SOUTH AFRICA TRIP: DAY 11
Flying home. No hakuna matata. I had too good of a time.
OH AFRICA: We drove to the airport...except it no longer existed. They opened a new airport right before the world cup on the opposite side of town.
WORLD CUP TIP: GO! The world's premiere sporting event. 2014 is in Brazil.
SOUTH AFRICA TIP: GO! It's great fun and not too exotic for those less adventurous.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA TRIP: DAY 10
Today was my other soccer game - the Netherlands vs. Japan. As before, the East Asian team was game, but came with far fewer fans. The Dutch were a fun crew.
HAKUNA MATATA: But the real highlight was the stadium in Durban. It's a work of art. It's airy, it affords views of the city, it's a neat architectural feature, and it's very functionally designed. It's right on the water and it fits in perfectly. Check it out: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/spu/moses/pictures/2.Artists_impression_inside_view_Moses_Mabhida_Stadium.jpg
After the game we wandered around Durban's remaining highlights - grabbed some bunny chow down on the docks, dropped by uShaka Marine World, and witnessed a bit more lively fan fest down on the beach, including a drunken fan yelling, "AYOBA" at everyone he came across. Now that's more like it!
OH...AFRICA: All of the street signs in Durban are crossed out and have new names. The city used to have several streets named after Afrikans figures which the provincial government have since renamed after revolutionary heroes...just in time for the World Cup. However, no one can get around anymore, the Garmand hasn't been updated, so as a concession, the provincial government left up all of the old signs, and just puts big red X's over the old street names.
WORLD CUP TIP: If you don't care for the soccer, then check out the stadiums beforehand and pick one out that seems fetching. The stadium alone was at least worth driving to Durban for.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: Durban has waves. Take advantage of them. (I failed at this task...I know, I know...I've never met a wave I didn't like.)
Today was my other soccer game - the Netherlands vs. Japan. As before, the East Asian team was game, but came with far fewer fans. The Dutch were a fun crew.
HAKUNA MATATA: But the real highlight was the stadium in Durban. It's a work of art. It's airy, it affords views of the city, it's a neat architectural feature, and it's very functionally designed. It's right on the water and it fits in perfectly. Check it out: http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/spu/moses/pictures/2.Artists_impression_inside_view_Moses_Mabhida_Stadium.jpg
After the game we wandered around Durban's remaining highlights - grabbed some bunny chow down on the docks, dropped by uShaka Marine World, and witnessed a bit more lively fan fest down on the beach, including a drunken fan yelling, "AYOBA" at everyone he came across. Now that's more like it!
OH...AFRICA: All of the street signs in Durban are crossed out and have new names. The city used to have several streets named after Afrikans figures which the provincial government have since renamed after revolutionary heroes...just in time for the World Cup. However, no one can get around anymore, the Garmand hasn't been updated, so as a concession, the provincial government left up all of the old signs, and just puts big red X's over the old street names.
WORLD CUP TIP: If you don't care for the soccer, then check out the stadiums beforehand and pick one out that seems fetching. The stadium alone was at least worth driving to Durban for.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: Durban has waves. Take advantage of them. (I failed at this task...I know, I know...I've never met a wave I didn't like.)
SOUTH AFRICA TRIP DAY 9: To Durban
HAKUNA MATATA: A long, beautiful drive from Johannesburg to Durban. The mountains are beautiful. Our original plan was to drive to Rorke's Drift to see the famous Zulu War battlefield, but unfortunately South Africa is much bigger than it appears on the map. Instead, we did a drive by of some of the Boer War battlefields, took the Midlands Meander route, checked out a big waterfall, and then got ourselves to Durban.
Durban is a lot like Miami - great in the winter, awful in the summer. Art deco abounds. On the other hand, it is also a huge port city with all of the attendant commerce and crime and thus has a bit of a Baltimore feel as well. This is where Ghandi and the indian population makes its home. They also have the best signs, welcoming all of the teams playing in the area with their country's version of hello - such as Australia, which receives a 'G'day'.
We drove over to the famous blue lagoon and picked up some Indian food, then took a walk along the beach. Then we headed off to a fun little aviary with exotic birds from around the world. Unfortunately, Durban was pretty dead on a Friday night, so after a bit more exploring, we turned in early.
