UCT Confessions | University Kids Bare All

It's official. The University of Cape Town has its very own version of Gossip Girl. 

On 20 May 2013, a mysterious page appeared on Facebook. A couple of kids clicked 'like', and the phenomenon has escalated ever since. The page is linked to communal Google Doc which allows anyone to divulge their closeted desires, thoughts and secrets. These anonymous confessions, submitted by the UCT student population, are often hilarious, shocking and downright scandalous: secret crushes on the daily bus route, pet hates and guilty pleasures. 

Viral sensation 

UCT Confessions is a platform where students can declare the most embarrassing moments of their university careers or admit to questionable on-campus activities, like urinating in the plaza fountain or kissing a girl in the social sciences building. With over 500 likes in the first week, the page's snowballing effect resembles a true viral sensation. It's a prime example of what 'going viral' really means. I've never seen a local page garner so many likes in such a short space of time. Even the Weekend Argus has caught onto the hype and was seen prowling the page looking for answers. 

Now settle down, kids 

After 48 hours of rife confession, the inevitable rules kicked in. The page had quickly become somewhat of a free-for-all, attracting a volley of inter-faculty diatribe and the odd Stellenbosch lurker. When things started to get personal and the racial banter spiralled out of control, the anonymous page owner(s) posted a polite disclaimer, notifying members that posts would be 'filtered' of discriminatory slur or hate, and reminding everyone that freedom of expression is indeed a liberty not without boundaries. 

Since inception, the page has attracted over 5 000 likes, almost 20 % of the total university population. Thus far, the most popular post, with over 540 likes, has to be:

'You don't see the Americans. You just hear them.' 

From the Facebook page:

Express UCT is a confession page where you can share your honest feelings and stories completely anonymously. You can give compliments to UCT, and the people associated with it. You can express your compliments to teachers, your friends, a person you’re crushing on, the helping staff of UCT, and even the single thing that you find worth complimenting. Fill out your expressions athttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kPxuPp27m4GZWLA3Ps6adUW6rqjbsoeW0JGOGqyhn_Y/viewform and we will publish them on our page, anonymously of course. Cheers!

Be sure to be honest and express what your hearts say! Do not make up rumors, we want honest stories. Please also avoid posting on someone else’s behalf.

This page will be updated with your expressions twice a day.

NEWSBYTE | Death in the Cathedral

An outspoken essayist and far-right winger became somewhat of a political martyr at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Tuesday 22 May when he shot himself dead. The 850-year-old monument was emptied of the 1 500 visitors inside at the time. The man, identified as 78-year-old Dominique Venner, had set a sealed envelope down on the altar and put a shotgun to his mouth.

Shortly before his suicide, Venner, who once been a member of the anti-Islamic miltant group, Organisation de l’armée secrète (OAS), posted a blog entry explaining his decision. Venner justified his suicide as a "sacrifice" necessary in remedying "the lethargy that plagues us". The gesture, a self-described "ethic of will" and rebellion against fate, embodied a protest of the recently approved same-sex marriage bill in France, the fourteenth country in the world to legalise civil unions. .

 Like many famous multi-storey landmarks, Notre Dame has a history of suicides, including the occasional leap from the bell tower; yet, one has never occurred inside the Cathedral,  let alone in front of the altar. Venner's decision to shoot himself at the building's most sacred point is bound to resonate with Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Using a religious space to communicate a political message is, after all, as controversial as it comes.

Aside from Venner's existential idealism, it is his patriotism, paranoia and extreme nostalgia that is worth noting. By choosing what he described as the "highly symbolic" Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral as the site of his final protest, Venner directed a nod to his "ancestors", portraying a resolute - even radical - devotion to his heritage and his obession with "awakening the memory of our origins". He has been labelled a xenophobe, as his writings carry a strong opposition to multiculturalism and raise concerns about the destruction of the traditional nuclear family. This, Venner vehemently believed, is the price paid for same-sex marriage and, in a broader sense, the progression of liberal society. 

The Novice Ballerina

SOURCE:  balletnews.co.uk 

I recently took up adult ballet classes at a local dance school. It's the first time I've done ballet since I was six or seven years old, back when I still wore a lycra leotard and pink slippers and dressed in an octopus costume for a show. Since buying my first pair of proper leather dancing shoes recently, however, I've come to feel a little more in character. I feel more and more poised as the weeks go by. My pliés are gradually becoming deeper; my ronde de jambes more controlled; and, of course, my French vocabulary is getting its own form of exercise. 

