They Call Me "Freeda ... "

The World Cup is on right now and I have to admit that I'm not much of a soccer watcher.

I like soccer ... but I don't watch it often so I'm not familiar with many of the players ... or teams ... or rules ... you get the picture.

I did watch a few games one year when I happened to be in Ottawa during the world cup and I found myself quite caught up in the hysteria of it all. That said, I did get a lot of threatening looks from the other people in the pubs where I was watching the games because I had decided - at that time - I should cheer for Italy (mainly because I've always wanted to go to Italy and I liked their jerseys ... and ... Italian men running around - hello - why choose any other team?) but everyone else in whatever pub we happened to be in always seemed to be cheering for the other team. Probably because that was the much more logical team to cheer for.

Right.

I totally get men, women, children who are here in Canada with different cultural backgrounds cheering on their nation's team in the World Cup. For example, Jackie Chan's "friend's" (wink wink, nudge nudge ... first crush) mom is from Mexico, so yeah, she's all about cheering for Mexico. Makes sense.

A bunch of multi-generational (read: no ethic background) Canadians passionately cheering for a team just because makes about as much sense as me picking a team because of their dark flowing hair and blue jerseys. But I found myself in the pub, a victim of jeers and clenched fists because I wasn't cheering for the "appropriate" team.

Whatever ... that's not what this is about.

The anthem for the Fifa World Cup 2010 is K'naan's Wavin' Flag. If this is something you are not yet aware of you should probably shun yourself ... even non-soccer fans know that Wavin' Flag is the anthem for the Fifa World Cup 2010.

In our house it's a pretty big deal because it's Bruce Lee's favourite song. Not because it's the anthem for the World Cup ... he loved it well before that.

He demands to hear it in the car. He demands to hear it at home. He bangs on the djambe and sings it. He plays the wooden flute and sings it. He plays his broken guitar and sings it. He plays the piano and sings it.

He watched the opening of the Fifa World Cup Kick Off Concert and saw K'naan performing (we PVR'd thank goodness) and we had to watch it about four times last night. In a row.

He sings along. Or tries to. All the words. It's really quite cute.

He's been serenading all the people in the building where he attends daycare with his own version of Wavin' Flag.

The moment we get in the car his little voice pops up from the back:

"Mommy, Daddy I want when I get older, they call me Freda ..."

"Yes, yes" we say, "in a minute."

"No Mommy, now, they call me Freda ... just like a wavin' blagg"

We put it on and before the first bar is over we hear his little voice again:

"Turn up please, turn up louder, they call me Freda ..."

So it's become our anthem of the summer as well.