There’s really no way to tell a jointed story of Day 1 of the Cup, but three things stood out:
- There’s nothing in the world like watching a soccer match in a general area with 20…30,000 other people. Stadiums are restraining. You can celebrate with the person in front of you and behind you, to your left and to your right. But when you’re in a big open park like at the Coca-Cola fanfest, the entire match becomes a social party. People meeting people, posing for pictures, doing huge group dances…and the celebration of a goal is truly a celebration with 20,000 other people. You feel like you’re on the pitch yourself, running around in circles and hugging everyone and everything you can find. For 20 minutes. I can’t find a metaphor, because it’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
- Speaking of Coca-Cola, boy is capitalism and globalization alive and well. If you’re thinking South Africa is anything other than utterly familiar, you’re wrong. Sony, Coca-Cola, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, McDonald’s, BP, Nike, Adidas…all of them and much much more have enormous footprints here. Heck, I brought a box of Frosted Flakes this morning. But these things beg the question: How and Are South Africans creating their own wealth? With so many opportunities to buy items whose eventual benefactor is housed in Chicago or LA, how many dollars are staying in local communities here? There’s no doubt that these corporations bring jobs with them, but shouldn’t the ideal be South African brands with South African ingenuity? Which also makes the community less exposed to the whims that (benevolent? maybe?) benefactor in Chicago?
- I’m a city boy–always have been. I can comfortably say that I understand cities. And so when everyone started making a huge deal about how incredibly dangerous Johannesburg and the rest of South Africa are, I raised an eyebrow. (Actually, I wish I could raise a single eyebrow, but I don’t have that gene. Damn you, Stephen Colbert!) Nonetheless, the consistently deafening roar on the internet and among those I knew was that South Africa was especially dangerous, far more so than I could possibly imagine. But then I arrived. And I realized that Johannesburg really is just like every other city I’ve ever been to. Sure, you walk around in the wrong part of New York and you’re asking to get robbed. Sure, you walk around in the wrong part of Atlanta and you’re asking to get robbed. Sure, you walk around in the wrong part of DC and…have I made my point? The locals find South Africa’s external reputation somewhat amusing, and certainly outdated. So what is it that makes this fear of South Africa so persistent among so many people? I’m not saying it’s racism…
- But don’t let me paper over some of the very real issues here: excessive poverty, AIDS, and a government that still hasn’t figured out how to right some of the wrongs of apartheid. First hint: relocation is not the answer. (h/t Capitol Jill)
Keep up with my moment-to-moment musings on twitter! I’m @TahirDuckett.
T-
Are you boldly asserting that a country which experienced Apartheid as recently as a few decades ago still has vestiges of racism? And that big media’s snapshot coverage of international cities and reporter-victim robberies may overblow the actual safety of said cities?
NEVER