The royal wedding on American TV

The royal wedding here, was something I thought I could avoid.
I'm not a royalist by any stretch of the imagination, I liked Diana, who didn't. But not really into Monarchy, after all that's where colonialism started, and slavery.  I'm more interested in character and contribution, royal or not.
So, no-one was more surprised than me that when I woke at 5.30am and woke my boyfriend too- who called me a hypocrite as we walked to the TV to watch Will and Kate tie the knot, after all it was all happening in my hometown.
I was totally into the whole romance, the beauty and ceremony of the occasion, London looked even on the TV miles away to be in a jubilant mood, I missed home.
The American TV had been hyping it for days, and at 5.30am every channel it seemed was covering it.

Viral web images, from Sydney Morning Herald

The hundreds of inaccuracies of royal facts, the pitting of Kate on Diana, the use of the commoner word and the lack of 'value' the 'Brits place on Kate's rag's to riches story' implied, was enough to be annoying and made me feel so patriotic to want to defend even Beatrice's enormous hat!(above)
Then CNN found amusement in the hats, as the whole reason they 'got rid of the British' ages ago, both presenters declaring that they hadn't worn a hat since they were four.. humm.
I had to just laugh..after all, they all watched it, and loved it, didn't they? Just like me, and maybe you...

World Cup Footie in the Apple

Despite the fact I am in the land of the people we were up against for our first group game in the world cup, I proudly bought an England shirt- (prob never would if I was in England!) and wore it to the Beer Garden in Queens where we were meeting up with a couple of friends.

It's well known the Americans are not really into football and instead call it Soccer. Football to them is that helmet donning Rugby like game that I cant really say I ever got my head around, but the atmosphere and the sheer number that came out to support thier country in this beer garden was in the hundreds!

They had flags, costumes, Uncle Sam's.. they even had a woman who had bought her face paints with her and painted the Stars and Stripes on peoples cheeks.

They also had a chant 'U-S-A! U-S-A!'
to which a couple of English supporters and I mean two, stood up to sing 'You've only got one song, you've only got one song, you've only got-one-song'
It was really funny and a great atmosphere.

Just when the game was about to start, a woman who had been chanting USA leaned over to me and said you will win, and we both just laughed! after I arrogantly said "I Know!' It was really fun and I thought it was great how two opposing teams could have a laugh and share banter, whilst watching it miles away from South Africa- the true meaning of the World Cup.
Then they went mental when they scored! Mental! Like they were so surprised- as were we! It was funny, but I'm sure the 12 of us English in the place were thinking we'd score again!
Then the mood changed, there were about 4 guys, rather big burley blokes, yelling '*uck the British!" many times, of course they weren't even playing the British, but to point this out seemed like risking my life.
These guys were very loud, a small minority but spoiled the game for me a bit none-the-less.. I saw it as pointless, racist and bordering on US hooliganism. They had a lot more people join them in shouting '*uck BP' which is equally pointless and little to do with the people of England. This is the first time in my life in the US I've ever felt anti- British sentiment, and never felt so keen to defend my country and it's people in all my life.

This guy (on the right of this picture) at the end came up to me and said 'Boo to this woman, Boo!!' right in my face.. I was a little taken back. But when I realised he was so jubilant, I had to point out (much to the chagrin of my boyfriend who wanted me to ignore him), that the USA team didn't win.. it was a Draw.. a Tie, whatever they call it here, and I wouldn't be too proud of that goal really, it was hardly the mastery of football.
Me and my big mouth, though he was drunk and an English guy was standing next to him winding him up long before I got there!
Then.. the next day, this was the headline of the New York Post?!?!

Do they know the game at all???? I think this says it all.. Come on Eng-ger-land! I'll be watching again this Friday this time, probably at home on the couch! Oh and feel free to post comments if you think I'm a chicken and should brave it out there again.. in the city that misinterprets scores...