Thursday, August 24, 2006

mate puntage

Right, behold the shameless puntage of my mates. We’re kind of a crazy, completely intimidating bunch of people, and some of us think we’re still in first year varsity (myself included). However, they’re such a big part of my life – especially of late – that it is only apt that I elaborate on them.

C
I’ve known Infectious Giggle C since school, boarding together in the same house, and at varsity. C, also known as Poen, is completely lovable. Everybody loves The C. It’s that mixture of Free State farm girl, added to a healthy dose of city girl slick, and a very cheeky sense of humour. C and I never stop giggling, ever. And we’re always out on the town, painting it luminous, obnoxiously-bright red, and our downtime consists of a mellow glass of vino at my flat after work. She’s always up for a party, has been there for me through thick and thin, and we think we’re hilarious. Naturally.

C2
C2 have known each since school, since varsity, and we backpacked around Europe together during our gap year. Left 18-year old destruction in our wake. We had an competition, where on each new location, we’d tally up how many nationalities we could snog. We ran out of money on the Corsica leg, slept in dodgy train stations, spent a week solid hammered on ouzo in Greece, met the rich and famous in Cannes. I pipped her on the snoggathon just by one, having met a Monte Carlon in Nice, (who was…pretty gross…if I remember correctly), although that said, she did kiss more than one Dutch guy. We come from very similar backgrounds, and have always been at the periphery of each other’s lives in some way over the years.

Doc
Although Doc and I both went to UCT, we didn’t know each other. We met properly two years ago and have been mates ever since. Painting the town red, drinking gin and tonics in his garden, him taking his clothes off on most drunken occasions. And us hanging his doondies off the side of the Jolly Roger, where random drive-by jock spottings ensued for 5 weeks. He left to go on secondment to India recently, and it’s like my left foot is missing. He’s a lovely mix of profound creativity, mixed in with a dash of business demeanour, flairy debonair and outrageous fun. We’ve helped each other though break-ups, given advice as to hook-ups, as well as shared our writing and life plans. A very talented golfer. Chicks love him.

E
E I have also known since school and UCT. E is a very sophisticated, social creature that speaks her mind and manages to always be life of the party nevertheless. E coined The Fitzy. That’s what she drinks, and even a pub in Southbroom has named their vodka, cola tonic and water after E’s The Fitzy. We always drink Fitzy’s in her honour. She also rides horses like a demon, and when me, C and E get together, we’re always giggling, running around causing chaos, or organising chick nights revolving around great food. At our book club fuckaware evening, (beg pardon, fudgaware evening), we went to Tiger Tiger dressed like hookers, suspenders and all. We bought a lot of stuff, piled it into her boot. Had we been stopped by the coppers, we totally would’ve spent the night in the slammer.

E2
E2 hates being called E2, because she thinks it’s second best. That said, this list is in no preferential order before anyone gets uptight. E2 is the adorable flamboyantly dressed, devilish and charming and just wonderfully fantastic chick everybody wants to know. I met her in first year in res – she lived directly above me – and our parties just merged, basically, between floor levels. We both grew an unhealthy obsession with one of our lecturers, and so were pretty much the only lectures we attended in second year, sitting in the front row, staring at his face. We’ve driven around Cape Town as high as kites, made movies together in film classes, become Goldfish groupies following them everywhere, discovered dodgy shopping venues places in Joburg CBD, had incredible parties together and shared sex advice. Love her.

Moogs
Shmoogles and I hit it off when we worked in the US at the same ski resort. Doc, Moogs and I were The Gang. The coolest best guy friends a girl could have. Moogs, although sometimes unreliable and forgetful, is an honest, hilariously funny dude. The brother I never had. He gives everything to his relationships, which he is doing now, and although I don’t see him so much anymore, I’ll always have time for and be extremely fond of him. We’ve run around Vanderbijlpark together on Vaal weekends, ripped it up on copious occasions, we’ve seen each other in our doondies and don’t even notice anymore. Come to the push, I know we’ll always be there for each other.

