I'm a real Brit.I only mention this because an American couple, fed up with the usual touristy sites of London ~ you know, where Queen Liz stays when she's in town and that old castle where her jewels are kept ~ decided to
mingle with the masses down the Valley.
There was a cool crispness in the morning air, the kind of autumn day made for football. As we ambled down the street toward the stadium, my wife and I couldn't help but feel swept up in big-game excitement.
All around us, fans were bundled up in the home team's colors. Vendors hawked T-shirts and caps at souvenir stands. Sausages and hamburgers sizzled on outdoor grills.
It felt like a college football Saturday in the Midwest - Notre Dame perhaps, or Ohio State. With one difference.
The football was round.
At halftime, I noticed several groups of male supporters sipping beers near the concession stands. I had gone to fetch my wife a cup of hot tea during the break (the plastic cup of hot water actually came with a tea bag inside), and after I handed it to her, she took a sip, looked at me and said, ``How civilized.''
It felt that way all afternoon. Charlton's fans were boisterous but respectful, and there wasn't a hint of a disturbance, either from the home team or visitors. We didn't hear the kind of cursing common at some U.S. sporting events, and there were plenty of parents with children around us who had no reason to feel uncomfortable or threatened.
That's Jakartass to a T, civilised and generally unthreatening.
It appears that
Fatih agrees.
One week ago, I criticised slightly two expats bloggers: Jakartass and Indcoup (both are British stay in Jakarta) whose blogs focus on Indonesia current issues. Both have commented on the criticism and Jakartass added a specific rebuttal in his own blog.
I criticise some of their opinions not their personalities and that's why I commented on Jakartass rebuttal in his blog with a sense of admiration for his dedication to blog for so long about Indonesia; that before I start blogging myself, his blog become my regular transit whenever I surfed the net; that's also my hope to Indcoup (damn, I want like crazy to know the real you two, guys).
As I've already noted, there seems to be an encouraging
surge in Indonesian blogging. How about a Bloggers Convention next time you're in town, Fatih?
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