FANgea

One thing about events like the World Cup, is that the event is just not about the sport, its about the multitide of fans from all over the world coming together. I know it sounds cliche, but it really does put people from all over together and last night's match at Ellis Park was no exception. Right near the media tribune, there were about 50 North Korean fans who had all members of the press intrigued. Most of us spent half the time watching the game and the other half trying to get as as much information out of them. They kept cheering their team using a wooden device, that resembles a wooden concrete float.



If you could imagine the computer scene in Zoolander where they were trying to get inside the computer, that is what it was like for many of us. We were all intrigued by their very presence and wanted to ask them all sorts of questions. They were very good sports about the attention they were receiving, but you could tell they were starting to get a bit frustrated. We were told by an official not to ask any sort of political questions. It was not until a South Korean reporter was able to break the ice and get some information out of them. Keep in mind that the South Korean reporter also had a difficult time communicating with them. According to the South Korean reporter, the North Korean government hand picked 300 citizens and flew them to South Africa. Apparently, none of them knew each other.

I did notice that there were many Chinese members of the press who were able to get close to them and interview them. They all exchanged laughs and hugs. It was said by some members of the press, that some of the North Korean fans were not actually North Korean, but Chinese fans disguised as North Koreans. Again, that is something that was flying around fromRumorville. I do not know how true that is, but it was interesting because when I heard that, I did try to speak Mandarin (the very little I knew) to one fan and I knew he understood.

Oh yeah, and remember that cheering device they were using, it appeared my good commie friend did have a little capitalism in him, he sold it to me for one dollar.

=]