6/18 – Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

More wandering around aimlessly, trying to get my bearings. After my early morning jaunt to the city and a quick nap, I figured out the bus system, and also that everything closes early in Brisbane, especially on Sundays (4 pm?!)… Well, everything except for the pubs. I would make another late night stroll to downtown, this time to catch the Australian national team (intimidatingly nicknamed the “Socceroos”) play mighty Brazil. After catching a couple hours of sleep, I walked through the suburbs of Brisbane, noting how all the houses were mostly dark except for the faint blue lights emanating from every living room. To put this game in perspective, you have to understand that Australia hasn’t been to the World Cup for 32 years. Then, they managed to score 3 goals in the last 6 minutes against Japan to win their first ever World Cup game. So for the four days after the Japan game, all the media could talk about was the Aussie national team and how they were national heroes, etc, etc. But now they had to face Brazil, defending champions and consensus favorite. So I made it to a pub at 2 am, which was packed with Aussie supporters who would randomly break out into chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oy, oy, oy!!!” It was a great atmosphere, and the Aussies played valiantly, but they eventually lost 2-0 to fat Ronaldo & Co. I wearily trekked back to my Dutton Park house and got a few more hours of sleep before my first day of work.