Can you feel it? IT IS HERE!!

If you are South African, you will understand the title of this post immediately. For the rest of you, it is the slogan for the Soccer World Cup. During the build up to tomorrow's opening, we have heard it a gazillion times on radio, TV and everywhere we went. Yesterday was the final dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony and the first time we got to practise at Soccer City on the actual pitch. FIFA would not let us go near their precious grass before, so we had only one run.
The first photo is of our kids, walking from NASREC, where we are stationed to Soccer City, all dressed up in full costume. The rolled up pants is an attempt to stay clean during the dusty walk.

This photo should give you an idea of just how many kids are involved in the show.We are more or less in the middle of the procession. In order to get this shot, one of our girls sat on the headmaster's shoulders. Not many headmasters would allow that just to get a good photo for the school's yearbook. In the next photo you can see the two of them.

Here you see one of our girls being interviewed by a member of the foreign press. A lot of them were stopped and interviewed on the spot. I am very proud to say that all of them handled it with such poise and were amazing ambassadors for our country and for the World Cup.

The marching band that played while we walked to the stadium. In true African style they could not play without dancing.

The flags of the countries affiliated to FIFA that did not qualify for the final tournament waiting to be collected for the run through.

This is what teachers look like when they have just walked with thousands of kids down a highway with thousands of cars, taxi's, trucks, etc. whizzing past at breakneck speed. Incredible to think that every vehicle that passed us, sported a South African flag or had a Vuvuzela being blown through the window or hooters blaring.

This is a once in a lifetime shot. A case of being in the right place at the right time AND pressing the shoot button at exactly the right time! The Flying Falcons (South Africa's elite flying squad) are doing a fly by over the stadium tomorrow. They will be led by a couple of Mirages - sorry girls, Mirages are just too fast for me to even get a picture! All I got was blue sky, beautiful blue skies, I give you, but no Mirage. LOL

Some guys from another section, in costume. I think they are dancers.

What I wouldn't do for you dear blogging friends. This photo nearly got my camera confiscated. I was not supposed to take pictures inside the stadium. A very scary guy came and growled at me. I promised I would not take any more pictures and smiled my sweetest 'granny' smile at him and called him 'my dear'. Figure he thought I was harmless and let me go. Another guy was not so lucky, he got forcibly removed after they took his camera. See, it helps to be 'old' sometimes! This is a Boabab tree in the middle of the field. It is huge.

The last photo should give you some idea of just how big the flags are that our kids have to carry. They are in metal frames and they are VERY HEAVY! The poor kids have to spin them, on top of carrying them. Some of them have black and blue shoulders from the weight. None of them are complaining though, they are just so excited to be able to do this. The fact that they are going to be on the field with R Kelly also helps.

If you read all the way to here, then you are also definately feeling it! Remember to watch the Opening Ceremony tomorrow, it will be broadcasted in every country around the world. It is at 14hoo South African time. Our kids are on in the finale - look out for huge spinning flags. I will be standing at the back watching them, so send me a wave!