6 Days...

Figurinhas.  An obsession.

If you are a child of any age from 5 - 18, you are currently obsessed with completing your official Panini FIFA 2010 World Cup sticker album.    The video link shows someone completing the album.  Don't love the music but it gives you an idea.

Now, that's the big hoopla about a sticker album?  Well, when you live in Brasil and soccer is life then having these baseball card-like stickers for the Cup is a need, not a want.   The album has a 2 page spread for each team in the Cup.  There are also pages for South Africa's stadiums, special 2010 WC stickers and so on.  

You could purchase your sticker book and figurinhas at one of the little local bancos (think miniature convenience store) in your neighborhood.  A pack of figurinhas costs about R.$75 which is about 35 cents. 

A few randon pieces of information about figurinhas...

1.  I know of one child who has actually completed their entire book.  A 3rd grader.  A student in Erica's class whose family cheered when they completed it.

2.  Jamey said his hs math students had estimated the total cost to fill the book at R$300.  That's approximately $150USA.  Would make for a good math problem.

3.  I missed out.  I thought about buying a book and hesitated.  I should know better.  Now, all of the stores are out of stickers so your only way to complete your book is to trade.  No stickers, no trading.  Poor me.

4.  On the web I found out it takes an average of 6 hours to complete a book.  6 hours to peel and stick stickers into a book.  Wow!

5.  There's major trading going on at EAB.  During lunches, during birthday parties (like my photos) and recesses.  If you want to complete your album, I may be able to arrange for some good trades.  You let me know what you need and I can facilitiate the transaction.

A final unrelated but yet very related note.  I realized with this World Cup countdown that actually also is a countdown for how many days till school's officially out for the summer/winter.  I can do it, I can do it.  I may have to repeat that a few more times but it's within reach!