My word of 2016: Engage

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Every year I pick a word which I try to live by for the whole year. Last year it was Adventure and the year before that Happiness...

This year I picked the word: Engage!

I haven't blogged in AGES, because life was happening to me.... 

"Life happens when you are busy making other plans"-John Lennon.

In a car accident, in September, I broke my arm very badly. I had to get an operation on my broken arm, so it would heal correctly. I was down in the dumps and feeling very negative about the whole situation, but the later I got a Robocop-arm and the humor about it started to set in and I started embracing it!

My beautiful iron arm!

The Robocop-arm/ Arm brace

After I started embracing my situation, as well as my beautiful, recovering arm; I started thinking about what I learned and what I would like to change about my life. There are a lot of things that I want to change, but there was one aspect that I wanted to change and that is to be more PRESENT. I want to be in the moment. 

How often does it happen right in a conversation that you are not really present. Constantly thinking about other stuff like: "Does this person like me?", "What is that story that Kate told me the other day that is also about Christmas, which was so funny?" You forget to enjoy the moment for what it is. Your head is occupied with other BS, instead of enjoying the moment for what it is!

I want to stop listening to that inner voice constantly thinking of a reply or great stories to tell. I want to LISTEN! I want to ENGAGE in the conversation! I want to ENGAGE in the world around me! I want to be in the car, playing the music real loud and look with wondering eyes at the world outside. Not thinking about the great night I had or about what is next. Just being.  Just being there in the moment. 

Listening. 

Speaking. 

Enjoying. 

Simply engaging in the world around me and with the people around me!

May you all have a prosperous 2016 and have all the happiness!

What are your words for 2016?

Cheers to the first semester!!!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

"I look my best when I'm totally free, on holiday, walking on the beach."- Rosamund Pike

Finally, after all the blood, sweat and tears, my semester has ended. Exams are like so yesterday. Or the day before that....

I SURVIVED!

Let's drink to that!!!

Cheers to the first semester!

Now my fun-packed holiday can start. I am talking chilling, sleeping late, spending time with the friends and the for the Grand Finale: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS!!!!!!!

Hope you have successful exams and fun-filled holidays.

Xxx

Travelling between places

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

In a few days my family and I will be jetting off to San Antonio, Texas. I can almost not contain my excitement!! Already planning my outfits and itinerary, whilst trying to study for exams...

I have a wanderlust in me, that is just killing me. Every day, I want to explore and have the urge to see and experience things!!!! San Antonio will be the first of many!

A sketch of Brian Patten by an anonymous artist

Anyway, I found a poem about a traveller in The Poet's Sphere:

Travelling between places

Leaving nothing and nothing ahead;
when you stop for the evening
the sky will be in ruins,

when you hear late birds
with tired throats singing
think how good it is that they,

knowing you were coming,
stayed up late to greet you
who travels between places

when the late afternoon
drifts into the woods,
when nothing matters specially.

-Brian Patten

My curiosity to see the world, will one day be satisfied. But for now, I can dream and plan until then!

Love,
The Wanderluster

Looking for exam motivation? Read here:

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I would like to thank my friend, Armand, who sent me this song. This song is my exam motivation, because I have found my inner ninja and will conquer these exams!

I have received good news! I can write the Accounting exam, because I did good in my test. BUT I will have to do very good in the exams to pass! Therefore my inner NINJA will come out when studying for it!

Hope you have great and successful exams!

Millennium Lady The NINJA!!!!!!!

Sleep: My daily drug

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

When I'm awake, I constantly think of sleep. When I'm asleep, I dream of sleeping. Sleeping is my drug and you know what? IT'S FREE!!!!

Are you also a student, who constantly sleeps?

In my first year, I got the nickname, Sleeping Beauty, because I was always falling asleep in my Afrikaans lecturer's class. But in my defense, she was a bit  extremely boring. Always reading the same poems and going on and on about the same work. The time of the class, was also accidentally in my afternoon nap time. I got good grades so the lecturer never scolded me, she just nicknamed me. My second year was pretty much the same thing, always falling asleep in class.

