Christina Örntoft´s South African diary
Hi, this is my diary from our trip to South Africa. Hope you like it!
11. October 2009
Finally it’s the day when I am leaving for South Africa. The Danish national team for men has just qualified for the World Cup in South Africa 2010, and now I am going down there. Unbelievable.
But the trip is starting with a minor problem. I forgot my camera at home... So South Africa here I come, with out camera... The pictures you see here are Sarah´s.
And then in Copenhagen Airport, trouble again, technical problems with the flight. We are supposed to go to South Africa, but when?
Yes yes, now we are in London, and the next flight is going as planned. When I wake up tomorrow I will be in South Africa. GREAT.
12. October
Morning very early, breakfast in the flight 4.30 am in the morning. I didn’t get that much sleep, but now we will be there soon.
Hello Johannesburg, very nice people, who wants to help, or will they? We can’t understand what they are saying, we will find the next plane ourselves.
Next stop Richards Bay. Again little trouble with the plane, the stairs into the plane are broken, can’t we just jump into the plain? I will go to Richards Bay now.
Finally, sitting in the last plane. When we arrived to Richards Bay, we are waiting for Anna to come and pick us up.
There she is. We are already busy, we are supposed to be at the school soon, and then we shall se a cluster training.
WOW, the school is not as I expected it to be, no tables and chairs in the classroom. But the children are wearing uniforms, and the most important, they are looking happy.
Then we are going to the practical part, the weather is not what I expected, clouds and a lot of wind, why is there so cold in South Africa?
But the practical part is looking good, when the children who are participating finally arrived and had found the right field. We were one hour late, but that’s obviously normal here.
13. October
Today we are going to visit a lot of schools and then we shall se a cluster training.
The weather today is much better, it is hot and a lot of sun.
At the schools they are very happy to see us, it is not normal to see white people here, so all are looking after us, and want to touch us. We are going to talk to all the girls who are playing soccer in the school, they are in the project LdB FC for life. They are very interested in how Sweden looks like, and is it like South Africa? And then they want to hear how it is to play soccer on the highest level, and how to get there.
At the cluster training Sarah and I are doing our rehab. But we are not doing it alone, every time there is a break in the soccer training, the girls participate in our rehab, very funny, the South African people are nice.
14. October
Today we are going to visit one school and after that we are going to Durban.
This school is a very little school compared with the others we have been visiting. At this school they are very interested in the Swedish culture, an easy question when you are from Denmark. Sarah is answering the question. Then they ask about our age, I should never have told them, that I was 24, because the next question is: “Do you have any children?”. Many at my age have children, some of my friends do have children and in South Africa many got pregnant at the age of 15. The answer to the question is easy, “I do not have any children”, but the question surprised me, no one has ever asked me that question before.
Then we are going to Durban, here we are watching a match between schools. We are in the middle of the town. There is a big different between the children in Kwazulu Natal and here. In Kwazulu Natal they are very shy, but here they talk and talk, so it is very difficult for Sarah and I to say something after the game, because they don’t listen. In Durban some of the players have soccer shoes, but in Kwazulu Natal everybody were playing with their bare feet.
Very interesting to see the difference between the two places. And how big difference there are between people in the town and at the country. I am sure that this difference is all over the world, and not only in South Africa.
15. October
Today we are going to Umtata. It’s a 5 hours drive. When we arrived Sarah and I where doing rehab in a gym. It was nice to bicycle again, because it is a movement which is good for the knee. Then we went to an internet café, so Jenny could send movies to Sweden.
16. October
Today we are going to Mvezo, the town where Nelson Mandela was born. We met Nelson Mandelas grandson Nkosi Mandela, who is driving the project of building a soccer field in Mvezo together with his mother (Mrs Nolusapho). It is the mother who is going to run the project. It was very exciting to meet these people. We participated in the town council meeting.
After the meeting we went to the field where we were going to play with the children, a bit difficult when you can’t run or kick to a ball because of our bad knee. But it was funny though.
Sarah and I were running the warm up for, the children to be prepared to play after Nkosi Mandela had come and told the children about the project. Again it was difficult, because Sarah and I couldn’t show them what to do, and they didn’t understand English very well.
