Tank tops, green afro wigs and tambourines were essential fashion accessories for a group of soccer fans doing the samba up the steps to a "Brazil only" party at Bliss.
To Brazilians, soccer is a serious matter, and proper viewing of the sport requires at least five hours of pre-partying and loud music among an exclusive crowd of revelers.
Bliss proprietor Barry Smit was apologetic about his policy prohibiting strangers from entering a second-floor space reserved by local Brazilians.
He said Brazilian supporters contacted him weeks ago about throwing a World Cup party to mark Brazil's opening match. He agreed to the party and whatever conditions or terms they wanted.
For the Brazil game, Smit was expecting 100 people to turn up for the 3am kick-off, filling the upstairs space and leaving virtually no room for non-Brazilian supporters.
Indeed, it was next to impossible to infiltrate this party space adorned with streamers and pitchers of sangria without a South American accent or a yellow Brazil jersey.
Since redesigning the second floor earlier this year, Bliss has been hosting a variety of eclectic events. This weekend, Taichung-based band Milk perform today and the Phoenix Theater will perform The Weirs tomorrow evening.
Smit has been accommodating to all of these groups, allowing almost anyone the opportunity to host an event provided they consume a few drinks.
While upstairs was noisy and garrulous with shrieking whistles and the sound of plastic horns, downstairs was surprisingly quiet and well-mannered.
Some bar patrons were on hand for Forumosa.com's monthly happy hour featuring cut-price drinks and a chance for mostly middle-aged individuals to socialize and engage in direct, face-to-face discussions with other members of Taiwan's largest online expat community.
"You can't have a real discussion on that Web site. You try, but then someone comes in and buggers it," explained patron and Forumosa contributor Rowan Hunter, finishing with an expletive best not repeated here.
Hunter's Scottishisms may be confusing, but he later clarified by saying the Web site's discussion forums were mainly "a way for weasels to sit at home and feel eight feet tall."
He had a similar disdain for the World Cup, preferring rugby himself, or sports where the ball is picked up instead of kicked around.
Another presence at the bar was Jim, an individual referred to by some as "the satellite guy on Forumosa," who arrived earlier in the day to fine-tune Bliss' recently installed satellite system.
Jim regularly services other satellite dishes at local pubs such as the Tavern, as well as other businesses and home installations.
Asked if there had been a surge in business associated with the World Cup, Jim was nonchalant, saying he was always busy installing systems -- and even busier teaching people how to utilize satellite receivers.
The supporters upstairs, however, were oblivious to all of this. Not surprising, really: The idea of Brazil fans watching their heroes play alone in front of a satellite TV at home seems like heresy.
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