Lately, I'm quite good at staying awake in class and at work. I try to doodle in class or make notes, which helps to keep the sleepiness at bay. When I do eventually arrive at the residence, I immediately get in bed. I never sleep the amount of time that I planned. I set my alarm for an half an hour, but when I eventually awake from my death sleep, it's an hour and a half later...

I always feel so guilty when I wake up and think about how much work I COULD HAVE done in that hour... 

Pfffft! Yeah right!

Problem is: I love sleeping so much, I might consider marrying it. I love my bed. Oh, and did I mention my cushion. Just writing this, I am already fantasizing about my bed.

Is there something wrong with me? Or is sleeping just my drug? 

I'll go for the latter!

Sleep tight, my dear readers.

Sleeping Beauty

xx

Living vs. Rat Race

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

“Life had become some kind of profound competition, where my emotional loss was substituted by my professional success. I became a part of what they call the rat race.”
― Saurbh Katyal, Seduced by Murder

From the day I was born, life has been a rat race. People going to work, trying to make money, rushing home in traffic, feeding the kids and getting them into bed. Only to fall asleep yourself.
Day spent.

After studying, you get a job. You get the man. You get the house. You get the children. And this is it. I know I have reached the time when I should send out CV's and decide where I want to work. The type of work that won't feel like work. I should aim to be successful. Maybe, I'll meet the man, while being successful in my work. Then comes the baby and the golden carriage. Constantly chasing success. Will it even make you happy?

Hell's Bells!

I want to shout at the rat race to slow down! Smell the roses around you. Live. See. Touch. Experience. Travel.

There is nothing wrong with being in the rat race and having a family and kids. BUT IT'S NOT ME. IT IS NOT ME. For now....

I want to go to places, which I have read about in books. I want to touch the Tower of Piza. I want to swim in Jacob's Well. I want to ride a bicycle in Netherlands and go places on my bicycle.
I want to do and see things, which not many people do after getting a job, the man and kids. I want to travel in Europe. I want to eat things, I have never eaten before. Walk where I've never walked before. Learn about different cultures. I want to travel. Maybe, once I have done that, I will be ready for the rat race. MAYBE.

I'll never be the common rat racer. I will always have feet itching to go places and see things. Is there a job where I can do that? Please make suggestions, if you know about something like that.

But for now, I'll be completing my studies and in the meantime, I'll be contemplating about what my next move is gonna be. The rat race has to wait for a while.

Love
The Wanderluster

Every dog has its day.

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

You know how you watch people do things that are wrong and you can't really change that, but then all of sudden the wheel turns and they get their day like every dog gets his day?
Yeah, I call it karma.

This year, whilst studying the diploma in management, we had to form groups and create "businesses" and then do projects as if we are a company. But some of the group members have not contributed to the group from the beginning and it was a real struggle. Only a third of the time, they showed up for class, meaning the rest of the group had to do the classwork without them. Which is not fair, because they are reaping in the marks, without lifting a finger.

Also, at the place where I work, people are dishonest about the times that they are working. For instance they leave 20 minutes before the time, but log out the time that they were supposed to leave. Or the people are constantly late, making other assistants miss their classes and then usually they log in the time, they were supposed to be there.

Well, enough is enough! We kicked the lazy members out of our group. They now have to create their own company and do the remainder of the work by themselves. Unfortunately, they are getting the marks of previous projects, which they hadn't really contributed in. But, they will understand how much the rest of the group had to do, once they have to do the projects on their own.

On the work front, the people are gonna get their day. I have always been honest and always made plan not to be late for work, so can they. If you know that you are always late, then set your alarms earlier or plan your day better. But don't make it hard for other people working with you, you are selfish.

Employers won't be very nice, once they realize that you are always late and lazy. The real life is waiting and it will be hard, if you don't realize that soon enough.

Disney and THE ONE...

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Constantly looking for the One around every corner and turn? Well, I say stop it!

"What? Are you serious?
You expect me to sit
around and wait for
some guy to come and
save me? I'm going to
law school in August
and as soon as I'm out of
this dump I'm reporting
my stepsisters  and
stepmother to the police
for harassment and slave labour.

I remember when I was younger, I used to dress up to go to the mall, thinking that there will be lots of hot guys and maybe, just maybe one of them will ask my number. Forgetting to enjoy the moment with my friends or family.

