This morning at the drug store I was told that I 'don't exist'...strangely enough, it was a really fun conversation that went something like this between me and the man standing behind me in the line:

--man: "Je moet ook een van die t-shirts kopen" (Shouldn't you also be buying one of these t-shirts?)...referring to an orange t-shirt special for the soccer tournament
--me: "Sorry, wat voor een t-shirt?!" (Huh---what t-shirt?!)
--man: "Die oranje met een leeuw" (The orange one with a lion on it)
--man: "Je moet die hebben VOOR dat je naar de wedstrijd gaat kijken." (You have to have that shirt before you can watch the game tonight)
--me: "OHHHH, voor de wedstrijd...maar ik heb geen televisie..." (Oh, it's for the game, but I don't have a tv, so....)
--man: "Geen televisie?!?! Ben je ziek????" (no television???? Are you sick?!)
--me: "nee, hoor...het is lang geleden dat ik heb het weggegooid...en weet je....ik mis het niet!" (not a bit! It's been a long time since I had one, and you know... I don't miss it a bit!)
--man: "hmmmph"
--me: "en weet je, ik heb ook geen mobiel!" (and you know... I don't have a cell phone either!!)
--man: "maar je BESTAAT dus niet!!!!!" (you don't even EXIST!!!)
--me: lots of laughter as I paid for my balloons (and no orange t-shirt) and wished him a wonderful day.

This is how overtaken the whole country is with the EURO 2008. Silence will fall on the city tonight as the whole nation sits in front of their tv's watching the big game. I'll be here, without a television to watch, but no worse informed of the progress of the game. The sound of cheering takes over the whole city when a goal is scored and the sound of anger is almost as dangerously loud each time the opponent scores. I may not have a tv, but I'm still soaking up every moment of the EURO 2008 every where that I go...even at the drugstore to buy balloons for a birthday party :-)