Exchange student madness:

So every year Rhodes University offers places for exchange students to come spend one semester here at Rhodes. Since Beit house is a lower campus res we usually get about two or three exchange students per semester. So by the end of second year we have experience four sets of exchange students. We get students from all over and in Beit House allow we have had French, Swiss, Finnish, and American.

Roxanne. Ilyssa and I in front of our dinning
hall

Being friends with exchange students have always been a very enriching experience for me, because their presence in my life reminds me about how wonderful my own country is. I have loved exposing the beauty of my life here in South Africa to them. The culture shock will always be surprising to me. I have very lucky to make friends with some amazing people. Ilyssa, for example. Ilyssa was an exchange student from Boston collage who stayed in Beit House with us in the last semester of 2012. Ilyssa very quickly became friends with us and I miss her fiery spirit around here. Siina, our exchange student from Finland also has a very special place in our hearts and I still talk to her occasionally.

Last year, under Ilyssa instruction, we became friends with a number of other exchange students from Boston Collage. I feel so lucky to have met all of them, and others from across the globe. I sure did shed a tear when I had to say good bye.

Internationals at the rugby

Megan, Rox and I with Lauren and Erica from Boston

Patrick from America! 

I’ve felt so blessed to get to know so many of the internationals this year.  Just by spending a little time with them I get to learn a little more about their home countries and their cultures. I have seriously caught the travel bug! Hopefully I’ll have a few homes to stay at when I do end up travelling! 

Spotlight:

You walk onto stage; not quite sure about how the audience is going to react. You hope they like what you have to offer. By the time the light goes up though you almost forget about them. You aren’t yourself anymore. You are Aunty Dora or Laura Wingfield. You are “Gossip 1” or “Lady on the bus.” You can’t react to situations how you would, but rather how these characters would. And you have to make it believable…

I’ve often mentioned that I am studying Journalism, but it is becoming clearer to me that I am only doing so because my parents were comfortable with me only getting a Drama degree. Don’t get me wrong. I have a passion for writing, but the life of a Journalist is stressful and I often feel like my writing style is stunted by journalism limitations.

But Drama…woah. It’s amazing. In second year I took a scriptwriting elective and was one of the most enriching experiences of my whole Rhodes Career. We were given the opportunity to write our own play script and then present it to our class for feedback. Honestly I have never been as inspired as what I was during those classes. Lat year I was in third year; which meant that we get to pick our own electives. After an extensive audition process I was placed in Stage Management and Directing!

In a few short months I have not only worked backstage on a large departmental production, but I also had the opportunity to direct a piece of my own! I was assigned to work as a Wardrobe Assistant on the Department’s production ‘Curl Up & Dye.”That meant hours of looking for hair curlers, phoning around for 80s wigs and sewing first year Drama students into their costumes. Due to the small size of the backstage crew I also had to serve as a stage hand. This was the hard part. The production called for running water on stage and a realistic doorway. Long story short I am now on a first name bases with the Plumbing department of the Grahamstown Hardware Store. Directing was a lot more fun. In first term we had to pick a section of a Realism piece to direct and I picked Scene 7 of the Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. I absolutely love this play and it’s a shame that we only got to do 5 minutes of it. Williams has quite a lyrical way of writing. In the third term I directed a Non-realist/ Absurdist piece called “Zoo Story”, which in itself was a challenge for me. I love realism so for my next exam I did “Bug” by Tracey Letts. A bit darker piece for me, but fully enriching.

One of the most exciting experiences for me was my work in the Youth Director’s Season. I was picked to be the stage manager for Honour student Jade Manicom’s realist piece, “Red”.  “Red” is about the artist Mark Rothko and his new assistant, Ken. My friends Phillip and Keegan starred as Rothko and Ken respectively and it was such a joy working with both of them. They are both so talented and I look forward to great things for both of them.

It breaks my heart that I have to give up Drama for one year, because it will be always be a large part of my life. 

