There’s a slight hum in the air when you arrive at Flow in the mornings – and it’s not the server, or the sound of computers powering up. It’s the sound of an office tuning in to the nation-wide thrill of expectation as the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ draws ever closer.
With less than a month to go, people around the country – including the staff at Flow – are starting to believe that the tournament, which still seemed like a pipe dream in December last year at the World Cup Final Draw in Cape Town, is actually going to arrive.
Flags are fluttering in office buildings, shopping malls, petrol stations, restaurants, pubs and bars, while more and more cars are starting to sport flags denoting the driver’s allegiance, with the South African colours flying high.
At Flow the excitement is also evident, with blowing the vuvuzela coming a close second to proudly sporting our Bafana Bafana shirts on “Football Fridays”. In our Joburg office, our writing studio and reception are bedecked in bunting representing all the participating teams’ flags, there are pink makarapas everywhere, and South African flags fly proudly in almost every room.
Our daily foosball games have also become slightly more competitive, while conversations over lunch are increasingly dominated by football-related topics.
Last-minute ticket deals make the rounds like whispered secrets and there seems to be at least one expert in football trivia in each department.
As the daily countdown heads towards single figures, expect the hum to become the trumpeting of 1000 vuvuzelas!