Archiv für den Monat Juni 2010

Without a hitch I tell you…

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by Rick Bosch

A World Cup experience is unique, regardless of its host nation. South Africa is putting its best foot forward and here are some of my thoughts after being lucky enough to attend two of the group matches in Cape Town. The first game I attended was the very first game to be hosted in the Mother City and it was on a bizarre kind of day. One of those unique ‘never-to-be-repeated’ kind of days. “Why?” I hear you asking, well, let me tell you.

The opening game at Green Point stadium was the excruciatingly boring goalless draw between France and Uruguay. I had high hopes for this game, but the French disappointed, but why was the day so unique? Because for the first time during my 27 years our entire country was united behind football, not rugby, not cricket, but football (or soccer as it is known here). I was already a very proud South African, and then we managed a solid draw against Mexico which was incredible, but there was a funny aftertaste lingering once the final whistle had blown.

We headed to the Fan Walk Way and for the Holy Grail, Green Point Stadium or Cape Town Stadium, I think, it’s undecided. Along the Fan Walk you will find stall after stall of great trinkets, keepsakes and of course, our united voice, the vuvuzela. We arrived at the stadium and within 20 minutes from being at the back of the queue, we were walking up the stairs and it suddenly sunk in, it is really here, and we can feel it.

The stadium is beautiful and once we’d picked up some cold beers we stood marvelling at the inside of the grounds before making our way to our seats. Then the players came out to warm up and the drone of our vuvuzelas brought the World Cup home. I let us add our little bit of Africanism to the footballing showpiece.

The Fan Walk home was just as easy, with some smart road closures and tons of uniformed police to keep things in check, both our walks to and from our games couldn’t have been easier or more enjoyable. The town was alive when we got back to the heart of the city and I can only compare it to the festive feeling that winning the rugby World Cup brought us. A sense of euphoria was lit up by the massive lights illuminating our most famous landmark, Table Mountain.

The second game I attended was the Netherlands taking on Africa’s already eliminated team, Cameroon. The game was incredible, the ‘Orange Tide’ flooded Cape Town and being founded by the Dutch, many of our South African roots (Dutch and German for me) are planted in Europe. After we left I was trying to compare it to our previous visit to the stadium and I couldn’t. There was the same fantastic atmosphere and feeling amongst the revellers, but it was different. It wasn’t a dream anymore, the World Cup was there, so was I. And it worked, everything works, even the Cape Town rain stayed away from the games I went to watch.

This African World Cup is phenomenal, and people who aren’t attending it are missing out. There have been no major incidents and EVERYONE is enjoying it. Aside from stadium names to iron out, all of the world’s pre-tournament skeptics can rest easy. We’ve pulled it off. Mzanzi.

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Football – A National Passion in Brazil

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by Tamine Medeiros

The history of football in Brazil begins when Charles Miller, the son of a Scottish railway engineer and Brazilian mother of English descent, returns from England, bringing in his luggage some whistles, balls and uniforms. To an elite group in São Paulo, he introduces a new kind of sport – football.  The activity spread quickly among ordinary people to become the nation’s most beloved sport, which continues to the present day.

We are known as “O país do futebol” (the country of football), perhaps because we’re the only team that has taken part in every World Cup tournament, or because we export some of the world’s best football players, or maybe being a five-time World Champion is reason enough.

Football definitely has a large influence on our lives, and the World Cup is the most anticipated sporting event by all Brazilians. During this time, everything changes. The people, the houses, the streets, the cars, everything is adorned in green and yellow, in a demonstration that goes beyond mere patriotism to show how football has become rooted in popular culture and how the World Cup represents a moment of unity, celebration and self-esteem. During the tournament, everyone is proud to say – I am Brazilian! For example, like the lines of the song written for Brazil’s national team upon the occasion of the 1970 World Cup, “All connected to the same emotion, everything is a single heart”.

The World Cup literally changes our everyday lives. When Brazil plays we stop everything: businesses, banks, industries, schools…even the government doesn’t work! For example, in observance of today’s match (Brazil vs. Portugal), there is an “optional work day” meaning that if you work for the government, you can stay home and enjoy a beer after the game! Unbelievable!

There are, however, criticisms launched about this behavior of celebration. Some say that during the period of the World Championship Brazilians forget all about their problems, especially the social ones, like the lack of good quality health care and universally accessible education, as well as the political problems. However, others say that it is an escape, a way of forgetting the difficulties of daily life, and that people deserve the joy that comes with cheering for their team.

Speaking of cheering…a very common activity here in Brazil when the national team plays is to make a “churrasco” (grill party), and invite family and friends over to watch the game, cheer and celebrate. People also get together in  pubs, but what is becoming more popular are the Public Viewings. In Rio de Janeiro, at the Copacabana’s beach, there is the Fifa Fan Fest, an arena where all 64 games are broadcast live. After the games there are performances from famous Brazilian bands and singers. An interesting mix of football and music!

