World Cup Wednesday- The Basics!

If you haven't heard, the World Cup is finally here!  Well, almost here.  Officially, the games kick off on June 12 but football (yes, the REAL football) fans have been delighted with lots of international friendlies.  The friendlies feature teams in and out of the World Cup.  For instance, the United States vs. Azerbaijan.  USA in, Azerbaijan out.  The friendlies have been a good preview of certain teams as the players you see are likely the ones you'll see in the games.  To get you ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, here are some basics:

2014 location: Brasil
How many teams participate: 32
How are they split: Into groups of 4 for a total of 8 groups
When do the games begin: June 12, 2014
When is the championship: July 13, 2014
Which countries are in each group:  see below

Official Groups:
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Côte D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Japan
Group D:  Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic (South Korea)

How do teams advance?
During the group stage, each team plays each other for a total of 4 games and a maximum of 12 points.  A win= 3 points, a draw (tie)= 1 point, and a loss=0 points.  The 2 teams with the most points will advance to the knock out stage, which decreases the pool to 16 teams.  If teams have the same amount of points, goal difference will be taken into account.  During the group stage, it is possible for both teams to have a scoreless draw (a 0-0 scoreline).

During the second stage (also known as the knockout stage), the 16 teams go head to head.  For example, the top team in Group A (1A) will play the second team in Group B (2B) and so forth.  Check out FIFA's website to see the pairings: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html    .  Obviously, the teams are TBD :-)

Where can I watch the games:  In the USA, you can watch on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.  You can also go to your local bar for some spirited banter, especially if there are other footy fans around!

What's your prediction?
Well...I'm only doing this for the group stage and there are ALWAYS surprise wins and disappointing play and suspense. However, you've gotta make predictions, so here are mine:

Group A: Brazil, Cameroon
- potential surprise team: Croatia over Cameroon (Cameroon has always been off-on in their World Cup appearances but I think they will advance, though Croatia has been looking strong)

Group B: Spain, Netherlands
-potential surprise team: Chile over Netherlands

Group C: Colombia, Japan
-potential surprise team: Cote D'Ivoire over Colombia (this is a toss up, both teams are loaded with talented superstars but Colombia is missing their biggest (and one of my favorites)--Radamel Falcao)

Group D:  England, Italy
-potential surprise team: Uruguay (Uruguay did make it to the quarterfinals in 2010)

Group E: France, Ecuador
-potential surprise team: Honduras over Ecuador (these teams are fairly similar, though I give the advantage to Ecuador)


Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- potential surprise: I don't think there will be any. I haven't seen Iran play yet, to be honest, but Nigeria did not impress in their friendly match against Greece yesterday (June 3, 2014).  Nigeria's 2010 showing was not good and while that's been 4 years ago, I have seen Bosnia play and they look good.  Argentina are the definite favorites and I don't see the second place team from this group advancing far.

Group G: Germany, Portugal
-potential surprise: It's a toss up between Portugal and Ghana, I think. Portugual's biggest asset is they have one of the top 5 footballers in  the world right now in Cristiano Ronaldo.  This group has been dubbed the Group of Death and this is a tough table.  Germany is heavily favored and Portugal likely is too.  I'd love to see Ghana advance and while national pride has me rooting for USA, their squad just doesn't look on par with a squad like Germany for instance. 

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic (South Korea)
-potential surprise: None.  I see Belgium sailing through along with Algeria.

If you want to learn more about the World Cup, check out FIFA's official website: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/

Ici c’est Paris- Dec 2013

World Crush Alert!

 

Ici c’est Paris! Besides being the slogan I see in the stadium for football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), this is also how one would feel upon landing in Paris.  Here is Paris! So, on last year’s European getaway, I spent the most time in Paris. Here’s a taste of my Parisian experience.

Let me begin by saying that though I was an American in Paris, I studied French for about 3 years between junior and senior high, so I knew I had bare minimum comprehension and vocab. But it’s a different story when you are in the moment and your sentences are choppy or you don’t quite know the word/phrase to say.  Fortunately, the Parisians I encountered were nice!  Yes, really they were! Personally, I think it's misunderstanding between Americans and the French.  Like many European countries, France is more formal where America is more casual.  Anyway, here's a tip: if you know nothing else, please greet anyone you’re speaking to with Bonjour/Bonsoir. Thank them by saying “Merci” and if you’re in desperate need of a translation ask “Parlez-vous Anglais?”. You should really try to learn more than that (there are tons of phrasebooks out there) but if not, at least know that much. Trust me. Another sidebar:  My fellow Americans, please be patient with our fellow international tourists because when the shoe is on the other foot, you will be wanting that good and kindness karma!

Anyway, I stayed in a suburb of Paris, right by Disneyland. Before you wonder, I didn’t actually go to Disneyland. I was only there 2 days in Paris and had to try and fit in the Louvre, Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower), Notre Dame, Versailles, and of course a walk down Champs Elysee and shopping. Fashionista or not, you’ve gotta shop in Paris. It’s just a must. So, no time for Disneyland but hopefully next the time.  Oh yes, as I'm finding in all cities, I really like train rides.  Here are some pics:



External view

Station guide

Electronic display

Train selfie!

One of the few trains I saw that wasn't full (and I wasn't on)!

Below are some images from my tourist sights:

The Louvre- I’ve have firsthand museum work experience and still consider myself a museum-head. Let me tell you, the Louvre is another level! Even if you’re not into art or history, the vast collections within the Louvre just might change that for you.  I have a million photos from the collections but here is an exterior shot.  I love architecture!  If you want to hear more about the Louvre, just let me know :-)

Arc de Triomphe- This arch is iconic! Must take photo!

Avenue des Champs-Élysées- Every major internationally known fashion designer you can think of has a spot on the Champs-Élysées!

 

 

Tour Eiffel- Now you know full well that if you were to see nothing in Paris at all, you must see the Eiffel Tower! Interesting thing is that you can’t actually photograph it in its entirety while standing in front of it. I’m not sharing my secret spot but not far away, you can view the whole thing :-)

 

Dejeuner- Lunch! You need energy for all this sightseeing. Energy of the delicious variety :-) Don’t forget une boisson chaude (a hot beverage)!

 

Notre Dame + Seine River- Simply majestic, particularly after sunset.

Versailles- I could write a whole blog on Versailles but I was literally speechless at the sheer beauty and magnitude...in fact I WILL save that for a future blog.  Stay tuned!

Overall, I had a blast in sweet Paris! It was a bit cold, winter after all, but I was feeling the vibe of the city. It's a huge city, so the hustle and bustle was real but just study your French and go in with an open mind. No pre-conceived notions!  For my next go around, I’d love to really experience the city in spring or summer as well as feel the vibe of the night life. The trains were very similar to rush hour in USA’s big cities, which I could’ve done without :-) But wait, I did get to go to une supermarche (grocery store) and I even used a self-checkout. Yep, living the life already! Ha! Look below for a few snapshots…

   

Paris is known as the city of love, where maybe even an innocent, flirty encounter might occur. What was my experience? A lady never tells… ;-) Let’s just say, I’m definitely practicing my French and I definitely see Paris (and really France, overall) back in my future travels. Near future, perhaps?  Time will tell...

As always, if you like what you're reading, leave it in a comment :-)