Winter, the World Cup, and Vuvuzelas
I drove home today looking at the snow on the mountains that surround Cape Town. It is amazing to live here. I've never lived somewhere so naturally beautiful in all my life. I'm not sure exactly how far away these mountains are from Cape Town. Maybe a 45 minute drive, but you can see them clearly from the city. When there is snow on the mountains you know that it is cold in Cape Town. Today is the first day of winter with a great deal of snow on the mountains. It is cold and rainy in and around the city. Today the real winter rains finally started. I was wondering when winter was ever going to start here. It should have started a month ago. Partially I was wondering if we might make it all the way through the World Cup with without winter rain. No, tonight with a big game involving Italy being held here in Cape Town it is now officially winter.
But I'm actually enjoying it. There is something very unifying about being a "local" and knowing how to handle this rain - just enjoy and do your best to keep your feet and neck warm!
In the midst of enjoying being a "local" for the World Cup and having rain today, I was heart broken to read one of Yahoo's lead articles today. Yahoo is my home page on-line. Today I opened up an article on their home page about everyone's frustration with the vuvuzelas being blown at the World Cup games. I'm also tired of these plastic horns. Yesterday I read a balanced article criticizing the V and agreed with it. But, wow, this article on Yahoo today was harsh and the comments people made after it were worse. As Americans we really feel this "freedom" to say the most destructive things. Really, this type of interaction does not happen from other countries for the most part. While other countries may criticize, I don't usually hear them say such hateful and heartless things. And we Americans feel it is a freedom of one person to have the right to destroy others with our speech.
I'm loving the World Cup. I am so happy for South Africa and so proud of the nation for doing a great job pulling this all together. I'm especially loving a stretch of highway that I drive every day....it has been under construction since I moved here. Then, on the day of the WC opening, this highway was complete. It is well done and I love driving on it. The infrastructure that has been built up here is fantastic. So much has been done is such a short amount of time. Things aren't perfect here but this nation has definitely risen to the occasion of the World Cup. To read comments like I saw today about the backwardness of this nation, about this still being the dark continent, and South Africa being to immature to handle the world stage for such an event where harsh. You may not like the sound of this plastic horn, but you can't judge a whole nation and an entire sporting event based on the use of a plastic horn during games. Come on Americans, we can be more constructive than this!
And for all those out there that don't like the vuvuzela....I so agree with you, but maybe its time we find some positive things to look at.
But I'm actually enjoying it. There is something very unifying about being a "local" and knowing how to handle this rain - just enjoy and do your best to keep your feet and neck warm!
In the midst of enjoying being a "local" for the World Cup and having rain today, I was heart broken to read one of Yahoo's lead articles today. Yahoo is my home page on-line. Today I opened up an article on their home page about everyone's frustration with the vuvuzelas being blown at the World Cup games. I'm also tired of these plastic horns. Yesterday I read a balanced article criticizing the V and agreed with it. But, wow, this article on Yahoo today was harsh and the comments people made after it were worse. As Americans we really feel this "freedom" to say the most destructive things. Really, this type of interaction does not happen from other countries for the most part. While other countries may criticize, I don't usually hear them say such hateful and heartless things. And we Americans feel it is a freedom of one person to have the right to destroy others with our speech.
I'm loving the World Cup. I am so happy for South Africa and so proud of the nation for doing a great job pulling this all together. I'm especially loving a stretch of highway that I drive every day....it has been under construction since I moved here. Then, on the day of the WC opening, this highway was complete. It is well done and I love driving on it. The infrastructure that has been built up here is fantastic. So much has been done is such a short amount of time. Things aren't perfect here but this nation has definitely risen to the occasion of the World Cup. To read comments like I saw today about the backwardness of this nation, about this still being the dark continent, and South Africa being to immature to handle the world stage for such an event where harsh. You may not like the sound of this plastic horn, but you can't judge a whole nation and an entire sporting event based on the use of a plastic horn during games. Come on Americans, we can be more constructive than this!
And for all those out there that don't like the vuvuzela....I so agree with you, but maybe its time we find some positive things to look at.
posted by Jeanne at
12:12 PM
2 Comments:
It is always strange to me to hear June in SA referred to as winter. I recall the year we were there from May-mid-July, and while there were times it was cold, and times it rained, most of the time I remember pleasant cool fall days. When it was cold, a sweater and/or blazer were enough for me. Maybe that is because I am just hot-natured these days. I do recall your marching downstairs to inform Aunty Vivian that we WOULD have two heaters upstairs. :)
Sadly, the lack of civility extends to far more than the vuvuzela these days. I can't even read most comments on public news because it is so filled with hatefulness and name-calling, as opposed to a civil conversation in which people disagree, but provide some sense of reasoning for their opinion.
It is easy to do when all one has to do is type a few words and hit enter, and there is no editor making a decision to publish a letter that it took someone time and effort to create, and then the effort to actually mail it.
Susan, I can see how you wouldn't be too cold here...you are very hot natured these days. Plus, I think trips like we had were you stay busy out and about are times when the cold is not too bad. It is when you have to be inside during winter that it is hard here....especially sitting at a computer or something. These houses and buildings hold the cold big time and it is usually 10-15 degrees colder inside than outside....probably why I demanded a heater back in Stellenbosch :)
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