My Big Change
Well, it’s been a week now since that Big Change: my 21st birthday. Every year I wake up on my birthday, without necessarily having big, or any, plans for the day, and there is this tiny feeling inside of me that something is different. Something is special. It’s my birthday, and no-one can take that away or demean that. This year, however, I woke up without that special feeling. I didn’t feel bad or depressed or anything; it just wasn’t there. There are a number of reasons why that day perhaps felt ordinary, like some stupid silent protest against the big deal everyone makes about turning 21. On the other hand, perhaps the feeling is just gone: a friend mentioned he hasn’t that feeling for a few years now.
There’s this big deal about being 21 that is, for the most part, only tradition. What can I really do that I couldn’t before? Some bank stuff without a legal guardian. Things that are probably important, but not to me at the moment. Okay, sure, I’ve already used my new “super powers” after my birthday, but the only difference between doing it now and a week ago was not having to fax a copy my mom’s ID somewhere. W00t!
My birthday was quiet: Nikki and I stayed in the day and just relaxed after running around for most of the week. The day was uneventful, safe for going out to dinner with my parents and Nikki the evening and running into two friends at the restaurant. That was my special day and, as uneventful as it was, I really enjoyed it.
The big event, of course, happened on Saturday. It was a bit more of a mission than I anticipated, but eventually I managed to gather some 20 odd friends at The Blue Peter hotel in Bloubergstrand for a breakfast brunch. Lasting from 8:00 till after 10:00, and it being a buffet, everyone had enough time to eat, chat and get to know new people. It seems like everyone really enjoyed it and that was a great gift: to have a bunch of friends together all having fun. After that some of us continued on to Big Bay where we spent the biggest part of the afternoon. We played beach cricket and laid around a bit. It was more fun, but after everyone departed, people began to realize what a serious mistake it was to neglect the sunscreen. I forgot to put some on my feet myself and the consequence was excruciating pain for the first couple of days and then swollen and sensitive feet for the next couple of days. The chafing caused by socks and shoes still gets to me, especially on the left foot. Meh, we all survived at least.
The highlight for a little more than a week was, of course, having Nikki here for my birthday. She arrived the previous Saturday and for the first half of the week I took her all over the Cape to explore places I haven’t even ever been to or haven’t been to for a while. Sunday we went to Cape Point and up Table Mountain, catch only the final minutes of a totally brilliant sunset. Monday we went to (and mostly got lost in) Cape Town’s central district (which I really didn’t know before, but now have a vague clue about). I also got to meet her aunt and uncle that lives here (she spent the night with them) – really cool people! On Tuesday we were mostly at the Waterfront (I got started too late in the day to do much more than that). Wednesday we stayed in and vegged, except for going to see Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Wererabbit. Thursday was, of course, my birthday, and Friday I took her to Stellenbosch to show her around a bit. Saturday was the party and drinks with some friends in the evening. On Sunday we bid a literally and figuratively painful farewell to each other as she boarded a plane to head home to Jozie. I don’t know when we’ll see each other again; it might be as long a year. Nikki, I know I loaded up the schedule a bit tight and that we didn’t have that much alone time at home, but I really enjoyed having you here and I hope we get to see each other again soon. Thanks for coming! *mwa*
To all my friends that made sacrifices to attend my birthday brunch and to all those that were willing to make sacrifices to come, but simply couldn’t, thank you all! I appreciate everything and wish you well for the rest of the year!
There’s this big deal about being 21 that is, for the most part, only tradition. What can I really do that I couldn’t before? Some bank stuff without a legal guardian. Things that are probably important, but not to me at the moment. Okay, sure, I’ve already used my new “super powers” after my birthday, but the only difference between doing it now and a week ago was not having to fax a copy my mom’s ID somewhere. W00t!
My birthday was quiet: Nikki and I stayed in the day and just relaxed after running around for most of the week. The day was uneventful, safe for going out to dinner with my parents and Nikki the evening and running into two friends at the restaurant. That was my special day and, as uneventful as it was, I really enjoyed it.
The big event, of course, happened on Saturday. It was a bit more of a mission than I anticipated, but eventually I managed to gather some 20 odd friends at The Blue Peter hotel in Bloubergstrand for a breakfast brunch. Lasting from 8:00 till after 10:00, and it being a buffet, everyone had enough time to eat, chat and get to know new people. It seems like everyone really enjoyed it and that was a great gift: to have a bunch of friends together all having fun. After that some of us continued on to Big Bay where we spent the biggest part of the afternoon. We played beach cricket and laid around a bit. It was more fun, but after everyone departed, people began to realize what a serious mistake it was to neglect the sunscreen. I forgot to put some on my feet myself and the consequence was excruciating pain for the first couple of days and then swollen and sensitive feet for the next couple of days. The chafing caused by socks and shoes still gets to me, especially on the left foot. Meh, we all survived at least.
The highlight for a little more than a week was, of course, having Nikki here for my birthday. She arrived the previous Saturday and for the first half of the week I took her all over the Cape to explore places I haven’t even ever been to or haven’t been to for a while. Sunday we went to Cape Point and up Table Mountain, catch only the final minutes of a totally brilliant sunset. Monday we went to (and mostly got lost in) Cape Town’s central district (which I really didn’t know before, but now have a vague clue about). I also got to meet her aunt and uncle that lives here (she spent the night with them) – really cool people! On Tuesday we were mostly at the Waterfront (I got started too late in the day to do much more than that). Wednesday we stayed in and vegged, except for going to see Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Wererabbit. Thursday was, of course, my birthday, and Friday I took her to Stellenbosch to show her around a bit. Saturday was the party and drinks with some friends in the evening. On Sunday we bid a literally and figuratively painful farewell to each other as she boarded a plane to head home to Jozie. I don’t know when we’ll see each other again; it might be as long a year. Nikki, I know I loaded up the schedule a bit tight and that we didn’t have that much alone time at home, but I really enjoyed having you here and I hope we get to see each other again soon. Thanks for coming! *mwa*
To all my friends that made sacrifices to attend my birthday brunch and to all those that were willing to make sacrifices to come, but simply couldn’t, thank you all! I appreciate everything and wish you well for the rest of the year!
posted by phantom-99w at 11:33
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