Not Over Cricket

According to what people have been telling me, The Cricket World Cup is the third most watched sport around the world after the Olympics and Soccer World Cup. The West Indies are hosting the games this year, and Guyana has built a beautiful stadium and hotel solely for this purpose. The World Cup has contributed to many changes in Guyana, so I’ve made a list of the top ten things that Cricket has changed for me:

10. I realized that Cricket is not the same game as Croquet.

9. Now whenever I walk down the street with other volunteers, locals keep shouting, “Hey tourist! You like Cricket?”

8. All the local establishments we frequent are now filled with more white people than ever. It feels so weird.

7. I now have three extra days of vacation since the country has shut down its schools nation-wide, just for the games occurring near the capital.

6. I finally have a place to throw my trash now that the government has installed trash cans on most street corners so tourists don’t contribute to the excessive littering.

5. Shop owners have become a bit more customer service oriented because they think we’re tourists.

4. My mini-bus rides now take 10 minutes longer due to the traffic and construction around the cricket stadium. The roads were still being paved the day before the game started.

3. Paying for the cheapest tickets on the field has left myself and other white volunteers with painful red sunburns. My Asian glow has now extended to when I’m not drinking as well.

2. After watching the England vs. Ireland game, I realized that England’s flag is not the same as Great Britain’s flag. (Seriously? They let people like me teach?)

1. I’ve finally found a game that lasts longer than baseball: 50 overs each team can last a lifetime.