But for now, the launch of the Gautrain, along with state-of-the-art World Cup stadiums, is being championed as proof that South Africa is no longer travelling second class in the world.
For Vernon, Jay says, "making money was only a means of allowing him to sit in a hotel room and think about his art, about cups and balls and coins and cards".
When I arrived at a gallery filled with teacups and saucers called "Art of the Cup," I knew I had reached my saturation point.
"In my lifetime I've seen ceramic art fill the cup and runneth over many times," said Ben Owen III, 32, a seventh-generation potter who is renowned in this region and beyond.
Many a bearded barista might agree that quality machines are just as important as the art in the cup, though.
"Taylor Books is a beloved spot on a quaint street in West Virginia's capital city that offers a good read, beautiful art, a solid cup of coffee and a quiet place to enjoy it all.
Within hiking distance of unspoilt Trotternish beaches, Glenview has three cosy, king-size rooms with a mountain backdrop, interesting decor (knitting, vintage, white- wash, dangling tea-cup art), and the Skye Pie Café (refuel on homemade crab or mutton pie).
COMMACK Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center "The Art of the World Cup," an exhibition featuring paintings, photos, sculpture and other media.
They became nationally famous by pumping up the art of the commemorative cup to an awesome, small-scale monumentalism marked by a rich mix of superb craftsmanship, neoclassical kitsch and patriotic urgency.
Ms Haji has faced some resistance to the project, known as the Cup of Art, she said: "The prejudice is pushing me to try harder and fight back.