OH, AFRICA: South Africa no longer accepts its own 200 Rand note because it was so easily and commonly counterfeited that it was impossible to continue its use.
WORLD CUP TIP: Fan fests are apparently for the POST game. We went tonight, the night before the game, and there was nobody there.
JUSTINE'S SOUTH AFRICA TIPS: When swiping your credit card, they must bring the swiper to you. Don't let anyone wander off with your credit card.
HAKUNA MATATA: A long, beautiful drive from Johannesburg to Durban. The mountains are beautiful. Our original plan was to drive to Rorke's Drift to see the famous Zulu War battlefield, but unfortunately South Africa is much bigger than it appears on the map. Instead, we did a drive by of some of the Boer War battlefields, took the Midlands Meander route, checked out a big waterfall, and then got ourselves to Durban.
Durban is a lot like Miami - great in the winter, awful in the summer. Art deco abounds. On the other hand, it is also a huge port city with all of the attendant commerce and crime and thus has a bit of a Baltimore feel as well. This is where Ghandi and the indian population makes its home. They also have the best signs, welcoming all of the teams playing in the area with their country's version of hello - such as Australia, which receives a 'G'day'.
We drove over to the famous blue lagoon and picked up some Indian food, then took a walk along the beach. Then we headed off to a fun little aviary with exotic birds from around the world. Unfortunately, Durban was pretty dead on a Friday night, so after a bit more exploring, we turned in early.
OH, AFRICA: South Africa no longer accepts its own 200 Rand note because it was so easily and commonly counterfeited that it was impossible to continue its use.
WORLD CUP TIP: Fan fests are apparently for the POST game. We went tonight, the night before the game, and there was nobody there.
JUSTINE'S SOUTH AFRICA TIPS: When swiping your credit card, they must bring the swiper to you. Don't let anyone wander off with your credit card.
Friday, July 09, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA DAY 8: WORLD CUP GAME #1
HAKUNA MATATA: Today was the first world cup game I actually went to: Argentina vs. South Korea. Parking was fairly well thought out, and the march into the massive Soccer City stadium was fun, with lots of meats being grilled and vuvuzelas. Slowly all the different lines of people converge and the hum of the stadium gets closer. Security is tighter at this stadium than any of the others, and the 82,000 fans plus make it a massive ordeal to get in. Approaching the stadium, more and more the hum of the hornets nest of vuvuzelas begins to shake the ground until finally, you turn a corner and you can look down on the pitch. The stands are massed with flags and colors...some of the closer seats to be filled in by bused-in school children. Argentina fans grossly outnumber two small cadres of South Korean fans, though the Koreans are upbeat and noisy all game, despite the eventual outcome. But Argentina fans come with huge cheering sections for every player, flags adorned with the likenesses of Maradonna and Che on equal footing. We arrived just before introductions, so all of the pleasant pre-game pageantry was our introduction - the singing of the anthems, the half-field sized flags rolled over the fans heads.
The vuvuzelas are loud but not intolerable when in concert. They roll and rock with the proceedings and truly add to the atmosphere.
The game itself was entertaining despite the lopsided final score. Argentina put a few goals in and looked very strong. Despite his failure to score in the game, or the tournament, Messi is noticeably special, always going a direction no one thinks to go with the ball because only he can keep control of it with that move. Argentina seemed comfortable with the lead before an awful mistake on defense gave Korea a goal right before halftime. The game picked up considerably as a result when play resumed and the Koreans put together a few of the best runs of the game only to miss on their scoring opportunity. Finally Argentina settled back in and controlled the ball, inexorably putting a few more goals in the net to finish it. My only complaint: stadium concessions were standard American fare (hotdogs etc). A huge missed opportunity in my opinion.
OH...AFRICA: If you find a lose diamond lying on the ground in South Africa, it belongs to de Beers. Literally. They own the rights to all undiscovered and unclaimed diamonds.
WORLD CUP TIP: Being up from the field a bit can be a blessing, and don't get seats behind the goals. At ground level, it can be difficult to see the cross-pitch strategy. But from a bit removed, it is a very easy game to watch. But it is absolutely vital to sit somewhere on the sideline - behind the goal is a very poor viewing area.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: That restaurant isn't locking you out. The Portuguese place we went to, for example, had the front door locked when we first tried it, even though we could see people inside. For safety and security purposes, restaurants have a remote lock on their front door. Just smile, show your gun-less hands, and try again.
