As I walked in, there were 2-3 seated in front of the idiot box. Someone saw the look of curiosity on my face and said “South Africa vs. Mexico”, as a matter of fact. I said ‘OH!”, stopped for a second and realized it was the WORLD CUP! But then, I was indifferent. Despite being an Indian, I did not follow cricket, much less football. Clearly I was not a sports buff.
There were things in the room that interested me much more than a game of football, and that was dinner and brownies for dessert. Much later as I was enjoying the dinner in the garden outside, I jumped to the sound of shrieks. I rushed in as the replay was being telecast. Mexico had scored a goal in the 79th minute, bringing the score 1-1. By then, everyone’s attention was on the match. The game ended in a draw, much to the dismay of the RSA enthusiasts within the room. And……..I was drawn into the madness. I realized my interest level really depends on the situation and the people I am with. I remember watching cricket (yes, cricket) in the late 80s sitting alongside my uncles, understanding nothing of the game. Yet, I would clap and cheer when a run was scored, irrespective of which team it was. The last few overs were always exciting.
Coming back to football, or soccer (I will never know the difference), I might not watch all the matches. But I might actually surprise myself by following it all through the finals :-)