N
Also known The N since varsity. N has a quick tongue, and her one liners always have us on the floor. N and I once jammed, pissed of course, to my keyboard accompaniment backgrounds in my room for a full day at varsity. While I played Born Free over and over again. Don’t ask. N is a fiercely loyal friend, who is always there for somebody no matter what. Also knows how to have a good party, even if it means she leaves her exhaust pipe chilling on the pavement after a good evening out. She’s just returned from Argentina, with a fresh vision on life, after seeing the world with new eyes. We call each other an endearing nickname, which I shan’t mention. (It’s worse than Poen.)

The Dove
We first jammed at varsity, sharing intense writing plans, cruising up and down Long Street any time of the day. We both manage to find something small to laugh about anywhere, anytime. Like a stupid talking mug, which we laughed about for three hours recently. We manage to fuel each other's creativity, and her mind is always teeming with ideas. She has a wicked sense of humour and always means what she says, and says what she means.

Third Roommate
What can I say about my little Vasco da Gama that hasn’t been said here before. I met him through The Ant, and since she moved in, he practically moved in too. Vasco is, despite his Portuguese-skinned, don’t-fuck-with-me persona, and his smart ass attitude (he’s allowed, the guy is a genius, with an IQ of 146), is a little marshmallow inside of the crusty exterior. He uses gangster language so eloquently, you just can’t help but wanna talk like him, safe. At the minute. It’s well fun. He makes friends in strange places, one being our security guard Lucas who loves his little pants off. He knows how to have a good giggle, yet speak his mind. Even if we don’t always enjoy that. He’s also been a great support to me over the last couple of months.

Third World Ant
There is so much to say about my completely adorable flat mate, but you’d be here all day. The Ant and I were colleagues at our first job, both as reporters. She was crazy, I was crazy, it was love at first sight. She moved in with me on Ex S’ departure last year November. And we’re a very happy couple, even if our apartment always looks like a bomb hit it. The Ant is big into community service, and thus makes an incredible shrink. She is never anything but honest. I think she works way too hard, what with an 18 hour a day job, teaching science to students in Alexandra, heading up her Italian Society, and more. We’ve cried together, laughed uproariously together, done the whole of Joburg together – Westcliff to Hillbrow. She also has seen my boyfriends and one nighters leave the apartment, even if I do try to sneak them out. Adore her.

These are my best friends. There are still many other people that have come into my life recently, or have been part of my life and live in far-off places, or I see less of, that are completely worthy of mention.

You all know who you are.

If I forget someone, I’ll be in trouble. However, everyone I fraternise with are all individually amazing, and life would be a very boring, sad affair indeed without them. I love you all so much.

26 comments:

Dan Lurie said...

wow, these friends sound amazing. it's very important to have a close circle of friends. Partners come and go (excuse the pun), jobs too, but your friends will always be there for you.

my group have a love/hate relationship, we enjoy highlighting each others inadequacies in an affectionate sort of way. if you don't have the ability to laugh at yourself, you're fudged!

Anonymous said...

Joey- why didn't you crack the list?

Peas on Toast said...

Other-duke - I get what you mean by ripping each other off, or highlighting each other's inadequacies in an affectionate way.

And all of them have a very healthy sense of humour. They rock. :)

Billy said...

Mates are what makes life rock, im an only kid so having as many of my mates around as possible has always made my life better. Now if i could only learn to like my best mates lady i might be happy again.

Peas on Toast said...

Bill - there's nothing worse when your best mate hooks up with someone less than desirable. I feel for you big guy, and hope it all works out!

kyknoord said...

True friendship is a rare and beautiful thing. A friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be right there beside you in cell saying, "Oh man, did we ever fuck that one up"

Peas on Toast said...

Kyk - lol! That would've been C and I on Sunday...ulp. :)

Anonymous said...