My Third Year Drama Class

Third year at Rhodes: What I learnt:

The year before I thought that I had learnt a lot about life and myself, but looking back I realize now how wildly unprepared I was for the experiences of 2013. It was a crazy year, filled with a lot of joy and sorrow.

In 2013 I learnt that:

1.     People come into your life for a reason.

2.     God knows what He is doing.

3.     Things work out like they are supposed to.

4.     Accepting the things you can’t change will make your life a lot easier.

5.     Valentine’s Day is just a day. 

6.     Roadtrips are special, because of the people you're with.

7.     Some boys can be super inappropriate. 

8.     Straight, but not narrow.  (Everyone needs to be an ally to those in need.)

9.     Good things come to those who work hard.

10.  Always check your car before you get out.

11.  Don’t drink shots with strange names.

12.  That I am “as smooth as a bumpy road in Grahamstown.”

13.   Being sick shows you who truly cares about you.

14.  Hot beverages are amazing.

15.  Life is precious (and in a constant balance.) RIP *R*

16.  Drinking games at the rugby lead to life altering decisions.

17.  Theatre is the life.

18.  Driving is both wonderful and terrible.

19.  Police stations suck.

20.  I hope to never end up in an old age home.

21.  It’s scary how much I relate to country music.

22.  “Diamonds on the chain”

23.  Drinking isn’t always glamorous.

24.  Happiness is from within.

25.  You will get a sign from God if you ask for one

I’m on a Boat: Day 4 (Last day!)

Anine, Mannie and me

On the last morning of our trip most of our group did not make it up for breakfast due to the previous night’s festivities. Being the insomniac that I am I got dressed and headed down to the Manhattan Bar, one of my favourites. Having so far only spent my money on cocktails I decided to spoil myself with a cappuccino from the bar and opened up my copy of Cold Mountain. This quiet reading time of mine turned out to not be as quiet as expected. Due to the rain that morning the Dream Team has moved the aerobics to the Manhattan bar. After about an hour the Dream Team began milling around. The handsome Dream Teamer, Ryan, eventually stopped to talk to me about what I was reading and how my trip was going. I swear he convinced me to work a cruise ship right then and there. He also convinced me to take part in the early morning game; which involved throwing rings over bottles- naturally I failed completely. Then, as per usual a round of salsa dancing. Once we had gotten the troops awake Nicole and I waited in the Manhatten Bar for the rest to get dressed. You haven’t lived until you’ve sat through a round of Bingo hung-over.

View of the deck

We were extremely lucky to have absolutely lovely weather on the last day of our trip. Despite the rain earlier that morning the whole afternoon was warm and sunny- and completely windless!! We found a spot upstairs overlooking the many pool, which gave us girls an optimal view of the Dream Team and assorted staff. ;) Anine. Nicole and I decided to go down to the Theatre for Battle Of the Sexes, which was hosted by cruise director Stephan and Bob! J The female team won and I even got to answer a question! Then we were back to the pool for a swim, a dance and cocktail in the sun with other new cruise friends.

Christinne and Anna

Boys on deck

For the first time during the whole trip our whole group made it down for supper on time. We spent the whole meal laughing a reflecting on all the fun times we had. That meal was honestly one of the most memorable of the whole trip.

Last supper together

That night, from our friends on the Dream Team, we found out that they were doing a special performance in the Theatre. Unfortunately we got there late and ended up in the worse seats. The ship was also pretty rocky that night and I couldn’t believe the performers were dancing on a floor that was moving.  Then we hit the Pusha Club for one last night of celebrations; fully aware that our time on the Sinofonia was quickly running out. We spent the night dancing, talking to the Dream Team and ended up staying awake until the early hours of the morning. We even got to see our entrance into the Durban harbour.

At 5am that morning we packed up, had breakfast, waited for our floor to called and were escorted off the ship to meet our lifts home. We drove home tired, but satisfied by our wonderful cruise adventure. Memories and friendship. 

I’m on a Boat: Day 3:

Cocktails on deck!