In high school, you believed the guy you are dating will be the One. You held on to them for dear life, believing you won't find another.

At university, every guy you even talk to, you do that thing where you imagine how it would be to be with them. Maybe even envision marriage. Believing there is only one ONE! Scary, ain't it?

I blame Disney for this lame belief. The belief that you HAVE to find the one when you are young. The belief that only a prince/man can save you. How about saving yourself, being your own hero?

Guess what? There are multiple ONE's! There are like 20 in your country, one in France, one in Ireland, like 1 million in America and 1 billion in China, who will be THE ONE for you.
How you meet people is about location, for instance you won't meet the one who is in China, if you are in South Africa. It is about the same interests, it is about timing, etc...
And the best part is, you will find one another when the time is right and your paths cross. It might be when you are 17 or when you are 31, who knows? And who worries????

I have so much that I still want to do before I meet my soulmate. I am not ready to meet them. I want to travel the world, live in my own place and I want to get a good job, before I meet the guy. But my interests differ from other people and I get that. I just want to make sure that I am making the right choice before I commit to a lifetime decision.

How to beat the student poorness....

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Everyone has been there... that time when you count the cents in your pocket. Or when you binge on Two Minute noodles or tuna. When you measure everything you buy and how much drinks you could have bought with it. When you are nice to people in clubs, so they would buy you drinks, because entrance just made you poor. Have you ever experienced this?

Yes, we have all had the student poorness syndrome.

I am a student, who is always keen for jobs or holiday jobs. I have worked at shoe shops, at lawyers, at daycare centers, you name it! I also work at university at the Reading Labs, where we help first year students to better their reading skills, so they can do better in their academics. But then, we came across the idea to buy t-shirt strips and make headbands, armbands and necklaces from it.

A braided headband

A double finger weave armband

A sailor's knot headband

We had a market day at the residence, where I did pretty well. But then I decided to go bigger. I am going to sell my things at Life Market. "The LIFE Market is a local market where fresh, interesting and out of the ordinary food can be found. In addition to the really good food, you can also find decor and clothing goods".

I decided to take a chance and try to get into the Life Market. They are a very prestige market with beautiful things every time. It is a bad place to go if you have money, because you want to buy every single thing. The e-mail came through that I am approved for the market. I am looking forward to sell it!

I hope this will help to cure the student poorness, which I am suffering from! But I also enjoy making these things, it is therapeutic and relaxing.

The things a student will do for money is amazing! You just have to get something that is worthwhile to do!

What have you done for student jobs, just to survive?

Technology, a real funny thing.

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Technology is a funny thing, don't you think? Some people have no idea what it is. Some people had to adapt to it and others grew up with it.

This past week, when we were on holiday, we were three generations in the home. My grandparents, my parents and me and my sister. I realized that we differ so much in the way that we use technology.

How my grandparents use technology

My grandparents are pretty good with technology, seeing as they only recently started using it. My grandma uses Whatsapp, Skype and Facebook, which I think is great! But she constantly asks me to help her out with things on her phone. They also use their laptop to play games like Solitaire and other card games.

How most parents are

I must say, my parents are fairly good with technology. My mom often struggles with things like remotes for the TV and DVD machines and she will sometimes appear like the woman above, but she is better than me in social media and all things digital. My mom is a real social media devotee. My dad is also really good with technology. In our home, we are constantly trying out new stuff. The newest is the Apple TV.

How my generation is 

Forgetting to look up. Forgetting to face reality. Social media, not really being social, with the people around you. Yes, this is my generation.

Me becoming a lawyer?

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I am always a sucker for a December holiday job. Most of the time I use the money to buy Christmas presents or to put into my study fund for next year.

Previous holidays I have babysat, i have worked along with Cinderella in shoe stores and I did interning at my dream job as a Public Relations Officer... Yes, I have worked in a huge variety of jobs...

One of the motto's at the shoe store, where I worked

This year, I'm working at a law firm, where I have to answer telephones and help the people with requests. My first day went pretty smoothly. Except for the power that went out, me being alone in the office, finding out that I'm deaf and struggle to hear the people over the phone (making them repeat their case a million times over) and getting a few things wrong, but what is a first day without those glitches and itches?

