Since Canada hasn't qualified for the World Cup since 1986, I cannot cheer for my own country. Insert sad face here. I do tend to cheer for one opponent in each match and as is customary for Canadians, you cheer for your roots, where your parents/grandparents/great-grandparents etc come from. For me that's France, Germany and if they had qualified for 2010, Poland but the team I support the most is England. I was introduced to football and the madness of the World Cup when I spent the summer of 1998 working in a pub in London. I witnessed the exhilaration, joy, frustration and depression of the fans as England limped out of the contest after a Beckham red card left them a man down. I've also been entranced with the culture of England since my early 20s as yes, you can call me an Anglophile. I think somewhere back there in my roots you can find a drop or two of English blood so it beats a little stronger in me that you'd expect!
All of this making little sense to you? Not to worry, I'm getting to the point of this post. I support England so I painted the English flag onto my nails.
This is an easy and fun way to sport your team colours. England's flag is pretty simple to recreate - a red cross across a white background - St. George's Cross it is called. Australia, South Korea or Brazil's flags would be a touch more complicated but if you really wanted to have it look close to perfect, go to a nail salon and have it done. I simply bought bottles of white and red nail polish and did the England flag myself. Not bad at all for my first time doing anything but painting a single colour on my nails! I used two coats of the white polish and then with a thin bristled paint brush (available at art stores) painted the red cross on top. It was difficult to get straight, even lines especially on my right hand (I'm right-handed) but I got the effect I wanted.
I didn't have time to take a proper photo so the one above was taken on my cellphone as I walked to the pub where I watched England's first game.
Another photo of my right (messier) hand taken with my friend Joel's iPhone.
I don't like to give up my girliness even though I'm a fan of football and this is one way I get to show my support that's fun and "me". Anyone can try this - do your toes too! - and it works with any flag. If you can't recreate the flag exactly just use the colours. Give it a try if you're a footie fan - now's the time!
C.