Adjusting to my new life

I have now been in Hanoi for more than a month - in fact, close on 2 months. Much of that time has been spent on settling in, whether it would be home, or at the office. It has been quite the adventure the last year. There are times I cannot believe that I am living in my 3rd country on a 3rd country in under 1 year.

When leaving South Africa on 29 October last year, I had such high hopes for my time in Boston. I was so excited for the new job... and how quickly those hopes were dashed. The position I thought I would have ended up being something completely different. I was under utilised, and basically spent a lot of time doing very little. Moving to Boston was also socially more difficult than I had assumed it would be. I was alone on my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas... and I did not even get to see my friends in the US (New York and DC) as much as I had wanted to. And add to this coming to grips for 4-5 months of winter!

However, there was a lot about living in Boston that I did love. The super fast internet. Excellent service. How safe I felt - no alarm systems, no burglar bars. You cannot truly appreciate it until you have lived, like so many South Africans, as virtual prisoners in our own homes.

So the decision to move to Hanoi, though professionally was the easy choice, was daunting on the personal front. Yet, I decided to take the leap, and here I am. And who knew that moving to Hanoi would be so much easier than moving to Boston? I have made some good friends among the expat community; I found an apartment easily; and I have already travelled within the country. Of course I miss home and friends and family, and the internet in the US, but I have come to really love the hustle and bustle of Hanoi - if not the weather and air quality!

The food is amazing, and the cost of living is pretty low - compared to the US. Compared to South Africa, it is pretty much on par.

I miss the freedom of having your own car and just going where you want gives you, but then there is the joy of taking a taxi and never having to deal with looking for a parking space. As for riding a motorbike in Hanoi - I am not as brave as yet. Give me some time.

The language barrier is real - just this morning in an upscale shop I had quite the time trying to explain that I was looking for milk.

This country is beautiful (the little I have seen of it), and there is so much development happening here.

What will the future bring? Who knows. For now, I am happy with the choices I made, and I am excited about the next adventure.

I am actually writing this as I am sitting on the plane. We have been in the air for 7 hours now, with another 5.5 to go! I am en route to Hong Kong, and then after a very long layover, to Hanoi - where the current night time temperature is 78 degrees! I am trying hard not to imagine the day-time temperature.

Anyway, it was my sister's birthday yesterday, and with a family gathering last night, it was a little bit of a crazy day, and there is still so much I felt I needed to do, including changing Rands into US Dollars :)

Try explaining to the Foreign Exchange Bureau at the airport that you do not have proof of residence with you, because you have not lived in he country for the last 10 months. So, now I have Rands with me that I sincerely hope can be changed in Hong Kong.

And then the drama at the airport with my excess luggage. As you can imagine, moving to another country means the one little standard suitcase allowance will not do. So I have 24kg in excess luggage. Well, I had more than that when I moved to Boston (seems like yesterday), both going and returning two weeks ago, and on both occasions the fee was around $155 - thank you British Airways for being reasonable. Well. Let me tell you, Cathay Pacific; whole different ball game. Their fees are in excess of R600 PER KG. The final bill, for those not in the mood to do quick math: over R15,000! Considering that my flight ticket was only R10,700, it would have been cheaper to buy a 2nd seat, and have 2 people's luggage allowance. Lesson learned: never fly Cathay Pacific when relocating to another country. They are not likely to see me on their flights ever again!

Advertising in the US

I recently decided to conduct a "social study". On 29 April 2014, starting at 20:00, I made a list of all adverts I was exposed to over a 3 hour period. To ensure an "even spread" I alternated in the 3 hours between the three major networks - ABC, NBC and CBS.

So, here goes, over the 3 hours, I saw over a 100 adverts. This is CRAZY. Here is the list. And because it is me, I of course needed to analyse this data. So, according to the advertising industry, this is what the average viewer on a major network is really interested in:

* Shows for the network (22% of ads)
* Food (16% of ads)
* Cars (14% of ads)

These three categories constitute 52% of all advertising. Following closely behind are retail clothing stores (9% of ads), and network providers (9% of ads). To me this was maybe not a typical evening, because I feel that many nights are dominated by adverts for medicines and medical services. So, revel with me in the beauty that is the US advertising industry...