At the end of the day I wanted to give people legal advice and wanted to charge them a consultation fee (Just kidding! Or am I?).

In a very professional company, I also drank out of a Winnie the Pooh mug and felt very rebel, but it's the firm's mug, so I'm in the clear.

My very professional coffee mug!

All in the day of a phone answering person at a law firm!

I always appreciate a bit of extra bucks over the holidays and also to add more jobs to my CV.

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

A toast to a dear friend

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

My dear life long friend has decided to go work and travel in Versailles, France, for 7 months. 7 months! It feels like a lifetime to me! She will be an English assistant at a school there. She will always be able to travel in her off-time. I am very happy that she has this opportunity to broaden her horizons. But she is leaving us behind!

Marinda and me have been friends literally since birth, but actually Marinda is more than that to me:
I looked up the definition of friend in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2011: 568):
"a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations". But Marinda is way more than that to me: She is my lunch-buddy, my go-to when I need advice, my best friend, the person who understands me best, my soul sister.

We organized a farewell party for her, where we had a lot of fun and the other night, I had the opportunity to be her date to the formal, where it was our final farewell.

We are the complete opposite. We are night and day. The moon and the sun. Whatever you want to call it. But I believe that is why our friendship works so good, we can never get bored of each other, because of the fact that we differ so much. She is my friend that is my missing puzzle piece.

Marinda, I hope you have a wonderful journey of a lifetime in France. I hope you find yourself in ways that will amaze you. I hope you make friends all over the world. I hope you eat and drink as many weird and wacky things there, because you only live once and life is too short to be on the safe side! I hope you love walking down those beautiful streets every single day and that you will walk in the rain instead of avoiding it. Embrace the cold and the winters and maybe even the snow! I hope you do crazy things and make up your own bucket list! Well, this is kinda a demand ha-ha!

My friend, I wish you well. I really do hope that you have one great adventure and I cannot wait to hear all the amazing stories.

Listen to this song, it reminds me of the journey you'll be having.

I love you, Marinda, and I will miss you. But mostly I'm excited for you!

The crossing straight from hell

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Each and every week, I am forced to cross a four-way stop, which I personally named as the Crossing from Hell. I don't have a car, so I am forced to cross it by foot. I have to cross the Crossing from Hell, because on the other side lies my groceries and needed study material for the beginning of a semester.

I cross this Crossing from Hell, at least once a week maybe twice or three times. 

Crossing from Hell

Each time the crossing looks quiet but as soon as you want to cross it, there are 1 000 000 cars who have to cross it as well. I gave this crossing its name, because I had many near death experiences here. Students say that they know how a four-way stop works, but it's a lie... They don't. I know it because I have had too many near death experiences... So, to save everyone who crosses this crossing or any other like it, I decided to make a guide on how to cross it.

How to cross the Crossing from Hell:

1. Run. I repeat: RUN! 
2. Make sure there is a group of people who want to cross it as well. (This helps that you don't make mistakes and walk in front of a moving car)
3. Make sure you are in the middle of this group (If a car hits, you are the safest)
4. When crossing, close your eyes and walk as fast as lightning.
5. RUN! I repeat: RUN! 
6. Imagine you are walking to 'I'm walking on sunshine', but put it on fast forward and move your buns!
7. If you see a cute guy/girl, keep yourself together and RUN! Once on the other side of the crossing, you can smile at him.
8. If there is a bicycle who also wants to cross, you better put on your takkies, 'cause you're gonna run for your life and keep up with him/her to not get hit.
9. Make sure you wear bright colors (Neon colors, Red, Cerise Pink, Blue, Lime Green, Yellow) any color that will make visible to drivers.
10. RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!

Have you ever crossed a crossing like this? What is your experiences?

Marching for our rights

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Today, we made history! We, as students, fought for our rights to be educated in our home language, Afrikaans and to have English and Tswana, as interpretation services.

Merieke and I at the march
Second poster translation "Media stoking anger, what about my degree?"

Our university has been receiving bad advertising from newspapers and television since the beginning of the year, making false accusations of the university endorsing a Nazi-culture, which is rubbish!

