"Fighting Korea" - the "Red Devils"
The Ulsan Bellinghamers in our jersey's getting ready to watch the game!
I have officially decided I will do everything I can to never watch the World Cup in the States ever again. I think I can get an international trip in every 4 years...? The World Cup Fever is absolutely incredible here! You can't go anywhere without seeing people wearing the South Korea teams shirts, devil horns (the team is known as the "red devils"), flag or some kind of World Cup red devils paraphernalia, which is sold in EVERY store from big department stores to the random street corner stores (even little vendors on the side of the street). They are constantly busting out Korean team songs and chants on TV...so many commercials have to do with the World Cup. This was before the games even started. Now that they have begun, replays of the game are played on TV's everywhere.
After staying up the previous night to watch the first World Cup game, South Africa vs. Mexico, I went to watch the game with a group of friends down by the Taehwa River. There was a huge stage set up with 3 jumbo screens and then another jumbo screened off to the side. Thousands of people were down there watching the game. Before the game there were a bunch of performances including some Korean rock group. Then a group came out to to sing a Korean fight song and get the crowd chanting. The game was extremely excited, the energy was fantastic! They were so into it. After each goal fireworks went off and people were jumping up and cheering! Koreans by the way are extremely friendly and love to share as well. One woman saw that I had a beer and gave me some dried squid jerky to go with it. I didn't want to be rude so obviously took it and ate a little bit "accidentally" dropping pieces here and there. Then they started sharing their beer with us and more squid jerky, which we promptly handed to Ryan who enjoyed it. It's really not that bad, just fishy. One of the coolest parts was there were tons of people sitting down who couldn't see the jumbo screens and were just watching the game from their own TV's on their phones! They really just came out to support the team and be in that environment. Even when it started raining a bit, there weren't that many people that left! Korea ended up winning 2-0 and the celebrating has continued on.
After the Korea game we moved to the Golden Eagle Pub to watch the Argentina vs. Nigeria game at 11:30 and then stayed there (and barely awake) to watch the USA vs. England game that started at 3:30 am. I left the bar to daylight and finally went to bed around 6 am on Sunday.
The next game is this Thursday, luckily at 8:30 pm again. They are opening up the big soccer stadium where the Ulsan Tigers play for people to go in for free and watch the games (one of the reasons i love watching the World Cup in Korea....they're not trying to make money off of everything). You can take in your own food and drinks too! I can't wait!!! It will be a good lead to my World Cup lesson I will be teaching the 5th grade on Thursday : ) I already did two lessons for the after school classes before the World Cup started too.
Hopefully South Korea will pull through, and I really hope USA starts looking a little better! Either way, I am loving watching the World Cup here....just wish the games weren't from 8:30 pm until 5:30 am....it's a little rough. : P
Some of the group in front of the stage....after the big win!
Ryan and Hannah with our beer and dried squid jerky...mmmmm
Even when it started to rain, spirits were still high!
GO KOREA!!!
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