1. Olive Garden - restaurant chain
2. Allegra – allergy medication for kids
3. Humana – health services
4. TJ Maxx – clothing store
5. Survivor show promo
6. Criminal minds show promo
7. Elementary show promo
8. CSI show promo
9. Big Bang Theory show promo
10. The Millers show promo
11. Quilted Northern – toilet paper
12. Nationwide insurance – household goods
13. iPhone 5 – cell phone
14. Fage – yoghurt
15. Staples - office supplies
16. CSI show promo
17. Dodge – car
18. LaQuinta – hotel brand
19. Dunkin Donuts
20. Zyrtec – allergy tablets
21. Home Depot
22. Allegra – allergy tablets
23. Domino’s pizza
24. BMW i3
25. Nicorette & Nicoderm – stop smoking
26. NCIS: LA show promo
27. Person of Interest show promo
28. Harvey Building Products
29. Xfinity – internet provider
30. Ford Escape – car
31. Hidden Valley ranch – salad dressing
32. Allstate insurance
33. Kohl – department store
34. Outshine – frozen snacks
35. Enbrel – joint pain medication
36. NCSI show promo
37. Kay jewelers
38. Kraft macaroni and cheese
39. Degree deodorant
40. 24 show promo
41. Mazda – car brand
42. State Farm – insurance
43. Ford – car brand
44. Verizon – network provider
45. Chanel No. 5 – perfume
46. 24 show promo
47. iPhone
48. Ford Fusion – car brand
49. The Simpsons show promo
50. The Mindy Project show promo
51. Progressive – auto and home insurance
52. iPhone 5
53. American Express – credit card
54. Target – department store
55. Neighbors – movie promo
56. Surviving Jack – show promo
57. Lincoln – car brand
58. xFinity – network provider
59. Dodge – car brand
60. Goya – spice brand
61. Boston Market – restaurant chain
62. Ford Fusion – car brand
63. TJ Maxx
64. 24 – show promo
65. Chase Freedom credit card – bank
66. Snickers
67. Charmin – toilet paper
68. Macy’s – department store
69. Subway – fast food chain
70. Cadillac – car brand
71. Rosemary’s Baby – show promo
72. Honda – car brand
73. TJ Maxx
74. Disney Resort Hotels
75. Progressive
76. Chobani – yoghurt
77. Lowe’s – home store
78. Sprint – network provider
79. Night Shift – show promo
80. The Blacklist – show promo
81. Verizon – network provider
82. Quicken Loans – mortgage company
83. PayLess – shoe store
84. Crossbones – show promo
85. Toyota Corolla Sport – car brand
86. Dunkin Donuts
87. Prince – pasta brand
88. Jeep Patriot – car brand
89. Ford – car brand
90. Microsoft Windows Asus – computer
91. Pier1 Imports – shopping
92. Olive Garden – food chain
93. US Postal Service
94. Tempur-Pedic – matrass brand
95. ReMax – realtors
96. Wendy’s – fast food chain
97. Universal Orlando Resort
98. Revolution – show promo
99. Law & Order: SVU – show promo
100. Clinique acne treatment – beauty product
101. Dentastix – for canine oral health
102. Secret Clinical Strength – deodorant
103. Audi A3 – car brand
104. Subway – fast food chain
105. T-Mobile – network provider
106. Walt Disney World
107. iHeart Radio Music Awards
108. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – show promo

1. 
   

In memory of a great man, Nelson Mandela

Just over a month ago, I moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts.  I am a 44-year old South African woman, who has never lived outside of South Africa.  Moving to a new city is hard enough, but a new country even more so.  For several days now I have been feeling the distance, but tonight the 7800 miles separating me from my home in Pretoria is not just a number, it is a punch to the gut.  This is because of the news hearing Madiba is dead, sitting in a room that is not yet fully home.

Every South African over a certain age (erm, like mine) has a Madiba memory.  I grew up in a small town of mine workers.  Racism was alive and well in my environment, and because of the media restrictions, we never heard of Mandela, or even saw photos of him.

I was at in my 3^rd year of university, studying political science (I have always been a political junkie), when we heard that Nelson Mandela (Madiba) was being released from Victor Verster prison outside Cape Town.  I had a small black and white television, and I remember myself and a few friends crowding around that tiny television on 11 February 1990, when we saw those first iconic pictures of Madiba walking out of prison, holding the hand of his then wife, Winnie, and just completely surrounded by an entourage of friends, family, media, and well wishers.  Words to this day cannot describe the impact those pictures had on me.  I knew instantly that we were in for a very different future than my past.

When he later stood above a crowd of thousands at Cape Town city hall, and we first heard him speak, everyone knew we were watching the start of something new and amazing.  The next few years were spent in a flurry of negotiations about the future of South Africa, all culminating in the elections on 27 April 1994.  My father had passed away just 9 days before that day from a long battle with cancer.  Of course I often thought on that day of the fact that my Dad would never see this happen.  Standing for hours in line with one of my best friends and her husband to cast that vote felt surreal.  Here we were, people of all colours, ages, political orientations, all edging forward slowly to that ballot box.  I am usually not a very patient person, but that day the slow line was not a burden, but an honour.  I was voting for the new South Africa – it was all worth it.  This was a sentiment shared by so many millions of South Africans that day, as evidenced by so many memorable photos from that day.

The emotions of that day were however topped by those from his inauguration just two weeks later.  By this time I was living in the capital city Pretoria, and was fortunate enough to be able to go to the Union Buildings that day for the inauguration.  The energy of that day was indescribable.  The vibrancy of the colours from people from all over the African continent marching to the lawns of the Union Buildings, the sounds of people singing in so many different languages – and everywhere people smiling, being happy.  At one point I just sat down on the pavement to watch the ocean of humanity file past me, and I just wanted to drink in every moment.

And when Madiba finally appeared in the distance, and we saw him on the big screens, giving his inaugural speech, and for 9 minutes he held us all in rapture.  (See the YouTube video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnVffzyaf-Y).

He spoke of new beginnings, of letting go of the past, and forging ahead together.  That day will remain one of my most precious life memories forever.

Because of his words, I have committed myself for the last twenty years to public health, and public service.  There was no greater honour than working in Madiba’s government, and contributing to some of his landmark programmes, including free primary health care, and the Reconstruction and Development Programme.

What Madiba’s life taught me is that you need to live your life with conviction and integrity, a life devoted to helping others, and I have tried for the last 20-odd years to remain true to those principles.

Tears were streaming down my face when I heard of Madiba’s death.  Before leaving South Africa, I had been one of those people who went to the hospital, only a mile away from my home, to pay homage to his life and sacrifice.  Even sitting now writing this, I am constantly overwhelmed by sadness, and especially at not being able to be in South Africa to once again go to the many memorial events that are surely being planned to go pay my last respects to a personal hero.  These few memories shared is just one way in which I can honour the legacy of a man that was more than a human – he was a giant.

Tata, I share in your family’s sadness today.  Letting go of you is hard for all of us, but your lasting legacy will last long after I am gone, and that is enough.

Hamba kahle Tata Madiba.

The times they are a changin'

So, big changes in my life recently. I packed up my entire life and left it in a storage space, and then more importantly, moved 12,600km from Pretoria to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Moving to a new city, in a new country, is a daunting experience. You have no sense of the familiar, and what I have found more importantly, is that creating a new social scene can be tough. Moving here in winter, when it it pitch dark at 16:30, also does not help. Look, I am not complaining. I have a wonderful life, and this new job provides amazing opportunities, but it has not been easy, and writing this the day before Thanksgiving, when everyone seems to be with loved ones, and all I have to look forward to is laundry, does not stave off the sense of loneliness I feel right now.

Sometimes just saying it out loud helps. Now, off to help myself. I am going to immediately look up other South Africans in the area, and then reach out to a few friends tomorrow and break this funk.

Onwards and upwards. To infinity and beyond. Yada yada yada.

U2 - Best Band EVER!

OH MY GOODNESS! What a show!


Okay, calm down, write clearly, be... but I saw The Edge - a LOT. So, my one complaint about all U2 videos is: too much Bono, not enough The Edge - in my book the hottest man in rock music. He was great, the music was fantastic. What a fun night.


Okay, now that I managed to get that out of my system, on to other things.


The weather in Cape Town was so beautiful - though the wind has been pretty harsh. But hey, even with the wind, you are in Cape Town, so, no reason to complain. I managed to have some seafood, I saw my friends Stacie and Mark, and I spent some time with Asara (oh yeah, and her parents and grandparents, but really, it is all about Asara). Sadly she was sleeping the whole time I was babysitting, save for 5 minutes when she woke up and cried for Mommy. When that did not work, she wailed for Daddy, and when it was still just me, she turned to sobbing herself back to sleep. So, what should have been fun time with Asara turned into reading on my Kindle. Oh well, next time.


