Winter Love

I'm so in love with my new winter coat that I bought with all my birthday vouchers (and some left over Christmas vouchers too).

You likey? It's soft, chic and warm - and I love the charcoal gray. I can't wait for some cold Cape Town days so I can wear this out and about with black boots and maybe a scarf for a splash of colour.

Fortnight Round-up in Pics

Well it's been two weeks of having the baby brother here on a visit and lots of football. Instead of boring you all with the details, here's a little photographic summary of how the last couple of weeks have gone down...

Arrival of little brother

...and he brought me some Jaffa Cakes

...this gorgeous little Paddington Bear

...and a Scotland football jersey (because my family is Scottish)

 

Monday at the Game

Had tickets to the Italy vs Paraguay game

The weather was nasty but the Green Point Fan Walk was fantastic!

Finally got to the stadium - the vibe was insane!

The game came and went, ending in a draw. I was supporting Italy who scored their goal while I was in the ladies! Timing is everything...

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. No really. Besides, they're fun!

 24 Hours later

I very cleverly managed to lock myself out of the house at one in the morning. Two hours, four policemen and one locksmith later, I finally got back inside! Grrrrrr...

Friday's Game - England vs Algeria

  

This was the game we'd all been waiting for!

The English supporters were out in their droves.

I had mixed alliances, wearing my Scotland jersey while supporting England.

Truth be told, I was really just there to see David Beckham!

Here's a pic of some of the world's best footballers.

And then the Algerians sent over some very fit subs

to distract me from the game!

After the game (which didn't produce ANY goals) we hit the fan walk once again, heading towards our bus at the Civic Centre. We could've taken a bus from the stadium but the vibe was too good to miss out on.

Look at the pretty lights...

Finally, here is a pic I took on the way to the Waterfront where I watched South Africa play against (and BEAT) France.

The Wheel of Excellence is at the entrance of the Waterfront.

(Please excuse the murkiness of the pic - my car windows need a wash!)

 And that's that!

Birthday schmirthday

 “The secret to staying young is to live honestly,
eat slowly, and lie about your age.” 

  Lucille Ball

Laduuuuuuuma!

Okay, so I realise that for a blog supposedly about a girly gal and the things she loves, there's perhaps a little football overkill going on at the moment. It's just that I'm utterly caught up in this football frenzy and I'm having so much fun! So indulge me a little - it's not every day SA gets to host the World Cup.

Anyhoo, the World Cup officially opened today, kicking off (pun intended) with a game between Bafana Bafana (ie South Africa) and Mexico. Now, being the underdogs, no one expected our boys to get anywhere. In fact, the only reason we qualified for the WC is because we're the host nation. On top of that, it's common knowledge that the Mexicans are pretty good at their footie. So taking all that into consideration, I fully expected a massacre. 

Which is why I'm so proud of our boys. Final score: 1 - 1! Draw. Not a loss! FANTASTIC!!! After a tense first half, Siphiwe Tshabalala slammed a goal! Woohoo! Then Mexico caught up and equalised the score. But still, we didn't lose. Awesome! 

Tshabalala (second from left) and the boys celebrate the goal with a little diski

(image courtesy of News24)

I'm particularly pleased about this outcome as last night I was out in Green Point and ended up chatting to some Mexican fans. They were a lovely bunch. Not too much English but very friendly. They were saying how they were looking forward to flying to Joburg this morning to watch Mexico beat South Africa. (Ees that a challenge, amigo?) They also said they were going to be wearing Lucha libre masks to the game as part of their intimidation plan. I countered that by mentioning that most SA fans would be bringing their pet lions to the game. To cut a long story short, there was some smack talk so I'm really glad Bafana Bafana didn't lose. Not only have they thrilled the nation but they've also kept my honour intact.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu celebrating Bafana Bafana's goal

(image courtesy of the awesome Daily Maverick)

Later this evening, Cape Town is playing host to the French / Uruguay game, which kicks off at 20h30. This is the first WC match to be hosted in Cape Town and I reckon it's going to be a good one. Images like the one below make me so proud to call Cape Town my home. Just look at our gorgeous stadium! And check out all those fans en route to the game. Magic!

(image courtesy of LeisureHotelsCT's tweet)

Loving the Beautiful Game

With only days to go before the opening ceremony this coming Friday, South Africa is on the brink of one of the biggest parties ever. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is here and we're ready! 

It's been a long road... SA cracked the nod six years ago and ever since there have been countless controversies and frantic construction. As I've said before, I was cynical when we won the bid, because I felt that as a country, we should focus our attention on health care, the education system and correctional services before pouring billions into a sporting event. I still feel the same way but all the same, it is was it is and so why not embrace it? It's created countless employment opportunities, 'forced' the government to upgrade our shoddy transport system and roads and it's also created a tangible sense of national pride. Everyone's excited about hosting the World Cup and we're getting ready to welcome visitors from all over the world. 

I reckon many football tourists will be surprised at what they find when they arrive here. Sorry guys, you aren't likely to spot any lions or giraffes on the airport runways. And leave your stab-proof vests at home - you won't be needing them. South African cities are like any other - not crime-free but if you keep your wits about you, you'll be fine. In between watching matches, I hope you take time to enjoy other stuff SA has to offer: beautiful scenery, fantastic food and world-class wine. And don't leave without going to at least one braai. It's winter here at the moment, but I reckon you'll find the weather quite alright. Joburg winters are sunny, dry and cold whereas Cape Town has warmer winters though they are generally a lot wetter. Bring T-shirts and warm jackets. 

Above all, enjoy your stay in South Africa! We've been working hard to make the World Cup an unforgettable experience and I'm sure you won't be disappointed! Welcome to my home - hope you have a lekker time!

Cape Town Stadium

"There are other ways to score"

While Sex and the City 2 hit South African screens last Friday (no, I haven't been yet and yes, I'm going this week), UK audiences have to wait a little longer. The timing isn't particularly great as it arrives the day before the FIFA World Cup starts (11 June) and we all know how much the Brits love their footie. So the SATC promoters have released a new movie poster with a cheeky little World Cup twist.

I quite like it, though I'll definitely watch the movie before the World Cup starts so I can enjoy the best of both worlds. (Only 10 days to go! Woohoo! More World Cup stuff to come...)