Keep Flying is a simple idea. An idea that matters. And an idea that belongs to all of us .It believes that its all of our responsibility to fly the flag. Every South African Brand; Every South African, and to recognize what the flag symbolizes: Us, and our unity.

A unity that brought the World’s Greatest Tournament to life in a way only we could. A unity that still reverberates across continents a world away. A unity that says to the  world, and ourselves: “Hear us, each one of us, as one. Our time has truly come”

“Keep Flying” is simply that. A call to fly the flag. A call to keep flying.

For more info on this initiative visit keepflyingtheflag.co.za

The World Cup is over and now it back to the real world. In the World Cup spirit, many people bought a vuvuzela and little did they know that there is a few alternative and unconventional uses for this South African ‘horn’.

The unconventional folks of Versus Wines thought these are pretty useful post World Cup vuvuzela uses:

1. Use it to blow some life into a slow-burning braai fire
2. Use it as a cheap hearing aid if the batteries on the old one go flat
3. Use it as a poop scoop
4. Use as a self-defence weapon
5. Use it as a toilet plunger
6. Use it to wake up teenagers in the morning
7. Record the sound and use it as your cellphone ringtone
8. Fill with cement and use as a dumb bell
9. Use it if your car hooter has packed up
10. Use to borrow some petrol from your neighbour

Source: yworld.co.za

I was sad when England was eliminated from the World Cup but sometimes there is humour in tragedy.

 This is great ‘poster’. I enjoyed “An Inevitable Production” at the bottom.

I saw this video clip on 2oceanssvibe.com. It looks pretty real but I don’t recognise which stadium it is. Is that Cape Town? Were you there? Does anyone know anything about this?

Real or not this clip gets the nod for Versus’ unconventional moment of the week

South Africa is gaining fans as celebrities are using social media sites like Twitter to talk about their love for our great country.

Celebs like Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Alicia Keys, Akon and R Kelly all Tweated about South Africa and they promised to be come back. Will.i.am, of the music group Black Eyed Peas, posted pictures of himself and singer Alicia Keys celebrating South Africa’s first goal at the opening match, and enthused: “20 years ago no one would have never (sic) thought the whole world would come to south africa for world cup…this is historic”.

They were among the litany of celebrities who visited South Africa for the tournament, including British Princes William and Harry, hip-hop artist K’Naan, rapper R Kelly, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones fame and former supermodel Kimora Lee Simmons.

The model gushed to her fans about the Cape Town, posting pictures of the landmark Table Mountain from her room.

On her departure, Kimora promised to come back and stay longer.

“I am very sad 2 b leaving the gorgeous S.Africa! Thank u 2 all 4 ur luv and kindness! We’ll b back very, very soon! Team Fabulosity SA rocks,” she said.

Singer Akon declared his love for the country and the continent by posting mini-videos shot at different locations around South Africa.

“South Africa rocks, this is the place to be,” the star said on Twitter.

“Thank You S. Africa!!,” said R Kelly on his departure.

The distinctly South African vuvuzela, the noisy plastic horn which has become a signature sound at World Cup matches, has become a trending topic on Twitter.

Even world football president Sepp Blatter has a Twitter account where he enthuses about the games and the organisation of the event.

I think this is awesome that the word of mouth marketing of social media is improving the image of Mzansi.

Source: sport24.co.za

Someone over at YouTube has the World Cup bug, and must like the sound of vuvuzelas. The site has added an icon (a soccer ball, no less) to some (not all) videos which enables a user to drown out the sound of the video with the blare of vuvuzelas

Although criticized by many, blowing vuvuzelas is a tradition at South African soccer matches. Vuvuzela simulators have even become popular apps on both the Android Market and App Store.

The other day, the unconventional folks at Versus tried to make a vuvuzela orchestra but I must admit it was not in the league of Bach or Mozart.

The placement appears to be random, though I found one on a soccer related video (as shown).

The vuvuzela has come under scrutiny from soccer players, fans and the media. It seems that some people believes that  this instrument are deemed to be extremly anoying but it is not a new thing.

Check out this painting from the 17th century, this guy is really anoyed by this ancient vuvuzela.

I like the vuvuzela ,it gives this World Cup a unconventional and African feeling.

