Well, the end of the trip has come for me. I'm flying back to Canada in about six hours. It's been a hell of a ride. The highs (watching Korea games), the lows (missing the England game) and everything in between (meeting great people), it was definitely all worth it.
I totally want to do this again in four years, when Brazil will be hosting the World Cup. Save your money, book your tickets and let's head down!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Port Elizabeth = heart
Port Elizabeth is a really nice place. Similar to Durban as it is on the seaside, but much more relaxed and less of the beachbum/surfertown feel to it.
My impressions of the cities I've been to are as follows:
Joburg: Great hostel, met so many great people, but the city is so shit I would never want to visit or live there.
Durban/PE: Great cities, but I've found it tougher to meet people, mostly due to the structure of the hostels I'm staying at. At Diamond Diggers in Joburg, it was basically built as a huge house, and it made it much easier to meet people.
I have one more match left, and it's going to be a doozy: Uruguay vs. South Korea, 2nd round. It's going to be a tough test for Korea for sure. Uruguay have looked real good in the group stages, including an impressive 3-0 win over Bafana Bafana.
The other 2nd round matchups are shaping up to be crackers too, including England and Germany.
Sorry for the short entry, but I'm almost out of internet time. GO KOREA!!! DAE HAN MIN GUK!!!!!! FIGHTING!!!!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Choked from yesterday's debacle but.... (NSFW or kids)
still glad that I'm alive, not robbed, raped, stabbed or shot at.... yet.
Yesterday was probably the worst day on the trip. I arrived at the Durban airport to the gate to catch my flight to Port Elizabeth. I was already on a tight schedule because I was due to land in PE at 2:30pm and catch the crunch tie between England and Slovenia at 4:00pm. I had already made the arrangements to get picked up, dropped off at the airport, and have my bag dropped off at the hostel. Unfortunately for me, none of this happened.
I got to the gate at approximately 12:56pm. There is a bus that takes you all the way out to the plane. The bus doors were OPEN, yet the man standing at the door said I was too late and can't let me go. I objected and said that the bus hasn't left yet and that I must catch this flight. He says sorry I cannot let you do that. He says something to the bus driver, the doors close, and he's off. Knowing how everything here runs on African time (ie. late) and that everything is supposed to happen "just now" (just now is a saying that people use to let you know how long it will take for something to happen. 'Mom will be here just now.' How long that actually means? I've no fuckin' idea) I don't see how it was a problem to let me on the bus. Sadly, I did miss the England game and I'm out $120 plus whatever value you would add to the excitement of being at a World Cup game.
Nevertheless, I'm trying not to let it damper my spirits. I'm in PE now, which is a cool little seaside town. I'm here for a few more days before I catch an epic 2nd round clash between Uruguay and South Korea.
I should talk about the SK/Nigeria game a little bit. In short, that is what the World Cup is all about. Being down in the lower section with the other Koreans made the game that much more exciting for me. Everyone was singing and chanting the whole game, even though most of the crowd was behind Nigeria and people wanted to see an African team progress. I'm going to post some epic videos that I took from that game. I hung around after to have some photo ops with people, which was also real cool. There's also a small chance that I made it onto Korean TV or newspaper (have I been seen in any newspapers, my friends in Korea?) as there were a ton of cameramen and photographers taking shots of us. This then lead to the surprise of the trip. I see a familiar face walk by me. He definitely looked familiar, and I was so sure it was a friend of mine from the hostel in Johannesburg. Low and behold, it turned out to be my friend Cameron Dwyer, who I hung out with some. He came down here on a whim with my two other friends Kevin and Jonathan. So, I ended up going to their hostel and celebrating the big win. I went pretty crazy after the game, running around waving my flag like K'Naan had suggested me to do and was yelling things like "KOREAAAA!!!! AHHHH FUCK YEAH!!!!! I FUCKIN' LOVE YOU SOUTH AFRICAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"
It was truly the moment of the tournament for me. Hopefully though, this trip has a couple more memories in store.
Yesterday was probably the worst day on the trip. I arrived at the Durban airport to the gate to catch my flight to Port Elizabeth. I was already on a tight schedule because I was due to land in PE at 2:30pm and catch the crunch tie between England and Slovenia at 4:00pm. I had already made the arrangements to get picked up, dropped off at the airport, and have my bag dropped off at the hostel. Unfortunately for me, none of this happened.
I got to the gate at approximately 12:56pm. There is a bus that takes you all the way out to the plane. The bus doors were OPEN, yet the man standing at the door said I was too late and can't let me go. I objected and said that the bus hasn't left yet and that I must catch this flight. He says sorry I cannot let you do that. He says something to the bus driver, the doors close, and he's off. Knowing how everything here runs on African time (ie. late) and that everything is supposed to happen "just now" (just now is a saying that people use to let you know how long it will take for something to happen. 'Mom will be here just now.' How long that actually means? I've no fuckin' idea) I don't see how it was a problem to let me on the bus. Sadly, I did miss the England game and I'm out $120 plus whatever value you would add to the excitement of being at a World Cup game.
