"Wooooooooosh"

Just like a Cell C data bundle this year has gone “Wooooosh”, blinked my eyes and its 2011, I thought it would be interesting to recall what had happened over this year regards South Africa, Internationally as well as in the Dunkley household.

Well 2010 was “feel it in the air, it is here”, “Ayoba” 2010 Soccer world cup that many assholes both locally as well as overseas said we would never pull off that it would be a unmitigated flop and that would see all the visitors being mugged, murdered robed raped etc etc (perhaps if that dick Dewani had arranged it). Many of these detractors where South Africans living abroad who where just waiting for the country to “F#%k up big time. Guess what we didn’t, in fact the 2010 Soccer world cup (The first in Africa) was one of the best tournaments ever hosted. I attended matches watched games at the fan park and will never ever forget the month long tournament, that seemed to pass so quickly…………. “Whooooosh” so to those who said we could not do it, especially those condescending ex-pats who always keep telling us why the left SA and why we are stupid to still live here….”Byte me” I know that many South Africans living overseas felt left out and tried their best to be part of it by blowing Vuvuzela;’s flying the flag and wearing Bafana Bafana shirts………But it just was not the same …………”YOU HAD TO BE HERE. Oh” well all of you that live in London can regale us with the stories of the Olympics in 2012………Boring.

The SWC gave us a glimpse of what the country could and should be run like, but after Spain won the cup and the government of FIFA had packed up as typical South Africans we went our separate ways and we have slipped back to old ways which is not great. So not all is sunshine and roses in SA but like I say we cannot complain if a) we are not there b) don’t do anything to help

ET was murdered “no not the cute alien” , Eugene Tereblanche, founder and leader of the AWB (Afrikaans resistance movement), he was murdered in his farmhouse in suspicious circumstances that may have suggested he was having sex with his workers, well as can be expected there was call for a civil war in SA and a promise that the country would be made ungovernable, perhaps they had other things to do first but as yet………………………..”Nada”

Then of course we had the year of the Monkey, not the Chinese year, this was Juju, JM or Julius “you bloody agent” Malema. Juju proved to be this years comic relief with his outbursts and 2 feet in the mouth sayings, been quiet the last couple of weeks, perhaps he is still looking for ways to close down Wiki. I would all him a tool, but a tool is useful.

With regards Sports Formula one got the youngest champion ever in Vettel, but FI motor sport is still boring, Rugby had The Blue Bulls win the super 14 that had us all drooling for the hiding we where going to be giving the All Blacks and Aussies in the Tri Nations, But were we wrong and to be honest apart from us beating the Poms at Twickenham on 27 November the Boks had a crap season.. But not to worry because 2011 is the year the World cup comes back to us…….All blacks will not win it.

So what happened on the Dunkley home front….well I think all in all generally a good year except for near the end when I had a mini mid-life crisis…….hopefully I don’t have another one. So here in no particular order

Published a book: its called Clarens Chronicles and is selling Ok. (working on the book Phantom of the Forest that I would like to try and publish for Xmas 2011)

Got a new nickname: SPAD (Stephen Published Author Dunkley) Thanks Jeanelle

Christine’s wedding: what a awesome weekend over 4-6 December was great to spend time with all the family and it was a really great wedding, not often that you get to go o a wedding and do weightlifting at the same time.

My mom had 3 operations this year on her one eye, hopefully this latest one will sort out the problem.

Got a job with NOSA, probably the highlight of the year and while 2011 will see me having to work hard again and also do plenty learning I am looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully my salary will start to match my experience and effort put in.

Tania’s mom died this year, that was not nice and she is missed,

Got to see our UK family that came over for Loi’s funeral, so that was nice, Amber my niece is getting so big and is such a cute girl. Pity we don’t get to see her grow up here, but maybe in the future ( doubt it but who knows)

Gabby passed Std 6 and is going to std 7 (grade 9) this year, proud the way she adapted and know that she will do well this year.

Gabby also ha a boyfriend his name is Stephen (so he must be nice) Great kid that has become part of the family.

