EN-GER-LAND!

Something happened the other day, something big, huge, MONUMENTAL even. I meant to post about it, but I was a little wary about it, now everything is sorted, so here goes.

Thursday afternoon is usually my study day in university. This means that instead of going in to placement, I go to university and have a day chock full of lecturey goodness. Last Thursday was like every other - seriously boring lectures on public health, and then Neurological disorders (MS and Parkinsonism, if you're interested)- my mate Carl was sitting reading his Playstation magazine, and stifling yawns - when his phone went off. He didn't recognize the London phone number that appeared on his call display, so being in class he sent it straight to voice mail. Usually those numbers are sales calls, they don't leave a message, just try to call you again when you'll actually pick up. This time, the little voice mail message icon blinked - very strange indeed. After lecture we were heading to a bar to watch the World Cup games (England vs. T&T included!) and Carl decided to check his voice mail. His face went pale, his jaw dropped -- "Somebody else has to listen to this, I think its a wind up" he said -- Scouse Andy grabbed the phone, while I waited to hear what the hell was going on. Scouse Andy had a similar reaction, gesticulating wildly and saying "Call her back, call her back." Entirely confused, I asked what was going on. The lady on the other end of the phone message was Georgia from Sony-BMG. She was congratulating Carl on winning the contest he entered for two tickets to the World Cup game between Sweden and England, and she needed to know his and his guests passport details so that she could send them off to FIFA! What do you say to that?
Now, Carl has three kids, his little lad Leighton is mad about football, so I assumed that he would be going, no problem -- get excited for Carl, ask for a programme, but don't expect anything. He was in a state of shock, but managed to call his girlfriend at home to give her the good news. After he sat down and had a drink to calm her nerves, he called Georgia back and found out the extent of his prize. He had won two tickets to the match, flights, transfers, overnight accomodation at a 4* B&B, travel insurance, and the coup de grace, copies of Il Divo's cd "Voices of the World Cup." He then dropped the bombshell, he told us that he thought Leighton was too small to take to Germany, and that Scouse Andy and I had to sort it out between ourselves, because there was no way he could choose. Andy and I quickly decided that the fairest way to decide would be to flip a coin -- a coin was produced and flipped, I called heads...the coin landed on heads, I'm going!
That's right, I, your humble narrator, am flying off to Cologne in Germany for the England vs. Sweden World Cup match! The tickets arrived this morning at Carl's house, so its all real now! Sony are dealing with our flights, and on Tuesday we just need to show up at Manchester airport!

I will be taking all kinds of pictures, so expect a massive photo update when I get back. I'm on cloud nine! If you go back to one of the massive surveys I did, it says that one of my lifelong dreams was to see England play in the World Cup, and now I'm doing it - for free!
Now all I can hope for is a result - COME ON ENGLAND!