We like texture

I volunteered to take pics at my old high school's prizegiving the other day. It was surreal. No one gave a fuck that I used to be part of the scenery.

Anyway, it struck me as a scary, nationalist affair. Maybe something's changed, but I suspect that you just don't realise these things when you're in school.

Consider my school's anthem:

[English version is below - warning! bad, stilted translation]

Waar Jan van Riebeeck statig staan,
By Tafelberg se strand
Het daar 'n skool verrys in diens
Van volk en vaderland

Om pligsgetroue burgers
Vir hul werke op te lei-hei-hei,
Om al wat goed is na te streef,
Wat sleg is te bestry

Om eerlik, edel
Sterk te wees,
Gesond van liggaam,
Rein van gees

Standvastig by mekaar te staan,
Blymoedig langs die weg te gaan

Handhawers van ons moedertaal!
Handhawers van ons moedertaal!
Dit is ons lewensideaal!
Dit is ons lewensideaal!

ENGLISH VERSION

Where Jan van Riebeeck princely stands
On the beach of Table Bay
Did there arise a school in service
Of the people & the fatherland

So that dutiful citizens
may be trained for their jobs
To strive for all that is good
To fight all that is bad

To be honest, noble,
To be strong
Healthy of body,
Pure of spirit,

To dutifully stand by one another,
To cheerfully go on the way of life,

Upholding our mother tongue
Upholding our mother tongue
It is our life ambition
It is our life ambi-hi-tion.

TO CHEERFULLY GO ON THE WAY OF LIFE? Might as well have been invented by some corporate interest think-tank.


dit is nogals weird en freakish ne. yikes. maar alle sulke goed is gevul met ideologie
 Anonymous  


ja - ek dink almal se skole het maar lekker nasionalistiese onderstrominge gehad. jy moet kinders tog klein genoeg vang om hul deeglik te brainwash.
 arcadia  


Brainwash, Arcadia!? As jy nie met ons is nie, is jy teen ons!

Handhawers van die taal. Niel, wat het verkeerd gegaan?
 gm  


...heerlik is van riebeeck lewe. waaria waaria HOE HOE HOE!!!
 Anonymous  


Upholding our mother tongue! JEEZ! It's like a blast from the past...
 Wendy  


waar jan van riebeeck kaalgat staan
op sandy bay se strand....

eh. lekker. Elke maandag.
 Anonymous  


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