it's the very first time in my life that i've ever watched a football match from start to finish, without falling into a comatose state within the first five minutes. you can hardly blame me, the right left right left running up and down the field is like a hypnotic pendulum. the brain just turns off at the slightest suggestion of it.

i caught my very first live football match a few weeks ago. technically, we didn't really watch it to the full 90 minutes; we decided to leave 10 minutes earlier to avoid the other 39,996 people that would soon thunder after us like a huge herd of hungry wild boars. unfortunately, another 996 or so people had the same brilliant idea. i don't know if you have ever tried huge gathering of adrenalin-charged people but 996 people feels exactly the same as 39,996 people, especially within your immediate surrounding. you still get the push, the shove, the smelly armpits (thank goodness it was winter!) and the hot sticky stale air. it was still a mad rush to the nearest underground station, and we were still squashed closer than a tin of sardines inside the train. the people of london, i must say, are definitely more gentlemanly. my derriere and other body parts came off unharmed and unmolested despite the crazy squeeze.

anyway, back to the game. i am not, and have never been a football fan. i basically tune off when people discuss the game. some ladies watch football for the tall handsome players. me, i can't even keep up with where the ball went, forget about anything else that is above their quick skilful legs (er, let's keep our thoughts clean). i know that many are crazy, mental even, about the game. i can't find the passion within me. that night, however, i couldn't keep my eyes off the 22 players for even one minute. the whole atmosphere, the shouting, the sound of chairs clapping shut simulataneously when the crowd stands up to catch the action when they were attempting to score a goal, the singing, the pure exhiliration oozing from the air highly charged with energy. i've forgotten the last time something was so new and exciting for me. i can't tell who from who but watching them pass the ball from one to another, head butting it away from the goal, i was in total awe. as it lurked later into the night and the temperature drops even more, pulling on all my winter gears, and more, couldn't keep the chill away. trembling in my seat, rubbing my gloved hands together to keep warm, the crowd chanting and singing, bright stadium light making everything seem surreal. it's definitely one for the memory chest.