On the third morning of our trip we made sure that we woke up in time for breakfast and despite getting there early we did miss out on a lot of the food. By this day the ship had made all it’s way to PE and had stopped for the day; which meant that we had a day where the boat stood still! Anyone who knows the PE area knows that PE can be described as the windy city and we certainly experience our fair share of wind on this day. That afternoon we made our way to the deck and spent the day hiding from the wind under a covered spot. We played soccer with the Dream Team and failed miserably at it; which at least gave us a chance to flirt with the Dream Team. The day was filled with lazy hours and drinks by the pool.

Supper that night was Italian-themed, so the whole restaurant was decorated in the red, green and white of the Italian flag. Our waiters served us pasta and a mix of traditional Italian meals. Half-way through the meal the Dream Team burst into the room and started a long congo line around the restaurant; ceremoniously dropping plates and bowls. We were then treated by an traditional Italian desert; which our waiter called “Special Ice-cream.”

That night The Dream Team had organised a Fire and Ice Party, which meant that we could get dressed up in red and white outfits. Anine, Nicole and I decided that, that night was the perfect night for a flat-cap and wolf beanie night. After we were all dressed up and had supper we headed upstairs to try out the Buddha Bar for one cocktail before the party; where we found favourite waiter Colin! But he was soon overshadowed by a group of adorable children and a flashy photographer, who convinced us to do a photoshoot. As fun as it was, the photographs were cheesy and horribly over-priced.

With our wolf beanies and flat-caps on we headed to Shelah’s Pub for a drink, while we waited for the party to start and for the rest of the group to join us. Finally it was time for the party- which was taking place next to the pool. Anine, with a wolf-beanine placed firmly on her head, walked on ahead of us and promptly slipped on the wet wooden deck in front of everyone! Safe to say people were talking about that for a while. They did give her a free cocktail for her spirit though. The party was very festive and we danced with the Dream Team and a group of people who were also on their Matric vac. I even got to chat to Bob a little as the night went on and was Yolo Pacted to give my number to Colin. As usual we ended the night by heading up to Pasha Club for a long night of festivities and stayed up trying to see the sunrise. 

Nicole and Anine posing with Dream Teamer, Guilio. 

I’m on a Boat: Day 2

Cocktails on deck in Cape Town

On the second morning the ship started moving and we were all surprised by just how rocky the ship got.  A few of us did not deal to well with sea-sickness, but most of us eventually did. Due to the lack of natural sun light within our cabins-after all we did get the cheap seats- it was very hard for us to tell the time of day, so most of us slept in. At 9:45 Nicole knocked on our door to shake us up for breakfast, which we missed anyway. We managed to grab some food from the 24/7 buffet and pizzeria. (Best pizza I’ve ever had.)

Fun on Deck

The wind was blowing hectically that day, but that did not stop us from tossing down our complementary orange towels. We had found a spot just next to the pool and spent the next few hours absorbing the sun in our spot out of the wind. While obviously enjoying the cocktails and free food. The Dream Team was giving a line dancing class on the deck so we joined in to learn. The dance instructor was this Spanish women who had more stamina than any other people on the ship. Her assistant, Dream Team member Bob, the cute geeky guy who helped us onto the ship, managed to convince us to dance a few times.

Photoshoot in front of our rooms

That night was the Gala evening, which gave us all an opportunity to dress up. Anine, Nicole and I were a little early so we made our way to the Manhattan Bar for an Irish Coffee. While waiting the band started a waltz songs and in a very special moment this well-dressed older couple took to the dance floor. It was actually beautiful to watch. We decided to have supper at the Il Galeone Restaurant. Every group that books the cruise tickets together gets to sit together at a dinner table. Even though we had 18 people in our group it was only Anine, Nicole and I at supper. We were later joined by another couple, but at least it was nice to just hang out together. The meal that night was extremely fancy and delicious and our waiters from Indonesia and Romania were extremely helpful and interesting. 

