Watching football in 3D

For the first time, selected cinemas in London were showing World Cup matches in 3D. This followed successful trials in pubs across country of 3D broadcasting few English Premier League games couple of months ago.

I was curious and wanted to experience football in 3D and thought that World Cup is a perfect and exciting opportunity to do so.

It was an interesting experience, a different one. Stadium full of people looked a bit surreal in 3D. Players looked smaller than usual. At times, it was as if I was watching a toy game instead of real football.

The quality of picture was not as good or clear as in High Definition TVs. 3D was great in close-up scenes, but the nature of televised football does not allow for getting much close-ups. Also, to be honest, it did not feel that there is necessarily need for a 3-rd dimension there. In films, it’s different. Animations or selected other films (but not all), like Avatar, are great in 3D. But wearing additional glasses and focusing on dimensions could be pretty inconvenient or distracting too.

Verdict: Good to experience it, but for now I prefer watching football on HDTV (high definition).

*In picture: Spanish football fans went crazy after semi-final win over Germany and took over London’s Piccadilly circus (7 July 2010) - Piccadilly Español :)

Watching Spain vs Chile World Cup match with Spanish fans

Was watching World Cup Spain vs Chile match with hundreds of Spanish fans at Camino bar in London. A friend of mine suggested this place, as I wanted to watch the match with Spanish fans and in a place where I have not been before. I am so grateful for this suggestion. It was an excellent choice. A genuine Spanish-like atmosphere. Friendly staff and security. Relaxing environment. I am definitely coming back, and not only for World Cup matches.

During the match I kept comparing the experience of watching football with Spanish and English fans.

What I like in Spanish fans is that they always manage to turn the occasion into a celebration. The atmosphere was very friendly, hot, crazy. I loved it. I did not like throwing half-empty cans of beer at each other though. I do not know if it's a tradition or just a one-off thing, as have not noticed such things before.

True, there is always a good level of craziness present with English fans too. And the atmosphere (and fans) could be pretty hot too. So you could get hotness and craziness with both Spanish and English fans in different ways and depending on where you watch it.

What I dislike in English fans is that there is too much stress and anger present during England games. Also, more frequent nationalistic sentiments expressed during commentary, shouts and some songs. I have to admit though that the level of adrenalin is higher when watching football with English fans.

Below is a short video I made today, and few pictures.

Cameron and Clegg: A very British “civil partnership”

It’s funny how British commentators refer to Lib Dems + Conservatives coalition government deal (Nick Clegg + David Cameron) as a “marriage”, or “civil partnership”. [gay marriages in form of civil partnerships became legal in the UK since December 2005] Then some of them remind that 50% of marriages end up in divorce :) This is a very real not so honeymoon-y perspective for this newly formed "power couple". Yes, they say opposites attract, but there is truly an ocean between Clegg and Cameron, or is there?

But the most entertaining discovery for me was that Lib Dems leader Nick Clegg has Russian aristocratic roots.

Wikipedia: "Clegg's paternal grandmother, Kira von Engelhardt, was a Russian Baroness whose German-Russian aristocratic family fled the Bolsheviks after the 1917 Russian Revolution. Clegg's paternal grandfather, Hugh Anthony Clegg, was the editor of the British Medical Journal for 35 years. Clegg's great-great-grandfather, the Russian nobleman Ignaty Zakrevsky, was attorney general of the imperial Russian senate. His great-great aunt was the writer, Baroness Moura Budberg.

Clegg's Dutch mother, Hermance van den Wall Bake, was, along with her family, interned by the Japanese in Batavia (Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies. She met Clegg's father during a visit to England in 1956, and they married on 1 August 1959.

Clegg is multilingual: he speaks English, Dutch, French, German, and Spanish. His background has informed his politics. He says, "There is simply not a shred of racism in me, as a person whose whole family is formed by flight from persecution, from different people in different generations. It’s what I am. It’s one of the reasons I am a liberal." His Dutch mother instilled in him "a degree of scepticism about the entrenched class configurations in British society".

His wife - Miriam González Durántez, is Spanish. Wikipedia: "They dated for several years in Brussels before they decided to marry. They married in 2000 and have three young children: Antonio, Alberto and Miguel. She insisted on Spanish names if they were to have the family name "Clegg." She is Roman Catholic, and together with her husband they agreed that their children will be raised as such, though her husband has said he does not believe in God."

*picture - by Number 10

It's Year of Spain in Europe - Viva Espana!

Spain - Rafael Nadal - Wimbledon 2008 champion (source of photo)

Spain - Antonio Pedro Almijes - Mr Gay Europe 2008 (source of photo)

Spain - Euro 2008 - Champions of Europe (source of photo)

Viva, Spain! (Euro 2008)

Man of the moment - Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas


Cute!

P.S. Not that I was particularly impressed with the quality of Spanish football today, but Casillas made the game!

*photo - Copyright@EMPICS, via Yahoo Sport (quarter final, Spain vs. Italy)