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| Cape Town, Photo courtesy of a_glitch |
4. I probably wouldn't have failed
This was a big reason why I decided to stay here. I somehow got it into my head that if I moved to UCT (University of Cape Town) I would spend all my time at the beach and/or partying and would thus fail right out of varsity. In retrospect this was a stupid reason. Firstly, I hate the beach, so why would I go there? The partying thing is true. However, when I look back at how I behaved in first year, I've come to the realisation that I would have done alright. I have a lot of self-control (sometimes). I also realised that I have a friend down there who wouldn't have let me fail because he works so hard.
3. The guys
Cape Town guys > Pretoria guys.
2. Music and Partying
With the exception of Griet, !Arcade Empire, Town Hall and Hotbox Studio events I often find myself bored. Pretoria sucks for partying. How many house parties do you have to have because there is nowhere to go? Don't let anyone fool you about the Square being awesome! It's good the first 10 times you're there then it's this horrible monotony. Same friends there, same music, same drink orders, same level of drunkness, same weirdos and watching the same characters puking their guts into the dustbins. Going to Joburg all the time isn't feasible either. According to my Cape Town friends I would have had a variety of places I could have partied at.
I also miss out on festivals like Synergy and Rocking the Daisies. We only have Oppikoppi and random, completely random, festivals here. Sure Oppi was good but I miss out on two because of my location? Cape Town has produced artists and DJs like Audiophile 021, Niskerone, HAEZER, Sibot, Sedge Warbler, Tommy Gun, Hyphen, P.H. Fat and Liver. Sure we have Double-Adapter, Crossman and Phizicist, Twelv & Thesis, Doctor Khumalo, Tumi and the Volume...
Yeah... We're lacking.
1.2. I don't actually fit in here sometimes (I don't dress like I'm from here)
I've heard this phrase about 14 times from different friends, "Ah, I don't know what you're doing here. You have such a Cape Town dress sense." I haven't ever really thought of defining my style. I dress like how I want to, whether it's a floral print dress with heels and feather earrings or skinny jeans, doc martens and a cropped top. I take pride in my appearance and even at uni this misunderstood. I've been labelled "Barbie" because I don't like wearing clothes for the sake of.
1.1. I don't actually fit in here sometimes (In terms of language and culture)
This one is hard. I've been called a "Coconut" countless times here. My parents are foreign, both of them from different countries, so I grew up in an English home to accomodate both of them. I even have a weird accent because that's how my parents talk and that's how I grew up. I went to private schools while growing up and because of my schools I was blinded against seeing race. In Crawford College, where I went to high school I saw so many inter-racial couples, even inter-cultural couples (like a Jewish guy and a Muslim girl dating). Getting to varsity here and being told things like "Jungle Fever" exist was quite a shock to me.
I find myself sometimes stuck between an Afrikaans and black place. Sometimes I ask myself, "What am I doing here?" when I'm with my friends and they are talking Afrikaans or we're at an Afrikaans gig.
Then on the other side, when I'm not being judged because of my choice of friends, all black people assume I speak Sotho, Zulu, Xhosa or Sepedi.
I don't.
I speak English.
So when I go into shops and I say, "Hello, how are you today? Can you help me find taco shells?" Is it to much to hear what I sound like and reply in English? Instead of: "Akwi aisle numba7 jikela ngasesinxeleni/ngakwaLeft"? I either awkwardly nod or have to say that, "Sorry I don't speak zulu" to which they either help me in English or become offended that I don't understand the language.
Argh, tired of here! I just want to go somewhere where it isn't like here. I get judged while I'm here, I don't want that anymore.
There are some awesome things that happened because I stayed but right now I couldn't be bothered to try and remember them. I'm having the Cape Town blues. So when I come that side next year I might just decide not to come back and it comes across as a joke now but... yeah... we'll see ;)
This was a big reason why I decided to stay here. I somehow got it into my head that if I moved to UCT (University of Cape Town) I would spend all my time at the beach and/or partying and would thus fail right out of varsity. In retrospect this was a stupid reason. Firstly, I hate the beach, so why would I go there? The partying thing is true. However, when I look back at how I behaved in first year, I've come to the realisation that I would have done alright. I have a lot of self-control (sometimes). I also realised that I have a friend down there who wouldn't have let me fail because he works so hard.
 |
| Perhaps the biggest fail of my life |
3. The guys
Cape Town guys > Pretoria guys.
2. Music and Partying
With the exception of Griet, !Arcade Empire, Town Hall and Hotbox Studio events I often find myself bored. Pretoria sucks for partying. How many house parties do you have to have because there is nowhere to go? Don't let anyone fool you about the Square being awesome! It's good the first 10 times you're there then it's this horrible monotony. Same friends there, same music, same drink orders, same level of drunkness, same weirdos and watching the same characters puking their guts into the dustbins. Going to Joburg all the time isn't feasible either. According to my Cape Town friends I would have had a variety of places I could have partied at.
 |
| The Square is Rubbish! |
I also miss out on festivals like Synergy and Rocking the Daisies. We only have Oppikoppi and random, completely random, festivals here. Sure Oppi was good but I miss out on two because of my location? Cape Town has produced artists and DJs like Audiophile 021, Niskerone, HAEZER, Sibot, Sedge Warbler, Tommy Gun, Hyphen, P.H. Fat and Liver. Sure we have Double-Adapter, Crossman and Phizicist, Twelv & Thesis, Doctor Khumalo, Tumi and the Volume...
Yeah... We're lacking.
 |
| Tommy Gun at Oppikoppi 2011 |
1.2. I don't actually fit in here sometimes (I don't dress like I'm from here)
I've heard this phrase about 14 times from different friends, "Ah, I don't know what you're doing here. You have such a Cape Town dress sense." I haven't ever really thought of defining my style. I dress like how I want to, whether it's a floral print dress with heels and feather earrings or skinny jeans, doc martens and a cropped top. I take pride in my appearance and even at uni this misunderstood. I've been labelled "Barbie" because I don't like wearing clothes for the sake of.
1.1. I don't actually fit in here sometimes (In terms of language and culture)
This one is hard. I've been called a "Coconut" countless times here. My parents are foreign, both of them from different countries, so I grew up in an English home to accomodate both of them. I even have a weird accent because that's how my parents talk and that's how I grew up. I went to private schools while growing up and because of my schools I was blinded against seeing race. In Crawford College, where I went to high school I saw so many inter-racial couples, even inter-cultural couples (like a Jewish guy and a Muslim girl dating). Getting to varsity here and being told things like "Jungle Fever" exist was quite a shock to me.
I find myself sometimes stuck between an Afrikaans and black place. Sometimes I ask myself, "What am I doing here?" when I'm with my friends and they are talking Afrikaans or we're at an Afrikaans gig.
Then on the other side, when I'm not being judged because of my choice of friends, all black people assume I speak Sotho, Zulu, Xhosa or Sepedi.
I don't.
I speak English.
So when I go into shops and I say, "Hello, how are you today? Can you help me find taco shells?" Is it to much to hear what I sound like and reply in English? Instead of: "Akwi aisle numba7 jikela ngasesinxeleni/ngakwaLeft"? I either awkwardly nod or have to say that, "Sorry I don't speak zulu" to which they either help me in English or become offended that I don't understand the language.
 |
| Sad coconuty person |
There are some awesome things that happened because I stayed but right now I couldn't be bothered to try and remember them. I'm having the Cape Town blues. So when I come that side next year I might just decide not to come back and it comes across as a joke now but... yeah... we'll see ;)
