Musings on the World Cup

Kevin-Prince Boateng celebrates scoring Ghana's first goal.
Photograph: Martin Rose/Getty Images

It's been good to finally be in roughly the right time zone for the World Cup this time around. During the Germany 2006 tournament, I was still in Japan and the one before that the tournament itself was being held in East Asia while I was still in Europe. This has meant that the games have been held during my waking hours and it's been much easier to catch more of them.

I watched the USA vs Ghana game tonight and came away pleased with the result. Although I'm happy to see the Americans starting to do well in football as this further internationalises the game, I was definitely rooting for Ghana. Being the only African team left in the tournament, they now represent the hopes of a continent. As someone that grew up with a image of Africa that was framed by Western media as something like the 'basket case' of the world (famine, drought, disease, corruption, etc), it's fantastic to now see more positive perceptions of the continent being put forward. I've only spent time in Tanzania, but was amazed to see what an impact football had on the place, so I think it's right that an African team should finally be going forward (although I believe that Senegal and one other nation have previously progressed as far as the Quarter Finals before).

I've never been the world's greatest sports fan, but at times like this - when significant proportions of the world's eyes are tuned in to the action - I make an exception. That probably makes it a little easier for my wife, in that she only has to put up with me going on about the games every four years (possibly two if we count the European Championships too!). Equally, I don't tend to align myself that closely with 'my nation' that often either, being more or an internationalist at heart than a nationalist. However, the World Cup's also one of those moments that I join in the national conversation and keep a keen eye on England's fortunes.

Once again, they've made it through the first stage and one match stands between them and a place in the Quarter Finals - against apparent 'historic rivals'. Tomorrow - England vs Germany, it's going to be an interesting afternoon! By all accounts, we're set for a heatwave too, here in England...

Brighton Carnival 2009

Yesterday's post was intended to be short, snappy and completed in next to no time - got to get me into the habit of blogging more often yet wasting less time when I actually do write something. In the end however, it actually took me about an hour and a half, which was far too long! As I'd like to have a little more community action around this blog, I realise it needs a little more input from me, so the art of writing snappier posts more regularly is definitely something I'll have to get sorted out.

I visited Brighton Carnival today, along with my wife and mother-in-law. It was the first one I've seen in Brighton and it was great fun - so lively. I don't think there used to be one when I lived here before, so it makes for a very welcome addition to the city's calendar. Who needs Notting Hill or Rio de Janeiro when Brighton Seafront's got it all (well, Rio might be nice)?

Following are a selection of photos from the day. This is turning out to be a great summer.

A reveller in bright costume, early on in the parade

Somehow based around a deck of cards...a fabulous outfit

No carnival is complete without a little input from death

Brighton + Carnival = 'Green Floats'

Spread those wings

The Brighton School Of Samba makes their presence felt

A carnival queen

Clown on a unicycle

Kids street dancing

One group makes it an anti-smoking campaign...

...and really gives it some with their message

Tiger kids with drums in orange

...and it's pretty damned proud of that fact too!

The 'Wow! factor' starts raising on the costumes front

Now that one's really quite spectacular

So much to carry around with you

The end of the parade brings out the boldest and best

A fine outfit you have, sir

Part of a complete dinner service

Positively radiant, my dear

Let it end with beats and rhythm, as it began

The little things

I applied for a new job recently. It was in London, and although the job was potentially a very exciting opportunity, part of me was rather unsure about the idea of going back to the UK. I'm sure that some of what I originally felt compelled to leave behind, such as miserable standards of public service, would still be there.

Seems I didn't get selected for the interview anyway. Contradictory as it might sound given the above comment, I was felt a little down about this fact. A 'my country pushed me out and now it won't let me back in again' sort of thing!

Anyway, I left the house today and headed into Central Tokyo for a meeting. It was kind of good to get out amongst the throng again and remind me where I was. On the way back home, I dropped into my little suburban post office for a remittance I needed to send.

It took quite a long time for the man behind the counter to process my order, more than half an hour. This situation was most troubling for him and as I sat there playing Solitaire on my PDA, his brow was knotted in a permanent frown as he cradled a telephone next to his ear.

Eventually, he was able to sort out all matters problematic with my form, double check them with me and finish what I had come in to do. To my great surprise, he was so concerned about the delay he had caused me, that he gave me a little gift to apologise for having detained me for so long!

Perhaps it may be Japanese post office policy and it may have only been a box of bath soaps, but the very fact of him giving me this gift to apologise for the inconvenience caused made me smile to myself.

When would this ever have happened in England? Probably never.

I was reminded of a time when I experienced British and French train travel within a matter of days of each other. There were delays on both journeys. The train from Normandy to Paris was held up by an hour due to some sort of engine failure and as I arrived in the station (possibly Gare Du Nord, although I forget now), I was handed a voucher to claim back a portion of the ticket price, in compensation for the inconvenience caused. The refund increased incrementally as the delay lengthened.

The following week, I was back in the UK. I tried to take a train from London Victoria down to Brighton, but it stopped at Haywards Heath with no warning or explanation given. Eventually I had to track down a guard who informed me that there was going to be a replacement bus service along soon that would take passengers on to the rest of the journey. No hint of an apology anywhere.

It really doesn't take a lot to give a little back when something fucks up, and it can sometimes really go a long way!