Black Velvet

Hey World!

I was watching some french Tv yesterday night and i really liked the the Puma commercial about the World Cup 2010. I am actually listening to the song the commercial plays, Gnarls Barkley song title Going on. I saw the video on You Tube it was quite interesting i strongly recommend it.

World Cup 2010.. Hmm i have been able to enjoy the excitement in France, the fact that it will be held in South Africa alone makes my heart sing. Through out the different metros in Paris i have seen ad's about the World Cup, huge amount of people waving the South African flag and a still picture of people FILLED with excitement, almost as if they are about to pop out of these ads and hug me because they are so happy. I honestly wish they would.

I began to notice this when one of my friend's boyfriend bought the video game World Cup 2010 FIFA for PSP3. While i was studying International relation stuff with some girl friends he was just playing away! That night i went home and saw the commercial and the whole event grabed my full attention as well as this phrase " For the insane love of the game that possess us all and unites us beyond borders." What really stood out to me was "unites us beyond borders," has soccer or football as my English friend would continuously correct me.. has it really united many beyond borders? Has the insane love of the game brought people together? Its a common interest that has at times, given people a reason to make a family gathering or an excuse to bring a case of beer to a friends house to watch THE GAME. This makes me smile because i remember when i was about 12 years old and Ecuador was in the World Cup, my dad promised me he would wake me up at 3 am just to watch the game. Believe me i was happy he actually woke me up because in a weird way he really cares about sleep. Oh my father, i love him to death and i really mean it, i would take a bullet for him any day.

So my question is does Soccer (Football) really unite people beyond borders? I think it does. Soccer is universal its like Micheal Jackson. There are very few people that do not know who Micheal Jackson is, especially after his death. I am sure people asked who is Micheal Jackson when they saw breaking new. This sport really means a lot to people and yes sometimes it leads to fights and such but at the end of the day its because of the insane love of the game that posses us all.

Today was a sunny spring day. I went out for a jog next to the Seine River and worked on my push ups which still needs some work. After that i had class with Prof. Krys a Columbia University graduate and took the typical friday afternoon quiz, this time about global warming and the international environmental problems. After we had a student presentation about the same subject, which in my opinion was quite interesting and all together good compared to previous presentations. Then i headed to Montparnasse with my good friend Fritzard and enjoyed the rest of day with her. We finally ended up at a pub with her boyfriend and had a drink while playing pinball. Another memory raced to my mind.

Columbus, New Jersey is the place he would take us every good sunday to check out the flee market, i was in junior high while my siblings where in high school and it became a tradition to play pinball every time we visited. I was good at it, well at least my father made me feel that way. My brother and my father were the best at it though, my sister made a funny angry face every time she lost.. its funny because i am sure i made the same face while playing in Paris because unfortunately i now play very poorly!

It was a different Friday. I enjoyed it.

So i looked at my first entry in my journal back in septmeber when i first arrived in Paris and the first thing i wrote was "I forgot my bible!!!" There is nothing new about this i always forget everything but i pledged in this entry that by the time i get to the USA i have to be more responsible about things. So i ramble about other things i have forgotten in the states, it actually was a bad experience because i packed hours before my flight left for a year long trip. So i basically left a whole suitcase full of things i needed in Paris. Besides that i start writing about how i have to start a blog ASAP! I finally created it 7 months later.
One thing that i never wrote down was the time when i was on my way to Paris from the airport i said to myself " Wow, i am HERE for a whole year, i am screwed" i made myself laugh. This is when i truly realized what i had done. One of the best decisions i have ever made.

-Kat