In a few hours Brazil plays against Portugal. I guess it’s going to be a tense game. We’ll be playing without our two important midfielders, Kaká, who was unjustly dismissed in my opinion, and Elano, who was injured, both in the last match against Côte d’Ivoire. And let’s not forget that Portugal scored 7×0 last Monday against North Korea!!

Crossing my fingers, Brazil!!!!

(© by Tamine Medeiros for Young-Germany.de)

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Starting the day off right in Cape Town

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by Rick Bosch 

The World Cup has kicked off, and our entire country has a severe case of ‘Football Fever.’ People that have never watched a game of football in their lives are suddenly glued to their television sets; the talk on the streets is all about football. The net result: South Africa is a great place to be right now. Restaurants, pubs, and bars are constantly full, and the streets are a very pleasant place to be. As a huge fan of the sport and my country, I feel a great deal of pride in what we have achieved thus far – and the tournament is only a week old.

I was lucky enough to be at the very first game played at the brand new Green Point stadium here in Cape Town. I was nervous at first, because logistically there are so many factors that could spoil any football fan’s night, but I didn’t encounter a single one, well, except for the lackluster performances the two teams displayed. France and Uruguay were both flat, the game was a little dull, but the organizers and crowds were both exceptional. Visitors in South Africa can enjoy peace of mind that everything is running smoothly, albeit noisily, so please remember your earplugs.

Next up in my series of what to do when there’s no football (or even when there is) in Cape Town will cover a Cape Town specialty, the ‘Breakfast Run.’ There is quite literally a breakfast serving restaurant on just about every single block in the city. I frequent a couple of them and can highly recommend these two. The one thing these restaurants have in common is great food, inviting atmospheres, and the cornerstone of every great breakfast, great coffee.

Puka, Tamboerskloof

This hidden gem (it really is) can be found slightly off the beaten track – many locals don’t even know about it. I feel a little guilty telling the world about it, I would hate not being able to enjoy my bacon, egg, and cheddar rӧsti there on a Saturday morning, but for you I will make an exception. With a warm atmosphere, great coffee, and service with a smile, this little restaurant caters to everyone’s needs. The menu is impressive and the combinations used really are inspired and most importantly, delicious.

Sidewalk Café, Vredehoek

By using fresh produce the Sidewalk Café creates beautiful and extremely tasty meals. This neighbourhood favourite offers more than just great food, it also boasts some of the best views of the city you’re likely to find. Overlooking the stadium and Robben Island allows diners to tuck into their delicious eggs benedict whilst enjoying the splendor that is the Cape Town cityscape. Poached eggs, spinach, and salmon drenched in Hollandaise sauce served on a croissant, rye bread, Turkish flat, or sourdough bread comes highly recommended.

After breakfast venture into the city and explore the gardens, museums, and host of art galleries in the heart of town. Cape Town is home to some of the finest artists around, and just by paying attention to your surroundings you will be able to see that. With graffiti proudly on display in the City Bowl and a lot of talent on show in the art galleries, the Mother City offers the perfect blend of World Cup Fever and proudly South African art. Taking in the cultural sites whilst in Cape Town should be mandatory; a guide to the sights should be handed to every single person disembarking at Cape Town International.

Once you are done exploring the center of the city, head to the German club on Hope Street for lunch, football, and a cold beer. A merry atmosphere and reasonably priced meals provide the perfect foundation to a fun night out on the town, and at the moment, a night out on the town here is pretty damn special.

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The World Cup on the German high street

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By Brian Melican

World Cup 2006 in Berlin (Flickr: SpreePIX-Berlin)

World Cup 2006 in Berlin (Flickr: SpreePIX-Berlin)

Germans don’t do things by halves, especially where football is concerned. The “beautiful game” is something of a religion out here, and this makes the World Cup roughly equivalent to the Second Coming, or the Day of Reckoning – or whichever bit of biblical imagery you fancy. Anyone who experienced the 2006 World Cup in Germany certainly knows what I’m talking about.

And whether it’s just a fleeting football competition or Doomsday itself, Germans like to make sure that they decorate accordingly. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, since we’re talking about the country that invented Christmas trees and, as far as I know, the only country where a majority of houses decorate for Easter. In short: if you’re talking religions and decorating, you’re talking German.

Amazingly, this optician is aiming to attract customers by putting a pink rubbish bin in his front window (Flickr: HamburgerJung)

Amazingly, this optician is aiming to attract customers by putting a pink rubbish bin in his front window (Flickr: HamburgerJung)

Which is probably why so many German shops invest seemingly inordinate amounts of money in window decoration – after all, why else would serious establishments like pharmacists and opticians put on such lavish displays? This was a question that plagued me in my first months in Germany, and anyone with a working knowledge of German can see a video about it here.

