One day, when I grow up…

Day 25 of Calliope’s blogosphere summer camp was: What did you want to be when you grew up? Why and/or how did that change over time? I really wanted to write for that day, but things have been rather crazy back on campus. So I shall be answering it now.

I was one of those kids who wanted to be everything. Imagine my shock when I entered my final year of high school and that had not changed.

While I was certain that a 9-5 office job was not for me, I wanted to be a teacher, a lawyer, a fighter pilot, a diplomat, an engineer… oh, and a doctor of course.

What compounded the problem was that, honestly, I could probably be any of those if I wanted to. My marks and interests were correctly aligned for all of them.

Yes, I eventually gave up a scholarship for Law at Rhodes University to study Medicine where I am now. It was a last minute decision and was largely based on feelings of doing good, and reading a book called 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa.

My first year sucked and for the longest time I was convinced that I was studying the wrong thing. Why else would I hate it so much?

Then, slowly, I started stoking the fires of my previous interests. I continued to write for YJI. I became the editor-in-chief for my campus newspaper, tMATIE. And last year, I was elected as a member of our student council, the TSR.

This I have realised: I was never meant to devote all of my time to an entire profession. Medicine will be the profession that drives me and feeds me, but it is in combination with journalism and politics that I will truly achieve all the things I hope to do with my life.

I am currently running for my second term in office, this time for chairperson. I believe I can do this well. And I do believe it will prepare me exceptionally well for one day, when I’m all grown up…

When dirt was considered a toy

Summer Camp Day 22: What’s your most beloved childhood memory?

I find it difficult to answer this question because I remember so much. If I remembered anatomy as well as I remember my personal and family histories, med school would be a whole new level of awesomeness.

I remember my mom looking at me while I was in my crib and saying, “I know you are going to achieve great things [ad lib].” I remember helium balloons and praying first for a baby sister, and years later for a little brother.

There were scary times. I was afraid of the dark, of the big bad wolf and of the heaviness that sometimes settled somewhere within me.

But what I cherish most is that there was always light at home. We were always loved. My family never gave me reason to doubt the goodness of mankind. And they never gave me reason to doubt myself.

 I loved playing in the mud and making a mess. I have some adorable photos of me dressed up and pretty-like, but somehow I think that these photos are more fitting for this post

I had a sweet tooth even back then. What has changed is that I have learnt that the camera is not there to steal my nom-noms.

Birthday-thoughts

 Day 5: What do you prefer to do on your birthday?

Birthdays are big in our family – as are Mothersdays, Fathersdays, and holidays like Christmas and Easter. We have learnt how fragile life is, even the youngest of us. In my Grade 12-year we lost so many family  members and friends that I seemed to develop an anxiety disorder, convinced that I would be next.

© D. Puchert 1995

Every special day on the calendar our prayer is: Thank you for sparing us to another day of togetherness.

The photo alongside is of my fifth birthday party. We didn’t grow up rich, but my parents always managed to make our days special. My mom would choose a theme and have an awesome cake baked for me.

© D. Puchert 2008

As I grew up, I was a bit scornful of those kids who chose to spend their birthdays solely with their parents. I felt that special days should be spent with as many friends as possible. The photo is of my 18th birthday, a braai/pool/dance party. I love having mybirthday in the South African Summer!

© D. Puchert 2010

Since going to university, I haven’t been home for my birthday in three years. Nowadays I much prefer intimate do’s with those closest to me. They know that, so we all tend to make a plan.

This year I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday three times. It was my 21^st so I think that justifies it.

The first was the night before I returned to Cape Town – two weeks before my actual birthday. We went to a lovely little place in East London called Pier99.

 On my actual birthday I went to Buena Vista in Greenpoint, Cape Town, with a couple of close friends. A few days later The Boy flew me up to Johannesburg to spend the weekend with him and his mom. I didn’t take any pictures though, boo.

Birthdays are big in our family. Not always what we do, but certainly how we do it.

Life is too short to be small.

Benjamin Disraeli

 

I’ll tell you my dirty little secrets…

Day 3: What are your guilty pleasures?

Journals: I have been journaling since I could write, which was about sixteen years ago. A few years ago I unfortunately went through an emotional spell where I destroyed heaps of my teenage journals, feeling embarrassed by what I had written. I single-handedly destroyed my personal archives.

I don’t simply journal: I use my notebooks for poems, character sketches, doodles. I love a beautiful notebook and have to force myself to finish one before starting the next.

Yesterday I discovered Moleskine® Passions. I bought the travel journal and ordered the book journal. I think I may be in paradise.

Ice Cream Ninjas: I have had a sweet tooth my entire life and I can go through a day having only chocolate (but sometimes it triggers my migraines). Recently a new little business started up in Cape Town, combining ice-cream and basically any ingredient you can think of. They prepare it in typical Ninja-style and it reminds me about how I used to spice up my own ice-cream as a little girl.

My favourite combination is half-chocolate-half-coffee ice-cream, cookie-dough, brownie and peanut butter topped with Belgian milk chocolate sauce.

By the way, their cookie-dough and brownies are amazing and hand made.

Another nice combo is half-chocolate-half-mint, with brownie, cookie dough and milo with dark chocolate sauce.

I have become a full-blown Ninjas addict and hope they will colonise South Africa before I start my internship.

Slacking: I seem to be perceived as a diligent and over-eager individual. Funnily enough I enjoy a lazy time more than most other activities. I can nap at any time of the day without struggling to fall asleep. At least I have recently heard that the body burns quite some energy while sleeping, so…

High School Ramblings

Calliope at Creating Motherhood had the brilliant idea of a Blogosphere Summer Camp. While I don’t think I shall be participating every day, I will certainly be a day camper some days.

Today’s prompt: What were you like in high school? What extracurricular activities, if any, did you take part in during high school? Did you consider yourself a writer?

High school was the time of my life. I attended a wonderful English all-girls’ school – which was a big step for me, as I had attended an Afrikaans co-ed primary school.

I guess you could call me a bit of an over-achiever, but really I just loved learning and doing anything that took me out of my comfort zone and broadened my horizons. I hardly ever studied, but excelled academically. How I wish I was still like that now.

Having always been shy in public, my favourite teachers and my mom convinced (nay, forced) me to join the debating club.  Funny enough, with the right coaching I became very good at it. It was probably the best thing I ever did. In Grade 11 and 12 my team and I were first in the school and we won a national competition. It also offered me some travelling around the country. Some of my best memories were made in debating.

At a debating festival at Alex Road High School in 2006

I liked other activities too – I was on the Interact Committee, the school magazine (which had a bit of a dismal year though), forum discussion and I did some music. I think I probably burnt out a few times a year, but I loved it.

My mom also managed to convince me to take up karate, having never been any good at sports. Wonder above wonder I did well at that (my mom seems clairvoyant, sometimes…). I currently hold a Brown belt 2^nd kyu, not having trained for two years.

I guess HS warrants embarrassing pictures. For all my "successes", it took me very long to develop my own image and to learn which hairstyles, expressions, etc were pleasing. Especially on photos.

The funny thing is that I managed to have boyfriends and go out partying on weekends too. I get shivers when I think about it.

Did I consider myself a writer? Definitely, more so than I do now. I had pieces published in English Alive and won bursaries through the De Beer’s English Olympiad. I loved writing, and for writing assignments I would often complete multiple topics as I could not pick one only. Looking back I pity my English teachers. I will be having coffee with one of them next week so I suppose I didn’t scar them too much.

High school was awesome. I think the only downside is that I now fear I may have peaked at eighteen.

Dressed up for my Matric dance (equivalent of Senior Prom) in 2008.