Amiril Muhaimin
With the FIFA World Cup 2010 kicking-off today, UrbanWire comes out with a tongue-in-cheek guide on how to prep yourself to fully experience the magic of football.
1) Batteries
You’d think the people who support such an active sport would be the most nimble, atheletic ones, instead of couch potatoes who wouldn’t deign to walk 4m to switch channels. To spare yourself from having to actually get off your butt, we recommend you keep spare batteries. While you’re preparing for Murphy’s Law to kick in, better to be kiasu [Hokkein word for being afraid to lose out] and keep more than one remote by you and then amass a whole lot of spare batteries.
2) Fan/Air-con
Thanks to Singapore’s humid weather conditions and searing temperatures of 35 deg C, be prepared to use both the fan and air-con simultaneously since you tend to move more (which burns calories) during the exciting moments of the game. Besides, you’re forking out as much as S$70 for the telecasts which have drawn a record bid of S$21 million from Singapore, isn’t that enough to get you hot under the collar?
3) Food and Drinks
A hungry man is an angry man. Count yourself lucky not to have to pay £8 {S$16.50} (the price of burger at Wembley Stadium). You can just all McDelivery (open 24 hours) to order a full meal and the $2 delivery charge can be split if more of your friends are watching with you.
Also prepare the booze. Grab your Heineken or Tiger and invite your football pals over for a drink. While beers may not entice a female companion to come over, football fans have nothing to lose, unless they bet against you, of course.
4) Load up on caffeine
Red Bull gives you wings, goes the ad.
Anyone who has used this to stay up mugging for exams will tell you to drink Red Bull at 1am if you have problems staying up to watch the 2:30 am (Singapore time) match as the effects of caffeine tend to only peak 1 hour after consumption.
Overdo this, though, and you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches.
5) Be a Virtual Pro
Buy the official 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa game and captain your nation (even if they are not in the FIFA 2010 World Cup) to glory.
What makes this better than the real thing is that you can predict the scores of the matches by fixing a match that’s happening later.
6) Listen to the World Cup Songs
Groove along to Shakira’s “Waka-Waka” and Akon’s “Oh Africa” or feel patriotic and emotional when you listen to K’naan “Wavin Flag”.
7) Scout for back-up venues
Survey your neighbourhood just in case something unfortunate happens to your network. If that fails, you can be part of “Beerfest“as they are screening 12 ‘live’ matches from Jun 16 to 20.
8) Learn the national anthem/cheers
Show your support for your team. Let the team know that you are one of them. Nothing beats loyalty.
For Girls
Don’t disparage the World Cup if your boyfriends or spouses stick to the television set 24/7 and looks comatose at any other time due to sleep deprivation. UrbanWire suggests ideas for you to kill time.
1) Shop till you drop
Pledge your allegiance to The Great Singapore Sale 2010 that started on May 25. Give your guy’s credit card a good workout and plot your beautiful revenge as he catches his beautiful game.
2) Be part of the WAGs
The label “wives and girlfriends” (WAGS) was coined to describe the female companions of the professional footballers.
However, you can be part of this pop culture by being spotted or posting pictures of yourself to STOMP, lugging massive handbags and wearing huge designer sunglasses in an attempt for you to be inconspicuous. But be sure that your boyfriend or husband can play football in the first place.
3) Take a crash course regarding the World Cup
Read World Cup “themed” magazines and get the latest info regarding the teams and the beautiful game. There’s more to football than Torres and Kaka.