The South China Morning Post‘s PostMagazine of June 27, 2010 carried a story by one Daniel Jeffreys in their regular “Toast rack” feature.

Before I continue, let me come clean by saying that said writer and I share at least one belief and that is:

(Jeffreys wrote) “Democracy and free speech go hand in hand but there has to be a limit.”

Those who know me will know that I also advocate that “too much democracy is not a good thing.”

Anyway, where Mr Jeffreys and I differ is his obvious disdain for our vuvuzela.

To the rant below, all we can say is:

Dear Mr Daniel Jeffreys (who is obviously a sour-puss England football fan) where is your “Gees” ?

(Click on the pic below to read full screen)

I speak under correction, but South Africa must surely be the only country in the world who has witnessed and experienced two national miracles in the space of only two decades.

In 1994, we witnessed and participated in our country’s first-ever democratic elections which heralded the handing over of minority political power without any large-scale violence and bloodshed.

On June 11, 2010 we witnessed the stunning Opening Ceremony of the world’s biggest sporting event.  The first ever event of its kind to be staged on African soil.  An event most believed South Africa was not capable of delivering.  It’s been just over 2 weeks and already pundits are cautiously calling it the grandest football gathering ever.  FIFA should be pleased because before a single ball was kicked, the world body was already assured of the biggest profit from a World Cup ever.

But that is not the 2010 miracle I am referring to.  The miracle is what is happening on the streets of South Africa at this very moment.  South Africans of all hues, backgrounds and persuasions are showing our proud colours; on our cars, on our homes, on our clothes.  In fact, we show our pride in every conceivable way we can.  We are proud to welcome visitors to our country, proud to host  this massive event for a world-wide audience of millions. 

Simply put: we have re-discovered our national identity and we’re celebrating it!

The 2010 World Cup has also given some of us an opportunity to showcase our creativity.  From the huge selection of multi-coloured Makarapa’s, beautifully decorated Vuvuzelas to the ingenious costumes worn to our beautiful new stadiums.

During a gathering to celebrate and to watch a broadcast of the 2010 Opening Ceremony at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC), using her handy iPhone, (name removed on request) read a poem that she had penned in honour of our national football team Bafana Bafana.

WOZA NKOSI

Bafana Bafana, your people are here

We’re proud of you Yellows, and shout a big cheer

Haaikona Group C, Haaikona Group D

Come face our Boys, their power you’ll see!

With love and with passion, vuvuzelas and drums

Makarabas and diski, the magic she comes…

Like an African Queen with fire in her heart

Ke nako, Ke nako, let doubts fall apart

The manna are waiting, the mamma’s are too

The kids on the street are all praising you

The flags they are flying, the spirit we got

The colours are bright, football fever is hot

Madiba is watching – FW too -

They’re longing and praying and counting on you

Gaan kry daardie rainbow, sit dit bo Tafelberg

Wys die res van die wereld, Suid Afrika’s sterk!

Only God has the power to hold you guys up

He helped us before, in the other world cup

He can do it again, let’s fall on our knees

With Ubaba’s support, success is a breeze

Woza woza, Nkosi, come take our hand

Woza lapa, Nkosi, please hold our land

Woza woza, Nkosi, Shosholoza our team

Woza lapa, Nkosi, God Bless Our Dream

For those not familiar with some of the South African-isms:

Woza Nkosi – Come God

Bafana Bafana – Boys Boys

Haaikona – No / By no means / No way

Vuvuzelas – Stadium blow horn

Makarabas – Miner’s hard hat, now decorated soccer fan hat

Diski – South African World Cup soccer dance

Ke nako, Ke nako – It’s time, it’s time

Madiba – Mr Nelson Mandela

FW – Mr FW de Klerk

‘Gaan kry daardie rainbow, sit dit bo Tafelberg, wys die res van die wereld Suid Afrika’s sterk !’ – Go get that rainbow, put it above Table Mountain, show the rest of the world that South Africa’s strong!

Ubaba – Father / God

Shosholoza – Move forward

Woza lapa Nkosi – Come here God

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) wrote so beautifully:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Ag, what the hell… said the Chinese t-shirt manufacturer:

Let me just print the answer to that question on a T-shirt.

BIG.

Somebody buy this girl a Louis Vuitton bag!

(I took this picture at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR just on my way to watching a World Cup match.)

Just for the record:

 “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…”

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

For those of you who still want to get your hands on a vuvuzela here in Hong Kong, make you way over to KFC for their “free Vuvu” promotion. 

While not quite the real South African vuvuzela in both name and quality of plastic, the KFC Vuvu comes pretty close.  It still makes a hellava lot of noise and is sure to irritate the folks over at Wooloomooloo should you blow it inside their establishment.

I noticed that KFC also don’t call their trumpet a “vuvuzela” choosing instead to call it a Vuvu.  While he doesn’t own the copyright to the actual trumpet, the name “vuvuzela” was licensed by the inventor of the iconic World Cup noise-maker, a South African called Neil Van Schalkwyk.

The KFC Vuvu is available in several colours, while you can decorate it with an array of stickers issued with the trumpet.

