My first year at Rhodes was honestly, the best year of my life. From sport to friends to a new environment, it was amazing. And thinking back I actually miss it as we start t head into exams.
The experiences that I have had are difficult to find anywhere else. Where else can you go out, get drunk and walk home in South Africa, without being mugged, kidnapped or killed by drunken drivers.
The people at Rhodes are down to earth, simple folk. There are here to study, socialise and just plainly have a good time.
There is no other university that I know of that has this kind of student life. Why would people want to study in a big town and live at home when there are places like Rhodes?
University is a time to get out of the house, meet new life-long friends and have the time of your life, where you do not worry about the things that appear when you are an adult.
Ok, so before I get too carried away, and this is the last post I promise, I just want to say thanks to everyone, the friends I have made and especially to the people who were on those random adventures.
Let’s make next year a million times better.
Brad
OK I lied. I have something more to say.
Since everyone is speaking on drunken experiences, I thought I would shed some light on some of mine.
It all started when I turned 18. It was a night of straw rum (what ever that stuff is but I am pretty sure you can run a car on the stuff), and beer. This as it can easily be predicted was not a good idea and having a big place to explore like Monte Casino did not help this predicament.
I won 250 bucks though. That was before I was thrown out. The next morning was hockey tour and I have never been in so much pain in my life. My coaches knew about it so they were not helping and I can honestly say I played some of the best hockey of my life.
Don’t ask how but I had so much energy. Scored three goals and played the best game of my life. Obviously beer and straw rum are a good idea.
Ok I lied again, don’t ever do it. I did, and like I said earlier I have never been in so much pain. But I thought it would go away when I get on the track.
Let’s just say I never had the best race of my life and had to clean my helmet a couple times.
Brad
This is my last post I need to make tonight and I actually have nothing to talk about. So I am going to tell you a bit of a story.
I grew up in the overrated, over done and unique community on Johannesburg. I am not proud of this but what can I do, it is not my fault.
Luckily though there are places to escape and one of those escapes involved one of the wildest motorbike rides I have ever done. This ride however, made a life long friendship.
It all started with my bike been temperamental and refusing to start. After 200 kicks, a 2 litre bottle of coke (and Brandy), coupled with many pushes down the road we got the beast started.
This was only the start though because half way through the ride I drowned it in a small puddle about as big as a medium sized toaster. This then led to some more kicking, screaming, throwing rocks and been down right frustrated. So about a million kicks later, a 2 litre coke (kindly donated) and a girl I got the bike started.
Yup I said it a girl. My mates were over me and decided to pushed off and a girl came past and decided to help. I don't know what she did but that bike roared into life. She then pushed off (after I got her number) and I proceeded to get lost.
Although everything was going wrong it was decided that I needed more punishment. It started raining and could see what the hell was going on. I then proceeded to run out fuel.
in the distance though, a girl appeared. It was the same one and was driving home when she saw me. She gave me some fuel and I made it home, much later.
OK, so I know this is a bit random but I just wanted to share the strange and weird way we sometimes make life-long friends.
Brad
Ok so you are in a new town, it is training for Boat Race (this is a different story I promise) and you are exhausted. A phone call comes through from the women’s crew. They want to have supper with us. So we jump to the opportunity because it means no dishes. As we have no idea where they are, we ask for directions.
"Turn right at the KFC" (simple enough), "Then turn left and it is the first house on the right." Ok, so these are simple directions, can't be too hard. So we thought!
Firstly, turning right at the KFC meant we would end up in the X-Ray department of the hospital. Turning left meant we would end up in the Kowie.
We drove on, got lost, found a field (which meant having to take that 4x4 we were in for a little off-roading), found that dentist everyone was talking about. We also found an old lady, a restaurant named Beavers and a few plastic bags. We were lost so we decided to phone again.
"Oh you silly people I meant the other KFC." None of them thought to tell us of that "other KFC."
Anyway this looks like a pointless story, but that night was the most fun I have had in a while. Exploring the back streets of Port Alfred, finding random fields and just having a good laugh made the whole trip the best part of camp.
I want to do it again. But this time I am going to find mountain range to get lost in.
Chow
Brad
It is the biggest regatta in the universities rowing year. (For those who do not know what rowing is here is an explanation, again. Basically eight guys in spandex jump into a boat that can barely float because it is so unbalanced, and race from one point on a river to another, backwards. It’s stupid I know, but can be quite fun.) Anyway this race is when the whole of Rhodes comes out in full force. Standing on the sides of the river sit the purple people. They completely overpower any other university and take all the good seats.
But I can honestly say there is nothing better then having people scream their lungs out for you the whole way down the course. One of the key aspects of rowing is that it is hard (yup I did it). Wait, sorry wrong word, I meant stupidly hard. You start a race and 10 strokes later your arms have disowned you, your legs are on fire and you think you have rowed across the Atlantic when you look up and see the 500m sign. It is really depressing.
After 2kms though, you can start to hear the screams, you see the people jumping and the cars chasing. Suddenly a life force enters you and gives you the most unbelievable strength. The hooters and purple people is why Rhodes has had so many achievements in the past, and I just want to say thanks for the support.
Ok, enough being emo.
Check ya soon.
Brad
There is just something about the beach that everyone loves. For the guys, its the girls in bikini's, and the sea itself. For the girls, its watching the guys showing off their six packs, and enjoying the social setting. I, for one, also cannot wait to go paddle-skiing. For those of you who don't know, it is a small canoe which you surf waves on. It is something I love, and I can't wait to do it. I guess we all have that something we can't wait to get back to.Here's something we all see and hear about: hooking up with a random girl or guy in Union. It has happened to many of us, and our numbers are increasing. I know someone who does it practically everytime he goes to the Union.
I think it's great. There's nothing like the darkness on the Union dancefloor, the beating music, and the false pretence that no one is watching you ; that you are in your own little world. There is something exciting about it, something that gets your adrenaline pumping, something that gives you a feeling of highness - and no, not because of the substances you may or may not have had access to prior to Union. You also don't know who this gal is, and what's going to happen next. You're just in the moment, without any worries or burdens, enjoying life as it is supposed to be enjoyed.
But then a friend of mine asked a question that I feel is quite important. Where has the romance gone? Oh no, she was not referring to the date which ends with a view from the car overlooking the city, and the roses, background music, and champagne. Rather she was referring to the biggest problem of random hook-ups: it's randomness. What happened to the guy who was crazy about a girl, tellling her about his feelings, and THEN hooking up? What happened to the guy doing everything he can to win this girl over, and triumphing eventually in one epic, unforgettable night? What of the guy who has tried and tried to get as close to this girl, who may or may not be interested in him, and who is forced to pull something out of the bag that puts colour in her cheeks and timidity in her glance? Random hook-ups miss out on that. In a way, it is actually cheating. People are perhaps too impatient for that boy/girl to come running after them. The only thing on their mind is getting some action, no matter the personality or character of the people they are gunning.
I told my friend that I believe this is happening, but we just don't see it. We take it for random hook-ups, when in actual fact that guy had been thinking of the girl for ages and now he had summed up the courage to tell her how he felt. Maybe that guy is still out there, waiting for his chance to tell the girl of his dreams that he's the guy for her. Maybe...
Either way, there is a definate magic in Union. Things just happen there. And sometimes it is really, really magical.
