"It's about togetherness - the thing that you never get when you watch a game in your own house," 29-year-old Agung Widnyana said. Agung is organizing a series of nonton bareng (communal screenings) in a gazebo in a park of his housing complex Citra Gran in Cibubur, East Jakarta.

In the spirit of togetherness, Agung said, each person from the neighborhood would contribute something to the gatherings.

"One will provide the TV screen, others will provide the snacks and drinks," said Agung, who is an employee at a private firm.

The residents organized the events through a mailing list because many were too busy at work to gather for a preliminary meeting, he said.

Agung said he expected more than 10 people would join the communal screenings, with numbers likely to rise as the tournament entered the knockout stage.

"The ladies will also join us but I guess most of them will be there to accompany their husbands," Agung said.

Traditionally, the soccer World Cup, the most celebrated event in the sport, brings millions of people from many nations together to enjoy friendly rivalries and share in passionate support for their countries. The massive hype that usually surrounds the event typically draws in soccer fans and non-soccer fans alike, leaving few with any chance of escaping the soccer mania surrounding the month-long tournament that this year kicks off June 11.

Thousands of communal screening events are expected to be held during the tournament, which takes place every four years.

"The women get more excited than the men. They serve the meals but in the end they also join in, screaming louder than us. It's hilarious," said Novan Dwi Putranto, 32, a private employee who participated in communal viewings in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, during the last World Cup.

Thirty-year old Emyu, the coordinator of a communal screening in Mahogany Park housing complex in Bintaro Jaya, Tangerang, said the event was important because it strengthened the sense of community among residents.

"With people becoming more individualistic nowadays, we want to create a sense of belonging in the community through this event," said Emyu, who works at a holding company in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.

Mahogany Park community will hold a communal screening in an empty field belonging to one of residents in the housing complex.

The organizing committee plans to set up a tent and organize people to contribute snacks, drinks and a TV.

"We will close the gate during the time *of viewing*," Emyu said, adding that he targeted for more than 200 people to take part in the event.

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