Ole Ole Ole Ole!

All you soccer fans know exactly what today is...the first day of the World Cup in South Africa!  There are only six cities in the entire world where special venues have been created for fans of "football" to view games around the clock for free on jumbo screens in HD.  Those cities are Rome, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Berlin and...you guessed it...Paris!

The opening ceremonies began at two o'clock this afternoon followed by the first game of the tournament between South Africa and Mexico.  As three of Burke's classmates are authentic Mexicanos and die hard fans of their national team, we were obliged (and happy) to cheer for Mexico.  Notice Gerardo, our enthusiastic Mexican in the bottom right.  He insisted that in order to get good seats we had to meet at noon.  We showed up at the event not an hour before the actual game, but THREE and we were LITERALLY the first people through the gates when they opened at one.  It's a pretty neat miniature soccer stadium they have constructed right across the street from the Eiffel Tour with a field that several games were being played on until the game actually began and it was overtaken by fans.

  We were grateful to have the best seats in the house when the massive, drunken crowd began to pour in before the game started. It was hot as heck outside with no shade, smokers and drunken fans all around, but despite those annoyances, we were able to have a great time in the heart of the vivacious Mexican supporters.

  It was a fun game and I think we will try to catch the US versus England there tomorrow. Viva FIFA!