As an example of the multicultural mishmash that is Shanghai, let me tell you about last night. One of my coworkers is an adorable, bouncy, happy little Irish bundle named Aisling who convinced us to go watch the Gaelic football finals. It was her team, Mhaigh Eo (pronounced Mayo), vs. the other guys. Gaelic football is sort of like rugby and soccer mashed together. It's a huge field populated by huge men wearing no protective gear who are beating the living piss out of each other to score points. Good fun.
Getting to the pub where the game was showing was bizarre. Aisling led the group along some street in the French Concession (a nice part of Shanghai), we took a sharp right, and suddenly we were surrounded by intense, rowdy, Irish soccer hooligans. The transition from "crowded Chinese street with food vendors and performing monkeys" to "Irish pub and Mhaigh Eo jerseys" was jarring, and took place in about 5 seconds flat. The game was being projected on a huge screen in the middle of the pub's courtyard. Unfortunately, the only picture I took turned out fuzzy, but I"ll post it eventually anyway.
Mhaigh Eo made another solid fan in me that night, and it's only partially because mayonnaise is delicious.
No comments:
Post a Comment