Traffic Free Sunday July 11-What a Glorious Day!
This is a very easy blog to write, because today is the day for the World Cup Finals between Holland and Spain. I am writing this during the morning. This evening will bring about a new world champion and history will be made.
Today, between the hours of 8pm and 10pm Spain will experience something it has never seen before: there will not be one single vehicle on the roads, anywhere within the country. No buses, trucks, ambulances, police vehicles, cars or motorcycles. The complete country is gripped with World Cup fever. Even people such as myself, who normally pay no attention to football will take the time to be glued in front of the television.
It has been a very interesting World Cup. Starting with the fact that it was held in South Africa, a concept that was a non-starter under the National Party government, the hosting has gone well. Security has apparently not been as much of a problem as was anticipated. The infrastructure was ready on time. That provided much needed work for the populace, and the fear that South Africa could not handle the administration was ill founded.
As one young black South African woman said, things have changed. Now she is proud to say she is South African. Under National Party rule she would have been told that was too bad; but now she can say she is from the proud nation that hosted the 2010 World Cup games.
My only regret is that no African team is part of the final. However, Bafana Bafana, the South African team can hold its head high as having played extremely well. It is fitting that a new nation will be crowned World Champion in a new nation to host the games.
So, let the day roll forward and the traffic come to a complete stop. What a day this will be!
Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael
This is a very easy blog to write, because today is the day for the World Cup Finals between Holland and Spain. I am writing this during the morning. This evening will bring about a new world champion and history will be made.
Today, between the hours of 8pm and 10pm Spain will experience something it has never seen before: there will not be one single vehicle on the roads, anywhere within the country. No buses, trucks, ambulances, police vehicles, cars or motorcycles. The complete country is gripped with World Cup fever. Even people such as myself, who normally pay no attention to football will take the time to be glued in front of the television.
It has been a very interesting World Cup. Starting with the fact that it was held in South Africa, a concept that was a non-starter under the National Party government, the hosting has gone well. Security has apparently not been as much of a problem as was anticipated. The infrastructure was ready on time. That provided much needed work for the populace, and the fear that South Africa could not handle the administration was ill founded.
As one young black South African woman said, things have changed. Now she is proud to say she is South African. Under National Party rule she would have been told that was too bad; but now she can say she is from the proud nation that hosted the 2010 World Cup games.
My only regret is that no African team is part of the final. However, Bafana Bafana, the South African team can hold its head high as having played extremely well. It is fitting that a new nation will be crowned World Champion in a new nation to host the games.
So, let the day roll forward and the traffic come to a complete stop. What a day this will be!
Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael
