That Blog

Shy Armani Potgieter realises that a tough life lies ahead

Well, whilst paging through that spectacular display of British journalism known as the Metro on the way to work this morning, a rather entertaining article caught my eye.

A while back we spoke about the impact that Vampires are having on naming trends of children and may have been chuckled at people naming their children after said Vampires…well, I have to say that I would bank one of those Vampire names ANY DAY compared to some of the other options that people seem to be going for these days.

I can’t even begin to understand why you would want to call your child Puppy and have to say that you are really setting your child up for something if you call them Shy (referring to their name rather than their disposition). These are just some of the unusual names parents have given their children over the past ten years.

Other very unusual choices include celebrity names such as Rooney, Bowie and Cobain, along with hippy-style names such as Stone, Gift, Heaven and Echo and fashion names such as Denim, Diesel and Armani.

‘It’s great to see parents being creative and wanting their children to stand out from the crowd with more unusual names but there are a few here that children may find hard to live up to!’ said Faye Mingo, of www.Bounty.com.

‘Parents need to think carefully about everything that comes attached to an unusual moniker as it can definitely shape a child’s experiences at school and beyond.’

One in three of the 3,000 parents polled by Bounty said their offspring had an unusual name, but more than one in ten regretted their decision. Awesome…imagine your parents being interviewed and saying they regret the name they chose for you…that has to have some impact on your psychological well being!!

One in ten say their child doesn’t like their name, and 14 per cent of the children have asked to change it.

The poll also shows that three out of four parents who gave their child a traditional name believe children with wacky monikers are more likely to be bullied.

Top 20 most unusual names

Sensational isn’t it?? What ever happened to good old fashioned names?

[Source: www.metro.co.uk]

Hiya (I have picked that up since I got here…not quite the same ring as “Howzit”). How you all doing back in SA? I hope you have all been Keeping the Flags flying and none of you have been plunged into post-World Cup Depression. What is life like after the World Cup? I miss it terribly!!!

Well, the first few days in Londontown have been fab. I arrived on Saturday and navigated myself to the little South African enclave known as Putney. The sun was shining and I could have sworn that Putney High Street was the direct route to the beach. The girls were wearing very little and bikini’s tops seem to have taken over as the underwear of choice for summer!! I felt decidedly overdressed in my t-shirt and shorts!!

It would appear that my initial referrals to the Mud Island are somewhat misplaced…this place looks like it hasn’t had a drop of rain in months. The normally lush green parks look something like what I recall school hockey fields looking like in mid-winter!! Unbelievable!!!

So far, all has been good…I have learnt to very important lessons early on and hopefully not too many more to come

1) Don’t wear high heel shoes to walk anywhere other than in the office. Nobody else does and if you do, you WILL be in a WORLD of pain. We are not trained to cover such distances in high heels back home and boy do you feel it!!!

2) Do not leave home without an umbrella. Even though the place looks like it hasn’t seen a drop of rain since the Reign of Henry the 8th, that is a misnomer and it WILL rain on your walk to/from the office/tube station. Hair + rain = disaster.

Hoping to hit some sales this weekend…so will report on High Street fashion and attempts at Celeb spotting!!

Miss ya!!

Well That Blog fans, after the long and sad farewells of last week…I encountered what can only be described as a bureaucratic nightmare of note that involved me having to re-apply for my visa and spend a week milling about Jozi waiting for visa app #2 to be approved. Lesson learnt…submit AS MUCH info as possible with a visa application. If there is even a glimmer of a doubt that you will ever return back to sunny SA, you won’t get that visa and that is a lesson I learnt the hard way. It seems that despite my Proudly South African beliefs, the authorities seemed to think that I was a likely candidate to hit the Mud Island, grow roots and start claiming benefits. Anyway, I have persuaded them otherwise and I set sail or should I say, take off tonight.

Anyway…in my abscence, I would like to ask a very big favour of you…please don’t forget the amazing atmosphere that has built up in this country over the last month of fantastic football. If you need any help remembering how the World Cup has inspired us…check out this great website www.keepflying.co.za 

I don’t want to hear stories of post-tournament depression and general sadness…we have accomplished SO much as a country in the last month and you can’t just let that be forgotten on 12 July. Keep those flags on your car/house/wall. Keep those wing mirror covers there and keep that spirit going!!

