While in Beijing for the Clean Energy Expo the week of 21 June a friend and former editor of mine at the China Economic Review invited me and a colleague to the rooftop of a siheyuan to enjoy the USA World Cup Match against Algeria. Siheyuan are traditional homes with courtyards in which wealthier families lived during dynastic times. After 1949, most of the siheyuan were divided into living quarters for four or five families. The unit I visited had been redecorated to include a large kitchen and living room area, a couple bathrooms and modestly sized bedrooms. The place was well-lit. We walked a steep iron stairway to the rooftop of the place, where a dozen other Americans and Chinese friends sat on fold-out chairs watching a large screen that fluttered in the wind. Beer flowed freely and introductions were easy. After a frustrating 89 minutes during which the USA team fumbled nearly every shot on goal, our side eventually triumphed.

A warm, breezy night. Camaraderie. Beer. USA v Algeria:1 – 0.

What more could a guy want?

USA winning the World Cup. In my lifetime.