Bartenders and parking lot attendants weren't the only ones awake at dawn watching semi-final matches this week: A surprising number of local women also populated the local pubs.
Kelly Lo smacks her lips at the mention of players such as David Beckham.
She says she notices an "increase in adrenalin every four years" and associates it with the aphrodisiac-like qualities of the World Cup.
"There's definitely something exciting about seeing men sweat," Lo said.
In the past, Lo attended Sex and the City parties, weekly events based on the exploits of characters in the HBO series, attended by a dozen or so foreign-educated professional women.
Now, many of these friends have turned to sport instead of serial comedy as a vehicle to get together and admire all things masculine.
Other women attending late-night screenings seem to have had similar thoughts, and the rising hemlines may have to do with more than the arrival of a very hot summer.
"Some girls are dressed provocatively, like they want to be picked up," Lo said.
Lo says this female "competition" has led to her newest strategy of viewing World Cup games at five-star hotels in the Taipei area. Over the weekend, she made a reservation at the Churchill Cigar and Wine Bar Lounge at the Westin Hotel.
She didn't mind the NT$500 minimum charge, even throwing sideways glances at private rooms whose occupants pay a group minimum of NT$10,000.
On this night, three businessmen seated at a nearby table were nice enough to explain to her the meaning of "offside," demonstrating the rule infraction with a handful of complimentary nuts which they positioned on the table. The conversation lasted 20 minutes.
Lo's friend, Sandy, has been her near-constant companion throughout the month-long tournament. She's also looking forward to meeting a man during the soccer festival, or even running into a Frenchman she met months ago while on vacation in Malaysia.
When France squared off against Portugal last night, she was planning to go to a local bar and scan the crowd in the hope of reuniting with her old flame.
She might have run into Cade Bellahouel, a French national who wears a "Les Bleus" jersey whenever his team takes the field. He's fond of wearing the shirt to attract the attention of other French people, or simply those that support his side.
Bellahouel has been watching World Cup matches on Shida Road, either at the Underworld or Roxy Jr Cafe. He says local women may be naive about using the World Cup to find a new partner, later quipping: "Different thinking for different girls."
Not all women out late at night watching the World Cup are looking for men, of course. One 20-something named Joyce said she simply loves to watch the game.
Unfortunately, on Tuesday night, a crowded bar and an unruly crowd resulted in her being hit on the head by a beer glass, and she was unable to watch the second half of the Germany-Italy game.
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