Sleepless in Beijing

Soccer World Cup fever has gripped the nation. At first puzzled by Chinese fans' enthusiasm, Bai Ping has become more sympathetic to their plight, reasoning that they are simply seeking out what they can't find at home.

On Sunday evening, when my family and I arrived for a dinner with my in-laws at a Beijing restaurant, I was surprised to see sitting at the head of the table my wife's father who, proudly wearing a soccer shirt, chatted enthusiastically about the soccer World Cup with my brother-in-law.

I was afraid the old man, who is still recovering from an operation for cancer last year, had been staying up to watch the games like young soccer fanatics. The time difference of 11 hours between Beijing and Brasilia has forced local fans to watch the games at unearthly hours, with the majority of games in the tournament starting between midnight and 6 am Beijing time.