June 15, 2004
Bulgarians as one
So the Euro 2004 Football Championship Finals are underway in Portugal (and even though some heretics might call the game 'soccer', that's just their problem, right? :).
Yesterday the Bulgarian team played their first match within the 'C' preliminary group, matched up against Sweden. During the whole of the afternoon - and in some places, all day - there were people walking out in the streets, sitting on balconies or just leaning out of windows, riding in cars or buses - and many of them were holding up or wearing the white, green and red of the Bulgarian flag. It was a great experience - even those of us who were not carrying or wearing the colors were still feeling a kind of exhilaration, being part of the Bulgarian people... As Iva said, it is nice to see people displaying their pride, love and respect for the flag - and for everything it stands for - every once in a while.
Okay, so we lost the first game. Still, that does nothing to detract from what I feel - and what I feel is pride with the accomplishments of the Bulgarian football team (they made it to the finals, right?), pride, hope, and joy that will not be brought down by a single mishap.
Posted by roam at June 15, 2004 09:53 AM
