Don't fly your plane too low
posted by Kerry-Anne
There's a lot of construction activity going on at the Cape Town International Airport right now, mostly in preparation for the Soccer World Cup, which will be held in South Africa in 2010. Do any of you have experience of a major international event of this scale being hosted in your city or country? Tell us about the good and the bad - what can we expect?There's been a lot of controversy here about whether or not our new stadiums and other infrastructure will be ready in time for 2010 - I'm an outright optimist though, so I already have my vuvuzela. :)
5 Comments:
The '96 summer olympics were in Atlanta, about 3.5 hours away, and Alabama had overflow from it. Even Birmingham motels were booked up. I believe some of the soccer matches were there.
National spirits will be up, spending will be up, national debt will be up and catering prices will be sky-high to cover the costs. Best of luck!
The preparation years may be a bit frustrating, but I think it's very good that the World Championships for the first time can be held on the African continent, from where today so many of the top players originate!
My more direct experience is from the 1998 chamionships - in France. I guess that here in Paris, we have forgotten some traffic jams and other problems preceding the games. What we remember is that France beat Brazil 3-0 in the final! The optimistic and positive feeling remained in the country for quite a while - unfortunately not for ever.
I was in Germany last summer (working) during the 2006 chamionships. Again, I was struck by the friendly atmosphere that was created.
Be optimisitc and good luck!
Thanks for the comments so far.
Peter, aren't there ALWAYS traffic jams in Paris? :D
I can imagine that there will be a fantastic atmosphere here during the World Cup; we do know how to have fun. I just hope Carlos Alberto Parreira can do a miracle or two with our team in the next three years.
I think it's fantastic that little boys who play their soccer barefoot on muddy fields in the townships will get to see some of their heroes in the flesh. I hope that the organisers truly make this a people's event, and that the tickets are not all reserved for those who can afford them.
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be in London, but down here in Cornwall, we'll be hosting several countries' Pre-Olympic training sites. Not too many details on that, yet, but it will be exciting to see some fantastic athletes training nearby!
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