The university was forced to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor after all the bad media, but this Vice-Chancellor made promises that he will not change our language of instruction. So everyone was happy, until he made statements on TV that he had other motives. Yes, he was considering to change our language of instruction.

Now, here is the defense of the students and the university:

Since our country became a democracy in 1994, we had 11 official languages. Talk about a rich culture and traditions of a country! I absolutely love it! There are so many types of people here and each and everyone is individual. We all have different backgrounds and we are a Rainbow Nation. One of our rights in this Rainbow Nation, is that we have the right to be educated in our home language.

Why not go to another university to receive education in your home language?
Because we are the last Afrikaans university in South-Africa. All English and Tswana students have translators in EACH and EVERY class.
There are so many English universities, who provide interpretation services for all languages of South-Africa, except for Afrikaans.

Lizanne, me and Merieke

Thousands of students marching!

It will still take some time for the Vice-Chancellor to realize what he is doing to our student culture. He will cause the separation between students and friends, because of this. And Nelson Mandela, his hero fought so hard to prevent exactly the things that are happening now at the university.

How do you feel about this? Please share your views.

Day 4: Living without this would be impossible...

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

It is day 4 of the #writersbootcampZA. Happy Independence Day to all my American friends! Hope It was a great day! Today's challenge is to write about the thing which I cannot live without. Now, the people close to me will already know this answer very well.

What is the one thing I can't live without, you ask?

My wild imagination!

Yes, my wild imagination. I sometimes wonder where these images come from. Like how did I ever think of the things that pop into my head? 

Always when I'm talking I'll make the most random comparisons, which makes a lot of sense but no one would ever think of it in that way. I would usually describe my future as a kid who smudged cake in his face meaning it's blurry and I don't know what I'm going to do in the future, but I'm sure as hell enjoying it to lick the icing off my face, meaning I'm enjoying the uncertainty and still enjoying life.

I am way better at writing fictional stories than I am with writing realistic stories. When I was little I used to believe in fairies, trolls, gnomes, you name it and I believed in them as a child. I think the world would be wonderful if we really had such mystical creatures roaming the earth. My imagination never stopped thinking of them and I still love to write stories about these creatures. 

When I was about 10 years old, a friend and I decided to build a house for fairies and we put it in the field below us. We had fully believed that the fairies would be staying comfortably in that house, I was really crushed when there was nothing when we paid a visit a few days later. 

My wild imagination is part of my daily life and I would never give it up! It makes my life interesting and more than never, I want to laugh out loud about the things that are going on in my head because it is an imagination which is priceless. 

What is the one thing which you cannot live without?

Expectation vs Reality of turning 21

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

In a week, I'm turning 21. 21 21 21! I cannot believe it. But the scary thing is, I don't feel 21, I still feel like the little tomboy from school. I used to collect bugs and play in the mud, and I hated dresses. Growing up, I had a lot of expectations of what 21 should feel like, but like we all know life never really is the way you expected it to be and in some ways you are glad that it didn't meet up with your expectations.

21st party of a friend

My expectations were that I would have directions in life. I expected that I would know exactly what job and house I would have. that I would know who I'd marry and my future would lay crystal clear in front of me. When I was a lot younger, I expected at the age of 21, I would be an old widow or something. I even thought at some point that I would have children by this time. I thought that I would still be friends with all the people, who were my friends in school. I thought that I would be done studying and on my way to my dream job. AND THEN LIFE LAUGHED IN MY FACE AND SAID: That's not what I have in store.

My reality is this: I have no idea where I want to be in life. Next year, I still want to study something, so the job part has to wait. I am thinking about doing my honors in Communication or attending a business school at the university. The house part has to wait (obviously). My future is not crystal clear in front of me, in fact, it is like a birthday cake smudged in a little boy's face. 

I always thought that I would know who the ONE is, who I'd marry, when I was 21. But then life taught me that there are multiple ONE's. Many fish in the sea. Whatever you want to call it. I'm also not ready to marry and start my life with someone. I first have to know myself and I first have to do all the things I wanted to do, before I start my life with someone. I still want to travel the world, experience the world and look after myself. So it's chilled vibes about meeting Prince Charming, The ONE, The fish in the sea... WHATEVER.

