• Just For Google

The Perpetual Passenger

Menu

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Posts
  • My List
  • Cities: in Photos
    • Tokyo
    • Prague
    • London
    • Rome
  • Enter your email address to follow my blog and get notifications of new posts by email.

  • Live Blog Feed

    RSS Feed RSS - Posts

    RSS Feed RSS - Comments

  • Like us on Facebook!

    Like us on Facebook!
  • Categories

    Amsterdam Birthday Blog Construction Cities: in Photos Cupcakes Expat Family + Friends Food France French Greece Holidays Humor Italy Japan Language Life Lessons London Love MyFrenchLife New England Paris Photo Reblog Speaking Sports Travel Uncategorized United States Update
  • Amazing Blogs I Follow That You Should, Too

    • American Expat in France
    • Away We Go
    • Grenobloise
    • HJ Underway
    • je parle américain
    • Life as told by Zoë
    • Living Out Loud
    • Matador Network
    • The Literate Housewife
    • UpUpandAwayz
  • Archives

    • April 2015 (5)
    • September 2013 (2)
    • August 2013 (1)
    • May 2013 (2)
    • April 2013 (1)
    • March 2013 (1)
    • February 2013 (2)
    • January 2013 (8)
    • December 2012 (5)
    • November 2012 (1)
    • October 2012 (4)
    • September 2012 (4)
    • August 2012 (5)
    • July 2012 (7)
    • June 2012 (1)
    • May 2012 (7)
    • April 2012 (5)
    • March 2012 (3)
    • February 2012 (4)
    • January 2012 (5)
    • December 2011 (5)
    • November 2011 (4)
    • October 2011 (6)
    • September 2011 (4)
    • August 2011 (3)
    • July 2011 (6)
    • June 2011 (3)
    • May 2011 (6)
    • March 2011 (4)
    • September 2010 (10)
  • Perpetual Passenger is published on the following sites:

  • ExpatsBlog.com - Where Expats Blog
  • Expat Women - Inspiring Your Success Abroad
  • blog expat

Browsing Tags New England Patriots

Far From Harm That Happened Close to Home

April 16, 2013 · by Nikki

Almost two years ago, I arrived in Paris, ready to embark on a new adventure. During my first few weeks here, it was the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs back home in the states, and my home town team, the Boston Bruins, had made it to the finals. My hockey allegiances had been split in college between the NJ Devils (after following a certain player that helped them to a Stanley Cup win), and the Bruins, whom I had watched on TV as a kid, and had seen a few times at the Garden with my Dad.

The Boston Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, and I experienced something interesting: pride in the place where I come from, that was actually heightened by distance (and a love of sports). I wrote about it, here, and was happy to wear some New England sports attire to work that day (it was a Red Sox jersey, since I didn’t have anything Bruins). Although I smiled on my walk to work, proudly displaying my Red Sox gear, I knew my clothing would only signal “Boston” to those who were American, but I didn’t care. I was expressing myself just because I was happy and proud to be from New England, not because I cared if anyone else could see what I was doing, or to prove my fandom (because trust me, I know some super serious hockey fans, and I don’t rank among them).

Me and my Dad at a Sox game, and the Red Sox shirt I wore to celebrate the Bruins
Me and my Dad at a Sox game, and the Red Sox jersey I wore to celebrate the Bruins

Today, I’m doing something that is simultaneously very similar, yet very different to that day in June. Today, I’m also wearing something Bostonian, to show my pride, and not because I care who can see me or if they recognize the green color and signature leprechaun that represent the Celtics. But the pride I express today is a different one. This is the kind of pride I don’t want to have to express, the kind that is caused by things we always think happen to someone else. This is a quiet, pensive pride, where support means thinking about all of the people who have been hurt or have lost someone in an explosion that rocked an otherwise awesome event, and counting my blessings.

Funny how pride can exist in two different forms, despite being tied to the same thing.

Two friends and I, prepping for one of Boston's infamous Duck Tour before my grand departure to Paris
Two friends and I, prepping for one of Boston’s infamous Duck Tours before my grand departure to Paris

So here’s to you, Boston, and all the people who make the city as strong as it is. Like the emergency personnel and the race volunteers that I saw on the news who were rushing to the aid of the injured, like the former Patriots player who was seen carrying an injured woman, and like the rest of the city who I know will support one another every step of the way. I am far away from the danger that has transpired, but never too far to be proud of Boston and to show my support for the city that myself and so many other New Englanders call “ours.”

48.868711 2.417708

An American (Football Fan) In Paris

January 17, 2012 · by Nikki

In one of my earlier posts, A New England Sports Fan Abroad, I wrote about what it was like to miss championship games because of my international antics. But after several Sundays spent at The Great Canadian–a Canadian bar (surprise!) that airs NFL games here in Paris–I can, thankfully, write about what it’s like to watch a game abroad.

