Every four years, the world goes mad. Why? World Cup football, or soccer as we Yanks say, returns, pitting 32 teams against each other in a race for bragging rights — and $42 million in prize money. The runner-up gets $30 million. Just by qualifying for the competition, the players’ wallets get a bit thicker when their team receives $1.5 million.
Soccer Madness
So, you can probably understand why it’s no surprise that things are competitive and get a bit crazy. But when a winning team’s fans celebrate a win with violence, there’s something wrong with the picture. That was the case in Belgium this week.
Okay, I admit it. I’ve been a bit of a soccer couch potato this week, watching the games at home or on the TV screen at the gym. And I am spending LOTS of time at the gym, cycling away while I check out the moves between warring factions on the screen of a Matrix bicycle. I anxiously awaited the Belgium/Morocco match on November 27, hoping that my new country’s team would perform well, as they have in the past. Alas, that didn’t happen.
Morocco trounced Belgium with an embarrassing score of 2-0. Sigh.
You would think the Moroccans would be dancing in the streets, but the opposite happened. The Moroccans started rioting in the streets — in Brussels, Antwerp, Liege and two Dutch cities. I was horrified — and happy that I live in Flanders, far from the madness.
Riots in the Streets
Early reports stated the riots were the work of the Belgian fans who were going a bit mad, but it was actually the Moroccan fans who broke windows, set fires, destroyed a car and rental scooters, and wreaked havoc on a neighborhood in central Brussels. Three journalists were also injured in the melee.
While there were many people in the Moroccan community who celebrated calmly, a large group of Moroccan hooligans found an illegal and dangerous way to celebrate. And this was when they won a game. I shudder to think what would have happened if they lost.
A game of Strong Emotions
Soccer is a game that brings strong emotions to the fans, but I think that passion would be better utiliized if people followed a Japanese model rather than the Moroccan one.
Seeing how the Japanese fans acted after their team LOST a match, brought back memories of my first trip to Japan. The enthusiastic fans attending the match in Qatar actually stayed after the game to clean up the stadium! It showed such respect for the host country. I was even more amazed to see the state of the Japanese team’s dressing room after the game. It was immaculate. The team cleaned it up completely!
Tokyo Taxi
Anyone who has traveled to New York City is familiar with city cabs. They can be, well, let’s be honest, grim. While some drivers take care of their cabs, many leave them in a state that doesn’t inspire one to hop in. A company town car always seems like a better idea.
When I hailed a cab in Tokyo, I felt like I entered an alternate universe. The car was immaculate with pristine, blue leather seats and delicate lace doilies. I thought it was an anomaly, but no! Taxi after taxi looked as if it came out of a style showroom. And a trip to the restroom was also eye-opening with Toto washlet toilets, a kind of bidet that cleans itself and then cleans you. My renters actually installed one in my house while I was in Europe, the only pleasant surprise at home upon my brief visit to the USA.
R-E-s-P-E-c-T
Japan’s culture is focused on respect. And cleanliness seems to be part of Japan’s DNA. Just think of Marie Kondo, the Japanese superstar who has turned her passion for organizing and cleanliness into a multi-million dollar enterprise.
Japan has a reputation as one of the world’s cleanest countries. It’s instilled in children from youth, at school and at home. My Japanese friends in America are good examples of the nation’s cleanliness culture. Their homes have a certain Zen vibe, uncluttered and spotless. Maybe the Moroccan hooligans can learn something from the Japanese. We all can.