HAKUNA MATATA: Today was the first world cup game I actually went to: Argentina vs. South Korea. Parking was fairly well thought out, and the march into the massive Soccer City stadium was fun, with lots of meats being grilled and vuvuzelas. Slowly all the different lines of people converge and the hum of the stadium gets closer. Security is tighter at this stadium than any of the others, and the 82,000 fans plus make it a massive ordeal to get in. Approaching the stadium, more and more the hum of the hornets nest of vuvuzelas begins to shake the ground until finally, you turn a corner and you can look down on the pitch. The stands are massed with flags and colors...some of the closer seats to be filled in by bused-in school children. Argentina fans grossly outnumber two small cadres of South Korean fans, though the Koreans are upbeat and noisy all game, despite the eventual outcome. But Argentina fans come with huge cheering sections for every player, flags adorned with the likenesses of Maradonna and Che on equal footing. We arrived just before introductions, so all of the pleasant pre-game pageantry was our introduction - the singing of the anthems, the half-field sized flags rolled over the fans heads.
The vuvuzelas are loud but not intolerable when in concert. They roll and rock with the proceedings and truly add to the atmosphere.
The game itself was entertaining despite the lopsided final score. Argentina put a few goals in and looked very strong. Despite his failure to score in the game, or the tournament, Messi is noticeably special, always going a direction no one thinks to go with the ball because only he can keep control of it with that move. Argentina seemed comfortable with the lead before an awful mistake on defense gave Korea a goal right before halftime. The game picked up considerably as a result when play resumed and the Koreans put together a few of the best runs of the game only to miss on their scoring opportunity. Finally Argentina settled back in and controlled the ball, inexorably putting a few more goals in the net to finish it. My only complaint: stadium concessions were standard American fare (hotdogs etc). A huge missed opportunity in my opinion.
OH...AFRICA: If you find a lose diamond lying on the ground in South Africa, it belongs to de Beers. Literally. They own the rights to all undiscovered and unclaimed diamonds.
WORLD CUP TIP: Being up from the field a bit can be a blessing, and don't get seats behind the goals. At ground level, it can be difficult to see the cross-pitch strategy. But from a bit removed, it is a very easy game to watch. But it is absolutely vital to sit somewhere on the sideline - behind the goal is a very poor viewing area.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: That restaurant isn't locking you out. The Portuguese place we went to, for example, had the front door locked when we first tried it, even though we could see people inside. For safety and security purposes, restaurants have a remote lock on their front door. Just smile, show your gun-less hands, and try again.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA TRIP: DAY 7
On the way back from the Magaliesberg, we stopped at the Cradle of Mankind, an overwrought, underinteresting globalists' wet dream loosely based on the fact that some of the skeletal remains of human ancestors were found in the area. The monolingual Japanese tourists cutting in line enmasse didn't help. Into a cave where the bones are found...mostly of antelopes. And it's FREEZING COLD - everywhere, not just the cave.
HAKUNA MATATA: Back in johannesburg, Justine's mom made a delicious dinner.
OH...AFRICA: That awful red card in the South Africa - Uruguay game ended up killing off the host country's chance at the next round. Too bad, it would have been a mad house. I think we saw the team bus en route to the game and the whole neighborhood was chasing it, vuvuzelas in tow.
WC TIP: So supposedly the world cup is one massive party with constant global hook-ups. The radio was atwitter with the million condoms story, the naming of twins Bafana and Mexico. But everywhere Justine and I went, Justine was about the only girl there. I don't know if it was the South Africa, the winter, or the soccer, but, as is most often the case for young men headed out to meet random ladies: PREPARE FOR DISAPPOINTMENT. Go for the soccer, not the party.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: Mulva pudding. It's good.
On the way back from the Magaliesberg, we stopped at the Cradle of Mankind, an overwrought, underinteresting globalists' wet dream loosely based on the fact that some of the skeletal remains of human ancestors were found in the area. The monolingual Japanese tourists cutting in line enmasse didn't help. Into a cave where the bones are found...mostly of antelopes. And it's FREEZING COLD - everywhere, not just the cave.
