The Netherlands' "Oranje Fever" ( Orange Fever )

Saturday, June 10, the FIFA World Football Cup 2006 was officially opened in Germany participated in by 32 different countries.

The winning wing of Dutch Arjen Robben.

And guess...I think the entire flatland had a 1 hour and 30 minutes break to watch the live telecast for the football game at 3pm yesterday. Dutch people and so as I :-) were ready afront to cheer the awaited match between Nederland and Serbia & Montenegro.

Actually, weeks before this game, the Netherlands seemed to be afflicted with the "örange virus disease". People are wearing orange and many corners are turned to orange. Why orange? This is the Netherlands' national color. Taking from the account of its monarchial history,The House of Orange-Nassau.

Even sales of orange goods and other World Cup-themed non-food products boost sales nationally. It's way of peoplés' nationalism and warm support ... (as warm as the weather temperature now that is amazingly at 30 degrees celcious) quite funny but it is heart lightening. I also remembered how Filipino fanatics were infected by the same virus...with the "Barangay Ginebra" ( PBA), " F4 or meteor garden fever" ( that is the F4 Taiwanese Band), my "Davao eagles" (MBA ) and many more. Well, here seemed to be in the extreme...thanks that I've never seen an orange food yet...ughhh! Not appetizing to look at for sure.

Take a look with these pictures around Holland:

You see, it is also an animal party!

Dogies were united and orange afficionado too...how much more are their bosses :-)


Click this for more images...http://img148.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img148%2F7614%2F1150119423y3e.smil


Robben and team mates. (Photo from FIFA).

The Netherlands made a fine start to their first match last Sunday with a goal from Arjen Robben giving them a 1-0 victory over the Serbians. The game lasted for 90+3 minutes full time.

"World-Robben dazzles as Dutch beat Serbia 1-0" (news article links to Reuter).

Orange-masked faces...rejoicing and celebrating...but looked like hungry lions :-0...

On the far-right is an Oranje straat (orange street).

And so all the orange confeittes were on the streets and blowing of horns was I heard from outside as like spreading the news that the "öranjes" have won.

On June 16 at 6pm, the Oranjes will fight against Ivory Coast in Stuttgart, Germany. I am going to cheer again actually...daarom (that's why) I know :-).....Hup! Hup! Hoera!