I wrote today’s blog last night. Due to Mel insisting that we sort of ‘catch trains’ and ‘eat dinner’ and ‘see things’, at all sorts of inconvenient times, you have to make hay whilst the rising sun. And its about art. I left a little space at the bottom just to put something like: shame about Spurs, great to have got so far, blah, blah, sadness, sorrow, few tears, not meant to be, injury-plagued, small squad, price’a wheat, better than Arse, blah, blah, blaaaaah.

Then we went out for a fab dinner (its so random here because you never really know what you’ve ordered or what its gonna look like until its on your fork, no matter how many plastic fucking models you see outside) and returned only mildly drunk for bed. At about 11. What you call ‘3 in the afternoon’. By kick off time I was in the fast asleep world of 4am.

There are ways to follow football. I’ve tried them all. Firstly you can go. Some say this is the best way, but they don’t run a fast train from Takamatsu to Amsterdam, I checked. Lila’s dad was there though. The first link. Next is ‘watching in a bar’, which is fun and shouty and wonderful, depending on the bar. Rachie found a bar in Berlin to do this and went there with a Dutch friend, an Ajax fan. Brave. Then there’s tv. But they don’t have such channels here. Although Lila’s mum was watching in London. Lila went to bed. Eventually. And the fourth way to really ‘soak up the atmosphere’, to really maximise the thrill and excitement of what was, along with Tuesday night’s Liverpool game, probably the most incredible match ever played, is to relive it retrospectively via our message group. Benny there live, Rachie in Berlin, Nat in London, Lila in bed, us in Japan (though my own contribution was obviously rather minimal).

So when nature called me (I think my bladder is linked to the Spurs website) it was just after 6am. 10pm in the Uk, 11 in Amsterdam, game just finished. I picked up my phone as I walked bathroomwards, to see the ‘bad news’ and standing there, I ‘followed the game’. It went like this:

(Nothing for virtually the entire first half because we weren’t very good, they were and scored two more effin goals)

They were much better than us

Shame

3 nil

No way back

Great to be here but wot can ya do

Oh well

Goal Moura! Consolation

Goal Moura! Fuck

Playing better now

Omg

Lots of injury time. Need another goal

FUUUCCCCKKKKK
SHIIIIIIIIIT
FUUUUUCCCCKKKK

OMG!!!

WE’VE DONE IT!

It’s over. We’re in the final

My Ajax fan just stormed out the bar as I was jumping around screaming

Lila’s still asleep

And so is Dad.

But by then I was awake. And running round the bathroom screaming so Mel wouldn’t miss out on this profound and wonderful moment in our lives.

I’ll send the other blog tomorrow. It’s important. They’re all important. But this just couldn’t wait.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL!!!! AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH

Happy Thursday

A xxxx