{"id":192679,"date":"2024-01-19T08:33:58","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T06:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/?post_type=news-article&#038;p=192679"},"modified":"2024-01-19T08:49:24","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T06:49:24","slug":"happy-2024-to-all-ipa-members","status":"publish","type":"news-article","link":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/news-article\/happy-2024-to-all-ipa-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-192679\" data-postid=\"192679\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-192679 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_iuh9504 tb_first tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col-full tb_9zqo505 first\">\n                    <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_8eev153 image-center   tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/IPA_National_Logo_2023_za.png\" width=\"250\" height=\"1437\" title=\"Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!\" alt=\"Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!\">    \n        <\/div>\n    <!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n        <\/div>\n<!-- \/module image -->        <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_svhi660 tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col-full tb_qfwk660 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_780r570   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>May this year be a healthy, prosperous, and successful period for each of you!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommunication\u201d is the name of the game in 2024 and I hope that you will share your thoughts with me, be they positive or negative.\u00a0 In this way, we can achieve the best possible outcome for our Section of the IPA.<\/p>\n<p>On a personal note, Gordon and I undertook a wonderful trip to Ireland over the festive season.\u00a0 Sadly, we didn\u2019t get a chance to interact with our IPA colleagues as our family had a full programme scheduled.\u00a0 However, the Garda definitely had their finger on the pulse if the law-abiding citizens we encountered were any indication.<\/p>\n<p>As an additional tidbit, I thought the following New Year traditions would make for interesting reading \u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In the United States, it is reported that the first day of the new year is all about that brown oval ball of American Football. This is reflected in the live broadcasts and football parties all over the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Another fascinating tradition in Colombia, South America, features people walking around the block with an empty suitcase, hoping that this will usher in a year filled with travel and new experiences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>While in Japan there is a tradition of eating soba on New Year\u2019s Eve. Slurping these long buckwheat noodles is the custom but the most important thing to remember is to eat without biting off the noodles because their long length symbolizes a long life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Finding a load of smashed plates on your front doorstep after midnight could be confusing. However, in Denmark, this would mean good luck for the next 12 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The tradition I\u2019m particularly partial to is that which takes place in Spain. As the clock is about to strike midnight, people reach for grapes.\u00a0 This is because eating one grape for each time the clock strikes is said to bring good luck for the year ahead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>And the one that tickled my funny bone on the internet is that in Johannesburg (read Hillbrow), people like to start the year without unwanted items, and they do this by throwing old furniture out of the window. Now that accounts for the fridge and couch I saw one year!!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Our first RAFIKI for 2024 will be issued shortly and I hope it provides interesting reading. Until then I leave you with the following Irish Blessing:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>May the road rise up to meet you<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>May the wind be always at your back<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>And until we meet again<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>May God hold you in the hollow of his hand<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Best wishes,<\/p>\n<p>Toni Billing<br><em>National Editor<\/em><br><em>IPA South Africa<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_b96r421 tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_3 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_rn64421 first\">\n                            <\/div>\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_rdzr994\">\n                    <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_ikxb839 image-overlay rounded drop-shadow bordered  auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Toni-Vossie.jpg\" width=\"1127\" height=\"536\" alt=\"Toni Billing - National Editor | Vossie Vos - National President\">    \n    \n        <div class=\"image-content\">\n                        <div class=\"image-caption tb_text_wrap\">\n            Toni Billing &#8211; National Editor | Vossie Vos &#8211; National President        <\/div>\n        <!-- \/image-caption -->\n            <\/div>\n    <!-- \/image-content -->\n                <\/div>\n        <!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    <\/div>\n<!