The World Cup is about to start and for the first time in ages little ole New Zealand has a part to play in one of the largest global sporting events.
As a self-confessed novice to football, I will be following the games with more interest than ever before, even though I know little about the players or teams.
I do know that many people doubted South Africa would be ready.
When I was there at the end of 2008 it looked like the sceptics may have been right.
The new stadium in Port Elizabeth, for instance, was far from finished, and the city itself looked like a tired and worn out seaside resort that wasn't ready to put on its best swimsuit any time soon.
Despite my pessimism, South Africa looks as if it is ready, even if workers are still laying the turf as players approach the new stadiums.
However, don't let the colourful, loud welcoming ceremonies and flash team accommodation fool you.
The Republic is a place that thrives on chaos and extremes, so be prepared for surprises.
The All Whites had a taste of this unpredictability when their evening training session was smogged out by wood and coal fires from the nearby Daveyton township.
I hope the management team and players react a little faster to the unpredictable new ball than they did to the smog.
It took them a good half an hour to decide whether or not to train - that fast and bendy ball won't wait for anyone by the looks of it.
Players that adapt to unpredictable situations quickly and with little fuss tend to perform better from my experience.
As a veteran of three Rugby World Cups in places that aren't known for their rugby, I'm an avid believer in being able to react quickly and sidestep a wide range of distractions in unfamiliar territory.
We had to avoid the red light district and hash houses of Amsterdam, siestas and sangria in Barcelona, and huge shopping malls and over-polite Canadians in Edmonton in order to stay focused and perform at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup tournaments.
Likewise, the All Whites are going to have to accept that South Africa is chaotic and deal with it promptly if they are to focus on their games against Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay.
If they can't deal with a bit of smog, how are they going to cope with the over-zealous supporters, unpredictable ball and countless other dramas that will inevitably unfold?The honesty of situating the beautiful stadiums alongside what some would consider the undesirable aspects of this African nation should be applauded.
That is the beauty of the place.
The anomalies exist side-by-side, and the nation doesn't try to sugarcoat these contradictions.
Instead of spending more money to hide the underbelly, South Africa lies on its back like a friendly canine and invites you to scratch it.
So I'm going to scratch my urge to follow football and I'll be an armchair follower of the All Whites, willing them to show some Kiwi grit against their opponents and whatever South Africa has to throw at them.