Wednesday 4 July 2012

This was America at its best in Washington DEE – SEE on the 4^th of July!!

The baseball game in the National Stadium between the local Washington Nationals and the visiting San Francisco Giants took place in 40 degree, cloudless conditions. The stadium buzzed with the excitement of not only the game but also the pride and passion these folk have for their country, their independence, their freedom and the fact that they are Americans. Nat Dogs or Corn Dogs, washed down with a soda of your choice in the massive Souvenir size mugs are just starters as one arrives in the huge stadium to the thumping sounds of Bruce Springsteen’s, “ Born in the USA” followed by Neil Diamond’s iconic, “They’re coming to America”. The massive TV screen is emblazoned with huge letters, “HAPPY 4^TH JULY” and then messages are repeated thanking the members of the armed forces for the sacrifices they have made. Recordings of interviews with soldiers in Afghanistan are screened and then the camera will focus on the soldier’s family in the crowd. A roar of approval and clapping follows and the stadium gives both the family and the soldier fighting for his or her country a standing ovation. This makes Loftus Versveld seem like a Sunday School picnic. Women and men keep score of the game as it progresses in book-like records. The lady sitting next to us has all the stats on the members of  both teams, birth dates, weight, height and more. Pity we didn’t have all that info in our rugby season!

All around us, people are eating and everything about eating is extra large. A “slice” of pizza is the size of a Cadillac’s hubcap. Sodas are virtually sold by the litre. The queues go on and on, the Nachos are passed around and the “Bottomless” popcorn is virtually a week’s supply. South African Breweries (SABMiller) seem to be doing very well with Miller sold in cute containers with screw-tops and branded for the game – these are about the only “small” sized articles sold. Next up is Miss America, singing the Star Spangled Banner and down on the pitch the Nationals are bludgeoning the Giants. The crowd are delirious and once again the big screen announces, ‘HAPPY 4^TH JULY”. By this time the Kearsney boys have purchased the local team’s red caps, the odd red wig and various memorabilia. A Nationals shirt with the name “Peacock” hangs on display but is part of the “must-go” items, going cheaply on the sale. With the Nationals well on their way to victory, the Kearsney boys depart the stadium, returning to the Hotel for a quick swim before leaving for a sound check at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Centre.

The Kearsney choir gave a spirited performance at the amazing Kennedy Centre, providing a one-hour free performance to an audience of around 300 patrons. The sound and light was of superb quality and we felt very humbled to perfom in such a venue on this extraordinary day on the US calendar. We were aware that the concert was being streamed live around the world and many relatives back in South Africa had the opportunity (after midnight back home) to see their sons, friends and colleagues performing. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of those who have provided us with the opportunity of performing in some of the finest venues in the world. Thank you to all those who made this possible and thank you to our supporters back home for all the sacrifices and generosity you made to make this unbelievable opportunity a reality. We wish you all could have joined us even for one concert, just to share with us the enormity of the occasion and extraordinary opportunity this has been

After an evening meal close-by, the group gathered outside the Kennedy Centre to witness the world famous 4^th July fireworks display. It was a 15 minute spectacle of a million flashes of light in all shapes, colours and configurations. Thousands make the effort to attend the event which brings to a close the day’s celebrations. On the way back to our hotel we thought we would pop in to see if the Obamas were at home. As it was after 9:30pm when we arrived at their place we felt it was too late to intrude so we took a few pics of their quaint little house and tried to leave a note but the fellow who looked like a postman at the gate wasn’t prepared to pass it on. There also seemed to be people walking on their roof and we guessed that perhaps there was maintenance going on.

Independence Day in the USA, 4^th July 2012, a day we will surely always remember with a smile.