Watching the Winter Olympics from the Other Side of the World
When I was growing up in Indonesia, badminton is the sport of choice for the nation. Football was always popular, but badminton is the one sport that any Indonesians can say proudly that we excel at, and we'll show you the trophies and medals that the nation's best athletes have won too.
Unfortunately, aside from badminton, it is not often that Indonesians have the opportunity to support and cheer its athletes on the international level. Even during the olympics we have only a few competing athletes, and again, most of them are playing badminton. So, you see, as much as I love watching the olympics, it almost become irrelevant to me. When there's no athletes from my home country for me to root for, I thought, why bother?
Charles Deluvio 🇵ðŸ‡ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡¦
That changed during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. By then, I have been living in Germany for one and a half years. It has started to grow on me. Unlike Indonesia, Germany has a multitude of athletes that competes in seemingly every sport category. And suddenly, I realise that I now has another country that I can root for! Whenever Germany is competing against Indonesia, I will with no doubt choose my homeland. But when Indonesia is not competing, there I was, watching the live stream on my laptop, cheering and hoping that Germany would take the medals.
Today, with the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, well on its way, I feel this even more keenly. Being a tropical country, Indonesia has never participated in the Winter Olympics; and this year, it is no different. But now with three years under my belt of living in Germany, it has become my second home. This time around, I am rooting for Germany right from the start, and I join in feeling a sense of pride and joy for the athletes who bring home the medals.
I was emotional as I watched Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot won their gold medals in pair figure skating. I have always admired figure skaters for their elegance and easiness on the ice. Every jump and spin always looks effortless, even though I know they aren't. I can't even skate on a straight line, but I blame that on the two times I've been on the ice in my life. Savchenko and Massot have done the seemingly impossible; winning gold after a crucial mistake on their short programme. The german media who has been rooting for them from the start was disappointed, but they always put a nice little hopeful note at the end of their articles. Understandably after their win, they are celebrated widely by the media. This is a history for the germans too. They haven't been able to take home gold in figure skating since Katarina Witt in 1988, so their jubilation is clear.
It is my hope that some time in the future Indonesia could be a part of Winter Olympics too. But until then, I am glad that I have a second home that I can root for. And it doesn't concern me one bit that I wasn't born here or that I don't even hold its nationality. For now, it is home.
xo
Maria
Unfortunately, aside from badminton, it is not often that Indonesians have the opportunity to support and cheer its athletes on the international level. Even during the olympics we have only a few competing athletes, and again, most of them are playing badminton. So, you see, as much as I love watching the olympics, it almost become irrelevant to me. When there's no athletes from my home country for me to root for, I thought, why bother?
Charles Deluvio 🇵ðŸ‡ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡¦
That changed during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. By then, I have been living in Germany for one and a half years. It has started to grow on me. Unlike Indonesia, Germany has a multitude of athletes that competes in seemingly every sport category. And suddenly, I realise that I now has another country that I can root for! Whenever Germany is competing against Indonesia, I will with no doubt choose my homeland. But when Indonesia is not competing, there I was, watching the live stream on my laptop, cheering and hoping that Germany would take the medals.
Today, with the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, well on its way, I feel this even more keenly. Being a tropical country, Indonesia has never participated in the Winter Olympics; and this year, it is no different. But now with three years under my belt of living in Germany, it has become my second home. This time around, I am rooting for Germany right from the start, and I join in feeling a sense of pride and joy for the athletes who bring home the medals.
I was emotional as I watched Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot won their gold medals in pair figure skating. I have always admired figure skaters for their elegance and easiness on the ice. Every jump and spin always looks effortless, even though I know they aren't. I can't even skate on a straight line, but I blame that on the two times I've been on the ice in my life. Savchenko and Massot have done the seemingly impossible; winning gold after a crucial mistake on their short programme. The german media who has been rooting for them from the start was disappointed, but they always put a nice little hopeful note at the end of their articles. Understandably after their win, they are celebrated widely by the media. This is a history for the germans too. They haven't been able to take home gold in figure skating since Katarina Witt in 1988, so their jubilation is clear.
It is my hope that some time in the future Indonesia could be a part of Winter Olympics too. But until then, I am glad that I have a second home that I can root for. And it doesn't concern me one bit that I wasn't born here or that I don't even hold its nationality. For now, it is home.
xo
Maria
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