Done. (Sieger der Herzen)

Life's a pretzel and washes down better with a cold beer ;) ©Nina Buesing Corvallo

It's been almost a month of world cup madness. Today my team lost. But there is no shame in loosing to Spain. They won fair & square. Germany played well enough. Paul remains a winner. It's all good.

The German team still won my heart and I know they will be greeted with open arms when they return home too. They certainly delivered some spectacular play and made the summer a boat load of fun for Germans everywhere.
Modern Germany is much more comfortable in its (new) skin. And when you feel good about yourself, it is easier to roll with the ups and downs. Most fellow Germans interviewed post match echoed my sentiment (from Bild.de to Welt.de). And expressed their affection and pride for the Nationalelf. Fans even voiced their hopes for 2014! (Collective Optimism is a new one for us ;)

Ghana's (another favorite of mine) loss was more emotional, because unlike today's game, that was a match filled with controversy and strive. The Black Stars of Africa came so close.

As to the finals: Who will I be rooting for come Sunday, here in New Amsterdam? No clue. Neither Spain nor The Netherlands have won the World Cup before, so that's exciting. I guess La Furia Roja (what a name!) has an edge over the Oranjes, but you never know. Just like you never know what life has in store for you.

103 & 3:1

We reached a 102 degrees Fahrenheit in Manhattan today. And the Oranje remain undefeated.

Hot

more red, white & blue; you know it's hot when the hydrants are open ©Nina Buesing Corvallo

It's already a steamy 89 degrees Fahrenheit in Manhattan and it is not even 10 AM yet.
Supposedly we will make it to 101 degrees today which is the previous recorded record for July 6th and was reached in 1999.
It does seem that whenever we have an intense winter it is followed by an intense summer.

Speaking of intense, Uruguay is playing against the Dutch today. Uruguay has been playing well & aggressively and the Dutch haven't lost a match yet this world cup. Tomorrow Germany will play Spain, the Euro Champion. Let's not even talk about it. It's too intense.

New York, New York

Postcards from the Holiday Weekend. Stay cool New York. Black is the color of choice for New Yorkers, but you are better of wearing lighter colors during the heatwave. ©Nina Buesing Corvallo

We are in the middle of another heatwave. July is usually a scorcher in the city and this year this is most definitely true. I remember in my first apartment in the West Village I did not have AC and my cats laid flat like pancakes on the the bathroom tiles, flattened by the heat. Now in their old age they get the luxury of AC.

Independence Day

Hi Rona! Little footage from back home for you. © Nina Buesing Corvallo

4:0

Speechless & Beaming.

© Nina & Davide Corvallo (I love you Husband)

Black Stars

While rooting for Ghana the other day I felt a bit disloyal, especially when looking at the faces of my American family & friends. The US soccer team has come a long way, but I was rooting for Ghana. They want to win more and their wins mean so much more to Ghana and Africa. I have some additional thoughts on this, but I have to get some zzz's in now.
But let me finish this post by saying that if you grew up with soccer, you instinctively understand how the world cup is not just a sporting event. I know I keep harping on this, but I think it is a fundamental concept for anyone who wants to really appreciate the game and the big hoopla of the world cup.
But don't just take it from me. Read William C. Rhoden's New York Times article Africa Rallies Around Ghana from June 25, 2010.