Wonders of Soccer

We were both wrong with our previous bet. Germany only won 1:0 and the game was anything else but fabulous, though the German team was clearly dominating over 90+ minutes. Pouring rain made the ball and the lawn slippery and conditions weren’t easy for all of them. But, as hoped for, both teams are in the next round now as no. 1 and 2 of their group. We’ll see what happens on monday (Germany:Algeria) and on tuesday (U.S.A.:Belgium).

I have watched a lot of soccer recently and closely looked at the players on the lawn. Please, never ever tell me men aren’t vain, don’t talk about women investing too much time in their looks. Better watch the soccer players nowadays, especially the ones from latin countries and Africa, but not exclusively from these countries.

I knew that they have their physio/yoga/meditation/whatever therapists, doctors, mental trainers, psychologists, trainers and many more caretakers, but to date I didn’t know that they also bring their own coiffeurs and barbers. Before every game every player supposedly gets a new haircut and/or shave, and, watch out: they do have elaborate hairdos nowadays. There are many with (mistakenly so-called) Iroquois/Mohawk hairstyles, some fancy dyed or streaked hair. In the American team there are still a few players with rastas and ponytails to be seen and other players fancy beards or goatees. I am not sure whether they also get treatment for other hairy parts of their bodies, but wouldn’t be surprised. Also, manicure and pedicure supposedly is part of their daily prior-to-game beauty program.

Tattoos: Since piercings and jewelry aren’t allowed on the lawn there are tattoos. Some players don’t have a square inch of bare skin anymore, at least not on visible body parts. Are there any soccer players at all without tattoos?

Muscles and outfit: six-packs have become the thing to show off. Flat bellies and six packs, biceps and a muscular butt. Tight, shiny jerseys add to the effect, though shorts are still rather baggy and not as short and form-fitting as they’ve once been in the 1970ies and 80ies. In contrary: some players don’t show much leg anymore. It has recently become fancy to pull stockings or socks over the knees and sometimes players wear tight leggins underneath their shorts in addition.

Also, slick heat tech or similarly called compression/functional shirts under the jerseys became popular, sometimes even long-sleeved. Is this really fashionable? Talking of long sleeves: most goalies wear long-sleeved jerseys nowadays, notabene in Brasilia, at about 90 deg. F average. Must be good for muscle toning, otherwise not very logical.

Shoes: They are never white or black anymore and usually there are rarely two players wearing the same shoes. In the old times a team had a contract with one shoe company and every player wore the same shoes. Nowadays it’s individual contracts and companies try to outdo themselves with gaudy colors, shapes and patterns. Usually you’ll see shoes in some Day-glo color, acidic yellow, cracking orange, rainbow-colored, with a grid pattern or - newest trend - players wearing two different colored shoes. And, it’s a fact, that shoes rarely fit the color of the jersey.

Attitude: Show and effect, dying swan and soreheads, deceit and suffering - especially teams from latin countries are perfect in this regard. No wonder that more sober, pragmatic teams, like England and the U.S.A., don’t get along. There are strange curiosa as well, like the „monster“: Luis Suarez of Uruguay did it again and bit another opponent – he was punished by the FIFA and will be suspended for nine games or four months. So we won’t see „Dracula“ again during this World Cup.

Wonders of America: Soccermania sets the U.S.A. on fire

Big game tonight: the U.S. team is playing the German team and both coaches are not only Germans, but also good buddies. We would love them to tie tonight, not sure for whom we are going to cheer.

Nevertheless, this will be a great game. More so for the U.S.A., because it’s the first time during a World Cup that the country is swept by soccermania. For Germans this is an everyday situation, everybody being dressed up in team jerseys (usually white) and flags set up all over the place (black – red – gold). And now, suddenly, the whole United States are embracing soccer as well. We knew, that there are regions where soccer is big – especially in the Northwest (Portland and Seattle) – but most people don’t care much about this game with 20 guys kicking a ball with their feet and two guys between poles trying to catch it.

The U.S.A. is picking up soccer-wise, just think of games of the U.S. Pro League MLS (Major League Soccer). In Seattle over 40.000 fans cheer for the Sounders, there is a parade before every home game from downtown to the stadium. Or Portland/OR (see pic of stadium): You’ll have to be lucky to get a ticket at all. The dyhard fans, called „Timber Army“, cheer and sing during the whole game – 90+ minutes. In other regions Americans started to get interested in this fantastic game, too, especially the younger generation.

