Sleepless In Zamboanga
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Personal and Family
June 18, 2006
Been losing sleep for some nights now. Not that I have some worry in my mind, as you might have thought. It’s the World Cup fever that’s actually keeping me up all night, even towards dawn. And to top that, the U.S. Open is hours away from the climactic fourth round and maybe Scotsman Colin Montgometrie might just snatch his first ever grand slam title and move stealthily away from that fancy yet ignoble honor of being marked as the “best golfer around not to ever have won a major title”. He use to share that with Phil Mickelson, but Mr. Mickelson has already got three major titles now, the last two was in a row in fact (winning the PGA Championship in 2005 and then The Masters the following year).
I have gotten no satellite subscription but I could watch the games thru (shall I say benevolence) of the China Mainland news channel CCTV 1 and without it, I wouldn’t have known what to do. I would have been at a lost as to where to get World Cup coverage. Sam and Bambit are watching the games on the net, using this cool downloadable program that lets you watch a lot of television channels from all over the world online but my slow and retarded dial-up connection just won’t allow me this privilege. I used to resent foreign-language channels on cable television, particularly its superfluity and pointlessness to a guy like me. I mean, who cares about television programs that you couldn’t understand after all. If I were a foreign-language student or an anthropologist, I might have some use with them foreign language cable channels, peeking into other countries culture and environment through the boob tube and salivating over a foreign tongue and learning proper diction and accent. But now, CCTV 1 is nothing but heaven sent, a manna from the sky, a treasure trove from under the mighty seas.
So how does it feel watching live soccer games with Chinese commentators on the helm? I am sure it ain’t as pleasing as watching them with English voiceovers eating up English words with pure British accent. We all like that Brisitsh accent don’t we all, even though at times it is just incomprehensible and garbled like ‘what the hell was that BBC guy was saying all along’.
The early games are supposedly aimed at dividing the boys from the men that there’d be games where the mighty strong goes against lowly upstarts like the upcoming game between Australia and Brazil; when the green and yellow clad Brazilians are rated top of the list by FIFA and the Australians having gotten to the final stages of this tournament only for the first time since 1974.
But the round of sixteen, the knock-out stage, would soon be on hand and I hope I’d still be sleepless in Zamboanga by that time.
… just want to greet u ^^ alles gute zum vatertag ^^
Chinese??? viel spass (enjoy)
Comment by racky — June 18, 2006 @ 8:02 pm
You’re indeed a true fan, Major Tom! I, too, experienced similar symptoms when I used to follow the NBA games.
BTW, there’s nothing more I want from TV these days but a chance to watch some decent badminton matches. Unfortunately, the sports channels on Sky Cable only broadcast them on late nights when I’ve already gone to bed, or in the afternoons when I’m surely bound to be doing errands or attending to some important matter. Oh, well. I welcome the day when “on-demand TV” becomes a reality.
Comment by erisac — June 18, 2006 @ 10:06 pm
Yes it is crunch time. The teams are qualifying for a place among the 16 slots. Some have it easy while others need to bleed blood just to make it like France. I’m hoping at least one African team makes it to sort of level the field so to speak. Happy viewing even though it is in Chinese.
Comment by Daphne — June 19, 2006 @ 4:53 am
Happy Fathers Day, Major Tom!
Comment by AYEZA — June 19, 2006 @ 7:43 am
To racky: Thanks so much for the greetings (I had to search the net and get the German words translated). My being a father becomes more blessed and fulfilling with greetings like these.
To Señor Enrique: I used to be so obsessed with NBA games on TV, even the PBA ones that whenever my favorite team loses I sulked for such a long time but if they win, I feel so gleeful for weeks on, like the world is gay and light. But after almost two decades of being a basketball fan, I had mellowed somehow.
That’s very true bout badminton games on TV, sports channel seem to broadcast them on hours you wouldn’t expect yourself in front of the TV. Maybe, it had to be a world championship for em to show badminton matches on prime time. I know Indonesian players are pretty mighty on this field and some northern europeans like the Swedes and Danes.
Comment by Major Tom — June 19, 2006 @ 9:02 am
To Daphne: Ghana is pretty surprising. Maybe it’d be the African team your thinking about. If I am not mistaken, they just beat the Czech team in a very skillful fashion. Years, ago I was rooting for a great Cameroon team but this time, they didn’t even qualify for the final stages.