HAKUNA MATATA: Back in johannesburg, Justine's mom made a delicious dinner.
OH...AFRICA: That awful red card in the South Africa - Uruguay game ended up killing off the host country's chance at the next round. Too bad, it would have been a mad house. I think we saw the team bus en route to the game and the whole neighborhood was chasing it, vuvuzelas in tow.
WC TIP: So supposedly the world cup is one massive party with constant global hook-ups. The radio was atwitter with the million condoms story, the naming of twins Bafana and Mexico. But everywhere Justine and I went, Justine was about the only girl there. I don't know if it was the South Africa, the winter, or the soccer, but, as is most often the case for young men headed out to meet random ladies: PREPARE FOR DISAPPOINTMENT. Go for the soccer, not the party.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: Mulva pudding. It's good.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA TRIP DAYS 5-6: SEMI-SAFARI!!!
Off we drove to the Magaliesberg for a few days driving through one of the many national game reserves. (I received no end of an earful for calling them 'preserves' in that Indians don't live on Preservations.) This one is closer to Johannesburg and has the advantage of not being in a malaria zone, unlike the larger, more famous, more crowded, and better populated Kruger. This one supposedly had all of the "Big 5" but we didn't see any cats. Disappointed fellow-tourists would stop us and cycle through several languages before hitting on, "Have you seen de lye-on." Anyway, we saw everything else, and up-close to boot - elephants, giraffes, hippos, warthogs, rhinos, zebras, wildebeast, baboons, monkeys, etc. The best moment was when we were driving down a road and it turned out the van headed our way was, in fact, an elephant, which kindly stopped and started eating dinner right next to our car. One night we drove to the nearby Sun City resort casino for dinner, mandatory arcade games, and a pretty lame 'thundering bridge'. The other we settled in for a South African style 'brai' (BBQ) at our surprisingly well appointed chalet.
HAKUNA MATATA: It's always nice to see the stars for once. Truly though, the highlight is when we got stuck in the game park late one night and, rushing to beat the gate closing, Justine turned on the James Bond driving skills, blazing her little manual transmission through hairpin turns on dirt roads with no lights on the street and the possibility of smacking into a rhino at any moment. Justine quote half-way through, "I'm not going to lie to you, I'm enjoying this immensely."
OH....AFRICA: Apparently, Chinese tourists are infamous for getting out of their cars at game parks and getting eaten by lions. Kind of like German tourists getting shot in Miami. Moreover, South African radio and TV advertisements harp on this theme, employing hilariously un-PC stereotyped Chinese voices without remorse.
WORLD CUP ATTENDANCE TIP: There's more to the host country than soccer. Take advantage of it.
JUSTINE'S ADVICE ON SOUTH AFRICA: The best time to visit South African game parks is August, after they've burnt the veld. In addition to removing the long grass from blocking your views, the burning process crowds the animals into smaller areas, which leads to more opportunities to view them all at once. And no you won't be overheated - remember, August is winter down there.
Off we drove to the Magaliesberg for a few days driving through one of the many national game reserves. (I received no end of an earful for calling them 'preserves' in that Indians don't live on Preservations.) This one is closer to Johannesburg and has the advantage of not being in a malaria zone, unlike the larger, more famous, more crowded, and better populated Kruger. This one supposedly had all of the "Big 5" but we didn't see any cats. Disappointed fellow-tourists would stop us and cycle through several languages before hitting on, "Have you seen de lye-on." Anyway, we saw everything else, and up-close to boot - elephants, giraffes, hippos, warthogs, rhinos, zebras, wildebeast, baboons, monkeys, etc. The best moment was when we were driving down a road and it turned out the van headed our way was, in fact, an elephant, which kindly stopped and started eating dinner right next to our car. One night we drove to the nearby Sun City resort casino for dinner, mandatory arcade games, and a pretty lame 'thundering bridge'. The other we settled in for a South African style 'brai' (BBQ) at our surprisingly well appointed chalet.
HAKUNA MATATA: It's always nice to see the stars for once. Truly though, the highlight is when we got stuck in the game park late one night and, rushing to beat the gate closing, Justine turned on the James Bond driving skills, blazing her little manual transmission through hairpin turns on dirt roads with no lights on the street and the possibility of smacking into a rhino at any moment. Justine quote half-way through, "I'm not going to lie to you, I'm enjoying this immensely."
