Catching the Fever

Many of you saw it on my facebook or GChat status. you've probably also noticed that I almost never update either of these but lately, I've been updating two times a day just because so much cool stuff is happening. I have a staff e-mail address here at Wits for the whopping one month duration of my time in Jo-burg. But I get the e-mails from the office and the university updates on it. This has led to two excellent developments. One is the phrase: Ke Nako. This is Swana for "It is time." And it is plastered all over Jo'burg on posters and on pubs on the TV. It's really an excellent slogan I think. It's very symbolic of it being time for Africa to live up to expectaitons about the World Cup, time to make real changes socially and politically, time to start being better stewards of the aid they are receiving and time for them to use their moment at the forefront of the world's media. But every day I get e-mails from the administration asking me if "I can feel it..." to which, more and more every day, I reply: yes.

The beginning of last week was spent with me spending two half days in and out of Dr's offices getting my leg checked out. It's fine now, but it looks like DVT is a real thing so when they warn you about moving around on long flights, LISTEN. It's not fun. So Wednesday was my first day where I didn't have to be depending on rides or hearing bad news about my health or second guessing African doctors. I had learned the day before that Oranje, the Netherlands national team, was having a training session open to the public at Wits. So I quickly snapped up a ticked and Wednesday I got to go. You will see more photos included on my flickr site, but here's a good one of the team gathered together at the beginnig of the practice.

This single, semi-informal event completely sent my WC excitement meter through the roof. It's definitely as close as I'll get to any of the teams while I'm here and the energy in the crowd and the loyalty and craziness of the supporters already, at just a practice session, was incredible. when the Dutch players walked out on to the pitch, everyone started cheering, and my old "great moment in sports history = crying" reflex kicked in and I got a little teared up. I am SO thankful to be here and be a part of this. In the words of Howard Cosell: Truly a sight to behold.

As if watching the Dutch team practice wasn't enough, Thursday night there was a kickoff concert in Soweto. I would have been there had the tickets not been $100+. That was a little rich for my blood so me and some other International House people gathered to watch the concert broadcast on Thursday night. They only televised the last half of the concert which is a shame. The big reason I wanted to go was to hear the local acts and Vieux Farka Touré. They all went on in the 4pm-8pm block which was untelevised. I am determind to see the Soweto Gospel Choir or at least purchase a CD while I'm here. The concert was like one big Coca-Cola ad and there were several humorous mishaps (T.I.A.!) for example, the real François Pienaar of Invictus fame was supposed to come out and do a short speech between acts, and so they announced his name and someone who was certainly not him came out smiling and delivered his speech. I have real problems with Shakira I've decided, but I cannot shake this "Waka Waka" song. It's completely infectious. And once you see an orphanage full of very cute little ones singing it and getting really excited when it comes on, you kind of have to love it.

After the practice on Wednesday, the concert on Thursday, the entire country was electrified with anticipation for the opening ceremonies and the games. Many of you in the states probably didn't have a chance to see them but they were pretty cool. China really ruined opening ceremonies for the rest of time with the Olympics opening ceremonies in Beijing, but this was great, with the exception of R. Kelly, obviously. Also, Algeria's representative performances at the opening ceremonies and the people they had perform at the Thursday concert made me never want to go to Algeria, ever. The music they played both times brought both events to complete standstills. The stadiums went noticeably quiet and nobody was waving their flags or anything. It was sad. They were just terrible.

So let me give you a timeline for Friday:
6am - my alarm normally goes off but today I was awakened to the sound of vuvuzelas blaring.

7am - I actually get up. vuvuzelas are getting more frequent

8am - walk to work, car horns and vuvuzelas competing for top spot in noisemaking

8:30am - Lebethe pops into my office with a HUGE smile on his face in his school bus yellow Bafana Bafana jersey "CAN YOU FEEL IT?? IT's HERE!" He says to me. And then compliments my awesome SA team jersey.

9:30am - I quit pretending I will get any work done in my little conference room makeshift office and go into the big office where Ismail and Sarapina are having a vuvuzela-off...indoors.

10:30am - two unsuspecting ITguys brough in to network my printer are forced to take at least 75 photos of our office in our Bafana jerseys with various flags flying and vuvuzela positioning

11:30am - people start leaving the office early because there is absolutely no way to get anything done with the din of car horns and vuvuzelas all over campus and all over Jo'burg.

12pm - we get an e-mail from the director of the office saying we can go as soon as we put up our "out of office " replies

12:01pm - I leave

12-1pm - I bat my eyelashes at the pool guys who were closing the pool when I walked right over after work. The university closed early at 1pm for the games but they were closing it EXTRA early... I got them to keep it open until the appointed time and got in a good swim.

1:30pm I make a little lunch and start getting super excited for the beginning of the world cup.

2pm - Amy picks me up and we head to her friend's house to watch opening ceremonies and RSA v Mexico

2-6pm rapt attention in front of TV, eating too many Doritos, and a particularly creative (if I do say so myself) marshmallow diagram I used to explain an offsides call to two mothers who were watching with us. SA ties Mexico! A strong showing for the home team.

6-8pm Doppio Zero cafe where I had a delicious cake and some SA wine and was getting really excited for the next game.

8:30pm back to International house where I watched the game with 12 people and none of us were from the same country. I thought that was cool.

9:30pm I call it quits after the first half. I am having a hard time watching the French play and decide that I hate Ribery. I also hate what happened in the qualifier with Ireland. Who knew, something French that I don't like... never thought I'd see the day. Good thing I went to bed early too. Scoreless tie? Not worth it.

10pm Fall asleep, self-diagnosed with a severe case of World Cup Fever.