The party's over.....

Yes, I returned alive, for those of you still worried. What I have learned about blogging while on the road is:

have your own laptop -- staying in cheapo backpackers (as they are called in SA, or Youth Hostels as I know them) is not conducive to regular blogging
set aside regular time each day to write
don't fill every WC day with a round of golf, driving 600kms, or a WC match

A month later I remain filled with fond WC memories, in spite of England's dire performances. Vuvuzela debates continue, with clubs even banning them at Premier League games. I rather liked the atmosphere they created in the stadium. Though those who watched on TV or listened on the radio seemed to be universally against them. During a dull game -- and let's face it there were too many of them -- watching the local (ie. black) SA fans dancing and blowing their vuvus was much enjoyable. It's certainly part of their modern match-going culture. Foreign fans took to them too. Each passenger on the flight home carried 3 on with their hand-luggage. We almost needed special vuvuzela storage space. My vuvu sits on my office desk, which causes much amusement in Kabul.

In fact I have just completed my WC reading, a fabulous, beautiful and poignant book "Ways of Staying" by Kevin Bloom which explores the fears of white South Africans in post-Apartheid SA. It was a pleasure to meet SAs from many backgrounds and colours. Afrikaaner farmers at Legends Golf Course who worried about the 3,000 white farmers murdered since the ANC took power. They fear one day the country will be as bad as Zimbabwe is today. White 'British' (ie. they are not Afrikaans) SAs in Bloemfontein who had recently moved up from the Cape whose (black) domestic helpers had insisted they wanted to move with them, even though they didn't speak the local language of Bloemfontein. This couple believed it largely boiled down to how one treated such help.

I wish also to apologise to the Zulu Blonde Brewery Company just outside of Durban. They kindly wrote me a note about the name of this blog, which I blatantly plagiarised from them since I loved their logo. Those little photos may have a name which Luddites like me have yet to grasp. Anyway, I promised to visit them as it had been my plan on my pre-WC itinerary though it never materialised, for the following reason. The day after the remarkable Swiss defeat of the eventual champs, Spain, in Durban, I had hoped to spend a day sampling the delights of Zulu Blonde, which my hostel told me was a 90 minute drive away. Plans on match day however went a little awry. Playing the Durban Country Club -- a top ten ranked golf course in the country -- was my priority. I tried to do this early on match day. The club's entrance however is literally 200 metres from the stadium and their car park would no doubt be handy for many fans. Not oblivious to this fact, and no doubt with a little help from our dear friends at FIFA, security arrangements meant no entry to the club on the match morning unless one had a prior tee-time, which I didn't. To cut a long story short I had to play the course the following day -- and boy was it worth it -- the SA Open will be played their in December this year, so look out for it on the telly -- even though they doubled the green fees for the duration of the tournament. A "world Cup Special" they called it. Though at R850 ($112), it was still cheaper than Dubai. So I missed my ale at Zulu Blonde. Next time, inshallah.