Don’t go by the clock in the title… The World Cup really kicks off at midnight of 13th June, as the Samba magicians start their campaign against Croatia.
I watched Da Vinci Code yesterday (at a 11:50 show – which ended at 02:45!) and hitting Fanaa tomorrow (for a 10:30 show), to get my body-clock into the late night mode! Given that 5 of Brazil’s 7 matches are past the witching hour, I need all the practice I can get!
Brazil’s largest support base – Calcutta, for those infatuated with Beckham – is all geared up for the big event… with doctor’s certificates advising a month’s bed rest, train tickets to send those pesky kids and the wife off, projectors hooked onto to TVs instead of laptops et al!
I still remember vividly the last World Cup, when due to some unforgivably bad planning, I was due to take a flight back from Bagdogra to Calcutta on the day Brazil was supposed to take the Empire! I was scheduled to land in Calcutta 15 minutes before the kick-off. Hence, plans were made to watch the match in the airport coffee shop. Lest that becomes too full, I had also procured a Jet Airways Gold card (I was a lowly Blue then!) so that I can take position in their lounge! Somehow, I thought Gold cards would have precedence in the lounge seating!
Anyways, when I landed up at the Bagdogra airport, I realized – to my complete delight – that the flight had been delayed till about 2 hours AFTER the scheduled end of the match.
No reason was given.
None was asked for – as all the passengers scrambled back to their homes, hotels, coffee shops, lounges and own personal heavens – and when we eventually boarded the flight with glowingly fresh memories of the The Free-Kick, it was only natural that we were welcomed on board by Capt. Mukherjee and his crew!
P.S. For the lines I wrote on that flight, scroll down an inch!
P.P.S. For a completely amazing site on the Beautiful Game, check out what Nike has to offer!
I watched Da Vinci Code yesterday (at a 11:50 show – which ended at 02:45!) and hitting Fanaa tomorrow (for a 10:30 show), to get my body-clock into the late night mode! Given that 5 of Brazil’s 7 matches are past the witching hour, I need all the practice I can get!
Brazil’s largest support base – Calcutta, for those infatuated with Beckham – is all geared up for the big event… with doctor’s certificates advising a month’s bed rest, train tickets to send those pesky kids and the wife off, projectors hooked onto to TVs instead of laptops et al!
I still remember vividly the last World Cup, when due to some unforgivably bad planning, I was due to take a flight back from Bagdogra to Calcutta on the day Brazil was supposed to take the Empire! I was scheduled to land in Calcutta 15 minutes before the kick-off. Hence, plans were made to watch the match in the airport coffee shop. Lest that becomes too full, I had also procured a Jet Airways Gold card (I was a lowly Blue then!) so that I can take position in their lounge! Somehow, I thought Gold cards would have precedence in the lounge seating!
Anyways, when I landed up at the Bagdogra airport, I realized – to my complete delight – that the flight had been delayed till about 2 hours AFTER the scheduled end of the match.
No reason was given.
None was asked for – as all the passengers scrambled back to their homes, hotels, coffee shops, lounges and own personal heavens – and when we eventually boarded the flight with glowingly fresh memories of the The Free-Kick, it was only natural that we were welcomed on board by Capt. Mukherjee and his crew!
P.S. For the lines I wrote on that flight, scroll down an inch!
P.P.S. For a completely amazing site on the Beautiful Game, check out what Nike has to offer!
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