Bad sign #5

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Spot the spelling mistake.

Canned food day

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Every year, the university has this project, where we collect canned food for the poor and people who struggle.

This year we have broken our previous records and the university has collected an astounding 29 395 cans. My dormitory alone collected almost 3 000 cans. The photo above is some of our cans.

We also had to display it in a creative manner and our dormitory decided to display it as a gym.

Some of the girls from my dorm, also had fun in the 'gym'.

I love it to help with charity, because you know that you have done something to help another person out!

One of my favorite places on earth.

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

We have this wonderful restaurant and cocktail bar close to my university, River Café.

Lamb, apricot, cashew, mint and feta pizza! Delicious!!!

You can enjoy an interesting and tasty meal, with a delicious cocktail, while having an amazing view of the water and birds. You can also take walk over the dam wall. On the other side there is paths to walk on, next to the water.

The pathways

I love this place, because it is relaxing and one can escape from the buzz of student life.

The beautiful view

I love this place!

Bad sign #4

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

This is starting to get too easy. Find the spelling mistake...

How can you not spell 'Saturday'! We have been spelling this word since Grade 1! 

This is a permanent board put up in the gym on campus. I bow my head in shame...

People should really check their spelling before putting up signs!

Donating blood

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

My good deed for the day is done! I donated my blood today.

Last year I wasn't allowed even once to donate blood, because my blood pressure and iron was too low. Today, I ate like an ox and salted every single thing on my plate, so I could go and donate. The friendly lady, who took my blood pressure and iron, told me that I was still on the border of not donating. But at least, I could!

I, also have this phobia for needles. I freak out when I see them, especially the needles they use to draw blood! IT IS HUGE! Another friendly lady, kept talking to me and made awesome conversation, when she suddenly stuck in the needle in my arm. I like that tactic a lot, because I didn't expect it.

My blood saves lives. Your blood saves lives!
Go and donate some of those awesome juices!

Bad sign #3

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

There is never a shortage of  signs on campus, which attracts one's attention. Some signs are horribly misspelled or they are LOL-funny Today, I saw this sign on my way to the Mac labs (Mac Computer labs).

Translation of the poster:

So, you stole a new Apple Keyboard or mouse out of the Mac Labs?

Do you know that your theft will influence others' education?

Look how beautiful your behavior (or silence) radiates the values ​​of this institution.

Theft is ugly and yes, it influences us in our studies, when people steal our equipment. There are less computers to use and thus it takes more time to complete these tasks. Students don't have any time to waste!

So shame on you! 

But I love it when people put up signs like these. It is priceless.

Varsity Cup

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen 


Varsity Cup is where different universities play rugby against each other. Tonight, we went to back our rugby-boys, who played against Maties (Stellenbosch University).

20 minutes into each half, they pause the game and give the spectators a chance to win some money by doing challenges.

The stadium and extra seating was jam-packed

The Maties guys were much bigger than our guys, but still we out up a very good fight, but unfortunately lost 33-21 to them.
It is a really great vibe each year and it is fun to be part of the crowd.

For the next few Mondays, this is how I will spend it! And making my Mondays less blue.

Free fun

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Yesterday, me and some friends went to swim at the university's swimming pool. We went quite early so there weren't a lot of people, but later on it was jam-packed.

We had so much fun, just cooling off and chilling by the pool. I think we should make more use of the university's recreational places like the pool.

We even got to see a water polo team's practice, which was very interesting.

I make it another regular thing that I want to do on weekends when I am here.

I love LOVE!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Today is the day of love!

I love love, it is absolutely beautiful in it's purest form.

Everyone just looked extra gorgeous today in their red outfits and their 'special' clothes. Even our cafeteria was decorated.

Thanks to all my friends for all the little gestures, it was really appreciated! I had and still am having a great day spending it with friends!

Hope you feel all the love around it and that it is tangible! I LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!

The perks of being a Casper

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

So, for these who know me, know that my skin color is just a shade darker than snow!

The ghost in front is me

The other night, we went to a event where they announced the RAG-winners. My dormitory placed 3rd with the doll heads on the floats, we also placed 3rd with the float in general and 5th with our clowns.

We took this picture at the event and I white-out on most of the photos which a flash is involved. This is sad! One can not even see my face properly.


Anyway, here is the perks of being a Casper:

• When I'm old, I won't have a rubbery and ugly skin.
• I can't tan (Tanning is bad for your skin), I just stay white.
• I can scare people in the dormitory and make them believe that I am a ghost.
• All the colors of rainbow look good with my skin
• I shine like white paper when I'm in the sun (almost like the vampires in Twilight).
• Chinese think of me as royalty, because royalty is not allowed out of the palace, therefore they have very white skins. (I learned this fact, when I was in Paris and met a lot of Chinese tourists).
• I won't be mistaken for another race, my one friend gets constantly mistaken for a coloured person.
• People instantly know that I'm from European lineage.

I was always jealous of people who could tan and who had brown skins, but I realized all the perks. Now I am comfortable in my own skin.  

If you can think of more perks, please let me know.

Why I love studying Communication

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Whoever said that Communication is boring, YOU LIED!!!! This video is proof!

Our lecturers always get something funny to do! But usually it is part of the lecture they want to give, which I absolutely love!