-- \/module image -->        <\/div>\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_h8lb995 last\">\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!! May this year be a healthy, prosperous, and successful period for each of you! \u201cCommunication\u201d is the name of the game in 2024 and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[61,66,65,36],"tags":[],"ipa_section":[103],"class_list":["post-192679","news-article","type-news-article","status-publish","hentry","category-national","category-ntl-news","category-news","category-newsletter","ipa_section-south-africa","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"ptb_metabox":{"ptb_article_author":["Toni Billing | National Editor"]},"ptb_taxonomy":{"category":[{"term_id":61,"name":"National","slug":"national","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":61,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":5,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":66,"name":"National News","slug":"ntl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":66,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":65,"count":25,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":65,"name":"News","slug":"news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":65,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":28,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":36,"name":"Newsletter","slug":"newsletter","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":36,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw"}],"ipa_section":[{"term_id":103,"name":"South Africa","slug":"south-africa","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":103,"taxonomy":"ipa_section","description":"","parent":0,"count":44,"filter":"raw"}]},"ptb_featured_image":null,"builder_content":"<img src=\"http:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/IPA_National_Logo_2023_za.png\" width=\"250\" height=\"1437\" title=\"Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!\" alt=\"Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!\">\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Happy 2024 to all IPA Members!!<\/strong><\/h1> <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>May this year be a healthy, prosperous, and successful period for each of you!<\/em><\/p> <p>\u201cCommunication\u201d is the name of the game in 2024 and I hope that you will share your thoughts with me, be they positive or negative.\u00a0 In this way, we can achieve the best possible outcome for our Section of the IPA.<\/p> <p>On a personal note, Gordon and I undertook a wonderful trip to Ireland over the festive season.\u00a0 Sadly, we didn\u2019t get a chance to interact with our IPA colleagues as our family had a full programme scheduled.\u00a0 However, the Garda definitely had their finger on the pulse if the law-abiding citizens we encountered were any indication.<\/p> <p>As an additional tidbit, I thought the following New Year traditions would make for interesting reading \u2026<\/p> <ul> <li>In the United States, it is reported that the first day of the new year is all about that brown oval ball of American Football. This is reflected in the live broadcasts and football parties all over the country.<\/li> <\/ul> <ul> <li>Another fascinating tradition in Colombia, South America, features people walking around the block with an empty suitcase, hoping that this will usher in a year filled with travel and new experiences.<\/li> <\/ul> <ul> <li>While in Japan there is a tradition of eating soba on New Year\u2019s Eve. Slurping these long buckwheat noodles is the custom but the most important thing to remember is to eat without biting off the noodles because their long length symbolizes a long life.<\/li> <\/ul> <ul> <li>Finding a load of smashed plates on your front doorstep after midnight could be confusing. However, in Denmark, this would mean good luck for the next 12 months.<\/li> <\/ul> <ul> <li>The tradition I\u2019m particularly partial to is that which takes place in Spain. As the clock is about to strike midnight, people reach for grapes.\u00a0 This is because eating one grape for each time the clock strikes is said to bring good luck for the year ahead.<\/li> <\/ul> <ul> <li>And the one that tickled my funny bone on the internet is that in Johannesburg (read Hillbrow), people like to start the year without unwanted items, and they do this by throwing old furniture out of the window. Now that accounts for the fridge and couch I saw one year!!<\/li> <\/ul> <p>Our first RAFIKI for 2024 will be issued shortly and I hope it provides interesting reading. Until then I leave you with the following Irish Blessing:<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>May the road rise up to meet you<\/strong><\/p> <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>May the wind be always at your back<\/strong><\/p> <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>And until we meet again<\/strong><\/p> <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>May God hold you in the hollow of his hand<\/strong><\/p> <p>Best wishes,<\/p> <p>Toni Billing<br><em>National Editor<\/em><br><em>IPA South Africa<\/em><\/p>\n<img src=\"http:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Toni-Vossie.jpg\" width=\"1127\" height=\"536\" alt=\"Toni Billing - National Editor | Vossie Vos - National President\"> Toni Billing - National Editor | Vossie Vos - National President","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article\/192679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news-article"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192679"},{"taxonomy":"ipa_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasafrica.co.za\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ipa_section?post=192679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}