World Cup in London: Uruguay

I've watched the World Cup with Uruguay fans before - in a bar in Leicester Square. Since then, I've wondered if there is a more authentic place to watch... a Uruguayan bar or cafe perhaps.

With that in mind, for Uruguay -v- Colombia, I headed to Canthinha do Goias in Stockwell (thanks to a tip from World in London) where I found a very dark, small room packed full of Uruguay fans, some Brazil fans and three Colombia fans!

There were lots of Uruguay flags and football shirts on display, and the small crowd were hooked on watching the match.

But it soon went south for Uruguay as Colombia scored a goal.

Colombia goal celebrated here by a mass groan from the Uruguay fans and a single overhead hand clap from the Colombian woman.

Then, just as some enthusiasm was waning, another person arrived who got everyone excited again.

Some old dude with long hair has just bounded in and got everyone shouting and chanting. Maybe he's their ambassador?!

Despite being 2-0 down, the Uruguay fans are still chanting: Vamos! Uruguay! Opa! Allioppa! Vamo! Alle! O Zelete! Vamos!

One woman here has rather hopefully tried to get a "C'mon Suarez!" chant going. The love has not been felt.

Full on singalong here now. One song goes "no passera" (not going through, I think). It's good to have a song for every occasion, isn't it?

"It is possible, it is possible!", pleads the long-haired Uruguay dude here. Others less than convinced.

In the midst of all this Spanish chanting, a Liverpudlian lad has launched into a string of ferocious expletives.

But, despite their singing, chanting and applauding, it was not possible and Uruguay were defeated and out of the World Cup. It didn't seem to phase the fans too much though; they continued dancing and singing regardless.

World Cup in London: Bosnia-Hercegovina

Yesterday, I went to watch Bosnia -v- Iran with London's Bosnian fans...

...but it was pretty hard going to find any.

After some searching, I heard about Bosnian fans congregating in a bar in Fulham, so I headed there.

I'd seen some photos of fans there watching Bosnia's previous match; the atmosphere looked good!


But when I turned up, there really wasn't anyone I could say was Bosnia. Maybe that woman in the Bosnian blue dress? The guys in suits? Maybe not...

I stayed around, half-watching the match. Bosnia were soaring and scoring 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1. It was only on the third goal that some guys cheered loudly, I realised that they were Bosnian. And so was the woman in the blue dress!

Then just before the match ended, a guy turns up draped in a Bosnian flag.

So, in the end, there wasn't a great Bosnia-supporting atmosphere, but it was good to finally find some Bosnian fans in London.

World Cup in London: Algeria

I went to watch Algeria -v- South Korea last night, with Algerian fans in Cricklewood.

I've been here before - in 2009 - when I watched a World Cup qualifying match. It was so good then, I knew I'd come back.

To run out an old football cliché, it was a game of two halves.

I spent the first half in a quiet café; the second half in a more excited café - with drums and tambourines

It's all blokes here (except for the one woman working in the cafe). Some are chatting and paying no attention to the match..

In both venues, the fans were loud and lively when Algeria scored, but sat quietly chatting for the rest of the time. Cool for school, they were.

All pretty quiet here except for the two Algerian fans wearing flags who grunt/chant whenever Algeria have a chance at goal.

The Algerian fans are certainly a bit more animated now they're 3-0 up. One man is hitting his plastic bottle on the table to celebrate. Everybody in the café is jumping, jumping.

The Algeria fans have all piled out to tge street for a celebratory fag and flag-wave.

Much like the Colombia match in Elephant and Castle, as I was standing on the street, people passing by add to it all.

- An old Irish guy just wandered past, noticing the score. "This is not over yet," he says sagely. 

 - A happy guy just went by, checked the score, and shouted "oh ho Africa!" while punching the air. 

- Man wearing an Irish soccer shirt passes, oblivious. 

- Algerian fan: "Ireland! Who're you supporting? Algeria?" 

- Irish fan: "Oh yeah, definitely" *thumbs up*

Next up: Bosnia Hercegovina -v- Iran, hopefully with Bosnia fans... if I can find them!

World Cup in London: Iran

On Monday last, I went to watch Iran -v- Nigeria with London's Iran fans.

The fans had gathered in an upstairs room of the Henry Holland pub, right by Selfridges. I had found out about it via a Facebook group Iranian Students in UK.

Now, as it turned out, this match was tiresomely boring. A nil all draw does not an interesting match make. But the Iranian fans were much more entertaining, singing, chanting, flag waving, even a little dancing. Someone brought a vuvuzuela

Happily they're all chanting "eee-ran! eee-ran!" over that vuvuzuela. You can't beat a football chant.

Someone here is chanting 'in-go-lay, in-go-lay'. I presume this means 'please score a goal and make this game interesting'.

