Soccer and Shakespeare

My jaw dropped nearly to the table when I and my Cafe 458 coworkers witnessed Zidane's astonishing headbutt into an opposing Italian player's chest. The man fell back heavily in response to the French team captain's attack, and we immediately shouted "WHAT?!" in unison disbelief. What a crazy thing for a team captain and professional to do!

I had joined fellow volunteers at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican tapas bar in an Atlanta suburb to chill with them and watch the highly-anticipated World Cup. Sadly, I had not kept up with the games leading up to this one, but the fellows surrounding me speculated loudly and knowledgeably (especially the two German boys, Patrick and Vanye, who opted for a year of civil service in the States rather than military service in Deutschland). As I know relatively little about the game and have only a few years of elementary school league experience to draw upon, I spent the time making wisecracks and asking inane questions about the PK shootouts and off-sides. So much fun!

They forgave me my interruptions, however, for I had brought homemade brownies decorated with sweet vanilla icing and either French- or Italian-themed Hershey's Kissable candies. :) Sorry I didn't take any pictures, they were snatched too quickly!

My fellow viewers were mostly volunteers with Missioneer, a yearlong Christian program that funds men and women to wholeheartedly serve areas in the US. My friends are mainly in their early twenties, a mix of married and single, and generally hailing from the North and Midwest. Each that I have met is dedicated to giving of themselves unrelentingly, though they frequently gripe about the program's multiple restrictions. Apparently in an effort to ensure that all funds are going to volunteer-work, Missioneer disallows its participants from watching TV (will lose focus on your community), starting any new relationships (dating = money), driving your own car (where do you need to go?), or even going to the church they choose! (they go to church together to make sure everyone is going). I really admire these folks for giving up an entire year's freedoms to do what they love: serve God indirectly by serving people in need. They do not evangelize, just meet people where they are--give them the food they need, shelter they require, teach classes to help them out.

Anyhow, everyone was cheering Italy, so I supported France to be ornery and provide friendly taunting. And France lost, tsk tsk.

Afterwards I met up with fellow Robertsons Nandini, Kevin, Chetan and Samson to check out the Shakespeare Tavern on Peachtree Street. The tavern boasted nightly performances of all Shakespeare's works as well as tasty food from that period (well, not food prepared in that time-period, as we joked, just prepared the same way!).

The show was utterly, unexpectedly hilarious! The troupe of three male actors spoofed all of Shakespeare's works in rapid succession, even going so far as to perform "Hamlet" backwards as fast as they could! Quite a feat. They had us in stitches, laughing helplessly in the back row.

Crazy Robertson kids:

On our way out, we discovered the purple plastic flowers the actors used as props in the performance. We hammed things up a bit ourselves.


Leaving the theater, we decided to do some acrobatics on the lawn of Emory-Crawford hospital--either for kicks or to digest, you pick. :) Another fun day of being silly with the Robertsons and finding out all the random Atlanta attractions.

Back to the abbreviated Idiot's Guide to Atlanta!