Nevertheless, I'm trying not to let it damper my spirits. I'm in PE now, which is a cool little seaside town. I'm here for a few more days before I catch an epic 2nd round clash between Uruguay and South Korea.
I should talk about the SK/Nigeria game a little bit. In short, that is what the World Cup is all about. Being down in the lower section with the other Koreans made the game that much more exciting for me. Everyone was singing and chanting the whole game, even though most of the crowd was behind Nigeria and people wanted to see an African team progress. I'm going to post some epic videos that I took from that game. I hung around after to have some photo ops with people, which was also real cool. There's also a small chance that I made it onto Korean TV or newspaper (have I been seen in any newspapers, my friends in Korea?) as there were a ton of cameramen and photographers taking shots of us. This then lead to the surprise of the trip. I see a familiar face walk by me. He definitely looked familiar, and I was so sure it was a friend of mine from the hostel in Johannesburg. Low and behold, it turned out to be my friend Cameron Dwyer, who I hung out with some. He came down here on a whim with my two other friends Kevin and Jonathan. So, I ended up going to their hostel and celebrating the big win. I went pretty crazy after the game, running around waving my flag like K'Naan had suggested me to do and was yelling things like "KOREAAAA!!!! AHHHH FUCK YEAH!!!!! I FUCKIN' LOVE YOU SOUTH AFRICAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"
It was truly the moment of the tournament for me. Hopefully though, this trip has a couple more memories in store.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Just a quick entry
Hey all,
Only got time for a real quick entry before I catch the bus into town.
There's a massive massive game tonight between Nigeria and South Korea, which will decide on who qualifies to the second round, with Greece also having an outside chance if they manage to beat Argentina.
The trip to Durban has been short, but sweet. It's a beautiful town which reminds me of Melbourne. I'm off to Port Elizabeth tomorrow to watch England play Slovenia. Hopefully we're in for some more drama this World Cup. Ciao all, my bus is coming!
Only got time for a real quick entry before I catch the bus into town.
There's a massive massive game tonight between Nigeria and South Korea, which will decide on who qualifies to the second round, with Greece also having an outside chance if they manage to beat Argentina.
The trip to Durban has been short, but sweet. It's a beautiful town which reminds me of Melbourne. I'm off to Port Elizabeth tomorrow to watch England play Slovenia. Hopefully we're in for some more drama this World Cup. Ciao all, my bus is coming!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Brazil/Ivory Coast and what's next for me
Went to the Brazil/Ivory Coast game, which was held at Soccer City in Joburg. It was a real entertaining match, which included highlights such as: A great flick up/half volley goal from Fabiano, a sending off for Kaka! I'm pretty sure you will be able to see the highlights for that.
I also must say, CONGRATULATIONS to New Zealand on tying the World Cup champions, Italy. An impressive defensive performance, and that penalty was such a dive. I can't believe the Italians get away with all the crap they pull. The one time that it turned against them (vs. Korea in 2002), they start pulling the bribery card. They've built that reputation for being referee cons for years and years and it finally bit them in the ass. But sadly, they get away with it time and time again.
I actually should be in bed right now. It's 3:30 am and I'm not even packed to go to Durban yet! My plane leaves in about 5 hours, eek!
As I just mentioned, I'm off to Durban, but will only be there for two days. I'm gonna go watch the Nigeria/South Korea match. It's a huge huge game, considering that this will determine qualification in the group. With Argentina already having 6 points and also playing Greece, a win looks likely there. With South Korea on 3 points and a -1 goal difference, Nigeria on 0 points with a -2 goal differential, that would mean a 1-0 Nigeria win would see them trhough which also means that South Korea can advance with a draw. After that, I will spend the last leg of my trip in Port Elizabeth. My flight lands at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, and the match between England and Slovenia starts at 4:30 pm! Add the fact that I'm bringing my huge backpack full of clothes, this poses a potential problem for me, ugh! I emailed the hostel that I'm staying at, hoping they can pick me up at the airport, drop me off at the stadium and bring my bag with them to the hostel, fingers crossed!
Finally, my friend Shawn is also in South Africa with his wife. He told me that he met Steve Nash the other day! Maybe we're in for a possible Steve Nash meeting at the England game? Time will tell.
I also must say, CONGRATULATIONS to New Zealand on tying the World Cup champions, Italy. An impressive defensive performance, and that penalty was such a dive. I can't believe the Italians get away with all the crap they pull. The one time that it turned against them (vs. Korea in 2002), they start pulling the bribery card. They've built that reputation for being referee cons for years and years and it finally bit them in the ass. But sadly, they get away with it time and time again.
I actually should be in bed right now. It's 3:30 am and I'm not even packed to go to Durban yet! My plane leaves in about 5 hours, eek!
