Sports Differences Abroad

After traveling and living in various countries, I have begun to notice a plethora of differences. All cultures are different but it is amazing and wonderful when you experience those differences yourself. The Turkish and American cultures vary in multiple ways. Their soccer patriotism, for example, is one difference. Here in Turkey I have found that they are EXTREMELY into soccer. They go crazy whenever there is a game. In my short time being here I have found that you can tell who has won the soccer game by never even watching it or asking the score. You just simply listen to your neighbors screaming and clapping with joy or booing and "oohing" with disappointment. You can also look across from your window to the neighboring building and see that practically everyone in that building is watching the game. After the game the fans of the winning team go out riding in their cars honking their horns and cheering. It is a noisy time and you usually end up hearing this procession all through the night. In the U.S., we are patriotic about baseball and football but not soccer like they are here in Turkey. It is just curious to see how different cultures favor different sports more and what they do to show how much they enjoy that sport.