Nil

Don't tell me Americans aren't something.  I'm not just talking about how they came back yesterday to win their World Cup match against Algeria.  I mean that it is fascinating how the word "nil" has entered the vocabulary.  That's what all the soccer commentators say--nil.  It has always been a word in good standing in the English language, but it was not one heard much in American English.  I can't remember "nil" ever coming up in casual conversation.  But now everyone is saying it.  There is no more "nothing" or "zero" in reporting World Cup scores.  Matches are now tied nil-nil.  Americans are an accepting and adaptive people.

For those of you around the world who are reading this, I know it drives you crazy that the Americans made it to the final sixteen.  My friend from Africa who is an American citizen and a soccer player of some standing hates the U.S. soccer team.  He roots for anyone who plays them.  I tell him that he is not a true American and that his citizenship could be revoked.  True Americans are rooting for their boys (see, I'm speaking like an Englishman) to go all the way.  Two weeks ago, nobody ever talked about soccer.  Now, the United States is a Soccer Nation.  Only a few even knew how the game was played, and now everyone is an expert on offsides.  It's like hockey, sort of.  And a game that was once considered boring for its lack of scoring is now tremendously exciting.

The day the United States played Slovenia, I was in New York.  I stopped at Delerium Tremens for breakfast to watch, but by half time the U.S. was down two goals and I figured they weren't coming back.  Later, down on Broadway near Houston, I was just entering the lobby of the building where the Leica Gallery is housed when suddenly I heard a roaring cheer.  It was loud but had no source.  It seemed to be coming from a long distance, but it was close, too.  It was eerie, scary and surreal.  As I entered the lobby, the young guard stationed at the desk said, "The U.S. must have scored a goal."  And that is what it was.  The sound of cheering came from everywhere in the city, from apartments and bars and cars--everywhere.  It was the sound of angels cheering in heaven.  Unforgettable.

So I will be a soccer fan, too.  I will even quit resisting the word "nil."  It is a fine word.  And most of all, I love to hear the British commentators at work.  They put me at ease.  I think they are absolutely the best commentators in the world.

Above is one of the plates I made while in New York, an eight by ten ambrotype of Jody Ake.  Technically, it is lousy.  I have made a bad collodion pour and so the plate is full of dark and light spots that streak across the image.  Still, it is mine.  I made this one without Jody's helping hand in the darkroom which is why it is so bad, but I figured it was the only way to learn.  His big old 19th century brass Voigtlander lens was something to see and makes the image fine.  I want one.  I want everything.

What I have, though, at least right now--is "nil."  I will tell you more about that at the appropriate time.