Soccer, football or Fussball? Most people think, "soccer" is - once again – one of these American inventions, but, no way: It was used in England since the late 19th century to differentiate between Association Football (= soccer) and Rugy Football. Until the 1970ies the term was used parallel to "football" in England, only when the NASL (remember this fancy first US Pro Soccer league called North American Soccer League?) was formed, "soccer" suddenly got labeled as an American term. Speaking of the NASL: In the meantime the league was revived! It now forms the Division II league of US Pro Soccer and teams with familiar names are back, e.g. Cosmos New York, Fort Lauderdale Strikers oder Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Back to The game today: On paper the German team is the favorite. They do have many great players who are technically perfect, can fantastically handle the ball, precisely pass it, they do have a great team spirit and play as a team. But sometimes defense is acting chaotic (remember the two goals Ghana scored?) and a few guys sometimes just "disappear" in the course of the game. The U.S. guys are not nearly as perfect, but they play with heart and enthusiasm and will be pressing all the time – something the Germans don’t like. So, look forward to a great game!

Our bet for tonight: USA:Germany 2:3 (M.), 1:2 (P.)
And never forget: Reason, soccer balls are round is that the game can change directions!

Cowboy Myth Today – 3rd prize in photo contest

This picture was taken in June 2012 during the "Symphony in the Flint Hills" (Kansas) with my old Canon Powershot IS 20. We were invited to this event by the State of Kansas and attended as part of a 2-week research trip KS/OK. The event takes place every year at a different place in the Flint Hills region, in the middle of the prairie (one of the few remaining patches of long-grass prairie), in the Eastern part of Kansas. There is a tent village set up with boothes – food, artwork, crafts, organizations etc. –, there are ranger and other educational programs, carriage tours, star gazing, story telling, live bands and dancing taking place, but the absolute highlight is an openair concert of the Kansas City Symphony, a medley of classical, popular and country-style music. The concert ends exactly at sunset, which is spectacular on its own in this vast prairie land, but local cowboys even improve the "natural show". This picture serves the "lonesome modern cowboy"-cliché very well.

Perhaps this was also the reason it was selected and won third prize in a photo contest organized by the U.S. Consulate/Amerika Haus. We submitted two pictures (one for each of us and Peter's choice apparently was the better one!). First prize went went to a picture of Yellowstone NP, 2nd was one of Boone Hall Alley, LA, 3rd to Peter's cowboy photo. Prizes were presented yesterday at a tourism event in the Amerika Haus Munich after a multimedia show ("Americana" by Dirk Rohrbach) on stage by Consul General Bill Moeller. Ten participants were rewarded with a blown-up, framed copy of their pictures, first three in addition got prices and an invitation to the Independence Day Celebration at the Consulate Munich on July 3rd.

Well, we are proud owners of a huge coffeetable book (same type we write ourselves) on the U.S.A. now (which we had to carry home from Munich on the train), a rain jacket (from one of the sponsors) and an invitation for two to the party (which we will, of course, attend). Also, received a certificate and we will get the framed copy of the picture after the exhibition in the consulate is over on July 4th.

"Wonders of America" – Bureaucracy and a love-hate-relationship

As you may know in the meantime, we are big fans of the United States and the American people and we always praised the American mentality, the customer friendliness, politeness and effectivity. From time to time our sympathy is put to the test. Last Tuesday was such a day.

To make a long story as short as possible: For special professions – like journalists, diplomats, business people – and groups - e.g. au-pair or exchange students – there are still visas required. For regular visitors – thanks to the Visa Waiver Program – a stay of 90 days maximum is possible without a visa. Only a fee of $ 14 has to be paid for registration with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Once approved, ESTA is valid for any number of trips in the course of two years.

After 9/11 the U.S. Government became pretty strict in regard to journalists traveling in America and they started to ask more questions about the purpose of a trip at immigration and, eventually, made a visa obligatory. Therefore we applied for our first visas in 2004. At that time we still had to show up at the General Consulate in Frankfurt for the so-called "visa interview". Train trip, hotel accommodation in addition to the regular visa costs were annoying. In 2009 the Munich Consulate had reopened again for certain visa services (esp. Non-Immigrant Visa) and we could make an appointment there. Now, in 2014, a renewal was due again and in April we started to collect confirmation letters of our main publishers, to copy contracts and to get the right photos, which had to be square (5x5 cm). That regulation required that pics couldn’t be made cheap in a photo booth but needed to be taken in a real studio. They cost 13,90 Euro per person, I look about 10 years older on the pic, and we can throw away all of them now, because in Germany official photos for documents have to be rectangular.

All this done, we were eventually able to start filling out the application forms on the internet – same for renewal as for a new visa. The form alone took us about 45 minutes, working simultaneously on two computers. Fortunately we didn’t make a mistake, didn’t hit the wrong key and our computers didn’t break down. Same things to fill out over and over again and dubious questions like "Have you ever dealt with drugs?", "Have you prostituted yourself?" or "Have you been in prison before?"... But, to make things worse, scanning our expensive pictures even took us longer. Peter’s ears proved to be too big and my hairdo too fluffy. At the end we succeeded to fit it into the mask, though most of hair and ears were missing. Not sure anymore at what point, probably at the very beginning, we had to pay for the applications by credit card: 120 Euro each (no matter if new or renewal).