Viva, Vuvuzela, Viva.

With my football fever reaching fever pitch I investigated a bit to find some weird World Cup stats

The first World Cup was held in 1930 and is held every four years. (It wasn’t held in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II.) Brazil has won a record five World Cup titles, and Brazilian Ronaldo holds the individual record for most World Cup goals with 15. But there are some other facts that aren’t as well-known about the World Cup:

1)      The first goal

The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. Many believed American Bart McGee scored the first goal in the World Cup, against Belgium in the 40th minute. But a dispute erupted and FIFA determined the first goal was scored by Frenchman Lucien Laurent in the 19th minute against Mexico on July 13, 1930.

2)      The first Red Card

The red and yellow card system was not introduced until the 1970 World Cup. The first player to receive a red card was Chile’s Carlos Caszely in 1974 in a match against West Germany in the 67th minute.

3)      Youngest Player

The youngest player to play in a World Cup match was Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside against Yugoslavia in 1982. He was 17 years, 41 days old.

4)      Largest Attendance

The highest attendance for one match was in the 1950 final. The official attendance was 199,854 for the match between Brazil and Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

5)      Most Consecutive First-Round Eliminations

Scotland holds the record with eight: 1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1998

6)      Most cards in a match

 20 Cards – 16 yellow and 4 red cards in the 2006  “Round of 16” match between Portugal and the Netherlands

Source: ehow.com

The Soccer World Cup is finally here, and millions in South Africa and abroad will be anticipating with bated breath to see what the outcome is going to be and which team will ultimately walk off triumphant with the much acclaimed golden trophy.

Many of us will be watching the matches on our televisions at home. Although there is no doubt that this won’t really compare in atmosphere and hype to watching the event live at one of the stadiums or fan parks across the country, here are some fun tips on how to liven things up and make these gatherings something to remember:

Build the atmosphere

Many South African homeowners are doing a really good job – with great displays of flags on front garden walls and gates. Commuters too are showing huge enthusiasm, with mini flags flying loud and proud from car windows, and let’s not forget how ‘Soccer Friday’ has helped build hype around this much anticipated event.

So, if you are hosting a soccer viewing party at your home, you need to bring some of this hype and excitement indoors – recreating a vibey and fun atmosphere inside for all your guests to enjoy. You can do this in many ways – use balloons in the colours of the teams playing, by including various flags and soccer-themed souvenirs and accents dotted around your entertainment areas, and requesting that all your guests come dressed for the part in their soccer t-shirts, custom-made hardhats and of course, with their vuvuzelas (you might want to add ‘bring ear plugs’).

Food for champions:

As with any gathering based around the watching of sport, the food of choice is really good snack food – and a lot of it. Aside from the usual chips, nuts and pretzels, try to prepare or order some delicious snack platters that can be continually served throughout the game. Mini burgers and boerewors rolls, samoosas, sausage rolls, a sandwich patter, cocktail sausages, julienned vegetables with a delicious dip, bedevilled eggs – conveniently, all of these can be pre-prepared before the event and stored in the refrigerator until needed. Try and include some soccer-themed accents in the food if possible. And don’t forget those with a sweet tooth – no matter what is happening on the field – cupcakes, koeksisters and chocolate are always a winner.

Drink and be merry:

What would any sporting event be without a little bit of liquour? A good idea is to prepare some cocktails in the colours of the teams playing, which you can serve to your guests as they arrive, before kick-off. For added flair – decorate the drinks with a miniature cocktail flag of the teams that are playing. After the initial cocktail – beer, whiskey and wine (Versus Wines  off course) are the firm favourites amongst most South Africans. However, remember to drink responsibly, as your guests will need to drive and arrive home safely after the game.

Everybody wins:

To add a bit of excitement, devise a gambling wager for all your friends to take part in. Let each of your guests predict the score and put R50 into a kitty. At the end of the game, see who predicted the nearest score – and that person wins the entire kitty! Not only will this keep guests interested in the game, but it will add a bit of spice to the evening’s proceedings.

Source: property24.com

Soccer World Cup fever has hit the country and I realised that the game of soccer has many rigid and formal structures, stereotypes and strategies. But this guy is really taking refereeing to new, unconventional level.

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