To AYEZA: Salamat daghan sa imung greetings. It really made my day. Na busy gyud kuh sa katan-aw nga mga dula sa World Cup na wah na kuh kasulat about father’ day. Maybe I should have wrote one. There’s always next year I guess.
Comment by Major Tom — June 19, 2006 @ 9:07 am
swerte gat tu con el chinese channel. hehe you’re truly a fan of world cup,so may you have more sleepless nights to come! hehe
Comment by rudyman — June 20, 2006 @ 1:43 am
Amo gane pare; crystal clear pa el coverage. I guess even the Solar broadcast can’t match it in terms of clarity.
Comment by Major Tom — June 20, 2006 @ 6:28 am
Just don’t forget to breath and eat, pare. Hehe
Comment by snglguy — June 20, 2006 @ 3:24 pm
To snglguy: Buti pinaalala mo pre kasi baka nalimutan ko na nga. Actually, I missed last night matches buti na lang hindi masyadong crucial except that England, one of my favorite teams, was playing. I got so tired finally. Pero this time, I will recharge my energies again and try to stay awake as long as possible. Gonna have some lots of coffee then,…and for sure, I will have to put something into my stomach.
Comment by Major Tom — June 21, 2006 @ 6:23 am
i’m rooting for England because of Mr. Beckham. hehehe… my German friend had gone on leave from work for the world cup. He had to fly to Hamburg to experience it firsthand!
Comment by evi — June 22, 2006 @ 4:39 am
…Oh same here Major Tom, i don’t get enough sleep since the World Cup starts ^^ hehe…more today coz it’s Japan=Brazil match and i love both team…and just wonderin’ how will Japs beat Brazil tonight? Gosh!!but still i’m prayin’ they can make it and its ok coz i can still enjoy looking at Kaka ^^
…enjoyyy!
cheers,
kathy-
Comment by kathy — June 22, 2006 @ 6:15 am
To evi: Mr. Beckham seem to be the man of the hour right now. He has such a following. Somehow, I am rooting for England also since they haven’t had it since the 1960’s. Maybe its their time….
Comment by Major Tom — June 22, 2006 @ 6:53 am
To racky: Japan winning over Brazil seems to be a far-oof possibility by now but who knows, once Brazil had lost to the very upstart Australia is a friendly.
I think, Brazil could win it again this time except when something untoward really happens. Newsweek calls this Brazil team as ‘possibly the best Brazilian team’ ever.
Comment by Major Tom — June 22, 2006 @ 7:12 am
who’s your bet major? hmm.. i’m going for germany big chance to win the world cup. Kasi sila ang host? hehe… Or Senegal again? Who knows, maybe a second crown for them?
Comment by penovate — June 22, 2006 @ 8:14 am
To Penovate: Like I said to evi, England is my sentimental pick but with Brazil going so strong this time, I think I won’t bet using my emotions this time. And aside from that, Argentina and your pick Germany, is looking so sharp.
Comment by Major Tom — June 22, 2006 @ 2:54 pm
It is truly a shame if the Pinoy TV networks don’t show the greatest spectacle on earth. Damn these networks!
Talking about Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie, they both muffed their chances at the 18th hole would you believe both scoring abysmal double bogeys literally handing the cup over to an unsuspecting Geoff Ogilvy. Had they both bogeyed, it would been a 3 man playoff. Suffice to say the fat lady was smiling at the Aussie Ogilvy that day.
Comment by bw — June 22, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
To BW; I say these local TV stations are only in it for the money. They should have been more patriotic to run the World Cup coverages even on “missionary flights” but since it is not attracting sponsors (since soccer here is almost nonexistent), they leave our country isolated from the big thing that’s happening right now over in Germany.
Yeah, those collapses by Mickelson and Montgometrie should go down in history as the most bizarre falldowns in gold history, just like that Greg Norman collapse years ago in a Masters Tournament where he led by as much as 8 holes going into the final round but he just kept on bogeying his shots. I think, Mr. Norman never got over it that his career slumped steadily after that traumatic moment in his supposedly lustrous career.
Comment by Major Tom — June 23, 2006 @ 6:13 am
dellnoumbers
Comment by General Electric — July 6, 2006 @ 4:34 pm