Now, of course, I’m quite used to it, so the extent to which shops have now decorated for the World Cup – despite the fact that it is no longer being held in Germany – shouldn’t have caught me off guard. But it did. Because, when it comes to shop window decoration, Germans just don’t know when to say “when.”

Flickr: antenne

Flickr: antenne

Let’s look at this first shop window, for example, in an upscale city-center shopping passage (marble flooring, air conditioning – pure class). The shop with this football-shaped table plus accoutrements has, that’s right, nothing whatsoever to do with sport, but that doesn’t stop the staff from feeling the need to adapt the display to the “WM,” as the World Cup is known here. There are plenty more otherwise dull organisations that seem to feel the need to liven up their image with World Cup window displays, with the Sparkasse bank splashing out on all kinds of football-related paraphernalia. I’d rather they spent the money on cutting my account fees, but, hey, whaddya gonna do? When in Rome…

Flickr: rrho

Flickr: rrho

Having said that, that’s all relatively harmless (and financially unimportant) compared to the sheer visual-overload to be found on many suburban shopping streets. Nestled amongst scrappy kebab takeaways and a conspicuously large number of phone shops, this toy store has really gone overboard in terms of its World-Cup-related window decoration. Note, by the way, the Afro wig in the colours of the German flag nestling behind the teddy bear toward the right of the bottom of the display case: following on the biblical theme, one might call it a head-dress for the high priests of German football-mania.

And that, in turn, is completely harmless compared to what’s going on on Hamburg’s infamous Reeperbahn. Amongst other things, this half-mile strip is reputed for its numerous sex-shops selling every imaginable (and several unimaginable) kind(s) of sex aid – and it is by no means excluded from the German theme-decoration imperative. Lingerie, leather and other erotic equipment is all now available with either football prints or the black, red and gold of the German flag emblazened all over it.

There’s something very odd about national flags in the bedroom. I never found Geri Haliwell’s “iconic” Union Jack Dress particularly sexy – in fact, all I could think of was Queen Victoria’s famously prudish admonition to “lie back and think of England” during copulation with one’s spouse. In the same vein, I find it difficult to associate the German flag with fun in the bedroom.

"Schland! Schland!" (Flickr: der_dennis)

"Schland! Schland!" (Flickr: der_dennis)

Which is a problem that German World Cup fans don’t seem to be having at all at the moment, judging by the proliferation of flags hanging out of bedroom windows and off bedroom balconies all over Germany. This is something of a novelty since the 2006 World Cup, up until which point flying the flag was taboo due to the role of nationalism in Germany’s complicated history. Since then, however, it’s become somewhat more acceptable to voice support for Germany, with some having taken to shouting “’Schland!”, an inarticulate, lower-class pronunciation of “Deutschland” comparable to the “In-ger-land” phenomenon amongst underprivileged football fans in Great Britain.

Nevertheless, Germans are far from being completely unironic about football and national identity, as a hugely-successful World-Cup-related parody of Lena Meyer-Landsrut’s Oslo hit “Satellite” shows. Conclusive proof, if any more was needed, that Germans liked to be dressed and decorated for every occasion.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/pW_fJAiPx_w" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]

(© Brian Melican, blog.young-germany.de)

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The Jabulani Ball: Kicking Controversy

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Nobody’s happy. Not the coaches, not the players, not the officials in charge, and certainly not the players. Nobody is happy with the ball to be used at the World Cup, despite having had weeks to get used to kicking it in frustration.

The new Adidas ball is ironically called ‘Jabulani,’ meaning ‘to celebrate’ in the native South African isiZulu dialect, but nobody is celebrating its apparent unpredictability.

First Spain’s Captain and Goalkeeper Iker Casillas had a go at it, said it was too light, and described it as a “beach ball.” Brazil shot-stopper Julio Cesar wasn’t complimentary either: “It’s the same as the balls you buy in the supermarket,” he said.

“Every touch comes with the unknown,” added Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. “The trajectory is really unpredictable.”

France’s man between the posts, Hugo Lloris, gave his prognosis: “There will be many goals, beautiful and bizarre. The ball is light. It seems that it is made of plastic. It is far from a leather ball.”

Facing him on Friday will be Uruguay counterpart Fernando Musler who went even further with his criticism, slamming the ‘Jabulani’ as “the worst I’ve ever played with.” At least he has a plan to deal with it: “It’s probably best to try and keep it as far as possible from the goal.” Good call Fernando, although it’s usually a good tactic to keep the ball at the other end anyway.

It’s not just the goalkeepers who are incensed with the new ball. “The balls are a disaster, both for goalkeepers and attackers,” said Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini. “You jump up to head a cross and suddenly the ball will move and you miss it.” Making excuses already Giampaolo?