17. October
Today we are going to have our first really practice in Mvezo. Anna has planned a tournament, where I am the judge. When some of the children are playing the others are practicing.
They now how to play soccer, and they know all the rules, so it is easy for me to judge. All the girls are very happy, which is nice to see. And some of them have borrowed their brother’s shoes, so I feel it is a day they have been looking forward to. The boys also think it is cool to se the girl’s play, they stand beside the field and are cheering.
Until now there have only been one day with sun, where is the sun, I thought the sun was always shining in South Africa. But that is not true.
18. October
After we have been in Mveso, we are driving back to Kwazulu Natal, a 9 hours drive. So now we are in Hluhluwe. Today LdB FC is playing against Linköping. I am very excited about the game. We have an auction on the game jerseys, and the money is going to the field which is going to be build in Mvezo.
Today Sarah and I will see a game between two of the cluster teams. The players are very good not at all the same as the practice, now we can see that they have an understanding of the game. And the best is that they is doing a lot of tricks and nice movements with the ball.
After the game we are going to an internet place, where we are talking to the VIP lounge in the break of the match between LdB FC and Linköping. Jenny, Anna and coach Mtuba is talking, but when Sarah and I are going to talk the connection breakdown. When the broke down had to come it was a good time. The most of the stuff we wanted to tell the people back in Sweden was told, and the auction began well.
19. October
Today we have to visit more schools.
Also here the students are very interested in how it looks like in Sweden, and how it is to play soccer on the highest level. Some of the girls have a dream to play on Banyana Banyana (the South Africa women’s national team). So it is important for them to know what it takes to come there. I could just say: “A lot of practice and do your best. Go for your dream maybe it will come true.”
We can feel that we are back in Kwazulu Natal and that we are not in the middle of a city, because again the students are very shy.
20. October
Today we are going home, unfortunately. But I am very glad that I have been in South Africa. I have learned a lot. I know how much soccer means to me, but to see what soccer gives the se girls and thinking of what future the soccer can give them, even outside the field, is something you can’t describe. The only thing I can say, is that soccer is more than a game.
All the best from Christina
11. October 2009
Finally it’s the day when I am leaving for South Africa. The Danish national team for men has just qualified for the World Cup in South Africa 2010, and now I am going down there. Unbelievable.
But the trip is starting with a minor problem. I forgot my camera at home... So South Africa here I come, with out camera... The pictures you see here are Sarah´s.
And then in Copenhagen Airport, trouble again, technical problems with the flight. We are supposed to go to South Africa, but when?
Yes yes, now we are in London, and the next flight is going as planned. When I wake up tomorrow I will be in South Africa. GREAT.
12. October
Morning very early, breakfast in the flight 4.30 am in the morning. I didn’t get that much sleep, but now we will be there soon.
Hello Johannesburg, very nice people, who wants to help, or will they? We can’t understand what they are saying, we will find the next plane ourselves.
Next stop Richards Bay. Again little trouble with the plane, the stairs into the plane are broken, can’t we just jump into the plain? I will go to Richards Bay now.
Finally, sitting in the last plane. When we arrived to Richards Bay, we are waiting for Anna to come and pick us up.
There she is. We are already busy, we are supposed to be at the school soon, and then we shall se a cluster training.
WOW, the school is not as I expected it to be, no tables and chairs in the classroom. But the children are wearing uniforms, and the most important, they are looking happy.
Then we are going to the practical part, the weather is not what I expected, clouds and a lot of wind, why is there so cold in South Africa?
But the practical part is looking good, when the children who are participating finally arrived and had found the right field. We were one hour late, but that’s obviously normal here.
13. October
Today we are going to visit a lot of schools and then we shall se a cluster training.
The weather today is much better, it is hot and a lot of sun.
At the schools they are very happy to see us, it is not normal to see white people here, so all are looking after us, and want to touch us. We are going to talk to all the girls who are playing soccer in the school, they are in the project LdB FC for life. They are very interested in how Sweden looks like, and is it like South Africa? And then they want to hear how it is to play soccer on the highest level, and how to get there.
