I have square eyes this morning. My whole weekend was taken up with the televised coverage of the Rugby World Cup. I know that all my friends back home would have been doing the same thing, but its a bit different out here when the games only start at 2am. And there's bugger-all biltong and no-one to rustle up a good braai in the backyard.
But I persevered. Not only did I watch the England-France game on Saturday night (well, Sunday morning) and the SA-Argentina game on Sunday night (Monday morning here), but I also managed to fit in the two Currie Cup semi-finals from South Africa. To celebrate this overdose of rugby, I went out and bought some lamb chops and burger patties (imported from Australia), so that I could try to keep up the braai tradition.
Well, if the 'manne from Loftus' could have seen my braai attempts, they would have burnt me at the stake. Although it felt good eating an Australian, it wasn't quite the same as back home. Where are my brothers when I need them? I did end up eating some grilled meat roasted to death on an electric grill that threatens to explode every few minutes, but it was touch and go all the way.
Seeing SA won their way into the World Cup Finals, you may think I enjoyed my television marathon. I can't say I did, my nerves couldn't take it. In the Sharks-Lions game, I wanted the Sharks to win. They lost. In the Cheetahs-Blue Bulls match, I was backing the Cheetahs. They won, but it was a really scrappy affair in the rain. Not great viewing.
And then onto the World Cup. I was speaking to my brother Chris, who is in Paris for the rugby, and we both agreed that the worst outcome would be South Africa losing to England in the finals. We both said we would rather lose to the Pumas in the semis than get to the final and lose to the Poms. Of course, despite my strong support, the French went and lost their damn semi-final. Trust them to let us down, especially after they slaughtered those damn New Zealanders.
I woke up at 2am to see the Boks playing (seeing it was a working day), but I could barely watch . I think I am getting too old to sit and watch a big game - my nerves can't handle it. So, I sat working at my laptop, occasionally sneaking a glance at the screen. Never mind the fact that we were always way ahead on points, I still had a terrible feeling we were going to lose. The fact is that the only time I really felt happy was when the final whistle went. That's no way for a sportslover to behave, is it?
Goodness knows how I will feel during the big game next Saturday. My only hope is that M-Net Supersport disappears from the cheap cable channel I subscribe to (we often lose channels without any notice). I think it would be far better overall not being able to see the game. Then I can sit and wait for the SA news websites to update me on the score or check out BBC-sport on the Internet. That way I won't feel the pain too badly if things go wrong.
However, I guess I will probably be in front of the TV glued to the screen, shouting instructions at the ref and the players. I wonder what the hell my neighbour thinks is going on. This is Thailand, so when he hears 'Up and under, you fool' or 'Get down on em, boys' or 'Swing it now', he may well imagine some really exciting goings-on. Well, good luck to him.
So, think of me sitting on the edge of my bed, wrapped in a white sheet, scowling at the screen. Let's just hope the Boks bring home the Cup. We deserve no less.
