The South - Second Impressions

Moving to The South - Second Impressions.

Read my First Impressions here.

Alabama is unlike anywhere I've ever been.  We might all speak English, but do we really speak the same language?

For example, here are two words: College Football.

To me, college football means, well, not much.  I don't really keep up with it, and I don't really care to.  Go Trojans!  Go Fighting Irish (that's Notre Dame, right?)!  Go ... um ...team that happens to be playing!  If a game happens to be on, I'll watch it.  But isn't professional football what really matters anyway?  I love watching the Super Bowl.  That makes me a football fan, right?

College football is to Alabamians what soccer is to Brazilians.  It's what they live and breathe.  It's borderline sacrilegious.  In the same breath you can be invited to their church and then "evangelized" on why ______ (Auburn or Alabama) is better.  I've been told, by coworkers, that they're working on "converting" me to becoming an _____ (Auburn or Alabama) fan.

I offended quite a few people the other day when I said that I am passionate about things in life that actually matter.  They replied that that, too, is subjective.  Silly me, how could I forgot that college football players are saving lives, eliminating poverty and hunger, caring for the orphans, serving the needy, and protecting and defending our country?  Oh, wait...

Ok, ok, I digress.

But, seriously.  Alabama... Auburn... I don't care.  I really don't care.  But let's just keep that between you and me, shall we?  Otherwise I might soon be out of a job and/or friends.

;)

XOXO,

Julie

P.S. Ok, ok, if you MAKE me choose, I pick Alabama... but that's only because I like maroon better than orange.  And also because I went to a conference at Alabama and their choral room was a-mazing.  Of course, I haven't yet been to Auburn's campus, so it's not really fair then, is it?  So we're back where we started...

Brazil and the World Cup

The World Cup is coming to Brazil this year.  And it's kind of a big deal.  Everyone is talking about it.  Everyone has opinions about it.  I've seen so many things posted on Facebook about it - about how you should NOT come to Brazil to see the World Cup.  My English student thinks it's the worst idea ever.  So, what's the big deal?  

This article seems to be the most clearly written explanation of why Brazil should not host the World Cup.  Give it a read.  Even if you don't care one iota about soccer, it's still an informative piece about the political and economic state of Brazil (about which many Americans are drastically misinformed).

"The World Cup matters, but Brazil is the last place in the world that should host it."

(https://medium.com/espn-fc-world-cup-2014-collection/5a7c65f79607)

"Never has the government collected so many taxes and done so little with it. Brazilians work five months out of the year to pay their taxes. Brazilian companies waste 3 months in preparing their tax documents. And what do Brazilians get out of this? Nothing. Sub-standard schools (Brazilian recently ranked second-last in the PISA test, behind only Indonesia), terrible health clinics where people suffer abhorrent mistakes like having the wrong limb amputated, and absolutely no safety or security."

https://medium.com/espn-fc-world-cup-2014-collection/5a7c65f79607

"The biggest tragedy in Brazil is the murder rate. There are 300 million people in the US, and there are 15,000 gun-related murders per year here. There are 200 million people in Brazil, and there are 50,000 gun-related murders/year there."  (Take note, America, that Brazil has strict gun-control policies, which essentially means only the criminals have the guns...)

https://medium.com/espn-fc-world-cup-2014-collection/5a7c65f79607

Brazilians are such friendly, hospitable, and generous people.  Brazil is a beautiful country, with many things to be proud of, but the government corruption is unbearable.   

Did you read the article?  Do you have any thoughts to add?