Ballet is a great way to improve balance, rhythm and posture. I guess I always thought one had to start early, as the finest classical ballerinas do. I quickly learned that ballet is not as intimidating as I thought: it's simply a beautiful way to exercise and I've become somewhat of a balletomane. A ballet enthusiast.  While I'm certainly nowhere close to the skill of even a beginner ballerina, I am nonetheless entranced by the art, magicked by the lithe bodies of the prima dancers of the New York City Ballet and slightly envious of their flawless fouettés en tournants. 

SOURCE: loisgreenfield.com

TRAVEL | Hemingway's Bookshop

Hemingways Bookshop (no apostrophe on the signage), set in the heart of the cliff-side holiday resort of Hermanus, boasts ceiling-high shelves of out of print titles, including Percy Fitzpatrick's wildlife collection, and Alan Paton's complete works. There's even a shelf dedicated to the shop's namesake.
Its authors, it claims, have stood the test of time.

The book shop is Hermanus' literary gem. After all, renowned South African writers have looked to the holiday town for inspiration: Zakes Mda wrote The Whale Caller, in which the whale crier of Hermanus strikes up a spiritual friendship (romance, even) with a southern right whale he names Sharisha. The owner of Hemingway's, Beth Hunt, is an author herself, having penned a full-colour coffee table book on the famous whale-watching town. 

Sink into an armchair with a leather-bound Africana or antiquarian rarity, and you may as well be at Shakespeare & Co., on Paris' Left Bank. Captivating.  

SOURCE: flickr.com 

Fashion, Burgers and Bieber | What Made Cape Town Get in Line

SOURCE: facebook.com

The past month saw city-dwellers abandoning their day jobs/classes/university lectures to queue for hours to be part of Cape Town's latest popular culture happenings. The queuing fever had a ripple effect. I'll run you through recent events. First up, TopShop opens its flagship store at the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town. Excited patrons bring sleeping bags and camp outside the store until opening time, desperate to score an exclusive shopping voucher. Then, Justin Bieber touches down in Cape Town and all hell breaks loose among the city's teen girl population. No sooner had Bon Jovi wrapped up their set than Bieliebers, many of whom had skipped school for the occasion, had begun queuing outside the Cape Town Stadium, armed with adoring signage and hyperventilating. Some even waited outside the luxe One&Only Hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of the teen heartthrob, who had reportedly taken refuge in one of the resort's top-tier suites. The Cape Argus reported that fans had begun forming a line some 36 hours before Bieber even made his appearance on stage. 

SOURCE: mycitybynight.co.za

Bieber fever had barely subsided when Capetonians took to the streets again, this time flocking for a complimentary Whopper from the newly-opened Burger King chain on Heerengracht Street. The franchise's famous burger is, to the disappointment of the non-Muslim South African public, devoid of its signature bacon. 

So, why all the queuing, Cape Town? All that waiting just to be first in line to view the latest high street fashion from London; to get front row spot at your teen idol's South African debut; or to score a free Whopper (sans the bacon; we're halaal here). It all seems a bit bizarre to me. Is it the dreaded grip of FOMO again? Do we - dare I say it? - have too much time on our hands? Is the notion of a promotional freebie enticing enough to warrant hours of our time spent waiting for a chance at one? It's pretty obvious. We're subscribing to a daft, imbecilic consumer culture steered by powerful brands. Like tin soldiers we form orderly lines, waiting around hoping that they'll hand us something new. We form echelons of uniform buying power, absorbed into a monoculture where the notion of a meaningful conversation about religion or politics doesn't extend much further than a social media debate about the absence of a bacon rasher in a mass-produced burger bun. 

What would you queue for?

PHOTO DIARY | Scenes from an East Coast rock pool

TRAVEL | The Perks of a Cash Passport Abroad

SOURCE: okholiday.wordpress.com

Managing your finances while travelling can be a daunting operation. Currencies fluctuate and hidden bank charges lurk behind every transaction. Calling your bank (and your bank's competitors) beforehand to find out how to carry your cash abroad will help you to avoid unnecessary costs and save you a great deal of hassle. Cash passports and preloadable travel cards are easy, convenient ways to manage your cash safely while on the move, and all banks offer them nowadays. Applying for a travel card requires proof of travel (your air ticket) and a valid passport. 

I've compiled a friendly list of cash passport options for your next excursion abroad. Happy swiping!