World Cup Year

This is world cup year again. I had earlier blogged about how interesting things happen to me every 7 years. That’s true, every 7 years, I go through a big change on the inside. (Well, not big anymore, because old people don’t go through big changes the way that young people do, but nevertheless – significant ones.) But what is true is that every 4 years, I go through big changes on the outside. Well, so far, until 2002. According to this schedule, I should have gone through a big change in 2006. I didn’t, or if I had, I must have been unaware of it. Or maybe nothing happens when the 7 year schedule and 4 year schedules clash.

I’ve entered or left schools in 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002. I’ve had to adjust to new circumstances in all these years. I don’t know if things are going to change this year. I don’t have anything lined up. I don’t foresee anything happening. Next year, though, could be very different.

I've also noticed an interesting pattern: how happy I was during those 4 years seems to be somewhat correlated to how few times the current holder won the World Cup. Thus, 1998-2002 were good years for me, when France, first time winners were holding the world cup. 1994-1998 not so good, Brazil had won it for the 4th time. 1986-1990, pretty good years, Argentina won it for the 2nd time. 2002-2006, Brazil had won it for the 5th time - go figure.

Therefore, even though I think that Brazil plays wonderful football, and always have a lot of talented players, I hope they don't win. I'll be rooting for teams that have not won it before (Spain, Holland, Ivory Coast, Portugal), or at least, only once (England. France? You're having a laugh.). At the worst, I'll root for Argentina (3rd time). No Brazils, Italies or Germanies. Please.

In 2002, when I started work, they gave my block of apartments a fresh coat of paint. I saw it as meaning that my life was about to be changed. Now, they’re painting the thing again. It’s a sign, I tell you, it’s a sign.

But these 2 omens of change are fraught with complications: first, there was the big squabble over world cup rights, and for a long time it seemed as though the World Cup would not be broadcast in Singapore. Also, there was a huge squabble over the painting of my block of flats because the colour was ugly. In fact there was no colour because everything was going to be white, like some bloody Mediterranean village, or a certain elite school in Singapore. Now they softened it with grey, it looks a little more palatable, even though I liked the old colour scheme better.