As I just mentioned, I'm off to Durban, but will only be there for two days. I'm gonna go watch the Nigeria/South Korea match. It's a huge huge game, considering that this will determine qualification in the group. With Argentina already having 6 points and also playing Greece, a win looks likely there. With South Korea on 3 points and a -1 goal difference, Nigeria on 0 points with a -2 goal differential, that would mean a 1-0 Nigeria win would see them trhough which also means that South Korea can advance with a draw. After that, I will spend the last leg of my trip in Port Elizabeth. My flight lands at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, and the match between England and Slovenia starts at 4:30 pm! Add the fact that I'm bringing my huge backpack full of clothes, this poses a potential problem for me, ugh! I emailed the hostel that I'm staying at, hoping they can pick me up at the airport, drop me off at the stadium and bring my bag with them to the hostel, fingers crossed!
Finally, my friend Shawn is also in South Africa with his wife. He told me that he met Steve Nash the other day! Maybe we're in for a possible Steve Nash meeting at the England game? Time will tell.
Friday, June 18, 2010
USA vs. Slovenia, and why England doesn't win
Hey guys. I went to the USA/Slovenia game today, which was being played at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. It's only a 15 minute walk away from where I'm staying. It's a real nice stadium, which was home to the 1995 Rugby World Cup (think Invictus).
Both teams played with a lot of energy, but Slovenia put two goals on the board before the end of the first half. I thought the U.S. were a bit unlucky not to be a goal down because they did play pretty well, especially Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley (not just a coach's son). During the second half, the U.S. knew they had to put the petal to the medal. It resulted in an early goal, by Landon Donovan. And the crowd went crazy. I was actually really surprised at how well behaved the Americans in the crowd were. Apparently only the nice Americans travel. The U.S. I thought controlled the second half for the most part, with Slovenia only getting a few counter attacking chances. This pressure finally resulted in the equalizer as Michael Bradley put one away in the 82nd minute.
Just finished watching England play Algeria to a 0-0 borefest. England were shit in every sense of the imagination.: no creativity, no quality, no urgency. With 5 minutes left, I see Wayne Rooney walking with the ball in his own half. There's really no excuse for that if they're constantly billed as the "best England team ever" and other similar headlines.
I think the reason why England are not successful is due to a little bit of bad luck, but for the most part, they lack heart. Their big game players are not being big game players. They're the ones that are supposed to step up, take over games, and win them for you. I don't see that in them. Where's Wayne Rooney and his shitload of goals that he scored for Man United? Where's Captain Steven Gerrard when you need a goal? Something seems wrong with them for sure. They're gonna have to come up big vs. Slovenia, which I will be at.
Both teams played with a lot of energy, but Slovenia put two goals on the board before the end of the first half. I thought the U.S. were a bit unlucky not to be a goal down because they did play pretty well, especially Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley (not just a coach's son). During the second half, the U.S. knew they had to put the petal to the medal. It resulted in an early goal, by Landon Donovan. And the crowd went crazy. I was actually really surprised at how well behaved the Americans in the crowd were. Apparently only the nice Americans travel. The U.S. I thought controlled the second half for the most part, with Slovenia only getting a few counter attacking chances. This pressure finally resulted in the equalizer as Michael Bradley put one away in the 82nd minute.
Just finished watching England play Algeria to a 0-0 borefest. England were shit in every sense of the imagination.: no creativity, no quality, no urgency. With 5 minutes left, I see Wayne Rooney walking with the ball in his own half. There's really no excuse for that if they're constantly billed as the "best England team ever" and other similar headlines.
I think the reason why England are not successful is due to a little bit of bad luck, but for the most part, they lack heart. Their big game players are not being big game players. They're the ones that are supposed to step up, take over games, and win them for you. I don't see that in them. Where's Wayne Rooney and his shitload of goals that he scored for Man United? Where's Captain Steven Gerrard when you need a goal? Something seems wrong with them for sure. They're gonna have to come up big vs. Slovenia, which I will be at.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Bonus Blog
I should also report... had a real scary moment today. After I got dropped off from the shuttle bus, it was around a 10 minute walk back to my hostel. I ended up walking too far up the road, missed my turn and all of a sudden I was walking down a busy road with what looked like rundown houses on the side. This is where things start to get scary. Every person who passed me (must have been at least 50 people) kept giving me the stare and hard looks. On almost every occasion, I took a peek over my shoulder and they were looking back at me at the same time. I honestly thought there was a chance I was going to get jumped.
I walked into a small grocery store, asked the only white guy I had seen in the last while there for some directions back to the road I'm supposed to be on, but he gave me the most f'd up directions. This is what he said, "You go down the road (which direction?) and about 3 roads up, you take a left, then you go right, right, then right. That will take you back to Roberts Road.)
Gee, thanks. I ended up walking some more, finding a gas station and asked them to call me a cab. Close call.
I walked into a small grocery store, asked the only white guy I had seen in the last while there for some directions back to the road I'm supposed to be on, but he gave me the most f'd up directions. This is what he said, "You go down the road (which direction?) and about 3 roads up, you take a left, then you go right, right, then right. That will take you back to Roberts Road.)
Gee, thanks. I ended up walking some more, finding a gas station and asked them to call me a cab. Close call.
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