back in South Africa

I have finally made it back to South Africa after 31 days in the USA, 9 flights and 6 Cities. It was a fantastic trip. I saw a lot, had lots of fun and bought a lot. I also had a lot of time to think and relax, which is what i needed to end of 2010. There are lots of photos- take a look on Facebook.

2011 is here and it should be a pretty exciting year. Rachel, one of my very closest friends, and I have made a tradition of naming years: 2009- Year of Adventure, and boy oh boy was that the right name for it; 2010- The Year of Prosperity which was just very very wrong for that year. I think 2010 was more of a 'Thank Goodness its over' year. And now 2011- The year of change. I think this year will bring change, both good and bad, for me and for a lot of other people too. It is a year to look after yourself and work out what makes you happy and then change the things that are no longer inline with happiness.

Change is not always easy. I am not a big fan of change but i think that after a while you have to accept that change is coming. I was terrified of leaving Durban for Cape Town, and now i realise it was one of the best changes i could have made. Now, i am terrified of leaving Cape Town and the life i have there, but i know too that it could lead to new and exciting adventures.

This year I am going to get a Masters degree. By the end of 2011 my title will be: Lesley Connolly B.Soc Sci (Pol, Hst, Soc); Hons (Justice and Transformation); MPhil (Social Justice)...pretty cool i think :-)

I also will be leaving Cape Town sometime this year- probably after July. I am not 100% sure where this will be too but I have a pretty good idea and will confirm it once all is set in stone. After that 6 month adventure, I will need to get a job and I am not sure where that will take me but it may be away from Cape Town to a place where i can embrace some of my other 'roots'.

2011...a year of change where it will all change and a year which will hopefully be changing for the better.

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."

This is a quote from Dr Seuss's 'Oh the places you'll go' and is one of my favourite stories to read when I am a bit worried about the future because it really does put it all in perspective. So if you have not read it, go and find it :-)

Happy 2011 Everyone!

the dog and the chocolate

My brother and I have been staying in San Francisco with a friend of my dad's and his wife. I have met them before once but do not remember it. They have a nice house, no children and two dogs, which have become like babies to them.

Jay and I bought 5 slabs of chocolate from Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco for friends of ours. We came home last night and the one dog had eaten three slabs of this chocolate. The chocolate was in a packet, in my suitcase, behind a close door, but the dog got to it. Lovely dark chocolate with rose flavoring and dark chocolate with caramel inside.

The dog was rushed to the vet at 9pm and had to stay over night, vomited the chocolate up and cost $1000 in total. As a result of this escapade, Jay and I have been relocated to a motel as we were held responsible for the crazy dog eating the chocolate.

Now, I have a few things i kept to myself as we were being escorted away...

One...there is something wrong with your dog! It ate three slabs of chocolate. It dug and fought for that chocolate. I think it is tired of being on its diet (yes, it is on diet because it is 'fat') and would like to be fed more.

Two...who would pay $1000 to have a dog vomit up chocolate. It would have vomited it all up eventually if its body did not like it.

Three...our weird little cross-breed dog Jack eats chocolate plus all sorts of other things that are completely bad for dogs and it is just fine, if not stronger because of it.

Four...yall need to chill the flip out yo! It is a dog and not a human; it was just fine in the end and is back to its boring diet of dog kibble and water; and really....you can blame us all you want, but there is a reason your dog is so crazy...

So, i write this because i am annoyed because I am not the type of person who is 'escorted' from a house and because i also love my pets but i can see the difference between a pet and human being...although, if a human being ate three slabs of chocolate, i do not think i would pay $1000 to have their stomach pumped....

So this is a little story from our San Francisco adventures....at least we are free of the crazies and their dogs...