kitewithfish (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kitewithfish) wrote2008-06-16 06:28 pm
kitewithfish) wrote2008-06-16 06:28 pm
Madness? This. Is. FUßBALL!
Vienna has gone insane.
Why? Austria is playing Germany today, and the winner is going to the European Championship semi-finals. Austria has never gotten to the championship before, and has only gotten this far this time because it's got an automatic in as a hosting country. (So does Switzerland, which also has never before gotten this far.)
The area immediately surrounding the "Fanzone," the giant big-screen TV in the center of the city, is PACKED with people wearing red and white shirt, hats, face-paint, and Cat-in-the-Hat Hats (which apparently are okay, despite the fact that Dr. Seuss is unknown in the German-speaking world.
In amongst the sea of Rot-Weiß-Rot, there are small, terrified, dedicated pockets of painted and be-flagged Germans. They do not, however, get cool chants.
Currently Playing (rather, being shouted by violently involved fans):
Imma WIEda, Imma WIEda, Imma WIEda ÖST-ER-REICH!
(Or, roughly, Now and EV-er, now and EV-er, now and EV-er AUST-RI-AAA! )
and, sometimes:
Wir singen ROT! Wir singen WEIß! Wir singen ROT-WEIß-ÖSTERREICH!
(Roughly, we're singin' red! We're singin' white! We're singing red-white-Austriiiiaaaaaa!)
We've still got two and a half hours before the game starts. I have not brought my camera.
Why? Austria is playing Germany today, and the winner is going to the European Championship semi-finals. Austria has never gotten to the championship before, and has only gotten this far this time because it's got an automatic in as a hosting country. (So does Switzerland, which also has never before gotten this far.)
The area immediately surrounding the "Fanzone," the giant big-screen TV in the center of the city, is PACKED with people wearing red and white shirt, hats, face-paint, and Cat-in-the-Hat Hats (which apparently are okay, despite the fact that Dr. Seuss is unknown in the German-speaking world.
In amongst the sea of Rot-Weiß-Rot, there are small, terrified, dedicated pockets of painted and be-flagged Germans. They do not, however, get cool chants.
Currently Playing (rather, being shouted by violently involved fans):
Imma WIEda, Imma WIEda, Imma WIEda ÖST-ER-REICH!
(Or, roughly, Now and EV-er, now and EV-er, now and EV-er AUST-RI-AAA! )
and, sometimes:
Wir singen ROT! Wir singen WEIß! Wir singen ROT-WEIß-ÖSTERREICH!
(Roughly, we're singin' red! We're singin' white! We're singing red-white-Austriiiiaaaaaa!)
We've still got two and a half hours before the game starts. I have not brought my camera.