27 May 2010

Just watched Bafana and Columbia at Soccer City, ears are stilling ringing from the crazy blares of the Vuvuzelas. We left home at 17:30 and reached grounds at 18:45, the stadium was relatively empty when we arrived and there was ample parking close to the grounds. I opted not to use the park and ride this time because of my last experience. This was my time at a live international soccer match.

Soccer city is an amazing stadium and even more amazing at night, a spectacle wonderous to behold. There was a vibrant and cheerful atmosphere by thousands of people about to get a firsthand experience of this world class stadium.  Tonight was the first night that Bafana played at this multibillion rand stadium where they will play again in the opening match of the world cup against Mexico.

I have been eager in anticipation since Monday, listening to the excitement mount over the radio. Tickets for this match were sold by Tuesday afternoon, I got my tickets on Monday. We entered at gate 13 armed with a Vuvuzela that we bought just outside the stadium to add to the buzz inside the rustic calabash. The biting cold did not hinder the droves of people that came to enjoy the match and Soccer City.

The match, which I had problems paying attention to, was full of surprises. All three goals came from the penalty spot. Bafana scored first with a penalty by Teko Modise, while Columbia blasted home the equaliser just before half-time. The Colombians were in trouble when Katlego Mphela made it 2-1 from the penalty spot after a Columbian defender fouled Tshabalala inside his penalty area.

The referee deserved man of the match because of his efforts in aiding South Africas victory. Singing the national anthem for the first time at Soccer City, blowing the vuvuzela till I couldn’t blow it anymore and cheering for Matthew Booth all made for this a memorable experience that’s got me all charged up for the world cup.

I went to renew my licence today at the local licencing department after months of procrastination, my first effort counted for zilch when I went with Meneer Ala Krans, the guy behind counter told me that I can only renew from where I registered. Much to my dismay I resigned myself to renewing it the at local licensing office.

So my renewel adventure begins on Thursday morning at 7am, the licencing office only opens at 9am, so I patiently waited. At 9am I had the privilege of being first in line speaking to Mr. Dlamini, a driver working for a delivery company in City Deep who was there to register two vehicles, a Toyota Hilux bakkie and a Isuzu bakkie which both added up to r632-00.

At the counter I was met by a burly women who was drinking her coffee reading the Daily Sun, she was very reluctant to serve me and said that I needed to make a copy of my id document at the counter I filled out my renewal form, at the renewal counter I stood in line for 7 minutes waiting to make a copy, when I reached the counter he said to me in a disinterested tone, "tha photocopier is fucked, please go and do it outside”. Now, if you have ever been to the Wadeville licening department, you will now that guy that sits at the gate along with mobile id photo business sits about 500m away from the licencing office, so extremely agitated, I walked to him to make my id photocopy.

When I got to him, there were already people waiting in line, this dude is sitting on some kind of tripod chair, with his hp printer/scanner/fax machine on his lap connected to a portable battery with a ream of Typek paper on the floor, 6 people are in line before me, one photocopy takes about 2 minutes to complete after which he has to re-adjust his print cartridge, I stood in the sun for about 25 minutes until I got to him at which point his battery failed and he had to disconnect an lick the terminals to give it a few minutes extra charge, this exercise took another 3 minutes, eventually I got my one photocopy which cost R2 and made my way 500m back to the renewal line, I was fortunate that by this time there were only 9 people in line ahead of me and the line was moving at a steady pace.

I received my new licence disk just after 10am