The event wasn't as big a family affair as the Colombia match I watched - it being organised by students, I guess - but there was a little baby there, playing a little football and mildly oblivious the sport on the screen.

Most of the Iran fans here seem to be students. The Iran student look: jet black, super-quiffed hair and big dark-rimmed glasses.

There was definitely a man with a plan, a guy in charge - he had that vuvuzuela and he wasn't afraid to use it.

The chap leading the chanting is wearing a Brazil cap, England hoodie + is draped in an Iranian flag. ❤️

A blonde woman in a brown suit has just arrived. She's blowing her whistle very enthusiastically.

Full-on chant-a-thon here with the Iranian fans. Sadly still nothing doing in the goal department.

With the match limping to the draw, the Iran fans kept on singing, happily accepting the score. They certainly made watching the match more memorable.

Next up: Sunday's Algeria -v- South Korea match, with Algerian fans.

World Cup in London: Colombia

I've started watching the 2014 World Cup in London with foreign fans, as I've done before.

My first match for 2014 was Colombia -v- Greece, which I watched with lots of Colombian fans in Elephant and Castle.

There's a large Latin American community around Elephant and Castle, mainly since the 1980s. Each year the area hosts the excellent Carnaval del Pueblo, the largest Latin American carnival in Europe.

So I was expecting good things as I headed there.

My first 2014 World Cup with the foreign fans off to a glamorous start: hanging out on the street outside a butcher's with Colombian fans.

There were certainly lots of fans around - I reckon about 8 or 9 venues showing the match, all busy. The main venue, La Bodeguita, was super-busy with long queues.

Colombia-v-Greece 1at half highlights: fun family atmosphere outside the Carnería and big mass selfie being taken. 

Elephant and Castle awash with Colombian fans' yellow jerseys this afternoon #WorldCup #se1 (No hope getting in to La Bodeguita!)

There was a real family atmosphere, with all ages around, from abeulas down to babies.

I mainly hung out in two places - in a restaurant called Leños y Carbón which was packed and outside a butcher shop in a back-street which had a TV plonked on a table and lots of people watching the match.

With that second goal, the place has erupted; they're chanting Co-lom-bia!! Co-lom-bia!!

Outside the butcher's, the owner repeatedly slammed a metal tray onto the ground. Everyone found this hilarious - the first time, they weren't so keen the rest of the time.

There was a great atmosphere, taking mass photos of the whole crowd, chanting songs, doing Mexican waves and flinging popcorn around.

With Colombia's third goal and the final whistle, they all started dancing and singing and celebrating a wonderful win.

Goal 3! Lots more cheering and shouting! And now comes the music and dancing for victory!

I loved being on the street watching the match, seeing people walk past, get involved and excited by the match and cheer along with the Colombians.

Some England-flag-clad fans just went past: "Is it a pub, a café? Nah, is just a TV, innit?" This isn't *just* a TV

African taxi driver just pulled up, asking, "Are you winning?! What's the score?" His response: "OK! Good luck! Hehehe!!"

So a 3-0 victory to Colombia and lots of celebrations - there were still fans dancing hours later.

Next match for me: Iran -v- Nigeria with Iranian fans.

Romania | London

I went last weekend to Saint Dunstans in the West - a church on Fleet Street - to take a photo of its statue of Elizabeth I. I've read that it is the oldest outdoor statue in London, which is pretty impressive.

While there, I looked inside and found some kind of baptism ceremony happening.

There were signs outside the church advertising Romanian church services, so I'm assuming it was a Romanian tradition.

Around 30 people were gathered in front of the altar, dressed up in bright colours: lots of green and yellow. Some of the women wore scarves as veils. One man carried a candle with a large lacy pink pompom attached.

Three priests recited prayers and hymns. One priest then cut some hair from the babies' heads after which the babies were presented  in front of religious paintings. Proud parents cooed, filmed and took photos.

After the short ceremony, a large silver baptism font and some religious icon paintings were taken away while everyone drank fizzy wine from paper cups.

During the ceremony, a man arrived - quite clearly a tourist. He took a photo of the ceremony. I hope he is a foreign tourist, and goes back home telling everyone that this is what happens in London, England. For it is. Behind doors - open and closed - there are communities coming together in so many fascinating ways.

Africa, sketch maps

I've resumed collecting crowd-sourced* 'multi-maps'.

*when I first started asking people to draw maps, crowd-sourcing wasn't a popular term but it is now and works well.

Previously, I've collected maps of North America, South America, Australia, South East Asia and Europe.

This time, I looked for maps of Africa.

I went to an African Market in Spitalfields to ask stallholders, shoppers and spectators to draw Africa.

I asked twelve people to draw Africa. I've overlaid these maps on top of each other. This is the result.