Here's a scene from Croatia, although not the new arena I was at in Zagreb, where 15,000 screaming red-and-white-checked-clad Croatians can make an awful lot of noise. Easily one of the most impressive spectacles of nationalist sporting fever that I have ever seen. They cheer loudly, sing 1992 Revolution Peace songs, war chants, pro-Croatia hymns and otherwise create an intimidating home court advantage. Cool. More later.
But on the plane rides over, I read more of Pico Iyer's book about the Dalai Lama, interspersed with reading about the Obama presidency in Time, chatting about handball and watching the movie, "Bottle Shock."
Bottle Shock is based on a true story where California wineries beat their French counterparts in a 1976 Bicentennial publicity stunt. It was a "shock heard round the vintner world" moment - and apparently the result was repeated 30 years later when California wines again beat French wines in a blind taste test by French wine snobs. True wine lovers who have grown up in/around Napa Valley should definitely watch this movie!