Watching the World Cup at a Singapore coffee shop

It was 1.30am and I was sitting at the coffee shop I frequent after work. I had planned to grab a quick bite of fishball noodles at this coffee shop (we call them "kopitiams") which is along my bicycle ride home but then I realised it was airing the World Cup matches and decided to make myself at home.

I belong to the group of Singaporeans refusing to cough up the US$64 (S$90) subscription that the two cable TV companies were charging for the World Cup. So I've been watching the matches in every way possible, including at kopitiams. Tonight, the 2.30am match was between Brazil and North Korea.

I was early and got a good spot right in front of the tv. Not all kopitiams have World Cup coverage because the fee to screen matches is US$2,062 (S$2,888) per smaller-than-50-inches tv. As a result, some kopitiams were charging more for their coffee and drinks, to recover the staggering increase in broadcast fees. It was only US$428 (S$600) four years ago at the last World Cup.

Soon I was joined by a couple of old men, and a table of foreign construction workers. Some guys came with a laptop and a 3G wireless modem. I suspect they were either bookies or hardcore punters.

A bleary eyed mrbrown.

World Cup = big bucks

World Cup betting is big business here and most of the "fans" watching here had bets on the game. I am told that the illegal bookies were giving "2/2.5 goals" for Brazil. This means that Brazil had to score 3 goals more than North Korea for you to win your bet. If Brazil won and the goal difference was only 2 goals, you lost half your bet.

I am sure some of the fans in the kopitiam had placed bets on North Korea too because many were rooting for them. I doubt it was Asian solidarity. There was quite a bit of disappointment when Maicon scored the first Brazillian goal.

Then Elano scored the second Brazillian goal and the crowd got restless. Only when Ji Yun Nam scored in the last minute that there was audible cheering.

I am sure each of the North Korean players will get an extra kilo of rice for their effort.

I was of the opinion that North Koreans would hold steady against the Brazillian juggernaut. I bet they train every day, running up hills with a Long Dong missile in hand. 

A loyal Brazil fan.

Nothing more important than soccer

In the midst of our match, a small shouting match erupted between one guy and the fishball noodle man because the former accused the latter of beating a woman. Most of us stayed out of the fight and returned to watching the game once we checked and saw no violence erupting. No blood was spilled, and football is more important anyway.

On the TV, I spotted a hilarious sign from the crowd of the BRA-PRK match that said "Kim Jong Ill thinks I'm at work". I tweeted it and said, "Kim is probably skivving too".

Given that the North Korean nation is not screening the matches live (officially anyway), I wonder how this match will be shared with the masses. Perhaps a live audio description over radio. Or using drawings screened on tv.

I am told that Chinese actors were playing the part of North Korean football fans at the match. Apparently, nobody in North Korea could afford the trip to South Africa and China sent er, volunteers to wave the DPRK flag proudly.

That was very kind of China to fly in actors for their North Korean ally. If they need any more actors, I am sure my kopitiam mates and I will welcome a free trip to don DPRK red. 

I wonder what incentives Coach Kim provided to ensure that the DPRK team played well. Maybe a torpedo named after each player and free passes to the Theme Park of Universal Happiness and Comradeship in Pyongyang. Ok, I made that theme park up but if it exists, it'd be a great treat (ride the Great Leader Dueling Coasters of Doom! Better than the Battlestar Galactica ride in Singapore which is still not working).

Soon the match drew to a close. It was 4.30am and the crowd had scattered. Taxi drivers returned to their taxis illegally parked by the road and the foreign laborers walked or bicycled back to their dorms.

The fishball noodle man was still angry at being accused of hitting a woman and was mumbling angrily to whoever would listen to him. But most of us were just thinking of sleep, the next match, or how much money we won or lost.

14 matches watched. The rest to go.