Excitement for the Soccer World Cup is mounting. I just had a Politics class and don't get me wrong; the professor is great and the course content is interesting but some of our concentration was elsewhere - towards a friend's computer screen, as France played Ireland in order to qualify for next year... and this got me thinking. How exciting is it that next year the 2010 Soccer World Cup comes to Africa for the first time, to South Africa?! I feel so proud. Wow, what a chance we have to show the world the nation we have become. Its crazy how much more patriotic one becomes (if thats even possible!) the more one leaves one's country (how many times could I possibly say "one" in one (!!!) sentence!). But, it's true. Well, at least for me. Both times I have left for long periods; on returning; tears begun to naturally just slide down my cheeks. Is it sadness, excitment, relief, exhaustion, overwhelm? All of the above? How do you describe this phenominal feeling of being back on African soil? They say that once you feel it between your toes, you will never be the same again. A piece of Africa remains in your heart forever. I am more than proud to be South African and although my passion for travelling seems never ending at this point, I will always call South Africa home and Africa the place where I want to make the biggest difference.
So back to the world cup, how exciting it is becoming as we watch who qualifies. A few weeks ago it was Halloween. At Bishops, one day is really not enough to celebrate this largely North American Holiday. We needed at least three! Thursday, the first night of festivities saw myself and my dear Frenchie, being as patriotic as you can get. Faces painted in our nation's flags and writing strewn across old sports tshirts, we were crazy 2010 fans. What a fun night of costumes it was but better still, what a priviledge it was having those colours painted across my cheeks. Just a taste for next year?
Here are a couple more pictures from Thursday the 29th October.
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