Turning 21 in a week, I am not yet a widow. Unless, something happens this week, like I get marries, grow very old in a few days and then he dies before Sunday. Then the possibility is there that I could be a widow and very old.

After my sister was born, I realized that no way in hell I would have children before the age of 30! I am 21, still a few years to go. Phew! 

Friends come and go, but you always like to believe that they would be your BFF (Best Friends Forever). I had many friends in school and we had good times, but after school everyone went their own course and we lead different lives. I have a handful of friends, who have always been there. Come hell or high water, they stuck it out and I really cherish these friendships. They are all I need. 

Yes, life laughed in my face about my expectations, but I'm still happy with how things worked out and I couldn't ask for better. I really feel privileged to lead the life that I'm living. Have I been making to much of a deal of turning 21 or is it society, who puts such a big expectation on it.

Over it!

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

This is my third and final year as a Communication student. Next year is still a mystery! But it has not been easy....

Maia and me

Today, I wrote my last paper for the semester. I wrote two tests today and the first one was horrible! It will be a miracle if I do pass it, but I have seen miracles happen here and I'm really hoping for one today when they start marking our tests!

I'm on holiday and yet it still feels like I have to do work or some kind of project, because I never really had one chill day this semester. I always had something to do! I am currently busy packing my bags and tonight I'm going to a 21st celebration of a friend. I CAN RELAX!!!!!

I had a very tough semester and it never felt like I touched ground. I also think that I have ADD. Previous years, I just thought that I was lazy and didn't really bother me, but this year when it was crunch-time (which is always) I could never sit still and concentrate. Everything distracts me and I can never focus. It really became a problem in April/ May when we had about a project per day to give in. I found myself typing in the whee hours of the morning, typing like a frantic monkey to meet the deadlines, but still my attention was never where it was supposed to be, I always jump up and go do something else, even when it's crunch-time. This is very different from procrastination, because I know how procrastination feels and this is not it... I will give attention to this over the holiday!

Yes, studying is not easy and giving up sounds wonderful, but I did not come this far to just throw in the towel! I will make it and I will also make a success out of this! I always tell myself that I am extremely privileged to study and I should not waste the chances that has been given to me.

I am excited to finish my degree this year and about the mysteries of next year that lie in front of me!

The scary future of 2015

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

Hi, my name is Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen and I have no idea what I'm going to do next year and I am scared.

My third and final year has crept up to me like a mouse. How did this go so fast? I can still remember my first day in Grade 1 and here I am: A university student and a final year at that!

I have always had these big dreams about what I wanted to become. First it was a book editor, editing books and reading them all day. Sounds like a jolly good dream. Then, I wanted to become a diplomat for South-Africa in France, that dream was when I was enchanted with France. I also took French at school, but when I went to France, I realized that I love my country. 

My dream was then to become a journalist, but that dream faded very quickly, when I started studying Communication and realized all the possibilities, which I can do with Communication.

My problem is that the possibilities are too vast! I don't know what I want to do! Next year included. The question is do I want to do my honors in Communication, then the question is in which Communication? Do I even want to my honors? Would I rather do the Business School course, which is also a year? What do I want to do?

I DON'T KNOW!

The only thing I know for certain is that I want to travel the world. But when I mean travel, I mean SEE EVERYTHING, EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING. My plan thus far is to start working on a tourist ship, where I can make money. Enough money for the travels for at least one or two countries. In those countries I'll do petty jobs, where I'll save up for the next country. 

My plan is also to travel for at least 2-3 years... 

This is the only thing, which I'm certain about my future. I WILL TRAVEL! But for now, I'm having sleepless nights about the year 2015 and everything that it holds! 

Am I naive about this travelling thing? Should I relax about my future or start making plans?

Student with weird pet

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I saw a guy with a fat dog from the far and I told my friend that this poor dog needs his walks, because he is really fat. When we got closer, we realized it's not a dog... IT'S A PIG!!!

As a student, it's hard to ever have a dull moment... Students are interesting people! This guy really enjoy all the attention that he got from walking his pig.