My summer list

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Here in South-Africa, there is no such thing as spring. We get the blossoms that bloom like spring, but we have the heat of a full-blown summer! I was born in the winter and therefore I am a lover of summer. I blossom in summer (pun intended).

My mom, Momagain@40, asked me to take part in this Summer List. Well, here goes:

What is your favorite thing about summer?

My favorite thing about summer is the fact that the whole world gets life again. Everything is green and blossoming, people dress pretty and colourful for summer and everyone is inspired to accomplish higher heights. But my most favorite thing is that I can open my windows and just take it all in.

Do you have a favorite summer drink?

I must confess that after a long and hot day, there is nothing better than an ice cold beer, running down my throat.

Is there a location you like to go each summer?

I don't have a place where I always go, but I am crazy about the bush veld and going to game farms. It feels like I belong there and should be running wild with all the animals... 

Dresses or skirts?

Oh, I love me some dresses! And each and every year, the dresses just get more beautiful and then I just want them all! If I could wear them 24/7 I would! 

Sandals or ballet pumps?

Sandals are the best option for summer, because they won't give you smelly feet like pumps. I am crazy about my sandals and I wear them down in the summer time...

Hair up or down?

I am a hair down type of person come hell or high water even though it is hot....

Hair always down

Smokey eyes or bold lips?

I recently discovered the power of bold lips: red lips. I love the boldness and it makes me feel so sexy! But I prefer smokey eyes as well in the summer, especially when we are having a night-out.

My red lips and I

Favorite perfume for summer?

My favorite perfume for summer is Adidas: Pure Lightness. It smells delicious and it doesn't cost this student an arm and a leg....

Favorite music for summer?

My favorite music for summer, is music that make me want to go on an adventure or roadtrip. Music that makes me feel infinite and invincible... This song by NONONO- Pumpin Blood, makes me want to go an adventure with great friends...

What is your Summer List?

Surviving in a residence

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I am a third and final year Communication student and since my first year, I’ve been staying in a hostel. An all-ladies hostel. Meaning hormones, moodiness, back-stabbing, but also so much love and friendships... I've also met my bridesmaids here. 

My hostel is the home to 260 unique ladies and that means unique things happen and you learn your lesson very fast here. Here are the things that my friends and I have learned:

• ·         Sometimes it’s better to not see/hear anything (Jonanke)
• ·         Never leave your dishes in the kitchen, no matter how insignicant you think it is, it will disappear (Mart-Mari)
• ·         There is not really ghosts in the residence, but yet you sometimes believe it (Toni)
• ·         People who do not live in residences will never really know what goes on there (Hanri)
•        Never stay next to the balcony, because you will have people constantly smoking next to you and chatting very loud (Mone)
• ·         You get one toilet roll per week. TOILET ROLLS ARE GOLDEN! If you accidentally forget them in the bathroom, they will be gone by the time you go looking for them.
• ·         Silence is not golden.
• ·         It is totally acceptable to walk in pajamas all day long or slip into your pajamas any time of the day.
•        The more you participate, the more friends you will make.
•        The more you participate, the more fun you will have.
• ·         Bathing is too much cleaning work (because people don't clean after themselves) and it takes too long to take a bath. SHOWER INSTEAD.
• ·         The walls are thin. Watch what you say and keep your music down or you will have angry neighbors.
• ·         There will be someone studying the same as you, so get yourself a study buddy to make things a bit easier.
• ·         Buy some earplugs for noisy nights.
• ·         You will have a lot of friends in the residence, so doing projects can sometimes be hard when they pop.
• ·         Having a tidy room, makes you more positive and feel task-oriented.
• ·         If you go to sleep before 11 pm, people will ask you if you're sick. NO ONE SLEEPS EARLY.
• ·         Watching scary movies is not great when returning to the residence. A residence is scary by nature.
• ·         Watching a lot of series' is acceptable.
• ·         Being up to date with ALL the movies and series is acceptable.
• ·         Great food is scarce.
• ·         Having an almost empty fridge is common and not strange. Fridges mostly contain sauces and food that no one wants to eat.

·      I would not have preferred to stay anywhere else, it is so much fun to participate in activities and all the friends that one makes, makes life worth the while.

Living in a residence makes you part of something fun, you will have stories to tell your children one day. Living in a residence has taught me many lessons and how to work with other people.

Also check out my post about the things that university guides will never teach you.

I give snow arc eyes...

Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

So, for those who know me, know that my skin color is just a shade darker than snow! I have always been a casper and had many nicknames like Tippex, The milk man's daughter, snowy, etc... Name it and I had that nickname!

It is summer time and it means that I have to show some skin again and then I realize that I really am insanely white! My family and I are also going to the sea in December. I found this gem of the last time when we were there

Yes, this is me!

I white-out on photos, I am invisible on some, and sometimes I get a photo I can actually use, where I don't white-out! 

I have tried tanning, I have tried spray tans... I have tried every trick in the book, so stop giving me tips: Been there, done that, got the leopard striped spray tan marks.... 

Yes, I have had some bad times just trying to tan, like being sunburned very badly, etc, etc...But then I realized there are perks to being a Casper:

• When I'm old, I won't have a rubbery and ugly skin, because I never tan.
• I can't tan (Tanning is bad for your skin), I just stay snow 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, unfortunately I don't sparkle...YET).
• Chinese think of me as royalty, because kings, queens and other royalty are 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. 
• People instantly know that I'm from European lineage.

I give Snow White a run for her money. I make Tippex look brown. I give snow Arc Eyes. I shine brighter than a white paper in the sun... AND I LOVE IT! 

Regards, 

The Blonde Ghost

Free food, massage spa's... being a shadow is great!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

For this week, I'm shadowing/interning at Flow and I've been enjoying it a lot. I wrote a blog post on Monday about my first day, but never wrote a post about yesterday.
Why? Because this was me almost the whole day:

Typing away and doing research

But today was quite different, I had a jam-packed day. This morning started off with another opinion piece of a wonderful entrepreneur, who has great ideas for the future. Later in the day Street Chef came to the offices and made some nice Thai Red Chicken with Basmati rice, it was so delicious! I love the concept of Street Chef! You can check them out on twitter @5star_chef.

Just when I thought my day couldn't get any better, we had a walk-through at enmasse (No, it shouldn't be with a capital letter), they are a spa, unlike any other you have ever been to

Selfie at enmasse

Being rebel in the quiet massaging-area

enmasse's chocolate tea= amazing!

Feet up while being served the tea

I was also in meetings, which were also interesting, because people are interesting! Anyway that was my day in the life of a shadow/intern at Flow. And man, am I loving it! I can really get used to this! 

Who thought job shadowing can be this fun?

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

In one day I learnt how to write a press release, how to evaluate a company's website, as well as how to handle corporate people when you criticize their website, social media presence as well as their digital marketing.

Day 1 of shadowing

In the beginning of this semester, we were notified by a lecturer that we had to shadow a Public Relations Officer in our October holiday. I wanted to shadow at my mother's company, only to realize they don't believe in the importance of Public Relations... Like are you crazy?

Anywho, I had to find other alternatives, because working at my mother's company was out of the question. My aunt's friend told us that her daughter is in Public Relations and will organize something, that's when the opportunity of a lifetime came my way! Flow Communications accepted me to shadow at them for this week. I couldn't be more ecstatic! They are a company doing pure communication work: anything from web development, content, design, social media, public relations, media training, exhibitions, name it and they do it in communication.

On my first day, I was asked to fix a press release by making it shorter and write more concise sentences. It was hard for me to think in English again after being at the university for so long, where we speak purely Afrikaans. I'm sure in a day or so, I will get my English vocabulary up to date again.

I, also,  helped to evaluate a company's website, we then went into a meeting later this afternoon to point out what needs to be done to their website, the content on it, how it links to their social media profiles, etc. Thankfully, it was not my job to tell them what Flow thought and what the critique was, because I'm only shadowing. It felt like sitting in a tennis court and the ball going back and forth. The opinions in the company differed so much, one person agreed, one didn't, the other one asked Flow to elaborate... No one was on the same train of thought. Coming to a conclusion was not easy at all. I was just a spectator in that tennis match and I'm so grateful for that. Nonetheless, it was a great learning school on how to handle a meeting like this.

A selfie on the way to the meeting with this company

Today was really great and I have already learned so much. Flow Communications have exceeded my expectations on so many levels. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for me! I think PR may be for me, but let's not talk too soon.

Flow Communications is responsible for the following campaigns:

• Nando's
• World Wildlife Fund
• Nelson Mandela Foundation
• South African Tourism
• SASOL
• South African Heart Association;
• and many, many more!

So yes, I'm very privileged to be shadowing here. They mean business!

Peace out 'til next time!