6 a.m. is automatically “stupid o’clock.”
The Trinidad Show: a nickname of The Global Trip blog, used particularly by travelers that have been written about, who are self-aware that they have become "characters" in a long-running story — like characters in the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show.
WHMMR: acronym for "Western Hemisphere Monday Morning Rush"; an unofficial deadline to get new content up by a Monday morning, in time for readers in the western hemisphere (i.e. the majority North American audience) heading back to their computers.
1981ers: people born after 1981. Originally, this was to designate groups of young backpackers fresh out of school, many of which were loud, boorish and/or annoying. However, time has passed and 1981ers have matured and have been quite pleasant to travel with. The term still refers to young annoying backpackers, regardless of year — I guess you could call them "1991ers" in 2013 — young, entitled millennials on the road these days, essentially.
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