Noisy Nation

I love the pessimistic optimism of our nation.

This week the newspapers were filled with trivial stories about South Africa and its people.

First the now-infamous Ras Dumisani, who after Friday night’s blunder was verbally butchered by everyone for his failed attempt at singing the national anthem in Toulouse.

Later in the week he became a national mascot, inspiring people to master the words to N’kosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. At many desks across the nation you could hear the carping voice of Ras, followed by laughter and a solemn vow never to repeat such humiliation.

As if to prove it, several vociferous attempts to outshine Dumisani himself were heard down the hall, and just like that, many more South Africans rose to the challenge and learned the words of our national anthem.

Even local organisations are working to motivate the nation, introducing a weekly Football Friday event which includes the singing of the national anthem and learning the diskis dance, while proudly wearing the football shirts of our national team.

Then there was the Japanese soccer federation, which tried to ban the vuvuzela trumpet for its noise. Immediately South Africans who were previously strongly opposed to the vuvuzela picked up their instrument and bellowed like a herd of trumpeting African elephants, brevely putting their hearts where their mouths are.

Blowing the vuvuzela is a unique experience. You have not lived until you have pressed the vuvuzela to your mouth and bellowed from the depths of your soul, through your stomach and into your vocal cords, leaving you out of breath and slightly dizzy with exertion but with an enormous sense of pride – and the vuvuzela pout, from severely swollen lips!

So I invite you to take up the challenge. Learn to blow the vuvuzela, or to sing our national anthem. Halala! 2010!