Looking at the brighter side of life!

It sounded similar to a car accident…there was a thunderous crash and big bang followed by the immediate yet timid response “Don’t worry, I’m ok… I think”. After pulling herself from under her room divider and picking up the remaining debris she attempted to explain, in between her contagious laughter, that she was just doing a cartwheel. She only realized that this was not possible in such a confined space when she was in mid-air and there was only one way to go…down. Whether it be walking to lectures or having a cup of her world-famous hot chocolate, there is never a dull moment with the lively and adventurous Tanith around.

After spending several meals with Tanith in the infamous Jan Smuts dining hall, Natasha and Lerusha, her new friends and housemates, worked up the courage one evening to ask her if she usually ate so little and where she got all her energy from. Sitting amongst the pink and orange scatter cushions on her bed she enlightened her friends to the fact that she is gluten intolerant so she cannot eat certain foods. This resulted in Lerusha’s candid response “What’s gluten?”

Apparently this is not an uncommon response according to Tanith and she had no problem explaining it more explicitly for Lerusha. Twisting her golden blonde hair she said that after an appointment at a biomeridian technologist and a few medical tests she found out that she could not eat foods containing gluten, yeast, large amounts of caffeine and large amounts of sugar. Lerusha nodded despite looking very confused and walked away mumbling about a bio-something or the other which made Tanith giggle uncontrollably.

Although she has always had positive, care-free attitude, it is understandable that this issue made living away from her home in Kimberly a lot more difficult. She conquered this obstacle in her path head on: “I first bought Mrs Goodness, a steamer, and made my own meals but this wasted a lot of my time so I ended up buying meals from restaurants. This was becoming way too expensive for a student budget and I really thought that money could be invested better in things I love, like clothes. Thankfully my friend, Nicci, then recommended a catering company which I now use.”

Tanith did not only solve these issues but also learnt a lot about herself in the process. “I was able to overcome these issues because I did not make a big deal about it. I learnt to substitute different foods into my diet because the last thing I wanted was to feel sorry for myself because that would just annoy me further.”

Her olive green eyes sparkle as she produces a wide smile and says “I don’t drink either”. This, she finds funny considering Rhodes is well-known for its drinking reputation. “I do not want to compromise my health and values but, don’t get me wrong; I don’t have a problem with anyone who does drink either. It is a personal choice which I don’t find very difficult to follow.” When it comes to food, however, there is a lot more temptation. Tanith admits “I really enjoy the things that I can’t have… Jungle Bars are definitely my weakness but I guess I’m only going to live once so I’m not planning on missing out.”

Tanith received a sticker on facebook profile (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?sid=34c32c47e9cd4bd28f59b09a083ecea9&refurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Fq%3DTanith%2BLee%2BSwinford%26init%3Dq%26sid%3D34c32c47e9cd4bd28f59b09a083ecea9&id=617869898&hiq=tanith%2Clee%2Cswinford) which captures her personality very perfectly: “someday everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion; smile through the tears; and keep reminding yourself… ‘Everything is going to be ok’”. With this attitude it is not surprising that Tanith does not focus on the road blocks but rather looks forward to the open road and the high speeds which make the journey worth it in the end.

Hopefully some help!

Hello my friend!

Sorry we haven’t spoken much lately, I have had a pretty eventful first year and I’m sure you have also been busy getting ready for the “big move” next year. The best way in which I can help you with this adjustment is to give you a few tips and hints that I really could have used when moving to a university away from home.

The fun begins and ends when you arrive at your new home. I’m sure you remember how nervous I was about leaving my family and friends especially because goodbyes can be so difficult. This is where tip 1 comes in handy: “Goodbyes are followed by hellos!” In other words, saying goodbye to your old friends and family forces you to make new friends who become your family away from home.

This brings me to tip 2: “You can never have too many friends”. Try not to be shy because you are nervous. Like I have told you before, seal-clubbing is a special feature of o-week (the first week of term) so rather use this time to make friends. Having friends are an important part of ones academic and social life. To clarify the academic point made…pulling an all-nighter to study and finish assignments would not be the same if you didn’t have a housemate to keep you awake on caffeine and chocolate.

O-week is somewhat a right-off in terms of academics but allows one to explore the social amenities that surround the campus. This is a very big hint: go out as much as possible!!! There are many commonsense tips which you WILL be told about like “don’t go out alone”, “don’t get drunk” and the very cliched line “don’t do drugs”. These have all been heard before and no one listens to them anyway so here is tip 3: “Don’t be stupid”. You know what is right and what is wrong so do what is right!

With these tips in mind, the first couple of days will be the best start for any first year. I am not going to lie or omit the truth in any way…. There will definitely be obstacles throughout your adventure but that is why I’m here to help you take the trip without tripping.

Much love,
Jane