Tonight the big game is Holland vs. Cameroon. Our Dutch guests have hung up their flags and we are still flying the two loser flags from group A.
A small group of us are going walkabout later along the fan walk. The fans are the best part of the Soccer Cup. You have to love some of the outfits that these folk put together. The Dutch fans call themselves the Oranjegektes. It’s not hard to spot the Holland supporters in unmissable bright orange getups. Yikes!
A friend returned from Amsterdam last week and she said that the streets were alive with cheers when Holland scored. And wait for it. She heard the unmistakable sound of a seriously big bunch of vuvuzelas. They are everywhere those things.
Nearly every guest arrives or leaves our place with a vuvuzela. Apparently factories in the east can’t keep up with the demand for them.
I have been watching the saga of the French football team and coach with interest. And the way the French have handled it thus far.
For some time now I have felt that we have no real role models any more. Most kids have no idea who Ghandi is, but they sure know who Wayne Rooney is. Kids have to be coaxed to care but they easily love labels.
That is something I love about our rural children. People feel sorry for them because they don’t have much. They don’t feel sorry for themselves at all. Some of these kids walk 2 hours plus in the cold and dark to school every day. And you know what? They are happy. They wave and smile and spend all day outdoors. They help their elders without fuss. They have more than us when it comes down to it. It’s just not things they have.
Nelson Mandela comes from that sort of childhood. He returns to his home village of Qunu regularly to connect to his roots and traditions. Qunu is a modest place by most standards.
Let’s hope a tipping point for all this materialism has come and that we are returning to care based values.
South Africans take to the streets and party like the world is about to end. We are out the quarters but hey, we just beat France. Admittedly the French team is in tatters but we deserve plenty credit for playing with all our hearts.
Bafana Bafana, siya thanda wena. Translated from Zulu to English = Boys, we love you.
We could celebrate by doing Zulurobics. It’s a dance workout involving moves from Zulu warriors. Find out more at Zulurobics. Remember Shaka and his fierce army?
But I reckon most of our boys are heading to a shebeen or a tavern. It’s usually a garage or room where the guys hang out and drink helluva big bottles of beer. It’s a township thing those big beer bottles. A shebeen or tavern is the township equivalent of a bar but a lot more laid back. And yes the vuvus will be going all night long. Did they ever stop?
This Soccer World Cup has been characterised by upset wins, suspect red card callings, temper tantrums and revolting teams. Or is that rather, teams revolting.
What’s going on?
If the French have a mutiny we stand to gain as Bafana Bafana are set to play them next. And if the French team refuse to train, do they offer to forgo some of their pay commensurate with their lack of input? In my world, if I turned my nose up at a job, a boss could fire me. One can’t help but wonder if these players have a real grievance or if their perceived value allows them to feel entitled to bad behaviour. Is bad behaviour ever justified, particularly if you are a representative of your country? But then what do I know?
Meanwhile back in Cape Town the city council skilled up some of it’s employees for life. Metro police were put on a 6 week course to learn conversational Spanish, Portuguese and German so they can assist visitors. And taxi drivers were taken on to learn how to drive the new My Citi busses.
It’s raining today unfortunately but the forecast for the rest of the week shows a return to the sunny weather we have been enjoying.
We are having such great weather here, it’s hard to believe it’s winter. Visitors unaware of the hole in the ozone layer south of the equator are sporting bright lobster red faces. The Ozzies have their slip; slap; slop sun protection campaign for this very reason.
A few stories of tourists being robbed have come out. It shouldn’t happen. It does. If it is not bolted down then it is up for grabs in South Africa. We are used to it.
I am stunned when I travel at how people in other countries take the safety of their possessions for granted. In Scotland, I saw a group of girls all get up to go to the loo and leave their handbags on the table.
And better yet, in Dubai, I noticed that people leave their cars keys in the ignition so the engine can run to keep the air conditioner going. But my best ever was on a remote island in Greece where the local petrol station had an honesty box full of money. You paid for your petrol and took your own change. The owner was helluva annoyed that we disturbed him so we could pay.
Meanwhile the Brits are having a ball at Cool Britannia at the CTICC. And the Brazilians are livin’ la vida locally at Little Brazil at the civic centre in Sea Point.
