Football Worldcup in South Africa

June 11 to begin the 19th FIFA World Cup. This year's event will be hosted by South Africa and will be the first World Cup played on the African continent. For the ten stadiums, in 9 cities will play 32 matches of national teams, among which, unfortunately, our lack of representation.Therefore, the great festival of football, I invite you to Football Fridays at 990px. Every Friday until the start of the championships, will show some photographs related to this edition of the championships, organized in South Africa. The first one is going symbols upcoming championships and the arena where the matches will be played, so treat not only for fans but also the blade changes for all fans of architecture. (29 photos)

1st GERMANY, Berlin, June 9, 2006: Employee security company presenting a statuette given to masters of the world by FIFA. Based on the information engraved on the winners of the previous championships. AFP PHOTO BARBARA SAX. more pictures after the break...

2nd Germany, Leverkusen, September 5, 2009: Zakumi (a combination of ZA - South Africa signs the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 and the words of Kumi - in many African languages means "ten") - the mascot of the championship in South Africa - poses for photos before a friendly match between the representations of Germany and South Africa. AFP PHOTO DDP / Lennart Preiss

3rd GERMANY, Munich, 4 December 2009: Jabulani (which in Zulu means "celebrate") - A formal model of the ball, which will play football at the championships in South Africa. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG

4th GERMANY, Duisburg, 27 April 2006: Presentation Cup FIFA World Cup. AFP PHOTO DDP / Volker HARTMANN

5th South Africa, Johannesburg, 13 June 2009: The tunnel leading to the turf at Ellis Park stadium, Johannesburg. The stadium can accommodate 60 thousand. viewers. AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT

6th South Africa, Johannesburg, 20 November 2008: Work on laying the new turf on the stadium's Ellis Park. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

7th South Africa, Soweto, 16 March 2010: General view of the stadium in Soweto, which will house nearly 95 thousand. viewers. (Photo: 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa via Getty Images)

8th South Africa, Soweto, 13 December 2009: The football stadium on the outskirts of Johannesburg. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

9th South Africa, Soweto, 28 March 2010: A lump seen the stadium in Soweto in the late evening. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

10th South Africa, Johannesburg, 23 June 2009: Children playing football in a stadium in Soweto. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI Chiba

11th South Africa, Soweto, 28 March 2010: The football stadium in Soweto at night. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

12th South Africa, Cape Town, 2 December 2009: Night panorama of Cape Town and the scene of the upcoming world championships in football, with a capacity of 68 thousand. viewers. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images / Getty Images)

13th South Africa, Cape Town, 25 April 2010: Panorama of Cape Town with a visible Green Point Stadium. AFP PHOTO / Dean Treml

14th South Africa, Cape Town, 22 March 2010: The Prayer (here sitting in the stands 45 thousand. People) at the newly opened stadium in Cape Town. AFP PHOTO / Roger Bosch

15th South Africa, Cape Town, March 1, 2010: One of the locker room at the Green Point stadium. AFP PHOTO STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

16th South Africa, Cape Town, March 1, 2010: The cell at the police station, located at Green Point stadium. AFP PHOTO STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

17th South Africa, Durban, December 8, 2009: Cloakroom Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

18th South Africa, Durban, December 8, 2009: View of the grandstand and turf stadium in Durban. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

19th South Africa, Durban, February 12, 2010: Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. AFP PHOTO / EUROLUFTBILD

20th South Africa, Polokwane, 15 February 2010: Aerial view of the stadium Peter Mokaby in Polokwane, where 45 thousand can cheer. viewers. AFP PHOTO / EUROLUFTBILD

21st South Africa, Nelspruit, 21 March 2010: Football Stadium Mbombela in Nelspruit, which stands at 44 thousand fit. viewers. AFP PHOTO / STR

22nd South Africa, Nelspruit, March 21, 2010: Tribune, and turf stadium in Nelspruit. AFP PHOTO / STR

23rd South Africa, Nelspruit, 21 March 2010: The entrance to the toilets for the ladies at the Mbombela stadium. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

24th RPA, Rustenburg, June 16, 2009: In the foreground a woman carry water from the distribution point. On the second plan, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium - multi-use stadium in Rustenburg. AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT

25th South Africa, Rustenburg, June 21, 2009: A view of the whole object Royal Bafokeng Stadium, located 42 thousand in the stands. viewers. AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT

26th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 23 June 2009: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth capacity of 48 thousand. viewers. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

27th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, July 23, 2009: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at night. AFP PHOTO / JOE Alexander