Peas- here's what I'm gonna ask of you: We're going to be spending the night in JHB, so it worked out well for all of us. I want you to take it back to C, Ant, etc. and I want you to round up a couple of your friends. At our hotel room we're gonna have kind of a pool party. California gangster-style, you know what I mean? Kick ass pool party thing. JM will be there.

Peas on Toast said...

Steeler - tempting... however, the 'zit laden mouth-like-a-sewer' comment a few days ago wasn't the most complimentary thing I've ever heard. Perhaps be nice, and I'll talk to C, The Ant and all about it.
:)

Peas on Toast said...

Steeler - my sincerest apologies, that wasn't you, it was one of those anonymous people. However, that said, what was the whole 'fuck her, she's leaving to live in Australia, move on' thing? Or were you having a random conversation with Joey wbout someone else?

Anonymous said...

bring it on peas. we can trash somewhere that's not your house for a change

Peas on Toast said...

:) Excellent.

Anonymous said...

G'day people.. some interesting stuff on the go.. lovin ur work peas:)

Who traaaaained you??

Peas on Toast said...

Thanks.
Who traaaained me? The question is, who did I train? :)

Anonymous said...

EXCELLENT - your subtle acknowledgement at last of the one-nighters!

(you tried to lead us to believe thats not yr style.....?)

Anonymous said...

I felt Joey needed some tough love at the time. He is better off for it. Is JM around today?

Anonymous said...

Lovely group of people it seems...All Im wondering is who the lecturer/object of your affection at UCT was...judging from the chronos and facts on this blog, I almost think we were there in the same years...2000 to 2003? film classes....hmm, I may have seen you prance about looking for goldfish somewhere near the leslie building...

Peas on Toast said...

bobajob - one nighters my freind can very possibly mean 'a night in to snuggle.' Or 'snog then fall asleep together on my bed.' You know, that sort of thing. :)

Steeler - um, ok. However I;m not [planning on] moving to Australia, just so you know. ;)

Anon - I was there, prancing around the leslie building and arts block during those times, yes! And the object of E2s and mine's affection - let's just say he was a literary genius, took a lot of our courses (or we chose his courses, to be frank), had that artist-come-prodigy haphazard, flustered, slightly scruffy look about him, oozed 'I'm amazing in bed' and on top of this, actually gave me distinctions for some of my essays (which I only cared about since HE liked them, see.) :)

Anonymous said...

You are too lovely miss psquared, wouldn't have missed any of it! Yay for pool parties...mmm?!

Peas on Toast said...

Yay for that Poennie! xx

Suavé said...

Aquaintances are the ones who tell you not to do something really tempting. True friends are sitting right next to you in the jail cell after saying: "Fuck what a ride. Let's do that again someday!"

Keep them close to you. They sound like a good bunch of people to me. All it's spells to me is TROUBLE. But that's good innit?

Peas on Toast said...

Suave - you and Kyknoord reckon the same thing about jail cells my man. :)

Yip we do spell trouble, a lot of the time anyway. ;)

Shorty - what would we do without them, eh?

Champagne Heathen said...

Ah, it is getting all sentimental in here! Sweet! It's great to see you appreciating them. Always NB to sit back and review how good things are sometimes. There are times I suddenly think, What did I do to get this lucky to have so many good people in my life as my friends. (Then there are other days when I bang my phone against my desk and question is it just not working or why has no one phoned/ sms'd recently!?!)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Peter Anderson to me....

TheTart said...

Wild group, natch!

NOW, predict what they will all be doing (or who they will be doing) in 20 years.

Smooch,
The Tart
; )

Peas on Toast said...

Champs - Agreed. There are days when my phone is strangely silent, and it drives me completely bonkers, but then there are other days when it rings off the hook. Which also drives me crazy.

Anon - does it?

The Tart - hopefully, but the time we're old and grey, we'd have all emigrated to Cancun to play bingo amongst ourselves on the beach, getting high and running around on motorised scooters...;)