On my flight back from Cape Town, a group of 10 Uruguians (spelling?) were really rowdy. Then the loudest one got up and walked all the way down the plane taking a poll to see which passengers were rooting for Ghana and which for Uruguay. When I said Uruguay I got an applause. Ghana was favored about 2 to 1 though.
Then I struck up a conversation with the guy next to me. Turns out he is a Brit who is at his fourth World Cup. His first was USA '94 and he stayed at the Sharon Motel. Unlike Swansea, Sharon is in Massachusetts, but I still thought that was hilarious.
As far as Cape Town, I have a few thoughts:
1) Holy crap is it a beautiful city. Infinitely nicer than Joberg. Lush, green, on the water. I was really unprepared for it.
2) Had we stayed there, we would have died. I don't think it's any more dangerous than Joberg, but the problem is it feels too much like home. Long Street is the "Bourbon Street of South Africa" because it is lined with balconies with bars. While enjoying a beer on the balcony we saw a ridiculous scene take place about 20 feet away that included three police cars, two ambulances, a fight, a gate used to keep people out of an ally, several people on their knees with hands against the wall, a guy getting into a moving cab, and general confusion. The woman standing next to us said she saw a guy come out of the ally with a stab wound and get into a cab to go to the hospital while his friends yelled at police to do something. Overall, I could see some issues arising for us.
3) I also, for the first time in RSA, felt like a jackass for wearing my USA hoodie. The scene that I witnessed was very Euro/hipster and - although it could have beeen because it was the first day without a game - I did not see any World Cup spirit around. Except for the Uruguains. I love the World Cup.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Goodbye Harties
Now, just replace "Horses" with "Harties" and you're in business. Some final thoughts:
We will miss RSA, as scary and dodgy as it can be. We will miss Harties despite its electrical fence and echoes of apartheid and Anglo-Dutch repression. We will miss the moment in the supermarket when South Africa scored their second goal against France and everyone, black, white, American, Afrikaner, went ballistic with joy. Beyond all the guardhouses and running of red lights and poverty and fear, there is hope here. The people were wonderful and we were better for having met them.
Thanks to Noah, in a plagiarist but no less meaningful echoing previous posts. This would not have been possible without his planning and administrative voice. We can be disasters. So can Noah. On this trip, we remained confused and disoriented and he was well-versed, aware and prepared, all amidst the churn of thousands of words of journalistic copy everyday. Like the end of a public television broadcast, he gives full meaning to, "This was made possible by ...;" So we offer our thanks and continued admiration.
We will miss this US team. My teller at the bank today was from Ghana. He looked me in the eye and said, "It was joy to see Ghana win but it was sad to see USA go. They had real heart." Then he opened a credit card for me. I told him that Ghana's win was good for Africa but nonetheless crushing for us. He shook my hand and said, "We have so much here; we will be back." This statement was tough to read but reflected just how much "we" this US team engendered here. I don't know who he'll be rooting for in four years but, we will be back, hearts still full. See you in Brazil.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Goodbye, Harties, Goodbye
Today is the last full day in Hartbeespoort - pronounced har-teh-BEERS-port, as we learned from the Canadian/South African Red Sox fan who we sold our QF tickets too... but more on that below.
As with the 2006 trip, we've taken it upon ourselves to "experience" this great country after the U.S. was eliminated.
Saturday night was an incredible low point for everyone, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, we shared some beers with nice guys - one in full British soldier regalia - and by the time Noah got us home at 4am, our spirits were reasonable. Sunday was spent recovering.
Monday it was time to see Africa. A two-plus hour drive back towards Rustenberg saw us arrive at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. I'm not sure what our expectations were going in, but after about 5 minutes Geoff, gazing out into the brush, nearly drove us into an elephant. The elephant was enormous. Completely disregarded the road he was on. Geoff: astonished. Nate: in Noah's arms. Noah: in Nate's arms. Andrew: still filming. Incredible.