I would move to Cape Town tomorrow if I could - it is my favourite city. I love everything about it.


Tomorrow I am back at work with a vengeance, and I am not exactly super psyched about that. I have tried to work since getting back from the US, but I find my motivation is lacking. If anyone has a magic cure, please send it along.


Anyway, I really have nothing profound to say today, so, maybe I will just end it here. End the torture for all and sundry.


However, I cannot end without a shout out to Heidi and Bryan, who are celebrating their wedding anniversary today. In their honour I am posting a picture from that auspicious day 5 years ago. Congratulations Heidi and Bryan!

Remembering a beautiful friend, Carmen Urdaneta

Today is the birthday of my beautiful friend Carmen Urdaneta, who died in Afghanistan in February 2005. She was a gorgeous, kind, funny, wonderful person. I still miss her. She was a wonderful photographer. A better friend.


Here is a little about her:


Carmen Christina Urdaneta, 32, was born 13 February 1972 in Venezuela, raised partly there in Maracaibo and grew up in Topeka, KS but was residing in Brookline, MA at the time of her death. She graduated from Hayden High School where she was on the honor roll, a member of Amnesty International, the International Club, Hispanic Club, campus ministry and the volleyball team. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in human biology from the University of Kansas in 1994 and participated in a study abroad program in France. In 1997 she earned a master’s degree in public health from Boston University’s School of Public Health. She began her professional career at the AIDS Bureau in Boston, where she worked on an epidemiologic project on AIDS. She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the Worldspace Foundation, an organization whose mission is to improve access to information in the developing world. In 1999, Carmen became a senior communications associate in the Family Planning Management Program at Management Sciences for Health. In 2001, she served as the director of communications for the firm’s Equity Project, residing in Pretoria, South Africa. She had worked to combat AIDS in Africa and to improve health services in Angola. She was well known in the global health community for her writing and photography. She returned to Boston in late 2003 where she became a senior communications associate at MSH. Carmen was a key member of the team responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies for MSH's various global health programs. She traveled extensively, visiting program sites throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America to capture firsthand the beneficial impact of MS H initiatives. Carmen is well-known in the global health community for both her writing and photography. Her stories have been featured in a variety of publications, and she was a finalist in several photography competitions. She told stories of the people she met around the world. She captured their faces in photographs. She spoke of how MSH programs affected their lives and what they needed to make their lives better. Her stories, published by MSH and in public health news magazines, along with her photos, had won awards. Carmen had been with working for the MSH for five years. She was in Afghanistan to help develop a comprehensive communications strategy for expansion of Afghanistan’s community-based health care plan. Carmen’s last comments in an email before she boarded the plane were that she loved the country and couldn’t wait to go back and do more. In her spare time, Carmen enjoyed the simple things in life such as reading, music, dancing salsa and merengue, the arts and a good cup of coffee. She was fluent in Spanish and French. The family is setting up the Carmen Christina Urdaneta Memorial Fund, which will probably be a scholarship for studying international health or funding for a project that would benefit the people she tried to help. She is survived by her parents Dr. Leonel Urdaneta and Judy Urdaneta; her mother Lia Urdaneta and Larry Lundquist; brothers Dr. JosŽ Urdaneta of Phoenix, AZ and Dr. Leonel Urdaneta of Manhattan, NY; her stepbrothers, Bo and Justin Bowen of Topeka; her stepsisters, Lea Araujo of CO and Christine Owens of Topeka; her nephew and niece Jace Haizley Bowen of Topeka; other very close relatives in Venezuela; and a host of global family and friends.

Oh happy day

This was a good day. I finally made it to the Air and Space Museum - and saw some beautiful photography, and I had sushi. Anyone who knows me well knowns that sushi makes me go to my happy place. But what made this day even better, was spending it with my friend Steve, who I have not spent time with in more than 3 years. When we worked together in South Africa, we would talk 3 times a day. It was wonderful to just spend time together, and just chat away like we did before.