OH....AFRICA: Apparently, Chinese tourists are infamous for getting out of their cars at game parks and getting eaten by lions. Kind of like German tourists getting shot in Miami. Moreover, South African radio and TV advertisements harp on this theme, employing hilariously un-PC stereotyped Chinese voices without remorse.
WORLD CUP ATTENDANCE TIP: There's more to the host country than soccer. Take advantage of it.
JUSTINE'S ADVICE ON SOUTH AFRICA: The best time to visit South African game parks is August, after they've burnt the veld. In addition to removing the long grass from blocking your views, the burning process crowds the animals into smaller areas, which leads to more opportunities to view them all at once. And no you won't be overheated - remember, August is winter down there.
Monday, July 05, 2010
DAY 4 SOUTH AFRICA TRIP:
Off we went to Tswaing crater for a brisk hike. The ride through the townships continues the pattern - remarkable poverty, equally warm people. South Africa is sitting on an untapped gold mine of cute kids. Following the hike, we drove into Pretoria to breeze through the imposing government buildings and monuments along with an old square modelled on Trafalgar. The government buildings were bustling with world cup tourists, our favorites being the Cameroonian couple that insisted on taking pictures with us...and perhaps got a bit overly familiar in a physical sense with each of us in the process. Oh well - maybe holding hands is customary in their country?
OH...AFRICA: From there, we drove to the Voortrekker memorial, a well-conceived edifice, though poor Justine was terrified by the heights. It tells the story of the Great Trek, and it seems it was a rough go of it for the Boers. One exhibit featured a child's toy designed to look like oxen lashed to a cart, all hewed from an ox's vertebrae.
HAKUNA MATATA: Back to jo-burg, we stopped at a popular mall flooded with World Cup fans having a chant off - Chile and Brazil are out in force. Then we went to an interactive drumming show - this show basically rocked, and I kind of felt sorry for the performers that they didn't have more of an audience. Anyway, it's fun to bang on a drum. Then we walked around Montecasino and grabbed a late dinner before turning in.
WORLD CUP TIP: Go to a Brazil game. Brazil fans are like Steelers fans - they are everywhere. But imagine if instead of being from Pittsburgh, they're from Rio. They travel deep with costumes and hotties. Do not start a chant-off with them - they will win. So I imagine the games are out of control. 2014 is in Brazil - that place is going to be rocking. I can't imagine anyone else winning in that environment.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: It's said that Afrikaners and black South Africans work better than the English descendants with either - regardless of their differences, Afrikaners and blacks both see South Africa as their home, while many of the English still like to think they're part of the Commonwealth. Additional knowledge - many Afrikaners have to be told to wear shoes, and there is a common stereotype of poorer Afrikaners being shoeless and uncouth. Watch out while rooting for the Dutch as well - a drunk Afrikaner is called a Dutchman.
Off we went to Tswaing crater for a brisk hike. The ride through the townships continues the pattern - remarkable poverty, equally warm people. South Africa is sitting on an untapped gold mine of cute kids. Following the hike, we drove into Pretoria to breeze through the imposing government buildings and monuments along with an old square modelled on Trafalgar. The government buildings were bustling with world cup tourists, our favorites being the Cameroonian couple that insisted on taking pictures with us...and perhaps got a bit overly familiar in a physical sense with each of us in the process. Oh well - maybe holding hands is customary in their country?
OH...AFRICA: From there, we drove to the Voortrekker memorial, a well-conceived edifice, though poor Justine was terrified by the heights. It tells the story of the Great Trek, and it seems it was a rough go of it for the Boers. One exhibit featured a child's toy designed to look like oxen lashed to a cart, all hewed from an ox's vertebrae.
HAKUNA MATATA: Back to jo-burg, we stopped at a popular mall flooded with World Cup fans having a chant off - Chile and Brazil are out in force. Then we went to an interactive drumming show - this show basically rocked, and I kind of felt sorry for the performers that they didn't have more of an audience. Anyway, it's fun to bang on a drum. Then we walked around Montecasino and grabbed a late dinner before turning in.
