By Suntosh Pillay
The chocolate cake looked so inviting. So did the cheese cake. The pecan nut pie looked oh so yummy too. But the girls hadn't arrived yet. I had to wait.
It was my turn to host the dinner. Well, I volunteered; why not? A guy can arrange a dinner, right? Of course he can. Of course I could! It was just dinner. We had it many times before. And besides, we have lunch together virtually every single day; by breakfast time most of us have downed two cups of coffee - one at home and one in the office... well, me at least. But breakfast and lunch was made by mummy and wrapped in foil. This dinner had a dress-code and needed catering. But I didn't stress. After all, it was just for everyone at the office.
The office. It's unlike any other office you'd go to. Turn right -a huge 'Lady in the water' memorabilia monopolizing half the wall. The local movie house sponsored it to us. We had a 'Night at the Oscars' a few weeks ago. Very unpretentiously titled! It felt like Oscar night though; I got to say "And the winner is...."
Aah... the simple pleasures in life. The media students much appreciated the small time fame. Amateur journalists helping out amateur film-makers. Ok, so I've given the game away. Yes, journalists.
The newsroom is a funny place. Not funny ha-ha. Just funny quirky. It's an office, chill space, gossip generator and temper elevator. On a good day it's laughs and naughty jokes; on a bad day it’s ranting, raving, and inexhaustible irreconcilable arguing. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Imagine when you scorn the best friend too!
Turn left and there's a bunch of little chalkboards with graffiti of the highest order. Pointless comments. Cartoons. Childish comic reference. Johnny Depp love notes. Well wishes for the exams. And of course, deadline. Don't miss deadline. The editor’s birthday (which is very important). And of course the editor’s stalker mail.
It's a newspaper office. And within its colourfully painted walls are the endless chalkboards, posters, photos of captured crazy moments, and five often semi-conscious computers. Animating this otherwise silent yet colourful room are the girls and boys that make this newspaper come out every month.
The girls far outnumber the boys. Currently, its 6-3, to the ladies. But really, it's that stunningly healthy dose of testosterone that livens up the room most of us have adopted as home. And I've got to admit, it’s the feminine charms and their wicked wit that balance off the perfect combination.
At our paper, you've also got guys, beauty, fashion and life. Sometimes it even makes the pages. The rest of the time, the guys come in the form of sports- and deputy editor. Add events co-coordinator to the list, as of tonight. The beauty arrives in doses of blonde, black, and browned-haired ladies - sassy, smart and sexy. Fashion lingers in an uneasy limbo. Sometimes our editor-lady transforms the newsgathering table into a makeshift catwalk. Disaster of epic proportions - fashion in terms of Miss Congeniality, before she won the award (think back, think hard!) And then there's life. Shall I risk quoting Forrest Gump. I've had wine and I'm feeling daring.
"Life is like a box of chocolates...." Ok, you know the rest.
Actually, he was quite right. The office is like that - sweet, but full of hidden nuts. But you learn to like the nuts too. It's nice to have a crunch now and then, even though a toothpick would be preferred afterwards. (Note: dangerous objects - toothpicks included - to be kept away from office. Crazy people get crazy ideas and never touch the writing Ed’s chalk or the editor’s Josh Groban desktop image.).
We're just a bunch of very different varsity students who've created a common creative space where we get together and chat. We eat our lunch there too, talking about guys (and girls), campus fashion trends, the source of beauty, and the meaning of life. Doesn't it all sound so philosophical? The office has poetry. Now there's something my editor-lady will like. And dinner, it went great.
So how was the first week? How are all you ‘newbies’ settling down? Put your hands up if you are still battling to register? Uhuh! Don’t worry you still have time to register just stop dilly-dallying and get to it! Ask for help if you are confused, don’t pick a course simply because it sounds easy! Most of us learnt this the hard way. The campus has been busy, orientation happened and apparently it created a few problems with it. Power outages disrupted a few postgraduate registrations and some people are already crumbling under the pressure! But never fear, because NUX is here! Crime has taken the country by storm. We have heard what people in power have to say about it, and we’ve heard various media reports on crime so why not hear what you have to say about it? So our feature for this month is crime, your views on crime and how it has affected you. And ways in which we can combat crime in the country. We also look at various measures taken by people to get the president’s attention on the state of crime in the country. Also visit www.sarocks.co.za and see what ordinary South Africans have
