The most exciting game I’ve seen in the mud brick, tin roof, wood door, dirt floor shack has been Brazil vs. North Korea. I’m always excited to watch Brazil because, well, they’ve attended every World Cup since it started in 1930 and lets be honest, who doesn’t want to watch one of the top ranked teams?!
Blessing my neighbor (she’s awesome, and totally into soccer) and I head to town thinking the game was at 7.30. Nope, 8.30, my bad. I was just following the daily time schedule posted on the side of the shack, written on braille paper. Fear not, for any shop with a TV will always have Malawian music (which I love!) accompanied by really funky music videos with people shakin’ what mama gave ‘em. The other alternative are kung fu movies. Kung fu it is! This video was appropriately in the spirit of the World Cup, as it was kung fu football. I’m not quite sure who came up with this “brilliant” idea, but everyone goes crazy for it.
As the doors shut to the shack I begin sweating. It’s just what you do here, and no one seems to be bothered. Funny, because in America I would surely be asking to open and window or door. At any rate, for about an hour I sat there laughing at these Matrix-move blocks combined with tornado-forced goals and wild explosions with the goalies jersey being blown off. I haven’t the slightest idea who comes up with this stuff but it does, indeed, exist. People in the room cheer and holler at the impossible moves and I just can't quit laughing!
I am relieved as the teams national anthems are played and it nears the start of the match. At 8.30 (which is definitely past my bed time...but who cares, this is THE World Cup!), the fans in the room start going wild. Seriously, I thought the excitement at the Ghana game was big...no way!! A young man walks in with a Brazil jersey and everyone in the room starts cheering.
During the entire match I feel like I'm at the game, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sometimes it is so loud that I can't hear the announcers! I join in the excitement as Brazil scores its first goal...and then second goal. I slap hands with Malawians around me and laugh as children jump up off the wood bench to do the same. Gosh, what a game! And I’ll admit I cheered for North Korea when they scored their one goal against Brazil. Sometimes I'm pulling for the underdog ;)
Gosh, what an awesome exciting game! Blessings and I file out with everyone else and chat about the game in broken English and Chichewa. Ahhh, so exciting! Some men walk with us since I brought my flashlight. It’s always a pleasure to see the pot hole before you step in it. They are chatting in Chichewa and I revel in the fact that I can understand half of what their saying...just trying to get to the point where I can join in quick conversation.
I unlock my door and I'm greeted by my bouncing baby, thrilled that I've returned. After brushing my teeth under the stars while standing with Peter (urging him to pee one last time before he’s locked in the house for the night) I fall into bed around 11pm. Way way past my bed time! Doors locked, Peter getting settled in his cardboard box-bed, and my mosquito net tucked in, I roll myself tight under my blanket to shelter from the chilly night as I drift off to sleep. Doesn’t get much better than this :)
My soccer buddy!
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