After attending the quarterfinals of women's water polo last Tuesday, I decided that I liked it enough to fork out money for the finals on Saturday. The fact that the US was playing Australia in the gold medal game also had some influence on my decision!! Again, the cheap seats for the bronze and gold medal games were only A$38, much cheaper than the swimming. There goes their strange pricing again.
Russia beat Hungary in the bronze medal game, 8-6. It seemed that the whole stadium was rooting for Hungary, not just the Hungarian fans. Perhaps because they were the defending world champions. All I have to say is that the Aussies are fantastic sports fans, especially when their own are competing. There were several cheering squads in the stands, decked out in yellow shirts, wigs, and even face paint. There is something stirring about listening to a cheer of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie", "Oi, Oi, Oi" in the stands, even if it is against your own team. They were also very fond of "Aussie fans, in the stands, let me hear you clap your hands...".
It was a very exciting game, close at the half at 1-1. I was one of only a few Americans in the stands, but at least I felt safe cheering for the opposing team. God knows you take your life in your hands when cheering for anyone but the Eagles at the Linc. After a close game and terrific performance by both goaltenders, the US eked out a victory, 6-5. And then promptly dragged the entire coaching staff into the water fully clothed :)
I took the tram back to St. Kilda, but didn't feel like eating yet another night of my own cooking. I went to a local restaurant, Lentil as Anything, which serves terrific veggie food and suggests that you pay what the meal was worth. I got seated at a table with two other single diners, an Aussie and a Swiss. It's a good idea, and in my opinion, much better than eating dinner alone, which I hate doing. The entire restaurant was lit by candlelight (to save on the electricity), and we were entertained by a fire-eating performer. Not a bad evening.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Sounds absolutely fantasic. The Aussies are rabid sports fans. Have you run into many Americans there? Heard on the radio today that Sydney restaurants and 60,000 indivual households signed up to have an electicity free night last night to save on resources.
Carole
Post a Comment