Eurovision final

[olmue]

Well, as usual, the songs I liked best didn't win. I didn't care for the German song, but I do think that they will be a great host for the next contest. (Um...they might be the only country who can still afford to host it.) Needless to say, the Germans are ecstatic, especially the ones we know who looooooooove this contest. I'm not sure how much importance random Germans give to the ESC, but in any case, I'm sure morale is up.* Belgium got sixth, which was nice, but Ireland and Cyprus were right at the bottom. Oh, well. Greece (PMB's favorite--perhaps next year's entry will be entitled Oma??) was sorta up there. Spain performed twice because someone snuck up on stage and they had to escort him off. That song was catchy but kind of creepy, too. I can see why some people are creeped out by clowns.

*Just in case you went to my mini class on Germany and are wondering--this would be one of the rare times--like with soccer--where the flying of the German flag is not only okay, but can be done enthusiastically. Germans are normally rather gun-shy about plastering their flag all over, as they feel excessive patriotism is rather bad taste after that whole 1933-45 debacle. But waving it at the ESC just means music.

Comments

[sarah-create.livejournal.com]

Germans are very happy.
The song--I've heard it has been playing a lot on the radio.

Ireland--she was good, but she needed something more to stand out; I'm not sure what though. But she is a great singer. Maybe if she had sung a song that was danceable.
Cyprus--Yes, I like them; Kind of tricky to have the singer from Britain, the performers from Norway and several country. That is a song I'd enjoy having, just to listen to.
Belgium, yep, would enjoy having that one also, as well as a few other songs.

I'm not seeing flags around here, though I did see a few on cars yesterday. (One car had two countries flags waving from it.)
I'm wondering what it will be like here in Germany next year, with them hosting the contest.

[olmue.livejournal.com]

That's the problem with the basic chanson--the song sounds nice, but it's mostly just someone standing there, singing. There were a lot like that this time. Great songs, but not a lot of show to go along with them.

The most recent time we moved to Germany, the world cup had *just* ended. It was held in Nurnberg, and Germany won second or third place. So we were met by a completely unexpected array of flags all over the place. At first I thought maybe we'd landed sideways in Belgium, instead? But no--it was just soccer.

[edawn.livejournal.com]

Last night, at the same time as the contest was broadcast, the national soccer team played a friendly against Turkey and one of the Klitchko brothers had a boxing match. Still, about half (he estimates are between 49% and 61%) of those watching televesion were watching Eurovision. So, I guess most everybody was at least interested in what was happening. BTW, Germany beat Turkey and Klitchko won his match. So, not a bad night.

[olmue.livejournal.com]

Well, happy winnings to Germany all around! Sounds like the national psyche is up these days. :)

[wordsrmylife.livejournal.com]

That flag-shy thing applies to Austrians as well. I was once at a gathering of Austrians and Americans and we decided for whatever reason (a bit of wine, perhaps) that we would each sing our national anthem. The Americans all knew the "Star-Spangled Banner" of course, but the Austrians were very confused about "Land der Berge."

You should have been a fly on the wall in Lisdoonvarna last night--HH and I went to the local pub to listen to some trad Irish music. Our nearest neighbors were siblings and brothers-in-law from Germany, originally the part that went to Poland, but now north Germany. Between one woman's English and my German, we had quite a conversation, but it was quite the mixed bag, with one or the other of us supplying the appropriate translation. It might not have been mixing with the locals but it was fun.

[olmue.livejournal.com]

Sounds delightful! Only in Europe...

[olmue.livejournal.com]

And sometimes in America, too, I guess. A new guy showed up a church today--he moved most recently from Georgia (the state), but his accent was happily familiar from my time in Germany. He was originally from Nigeria. (West African English, if you aren't familiar with it--and even when you are a bit--is so incredibly different from American/European English that you really have to concentrate a LOT to understand! But it made me think of the German class I took the first time I moved there, where nearly everyone in my class was from Cameroon. I was apparently exotic to them; one day at break, they all gathered around me and took a picture.)