Go, South Africa!

Yesterday was the opening of the World Cup. South Africa played Mexico in Johannesburg. I happened to go to the grocery store during the game.

All of the employees (except the ones who had to run the tills) were standing or sitting in front of the TV in the electronics department. There were also a lot of other people watching the game - people who couldn't afford televisions, customers from the store, etc. The funny thing is, everyone was dressed up in Bafana Bafana colours (green and yellow), blowing vuvuzelas and wearing makarapas.

Every now and then a yell would come from the electronics department, which caused all of the grocery shoppers to run - with their trolleys - over to the TV to ask frantically, "Did they score? Did South Africa score?" Then they'd go back to their shopping, and every few minutes the cycle would repeat.

Up at the till, the employees were giving each other temporary tattoos of soccer balls and the South African flag, and listening to the game on the radio. The sense of team spirit was incredible.

I love watching things that unite this country. That's when South Africa shines like no other place on the planet.