From there we spotted some hippos from afar, some zebras, giraffes and warthogs from quite close. But then after a friendly South African boy told us that there was a pride lions devouring a dead elephant, we raced back to the other side of the park. The image is difficult to describe. The elephant was enormous, but it's middle was missing. Lions were lazily sitting on its front and back leaning over a gaping hole in the middle. Really, really cool. Until the wind shifted. The stench that took over was a mix of garbage and death (not that I know what death smells like, but I'm guessing and I'm sure I'm right.) Thus concluded our trip to the game park.
From there we drove Geoff and Nate to the airport via two failed entries into Sun City and a stop at Nandos for dinner. During this time, Geoff fell out of love with both our GPS and South African drivers, but we nonetheless arrived safely.
As I write, Geoff and Nate are probably about 3 hours from landing in New York. I'm spending one last (chilly) afternoon on our sun deck. Noah is inside reading a book. For the record it cannot be emphasized enough what a goddamned hero Noah has been on this trip. Not only planning everything - EVERYTHING - but also working all day while we jackasses certainly did not. Noah, I love you. I'll handle Brazil.
Noah leaves tomorrow. I also leave tomorrow via an 18 hour stop in Cape Town just because. After a lot of hassling I managed to book a flight through Dakar that gets me home in 12 hours faster and 2 days earlier. Thank god.
This morning we sold our QF tickets, which was an amazingly bizarre experience. After accidentally showing up at a place where the ticket buyer was, he met us at Cinnabun. He then awkwardly stood with us while Noah waited for a terrible drink and told us how he had an epileptic episode after the Ghana game and blacked out in his bathroom, dislocating his jaw, cracking a few teeth and needing stitches. Then he took us up to his wife's high-end perfume shop where she made awkward/racist comments and gave us champagne. Great work everyone.
That's all from here. Probably the last post from Harties. Good luck and god bless.
As with the 2006 trip, we've taken it upon ourselves to "experience" this great country after the U.S. was eliminated.
Saturday night was an incredible low point for everyone, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, we shared some beers with nice guys - one in full British soldier regalia - and by the time Noah got us home at 4am, our spirits were reasonable. Sunday was spent recovering.
Monday it was time to see Africa. A two-plus hour drive back towards Rustenberg saw us arrive at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. I'm not sure what our expectations were going in, but after about 5 minutes Geoff, gazing out into the brush, nearly drove us into an elephant. The elephant was enormous. Completely disregarded the road he was on. Geoff: astonished. Nate: in Noah's arms. Noah: in Nate's arms. Andrew: still filming. Incredible.
From there we spotted some hippos from afar, some zebras, giraffes and warthogs from quite close. But then after a friendly South African boy told us that there was a pride lions devouring a dead elephant, we raced back to the other side of the park. The image is difficult to describe. The elephant was enormous, but it's middle was missing. Lions were lazily sitting on its front and back leaning over a gaping hole in the middle. Really, really cool. Until the wind shifted. The stench that took over was a mix of garbage and death (not that I know what death smells like, but I'm guessing and I'm sure I'm right.) Thus concluded our trip to the game park.
From there we drove Geoff and Nate to the airport via two failed entries into Sun City and a stop at Nandos for dinner. During this time, Geoff fell out of love with both our GPS and South African drivers, but we nonetheless arrived safely.
As I write, Geoff and Nate are probably about 3 hours from landing in New York. I'm spending one last (chilly) afternoon on our sun deck. Noah is inside reading a book. For the record it cannot be emphasized enough what a goddamned hero Noah has been on this trip. Not only planning everything - EVERYTHING - but also working all day while we jackasses certainly did not. Noah, I love you. I'll handle Brazil.
Noah leaves tomorrow. I also leave tomorrow via an 18 hour stop in Cape Town just because. After a lot of hassling I managed to book a flight through Dakar that gets me home in 12 hours faster and 2 days earlier. Thank god.
This morning we sold our QF tickets, which was an amazingly bizarre experience. After accidentally showing up at a place where the ticket buyer was, he met us at Cinnabun. He then awkwardly stood with us while Noah waited for a terrible drink and told us how he had an epileptic episode after the Ghana game and blacked out in his bathroom, dislocating his jaw, cracking a few teeth and needing stitches. Then he took us up to his wife's high-end perfume shop where she made awkward/racist comments and gave us champagne. Great work everyone.
