Searching for Milan in Durban

Updated on: 31 December,2010 08:36 AM IST |
Sai Mohan |

A cosy 'Eagle' cab ride available within minutes of a call, the sophisticated apartments, the long drive through highways and interactions at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium rarely capture the spirit of Africa the rhythm, the country in its true elements.

With the Test match getting over within stipulated time, two of us journos visited a nearby mall to buy mobile airtime, internet data bundles, an extra air bag. Just then, the insurmountable hunt for an AC Milan jersey began, starting from the more polished market outside Woolworths shopping centre, where we found every jersey but of the club that has won most international club championships, to Queen Street, the real deal, the place where most of the thugs carry out their activities, the people groove to the beats playing from their excessively loud speakers, where the streets are buzzing.

There were people jumping all over, trying to sell everything ranging from boots, to candy, cigarettes, and one person even offered us a haircut or dreadlocks, one of the two.

It got so desperate at a point that the stranger with us started to generalise Inter Milan for AC Milan, asking the shopkeeper to give us either jersey. The irony of it all was that visiting close to 20 stores didn't fetch us the AC Milan jersey.

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