South Africa is Ready! Don't Miss the Opening Event.

A week ago, we arrived in South Africa.  There were detours and road construction everywhere.  Our first thought was, "They aren't going to finish this in time."

A week later, all the construction sites are gone, traffic is moving a lot smoother, and the entire country is abuzz with the sound of vuvuzelas (a long horn that is blown  during matches to support the home team). Thousands of fans have poured through the streets to shout their support for Bafana Bafana and create a wall of vuvuzela noise. Everybody is indeed ready.

The opening concert kicked off the festivities tonight with Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Hugh Masakela, John Legend, Soweto Gospel Choir and Angelique Kidjo. The millions of people are surely waiting in anticipation.

On Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 2:00 PM local time, a 30-minute ceremony having 1581 world-class artists, dancers, musicians and performers will begin at Johannesburg at Soccer City stadium. It will be followed up by opening match between hosts South Africa and Mexico at 4:00 PM.

DON'T MISS THIS OPENING CEREMONY AND MATCH!

IT WILL BE SHOWN ON ABC AND ESPN. 

Tivo it, set up your DVR, or your VCR for us old school folks.  This is the event of the century for the African continent. You will want this in your archives.

A Botswana Sunrise

Botswana proved to be the perfect diversion to prepare us for the upcoming exciement.



An early morning dirve in the Chobee  National Game Reserve can change the worst disposition. The cold wintry breeze and the beauty of the river is very refreshing.  The sunrise was breath-taking.
Driving through the reserve to observe the early morning activity of nature's creaures in this region helps one to appreciate the natural order and reguvination of creation undisturbed.

Click here to see the album.

The birds greet everyone, as they awaken from their slumber.  The predators begin to survey their opportunities for the day.  The smaller animals gather to protect themselves, and the larger ones take their rest.  At the end of the day, all are seeking the refreshing renewal of the river or the safest water hole.  The stunning sunset capped off a complete day on the river and in the park observing the beauty of this region.

We enjoyed this diversion before the ear-splitting exciement of 64 World Cup Soccer matches.  On Thursday, we head back to South Africa to prepare for the World Stage that South Africa has prepared for the most popular sport on the planet.

Stay tuned, this is going to be anexciting first for the African continent.  The buzz all around the region is, "We are ready to welcome the world to South Africa!"

Welcome to Botswana! -- A travel adventure

We left South Africa for Botswana on Friday.  What an ordeal! 

This was a 4 hour trip by road to the South Africa/Botswana border.  Little did we know that the internal borders in African countries have become security gauntlets because of the World Cup.  Everyone going and coming is scrutinized, and all luggage is searched by hand.  We had to register our computers -- model, type, serial number -- to leave the country. And then show proof of ownership when entering Botswana.  There are road fees, rental car border crossing fees, and more paperwork to verify who we are staying with (name, address, and phone numbers). All the processes at these border crossings are based on hand written forms and manual entries into the computer systems.

After our 4 hour drive to the border, the crossing took 2 hours.  We were more exhausted standing in the multiple queues than from the drive.  But all is well that ends well.  Our hosts were very gracious and accommodating.  The Malepa family lives in the capital of Gaborone.

We attended worship sevices with them on Sunday.  This was a special occasion for me because the tradition in the churches is for the guest of honor to deliver the sermon for the day. I was prepared for this invitation, and enjoyed the opportunity to share a lesson titled "What Matters Most -- Love."

During worship services, a small boy -- 3 years old -- became fascinated with me, and insisted on giving me his two coins, rather than place them in the offering.  I accepted his gift -- which amounts to less than a 1 cent USA.  I will treasure these coins from this little boy named Prince.  His gift only served to prompt us to be more generous.  He was such a blessing to us, and shared our blessing with the congregation at the Broadhurst Church of Christ in Gaborone.

On Monday, we leave for a short safari here in Botswana.  We will share photos in our next post.

Former President Mandela may attend opening match

We arived in South Africa on June 2nd.  The entire country is fired up for this world class event.  Everyone is shouting "Bafana! Bafana!" -- the nickname of the South African national team.  Bafana means "the boys."  Everyone is shouting their support for the home team.  No African team has advanced to the finals of the world Cup.  If enthusiasm counts for anything, the South African team certainly has the support of the nation to go a long way.  Even former President Mandela has joined in the exciement.

Mandela Might Be At Opening Game
Chris Bathembu, BUANews


Former president Nelson Mandela might be in attendance at the 2010 Fifa World Cup opening match between South Africa and Mexico on Friday 11 June, Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile has confirmed.


