Ayoba Africa

Day One of The A to Z Blog Challenge and we're finally here!  I was late signing up this year (this is my fourth year doing the challenge) and so I am #1055 on the list

A huge, South African welcome to all the old Plonkers and all the new visitors to my wee bloggy.

My Theme for the A to Z Blog Challenge this year is SouthAfricanisms.

So, sit back, relax and you just may be enlightened about South Africa and the jargon we speak.  It is such a beautiful country, that has so much to offer and so many different cultures and quirks.

We start with the Letter A...

Ayoba [pronounced ah-yoh-ba] is a slang term used by South Africans to express amazement.  Its is derived from other slang terms like "Ayeye" and "Ayoyoyo".  It was originally meant as an approval or appreciation of good dancing, other the exact origins of the phrase are unknown. 

"Ayoba" is thought to have roots in a Johannesburg township culture.  It also became really popular during our hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.  Even a major cellphone network, MTN, snapped up the word and used it in all their television commercials.  

It is uniquely and proudly South African and expresses delight, excitement, agreement and approval. It's also used as a greeting.

All-in-all a brilliant Southafricanism.

Usage : Crowd surfin' is totally ayoba!

Bafana Out But The Gees Remains

What a proud moment yesterday watching Bafana Bafana take on the French!  Scoring three goals, one of which was outruled due to offside rule and Bongani Khumalo scoring in the first few minutes of the game.  They has so many great opportunities to score more and they played their hearts out.  Well done Boyz!  What a way to exit the World Cup - with a bang!

I was beaming with pride and the excitment and tension was magical!

My Boerewors and Megan won free tickets to the FanZone at Monte Casino to watch the game on the big screen.  They enjoyed live entertainment, dancers, singers and of course watching the game with thousands of other Bafana supporters. They said the atmosphere was electric - the constant drone of the vuvuzelas, whistles, singing, drums, chanting and singing Shosholoza.  Everyone was full of Gees (aka buzz).

Will post some pictures of that soon.

Youth Day in South Africa

16 June was previously known as Soweto Day.

In 1975 protests started in African schools after a directive from the previous Bantu Education Department that Afrikaans had to be used on an equal basis with English as a language of instruction in secondary schools.

The issue however, was not so much the Afrikaans as the whole system of Bantu education which was characterised by separate schools and universities, poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms and inadequately trained teachers.

On the 16th June in 1976, more than 20 000 pupils from Soweto began a protest march. In the wake of clashes with the police, and the violence that ensued during the next few weeks, approximately 700 hundred people, many of them youths, were killed and property destroyed.

Youth Day commemorates these events.

Anyhoo, enough of the South African history lesson and, more interestingly, this year on Youth Day our South African football boyz, Bafana Bafana, are playing in the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.  Whoop!  Whoop! 

They will be playing their second game of the cup and the entire country will be watched as they play Uruguay at Loftus Versfeld at 20:30.  So, out come the Vuvuzelas once again and our patriotic gear in order to support our team and scream at the telly.

Now thats so Ayoba!  Click here to buy tickets and go experience the game live! 

The Picture is Khune - Bafana Bafana's Goalie.
Happy Birthday for Monday, Itumeleng!



 

What Would You Say About South Africa?

Ayoba!!!

I was approached recently to give some information about life in South Africa.

A specific person from Europe has set up a blog and wants to have a section on what its like living in South Africa. What things a person from overseas can expect visiting  our country for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

What would you want to discuss about South Africa to a foreigner looking for general topics on our country?