KEEP IT FLYING!!!

Perhaps this is why so many of the big teams of fallen by the wayside…they came to our shores expecting the landscape to look like this and our pitches to work in a similar way! Mmm…they were in for a bit of a surprise weren’t they?? In fact, of the big name stars in this advert, I think only two of them is still hanging around for the Quarter Finals…the rest of have already had the opportunity to experience the brand new departures terminals at our beautiful airports first hand.

Anyway, I still love this advert and am still fuelled by the “Gees” of Soccer World Cup 2010 Africa Style!!

[Thanks The Bruv]

Well, I think by now you have worked out that That Blogger is pretty excited about the World Cup and all related festivities. It is here and we love it!!! Will Middle Earth EVER be the same again?

So, for today’s SWC fun…check out the latest in the Lord of the Rings series…awesome stuff!

(Thanks to The Bruv)

Even though we didn’t qualify last night, we still beat France and we still have a lot more soccer to enjoy. We have achieved so much as a nation, that we cannot stop now.

Click on this link to view something really inspirational and special (it has sound too) SA – It Does Not Matter

Watching this just gave me goosebumps all over and made me feel so proudly South African. We won in so many ways!!

Well done South Africa!! You are awesome! I am so proud of you!!

KE NAKO!!!

(Thanks Steve)

The clever gals at Habits have come up with a Soccer shirt with a difference and That Blogger will definitely be sporting one of these little numbers for the next game. Don’t you just love the jumbled letters…a bit like some of the game results of this World Cup!!

Get yours from Habits in Claremont or available on-line at www.habits.co.za

Incidentally, if you are concerned that your shopping might interfere with game viewing…fear not, Habits is screening the games on a flatscreen TV and will be serving De Grendel wine to calm your nerves.

I am fairly sure that some time in my school education, some well-meaning teacher tried to teach me cross stitch. Now I could just kick myself that I didn’t pay more attention…little gems like this don’t come along every day and you really need to be able to capitalise on them when they do…unfortunately, I was clearly more interested in the latest developments in Loving (you may recall that was the soapie of the day) to focus on cross stitch and now I will have to let this opportunity pass me by.

Whilst perusing the British tabloids today, I discovered a link to a PDF file of a Wayne Rooney cross stitch pattern. Honestly, can you think of a better way to remember the excitement and drama of World Cup 2010 than to have your very own Wayne Rooney scatter cushion??? No seriously, is there in fact a footballer that would go better with your beautiful carefully selected St Leger and Viney sitting room decor than Shrek aka Wayne Rooney?

The newest trend in home decorating

So, for those of you that did actually pay attention in Needlework Class…good luck and get stitching!!

(I really tried to find gems like this about our own Bafana Bafana, but it seems that the Poms outstrip the Bafana Bafana fan base when it comes to memorabilia like this!)

[Source: The Guardian]

Have you noticed that at the end of some matches, the teams swap shirts? Well, if you haven’t, it is definitely something worth hanging around for. Perhaps, try not let The Bloke flick over to the other sports channel to see what is happening in the golf/rugby/cricket as the final whistle goes and see what wonderful things transpire on the field.

Anyway, ahead of the Portugal vs Ivory Coast game this afternoon, I thought you might be interested in a little glimpse of what the shirt-swapping exercise could hold for you. Do you remember I showed you those delightful pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo? Well, our favourite Portuguese soccer player is getting his kit off again…this time he is doing it for Armani. The new Armani advertising campaign is about to be launched and guess who their poster boy is?? Yip, Cristiano himself.

A thing of beauty isn’t he??

"I can't believe she has put THOSE clothes out for me to wear"

"You're great! My last girlfriend hated me lying on the couch when I got back from a training session"

Alas, with the nasty cold spell that seems to have gripped the country, I am not sure anyone is going to be too keen to whip their shirt off, but well worth hanging around for after the final whistle…just in case.

Kick off is at 4:00pm today. Enjoy!

