Time to leave

I am packing for my excellent adventure with three of my college roommates and fraternity brothers. We have been planning this trip since the beginning of my senior year, even before I decided to go to Harvard. My scheme has required a lot of moving parts, but it seems like its finally lined up. I leave tomorrow morning at about 5 AM, and will hang out in the airport to watch the soccer and wait for Scott and Tyler. There was a bit of a SNAFU for my accommodation, so I will be staying with some US supporters on Friday night.

I am bringing my computer so that I can keep up with work, so I will have to keep everyone posted.


6/20--Johannesburg--Brazil v. Ivory Coast--Soccer City
6/21--Johannesburg--Spain v. Honduras--Ellis Park/Coca Cola Field
6/23--Pretoria--USA v. Algeria--Loftus Versfeld Stadium
6/26--Rustenburg--1C v. 2D--Royal Bafoking Stadium
6/28--Durban--1E v. 2F--Moses Mabhida Stadium
7/3--Cape Town--QF--Green Point Stadium

Tim Howard is Awesome

This guy from Zimbabwe wanted to cheer for America, and we told him this flag represented fighting against European colonization. He wanted to waive it pretty bad after that.

USA beats England 1-1

I think these are pretty self-explanatory pictures.
The third is that I ran into Wesley Gottesman at the fan fest.

We had an epic odyssey of a day, including pregaming in an English Bar called Three Lions. I'm surprised we were allowed in.

Day 1- Bafana v Mexico

We barely got into a packed bar after discovering that the Fan Fest had been full since 11 AM. Kick off was at 4PM.

There was dancing and singing and celebrating before kickoff. It was a party, not a match.

When eventual state champs Graham Harrel and Ennis tried and failed to beat Corsicana on October 31, 2003, I was excited. When Vince Young pranced into the endzone to beat USC, I was excited. When Leszack's split in the 4X100 made us beat the Frogs in 2008, I was excited.

But the opening goal of World Cup 2010 for Bafana Bafana was the most glorious outpouring of emotion and joy I have ever witnessed.
The South Africans are proud of the tie with Mexico, as they should be.

We watched the second game in the outdoor fan park. France Uruguay was SO boring of a game, but the park was awesome. We wanted to scope it out for Saturday.

IT IS HERE

ODAC decorated on Thursday, but on Friday, everyone dressed up. On Fridays everyone in the parliament area wears Bafana stuff, but on June 11 some of the people in the office just went for their favorite team. I was saving my USA stuff for Saturday.






This second picture is of Ronald and me. Ronald works for ODAC, and has been excited about this for years.

































There was a rainbow on the way to work. That entranceway is to a very fancy, very old hotel called the Mount Nelson. The Lion's Head is on the right.

There are also kinda funny-looking ducks all over the gardens on the walk to work.

World Cup Eve

I have several things related to the last few days I want to post. The past 72 hours have been absolutely insane. Kickoff was Friday, June 11 at 4PM local time. On Wednesday, June 9th at noon, vuvuzelas and cheers and songs and dancing began in the streets. It was a bit difficult for me to do work, as directly beneath the window in the office I was working in there was a balcony where the entire NGO staff from the floor below us were celebrating. It was also difficult to work just out of sheer excitement. I was reading the recent Economist special report on South Africa, and that NGO was quoted, sounding very professional and serious at the exact moment they were below my window celebrating two days early. Everywhere you go, people say 'CAN YOU FEEL IT!?' and 'AYOBA!'

The top picture is Hirsh, David, and two of Hirsh's friends from Cal who are here working for Grassroots soccer getting ready to go to the 10 hour long 'Mother City Welcomes the World' party. We were so decked out that night that people were stopping us to take pictures of us. 'AMERICANS!' In Africa, America is much more popular than in much of the rest of the world. More on that to follow.



This second and third picture is of a car parked on Long Street, the main nightlife drag in Cape Town. Two guys drove from Finland to Cape Town. That is a feat of such mind-boggling awesomeness that I feel feeble about my own scheme that landed me here. The flags of all of the countries they went through, as well as signatures of people down the road are all on the car. On top are old wooden alpine skis and snowshoes, a nice touch. The hood has the entire map of their trip. Finland did not even qualify. Amazing.