That's all from here. Probably the last post from Harties. Good luck and god bless.
Monday, June 28, 2010
I still have no words
I almost cried watching that video. There was so much emotion leading up to that match, and to see us just get beat, flat beat, continues to be really tough pill to swallow. I actually thought this opening paragraph from nymag summed up this emotion pretty well:
And on top of that, we really deserved to lose. We fucked up on the first goal, and were outclassed on the second. For all the fight and effort we put into the 2nd half, when we did play well enough to win, coming away with only a penalty is a bottom line that can not be escaped. We have no one to look to but ourselves for that - no one can finish a breakaway or put a quality shot on goal other than the players, and the blame for that starts and ends there. And the real slap in the face came with how Ghana got that 2nd goal - almost the exact same play that Jozy could not finish in the 2nd half was the shot which they could. They did it, and we didn't. And that really sucks.
And so, the break-up process begins. I'm sure in the coming months this feeling will dissipate, and we will remember the amazing come-backs, the quality goals, and the heart that every player left on those fields. While we can question landon and clint and michael and tim's ability to come through under the heaviest of pressure, we cannot question their fight and spirit. Dempsey, Donovan and Bradley ran themselves dumb in that game, and they deserve credit and praise for that. Landon Donovan - you were our emotional leader, and you did it in South Africa. I'm going to miss all of them - Boca's play in the center, Demerrits heart, Bradleys work ethic, Donovans streak routes, Jozy's thuggery up top. Hopefully we can still be friends.
I'm also really fucking tired of losing to Ghana. That needs to stop.
So, I'm looking forward to your stories when you get back, having a passport again, hopefully not losing our shirts on the QF tickets, seeing if Holden and/or Torres can become a dynamic presence in the midfield, and if anyone wants to finish a goddamn chance on net up top next to Jozy. Also, can we start playing like the germans? While we do not posses their touch, their organization, especially on the break, is amazing. Quick passes with purpose, multiple moving parts, true teamwork. More of that. Less of this.
I love all of you.
Although maybe not ricardo clark.
"I woke up yesterday feeling a little like I got dumped. Watching the tournament without America in it was like being the one left behind in the apartment you used to share with your ex. You just keep walking around looking at spaces that seem to have grown larger and more empty somehow, driving yourself crazy with thoughts like, "I remember when Landon was kneeling at that spot. Things seemed so grand and full of promise then." Or, "It was just yesterday when Benny and Jozy were over there in the grass kicking the ball around. Why can't we go back and make it all right?"I just have this really immense feeling of loss right now. While the reality always was that the 2nd round was an expectation, and everything after that gravy, that somehow still doesn't console the the harsh reality that this team, that we poured so much energy into, no longer exists.
And on top of that, we really deserved to lose. We fucked up on the first goal, and were outclassed on the second. For all the fight and effort we put into the 2nd half, when we did play well enough to win, coming away with only a penalty is a bottom line that can not be escaped. We have no one to look to but ourselves for that - no one can finish a breakaway or put a quality shot on goal other than the players, and the blame for that starts and ends there. And the real slap in the face came with how Ghana got that 2nd goal - almost the exact same play that Jozy could not finish in the 2nd half was the shot which they could. They did it, and we didn't. And that really sucks.
And so, the break-up process begins. I'm sure in the coming months this feeling will dissipate, and we will remember the amazing come-backs, the quality goals, and the heart that every player left on those fields. While we can question landon and clint and michael and tim's ability to come through under the heaviest of pressure, we cannot question their fight and spirit. Dempsey, Donovan and Bradley ran themselves dumb in that game, and they deserve credit and praise for that. Landon Donovan - you were our emotional leader, and you did it in South Africa. I'm going to miss all of them - Boca's play in the center, Demerrits heart, Bradleys work ethic, Donovans streak routes, Jozy's thuggery up top. Hopefully we can still be friends.
I'm also really fucking tired of losing to Ghana. That needs to stop.