[Images courtesy of Armani]

That Blogger has returned from an awesome weekend up country. The Opening Game is something that I will remember forever…in fact, probably, for many years after I have lost the full function of my sense of hearing as a result of the amazing sound of all those vuvuzelas gathered in one place! Well worth it though, the day was incredible!

Anyway, I was told about these beautiful art prints and thought you might be interested in buying something really special to remind you of this awesome time in our country. Obviously, that furry soccer ball hat that you bought outside the Stadium will always remind of you this special time, but perhaps you are looking for something a little more classy…or that you can have out on display ALL the time! A selection of local and international artists were invited to create works that celebrated art and soccer. Each print is numbered and come with a signed certificate of authenticity. (Click on the pics to see them enlarged)

There are loads more beautiful pictures that can be viewed on the FIFA™ Website, but these were just some of my favourite ones.

You can chat to Suzie Copperthwaite on +27 83 468 0363 or e-mail suzie@artlogic.co.za if you want more info about the artworks.

That Blogger is actually on tour at the moment…well, if you call heading up country to Jozi “On tour”. Yip, I am lucky enough to be heading to Soccer City to watch the Opening Game live!!

Anyway, I would never forget my lovely readers and always have their best interests at heart…that is why I thought I might mention a great special you might want to check out.

The über cool, Planet Bar at the Mount Nelson Hotel is getting into the World Cup Spirit…yes, they too can feel it!

There very talented team of mixologists (you may know them as barmen) have come up with a series of awesome new cocktails. With exciting names like ‘Italian Glimpse’, ‘Golden Goal’, ‘Berlin Martini’, ‘Slovenian Tea’, ‘Benny’s Kick’ and ‘Hemingway Special’, the thirteen cocktails sound as exotic as their ingredients, and are bound to get you into the swing of things!!!

Also, it is a well know fact that SERIOUS A-LIST celebs luuuuuuuuuuuuurrrve the Mount Nelson and the Planet Bar…so why not print out your list of WAGs and set off for a snifter or two.

We are on the eve of the most monumental sporting event the continent has ever seen and the country is abuzz with excitement!!

I headed to Ye Olde V&A for a spot of retail therapy yesterday and was just astounded by the amount of foreigners shopping up a storm and taking photos of completely random things (spotted a couple taking a photo of the escalators…is that to show folks back home how advanced we are here in Deepest Darkest??). Anyway, I realised that it was quite possible that there were WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) of some of the Soccer Stars walking amongst the happy shoppers and that I wouldn’t know them if I tripped over their Gucci shopping bag…so have decided to compose a little photo line up of some of them and thought it might help you too…as I always say, That Blog is here to help you!!

I have also included a little photo of the blokes they hang out with…just so you can carry on the good work you have been doing on familiarising your self with the stars!!

Nothing says “I love Soccer” quite like a R20-million life-size soccer ball encrusted with 900 carats of white and black diamonds set in 18 carat white gold.

If you don’t love Soccer to the tune of R20m, the good news is that there are eight crystal replicas that will be on sale throughout the country for R8000 a piece at Shimansky stores. Proceeds from the sale of these little trinkets will go to charity.

Not really sure what I would say if I was presented with one of those R8000 beauties…other than to quote one of my favourite movies “This is going STAIGHT to the Pool room”. Please note, I am not even bothering to say what I would say if someone presented me 2,2kgs of diamond encrusted soccer ball…but I think you could safely say that if I was presented with 900 carats, you could safely assume that the State of the Man-scape had changed considerably!!!

Picture Source: The Times

So I read it in the tabloids (and it must be true if we read it there…) that Shakira has arrived safely at OR Tambo and is settling in to life in Jozi ahead of her big performance on Thursday night at the Opening Ceremony of the Soccer World Cup 2010.

Don’t you just love the nice inclusion of the substantial police escort that she needed to get through the throngs of fans at ORT?

Is that one gun on the man’s hip not enough to keep an ardent Shakira fan at bay??

I also noticed the practical travelling footwear that she chose for the trip… Although, I am guessing that she wasn’t travelling in the part of the plane where the footwell would be completely chockers once she had kicked those off and swapped them for those nice nylon socks (you know, the ones with no heels?). Am also thinking that if she did spend the night in those skinny jeans…it wasn’t a comfortable trip.