WORLD CUP TIP: Go to a Brazil game. Brazil fans are like Steelers fans - they are everywhere. But imagine if instead of being from Pittsburgh, they're from Rio. They travel deep with costumes and hotties. Do not start a chant-off with them - they will win. So I imagine the games are out of control. 2014 is in Brazil - that place is going to be rocking. I can't imagine anyone else winning in that environment.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: It's said that Afrikaners and black South Africans work better than the English descendants with either - regardless of their differences, Afrikaners and blacks both see South Africa as their home, while many of the English still like to think they're part of the Commonwealth. Additional knowledge - many Afrikaners have to be told to wear shoes, and there is a common stereotype of poorer Afrikaners being shoeless and uncouth. Watch out while rooting for the Dutch as well - a drunk Afrikaner is called a Dutchman.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA TRIP: DAY 3 - JOZI TOURISM
Justine put together a vigorous schedule. We started off at the old gold mine around which Johannesburg is built. The city has heaping piles of the rock that was taken out of the ground lying all around its environs. It's difficult to fathom how deep into the earth they went - we went down several levels, but there was an order of magnitude further into the rock that the old mine went (it's filled with water now). At the end of the tour, they show you the smelting process. I think the mine tour was definitely arranged before all of the inflation-induced gold speculation began because they let you hold and take pictures with a gold bar which is now worth around $450,000.
HAKUNA MATATA: From there, close-by, is the sobering apartheid museum, which is on the level of the Holocaust museum in its effectiveness. Much of the experience is a deserving hagiography of nelson Mandela. Churchill, speaking on the first half of the 20th century, remarked that Kemal Mustafa, Ataturk, was the century's greatest leader. But Churchill could not have known what the second half of the century would bring...Mandela. I search in vain for some clue as to the life event that fathered this statesmanship. I must conclude that, while some are born great, others become great, and some have greatness thrust upon them, in this case, all three are true. The world would be better off if all of the iconic Che merchandise marketed for teenage rebellion and an archaic populism, instead bore Mandela's image - a symbol of true defiance, but also humility and ultimately mercy. An evolutionary figure rather than a revolutionary, in love with the possibilities of the future, not the jealousies of the past. We followed with trips to SOWETO, Mandela's home, a museum to the student riots, and finally the gorgeously graffitied decomissioned power plant. This was a perfect cap to the day - everyone in SOWETO was in a festive mood, Zulu gumboot dancers dancing with a gaggle of Dutch fans in their creamcicle wigs.
OH AFRICA: the apartheid museum gift shop is sparse, foregoing sales of the posters of moving images from the years of conflict and colorful anti-apartheid signs for a tame book shop. Most bizarrely are prominently featured t-shirts and mugs that read "WHITES ONLY". Who would buy such a thing? Who has the temerity to hand the black cashier this item for purchase? Bizarre.
WORLD CUP TIP: If it's a winter cup, DO NOT GO TO NIGHT GAMES, especially in a dreary plateau city like Rustenburg. The US vs. England game looked unbearable. That's a day of driving to see nothing and to freeze. Stick to day games and warmer climes. I'm convinced the weather is behind the weaker showings by traditional Mediterranean powers like Italy and France - their fans didn't show, and their players are soft and prefer a temperate climate.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: The townships are rough. Ads on the overpasses are all for abortions, HIV testing, and funerary services. Fresh graves are dug daily in the fields abutting them. Shanty fires are rampant in the endless rows of scrap metal stitched homes. And if anyone tells you to show up in hillbrow at midnight in your WHITES ONLY t-shirt, it's either a joke or a death sentence - Hillbrow is a drug and prostitution den run by Nigerian gangsters. District 9 was banned in Nigeria for its insensitive depiction of just such a gangster but South Africans think it was accurate. Unfortunately, it's believed in South Africa thaat the US's own hip hop-led celebration of the inner city gang culture has kindled similarly warped dreams among south african youths. My own experience was that everyone was in a generous mood. Still, KEEP SMALL CHANGE HANDY TO TIP THE UBIQUITOUS PARKING ATTENDANTS...and rent a car no one would think to steal in the first place.
Justine put together a vigorous schedule. We started off at the old gold mine around which Johannesburg is built. The city has heaping piles of the rock that was taken out of the ground lying all around its environs. It's difficult to fathom how deep into the earth they went - we went down several levels, but there was an order of magnitude further into the rock that the old mine went (it's filled with water now). At the end of the tour, they show you the smelting process. I think the mine tour was definitely arranged before all of the inflation-induced gold speculation began because they let you hold and take pictures with a gold bar which is now worth around $450,000.
