Can't believe I forgot to mention the fact that SA won the World Cup Final!! After 12 years! I would've so loved to be in Jhb that night, to take a drive out in the streets and share the celebrations. If they were anything like they were the last time we won, it must've been really special.
We watched it in a restau up the road, overlooking Blue Bay, called Le Bougainville. It only showed here around 11pm, so we took a l-o-n-g supper interspersed with quite a few beers (Phoenix beer, the Mauritian brew - quite nice).
By the time the match came on, Tony had faded and gone home and there was only mum, me and a table next to us of 2 English couples and another table of a burly, lobster-pink Englishman on his own. So of course there was quite a lot of repartee between us and the English couples ... who were convinced the ref was making bad decisions left, right and centre. As I only watch rugby once every 12 years, I was unable to comment.
Then we had a bit of a dramatic moment when the burly Englishman took a puff of his umpteenth cigarette, started coughing and seemingly couldn't stop. As we became aware of his wheezing over the match commentary, he slowly keeled over sideways off his chair, knocked over his wine bottle, then hit the ground with a heavy smack and lay still.
The Indian owner, who'd been sitting in a chair nearby, and I, both got up and, strangely enough, headed straight for the wine bottle to set it back upright. (At the time, I remember thinking it was an interesting choice of action, rather than head straight for the man on the floor! Afterwards, I realised I did it because at least I could feel I was doing something helpful, whereas I felt helpless about the man on the floor.)
A few seconds later, he moved about on the floor, then got up, saying, 'Sorry about that.' He righted his chair, sat back down and resumed watching the match! I've heard about a stiff upper lip, but wow! I leaned forward and asked him if he was ok, and he said, 'Thanks, I'm fine. Thank you.'
So we all carried on watching the match. All very exciting!
6 comments:
interesting ! i love the english 'phlegm' !...
chat w u gave me some nrj ! tks
Bets wl rember 95 when we went out in streets together ! it was lovely & exciting
i watched all alone & was verge of tears for sa !
des photos, des photos, des photos .... :-)
my present grumpy state must not prevent me fr tlg u how delightfully u write xxx
for photos :
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41641
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=42093&topic=8928
more spamming yr blog !
"It is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have
salt in our blood, our sweat, and in our tears.
We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." John F. Kennedy
an ocean lover ... (already written somewhere ...copy & paste is easier for me !)
"I awakened this morning to the sounds of seagulls...and in that phase that comes between sleep and wakefulness I imagined that I had somehow slept on the beach .
My visits to the ocean are always rejuvenating, whether it is to swim, to walk or just to watch the gigantic fullness of it., I can feel the years fall away and my footsteps get lighter. I have always felt the call to the ocean, its water is my friend. Its waves and wind and clouds perceptibly alter and improve my moods. The air smells better, food tastes better, and life itself even seems better. "
so may you fully enjoy that ocean !
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And the gray mist on the sea's face and a gray dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trip's over ...
by John Masefield --- 1899
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