Fan fests. No, not the Danny Gokey fan fests that we all have come to adore, I’m talking about World Cup Fan Fests. Thousands of people herded into large public spaces to gawk at World Cup matches projected onto massive screens - it just doesn’t get any better. We are assured of some variation of a fan fest in Cape Town, and I’d like to take a minute to share some past fan fest experiences. If South Africa's fan fest can be even close to as fun-filled and extraordinary as Berlin's in 2006, we're in for a treat.
The setting: Berlin, 2006
We saw some great futbol matches from the tops of picnic tables, although theoretically you could watch a futbol match from a picnic table at Estabrook part (I wouldn't recommend it - the bird poop is messier than it looks). What set the Berlin fan fest apart from any other place where a sport can be observed was the German culture that seemed to be flowing through the crowds.
Part of that was the multitude of German flags waving during Germany's victory
over Sweden (still eirie, 70 years after the Holocaust), and part of it was the giant weiners, beers and bunny (see top image). Things that Germans are proud of come in very large sizes. A stein was about the size of a half-gallon of milk and the pretzels were larger than my forearm. Add to that the easy-going atmosphere - complete with a topless lady standing in a booth for any tourist wanting a photo, which, of course, Nick, Brad and I averted our eyes from in horror - and the fan fest turned out to be a microcosm of German culture.I can only hope that Cape Town will put their beer in large glasses and will showcase their cultural highlights so that tourists can gather just a glimpse of all that the city has to offer.