HAKUNA MATATA: From there, close-by, is the sobering apartheid museum, which is on the level of the Holocaust museum in its effectiveness. Much of the experience is a deserving hagiography of nelson Mandela. Churchill, speaking on the first half of the 20th century, remarked that Kemal Mustafa, Ataturk, was the century's greatest leader. But Churchill could not have known what the second half of the century would bring...Mandela. I search in vain for some clue as to the life event that fathered this statesmanship. I must conclude that, while some are born great, others become great, and some have greatness thrust upon them, in this case, all three are true. The world would be better off if all of the iconic Che merchandise marketed for teenage rebellion and an archaic populism, instead bore Mandela's image - a symbol of true defiance, but also humility and ultimately mercy. An evolutionary figure rather than a revolutionary, in love with the possibilities of the future, not the jealousies of the past. We followed with trips to SOWETO, Mandela's home, a museum to the student riots, and finally the gorgeously graffitied decomissioned power plant. This was a perfect cap to the day - everyone in SOWETO was in a festive mood, Zulu gumboot dancers dancing with a gaggle of Dutch fans in their creamcicle wigs.
OH AFRICA: the apartheid museum gift shop is sparse, foregoing sales of the posters of moving images from the years of conflict and colorful anti-apartheid signs for a tame book shop. Most bizarrely are prominently featured t-shirts and mugs that read "WHITES ONLY". Who would buy such a thing? Who has the temerity to hand the black cashier this item for purchase? Bizarre.
WORLD CUP TIP: If it's a winter cup, DO NOT GO TO NIGHT GAMES, especially in a dreary plateau city like Rustenburg. The US vs. England game looked unbearable. That's a day of driving to see nothing and to freeze. Stick to day games and warmer climes. I'm convinced the weather is behind the weaker showings by traditional Mediterranean powers like Italy and France - their fans didn't show, and their players are soft and prefer a temperate climate.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: The townships are rough. Ads on the overpasses are all for abortions, HIV testing, and funerary services. Fresh graves are dug daily in the fields abutting them. Shanty fires are rampant in the endless rows of scrap metal stitched homes. And if anyone tells you to show up in hillbrow at midnight in your WHITES ONLY t-shirt, it's either a joke or a death sentence - Hillbrow is a drug and prostitution den run by Nigerian gangsters. District 9 was banned in Nigeria for its insensitive depiction of just such a gangster but South Africans think it was accurate. Unfortunately, it's believed in South Africa thaat the US's own hip hop-led celebration of the inner city gang culture has kindled similarly warped dreams among south african youths. My own experience was that everyone was in a generous mood. Still, KEEP SMALL CHANGE HANDY TO TIP THE UBIQUITOUS PARKING ATTENDANTS...and rent a car no one would think to steal in the first place.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
SOUTH AFRICA TRIP DAY #2
Picked up at the airport by my generous hostess, Justine, we drove to her family home to drop off my bags. the airport was full of Brazilians and vuvuzela noise. The infrastructure in the country is quite good and the country quite clean. The golden hills remind me of LA. The freeway is lined with flags of all of the competitor countries hung on poles that went up days before today's opening match. The streets are also lined with men selling flags and vuvuzelas.
We drove downtown for a tour through a pleasant museum on the history of South African beer, including a lesson on sorghum beer drinking from a traditional drinking bowl off of which the massive Soccer City stadium that would host the game later is modeled. Our tour was led by a pleasant woman who begged out of drinking with us because she was pregnant.
HAKUNA MATATA: Then we went on to the highlight of the day - traditional Afrikaaner South African food and the opening match. The game was exciting, the local Bafana Bafana (Zulu for boys) squad nearly pulling off a huge upset against the Mexicans, who had a large fan contingent. Had some fun playing soccer at halftime with the local kids.
