I AM FEELING IT!!! ARE YOU??

I am your average white South African who likes to watch sport but normally Rugby and cricket. Never have I watched soccer besides indoor soccer where to be perfectly honest I was there for the conversation. Not the game. So when it started drawing close to the opening of Fifa world cup here in South Africa and we all started ordering our yellow supporter shirts and decorating our offices in flags of all the countries participating, did I start to feel something.

Then came the 9th of June 2010. Where we all showed our support for South Africa, Fifa, Soccer and Bafana Bafana and we all came together at 12pm all in our yellow shirts to make as much noise as possible. I didn’t go to Sandton where Bafana Bafana were doing a pre-parade for the fans in Sandton. But I was just down the road in Sunninghill blowing my Vuvuzela with I can’t even tell you how many people. It was loud and amazing. We stood there dancing, vuvzellaring, beating drums, blowing whistles and just having an absolute ball. What made it even better was that passersby parked their vehicles and ran to join us for the half an hour we showed our spirit.

From that moment on I was hooked, I was feeling it, I flagged my house in South African flags, but that was my experience of seeing it. Until I visit Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton and found that this little square has turned into a mini Europe where no one speaks any English unless they are working there. Vuvzela’s echo through the square as each nations supporter toots its horn in excitement that they are here. They are being apart of South Africa’s history. Mind you if you’re hungry sitting down for a bite to eat could be a little tricky at the moment.

Then I went shopping in Sandton city and because I am FEELING it, I am noticing how much stuff is out there up for grabs for any sort of supporter.

I have purchased;


• a vuvuzela,


• I have a Sokzela,


• I bought those South African Flag mirror covers and put one on the back of my bike and on my sisters,


• I have a South African Flag Polar fleece blanket,


• I five different countries supporter jerseys


• My Makarapa


• Beanie





And it’s not even over yet and what gets me the most is before the beginning of June I never showed any interest in this game called Soccer. But now I so far I have watched almost all the games. I have kept record of the scores. I am even having conversations at work about the games and we discuss each game in detail. And it doesn’t stop at work, yes most of the people here in South Africa also think I am a tourist and keep asking me, ”Where are you from?” And I keep saying from here. I am Proudly South African. We end up discussing the games we have watched and start sharing our special moments. It’s amazing. Everyone I have seen in this Soccer season has had huge smiles on their faces and they seem to be having the time of their lives. But to be honest so am I. I wonder how I will cope when it’s over.