Anine and Nicole at the Manhattan Bar

Anine, Nicole and I at dinner

The Gala Event took place in the Theatre, so before the event us girls headed to Sheliah’s and then found a comfortable spot in the theatre. Waiters walked around serving free cocktails and chanpaign, while the cruise director Stephan amused us with jokes and introduced us to the Ship’s Captain.We were then entertained by the cruise’s theatre group’s performance of “Oz”- an adaption of the Wizard of Oz, which involved dancing, contortionists and strong men.

At the Gala Event

After the gala event we made our way down to the Sinofonia Lounge where the Crew walked amongst the passengers and picked woman to dance with. Unfortunately no one from our group was picked, but soon Dream Team started a round of Karaoke. We signed up as the “Yolo Pact” * and sang Mamma Mia, which the older passengers greatly enjoyed. Our waiter at the time was also very good-looking and poor Colin was soon bombarded with a lot of questions about his job. The girls then met up with the boy’s at the Pasha Club and we danced the night away.

Anine and Nicole in the Theatre

* Yolo Pact refers to the pact we all made with one another. We figured that no one knew us on the cruise, which meant that we could be more daring. Whenever one us of made a Yolo Pact with someone else, that person had to go through with their dare. Madness and laughter ensued. 

I’m on a Boat: Day 1

My lovely sister has organised for us to go on cruise for a holiday so I’m sorry that I have been off the grid for a while.  Last Friday, literally a week after I arrived in Bloemfontein, Johann, Anneline and I boarded a plane to Cape Town with a group of friends. We spent the night at our aunt’s house, met up with Anine and the next day made our way to the Cape Town harbour.

We then spent the next two hours waiting to board the MSC Sinfonia, for our cruise holiday!! All around us good-looking crew members helped us onto the ship. I seriously was stopped at every metal scanner and had to be searched every time. We didn’t mind the wait, since it gave us chance to get pumped for the trip. Every now and again we would break out into The Lonely Island’s “I’m on a Boat.” Eventually we made it to the front of the queue. A tall handsome South African escorted us to the check-in desk and then a very, very cute geeky guy, who was dancing around to the music in the harbour lead us to outside. A short, vibey Italian greet at the gangway. “No card; no party!” We ended up seeing those guys a lot more, since they turned to be a part of the cruises’ entertainment team. More on that later.

Little bit of background: The MSC Sinfonia is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Italy-based MSC Cruises. The public spaces include two main dining rooms, a self-serve buffet, cafeteria, two-deck high showlounge, a discothèque, several bars, a casino and a library. The lido deck includes two outdoors swimming pool and two Jacuzzis. MSC Sinfonia is named in homage to the rousing symphonies of Europe's great classical composers: from Beethoven's romantic masterpieces to Mozart's lively works, paired with the contemporary tones of Debussy, Tchaikovsky and Brahms. We were placed on Deck 9, Deck Tchaikovsky, with most of our rooms right next to each other. Anine, my sister, and I shared a room, with our friends JB and Woody in the room right next door. This meant that we spent which a lot of time hanging out in each other’s rooms.

Once we had put our luggage in our rooms (with Anine practically lunging herself over my luggage at the door) we headed out to explore the ship. After about a hundred photos of the ship and photos with random passengers we settled down at the Capri Bar for a cocktail. One of the best things about the cruise was the cocktails- all with hilarious names, such as The Faithful Bitch or the Bewitched Mermaid. Eventually our whole group found each other again and we stopped at a Shelah’s Pub, the only indoor pub that you’re allowed to smoke in, for a last drink before the show. That night the Sinfonia performers put on a performance of song from musical for our entertainment. The amazing cruise cheesy-ness was overwhelming!