Steve and I saw two movies at the museum, one about black holes, and the other about the place of Earth in the universe. Both had some amazing photography and of course CGI, but it really did provide that sense of amazing space, and the infinity of it all. Earth just being one of millions and millions of objects in the universe is really hard to conceptualise - and certainly is a good reminder of how insignificant we are. I am reminded about a TV programme many years ago called "Third rock from the Sun", and this certainly is an apt description - we are just one little pebble in an Everest mountain of pebbles. When also thinking about the trip to the Natural History Museum, and the exhibition on biodiversity, it also reminded me that we need to take better care of the planet. The interconnectedness of the continents, ecosystems, weather patterns - we are not islands, and decisions made in one place can affect someone half a world away.

Okay, I am getting of my high horse. I am now even annoying myself.

So, a little about my other happy day. Yesterday Bill and I took a drive to Annapolis, and it is a very quaint, lovely place. It was a little chilly, but I can imagine that in summer it must be a wonderful place to be. On the drive there we went past some beautiful homes on the water, and it must be an idyllic place to live. Bill and I checked out real estate prices in the area, and if I had $500,000 spare, I would definitely have an in.

So, now back "home" in Arlington. Tomorrow is my last day in DC. I have not yet decided what to do with my morning. I am having lunch with Bill and will pop into OGC to see other old friends. Maybe another museum or two.

Good night!

More NYC

My earlier post did not manage to contain all my feelings about New York. So, here goes:

1. New York is the most alive, vibrant, pulsating city I have ever been in. I loved every single minute of being there, despite the subzero temperatures (which as you know, I was not prepared for).

2. To be fair, I only visited Manhattan Island, so I may have to temper my review. Actually no, I stand by it - I love New York.

3. It is a city filled with cars, but on Manhattan, I only saw TWO filling stations.

4. The stories of crazy taxi drivers are true (see below).

5. The city is filled with weird and wonderful people - and some downright strange ones too.

6. New York is not cheap.

7. You can find excellent pizza.

8. It has the best bagels. Ever.

9. Central Park is the most amazing lung any city has.

10. It is loud. All the time.

11. In winter, very few streets get any sunshine.

12. The architecture is amazing. You could spend all your time just walking around, looking up.

So, the taxi driver.

Hitesh and I get in a cab. The driver pulls away, VERY SLOWLY. And then just keeps going, very slowly. Hitesh and I keep looking at each other, nonplussed. So finally he says to the driver, can you go faster, you are going very slow. He perks up, and asks, me, slow? YES! Anyway, he drives faster for about half a block, and then starts slowing down again. Hitesh thinks he is trying to screw us on the cab fare, I am convinced he is falling asleep. Finally we decide our lives are more important. We ask him to stop (a few times), he finally does, and we jump out - this is at a busy intersection. We cross the street, look back at the crazy cab, and he is just sitting there, not moving, at all. We keep looking at him for a few minutes - same thing. We look for a police officer, nothing. Well finally we leave, and two blocks later, we look back, and still the cab is just sitting there. Well, either he was asleep, stoned (Hitesh's theory), or was having a medical meltdown (my theory). Unfortunately we will never know. I am just happy we survived it.

Last comment: on Friday morning I went to the Museum of Natural History. It has an amazing collection of artifacts, but the decorations are stuck somewhere in the 1970s. Everything is painted in these really muted 70s colours, and instead of using photographs as backdrops, there are these really corny dioramas. I felt a compulsive need to redecorate the place.

Anyway, to anyone reading this - go to New York. I definitely will go back, probably in Spring or Autumn - which I can imagine would be just beautiful. And in my dreams, I am staying in the most gorgeous hotel in the city - the Plaza.

Peace out everyone.

I left my heart in NYC

Okay, so I have not left yet, but I can tell you that it is going to be really hard to leave New York tomorrow. I have loved every second of being in this city. It is alive, and seriously, VERY COLD. As a South African living in Pretoria, we think 10 degrees Celsius is freezing. Well, let me tell you that the -4 degrees Celsius the past two days takes some getting used to. I have been inside for about an hour already, and I think my face is still frozen.

So, New York. It is so large, and crowded, that it is easy to feel completely dwarfed by this city. I guess this is why movie stars love living here - it is easy to be anonymous around here. I remember being in Mexico City and feeling completely overwhelmed by its size, in a way that felt like it was pressing down on my chest. This city has the exact opposite effect. As large as it is, it makes my feel elated. I think it probably has much to do with being surrounded by beautiful buildings. And then of course there is Central Park. Even covered in snow, and with bare trees, it has a distinct beauty about it.

