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Yes, I’ve jumped on the fútbol train (bandwagon) & have really been swept up in all this FIFA WORLD CUP hoopla. I’ve been watching the matches on the Telly, keeping up with the scores & play-by-plays on the WatchESPN App on my iPad, & nearly live-tweeting my reactions on Twitter (@melsenpai). No, this is not my first “rodeo” in the whole World Cup fútbol circuit. I’ve had my fair share of experience in being a World Cup fan. Most of my “bromies” (bro + homie, a.k.a. very close male friend) have been into both watching & playing soccer/fútbol for many years, & they kind of sucked me into being a fan as well. I have always liked watching all kinds of sports since early childhood as a direct influence from my parents & siblings, so it was very easy for me to fall into the World Cup fandom.
I’m not going to say which team(s) I am ultimately cheering for to make it to the final game. I am still undecided as to which team(s) is/are my true favorite (I mostly base my favorites on skill & performance, but maybe also a little bit on how hot the players look…joking about that last bit.) So far, all of the matches have been exciting ones, with a little referee controversy peppered here & there. I was expecting more controversy, or shall I say media coverage, on the Brazilians who are up-in-arms about the whole “spending a ridiculous amount of money on sports, but not on the underprivileged”. I am really excited to see all the different sides of Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, as I am truly hoping that I will be able to visit that city at least once in my lifetime. To visit Rio, that’s definitely on the Top 10 of my bucket list. Watching these 2014 World Cup games is like getting a visual taste of Brazil & all of the parties & adventures. The excitement practically jumps off of the Telly screen.
I’ve got a “bromie” who has started a bracket with his office employee pool, & is trying to do the same amongst our friends who are into this World Cup. I am not a sports betting, or bracket predicting person (I gave up mid-way through my Fantasy Football tournament last year with those same friends). I am more of a “let’s go match-by-match” type of person. I don’t like to predict too many games ahead; it takes the fun out of watching, especially when you’re spending most of your time calculating points/scores & strategizing your next move. I’ve seen my older brother go through the ups & downs of sports betting, & it’s not for me AT ALL .
I’m excited to see what tomorrow’s match-ups will bring. A new batch of teams, more goals…I’ve got my game-face on, the Telly is all warmed up & ready to go. It’s still way too early to guess who will come out as champion, but I hope that whoever does win, deserves it. Cheers!
Today’s song of the day:
“Starlight” by Muse
Here’s a fun picture I’d like to share. It’s the famous Copacabana beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. I hope I will be able to visit this beautiful place someday soon (very soon). I was contemplating on visiting Rio, but I have decided to put those plans on hold for the time being. Well, for now, this dreamy photograph will just have to suffice.
Copacabana beach – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
I just discovered this crazy awesome new radio App called Rio Radio, & I am completely obsessed with it! I am so in love with this App that I put it on both my iPhone & my iPad. This App streams popular Brazilian music (some straight from local Sao Paulo radio stations, complete with commercials), & also streams popular Bossa Nova, Jazz & Samba music.
Lately, I’ve just been on this extreme Brazilian everything spree. I have been practically binging on all things Brazil. For example, I recently bought the Blu-Ray DVD of one of my all-time favorite movies: RIO, & I have been playing this movie on repeat everyday. I’ve also been listening to Brazilian Pop music non-stop (even when I’m working out at the gym) even though I don’t understand a lick of Portuguese! Well, I do somewhat understand the universal Spanish words, but I don’t understand any of the traditional Portuguese words. Although, I do find the language very interesting (& sounds very close to French)!
I’ve also been dreaming a lot lately of visiting Rio de Janeiro. I’ve been playing around with the idea of visiting Rio for my honeymoon vacation…but the only thing that’s holding me back from taking the plunge to go there is the safety concern. I’ve been reading up on a lot of travel guides & tourism board websites, & all the resources say that right now is not really safe for tourists to travel to Brazil. I’ve even had a former boss that visited Sao Paulo in mid 2011 for a business trip, & he had to travel around town with a personal driver & a bodyguard. I know that sounds like a totally extreme case, but his experience really makes me think twice about traveling to my fantasy destination until the tourist safety situation improves.
Anyway…enough about my Brazilian obsession. I am also listening to my (usual) favorite Bossa Nova & Jazz music on the Rio Radio App. I really love this App, except for the tiny little bug in the App where it’ll sometimes shut-off by itself…but otherwise, I am smit-ten! Que é tão surpreendente. <— copied from Google Translate.
Rabbits & Foxes 
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