Hi guys…. remember me?
Well, we’re properly in hiatus mode at the moment, I guess, with very little going on at all on the local rugby scene. Even the usual mad flurry of transfers seems t be over, with all of the Super Rugby sides winding down their pre-Christmas pre-season phase (if that makes sense at all) and preparing to give their players a much-needed festive break.
So, the question is, what are all of you up to? What are you busying yourselves with at the moment, with no rugby to occupy every waking moment? Are you watching cricket, football, sevens? Doing home improvement? Spending time with the family? All of the above?
For those that don’t know, I’m just winding up at work this week before heading out to the glorious republic next Monday to spend a wonderful 3 weeks in the sunshine. If any of you are going to be around Joburg over the festive season, do let me know and we can do our best to arrange a meet-up of some sort.

um… Rob if you think you are coming to a sunny country think again…. I advise you bring your wet weathered clothes with 😉
@Uli (Comment 1) : NOOOOOOO
@robdylan (Comment 2) : YIIIP.
I remember somebody luring me into this country with a promise of eternal sunshine 🙄 what a horribly cold summer it has been this year.
BTW – don’t you know that Joburg goes seaside during Christmas 😆
@rekinek (Comment 4) : yes, I have been told that 🙁
@rekinek (Comment 3) : God is saving up all the sunshine for me 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 6) : May not be such a bad thing. if the seaside is as gloomy as it has been here I will be back in Joburg 😎
needa run to gym – trying to work out some beach-acceptable shape
@rekinek (Comment 8) : I have given up on that idea
It’s great to go to the Gym these hols without having to wait 60 minutes to find a free bench! Student towns totally die when varsity closes…got the whole virgin active to myself
Sport wise…super keen for PL 7’s and The Sharks to do well!Also keen for the start of the Dakar rally in Jan…2 half of December will be spent on the coast/beach like everyone else 😉
@rekinek (Comment 8) : @robdylan (Comment 9) : I’m always in shape……. remember boys round is also a shape. Going to stay home let the vaalies have the sea at this time of the year I’ll go September when it’s not so hot/humid.
Guys, even when the weather is ten times worse than Gaupong, we still have the sea, beautiful views, tons of greenery AND……fresh air all year round. 😀
And if you wanna swim, get a spot with a pool overlooking the ocean 😉
DIY, DIY and more DIY and then off to Mpumalanga to spend Christmas with family on a farm with hopefully little to no cellphone coverage. Even though I’m a ‘Vaalie’ I never venture near the coast during the holiday season.
@robdylan (Comment 6) : If not, at least you will be in JHB when its as dead as can be 😉
I’m hoping to meet up with KSA for lunch sometime this holiday!
@Pokkel (Comment 15) : that’ll be cool.
@Uli (Comment 14) : more beer for me 🙂
@JD (Comment 11) : where’s home?
trying to sell as much meat over x mas and new year to pay for the fishing trip to Madagascar early Jan,so rob you can have my beer too
@robdylan (Comment 16) : Ja,looking forward to it.
@bobby 26 (Comment 19) : you’re a good man 🙂
i have just realised that the end of the world is on my first day of holidays 🙄 how is this for a bad luck – wonder whether I should really bother for this beach-acceptable-shape
@rekinek (Comment 22) : It’s not going to be the end of the world. It’s only going to be the end of the world as we know it.
We might even start winning some finals…
@rhineshark (Comment 23) : I feel fine
@rhineshark (Comment 23) : http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/12/12/concourt-gets-urgent-end-of-world-application-from-soweto-man
@robdylan (Comment 24) : Nice one.
@rhineshark (Comment 23) : dunno – i think Gavin Rich jinxed us already 🙄 😆
Well at 12:12:12 today (12-12-12) I clocked out at work and started my vacation. 😀
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : it is 11h36 here (did you move the clock 😈
@Pokkel (Comment 15) : We are going to barnyard theatre on the 21st of Dec. around that time we are looking at going gokarting at Gateway mall. We kart at least once or twice per holiday, great fun. See if you can coordinate for around that time. 🙂
@rekinek (Comment 29) : I’m not there. 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) : i see you on my screen
@KSA Shark © (Comment 30) : http://www.barnyardtheatres.co.za/show.aspx?srid=823
@rekinek (Comment 32) : All that means is that you are HERE, not that I am THERE. 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 30) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 33) :
I’ll give the Barnyard a skip thanks…..some names in that line-up might lead to nightmares! 😯
Maybe some carting then? 😀
@Pokkel (Comment 35) : Cool. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 34) : I think you may be right – Meisiekind is here 😯
stop being so logical – you are allegedly on holidays 🙄
@rekinek (Comment 37) : sorry – only in 22 minutes
@rekinek (Comment 37) : 😆
@rekinek (Comment 38) : Hehehehehehhee
House all to myself, what should i do…….
SNOOZE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 36) :
Unless I can get Carlos Santana and Bob Marley on it’s own!
Also my good friend Culling Song might never talk to me again if he finds out that I go to a show like that.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 41) : that sounds like wasting valuable holiday time.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 33) : @Pokkel (Comment 42) : for the record, I went to that show two weeks ago….
@Culling Song (Comment 44) :
😕 👿 😳 😛 😯 😡 ❓
@Culling Song (Comment 44) :
You must be pretty blerrie desperate for entertainment in Bronkies to stoop so low! 🙄
I better come visit sooner rather than later before it’s too late!
btw
last time in our lifetime that the date will have a repetitive number: 12/12/12 – never to be repeated 😯 😀
@FireTheLooser (Comment 47) :
You sure about that?
How about 12/12/2112?