So, what have I been up to? Took an uptown and downtown bus tour with Hitesh, visited the Clinton Foundation offices in Harlem, visited the Metropolitan Museum (sadly for a short time), had lots of great pizza, and then major highlight - saw a great Kandinsky exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum. Hitesh, Cheryl and I also saw a Broadway show last night - La Cage Aux Folles, with Kelsey Grammar in the lead. Let's just say that acting may be his forte, but singing sure is not. A fun time nonetheless.

Tomorrow I hope to visit the Museum of Natural History, and meet up with Amy. Then tomorrow it is back to Arlington for dinner with Gray, Marie and Bill - which is something I am REALLY looking forward to.

I will definitely come back - probably in Fall next time. I can imagine the city will be gorgeous then. So, I may be leaving soon, but I cannot wait to be back.

Day of Reflection

I had a good day. Slept late (or at least, late enough), took my time reserving travel and accommodation to NY, and then finally got going quite late in the day. Oh well, I am on vacation after all.

First stop: Rosa Mexicana for the pomegranate margarita, the tortilla soup (the vegetarian version), and an excellent vegetarian enchilada. Excellent, and I have to admit, the margarita made my head spin a little. Then a leisurely stroll to the mall, and straight off to the holocaust museum, where I spent the rest of the afternoon. Anyone who knows me really well will know that I have a strange obsession with the Holocaust. I had been to this museum before, but I did not have much time, so this time I really took my time. It was engrossing, and the approach to the exhibits reminded me of the Apartheid Museum back home. For some reason the sections that really got to me was the one on the medical experiments, and a picture of thousands of pounds of hair - shaved from the prisoners.

It made me think a lot of the inhumanity of man, and at the same time there were exhibits that exemplified the power of the human spirit, and the will to survive. It reminded me that people are more complex than the sometimes basic labels we attach to people: good-bad, rich-poor, Democrat-Republican, white-black, as if our entire being can be reduced to a single label.

A day of reflection indeed.

In case this is getting way too serious for you, I will switch topics immediately.

So, soon Bill and I are off to Clarendon soon for pizza - the perfect dinner on this cold night.

PS: Blast from the past - Bill sent me a message about the fact that Mary Wettrich is leaving CDC after 22 years. And so, in the words of Mary - See you later suckers!

Super Bowl 45

Okay, so, I have sort of watched the Super Bowl. I supported the winners - the Green Bay Packers - for no other reason than their supporters are called Cheeseheads, and I love cheese. I have no special connection with steel, other than that I know it is important to have it. But I fail to feel emotional about it. I say my love of cheese is as good a reason as any to support a support I only barely understand.

Also, to say I really watched it is a stretch of the imagination. While watching, and eating the excellent spread Bill had prepared, and drinking wine, I was also editing a document on HIV prevention in South Africa.

So, there goes my Super Bowl experience.

Go Packers!

Brrrr

So, finally I am on vacation! I arrived in Washington DC after a pretty good flight (as good as any flight stuck in economy is ever going to be), and here I am in chilly DC. Well, technically Arlington, Virginia, where Bill's house is. First thing upon arrival in DC - getting a bagel with cream cheese from Einstein Bros - heaven. And then just to add to my joy, I had Mexican food for dinner, at Baja Fresh. Aah, Mexican food, what a joy. The jet lag really kicked my ass, but after a good night's sleep (barring the bit where I forgot to turn off the sound on my cellphone, and was woken at 2am by SMS messages), I was ready to face the world. A world covered in snow, that is.

I am sure Bill and his fellow Arlingtonians (is that a word?) will say, enough already, but for this "snow virgin" from South Africa, perfectly enchanting. And chilly. But I love it.

Had an okay (read: bland) breakfast with Kelly and Robert, it was off to the National Portrait Gallery (across from the Verizon Centre), and then a movie (Black Swan). Black Swan was quite intense, but Bill and I are still speculating about much of the meaning of it. However, I just read Shaun de Waal's review in the Mail & Guardian, and it certainly helped with the analysis, but not maybe the full understanding. All in all, I thought it was well acted. At least now I know what all the fuss is about, mainly the awards for Natalie Portman.