Click here to hear what the vuvuzela sounds like

The family and I returned from our outing watching the England vs. Germany (22h00) game at, what could only be described as a “Hong Kong Fan Park”here in Tsim Sha Tsui East, The Empire Centre (just above the new Sticky Fingers).  In fact, it’s been about about 2 hours since we came back and the Missus and kids are fast asleep while I’m typing this.

Be that as it may, what an outing!  Not privvy to Would Cup TV reception at our place, we ventured out to the nearest mall in our neck-of-the-woods that has a big screen with some chairs set out for the “common people” to watch the World Cup.

When we got there about 5 minutes into the game, as expected the viewing area was already packed to the rafters so we joined the few up on the second floor balcony.

And what a game!  The son and I even got a chance or two to blow our Vuvuzelas when Germany scored!

After the halftime break, the Missus managed to secure a seat or two and we joined the 50-odd folk in front of the big screen watching Germany nail the Poms in the second half!

Me being me and Hong Kong security guards being Hong Kong security guards, it was quite an effort getting a Vuvuzela tune and a swig (or ten) of CarlsBerg in when the moment required it.

At the end of a fun evening, Germany disposed of the English and I managed to finish 2 cans of Carlsberg (for the Poms) and 2 cans of weisbeer (for the Germans) and all was good again!

Germany won 4-1 and the Poms were dutifully kicked out of OUR World Cup.

Nuff said.

It’s 02:15 on this side of the noodle-curtain and I’m off to watch Mexico take on Argentina while the family is safely tucked in…

How’s that for being AYOBA?!

 The SA mascot outside the alfresco dining area in TST East (next to the Shangrila Hotel) (pics Mike Jansen)

(Saturday morning 12:20)

One of the most anticipated games of the 2010 World Cup is kicking off in about two and a half hours time.

Brazil vs. Portugal.

Our friends over at Secret Hong Kong (open in FaceBook) just posted this picture from Lan Kwai Fong (one of THE party districts in Hong Kong, for those who don’t know).

For those who haven’t been, Piel De Toro is a Spanish-themed bar/restaurant in Lockhart Road, Central (Lan Kwai Fong).  It is, of course, a popular gathering place for all Spanish folk and often hosts meetings of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

You can read more about Piel de Toro on Open Rice

I wonder what the local Capetonians would make of the name PIEL de toro?!!!!!!

(Die Bul se voel/trill/tollie)?

Mmmmm…

At the recent Opening Ceremony Party for the 2010 World Cup at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) in Hong Kong’s Central district, I was taken to task for featuring “so much rugby” here on Howzit-HongKong.com.  Well, the same person who had this (non) issue will probably have the same complaint about the amount of soccer coverage we have here.

I have only one response:

Soooooorrrrrieeee! That’s your problem, not ours.

Just Feel it… it is Here!

As a South African stuck on this side of the noodle-curtain while the World Cup is happening back home, I am tuned into the South African radio stations TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN to hear the latest from the World Cup and have a look at their FaceBook Pages for the latest pictures and videos.

One of the stations I don’t miss is 567 Cape Talk, my favourite show being the Time Out Taxi with Soli Philander.

While listening to our Soli on his show tonight, he read out an article from the Huffington Post.  I read the Huffington Post regularly but for some reason I missed this particular story.  (It happens when your live a large part of your life online and read lots of papers on the net!)

This particular story struck a chord with me (as it did with Soli) because it sounded so real and sincere coming from the Huffington Post.  It also encapsulates perfectly what I try to tell the local Chinese whenever they ask me about our beautiful country.

Please join me in celebrating Shari Cohen‘s take on our country’s Ubuntu spirit through an American’s eyes:

I went on a rant the other day regarding the cost of the 2010 World Cup versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not the most vulnerable of this country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their country. At that time, I also had some very positive things to say about our hosts for the 2010 World Cup and I wanted to share that side of the coin as well, because it is equally important.

To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. I think back on recent Olympics and struggle to remember much reporting in the USA of athletes from other countries. I remember when a Togolese guy won a bronze medal in kayaking and NBC reported it and I thought to myself, “where are all the other fascinating stories like this one…like the Jamaican bobsledding team.” In today’s America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being so US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans.

Not so here in South Africa. I’ve been here since early May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered up to the world. On the way to the airport a couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio program that said each day they would focus on one country that would be coming to South Africa for the World Cup, and they would explore not only that sport’s history in soccer, but also their politics, religion, and socio-cultural practices. On the television, I’ve seen numerous programs that focus on a particular country and it’s history of soccer and how the history of that country is intertwined with their soccer history. I’ve seen programs on India, exploring why India enjoys soccer but hasn’t really excelled at the global level… yet. And I’ve seen shows on soccer in Muslim countries. Maybe it’s planned, maybe it’s unplanned, maybe it’s by chance, but it is happening. It’s not just about South Africans showing off their varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests, it’s also about using this opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth’s inhabitants.

As I moved through my work here in the provinces over the last six weeks, I had a pivotal meeting with the Board members of a rural NGO. They were explaining their guiding program philosophy of Ubuntu. No, not the Linux program. I’m talking about the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu that essentially says, “No man is an island.”