In South Africa, rugby is the white sport and soccer the black sport. Just as the legendary In Victus Sprinbok victory over the New Zealand All Blacks was envisioned as a transformative event in the country's racial history, so has support of Bafana Bafana been seen as a reciprocal effort to engage both the English and Afrikans community in the majority of the country's sporting passion. Though expectations for the team are obviously lower, the effort was a success - support amongst the people I watched the game with was high, and the team's fortune was the talk of the nation. Similarly, the event is meant not only to deliver a message that Africa has earned a respected place in the family of nations, but also within Africa, to hold up South Africa as a place searching for a sturdy multi-racial society amidst a continent whose ethnic disputes have rent apart its many fragile states.
OH....AFRICA: On to all anyone really cares about - the vuvuzelas. Obnoxious on TV, as I'll explain later, they add enormously to the spectator experience live. More to the point, they truly are everywhere - at the airport, as an alarm clock, walking down the road. To me, they are this World Cup's refrain...a running joke. At any quiet moment, suddenly a vuvuzela. In any social situation, vuvuzela. Always gets a laugh out of me. The price has inflated 10 times over. Already banned from Wimbledon. I saw Prince Harry on TV without one. Pity...I hope Biden or Clinton got one.
TIP ON WORLD CUP ATTENDANCE: Attend a host country game. I can't imagine how incredible the atmosphere must have been at the stadium, but it was fun enough just watching it with them on TV.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: The blacks have a series of hand signals for the routeless roving mini-buses that communicate which part of town they wish to go so that the mini-bus driver can figure out whether to pick them up or not. MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO LEARN THEM. You're more likely to inadvertently sign a grave insult. No need to get stabbed for accidentally telling the "SOULJAH" mini-bus driver that his "balls are hanging".
Picked up at the airport by my generous hostess, Justine, we drove to her family home to drop off my bags. the airport was full of Brazilians and vuvuzela noise. The infrastructure in the country is quite good and the country quite clean. The golden hills remind me of LA. The freeway is lined with flags of all of the competitor countries hung on poles that went up days before today's opening match. The streets are also lined with men selling flags and vuvuzelas.
We drove downtown for a tour through a pleasant museum on the history of South African beer, including a lesson on sorghum beer drinking from a traditional drinking bowl off of which the massive Soccer City stadium that would host the game later is modeled. Our tour was led by a pleasant woman who begged out of drinking with us because she was pregnant.
HAKUNA MATATA: Then we went on to the highlight of the day - traditional Afrikaaner South African food and the opening match. The game was exciting, the local Bafana Bafana (Zulu for boys) squad nearly pulling off a huge upset against the Mexicans, who had a large fan contingent. Had some fun playing soccer at halftime with the local kids.
In South Africa, rugby is the white sport and soccer the black sport. Just as the legendary In Victus Sprinbok victory over the New Zealand All Blacks was envisioned as a transformative event in the country's racial history, so has support of Bafana Bafana been seen as a reciprocal effort to engage both the English and Afrikans community in the majority of the country's sporting passion. Though expectations for the team are obviously lower, the effort was a success - support amongst the people I watched the game with was high, and the team's fortune was the talk of the nation. Similarly, the event is meant not only to deliver a message that Africa has earned a respected place in the family of nations, but also within Africa, to hold up South Africa as a place searching for a sturdy multi-racial society amidst a continent whose ethnic disputes have rent apart its many fragile states.
OH....AFRICA: On to all anyone really cares about - the vuvuzelas. Obnoxious on TV, as I'll explain later, they add enormously to the spectator experience live. More to the point, they truly are everywhere - at the airport, as an alarm clock, walking down the road. To me, they are this World Cup's refrain...a running joke. At any quiet moment, suddenly a vuvuzela. In any social situation, vuvuzela. Always gets a laugh out of me. The price has inflated 10 times over. Already banned from Wimbledon. I saw Prince Harry on TV without one. Pity...I hope Biden or Clinton got one.
TIP ON WORLD CUP ATTENDANCE: Attend a host country game. I can't imagine how incredible the atmosphere must have been at the stadium, but it was fun enough just watching it with them on TV.
JUSTINE'S TIPS ON SOUTH AFRICA: The blacks have a series of hand signals for the routeless roving mini-buses that communicate which part of town they wish to go so that the mini-bus driver can figure out whether to pick them up or not. MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO LEARN THEM. You're more likely to inadvertently sign a grave insult. No need to get stabbed for accidentally telling the "SOULJAH" mini-bus driver that his "balls are hanging".
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