He has support from Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano however, after he called the ball “very weird” and said it appears possessed. “All of a sudden it changes trajectory on you. It’s like it doesn’t want to be kicked. It’s incredible, it’s like someone is guiding it. You are going to kick it, and it moves out of the way. I think it’s supernatural; it’s very bad. I hope to adapt to it as soon as possible, but it’s going to be hard.”

His coach Dunga even had a go at FIFA after the organization’s general secretary, Jerome Valcke, said the criticism was motivated by the fear of failure rather than any problems with the ball itself.

“He needs to play,” Brazil’s coach responded. “If he played with the ball he would have a different opinion. He is a guy who never got on the field. I want him to be here in our practice, and we will give him the ball to see if he can control it.”

Naturally German manufacturer Adidas has vigorously defended its ball. Spokesman Thomas van Schaik said the company distributed balls to teams in advance so they could get used to it. “Apparently they have not taken advantage of that if we are only hearing this criticism now,” he said. “If you look back in history there have always been criticisms about the ball before the World Cup, but not so much afterwards, after you’ve seen great goals or great saves.”

Some players have been more positive about the ‘Jabulani’ however. Funnily enough, they’re all sponsored by Adidas. Germany captain Michael Ballack (who won’t be playing in any case), England’s Frank Lampard, Kaká from Brazil, and Spain’s Alvaro Arbeloa have all defended it, with the latter saying: “It’s round, like always.”

It seems they’d made an impression before one ball had even been kicked. At least the German team hasn’t been complaining. But then again, they’ve never been one for ‘Lahm’ excuses.

© 2010 young-germany.de by “Der Irische Berliner”

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Welcome to Cape Town

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Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo © Jacques Strauss

With the World Cup rapidly approaching, football fever has started warming up the cold Cape of Storms. If you haven’t been to Cape Town before you will be forgiven for not knowing the extent of the cold season here on the southern tip of Africa. The winters are traditionally cold and wet, but with the buzz surrounding the World Cup, residents and the few tourists who are already here are paying no mind to the weather. For the first time ever, the World Cup is being played on African soil and there is a great sense of pride flooding the country.

I call Cape Town home and couldn’t think of a better place for tourists to visit. Cape Town offers everything a visitor could want, and more. With gorgeous scenery, vibrant nightlife, and some of the best shopping in the country, it is without a doubt a ‘must see’ for any traveler.

During the World Cup there will be a lot to do football wise, but what are tourists to do when there are no games to watch? Here is a breakdown of places to see and things to do, one that you won’t find in travel books.

One of the Cape’s hidden gems, Diaz offers cold beer, spicy prego, and a fantastic atmosphere. The ‘taverna’ is located in the heart of the city and can be a little tricky to find, but once found is completely worth it. Whether you fancy some trinchado, a prego roll (a steak roll with a distinctly South African sauce with a touch of spice), or perhaps a 600g rack of tender ribs, Diaz Tavern most definitely delivers. The sign of a good restaurant in my opinion is that it’s always busy, and Diaz tavern is, always. With two big screens that will undoubtedly be showing all of the World Cup matches, Diaz tavern could be the starting point of a spectacular, beautifully Cape Tonian evening.

Just up the road from Diaz Tavern is one of the city’s premier live music venues. With the cream of the South African (and sometimes international) crop performing regularly, music lovers that visit the city have to spend a night Assembly. There will be bands performing every weekend and the cover charge rarely exceeds R60, which to traveling Europeans equates to roughly 6 Euro. If you like watching live music or just a good night out, Assembly delivers. DJs provide said entertainment during the week if watching live bands isn’t really your thing, and Assembly caters for a wide range of tastes and its popularity speaks for itself.

The last of my recommended stops is in every single tourist book ever written – after its completion of course – yes, it’s the Waterfront. 

A stone’s throw from the Green Point Stadium (pictured above), the V & A Waterfront has been popular among tourists and locals as long as it’s been in existence. The shopping is as good as it gets in Cape Town, and it ranges from curios to art, and even high-end fashion (for the ladies). However, stay away from franchise restaurants, not because there is anything wrong with them, but because the Waterfront boasts many a hidden gem.

One such gem is arguably my favorite pub in Cape Town, Mitchell’s. With one of the biggest selections of beers on tap anywhere in the city ranging from ales to stouts and including even a locally brewed bitter (Bossun’s – try it, it’s awesome), Mitchells’ has something for everyone’s taste. Their menu is also solid with a host of great meals at even better prices. It’s simple: if you are in Cape Town, a visit to Mitchell’s is mandatory.

I will be keeping you up to date from Cape Town during the World Cup, so if you have any questions comments or want to hook up for a beer, leave me a comment, and I’ll try my very best to help out. In a nutshell, if you are coming to South Africa for the tournament, you have to see Cape Town, once you’ve been here, you’ll understand.

by Young Germany-Blogger Rick Bosch

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