At the cluster training Sarah and I are doing our rehab. But we are not doing it alone, every time there is a break in the soccer training, the girls participate in our rehab, very funny, the South African people are nice.
14. October
Today we are going to visit one school and after that we are going to Durban.
This school is a very little school compared with the others we have been visiting. At this school they are very interested in the Swedish culture, an easy question when you are from Denmark. Sarah is answering the question. Then they ask about our age, I should never have told them, that I was 24, because the next question is: “Do you have any children?”. Many at my age have children, some of my friends do have children and in South Africa many got pregnant at the age of 15. The answer to the question is easy, “I do not have any children”, but the question surprised me, no one has ever asked me that question before.
Then we are going to Durban, here we are watching a match between schools. We are in the middle of the town. There is a big different between the children in Kwazulu Natal and here. In Kwazulu Natal they are very shy, but here they talk and talk, so it is very difficult for Sarah and I to say something after the game, because they don’t listen. In Durban some of the players have soccer shoes, but in Kwazulu Natal everybody were playing with their bare feet.
Very interesting to see the difference between the two places. And how big difference there are between people in the town and at the country. I am sure that this difference is all over the world, and not only in South Africa.
15. October
Today we are going to Umtata. It’s a 5 hours drive. When we arrived Sarah and I where doing rehab in a gym. It was nice to bicycle again, because it is a movement which is good for the knee. Then we went to an internet café, so Jenny could send movies to Sweden.
16. October
Today we are going to Mvezo, the town where Nelson Mandela was born. We met Nelson Mandelas grandson Nkosi Mandela, who is driving the project of building a soccer field in Mvezo together with his mother (Mrs Nolusapho). It is the mother who is going to run the project. It was very exciting to meet these people. We participated in the town council meeting.
After the meeting we went to the field where we were going to play with the children, a bit difficult when you can’t run or kick to a ball because of our bad knee. But it was funny though.
Sarah and I were running the warm up for, the children to be prepared to play after Nkosi Mandela had come and told the children about the project. Again it was difficult, because Sarah and I couldn’t show them what to do, and they didn’t understand English very well.
17. October
Today we are going to have our first really practice in Mvezo. Anna has planned a tournament, where I am the judge. When some of the children are playing the others are practicing.
They now how to play soccer, and they know all the rules, so it is easy for me to judge. All the girls are very happy, which is nice to see. And some of them have borrowed their brother’s shoes, so I feel it is a day they have been looking forward to. The boys also think it is cool to se the girl’s play, they stand beside the field and are cheering.
Until now there have only been one day with sun, where is the sun, I thought the sun was always shining in South Africa. But that is not true.
18. October
After we have been in Mveso, we are driving back to Kwazulu Natal, a 9 hours drive. So now we are in Hluhluwe. Today LdB FC is playing against Linköping. I am very excited about the game. We have an auction on the game jerseys, and the money is going to the field which is going to be build in Mvezo.
Today Sarah and I will see a game between two of the cluster teams. The players are very good not at all the same as the practice, now we can see that they have an understanding of the game. And the best is that they is doing a lot of tricks and nice movements with the ball.
After the game we are going to an internet place, where we are talking to the VIP lounge in the break of the match between LdB FC and Linköping. Jenny, Anna and coach Mtuba is talking, but when Sarah and I are going to talk the connection breakdown. When the broke down had to come it was a good time. The most of the stuff we wanted to tell the people back in Sweden was told, and the auction began well.
19. October
Today we have to visit more schools.
Also here the students are very interested in how it looks like in Sweden, and how it is to play soccer on the highest level. Some of the girls have a dream to play on Banyana Banyana (the South Africa women’s national team). So it is important for them to know what it takes to come there. I could just say: “A lot of practice and do your best. Go for your dream maybe it will come true.”
We can feel that we are back in Kwazulu Natal and that we are not in the middle of a city, because again the students are very shy.
20. October
Today we are going home, unfortunately. But I am very glad that I have been in South Africa. I have learned a lot. I know how much soccer means to me, but to see what soccer gives the se girls and thinking of what future the soccer can give them, even outside the field, is something you can’t describe. The only thing I can say, is that soccer is more than a game.
All the best from Christina