At least I’m better than you!

At least I’m better than you!



<Pic sourced://www.socialstudiesextensions.wikispaces.com

These words reminded me of the days in which I used to be in primary school. Don’t let my youthful looks deceive you, that was quite a long time ago-The mid-nineties to be exact. Anyway, our school bus comprised of school children from as much as four different schools. You see, we lived in a quasi-urban coastal setting in Northern KZN, in a place that was more of a rural area than a township, Khula Village it was called-even the name said it all. Right, back to the bus.

Of the four schools represented in the bus, three of them were located in town and one was in a military suburb located half way to town. Now back in 1996 people still had the tendency of adding a racial description at the end of the name of a school (I’m not sure what this was about so I’ll pull the blame it on Apartheid card). I attended Umfolozi primary school (coloured school), a minority of the passengers went to Engweni primary school (It didn’t have an added description which meant it was a so called ‘black’ school), then there was the puny minority which attended the Christian school (A white school, but unlike Mtuba primary, it had a considerable number of black learners and was English medium) and lastly you had the even tinier minority from Mtuba Primary school (White school: Afrikaans medium).

<Pic sourced:www.jsonline.com>

Now, to say there was friction in the bus would be a stretch, but the pre-pubescent passengers had an inclination to group themselves according to the schools they attended. An unspoken of hierarchy existed in this bus. The crop of learners from my school- who were in the majority, always had a negative attitude towards learners from Engweni primary. No one ever said anything rude or demeaning but you could feel it in the air. We sometimes had sessions to discuss how dirty or shabbily dressed these kids were. Even speaking to them was a no, no, I tell you. The only other kids we’d speak to-other than those from our school (Umfolozi), were those from Christian school. Omtakabani (A Zulu term for privileged people) from Mtuba primary would seat silently and unbothered-Tamagochi or Gameboy in hand (what? I told you this was long ago. There weren’t any PSP’s or Smartphones back then) and with their cooler boxes and hockey sticks sitting conspicuously right next to them.



Pic Sourced: www.shiwalibeingsocial.blogspot.com>

Everyone knew that the kids from Mtuba primary were the Motsepe’s of the bus. The Christian school crew were more like the Maphonya’s. We on the other hand could be likened to a working class family from Brixton. But, however bad this made us feel, we always (YES, I said WE. I was part of it. I know, I know, shame on me), felt that we were better than the Ebola suffering, hunger-aid-needing Africans of the bus- the Engweni primary crop.

What’s the point of this rant you may ask yourself, well, I realised something a while ago. I realised that no matter how low, average, poor, unintelligent, etc, people are, they will always find people they think they’re better than. On the contrary, even if you make it to Harvard or Oxford universities, they’ll always be people there who will still think they’re better than you because whatever you’re studying falls under the humanities faculty and they on the other hand are doing something called Aero dynamical and nuclear Astro physics- majoring in the statistical atoms of the universe or some crap like that. For others it would simply be because they’re mommies and daddies pay for their expensive education and you came there by Scholarship. So here it is, don’t worry yourself about why people behave the way they do towards you. Nine out of ten times you’ll find out that they’re insecure about something and hating on you makes them feel better.

How to spot a Wits student

How to spot a wits student

<pic sourced: www.witsdfo.wordpress.com>

I had a first instalment which spoke about spotting a UJ student and so I thought I’d practice that journalistic ethic called, balance. I had numerable responses from Wits students about the first article. So in the interest of fairness I have decided to bring you these subjective observations. I’ll begin with former Wits students. You see when students fail and are kicked out of a particular varsity. It’s usually because of a number of reasons, but generally it has to do with under-performing academically. 

When this scenario involves a student who once studied at Wits. Trust me you’ll know the first time you guys have a conversation, and without even asking at that. They’ll use every chance they get to tell you that all important statement…… ‘I use to study at Wits hey!’

Secondly, if you ever find yourself spending a day at the big, historic main campus of the University of the Witwatersrand and happen to find yourself in a conversation with Wits students and are engaged in an intellectual conversation which your are dominating so much that everyone around you is nodding their heads in agreement. Don’t ruin the moment for yourself and tell them that you are not a current or at least former Witsie. I tell you, all the agreement and respect you would have wasted hours gathering will disappear instantly. (Poor, dumb, you).

Moving on, varsities have thousands of students. You literally see new faces every single day. But if you happen to spot a student walking around awkwardly with a back pack large enough to fit Five soccer balls in it, and they are looking around the buildings in your campus with a look on their faces that seems to say ‘HHhhmmmmm this place is actually not too bad for a glorified high school’ that person my dear reader would be a Wits student (massive generalisation).

<www.witsvuvuzela.com>

Furthermore, during school holidays. The neighbourhood is filled with faces that seem to only appear in March, June, September and December. You guessed right dear reader. Those would be students. If you ever become so curious that you have a talk with one of them and find yourself saying ‘Oh so you are a varsity student, that’s nice’. The person that will squint their eyes and clench their teeth as if they just drank castor oil, and touch you on the shoulder and say ‘well, actually… I am a WITS STUDENTS, will be yours truly.

Lastly, Spring has come, so parties are everywhere. If you happen to be hosting a party on a Friday night and are busy trying to convince one guest not to leave just yet, and they say to you ‘no man, my books are like seriously waiting for me, you know’. If you are a persistent bugger and go on and ask them ‘what, are you writing on Monday? Ok, is it in the next two weeks? The person who will look you right in eyes and say ‘no! I’m actually writing a month and a half from now. If you find yourself face to face with this rare species, dear reader, you will have succeeded. Yes, you will have spotted a Wits students!

Oscar, you deserve an Oscar indeed

Oscar, you deserve an Oscar indeed

<pic sourced.www.abc.net.au>

So the verdict is out and South Africans are beside themselves. Hurling everything from, condemnation, insults and all sorts of emotional outbursts at the outcome. The public seems to be in unison that Pistorius deserves to be locked up and the key be locked away at some obscure desk of at the NPA head office. However the trial may have gone the situation is still tragic either way. A life of a young person with a bright future laying ahead of her was lost. On the same token, a charismatic and outstanding national hero had a potential strong legacy reduced to dust, not to mention that his life as a celebrated athlete is virtually over.

Let me just state this, I’m not on any side in this. My opinion is mainly based on a vitriolic societal reaction. Everyone seems to be arguing logic and reasoning, arguing how Oscar should have reacted and what logic and reasoning should have been exercised. My point is mainly that logic and reasoning has nothing to do with legal matters. If the law had to consider people’s emotions and what they think or what should happen, every one ever accused would be languishing in a dark prison cell as we speak.

Contrary to what you what you may now believe, I fully think that Pistorius should have been found guilty of murder. In saying that I have however, entertained the notion that however absurd or untruthful it sounds, Oscar Pistorius might just be speaking the truth when he says he heard a noise, got frightened and took out his gun and shot at the perceived danger.

Whether or not we think he should have shouted and warned the perceived intruder, shot warning shots at the ceiling or ran to his cell phone and called security is besides the matter. The point is that we have the luxury of hindsight hence we talk of logical responses and such. When one is at the heat of the moment, in the throes of anger, fear or excitement, there is no time to think to be logical and think about conventions or the norm. That’s like telling a person who was hit by a car which they saw coming at a couple of meters off, that they should have just jumped off the way. However you see it we will not be the same after this and that’s all your fault Oscar.