A WELL-ROUNDED AFFAIR
Soccer belongs to my life. That's why I was twice as happy when I received the news from my Brazilian university a few months ago that I could spend my exchange semester in Germany. Now I'm here, together with a mixed group of students from many countries around the world.
The only thing I miss from time to time is the sun. So there's no question that days like these have to be made the most of: "Who's up for a round of soccer together?" I promise it won't be a serious tournament, but a casual match between friends in retro shirts, followed by a barbecue session.
By afternoon, we're sitting on our flea market bikes on the way to the soccer field. Karin from Sweden and Marco from Italy have done the shopping, while Anna quickly passes by her parents' house to get the barbecue. We are amazed when Imran turns around the corner with a full BEER BOX attached to the handlebars and Anna with a BOWL on her luggage rack. Well, let's get started!
We play in two teams towards the same goal. The goalkeeper position is changed in turn, because with the grill gloves as protection against sharp shots, everyone wants to get into the goal box. JOHNNY CATCH on the goal frame ensures quick refreshment. The crown caps of the lemonade are opened quickly and the game can continue without delay.
After about an hour, Marco is the first one to leave the field to heat up the fire and prepare delicious snacks on the BEER BOX board for our barbecue session. Shortly afterwards, international goodies are already sizzling on the BOWL and a wonderful smell rises. More and more players are drawn to the sidelines and soon we are all standing around the fire with our colourfully created taco variations in hand. Everyone brings their own touch to the game - the perfect finger food for an unconventional barbecue evening.
It doesn't take long until the plancha and the grill grid are completely empty. Around me, I can see lots of happy faces. We take the grill grid out of the BOWL and add more wood to the fire bowl. The fire flares and we don't notice the rising chill of the night. We burn from the inside and outside and for a moment it feels like being in Brazil.
What an evening! It touches and fascinates me how we stand together around the fire. We all come from such different cultures and families, but when it comes to things like soccer or fire, we all speak the same language.
