We Are Chonburi FC by Haley: 2013

The following article was written by an American girl called Haley and is about her first trip to Chonburi Stadium, to watch the 4-0 win against Samut Songkhram on 27th October, 2013. 

WE ARE CHONBURI F.C.
by Haley
28/10/13
So on Sunday I had some time to do some Chon Buri exploring on my own, and it could not have been a better day. After spending Saturday night with some Chon Buri friends, I had most of Sunday to myself.  I considered staying holed up in my apartment to review my lesson plans for the following day, but instead I decided to venture out and explore near my apartment.  (Good thing too, I actually only have one class today (Monday the 28th) because several of my other classes are not set in stone yet.)

A few buildings away from my apartment is a beautiful park/lake, an Olympic sized swimming pool, and a big soccer stadium.  WHO KNEW?  I went for a swim in the pool and was befriended by three Thai middle school boys (or Primary 6…6th grade?).  They were awesome and hilarious and they also thought I was awesome and hilarious.  It was fun interacting with Thai kids kind of one on one, because it made me feel excited to start teaching the next day. They have invited me to come play with them again next Saturday at 3 pm, and if I’m home, I will! Their nicknames, I kid you not, are King, Fuk(?) and Third.  Some of these kids have bizarre nicknames.

After my swim I explored the park.  It’s a track around a lake along with some outdoor rickety work out machines and what not.  Is this a foreign thing?  I’ve seen it in Spain, Denmark, and here, but never in the United States I don’t think.  So I’m wandering around the park right next to the soccer stadium and there is clearly about to be a big game, music is playing and everywhere people are wearing Chon Buri jerseys.  (I conflictingly love their colors, Carolina blue and Duke blue.) The Thais tailgate and prepare for big games very similarly to how we do.

I’m about to walk back to my apartment to probably, like, sit and stare at the wall, I turn, and low and behold, behind me is a white guy!  I very unabashedly (this is a word, yeah?) approach him now by leading with, “Oh my gosh, you’re white!”) Turns out this foreigner (Zach) is an American from New Orleans, also teaching English in Chon Buri, just not with my program.  It was just too much NOT to go to the game, as he had already bought his ticket and a jersey.  So I did too, and we went to the last home game of the season of Chon Buri Football Club.

Their mascot is the shark, which holds a soft spot in my heart since I swam on the Sherwood Shark Swimteam for my entire childhood. (4 year champions, but no big deal…)  Anyways the Sharks were playing the (Insert long unpronounceable Thai team name here) Fish, and I didn’t know if they knew this, but Sharks always eat fish.  (Unless you’re a Whale Shark, I guess, but our mascot is the Great White, so, no argument needed.)  So yeah, we’re awesome.

We were the ONLY foreigners except for 2 German guys, so of course everyone wanted to shake our hands and take pictures with us (or sneakily OF us when they thought we weren’t looking…ha).  They invited us into what I’ll call the “Rowdy” section, or “The Pit” where we stood the whole time and yelled chants.  (Mostly in Thai, some English, so …mostly in incoherent shouts along to the rhythm.  Y’all know that’s how I sing anyways…it doesn’t matter if I’ve never heard the song…I’M SINGIN’ IT!)  It was so much fun.

We killed it too, 4-0.  I could not have found a more perfect way to really feel a part of my little Thai Town.  I have a jersey and all of the “WE ARE CHONBURI FC, THIS IS CHONBURI FC” chants still stuck in my head.  I wonder if my school would let me wear the jersey with my pencil skirt.  I bet the kids would love it.

Always the one with the most team spirit, (not…),