I love what I'm studying and the lecturers have absolute passion for their subjects and that passion rubs off on the students.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my lecturer's choreography! Ha-ha

Soapbox about friends

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

We are in in the stage of our lives, where everyone is tired of kissing frogs, we are looking for THE ONE. Most of my friends have boyfriends, who they claim are the 'one's', but while they are dating the ONE's, they forget about their friends.

It is very nice, if you think so, but I believe that your friends are just important as your boyfriend. I believe that you have enough hours in your day to make time for both parties!

Don't neglect your friends! I have a friend who is missing out on all the fun activities that we have in the dormitory, just so she can see her boyfriend EVERY single night. I miss her and honestly she is starting to lose me as a friend, because my life goes on and I enjoy it with people, who make time for me and I make time for them. Friendship to me is about availability and not about longevity.

I am tired of convincing her to come and eat lunch with me, because she even has her lunch time reserved for her boyfriend. Talking to her is also not an option, because she is strong willed and will not listen when you try to talk sense into her.

I have been raised to ALWAYS have a balance in my life. Make time for friends, boyfriends, activities and academic work... but that is just me.

We are still young and our lives still ahead of us, make time to have fun! You have the rest of your life to spend it with the ONE!

How do you feel about this?

Grandpa is 75!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Everyone has a role model in life, some have them in their families or people who make a difference somewhere. My whole family is in some way an inspiration to me! Well, my role model is my grandfather, who is 75!!!!!!!!

He is passionate about life, he is always on the go, he has a weird sense of humor (which is good), he has green fingers like no one else and he is a nature lover.

My grandfather is part of the community in so many ways and he is always attending some meeting and he is literally always on the go (I got that trait from him), it is very rare that he will sit down and relax. If he does sit down, he falls asleep! Haha

One will almost always find him in the garden. He likes a beautiful garden and works very hard to keep it in a tip-top condition. Ask him about any plant and he will tell you its name, how much water and sun it needs. The same goes for birds.

But what stands out the most is, his love for us. I never doubted his love for a second. It reflects in his eyes and in his body language.

Happy birthday, Grandpa! 75 is still young when you feel young. Thank you for inspiring me and for being my role model.

Give this man a Bell's!

Monkeys on campus

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I never thought I would say this sentence, but here I am saying it. WE HAVE MONKEYS ON OUR CAMPUS! Actual monkeys.

Proof!

I knew about them for more than a week, but didn't blog about it, because I wanted to find out more. The university is being vague about this problem. The only information I could gather so far (and I'm talking under correction), is that the monkeys' natural habitat has been disturbed by development near their habitat. Where that would be, we don't know!

The university is leaving us in the dark here! They are only sending us warnings to not feed them, wear flashy things or talk on cellphones, while passing them.

They are going to become a problem, when they figure out there is a cafeteria with lots of food and also residences, which also contains food.

Why is the university not doing something about them? We used to see campus cats and chickens on campus, but since the monkeys arrived, they have been AWOL!

If anyone has information about this, please let me know. We are in the dark!

I know we live in Africa, but wild animals can usually only be found is game reserves and parks. Not on university campus'.

Never a dull moment

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

This is why I love it to live in a dormitory, because we have these random times where we will put on loud music and dance in the corridors. It's nights like these that make all the hard work and tough times worth it.

We will play cricket in the corridors or make a slippy slide. It is never planned and always fun.

I love it when I hear a noise outside my door, because then I know the people living with me on this floor, is up to something AGAIN! 

First day of my last year

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I am a final year. It sounds strange to say it out loud, but this year I am finishing my degree!

Now, seeing the first years all confused and running around like headless chickens, is strange. The university has become like a second home. I know every shortcut, every strange path and roads less traveled.

The first day of university was crazy. There were queues EVERYWHERE: At the gym, the bookstores, the banks, the bursary offices, you name it and there was a queue! So, my advice is: go to class and nowhere else for the first few days or get everything done beforehand.

And... just to make it all worse, it was raining cats and dogs! It was coming down by the gallons and streams were flowing everywhere. Luckily, I had my cute gumboots on.

My awesome boots!

I could walk just where I wanted, without getting wet. It was a good start to my day.
It also seems that all my lecturers are very nice, except for the ones who already gave us work (Just joking, they are cool too).

Today was also the first day I started my work at the Reading Labs*. It went very well and the people are very down to earth.

Today went quite well! (Touch wood)

*Reading Labs: it is a compulsory reading course for first years, to help their reading skills and get them up to university standards.

RAG- weekend

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Sometimes, I wonder if I chose to go to the right university and then weekends like this happen and I know I ABSOLUTELY made the right choice. Nowhere in the world would I have found the student life that I have here.

Me and bestie, Marinda

RAG translated is "Your selfless sacrifice for charity". The students build floats in order to raise money for charity. But there are also bands performing on the RAG-farm, as well as beer tents. People come from all over to see the bands and the floats.

Last night, there was also amazing fireworks, no photo can do them any justice, because they were simply amazing!

I really had a great time with my friends and dancing in the crowds who came to see the bands.

Here are some of the photos of the floats (the theme was Zeussim: as in Dr. Zeuss)

All in all, it was a very fun weekend and it feels great to know that I also contributed to charity and had so much fun.