EURO 2012

I'm loving it and I'm uber excited to go to the pub tonight to watch the England game. I love the atmosphere that it presents. Does that make me weird? I just become in awe of everyone staring at the screen and holding their breath for every corner, free kick, and booking. I LOVE IT!

Great to hear that you are so quickly settling into the culture.
DW doesn't mind some football and fortunately for her she's on lates thins week so doesn't get home til 8:30. Actually she hates that shift but at least it means she's not suffering when I'm watching 2 game! Tonight she's on an earlier finish but won't mind because it's an England game....personally as a football fan I've never understood the attitude of if it's England in Euros/World Cup they watch but not other countries! I like to see what they are like. Used to have a cricket fan boss who whenever England had got knocked out whouls say, "so what will you watch now?" and I'd say "well, the competition doesn't finish just because England get knocked out!"
I've watched the early game and first half of the 2nd game downstairs on the big screen HD tv, and then watched 2nd half upstairs as that just has freeview, so she can watch stuff on Sky. I did say thought that I wanted to watch England in HD and she was fine, she said "it's different as it's Friday", she feels thats more of a sports night with some beer and snacks!

When England played USA in last World Cup we had a small party with some other Anglo-American couples, that was fun!

But these Euro's have been far more entertaining than the World Cup.....really enjoying it.

To be honest, the football is mostly in a different universe for me. My husband can't stand football, not many of our friends care, either, and we don't watch much tv anyway so we haven't even noticed any change in what's on. Life carries on, occasionally punctuated by a huge cheer from all the flats surrounding us and then I think "oh yeah, there must be a match on or something".

And happily, none of our favourite pubs have tv screens (or are they our favorites *because* of this? ).

But these Euro's have been far more entertaining than the World Cup.....really enjoying it.

Loving it! And that's from someone who almost *never* watches football. Hubs doesn't often watch it either - follows the fortunes of the Canaries (where he's from) but that's about it. So we really only watch footie when it's the Euro or World Cup.

But the Euro has a special place in my heart & this one has been awesome so far! (Ok, I don't watch every match all the way through - I wander off & do other things, sometimes fall asleep, lol! But every match has been on in our house so far.)

A bit like aricarai, Euro was one of the first events that was on when I first moved over in 2004 - I remember hearing ppl singing & chanting 'Eng-el-land! Eng-el-land!' when the pubs let out & that ringing out all over the neighbourhood. My first intro to English village life.

This Euro has been extra special cos w
e were travelling all over Poland in the 2 weeks before the tournament started! Saw all the preparations in progress, saw many of the city sites they are showing on tele, ate/drank at restaurant in the exact hotel where the Spanish team is staying ('The World Champions Stay with Us') in Gdansk, saw the Irish team bus pull up as we were leaving Poland.

I always cheer the opposing side. No idea why! 

And Sweden had such a cool kit...........   

Loving it! And that's from someone who almost *never* watches football. Hubs doesn't often watch it either - follows the fortunes of the Canaries (where he's from) but that's about it. So we really only watch footie when it's the Euro or World Cup.

At first I was thinking that the Canary Islands don't have a football team, well Tenerife do but still......and then I remembered you saying your husband was from Norwich and it fell into place! 

At first I was thinking that the Canary Islands don't have a football team, well Tenerife do but still......and then I remembered you saying your husband was from Norwich and it fell into place! 

I wondered later if that would puzzle folks & I thought it might.  But if it even caught you up, then there's no hope for the rest... 

I love watching football, and I am gutted that I can't be there for it but at least this year the tourney is on ESPN 2 so very easy for me to watch the games... or at least it would be if the place we were staying had cable! For the England games I've been going to the gym, watching the first half from a treadmill, then I go home and stream the second half.

I'd go to a pub to watch it, but the nearest one is the scariest English pub I've ever been to.

So........ Nick says, "Watch this replay of Ronaldo's goal."  I begrudgingly watch.

I say, "Is he Italian?" 

Nick looks at me incredulously. "Italian?  Why on earth would you think he is Italian?" 

I said, "I dunno. He kind of looks Italian."

He said, "HE'S PORTUGUESE!!" 

I said, "Well how they hell would I know?" 

"Because you know it is Portugal against Czech Republic." 

"So?" 

"So he can't be Italian!" 

"Why not? He plays for England, too." 

"He does not!" 

"He does. He plays for the team you root for!"

Nick is shaking his head, flabbergasted.

I said, "Well, does he not play for England?"

"NO!  He USED to play for Manchester United!"

I said, "See!  He did play for England!"

(I actually caught on to the difference about 1/2 way into the conversation, but I just like to screw with his head.  That'll teach him to make me watch some replay. )

That's good Falgal.
Almost like conversations between DW and I!

Took a while for her to grasp international football, she'd be saying, for example with Modric, "Didn't he play for Spurs?",
Me - "Yes, he still does"
"But this isn't Spurs"
"No, it's Croatia"
"What happens if Spurs play Croatia?"
"They won't!"

And sometimes it's just a stupid moment

Last week whilst watching the England v Sweden match she asked "Who else is in England's group?"
And I replied "France and Ukraine"
She said "What? Are there only 3 teams in the group?"
I said "and Sweden, but I thought that was obvious as we are playing them"
"Oh yes!" and then started laughing!