28th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, May 14, 2010: Sokolniki Arnold Slabbert, together with her students - a wandering hawk - involved in killing pests on Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (mainly pigeons and rodents). AFP PHOTO / Gianluigi GUERCIA

29th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, May 14, 2010: The peregrine falcon is at work on the stadium Nelson Mandela Bay. AFP PHOTO / Gianluigi GUERCIA  Via Link

Football Worldcup in South Africa

June 11 to begin the 19th FIFA World Cup. This year's event will be hosted by South Africa and will be the first World Cup played on the African continent. For the ten stadiums, in 9 cities will play 32 matches of national teams, among which, unfortunately, our lack of representation.Therefore, the great festival of football, I invite you to Football Fridays at 990px. Every Friday until the start of the championships, will show some photographs related to this edition of the championships, organized in South Africa. The first one is going symbols upcoming championships and the arena where the matches will be played, so treat not only for fans but also the blade changes for all fans of architecture. (29 photos)

1st GERMANY, Berlin, June 9, 2006: Employee security company presenting a statuette given to masters of the world by FIFA. Based on the information engraved on the winners of the previous championships. AFP PHOTO BARBARA SAX. more pictures after the break...

2nd Germany, Leverkusen, September 5, 2009: Zakumi (a combination of ZA - South Africa signs the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 and the words of Kumi - in many African languages means "ten") - the mascot of the championship in South Africa - poses for photos before a friendly match between the representations of Germany and South Africa. AFP PHOTO DDP / Lennart Preiss

3rd GERMANY, Munich, 4 December 2009: Jabulani (which in Zulu means "celebrate") - A formal model of the ball, which will play football at the championships in South Africa. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG

4th GERMANY, Duisburg, 27 April 2006: Presentation Cup FIFA World Cup. AFP PHOTO DDP / Volker HARTMANN

5th South Africa, Johannesburg, 13 June 2009: The tunnel leading to the turf at Ellis Park stadium, Johannesburg. The stadium can accommodate 60 thousand. viewers. AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT

6th South Africa, Johannesburg, 20 November 2008: Work on laying the new turf on the stadium's Ellis Park. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

7th South Africa, Soweto, 16 March 2010: General view of the stadium in Soweto, which will house nearly 95 thousand. viewers. (Photo: 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa via Getty Images)

8th South Africa, Soweto, 13 December 2009: The football stadium on the outskirts of Johannesburg. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

9th South Africa, Soweto, 28 March 2010: A lump seen the stadium in Soweto in the late evening. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

10th South Africa, Johannesburg, 23 June 2009: Children playing football in a stadium in Soweto. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI Chiba

11th South Africa, Soweto, 28 March 2010: The football stadium in Soweto at night. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

12th South Africa, Cape Town, 2 December 2009: Night panorama of Cape Town and the scene of the upcoming world championships in football, with a capacity of 68 thousand. viewers. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images / Getty Images)

13th South Africa, Cape Town, 25 April 2010: Panorama of Cape Town with a visible Green Point Stadium. AFP PHOTO / Dean Treml

14th South Africa, Cape Town, 22 March 2010: The Prayer (here sitting in the stands 45 thousand. People) at the newly opened stadium in Cape Town. AFP PHOTO / Roger Bosch

15th South Africa, Cape Town, March 1, 2010: One of the locker room at the Green Point stadium. AFP PHOTO STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

16th South Africa, Cape Town, March 1, 2010: The cell at the police station, located at Green Point stadium. AFP PHOTO STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

17th South Africa, Durban, December 8, 2009: Cloakroom Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

18th South Africa, Durban, December 8, 2009: View of the grandstand and turf stadium in Durban. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

19th South Africa, Durban, February 12, 2010: Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. AFP PHOTO / EUROLUFTBILD

20th South Africa, Polokwane, 15 February 2010: Aerial view of the stadium Peter Mokaby in Polokwane, where 45 thousand can cheer. viewers. AFP PHOTO / EUROLUFTBILD

21st South Africa, Nelspruit, 21 March 2010: Football Stadium Mbombela in Nelspruit, which stands at 44 thousand fit. viewers. AFP PHOTO / STR

22nd South Africa, Nelspruit, March 21, 2010: Tribune, and turf stadium in Nelspruit. AFP PHOTO / STR

23rd South Africa, Nelspruit, 21 March 2010: The entrance to the toilets for the ladies at the Mbombela stadium. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

24th RPA, Rustenburg, June 16, 2009: In the foreground a woman carry water from the distribution point. On the second plan, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium - multi-use stadium in Rustenburg. AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT

25th South Africa, Rustenburg, June 21, 2009: A view of the whole object Royal Bafokeng Stadium, located 42 thousand in the stands. viewers. AFP PHOTO / FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT

26th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 23 June 2009: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth capacity of 48 thousand. viewers. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE

27th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, July 23, 2009: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at night. AFP PHOTO / JOE Alexander

28th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, May 14, 2010: Sokolniki Arnold Slabbert, together with her students - a wandering hawk - involved in killing pests on Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (mainly pigeons and rodents). AFP PHOTO / Gianluigi GUERCIA

29th South Africa, Port Elizabeth, May 14, 2010: The peregrine falcon is at work on the stadium Nelson Mandela Bay. AFP PHOTO / Gianluigi GUERCIA  Via Link

Hire Professionals!

Not too long ago I did a series on hiring a wedding planner, and posted a letter from a bride who didn't hire us, and how she wished she did. It's here if you want to read it.



Recently, I found a post on the subject with with a tragic series of event that occured because she didn't hire professionals. I found this on one of my favorite people's blog, Mark from Queen of Hearts in Philadelphia.



A Cautionary Wedding Tale







You know that sinking feeling when your gut tells you something is really not a good idea?



That’s the feeling I ignored when my fiancé talked me out of hiring Mark Kingsdorf as my day-of wedding coordinator.





At the time, we were living in an historic home with beautiful grounds next to a stables, and chose to have our wedding at home as an obvious choice. The owners of the stables had taken some bit of persuading to allow us to have a wedding next door: so much so that they insisted that we hire valet parkers to avoid any possible disturbance to the horses as they were brought to and from their stalls and pasture. But somehow, I got it all together, including with a hefty insurance policy and a list of conditions.





My husband-to-be had gone to spend the night with his parents, and as the day of the wedding dawned with blue skies, I felt reasonably confident that I was well prepared for the event to come. I got a lot of teasing about the fact that I had typed up and handed out timelines and task lists, and in addition, I tacked up large posters with even more lists of who was doing what, by when, and how.





Seemed straightforward enough. Until I glanced out the window during a bathroom break between hair and make-up and saw that the tables and chairs were still stacked in a corner of the yard. This part of the set-up had been allocated to my fiancé’s friends, and apparently, not a single one of them had shown up.





I looked up at my carefully choreographed list and saw that I had made one fatal mistake – in my timeline, there was no room built in for error. To get even twenty minutes behind at this stage meant there would be no way everything would be set up on time for the ceremony.





I didn’t know where my fiancé’s friends were and I didn’t have a number to get in touch with them. Frantically, I called my future husband’s cell to no avail. Next, I called my in-laws’ house onlyto be informed that my fiancé was in the middle of a massage and couldn’t be disturbed! My friends and family suddenly found their work load doubled, and I ruthlessly sized up both the very young and the elderly for their suitability to be roped into the task.





Fuming silently – okay, maybe not so silently – I returned to the make-up chair with my updo slightly askew, cursing, panting and lightly sweating. Luckily, I had hired professionals for this job, as I was hardly looking like ideal bride material by this time. A couple of medicinal glasses of champagne later, I finally regained my composure.





With about ten minutes to go before the start of the ceremony, I couldn’t resist looking out the window to check on the progress outside, and that is where I saw, to my utterhorror, a van parked right in front of the pasture gate with the musicians unloading, totally blocking the way for a highly strung horse and his even more highly strung owner.





Aaagh! Disaster!





Frantically, I began yelling to try to get their attention to move the van. Without thinking, I began pounding on the window, and all of a sudden, I had everyone’s attention as my fist went straight through the historic seventeenth century glass and I started to bleed – profusely, in fact!





Oh *****! was my first thought.





Don’t bleed on the dress! was the second.





I’ve just destroyed a piece of our nation’s historic heritage, what am I going to do? That was the last semi-rational thought I had before I unraveled completely.





As far as my second thought was concerned, I had the great fortune that my future brother in law is an emergency room doctor, and even better, he happens to travel with everything you need to stitch up a bleeding bride. It’s a great thing that bandages come in bridal colors…





I was even luckier in the serious matter of replacing a seventeenth century window pane. I came back from my honeymoon to find, by way of fantastic coincidence,someone had decided to do some architectural restoration on another part of the house, and there, up a ladder, I discovered my very own historic window replacement specialist.



Moral of the Story: I dont' care who you hire, but hire a professional wedding planner!