It’s holy Friday, Bafana-day, when South Africans and South Africa lovers are wearing the Bafana-colours in order to demonstrate their excitement about the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Just 7 days before kick-off the city unexpectedly appears quite unremarkeble. Some might complain that there aren’t enough flags and banners visible on major building and along the highways. You could easily ignore that the Mother City is hosting one of the biggest international sporting event in just a few days.
But behind the facades of naked buldings you can clearly feel that it’s bubbeling like a vulcano. Supermarkets have arranged huge islands of football equipement, cars have been dressed up and all over the city you hear the sound of the vuvuzela; construction workers are hecticly fixing the last bricks.
In the background, teams of all departsments are busy with preparing the big bang, nervousness is increasing. Today the Green Goal 2010 team kicked-off it’s Fuel Efficiency Campaign, tommorrow there will be an Environmental Soccer Match and many communities have started their clean-up campaign. Since Saturday a Green Goal Expo is in construction within the official FIFA Fan Fest. The entire stand will be made of plastic milk boxes and other recycled materials. Referring to the conceptional design it’s going to be a very fancy and visible bulding where the Green Goal team will showcase its programme to the visistors.
Three days later, people can’t hide their excitement anymore: At noon a spontaneous flash mop of 150-200 people literally reclaimed the Long Street (downtown Cape Towm); People danced and constantly blowed their vuvu’s and feeded the international journalists with great pictures; The police couldn’t really decide on whether they should stop the mop or the traffic whilst passing cars supported the conquerors by waving flaggs and honking their horns. The Capetonians are definately ready to welcome the world.
30 seconds later I beamed myself to the newly constructed Biodiversity Showcase Garden, located next to the Green Point Stadium, and enjoyed the amazing and quiet scenery between Lions Head, Signal Hill and the ocean in the back. I have to admid that all this vuvuzela noise is quite intense…But what would the 2010 FIFA World Cup be without this unique sound. However, I need to get ear plugs, I guess…
Lovely writeup. Good to hear from you Sarah.
I think the volcano analogy really hit the spot as it’s a powerful force that can be destructive, but also something that creates new land and new opportunities.