Soccer Fever

So the last week before the Soccer "kick-off" has arrived!! 5 more days & then . . . I might be inside THE CALABASH (= Soccer City) watching the opening ceremony & first game . . . LIVE!! Since January [SEE: 2010 Triumph, posted 4 Jan 2010 on this blog-site] I have already "reported" the progress made to get the stadiums in our country ready for the "Great Show" [also SEE: Final Countdown, posted 12 March & Alive & Kicking, 17 March].

Here is one more view at what the Calabash looked like during the construction phase, which I think is the most "handsome" of the 10 stadiums built or reconstructed in our country for the Soccer World Cup.


Looking back in a "nostalgic" way, this is what I was privileged to "experience" (in my job as tourist guide) = a big hole!? The stadium in Cape Town is "born".



This "baby" is growing!! When in Cape Town one always has a great view of what is going on "below" when traveling up Table Mountain (by cable car) or "looking down" from Signal Hill.



Finally I get it (wink-wink) - THE Mountain has a "purpose": at least one has a clear bird's-eye-view of how the soccer stadium is progressing!




Back on terra firma - a view of the "growing" stadium from the Waterfront in Cape Town.





"Voila!" We have the near-completed stadium - by now "fully" completed, but then I wasn't visiting Cape Town recently to take a photo of that growing-up-stage.



This is my latest "acquisition" (= an addition to my photo-collection): the soccer stadium in Port Elizabeth /Nelson Mandela Bay = the finished "product".



Last but NOT least: the Jabulani Match Ball - did you know that it's the 11th official World Cup ball - but wait, there's more! It has 11 colours representing the number of players in a soccer team AND (symbolically?) South Africa's 11 (!!) official languages = communities WHO WILL ENSURE VISITORS ENJOY A MEMORABLE TIME IN OUR COUNTRY.

To be honest & before I'm possibly "sued" for plagiarism: I got this bit of trivia/information from my favourite weekly magazine, YOU/Huisgenoot.

Just a "friendly reminder": don't forget to check out my latest book (& how to obtain a copy) by logging on to: www.impi-impala.blogspot.com [See: book cover below - click on photo to enlarge/to read the back-blurp]