2 of our cats Snowball and Pepper died this year, Snowball was killed by another cat and Pepper we had to put down due to a long illness. They say that pets are just animals. We miss our friends

We got a cat from The SPCA, we named him Mischief and he suits his name….what a terrorist he is

Visited Clarens to promote the book, was lekker, seeing old friends and having a plate of Chicken strips at Friends. A housewarming party at Robs and watching the Boks vs Australia also great . Meatbomb, Gabby and I did the infamous Horton zip line.

Called a retard by a couple of Clarenites…..really upset me “Not”

Made friends with Doug after a number of months of having differences of opinion about the Island (England) Doug Loves it and I think it’s a Crap place.

Met a great gent from Portugal/Brazil (who is helping me with Phantom of the forest) face to face when he visited SA, that was great.

Resigned from the Goromonzi Farmboys international motorcycle club

Doug , Ryan and I did the toy run this year, that was cool.

Started a Mexican wave at a SWC game in my own country, "now thats AYOBA"

And still the best restaurant and seller of Chicken strips for 2010 is the one and only FRIENDS pub and restaurant in Clarens.

Hold the Bus not only has 2010 left the building but we have also had the first decade of the 2000’s (has anyone come up with a catch name for it yet?).Wow it was just the other day we where all crapping ourselves for the Y2K bug that was going to kill anything electronically…remember that some people took it so seriously that they built bunkers in the woods and stocked up with food, candles (much like the Chicken licken add they had on TV recently). Whooooooooooosh 10 years gone in the blink of an eye so lets see if you can remember any of these events from the last decade.

· 2001 – 9/11 can you remember where you were when you saw or heard about this?

· 2004: Tsunami in Indonesia on 26 December that killed close to 250 000 people

· 2005: Hurricane Katrina that became the most expensive natural disaster in history

· 2006: Saddam Hussein is executed (was actually 30 December that this happened)

· 2007: Boks win the Rugby world cup for a second time (Second time All Black fans)

· 2007 – 2009: Global recession

· 2009: First black president of the USA is elected , Mr Barrack Obama (Doubt he will be elected for a second term)

· 2009: Pop Icon and child molester Michael Jackson died

· 2010: Haiti earthquake that killed up to 230 000 people

· 2010: SWC in South Africa……….first time the second biggest sports event in the world is held on African soil and I can say ‘I WAS THERE”

New Years Eve was quiet his year, stayed at home, watched DVD’s played X box and nearly missed midnight. Yesterday we went to play Ten pin Bowling…I won (of course) but have to say Tania gave me a good battle. Today Sunday 2 January 2011 hoping to go and have braai on the beach, last 3 -4 days has been overcast and raining/drizzling so looks like it may be ok to braai today.

But before I go there this week has seen the Rand/Pound Exchange rate go to R10.25……..hey if it keeps on dropping it wont be worth staying on a damp, cold, institutionalized island. Many people toughen it out for the great exchange rate and the fact they can say to their SA buddies we are earning big money in R compared to the actual job we do. But hey life is about ups and downs so I am sure the Soutpiele will be happy again when the exchange rate climbs in their favour.

Some of you may have noticed that over the last year or so I have been giving my Brother in law in the UK a little uphill about him living there. (It’s like having family in prison, their still part of the family, but you don’t talk about them). Doug has said he wants to be able to tell us Patriots (people that live in SA and who’s actions speak louder than words) what its like being an Ex-pat (people who used to live in SA but their words don’t quite add up to any actions) and why its better living in the UK (London to be exact) as opposed to South Africa (Port Elizabeth) ………..Should add a little much needed spice to the Blog so I am looking forward to that. Doug just remember we need to keep the %$#% levels to Defcon 2.

Well that’s about it other than to wish you all “Lekka like a krakka” “Kif” “Ayoba” and “Shweeeeet” 2011 and remember its not how many times you fall down its how you get back up again that counts. I week left of Xmas holidays, so hopefully the weather plays along.

Ciao

SPAD