European Championships brings back all the soccer memories

The European Championships (that's soccer, or football as most people want me to call it) are on now - that'll be absolutely obvious if you're living in Europe, but might not quite be headline news in other parts of the world.

Here in Perth we're pretty frustrated that the games are broadcast in the wee hours of the morning, and don't think our bosses would understand if we skipped work to sleep in. What I'm surprised about is how interested I am - naturally my German other half is a big fan and that's an influence, but I'm also reminded of all my great soccer experiences at the last two World Cups.

The top picture is a bunch of South Koreans in Seoul watching the semi-final of the 2002 World Cup; I was there. Not at the game itself, but out in the centre of Seoul with half of its inhabitants. That was the beginning of my growing fondness for soccer.

When I lived in Germany during World Cup 2006, the fondness grew into a fever and I started watching all the games outdoors at "live viewing" (is that the strange English phrase the Germans coined to describe it - I can't quite remember). Unfortunately I watched the Italy - Australia game with some Italian friends and was the loser in a deal involving a T-shirt swap, so I had to walk around for the rest of the evening wearing this Italian jersey. I was so ashamed.

Now I'm anxious to see how Germany fares in the European Championships. My loyalties aren't really divided at all; I've got a Swiss student in my class at the moment but he admits openly enough that they've got no chance. My Czech students have left. That leaves me with pretty much no other reason to support any team other than Germany, so go for it, boys!