Play baby play!

Despite the world cup, the day my girlfriend told me she was playing football I thought it was funny. I actually never played football and certainly never would but I stood agape at this brave woman who would dare to run in shorts, run helter-skelter in that huge ground (which to me seems to stretch till eternity), and most certainly tire oneself out of breath and risk a serious aftermath of body ache.

It bruises my ego to think that she is much braver than I am, but this also reminds me of a good joke that fluttered in the air during this year men’s world cup. It was during one of the big matches that I and my group of friends were simultaneously watching a bunch of ladies going berserk cheering for the team they supported. Their enthusiasm, never to be equalled by any other in the crowd, was agreeably irritating because they obviously were supporting the wrong team.

Quite amused by their jumping and shouting in the crowd we happened to discuss women’s football.

“What difference do you spot between men and women’s football these days?” quipped one of my friends. This friend of mine, who is well known for his quick witted comments, was not very slow this time as well.

“Well, a man kicks a ball and hopes that it goes to the other whom he just intended to pass to, but a woman kicks a ball and hopes somebody will go and rush to get it.”

It was not a surprise that the only lady in our group did not find it amusing. To add insult to her injury, another friend from the group chipped in, “You know when they play football it’s like a bunch of hounds going after a bone, everyone rushes to get the ball.”

Just as we were getting done laughing, the first guy added, “Well, it really is confusing with ladies’ football. What you see on the playground is neither football, nor ladies.”

Sorry ladies, I did laugh at your expense then, but I keep watching ladies’ football which pops up live on my tv these days. You are nothing like what others said. In fact you are just playing great, and it’s a far cry from what my friends mentioned. And anyone who dares to go play football, or any kind of sports, deserves a pat on their back. Attagirl!

Of diet and roaches...

Almost half a year through and I have talked only two times with my neighbour. The first was within a week after I first moved in. The second happened today. Of course the subject for discussion has taken me off guard. Twice! She wanted to know if I had cockroaches in my room then, and she wanted to know if I had cockroaches today too.

Believe it or not there wasn’t any and I told her so. She was surprised indeed and gave me this weird look. I guess I should have been surprised too, because apparently her room, in her words, was brimming with roaches. Why should the pesky insects forsake mine?

So I was musing about it when suddenly I came across this quote by a personality in the highest echelons of European nobility. It said, “If it has four legs and isn’t a chair, has wings and isn’t an aeroplane, swims and isn’t a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” I wondered if my neighbour heard of this, so that she should give me that weird look.

I may not be a Cantonese but where I am now you will be taken for granted because we pretty much look the same. Did she suppose I was making a feast of the creepy arthropods that there should be none left in my room? Well, I sincerely hope not.

Yikes!