SSR Vol5 FIFA- WC-SA

by Jean Dugas Finally, I will also remember how South Africans responded with pride and great success to the challenge of hosting

the World Cup. Under heavy scrutiny for years until the opening kick-off, they proved to the world that they could host an important international event. Even if there was a few bumps in the road, they adjusted, they succeeded. It was, by far, my best Word Cup experience.

A lot was said in the media about the infamous vuvuzelas: their noise and how it was a cultural thing for South Africans. That might be so, but the plastic vuvuzelas that flooded the stadium are a far cry from the ancestral kind of old Africa. I got the chance to see a real one played by a youngster at a cultural celebration in a township. The commercial plastic vuvuzelas are basically just a cheap replica. The real ones are hand-carved with precision in some kind of wooden material and in a spiral manner (see picture below). They are not straight like the vuvuzelas we saw everywhere. Jean Dugas reporting the moment

In South Africa... the vuvuzela sound was like no other. Back home in Canada, people were frustrated by the constant buzz, comparable to bees, that could be heard. Well, I think it was a broadcasting ripple effect because in South Africa, even though the same constant sound was present, I didn’t feel annoyed by «bees

». Yes there was a hum, but there was also some melody to it. People from one part of the stadium were answering to their counterparts on the other side of the field and so on. Alright, I must admit that the noise was some- times deafening. Ear plugs? That’s for wimps! The vuvuzela was part of the experience! Those Bafana Bafana games (and even the ones of other African nations!) were probably the loudest games - all sports combined - that I’ve attended. Doesn’t help either when you are sitting right beside a section of vuvu’s in the stadium... However, let it be known that one vuvuzela is annoying. Thousands sound great.

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