Not easy, to watch the mundial in Peru. As Peruvian you have to get happy about Argentina or Mexico winning, as Holandes you look for a place where you can best share your most intimate and animal feelings of belonging. Doing this with just another soccer fan might not be the best option. I've tried. The Peruvians are very generous towards Holland as a soccer nation, but they don´t want to see them win. That hurts, somehow, to watch with someone who can´t care less about your team winning or losing. In Lima it´s mostly about Argentina, and where I thought we were quite arrogant in Holland about our soccer team, the Peruvians can be quite arrogant too. About Argentina.

The first match of Holland I watched alone. My son was too nackered to get up at 6.30 and watch soccer. He went to school without even a glimpse of an orange shirt. He says he likes Argentina and Holland to win, though I saw him more excited during the Argentina game. Must be Messi. Tomorrow morning I might try the Orange Cafe in San Isidro, where true fans of Holland gather. Dutch people.

Still, I noticed some continental twist in my own feelings of belonging. The Americans are winning, and I´m happy about it, proud. Old European teams falter: great! The big African teams choke, good for them! Somehow more sympathy for Asia this time, as if the American and Asian teams are in the same boat, both suffering from a jet leg. And their fans are also drinking beer at impossible times.

Anyway, I have never felt this before, this continental feeling. Never looked at a mundial before where Holland wasn´t playing and hoping for England or Germany to win, fellow Europeans. So how come I´m so happy about America dominating the world cup so far, from Chili to the USA (let´s hope Honduras starts winning too!) It must be my new Peruvianess. Estoy peruanizandome