I am really hoping that the man with the gun in this 2nd pic is the same one as in the previous shot, as I would be VERY disappointed to think that more than 1 heavily armed police man was necessary to protect her from her fans and paparazzi!

Anyway, She is here, IT is almost here…can you feel it??

(Source: The Daily Mail)

Not to be outdone by the month of great sport ahead of us, luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton has put their stamp on the World Cup…specifically on the World Cup trophy carrying case.

Louis Vuitton Case (source: LA Times)

The custom designed leather-bound case was produced to carry the trophy to our sunny shores and was presented to FIFA by Louis Vuitton and Naomi Campbell on yesterday.

The nice thing about the case is that in true LV style, it is subtle and understated and unlikely to catch the eye of any baggage handlers looking to profit from the suitcases of the SWC supporters! Good thinking!!

It is 17 days until we take on Mexico for the opening game of the World Cup and it is all getting VERY exciting!!

The world’s advertising peeps have done so well to produce some awesome ads and promo videos for the Big Event and I thought you might like to check out a couple of them to get you in the mood!!

This one is great…although not entirely sure where a Chimpanzee would fit into the African picture???

This one was produced for BBC Sport and is a great clip to get you feeling really positive and proudly South African!

This one could in fact be one of the most expensive ads ever made. It shows how soccer could write the future for sports stars. It includes some of the biggest names in Soccer at the moment. Remember the educational video clip that I showed you a little while back…do you recognise any of those guys here??  Perhaps you recognise Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba? Maybe even Wayne Rooney or Ronaldinho?? You would be right in thinking you spotted Roger Federer in there too, as well as Kobe Bryant (the basketballer)…and my personal favourite Homer Simpson! Well done Nike, this is awesome!

Right, so part of this whole Soccer World Cup vibe is learning the appropriate dances. These may need to be enacted in the event of Bafana Bafana actually winning a game or failing that, just general jubilation in the stands/fan parks. That Blog is here to help you!!!

There are two important dances to know…the Diski Dance (which I have to admit is definitely the higher grade version) and then the Waka Waka dance (the much easier version a.k.a the 27 pints of lager and much joviality version). The video clips attached will give you all you need to know to learn the dances and be able to practice them in the comfort of your own home before having to bust out some moves in Green Point Stadium/Soccer City/the place you are watching the game.

The Diski Dance…

The Waka Waka Dance…

Maybe if you really perfect your Diski Dance, you can use it as a sneaky intro when you spot The Princes in a nightclub in Cape Town!

Or maybe not…

This does not relate to the trashy 90′s song that will probably be stuck in your head now that I have mentioned it…this relates to the REAL DEAL. Yip, Prince William and Prince Harry are heading to SA for that Soccer Spectacular that we are all getting excited about…the 2010 Soccer World Cup!!  So, Girls, I have told you who you can be watching for on the field, now you know who to be looking for in the stands!!!

Prince William is President of The Football Association and so he is  visiting South Africa on their behalf and then I am quite sure, purely co-incidentally, Prince Harry thought that some time in June 2010 was a good time to go and check out some of the charity work he did in Lesotho in 2008. They will also be stopping off for a visit to Botswana, where Prince William is involved with the wildlife charity Tusk Trust. The visit to South Africa will be the first time that The Princes have carried out joint engagements overseas.

The Princes will attend the match between England and Algeria…which, in case you didn’t know is being played in Cape Town!! They are also expected to be attending England’s first group C match against the United States on June 12 in Rustenburg. We know that certainly the younger of those two boys is not adverse to a nightclub…so Girls, you will need to keep a serious look out!!

So, we all know that the Soccer World Cup is really just around the corner and we have a LOT to look forward to…but I thought that just in case you needed any more reason to get excited for what is heading to our shores in just over a month from today, this might interest you.

The June edition of Vanity Fair features an Annie Liebovitz photo shoot with some of the Soccer World Cup Stars stripped down to…just their flags. The good people at VF were even kind enough to produce a little video clip of the shoots.

Click on this link to learn a bit more about the Stars of the Beautiful Game.

So, next time you hear The Blokes discussing Ronaldo or Drogba…maybe you will be able to put a face to a name and even know which country they will be playing for!