One of the first things I thought about when I decided to accept the offer to work for my current company and make the move to Paris was how I would be able to watch my beloved New England Patriots every Sunday. When I lived in the States, I made a point to go to at least one home game every season (last year I upped it to two, in light of my imminent departure), and if I wasn’t at Gillette I was surely glued to a TV somewhere. I’ve definitely had to miss my fair share of games, though, and that wasn’t an occurrence I wished to become a regularity.

The 2011 season, however, was a whole different ball game–pun intended. Not only have I been traveling more (admittedly both for business and for pleasure), but I am of course living in a country where American football isn’t exactly the most popular sport around. If you ask the locals if they’re into football you’ll likely hear a resounding yes, but they’re certainly not talking about tossing the ol’ pigskin. And as if there weren’t enough obstacles to watching a sport in a country that predominantly couldn’t care less about it, I also have to deal with the six to nine hour time difference for watching games taking place in the US–arguably the most difficult element to work around.

Fortunately for me, I was referred to TGC by a fellow American expat and blogger, Michael (you can check out his blog here), and his recommendation couldn’t have been better. Not only have I been able to watch several games during the regular season, but this past weekend I was able to watch the game that turned out to be our first playoff victory since January 20, 2008. This is particularly amazing considering that the game began at a staggering  2am Paris time Saturday night/Sunday morning. Thankfully, TGC came through and stayed open for the entire game, not-so-gently kicking us out at 5:30am. I was able to catch this crucial match-up, share drinks with friends, and make it home on the metro just before the sun came up.

Just for fun, here are some pictures of myself and some friends during the course of the season at our favorite American football hangout:

The gang, dedicated and pulling an almost-all-nighter for our team!
Me on Christmas Eve cheering for the Patriots to pull ahead of the Dophins!
First Patriots game at TGC!

With Esteve/Paul/Alfonso and the Frog Prince!
With beautiful Melissa on my very first trip to TGC to check it out 🙂

It’s been a great season so far, but I’m looking forward to what comes next as the Patriots compete against Baltimore for the AFC Championship title! And thank you, TGC, for giving me a little piece of home every Sunday. Now for next week: Let’s kick some Baltimore butt, boys!

48.868711 2.417708

A New England Sports Fan Abroad

June 16, 2011 · by Nikki

I have a history of being away from home when my favorite sports teams make big wins.

On February 1, 2004, the New England Patriots were playing Superbowl XXXVIII to decide the champions of the 2003 regular season. The matchup was against the Carolina Panthers and it all went down at Reliant Stadium in Houston. It was an epic game with some really great football. So great, in fact, that Monday Morning Quarterback author Peter King dubbed it “The Greatest Superbowl of All Time.” Of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world, being that I live and breathe the New England Patriots. So I watched… on DVD in May of that same year. Because on THAT day, February 1, 2004, I was sitting on a plane that was delivering me and 24 other students to our study abroad destination: Cape Town, South Africa.

Knowing I’d be away for the biggest game of the year, I did all I could to support my team. Given my circumstances, this meant wearing a Patriots Jersey on the entire 18 hour plane ride, and a cowboy hat (the hat was more to let people know that I am insane – it worked).

I had a layover in the middle of the long flight, and the layover happened at right around the time the Superbowl should have been over. Luckily for me, there were two other Patriots fans on the plane (which was extremely exciting given that the flight left from New York), so we eagerly asked the pilot to radio back to the States for an update. The wait for news was brutal. I remember how clearly the anxiety weighed on me, and I nearly pounced on any flight staff that walked by servicing the plan we were waiting on for hint of an update.

And then it came. One flight attendant gloriously approached me and the other student that was making the same wish I was and delivered the verdict: The Patriots had defeated the Carolina Panthers 32 to 29.

I still remember that feeling. It was as good as if I had been watching the entire game.

So this morning, at approximately 4:47am Paris time, I woke up to an alert from my phone reading: Final Score – Boston 4, Vancouver 0. And that little message had nearly the same effect as the flight attendant had on me back in 2004. What a great feeling to have been pulling for the winning team!

Though I saw almost none of the final series (I was in Paris for all of the Stanley Cup games), I still felt just as connected to Boston and to my teams as ever. Though football always has been and always will be my favorite, I’m a New England sports fan through and through, and no distance will ever tear us apart!

Ciao!

48.868711 2.417708
  • Like Perpetual Passenger on Facebook for realtime updates!

    Like Perpetual Passenger on Facebook for realtime updates!
  • Disclaimer

    Please note that all photos and text appearing in this blog, except for those that are attributed to others, are my intellectual property and may not be copied or reproduced without my permission.
  • Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Connect with us:
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy