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| The Finals: Sri Lanka vs India |
I was in the Philippines during the time of the semis and finals and being in a non-Cricket playing country I couldn’t get hold of a game on TV. So early morning of the 3rd, I woke up and immediately and nervously Googled what the outcome may be. My heart sank when I saw the results. I hoped I was dreaming but CNN confirmed the awful truth. Then it hit me, I have changed. I have become a tad bit more Lankan.
See, Cricket is a religion in Sri Lanka. Women talk about Cricket like how Filipino boys would fight over their favorite NBA team. Our driver thanks me like I just gave him a month’s bonus whenever I allow him to listen to the Cricket channel on the radio. And there are around 3 Cricket channels, on LOCAL TV!
Throughout the Cricket season, it would be ongoing topic during lunch and pre-dinner drinks. I surprised myself how interested I got and how I got myself into these conversations. The effect was so strong that I woke up in the middle of the night, talked in my sleep and asked my husband who won in that day’s game. That wasn’t even a Sri Lanka game mind you.
It is amazing what 6 months of living in Sri Lanka did to me, thanks to 3 months of Cricket Fever. From knowing nothing about Cricket except it is a game that would go days on end, I got involved in discussions, got myself updated even from far away, rooting for the Lions, actually getting affected if we won or lost and even using the word “we” when referring to the Lanka team. 6 short months and I have been Cricket-ized la vida Lanka.
