대한민국 - "Dae Han Min Guk!"
I'm hoping that Shawna or Emily-Jane can correct the spelling of the title here.
My day started out simple. I woke up earlier than usual and headed down the Danforth to grab some brunch and buy some sponges so I could get to work cleaning my apartment. However, as it was Greek town, nearly every patio was alive with patrons watching the World Cup game, and on the field was France and South Korea.
Now I'm a Korea fan, not only because I miss my friends who have moved there, but I just like the people. Koreans are so damn friendly and they're the only Asian country that makes food that I can eat. France on the other hand... I just don't have the same enthusiasm.
The problem in my case however was the fact that the majority of people on the Danforth seemed to be rooting for France which was no fun for me. So what do you when you live in Toronto and want to find a Korea-friendly bar? You hop on the subway and ride to Christie station to be innundated with cheering fans and Korean flags.
Korea town exists roughly on Bloor street between Christie and Bathurst and during halftime, the fans were out in force. There were flags, cheering, drumming and dancing in the streets... and Korea was down 1-0 at this point. I found a patio that seemed to be friendly to outsiders just hanging around watching the game and stood there for the remainder of the game while everyone, myself included, gasped and cheered with Korea's trials. One enthusiastic group had brought along a snare drum and every time their star player graced the screen, he'd hit it in sequence while the whole bar cheered: "Dae Han Min Guk!"
And then, with about 10min left in the game, Korea scored and tied it up. ...Everyone screamed until they were hoarse.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie, but as I understand it, France has been doing so poorly that this is still good news for Korea. I'll have to watch the schedule for when they're playing again.
Even though I like Korea better, I bet on France to go much further in the pool. It's very weird to watch soccer and kind of actually want one team to win big but to want the other to win for the sake of getting lots of money. I didn't even know how to feel watching England vs. Trinidad & Tobago.
Oh also, France hasn't been doing terribly exactly .. just badly *for France*. They've tied twice, to Switzerland and to South Korea, lost none, but won none either, and people definitely expected more from them. Bleh, and I bet on one of their players to win the Golden Boot (award for most goals scored). They'd goddamn well better start scoring, eesh.
Dude! You're starting to sound like someone who likes sports! :-P
He he, I know what the Koreans were saying...I cheered it all night when they played Togo....Dae Han Min Guk (It's the Korean word for "Korea")...you've never experienced anything til you've seen a Korean worldcup soccer game IN Korea though! The fans are called the red devils (for what reason I still haven't pieced together) and they wear red T-shirts and glowing red devil horns. So when you go to a stadium to watch the game and see this sea of red, screaming, glowing people, it kinda reminds one of hell...
Although I know very little about soccer I can't help and cheer for Poland. Last Wednesday we watched the game in one of the boardrooms (bigscreen!), eating homemade perogies and sausages. Yeah, we lost to Germany but it was tasty and fun to get in the spirit of things. Polska! The stadium of red devils sound terrifying and incredibly awsome at the same time, Shawna. I hope you were allowed to take pictures.
I'm not really following any of this but it's not like i'd be cheering for the states anyway - if they ever had a chance. (are they still in?)
wow carolina! how are you?
Hey thanks Shawna, the title and content have been fixt. Hey can you post the Korean characters in a comment so I can put them in the title instead? It'd look prettier that way :-)
The Koreans I watched the show with (well, the majority of the people in that city block are Korean) were dressed exactly as you described. red shirts, red hats, little devil horns, drums, dancing and cheering. It was damn cool.
Now, thanks to you, when Korea takes on their next opponent, I'll be ready with the right stuff to say :-)
And to Carolina: thanks for stopping by! At least you got to see Poland play, Both Ireland and Romania didn't make it in this year, so I had to pick some other favourites.
hmm no acknowledgement to me at all. :P
Dae as in Great-wonderful-bright-superb, Han-Korea(n), min-people, gook-country. You like Korean food?? But...it's spicy! How do you deal? :)
Oops, sorry Noreen. I missed your question. I don't know about the states this year, but I've not heard them mentioned which forces me to assume they either didn't make it or didn't do very well.
Emily-Jane: Well by "like their food" I really mean "don't mind Korean barbecue" It was a little spicy, but it's hard to turn down meat on a fire :-)
I was lucky enough to see Poland play their first 2 games but this morning's game I had to miss because I was on my way to work at that time. I read your blog quite often as does Jiff! Dan, I hope you don't mind me answering Noreeen in you blog. I great Noreen! How are you? Are you in or around Vancouver these days? You, or anyone else who would like to get in contact can e-mail me @ c_spes at yahoo dot com.
Heh. Thanks for asking Carolina :-) I've munged your email address so the spammer spiders don't get you. And HI JIFF! HAPPY BIRTHDAY (well soon anyway).
Thanks D-man. Happy soon-birthday to you too and bah wheep granna wheep mini-bomb! sp? Any plans on coming back to Langley for your 27th? Let me know and I'll rare up some steak. Maybe even bake something....
Mmmmm... Jiff baking. I still remember your pumpkin cheesecake. As for coming back to Langley, that'd be a "never, never, possibly even if hot-pokers were involved". I do intend to move back home to Vancouver in a year or so though. But for my 27th? Well it's the day of the Pride Parade here in Toronto, so we're all going to that :-)
hey carolina and jenn, i'm doing good. how are you both? i'm residing in hawaii for the time being. i'll email you guys soon. thanks dan for letting me reply here!
Who know this one blog would be such a reunion! Anyways, the Korean spelling of Dae Han Min Kuk is 대한민국. Wow, Noreen I didn't know you were in Hawaii. Aloha!
Thanks for changing my e-mail and good thinking Dan! I know it's early still but just to cover my bases...Happy Birthday! The parade should be a great way to celebrate. It's too bad you won't be in Van for your B-day because Jiff has invented a new type of cheesecake and it's to die for! Shawna, I saw your sister Ann the other day and thank god I still look the same because she has changed a lot! I didn't recognise her until I really looked at her eyes and she still has the same smile.
Noreen, you're in Hawaii?! Lucky girl! Business or pleasure?