Due to the high winds in the Cape Town harbour we were only able to leave the second morning so we had one good night where the ship standing was completely still. Since it was our first day on the ship we had to take part in the compulsory emergency drill. 15 minutes before the drill we headed to our meeting spot which happened to be in the casino. So we all ended up with numerous photos of us wearing those giant orange life jackets:

That night the entertainment team, also known as the Dream Team, had organised a Rainbow party in the Sinfonia Lounge. I was ready and dressed in my colourful outfit before the others so I spent some time exploring the ship; only getting lost once. I found all the beautiful unknown and mysterious parts of the ship. The Rainbow party took place in the Sinfonia Lounge, which was this large room that could almost be called a ballroom. When we arrived The Dream Team was on the middle of the dance floor surround by lots of other passengers dancing so some old school tunes. Once the rainbow party ended we made our way to the Pashka Club, where we finished the night off dancing, to the tunes of DJ Black Sparrow, in the lights of the Cape Town harbour. It honestly felt like a party scene from out of a movie.

Anine, Nicole and I in our Rainbow outfits

More tales of our cruise to follow. J

100 Posts:

In the blur of all this blogging I didn't even realize that I have more than a hundred blog posts! Let’s hope this blogging vibe will continue. J

Day at the beach:

On Heritage Day this year my friends and I piled into our cars and made our way to the beach. My sister and my friend, William, came down for the week and we decided to leave all our responsibilities in Grahamstown for the day so that could have an adventure.

Considering that a few of our gang were a little hung over I’m surprised that we managed to get everyone going at 9:00. Our first stop was a large breakfast at the Pig and Whistle in Bathurst; which is the oldest pub in the area.

Next we headed down to the Kenton beach and spent a few hours basking in the sun. Jeremiah’s Pub is just up the street from the beach where we parked so we grabbed a few drinks and headed down to the lagoon; where we watched the sunset and enjoyed each other’s company. I think that a day at the beach was just what we needed. And I feel very lucky to have gotten to spend so much extra time relaxing with my friends at the beach.

(Inspired by our beach trip my friend Claudi made a 8track playlist that perfectly reflected the mood of the day.)

http://8tracks.com/claudi-moll/to-the-sea

My sister, Anine and my friend Chels

Me and Claudi

Boat Races 2013: #Gees

Ashleigh, Brendan, me and Dan

Das Kapital: “Rhodes students love hashtagging “gees”, it seems. #Spirited.”

Last year I loved Boat Races so much that it was only natural that I would go again this year. Due to reasons I can’t admit on a public forum I remember only parts of Boat Races Fest 2013, but it was just as a special and fun as last year. This time we were lot better prepared for the camping part and loaded my car with various supplies, drinks and food. This year I loaded Sally, Dan, Brendan and Sal’s sister, Ashleigh, in my car and met the rest of our friends at the campsite.

By the time we arrived a number of people had already parked their cars and set up their camps. We parked next to these loud Stellies guys and were surprised to discover our friend Keegan’s camp right next to us.

From there we visited the cocktail bar and won Mainstay beach balls. “Oh, look! We saw rowers.” A shock in seeing the rowers this time around.

That night things got a little…BoatRatchet. Let’s just say that drinking cocktails and Vodka mixes in the sun is never really a good idea. PHfat performed first. I had seen them perform once before, but this time was even better. In a dusty tent in the middle of a field. Somehow I ended up with an owl bennie on my head; jamming next to a very good-looking boy with a tie-dye shirt and a very unique dancing style. Next up was the DJ, Das Kapital, who was just as epic. He threw a Red Bull into crowd and the guy next to me caught it and shared some of it with me.

Das Kapital on top of  a Red Bull truck. 

In one daring moment some of my friends and I Tweeted Das Kapital: “The girls in the front row thing you are quite good looking.” To which he replied. “I thought they were beautiful.” 

By some miracle I found my way back to our tent and fell asleep at the foot of the tent; only to be woke up 2 hours later when the owner of the campsite began chasing students out. By law all of us had to be out of there at 8am and shockingly many of the hung-over campers around us managed to do so.

Keegan, Maddi and I covered in purple paint. 

Back in Grahamstown I had to get back to get back to my normal life. Which including doing my BoatRaces laundry. After a while all the dirt and dust was depressing me and a part of me felt like it would have been better to burn it all.

Overall BoatRaces was amazing and I am very excited to go again next 

Sally, Tshidi and I at the Mainstay tent

Wining Mainstay beach balls with Brendan and Sally