Ok I see you said in OUR lifetime….then granted!
@Culling Song (Comment 44) : See what happens when you leave Newcastle? 🙂 You get soft.
@Pokkel (Comment 46) : Work function. Having said that, some of the performers were so bad that they actually became quite entertaining; Wendy and I had a good chuckle.
On the negative side, the show did feature my 3 worst songs, ever, AND they combined two in a medley *shudder*
@Culling Song (Comment 50) :
For a moment there I thought you’d lost it!! 😀
@Pokkel (Comment 46) : By the way, Bronkhorstspruit has three principle sources of entertainment, namely 1) drinking, 2) fishing, and 3) church (or any combination of the three), and all three are VERY well catered for
@Culling Song (Comment 50) : which 3 are those?
@Culling Song (Comment 52) :
To be fair that doesn’t sound much different from Newcastle.
And don’t forget the Rodeos.
@robdylan (Comment 53) : I will always love you – Whitney Houston, Everything I do I do it for you – Bryan Adams, Lady Marmelade – Christina Aguilera
@robdylan (Comment 53) :
Let me try…
1 is probably Whitney Housten’s – I will always love you
2 Bryan Adams – summer of 69
3. Something by Christina Agulera
and that is just by looking at the ‘artists’
@Culling Song (Comment 55) : @Pokkel (Comment 56) :
Well at least I got the artist right.
Then again I wouldn’t be able to name a single Christina Agulera song.
@Pokkel (Comment 57) : Actually, I think the moment overwhelmed me. There is no way that Lady Marmelade is worse than any of Beyonce’s songs, with or without Destiny’s Child. Lose My Breath (I think that’s the title) makes a pretty compelling case for the immediate and utter annihilation of the human race. Apologies, Christina!
@Culling Song (Comment 55) : @Pokkel (Comment 56) : That’s pretty darn impressive Pokkel
@Pokkel (Comment 54) : Bronkhorstspruit = Newcastle minus the scenery or English speaking people, but with a better whisky selection
@Culling Song (Comment 58) :
I would rather listen to Christina than Mariah Carey, Beyonce or Celine Dion….but only just!!
Worst ever songs are a toss-up between
I will always love you- Whitney
‘Titanic theme’ – Celine Dion
Mariah Carey – Hero
But “I will always love you” is actually a Dolly Parton song and her version is very sweet and sincere.
I must say, I’m a big fan of some of Whitney’s earlier work, before she discovered crack-whorin’
@robdylan (Comment 63) : And my issue is specifically with the Whitney rendition, and not the song per se
@Culling Song (Comment 64) : ok – good man. I have a lot of similar issues where I loathe the fact that a particular person has done a particular song poorly, despite liking both song and occasionally artist in other settings 🙂
Celine Dion I cannot stand in any guise, though. Her voice grates the crap out of me. As does Shakira’s. I quite like Maria Carey in small doses and Christina Aguilera is also ok. No time whatsoever for Britney, Gaga or any of the recent “diva’s”, though.
@robdylan (Comment 65) :
Britney’s earlier videos were great(especially with the tv on mute)
@Pokkel (Comment 66) : ew gross… paedo-bear 🙂
Well I’ve spent the last 8 glorious days diving the Red Sea. What revolution in Egypt?
Sadly, back to work on Friday and working through the festive season as penance for my holiday.
A merry Christmas to all at Sharksworld and let’s hope 2013 brings more creative Bok rugby… And a Super Rugby trophy to Newlands!
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Home is here in a place with no chance of super 15 glory a.k.a. the states a.k.a the Free State (Kroonstad).
@Pokkel (Comment 54) : @Culling Song (Comment 60) : Stop it you two. Don’t know Bronkhorstspruit but Newcastle has lots more to do than you think, compared to Kroonstad (were the only entertainment is dodging potholes and a yearly bike rally) Newcastle is entertainment central (just ask my kids).
@robdylan (Comment 65) : Sounds as if could like your taste in music except for Whitney I don’t like any of her music. I hate it when people redo a song and then claim it to be their own like she did with Dolly’s “I will always love you”.
@JD (Comment 70) : Hey!!!! 👿
@JD (Comment 70) : Actually, regular readers of the blog will know that I lived in Newcastle for nearly 20 years and loved every minute of it… The comments are meant to be tongue in cheek 😆
@Culling Song (Comment 73) : and being a relative newby I suspect he doesn’t know that KSA stands for Kroonstad South Africa. 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 65) : During Lady Gaga’s recent SA tour a whole bunch of church groups had their knickers in a knot about the supposed fact that when you play her songs backward you get to hear messages from Satan. They’re kind of missing the point though; it’s so much worse when you play them forward. Then you get to hear Lady Gaga songs.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 74) :
@Culling Song (Comment 75) : Brilliant!

@JD (Comment 71) : I like “Saving all my love” and “All the man I need”. Also don’t mind “I have nothing”. You can keep the rest.
I try to separate the fact that she was a crack-whore from the few good songs she released earlier in her career.
@Culling Song (Comment 73) : it’s how I took your comments as mine was meant in the same light.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 74) : great to know I’m not alone here in the northern part of the states. We should have a beer sometime before the rugby start next year and maybe start a supporters club or something as I’m sure we are not alone. O and yes I like living and raising my kids in Kroonstad nice place to do it, would not change it for the big city at all. Are you going to go to Bloem for the Sharks vs cheetahs game in Feb?
@robdylan (Comment 78) : sorry to say I don’t like her music at all.
@Culling Song (Comment 75) : 😆 very funny.
@JD (Comment 79) : a little far for me to travel. 🙂