The World Cup is HERE!
Vuvuzelas have taken Cape Town by storm!
"What is a Vuvuzela?" you ask?
It's a VERY loud, uniquely South African horn (powered by several air horns attached at the mouth piece). It sounds a bit like a renegade goat boldly protesting his sacrificial slaughter on the side of a mountain.
All that to say, they blow them EVERYWHERE - at the games, in the mall, on the streets.
Opening Day Recap
On Friday, the opening day, I woke up at 6 am to the sound of the vuvuzelas.
Clearly I had forgotten to put in my "vuvu-stopper" earplugs (that's really what the call them, being that vuvuzelas louder than a chainsaw and comparable to plane taking off.)
The louder-than-a-chain-saw horns blared all day long for the home team Bafana Bafana! (Zula for “The Boys, The Boys!”). Just to make sure you don’t forget it – it’s not just The Boys – it’s The Boys! THE BOYS! You get the distinct impression the team is made up of boys.
In effect, South Africa shut down, with most businesses closing their doors so that workers could watch Bafana Bafana play. In fact, schools and universities are closed for the entire month of the tournament.
I must say I did throw a mini American tantrum when I realized they were CLOSING stores, not opening them, for the influx of tourists. I'm not sure the shop security guard appreciated my dissertation advocating for a serious reconsideration of this business model.
As for the opening game, South Africa (ranked #83) held her own against Mexico (ranked #17).
Tied 1 to 1 against the odds. Not bad, not bad at all.
Stadium built for the World Cup in Cape Town
I remember the first time I noticed the World Cup.
The year was 1998, and I couldn’t get away from it. If you’re not interested in soccer, it’s best to avoid any African, Asian, European or South American countries as a rule – but especially during the World Cup. In fact if you're waving your anti-soccer flag– you should pretty much steer clear of 194 out of 195 countries in the world.
I was backpacking around Viet Nam at the time and made the mistake of taking public transportation to the coast during a World Cup Game. The bus stopped in every small town along the way and all the passengers would pile out and gather around a shack to watch the game on a tiny TV (everyone but me, that is– I was protesting such an inefficient transportation practice).
When France won that year I was annoyed. Shouldn’t they just have surrendered or something?
Back to the current World Cup - here are some facts of note…
So only European and South American countries have won
the World Cup since it's inception in 1930? Hmmm... And the World Cup 2010 song...
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! (kinda catchy – I can’t get it out of my head)...
Video: Official FIFA World Cup Anthem “Wavin Flag” performance at the opening ceremony
(with the official World Cup dance - like the Macarena, but not really)
The 2010 World Cup stories I find interesting…
1. NORTH KOREA IS NAUGHTY: The North Korean coach “accidentally” listed one of his strikers (main guy to kick the ball in the goal) as a goalie. Once your position has been officially submitted to FIFA, it’s locked and loaded. So the striker is now a goalie – but since he’s not really a goalie he won’t play at all and the team has lost a good goal scoring player.
I sincerely hope that North Korean coach doesn’t get wacked when he gets back to Commie Town.
2. MEXCIAN FATHER QUITS JOB: I’m not a big fan of Chivas (the Mexican team), but was impressed when one of the player’s dads quit his hard-to-come-by job to watch his son play in the World Cup (his employer, a soccer club, wouldn’t give him the time off). Come on, Mexico!
3. SOUTH AFRICA BLAMES THE FANS: Despite the fact that if you’re at a game without the "vuvu-stopper" ear plugs, the vuvuzelas will give you ear damage within 15 minutes, the South African goalie said the horns weren’t loud enough during the opening game (to explain why they didn’t win...huh...).
The vibe here in South Africa is that the World Cup will make a difference.
People have hope for a brighter tomorrow because the Great Game is played here and the eyes of the world are turned to this southern most tip of Africa.
So I have to ask myself – does it matter in the least to the women of Ocean View?
Here is what a few of my friends have said:
Video: Admidst the vuvuzelas, Ocean View women speak about the World Cup http://vimeo.com/12511782
And of course…here is what Jensen has to say about the World Cup:
Video: Jensen's Profound Thoughts on the World Cup http://vimeo.com/12513087
So there you have it...bust out your vuvuzela!
Jensen you are so right!!
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