100 Days

Yesterday marked 100 days until the start of the first World Cup on African soil. The big question being asked is, is South Africa ready?

The answer is a resounding... sort of. The stadiums seem to be ready, apart from the one stadium that was built from scratch for the tournament. It isn't scheduled for completion until the end of May. Cutting it a little close there boys. Due to the clay-rich soil under the field, the sod has been laid down and pulled up twice. Crossing my fingers on that one.

Crime is crime. More officers are being added, but when you have a very poor population living alongside a very wealthy one, things tend to happen. If visitors are smart and heed advice, there's shouldn't be reason to worry, but alcohol and ignorance tend to play into the bad guys' hands.

One of the most contenscious issues is transportation. Due to the lack of a public transportation infrastructure, travel between match sites will largely fall upon the airlines' shoulders. Extra manpower, flights and planes are being added, though worryingly an investigation into price fixing is on the horizon. Some flights within the country have tripled in price recently, and that "windfall profit" type of mentality really threatens to spoil the event. This country will make enough money without having to resort to ripping people off.

Now for a little primer. A vuvuzela is a large plastic horn that South Africans blow at soccer matches. From a distance it sounds kinda cool. Next to your head it sounds like a migraine. Ear plugs are good. Bafana Bafana means "the boys", and is the nickname of the South African soccer team. Usually the hosting nation gets a little boost performance wise playing in front of their own fans, but most are pessimistic about Bafana's chances of progressing out of the group stage. Soccer City, pictured above, is the site of the opening match and the final. I will be attending a group stage match between Ghana and Germany there, as well as the US versus Slovenia match in Ellis Park (provided I pick up my tickets without a hastle). I'm also hoping to score some seats to the opener (South Africa versus Mexico), but am relying on the generosity of others to do so. Regardless, it should be an amazing time.