Next step: to make an appointment. In contrast to former times - where waiting time was several weeks, if not months, it is now possible to get appointments fast. Not sure, whether they sort applicants by kinds of visas or how they handle the appointments, but there are only several days and hours a week available. For us an appointment about two weeks later fit best, but we only got choices between 7 and 9:15 am. Meaning, we weren’t able to get a cheap train ticket (not available before 9 am), but had to take the car. In the U.S.A. you would have thought they automatically provide parking for the duration of the interview, but you’re way off! Well, at least it became a bargain to make an appointment by phone or internet: It costs only a regular phone call now instead of approximately 10 Euro per person formerly.

Appointment tuesday, 6-10, 9 am for both of us (also new, that you can apply as a couple!). We re-read the "house rules" before departure: no backpacks, no electronics (phones), no weapons etc. – but no remark about waiting lines or having to arrive early. Well, I just took my tiny little purse, whereas Peter carried the two portfolios with documents, letters/contracts/passports/press passes and selected books and magazines. We left the mobile phones in the car (!) which we fortunately were able to park nearby the Consulate, made possible thanks to Pentecost holidays.

We started early, got up at 6:30 am and left the house at 7:15 am. We were parked at about 8:15 am and when we came around the corner to the Consulate at not quite 8:30 am, there was a line of at least ten people in front of this flat modernistic, custom-built office building from the 1950s. Even at that early time, we had the unusual pleasure of having about 85 deg. F. and cloudless skies. Well, a rather grumpy (German) officer checked us off on his appointment list, but we were told to wait outside, in the sun, without a bench, on the concrete walkway, no shade, no water. Groups of two at a piece were slowly admitted into the building for the security check, while the line outside grew longer and longer and temps higher and higher. At 9 am it was our turn. With rather old-fashioned security check equipment they checked our items while we walked through the "gate". Since we couldn’t leave the car key in the car for obvious reasons, the officer remarked harshly that we aren't allowed to bring in "electronic devices" and have to leave the key at the reception. I had a tiny little bag with "female accessories" like a hankie, lip balm, sewing kit, duct tape etc. and after having it emptied in front of the officer he told me to better leave it at the post as well.

Finally, in the waiting area (in a different building): A plain wooden table with a computer on top blocked the passage and a lady and a gentleman – speaking good german – controlled our printed appointment confirmations, checked them on the computer and asked rather briskly for our confirmation letters/documents ("Is that all?"). The lady only took the paper sheets (not the portfolios) and wrapped a rubber band around them and the passports before she asked us to bring this package to counter no. 1, a couple of steps away, where a female asian-looking officer took them and told us "to have a seat". Rows of uncomfortable chairs, one behind the other, standing there, a not really state-of-the-art loudspeaker system and a couple of brochures plus AFN (American Forces Network) on a high hung up TV screen made up for a very 1970s decor and atmosphere. Fortunately the A/C was working and there were bathrooms. About 20 people were in the room, mostly students.

Our names were called a little later to deliver finger prints (again!) and I was asked whether I always had the same family name (yes!), followed by "Take a seat, please". Another 10 to 15 minutes past until we were called to show up at Counter 4 in the " Privacy, please"-section, exactly looking the same as the other four counters, with shot-proofed glass windows and a tiny little slit to edge papers through. Each of us had to give one (!) single fingerprint first to prove that we are the right ones showing up. Then the officer there asked us about our next visit to the U.S. (already on the form) and to show her our press passes. This so-called "visa interview" took about three minutes and ended with "Your visas are approved, you’ll get your passports back by mail in about a week". Formerly you had to deliver a stamped and addressed envelope as well, but now postage fee is generously paid by the U.S. Government. Out at 9:45 am, parking for two hours cost an additional 4,50 Euro.

Reason I was so startled about the procedure was, that we were so used to American friendliness. We never had to deal with American bureaucracy to date, with the exception of airport controls. Not sure yet, whether American officers overseas just adjust to the german bureaucratic mentality (we are exposed to it e.g. when applying for a new passport or registering a new car) or, whether it’s just an unknown, hidden chapter in the American mindset. In a german office we wouldn’t have minded much (being used to it), but with you guys, otherwise always friendly, polite and caring…? Why the heck aren’t these people just glad that people like us – travel writers – are coming over to promote their destination, to spur tourism? Why do they treat visa applicants like criminals and intruders, let them wait, check them multiple times and charge them?

There was a lot of talk recently at the big tourism convention (IPW) in Chicago, and Brand USA – the new nationwide Tourism Organisation – bragged about the new politeness and shorter lines at American immigration counters at airports, about the new Global Entry program (a U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP program), "that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States" at special kiosks. Right now it’s in it’s pilot phase in Germany, by the way. Also, even equipped with visa, finger-printed and photographed, interviewed and triple-checked, you have to stand in the regular waiting lines at immigration to get your fingers printed and your photo taken again. Why the heck do I pay that much money and invest that much time every five years for an I-Visa (a journalists’ visa) when I could simply have stated "I am on vacation"?