So, I'm looking forward to your stories when you get back, having a passport again, hopefully not losing our shirts on the QF tickets, seeing if Holden and/or Torres can become a dynamic presence in the midfield, and if anyone wants to finish a goddamn chance on net up top next to Jozy. Also, can we start playing like the germans? While we do not posses their touch, their organization, especially on the break, is amazing. Quick passes with purpose, multiple moving parts, true teamwork. More of that. Less of this.
I love all of you.
Although maybe not ricardo clark.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
It's Over ... It's Never Over
Echoing Andrew's post from last evening, the World Cup is over for us, it continues for others and it is certainly alive in our hearts. This has been an amazing journey and one that perhaps has only further laid the foundation of Americans who travel, a wonderful group of friends, and forever loyalty to the Red, White and Blue.
The emotions are complex. Luckily, we were not England, blown off the world stage by a hated rival. But then again, these are the same arguments people use to reduce all First World suffering; "Remember, there are starving children in Africa ...," turned to, "Hey, you could be England, France, Italy, Ireland, etc." Well, last night was uniquely and especially miserable, but fear is also the heart of love.
There is no glory without pain and no cheer without misery. Hopefully US fans can remember these facts and this team. We were not disgraced; we just lost. We will be in Brazil in 2014. We will continue to love these team and all these people. This was a wonderful ride. Thank you South Africa, all our friends, all the strangers we met and shared time with and all the football fans the world over. To everyone here and those carried in our hearts, our thanks, our commitment and our promise to return. USAmerica.
The emotions are complex. Luckily, we were not England, blown off the world stage by a hated rival. But then again, these are the same arguments people use to reduce all First World suffering; "Remember, there are starving children in Africa ...," turned to, "Hey, you could be England, France, Italy, Ireland, etc." Well, last night was uniquely and especially miserable, but fear is also the heart of love.
There is no glory without pain and no cheer without misery. Hopefully US fans can remember these facts and this team. We were not disgraced; we just lost. We will be in Brazil in 2014. We will continue to love these team and all these people. This was a wonderful ride. Thank you South Africa, all our friends, all the strangers we met and shared time with and all the football fans the world over. To everyone here and those carried in our hearts, our thanks, our commitment and our promise to return. USAmerica.
See you in Brazil
I can't put everything into words yet.
But this trip has been an incredible experience.
Last night's loss was terrible. The hatred that I know have for Ghana is solidified in a way that it wasn't in 2006. They spent 30 minutes diving left and right. Terrible. That being said, we didn't finish; we didn't possess in the midfield; our back line got beat; and Tim Howard didn't show up in a major way. Crushing defeat.
We were in the stadium until they kicked us about 45 minutes after the game ended. But the experience was summed up by our time at the bar/cafe across the street, where we spoke with Germans, South Africans, Brits, hundreds of Americans, some Ghanians. Incredible, global experience.
As I sit here, delirious and exhausted, my heart is still very full.
But this trip has been an incredible experience.
Last night's loss was terrible. The hatred that I know have for Ghana is solidified in a way that it wasn't in 2006. They spent 30 minutes diving left and right. Terrible. That being said, we didn't finish; we didn't possess in the midfield; our back line got beat; and Tim Howard didn't show up in a major way. Crushing defeat.
We were in the stadium until they kicked us about 45 minutes after the game ended. But the experience was summed up by our time at the bar/cafe across the street, where we spoke with Germans, South Africans, Brits, hundreds of Americans, some Ghanians. Incredible, global experience.
As I sit here, delirious and exhausted, my heart is still very full.
A beautiful email from Tom
Dudes,
Couldn't figure out how to get on the gustrowharties.blogspot. You probably won't get this email till after the game, but I just wanted to send what collective footballing luck I can summon from the banks of the Ohio (more than you'd think) on to the match today. Although Forsythe and I didn't make it this time, we're more than there in spirit--dying a thousand deaths with each cross bar clanged, and screaming volley shanked (seriously Jerry may have broken my ribs with his bear claws after lando's goal). Whatever happens, you're doing us more than proud (by the by, I am continually amazed by the sheer volume of prose Noah has churned out on Goal.com while in that vortex of fandom--I'm also amazed by how (relatively) healthy you guys still look).
It's go time. Reverse curse the Black Star.
America. -T
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