I have also started talking to a guy I met. He is from Italy, but is living in America. He has taught me many important things about life and for this I am grateful. I hope to get to know him better as the days and years go on and I wish him all the success in the world as he pursues his path in life. You are special to me – for me it was so refreshing to get to know him a little better – he shared much about his family. You know, I have never know a family that is so close – It amazed me and touched me. One day when I have a family – I will demand this of them, but in all seriousness it is wonderful. It because they are Italian I say

This is my last planned post before the new year. 2009 has been a year of great challenges and amazing successes. So as I did last year, I want to do a review of the website and the coverage it has had.

This year (up to now) has seen another 4812 new faces, which generated 18287 website hits and this lead to the viewership of over 41500 page views. This is an exciting growth for my small yet largely opinionated blog. Yet again, I do claim that this is my personal website and I write about things I enjoy and I do not claim that the content is unbiased. (Just wanted to throw my small disclaimer in).

I have seen a great increase in my website readership this year, with a few of my articles being published on news sites – mainly my Hot Topic: Israel and my Capitalism in a cup write up. My Hot Topic: Israel post became the top read item on this other news site by easily more than four fold and it generated and encouraged much positive debate between accusers from both sides of the spectrum. This is by far one of the most favorable achievements – I am controversial – and this I attribute the success of this website to.

Ok, so now more on a personal note, this was my last year of high school which I am now complete. I get my final results on the 30th of December, and this will be a huge deciding factor on the fate of my planned studying in 2010. I am studying part time through the University of South Africa (UNISA) and will be working full time during the day at a wonderful company – Umoya Network Solutions. The environment at this company is one which encourages productivity – but on a more important note – encourages the personal growth of individuals within the business. The development team I am working with are all under 23 and this is enjoyable for me too as they are on top of the latest technology and are still in that stage in which they are passionate about their work (dont get me wrong – you  do get older people who are). It is refreshing.

In part this change has been a sad one for me – as it has required me to close down the business I have nurtured and grown over the last five years (which too has brought me much experience and joy). It is the closing of a path.

From a social point of view, this year has been life changing. I hope to keep in contact with a few of the people from my high school career and in the last 6 months of this year I have made some very close friend. My closest being the girl I went to the Matric Dance with (Otherwise known as a Prom for my American readers). We have become really good friends during this time and I hope that we will keep in contact over the years – I too wish her all the success in the world with her choice in studying down the path of Law in the greatest wine town in the world (not the bias coming up here) – Stellenbosch. Talking of wine, I have taken a great liking to wine (much against the general grain for an 18 year old) – but quite frankly, I dont care.

I have too learnt that people are not as they seem (makes me think to Shakespeare’s Othello act in which Iago makes the comment that men should be as they seem). This in reality is not so – I have seen this first hand and it has caused great pain in my life – but from it, I have obtained many new experiences and am now am much more cautious about whom I talk to and spend my time with. Our time is limited – and I am not willing to waste time on those who do not invest in my life – as I like to think I did or would do in theirs.

I have also started talking to a guy I met. He is from Italy, but is living in America. He has taught me many important things about life and for this I am grateful. I hope to get to know him better as the days and years go on and I wish him all the success in the world as he pursues his path in life. You are special to me – for me it was so refreshing to get to know him a little better – he shared much about his family. You know, I have never know a family that is so close – It amazed me and touched me. One day when I have a family – I will demand this of them, but in all seriousness it is wonderful. It because they are Italian I say

Then my local friend – best friend Jonathan. This year, and I am sure he will agree has been one of great interest and amusement. We are the best of friends and I see that this will continue as is. Ill make sure of it.

So now looking forward, 2010 is approaching – “The big year” for South Africa. The world cup is here and it is going to be interesting. I say no more on this at this point in time, but I do hope that it is a huge success and that it brings much positive publicity to South Africa. As far as this website goes, I hope to expand it – into a wider array of topics, and I intend on doing this by widening my interests, but also by pulling in guest writers to assist in making this website as interesting as possible to you – the readers.

I look forward to creating new articles which will encourage and stimulate discussion and I look forward to sharing my interests with you in the New Year.

God bless you all in the New Year!

Noel Harrison

P.S. – I have attached two pictures from the Waterfront yesterday, not that you really care. But take a look