the blixtra blog » world cup

Sleep Deprivation and Being a Loser

Chris — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:54:33 +0000

On Sunday I installed Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper) at Sprachenatelier Berlin e.V. a small language school in Friedrichshain. It took all night and I’m still not finished. Someone had installed a Tomcat server that was serving a custom jsp app. Having never installed tomcat nor having ever developed Java Server Pages and only finding out about it when I arrived I didn’t have enough time to do all the other thngs plus learn about tomcat and install jsp apps. So I installed Ubuntu on the 4 “student” computers and left the 2 office computers for some time in the next couple days. On Monday in the comfort of my own home I learned about Tomcat and I had everything running in an hour or so. I also wasted a good amount of time ridding the single duel-boot Windows install of viruses and spyware.

I’ll do an Ubuntu 6.06/Tomcat install how-to soon. No, really… I promise.

On Tuesday Annika and I packed a picnic and went to the Fan Mile to watch the Germany vs. Italy match. Of course, Everyone knows the outcome of that. I was so looking forward to the penalty shoot-out. Oh well. May Italy suffer a humiliating defeat in the finals. They are such whiners; falling at the slightest touch. I’m hoping Portugal wins it all now.

South Koreans clean up own mess

Chris — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:45:44 +0000

I watched a report on TV this morning that showed the South Korean fans cleaning up their own mess after the match against France in Frankfurt. They actually bring there own bags and once the place starts emptying they get to work. That’s pretty impressive. Someone should tell them however that the city clean up services in Germany are darn good. For example, during CSD in Berlin the BSR comes directly behind the parade and everything is clean before the parade ends.

Another World Cup “Public Viewing”

Chris — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 20:17:13 +0000

Last night Annika and I went to the Adidas Arena to watch the Italy vs. USA match. The Arena is made to look like the Olympiastadion in Berlin and holds about 10,000 people who can watch the action on 2 not-so-big screens. The Arena is located on the lawn between the Reichstag and the Kanzleramt and just a few blocks from the new main train station (Berlin Hauptbahnhof.) It was actually quite nice there. You get a more stadium-like feeling than at a normal viewing because the supporters play off of each other better and of course there was the “wave”.

We left just before 11pm. The area looks really impressive at night. Makes me feel homesick when I think about leaving Berlin next month. I’m of course American but I’ve lived here since 1999, met my wife here and this feels like home. I’m not sure if San Diego will feel like home but I’ll give it a try. Annika’s really looking forward to move anyway.

The new Berlin Hauptbahnhof is really going to change the city I think. It is aready impressive to look at and has turned an area that had been dead since I arrived into a quite pleasent place to hang out along the river while seeing the sights or preparing for a journey by train. In the next couple years a lot will change for the area just to the north of the station, I think. It will probably turn into a Fisherman’s Wharf type thing but I I guess every major city needs one of those.

Oh yeah, the match ended in a 1:1 draw. There were 3 red cards though.

Spannung Pur (Pure Suspense)

Chris — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:22:05 +0000

Annika and I watched the match against Germany and Poland last night. We watched the match in the Kulturbrauerei‘s court yard (3 EUR, no outside drinks allowed in.) The place was full and we had a nice place right in front of the big screen. The match was one of the most exciting matches I’ve every seen. It’s right up there with the 2005 Champions League final; not as amazing but just as exciting.

Unless you actually watched the match you’re probably wondering how a match with a single goal could be so exciting. Firstly, the match was against to neighboring countries that share an often complicated history. Second, two of Germany’s strikers were born in Poland and still speak Polish at home. Third, a loss by Poland meant that their tournament would be practically over and a win by Germany would almost guarantee advancing to the next round. Lastly and most importantly, the Germans had so many great chances to score that as the match went on the suspense built and built till finally the only goal of the match fell in injury time, sending the crowds that had gathered throughout Germany to just explode in euphoric celebration.

On the way home along Schönhauser Allee, the street and side walk was filled with people celebrating. I think that goal did a lot to make the atmosphere even better than it already is now. The World Cup is turning out to be really fun. I hope it continues to be so.