Days Without ESPN

In an attempt to boycott our cable provider for charging us, loyal sports channels subscribers, the World Cup package, the Gruu has cut off the sports channels from our subscription (after resignedly watching and paying for the World Cup package).

His feeble attempt has caused immense frustration within my family. My mother gets extremely irritated that he would rather stay at the coffeeshop downstairs for straight six hours than subscribe to the sports channels. She also blames him for giving me an excuse to skip to the Boyfriend's place to watch the matches.

I am frustrated too. Besides nothing on TV to watch after ten, I get accused of using it as an excuse to skip to the Boyfriend's place on weekend nights. And, how should I watch the important late night matches? I can't possibly stay over at his place. My mother has taught me well, to feel ashamed to impose on others -_-

And the family has lost the jovial bonding times when watching the matches together.

*****

Then came a time of a must watch match between MU and Arsenal. It was a Sunday match and it was set to end after midnight. The prude in me told me that I shouldn't watch it at the Boyfriend's place. The next best alternative was to tag along with the almighty Gruu to the coffeeshop.

It was a nightmare.

I was surrounded by dirty men (from their appearance at least) who gawked at my presence and blew cigarette smoke into my face. Not only were the men filthy, the seats and tables and walls were dirty too. I am particularly squeamish to unidentifiable blotches of stains near me. I had to keep perfectly still, to be least in contact with the surroundings by not leaning against the chair. At the same time, I had to watch out for the big, fat cats that were roaming the area for bits of food dropped by the spectators. My behaviour at the coffeeshop was pretty much restricted. I couldn't yell, shout or run about in response to the match.

And I had to witness in misery the men (the Gruu included) waving their betting tickets triumphantly at the 88th minute.

I had to deal with all these, while at the same time, trying to ignore my mother's incessant demands for me to go home.

Somebody, please knock it into the Gruu's head that a $15 reduction in revenue will not be detrimental to the sole cable provider in Singapore.