Speaking to the SABC in Pretoria on Wednesday, Stofile said Mandela had personally requested tickets for the match, which takes place at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

"He demanded his tickets for the opening match and the final, and Fifa had agreed to that demand," Stofile said.

There were fears that the 91-year-old statesman would not be able to attend the event due to age and health considerations.

'Exciting moment'

Mandela was present in May 2004 when Fifa made the historic decision to award South Africa the right to host the world's biggest single-code sporting event.

At the time, Mandela said he felt like a "young boy" expressing his excitement.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter on Wednesday said it was important for both Fifa and South Africa that Mandela attended the opening match.

"For Fifa and for South Africa it would be a very exciting moment if Mandela is attending this first World Cup in Africa," Blatter said.

South Africa -- Prepared for the Big Stage

Nine South Africdan cities and ten stadiums  have been built or renovated for the biggest soccer event in the world.  Take a look at these venues.  During our trip, we will see many of these and witness the best soccer in the world with friends all over the country.


Cape Town
Cape Town, at the foot of iconic Table Mountain, is a cosmopolitan city with beautiful natural surrounds.
Green Point Stadium



Durban
The city's "golden mile", a four kilometre stretch of beaches, restaurants and promenades, holds pride of place in culturally varied Durban.
Durban Stadium



Johannesburg
The city is a financial Juggernaut on the African continent. Pulsating with energy and drive, Johannesburg is a hub of culture and excitement.
Ellis Park Stadium



Johannesburg Soccer City
For a long time Soccer City was the only South African stadium dedicated to the beautiful game and is a fitting finals venue.




Mangaung/Bloemfontein
Mangaung/Bloemfontein's open spaces reflect the openness of its people - friendly, warm and quietly dignified.
Free State Stadium



Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth has a 40 kilometre stretch of immaculate beaches in a protected bay.
Port Elizabeth Stadium


Nelspruit
Surrounded by some of the country's most spectacular game reserves and the famous Kruger National Park, Nelspruit offers more than just a world-class football stadium. Nelspruit is the capital of Mpumalanga Province.
Mbombela Stadium


Polokwane
Polokwane is often described as a vibrant, busy and colourful wonderland in a sea of grasslands, surrounded by scenic mountains.
Peter Mokaba Stadium



Rustenburg
In the heart of the savannah bushveld is the city of Rustenburg, brimming with natural beauty at the foot of the Magaliesburg Mountains.
Royal Bafokeng Stadium



Tshwane/Pretoria
Tshwane/Pretoria's rich and colourful heritage makes the city come alive with a unique blend of new and old.
Loftus Versfeld Stadium 


Click Here to read the full article about these destinations.

USA Defeats Turkey in warmup match

Two weeks before they open their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ against England, United States players rallied from a woeful first half for a confidence-boosting 2-1 victory over Turkey on Saturday.

Read the full article here.

Returning to the Land of Ubuntu

I will be blogging for the next few weeks (June 1 through July 18, 2010) from South Africa  -- the Land of Ubuntu.

I had the life-changing experience of living in South Africa at the end of the Apartheid era, and the birth of the New South Africa.  One of my most thrilling moments was meeting Nelson Mandela and shaking his hand. He was such a warm and engaging man with wisdom and charm to fill any room.  His enduring stamp on the future of that new nation was the call to everyone to live with the "Spirit of Ubuntu -- I am because of who you are."

This is a collaborative challenge to those who were once adversaries to combine their respective strengths into a new, and stronger nation.  Recently, Morgan Freeman played Mandela  in the movie "Invictus."  This movie was set around the South African Rugby Team and their quest to win the Rugby world cup in 1996.  I was living in South Africa at the time, and witnessed the impact of a nation coalescing in support of a sports team.  When the South African Springboks won, the unity of purpose extended beyond sports into the fabric of the nation.  The response was invigorating, and led to one and all, asking with a smile, "How do you like our new South Africa?"

I am returning to the Land of Ubuntu to enjoy the World Cup Soccer matches from June 11th to July 11th.  I don't know what the chances of South Africa winning may be, but I do know that this nation has accepted the challenge of stepping onto the world stage to host this great event.  In the Group Matches, I wll be cheering for Team USA.  If our team advances beyond the Group Matches, we will be there to support them.  Most of our time, however, will be spent with our South African brothers and sisters -- renewing the bonds that link us to the motherland.

I look forward to sharing our "once in a lifetime experience" back to the Land of Ubuntu.