The student is known as K. I hope my current students do not take everything that he recounts to heart. :-) The "barney's" sound like trouble, and so does the idea of giving the dean a hard time :-).
Weiers,
There are so many things that I could tell you. We were quite an active bunch and we really gave Mr. Van As a hard time!
My first days in the dormitory started at the begining of 1988, and back then, the dorm had not been refurnished yet. We still had the old mismatching furniture, with rickety beds, bare wooden floors, antique chests of drawers and ancient ablution blocks...but the dorm's revamp started in that same year, so we were the first inhabitants of the new dorm!
I can still remember that the built-in cupboard in my room had a hole in it's ceiling (as did a couple of my friends' rooms), so after Lights-Out, we used to climb up into the ceiling and visit in each other's rooms or just crawl around and chat in the darkness of the roof! Polla, (the African Grey parrot, is he still there?), used to be a treat too. I used to teach him my name and we used to get him to make anouncements over the intercom, so time and again, Polla used to call me to the foyer! Then we also had regular Barney's, I don't know if the High School guys still do it, but we used to gather in the top floor passage after evening study hour, and we would thrash each other! Only rules being that there's no hitting above the shoulders and below the belt, though kicking a guys backside was ok!
We loved sport obviously. We played soccer in the soaking rain, and would go to the cafeteria drenched and muddy, but very hyped. Basketball, indoor soccer, swimming, squash, not to mention athletics. We were always so competitive, and it was good clean fun. I had 3 records in athletics which actually stood for a number of years. Doubt that it's still there though. Miss. C. Reyneke was my favourite teacher, and Mr A. Pretorius (That is Mr. Joubert) was the most interesting, comes with the biology territory I suppose.
So you can see, I have good memories, but also some that had major impacts which I'm still trying to figure out whether it was for the better or not.
All I can say to the students of today is, appreciate the beauty of your surroundings, climb the mountain regularly, study hard and make a success of it, be kind to each other, respect your elders, love with compassion and make it count. Life on campus is over in a flash, though it doesn't feel like it while you're there. Remember to keep contact with all your friends after you leave, it's been 15 years since I left, and today I do not have contact with a single person that I knew back then. Don't let that happen to you, treasure your friendships and allow it to grow, you won't believe how important networking is when you're on the outside.
But that's enough of my rambling for now, I hope to be able to converse with more of you as time goes by, it helps to ease the nostalgia.
Later,
K.
6 comments:
Wow, I actually made it to the main blog! Thanks Weiers, I really do feel honoured.
As previously stated, I erred in my recollection of my Biology teacher back then. It was Mr. Joubert, not Pretorius. After browsing a bit, I see that he's still part of campus life and still does excursions up the West Coast. I wonder whether he still has glass jars planted in the veldt at regular intervals on the N7? He used to catch a number of interesting insects that way...
Guys, it sounds like you have a really cool dean, and this is emphasized by his commitment to enhance communication. Appreciate him.
Yes we did a lot of things to entertain ourselves back then, but we were never really bad, just trying to make the place more of a home away from home. So when I do reflect about things of the past, take it as good entertainment, certainly not as recommendations!
I would really like to know whether students still communicate with two-handed hand signals commonly used by the deaf? We used to chat that way during study hour and other places where talking is not aloud...oops!
And another thing, the wooden steps up to the dorm floor doesn't creak when you hang on to the railing mounted against the wall and only step on the very edge agains the wall...but enough of that, I'm not here to make any naughty, just to share.
Now I really feel like enjoying a jar of those delicious olives they used to sell at the dairy. Strange how when one thinks back, you can remember every twist and turn of campus. I really used to explore, I don't think there's any part of campus which I didn't know really well, especially the Dean's office! I'm quite sure Mr. Van As missed me too...!
Anyway guys and gals, enjoy your weekend, I hope to chat with some of you soon.
Cheers,
K.
P.sssssst! Based on some of the pics about Valentine's Day, I see that there's a couple of real beauties down at Anne Visser House. You guys must appreciate and show them that you do. And always treat them as ladies, you're all one family now.
Hi Pastor Weiers
As i was skimming over the salisbury blog and stumbled across this topic (Memories of an Old Student), i felt really emotional about my years at HBC. We had fun most days. Yeah we definitely made the most of Helderberg. We also played soccer in the rain and wind on the muddy pitch and got into troulbe with the cafeteria staff because of our muddy soccer boots. The indoor sports were also much fun and of course worship.
We sang in the choir, chatted until the wee hours of the morning, climbed the mountain once in awhile. We even went to Suicide gorge. That was one of the craziest things i ever did in my entire life. Thanks to you Pastor Weiers.
Unfortunately we sometimes got into altercations but we learned from them. Fists don't always solve issues guys. One big lesson to everyone is Helderberg is about the people and not just the surroundings. Cherish the friendships as K said.
Otherwise good luck to everyone and may God richly bless your stay for the four or more years you are to spend at HBC.
Adious
Katleho Masilo
No offence but HBC was damn boring at times if u followed the rules but like Katleho, I look back at my time at HBC with fond memories. I do miss everyone! Its the people who made it memorable and fun.
Make the most of your time guys!
Ahh, to think that my experiences continued with those that followed in my footsteps...makes me miss HBC even more!
Thanks for responding guys.
Later,
K.
Hi Everybody
Thanks for the comments. I hope there could be more. I really value them, even though I take long to respond.
Katleho: I've really been missing you. I have a lot that I want to talk to you about, but I don't have any idea how to contact you. Won't you send me an e-mail at some stage.
Greetings
Weiers, please allow me to leave a message for someone specific:
"I don't know if you've been looking for me, but if you happen to see this, I would like you to listen to the song "Remember" by Josh Groban.
It's for YOU.
From ME.
Lotsa luv,
K.
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