HeeHoo very kindly invited me to join him at the World Cup Sevens Rugby last weekend in San Francisco. He has trained me to be the Best Beer Wench at Cricket and Rugby matches and seeing as none of his other Buddies could make it, I was invited to tag along!!
It was such fun, every rugby playing nation under the sun was playing and the patriotic fervour from all of the countrymen was touching to witness. The Series was won by New Zealand who has terrific support and although we missed the first day of play, we were able to watch our three most favourite countries acquit themselves brilliantly - Zimbabwe, South Africa and the USA.
Although there was fierce completion amongst the many nations who took part, there was always friendly and ready banter around us, and our fellow supporters grew most cordial as the two days progressed.
One large Frenchman sitting next to me, became my 'Best Rugby Buddy' after a day in the San Francisco sun. He arrived meek and beautifully behaved at 8 am, but after five Budweisers and a plate of brisket with pickles and sauerkraut, he took to hollering 'Allez Le Bleu' with much fervour and often!!
As the national anthems were beautifully sung at the prize giving, I found myself quite tearful. (It could have been the sun and the cider) but I felt overwhelmed especially when the British National Anthem was sung, as England was the runner up.
It was a poignant moment when ground reverberated with that most magnificent of anthems that I had sung at school and pageant from my birth until 1980, when Zimbabwe declared independence. 'God Save Our Gracious Queen, Long live our Nobel Queen' How many times in my life had I sung those glorious words
From being a proud Union Jack waving citizen, I then went on to become a fervent Zimbabwean, able to sing the Zimbabwe National Anthem in all three of the Countries main languages. Along with countless former British Subjects, we wore our Zimbabwean hearts on our sleeves, and loved our beloved country to the point of some of us dying for her and some of us quite prepared to be incarcerated in our vain endeavours to bring about peace in our beloved land.
And then there was the Star Spangled Banner that really caused me to blur uncontrollably.
'Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light' ..... Having virtually lived full time in the USA since the brith of our Grandson two years ago, I find myself almost as fervently patriotic about her as I am about being a Zimbabwean!! HeeHoo too was mixed up emotionally too, as of course he was born in South Africa, and his main Rugby love is the Bokke!!
Then of course the Zimbabwe Election has had us in knots. As I write this who knows what will transpire, only God knows at this most crucial stage. I pray that the outcome is the correct one and that peace can be restored in our beloved Land, and that all our fellow countrymen and women can come home to make Zimbabwe an even more wonderful country than it is now.
Who am I Where am I It is becoming increasingly difficult to claim permanent roots anywhere these days and now we are off to Ethiopia for two years, goodness knows where my heart will belong