Now I am comfortably ensconced on the couch listening to the news, and of course typing this. Even better, all this domesticity is accompanied by a glass of wine. Aah, life sure is good. Just before you get too envious, the downer in this picture is what I am listening to: the sound of construction. Even at 18:15 and pitch darkness, hard labour (and I am guessing hard labourers) is happening right across the street. New house. Noisy.

Anyway, next up is trying to finally secure some bus tickets and hotel accommodation in New York city. Am keen to explore New York - I have only been there once, for a few hours, and all I did was walk around, have lunch at Times Square, and go up the Empire State Building. I am keen to go back and explore more - and have, according to Hitesh, the best bagels in the world.

So, from my position of bliss, signing off.

Early mornings

Okay, so this is how you know you are getting old. I had to get up at 03:30 this morning to catch a 06:00 flight to Cape Town. It is now exactly 12 hours later (15:30), and I am completely exhausted. It seems the vitamins have had little to no impact. My flight back to Lanseria is only at 20:00, getting home around 23:00. I am going to hit that bed, hard.

For anyone who has not been to the Lanseria Airport - do go. It is a lovely place, and the terminal is very comfortable, with lots of power outlet.

Anyway, have to run - am on a call.


See you!

Leopards and spots

So, here I am on a lovely Tuesday evening. It is 22:20, and I just finished working. So, how did I end up in the same position as I did last year? I guess the holiday is truly over. Sigh.

Anyway, while on the work front I seem not to be making any progress, I have made another decision that will be a change. I have decided as far as possible to follow a vegetarian diet. Actually, technically it is more a pescetarian diet. I am not ready to give up fish, and shellfish especially. Not saying I will never eat another piece of meat or chicken, but as said, when I can control it, meat is out. So, maybe a leopard can change its spots. Time will tell.

I suppose the question then is why? So many reasons - health, environmental, and maybe even a little financial. I hope this will make a difference not just in my life, but also be a small contribution to the environment.

Anyway, as you can see, there is nothing significant happening in my life right now, so, I will not bore you any longer.

I did discover something really stupid today: I booked my flights to the US to visit friends that overlap with the dates of the U2 concert in South Africa. Aagh. Maybe I will see if it is possible to change my tickets. Idiot.

Anyway, signing off.

Wedding Day

So, the wedding happened, and went off without a hitch. The weather was pretty grim on Saturday morning - raining, overcast, wet. How much more descriptive can I be? Anyway, because the wedding was happening on the beach, it had to be moved to 13:00, and thank goodness, that worked out really well, because the weather cleared up, and we had glorious sunshine!

Anyway, the ceremony was short and sweet, lunch (and especially dessert) was fabulous, and everyone was happy. So, here we are. I have a new brother-in-law. Other than that, the highlights were seeing my uncle Dion, and my cousins Gene and Vincent - all 3 miracle workers who managed to pull together a wedding (including a photographer) within 2 days. Who knows that they could accomplish in a week? They could rule the world!

I also managed to spend a lot of time with my godchild Tylo, who is such a little cutie. It was wonderful - except for Saturday evening when she threw one of her famous 5-star tantrums. Boy, she is loud. Anyway... it was still fun to spend time with her.

So, everyone, have a fantastic 2011!

Change she is a-comin'

So, I am about to gain a new brother-in-law! My sister Grazietta met someone recently, and is taking the brave step of getting married on 1 January, in Cape Town.

This is something I have really struggled with. I am such a cautious person, that it sounds frightening that she could make such a life-changing decision after only being together for less than 2 months. My sister is Khloe Kardashian! :) (And yes, it is a little sad that I know enough about Khloe Kardashian in order to make that comparison).

After all the drama she has been through in the last year, she certainly deserves to be happy, and I hope this works out, and that they are together for the next 50 years.

The upside of this is that I get to spend New Year's in Cape Town, including seeing my uncle Dion (my mother's brother) and his two children - cousins I only see once every 10 years it would seem. That should be fun. Though it is a little sad that the few family members I have I rarely see.

So, this leads me to reflect on the end of the year, and new beginnings. I do not know what 2011 will bring, but I am looking forward to it. 2010 has been a tumultuous year - full of ups and downs - including a change in job - apparently one of the most stressful things you can do.

Maybe I will in 2011 finally throw caution to the wind, and start using up those miles and money and do some travel - assuming my work will let me.

Anyway, see you all in 2011!


Celicia

PS: The new brother-in-law, his name is Jacques.