World Cup 2018
(a TL;DR is at the end of this post)
World Cup!
It’s that time again! In less than a week, 32 national football teams from qualifying countries will take to the world stage (or fray). It is one of the world’s largest sporting events and perhaps even the largest depending on who you speak with. I must admit though that up until recently I just did not see the appeal.
I consider my first real World Cup to be the one 4 years ago (in 2014 at the time of this writing). I admit I had never been much of a football fan before (and am just now a budding one). Perhaps because of physical makeup and I believe just by preference I preferred following and/or playing basketball and racket-sports such as lawn tennis and table tennis. I used to say that football was too low scoring and hence boring. Man was I in for a surprise.
The summer of 2014 was immediately following my graduation from University. I was an international student in a strange land haha, waiting for my work authorisation to come through. As a way of biding our time, some of us as international student decided to watch games together. We would go to each others’ homes at the time or restaurants or sports bars (even when we cudn’t buy much of anything haha). I have to say that this was a great experience! I met new people through those friends. We would talk of life, of culture, and of current events. We laughed, learned, memed, quarreled, potlucked, played kalooki and overall took refuge in each other’s company. I think it’s safe to say we learned alot that summer, all stemming from those initial parrings watching the World Cup. In it’s own small way, it had brought us together.
I realised that this “low scoring” game was the way it was as it allowed for tension and release moments. There was negative space which allowed for conversations in the way that some other sports don’t. Watching with a group of friends was a great bonding activity. I gained a new respect for them, football and the World Cup that year and I now look forward to it. I know that the event is far from perfect and this often wicked world that we live in will no doubt see disreputable activity attached to it and that is really a shame. Ideally speaking I believe at the core, the World Cup can bring us to a table, nukes placed on time-out, for conversation and yeah man, I dig that.
This year, with newly kindled interest, I am looking forward to experiencing the World Cup here in Jamaica. :)
Big up the 2014 Crew: “International Friends”, LuLu from Brasil, Melly from Colombia, Anna from Boston & Dj Chiney!
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The Popcorn Maker
To participate and celebrate, wbuttr’s first limited edition event will be based on the World Cup and will be in two parts!
World Cup Pop Shop!
World Cup World Shop!
TL; DR
Loved World Cup 2014!
To participate and celebrate, wbuttr’s first limited edition event will be based on the World Cup and will be in two parts!
If you live in Jamaica (exclusive to locals): World Cup Pop Shop!
If you live anywhere in the world: World Cup World Shop!
N.B. 10% of all the month’s proceeds will go towards providing food and ground provisions for the Jamaica Seventh Day Baptist Young People’s Leagues Junior and Senior Camps held July 29th - August 12th.
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Pop Like Corn,
The Popcorn Maker
