An International Affair

I do not want to run the risk of becoming a cliché angry blogger, However, today was my first experience of 'cultural frustration'. I had been hearing complaints all week about the new ticketing system for the UGA football games and did not think much of it until I found out this morning that my ticket request form did not go through and now as a result i am unable to attend ANY of the football games this semester(My only semester at UGA). This is a huge deal to me as the primary reason I chose UGA over other US schools was to embrace the football atmosphere by attending bulldog games. Now i hear that people have received full season passes who will be at UGA for years to come and do not plan to attend a single game. Under the new system they cannot give their free tickets to friends but must give them back to the office to sell at a higher price.

My initial thoughts were born out of my rage (money grubbing, capitalist leeches). It is duly noted that Australian sporting events are sold using a completely different ideological approach. Aussie sports are, for the most part, marketed and sold to in an attempt to maximize crowds rather than to make large revenue loads. Although it is naive to say that revenue is entirely irrelevant.

However, once again I am intrigued by the size of the local Athenian hearts. Upon hearing my dilemma people have been persistently offering support and solutions. The friends I have met here have epitomized my predictions of southern hospitality and I continue to smile at the generosity and genuineness of the Southern people.

Even though I may not see the bulldogs, I am happy to say I still consider myself to be one.