Overcoming those noisy neighbour blues- Part II

Today we look at more options that you have in salvaging your long lost sleep which fell victim to your noisy neighbour and his or her band of merry men. One reader in response to yesterday’s post, suggested joining the party. Yes it is said, “If you can’t beat them join them” but not in such a scenario. You will never fit into your neighbour’s social habits because your drinking skills, dance moves, vociferousness, and tolerance to hard drugs either do not exist or are of no match to these seasoned revellers. Another complication might be that your partner will not take too kindly to you fraternising with party freaks from next door, lest you lose that innocence that you have worked so hard to pretend you have. The third disadvantage of going this route is that your neighbour’s guests will automatically become your future guests as well. Put in another way, your home will no longer be just for you and your sweetheart.

A better option is to invite your neighbour for supper or a drink at your place. While chatting, you must then cook up a tale about how you had visitors last night who came to watch the world cup soccer match between Spain and Honduras. Say how you apologise for their screams of “Feel it, it is here,” and, “Ayoba! ” which you are sure must have awoken him at the very late hour of nine p.m when half the world was in dreamland already. For extra punch, you might have to say how you support the calls for FIFA to ban the vuvuzela because the bloody things are maddeningly noisy!. Hopefully this act of yours will convince your neighbour that normal people do not blow vuvuzelas and they are in bed, asleep, by nine oclock. Make sure that your vuvuzela is not visible for the duration of this visit.

You could also mention that you overheard the caretaker talking to someone about how the chap who lives at the far end of the complex is an undercover cop at the drugs and narcotics squad and is on the verge of arresting drug junkies who frequent the area.. Your neighbour will reassure you that he was also watching the soccer and nine o’clock is not late. Stick to your guns and be even more apologetic for the inconvenience that your “visitors” caused last night. If this does not not bring remorse and the required change of behaviour, then you are left with the options which I will give in tomorrow’s final post on this topic…(to be continued)

"Feel it!" Life lessons of the world cup for Mzansi!

Few of those who are shouting world cup slogans such as “Ke nako,“ “Feel it, it is here, “ and “Pashasha moment,” seem to care what “it” is or what it is time for. Many are living for the moment and have a surface understanding that it is all about this month of the global soccer show case. Let us however try and get more from the world cup experience than just the fun and excitement that will not live beyond the closing ceremony when the celebrations have ended and the visitors have left.

The world cup has come to South Africa at a time when the nation is bleeding from festering wounds of intense division in terms of racism, class struggles, political squabbles, xenophobia, ethnic friction and a host of other unsavoury divisions. It arrives at a time when there are some government officials backing the singing of racist songs encouraging black people to shoot Boers. It comes also at a time when we have seen some Boers taking up arms in readiness to declare an independent Afrikaner state.

This world cup experience should not be light glue such as was the Rugby world cup of 1995 and the African Cup of Nations of 1996 which were both hosted and won by South Africa. What do I mean by light glue? Those two events brought bonds, joy, national unity and harmony that were unfortunately short lived. Those of us witnessing the events back then from our TV screens outside of South Africa marvelled at how the nation rallied behind the Springboks and Bafana Bafana and propelled them to victory. It was a delight to see the rainbow nation unfold, people of all walks of life, shapes, colours and political affiliation, uniting and embracing each other. Apartheid and all its poison was finally dead and buried, so it seemed. Down the line, when the curtain fell and the euphoria of victory wore off, people realised that they were back at the proverbial ranch. It was time to go back to the “normal,” days of hatred and intolerance. Even Mandela‘s “Madiba effect,” could not prevent this back track to the status quo.

The first lesson that must not be forgotten from the 2010 experience is that with a concerted, extra effort to work hard, the nation can achieve great things in a short time. One only needs to look at the road developments, the marvellous stadia that South Africa now boasts of, the face lifted buildings and the newly formed business enterprises and it soon dawns on you that all this would not have happened without that spark in the form of the 2010 soccer extravaganza.

Another equally important lesson is that of hospitality. The country is presently swarming with visitors from all walks of life and various continents. They are experiencing a warm Mzansi welcome. Hopefully this hospitality is not just driven by economic motives and is a genuine desire to meet, interact and appreciate visitors from across the borders and seas. A friend of mine noted recently that the South African media loves to talk about the many “foreigners," who are here for the world cup. That word is used more than the term “ visitors,” or “guests,” and has subtle connotations of an unwelcoming society. Hopefully those that advocate for xenophobia will realise through '2010, the fact that the world is now a global village and they need to rid themselves of the closed box that they have trapped themselves in.

It was delightful to see the Blue Bulls rugby team and their fans adapt wonderfully to their new, albeit temporary home in Orlando, Soweto. Had the world cup not necessitated the move, the camaraderie that has recently developed between the predominantly white Bulls fans and their black hosts of Soweto is something that should be witnessed more often. Decades from now, it can only be hoped and encouraged that there will be more black fans from the townships mingling with their white counterparts, at soccer and rugby stadia, embracing each other’s passion for sport and the only colour of importance being their team colours.

I am sure there are many more life lessons that can be learned but it all has to do with the angle at which the populace wants to view this world cup experience. This is undoubtedly the biggest world event that has been hosted in this part of the world. Let it not be hosted in vain. Let us feel it and make sure that it is here to stay!