onside

We South Africans always knew
we were Utterly Fabulous.

Just born to it sort of thing.

Whether others knew and/or agreed
was irrelevant.


Nor did we we need to justify our Utter Fabulousness
in any way
by any normal standards.

Fabulousness is, after all,
A Given.


(Just like nine year old Mathew and his dad
discovering the most ancient recorded hominid in history
Australopithecus Sediba .
Right in our own back yard.

All in a day's work.
Just part of the magic really.

Would Sediba have chosen anywhere else to come to light?
And with such exquisite pre World Cup timing? )


Nor did we need to bother about a lot of stuff
most other people had to take on board
just to get by.

Like punctuality, for instance.
(A fairly unknown African concept.)

Or even pitching up.
(A poorly understood one.)


So it was no surprise really
that we have hosted the World Cup
with such spectacular success.

(Well maybe just a teensy tiny sort of surprise . )


And it was certainly no surprise that the rest of the world fell in love
with the spirit the energy the magic the colour the beauty of Africa.
And its people.


What was, however, a great surprise,
was that
the right team
got to the right stadium
in the right place
on the right day

and Even Ran On To The Field On Time.

To find the spectators
all 45000 to 92000 of them
already in their seats
also on time
and waiting expectantly for the game to start.

But not having wasted even a nanosecond
waiting for the real "jol" to begin.

Police even managed to suss Paris Hilton on the stand In Port Elizabeth
smoking dagga,
and "escort" her off the premises.

The Nelson Mandela Stadium and Mount Road Police Station
have become our very own Hollywood Footprints of the Stars.


Not only have we have amazed the rest of the world.
We have amazed ourselves as well.


Utter Fabulousness turns out to have been just the start!