I found a better explanation from Wikipedia:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008:

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality — Ubuntu — you are known for your generosity.

We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each of us. And that is exactly what I have experienced during the lead up to, and the initial days of this World Cup. There is nary a South African citizen that I’ve met on the street, or in shops or restaurants or hotels, that hasn’t gone out of their way to greet me and make me feel like I am home. And I don’t mean that in the trivial, “Oh, aren’t they nice, homey people here… ” sort of way. I mean real, genuine interest and questions. People seriously want to know where I come from. What it’s like where I live. How does it compare to where I am now. What do I think of South Africa. Oh yes, and what do I think of Bafana Bafana… The questions and conversations are in earnest. They are honest. And they are had with enthusiasm and a thirst to know more. South Africans are drinking deeply from the cup of humanity that has been brought to their doorstep. I would never imagine that an American World Cup or Olympics would ever be this welcoming to the rest of the world. And that saddens me for the state of my home country, but it also makes me feel the pride of the South African people.

I have been truly humbled on this trip. And while I have my gripes regarding development here, I cannot say one negative thing about how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to the world. If I could say one thing to sum up being here during this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it would be that I’ve learned the value of Ubuntu, and that when found and offered in abundance, the world is indeed a better place to live in.

So, if South Africa accomplishes nothing more on the playing field, it will still have won as a host country. I am a cynic, no doubt about that. And yet I have to admit, I’m a little teary just writing this because I leave for home next weekend and I will be leaving a little piece of myself here in South Africa. I just hope I have learned enough to bring back a little piece of Ubuntu to my homeland, where perhaps with a little caring and a little water, it will take root as naturally as it does here, in the cradle of civilization. It’s funny, many people in America still ask me, “are the people in Africa very primitive?” Yes, I know, amazing someone could ask that but they do. And when they do, I usually explain that living in a mud hut does not make one primitive, however, allowing kids to sell drugs to other kids and engage in drive-by killings — isn’t that primitive behavior? I think it is. When I think of Ubuntu and my recent experiences here, I think America has much to learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village; and as human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having an affect on our brothers and sisters.

As the 2010 Cup slogan goes, “Feel it. It is here.” Well, I have felt it, because I am here. Thank you South Africa, for giving me this unexpected gift. I am humbled.

You can find this story here

Listen to Soli Philander (7-9pm SA time) on 567 Cape Talk here

Soli has some video clip about the World Cup here

Bafana Bafana may have made a graceful exit from the 2010 World Cup, but the Gees (Spirit) around the biggest sporting event in the world is far from over.

Roger Chan at Sheffied Ltd. informed us that they have supplied Langham Place in Monkok with enough South African wine to last until way after the tournament ends.

Now you can watch your favourite team play in the World Cup in the luxury that only Langham Place offers, with FREE-FLOWING South African wine nogal!

Here’s all you need to know:

This is where you can find Langham Place:
View Larger Map

In an e-mail message inviting South Africans to the South African Association in Hong Kong’s group viewing of the Bafana Bafana vs. France at Wooloomooloo on Tuesday, Bruce Fowler cautions:

“Please note that vuvuzelas are banned inside Wooloo Mooloo.

Confined spaces are not the place to blow vuvuzelas,

Consideration needs to be given to the other guests of the restaurant.”

(No vuvuzelas please, we’re expat South Africans, and we’re inside! Pic: cnngo)

In a city with so many rules, we think Bruce has been living in Hong Kong too long!  Where’s your gees, guys?!

Howzit-HongKong.com was happy to see that locals have found a new use for the iconic World Cup horn.

During a protest gathering at the Legislative Council building in Central today, protesters blew their vuvuzelas outside the guarded building to register their dissatisfaction with the goings-on inside.  Sadly, their vuvzelas were not branded.  What a waste of a marketing opportunity!

Fear not Bruce and Wooloomooloo, Gandalf and the Middle Earth also have issues with the horn:

(Please take this article in the spirit of the World Cup.  No malice is intended and no animals were hurt in the production!)

My pal Kevin over at the Canny Man loves his footy.

His establishment, in the basement of the Wharney Guandong Hotel in Wan Chai is also one of the local watering holes that stock our very own Castle Lager Beer.

If you haven’t heard, or if you’ve been locked up by the PLA at their headquarters on Hong Kong Island for the last 2 weeks, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana national team plays France in a crunch-match in Port Elizabeth tonight. (Tuesday June 22, 10pm)

Bafana Bafana (or The Boys) has to win this game convincingly and hope that the other game between Mexico and Uruguay also go their way, in order for them to stay in the tournament.  If not (and it’s a very possible NOT) the South African team will become the first-ever host nation to be eliminated in the first round of a World Cup.

Back to Wan Chai.  The Canny Man is offering a free Castle Lager if you join them for the game (kick-off 10pm).  They will also be giving away bottles of Rooiberg Brut sparkling wine whenever Bafana Bafana scores.  If not they will raffle it.

Contact Kevin or any of the staff at The Canny Man on 2861 1935 to book a table.  Directions to The Canny Man can be found here