Part II.

Tuks of Niks, Orientation in Pretoria.

In my second year, I felt it was time to visit Pretoria and experience orientation week  at Tuks….now that was special. Their motto is Tuks of Niks, and the students there truly go a long way to fulfill that mantra. There is really only one thing you need to know about Tuks – it is close to Hatfield Square. I am in the fortunate position of living right by the Gautrain with a mate that stays right by the station in Hatfield. So I exploited the situation during O-Week by staying with him over the weekend. He lives close to the High Performance Centre where all the Olympic athletes live (partying with Olympic rowers was on a whole new level, and running into Caster Semenya was quite an experience too). When these guys party they party a whole new storm. My Tuks O-week experience commenced with about three trips to Square. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it contains bars, clubs and takeaway places that blow your mind, all in the space of… you guessed it… a large square. But the vibe is unlike anything else and the people are very down to earth. Pretoria knows how to jol.

The night starts off at a bar called Oxfords. Walk across the square to another dance floor called Rhapsodies and then order some Karate Water from Flair. Get some food, either from Subway, KFC and Steers across the road or pizzas from Cheeky Monkeys which are literally the size of your table… R115 for a Regina pizza that fills you up with one slice – not bad going at all.

Learning how to sokkie at Chillies was an experience in itself and then dancing the night away at Herr Gunters ended the night off on a high. Importantly, whatever the mood of the night, you are bound to end upstairs at Dropzone. The Dropzone foam parties are the best I have experienced and the partying is brilliant! At one point in O-week, the Dropzone DJ announced vouchers for any girl willing to take off her top. People just got naked, it’s amazing. Before your night is done, order a Sowetan toilet from the one of Dropzone’s bars. It is a shot that will blow your mind!

Admittedly I was not involved in the residence life of Tuks, where all the magic happens during O-week but honestly, square in itself provides enough entertainment and is packed to the brim with amazing characters. For another extreme experience I would encourage everyone to visit square on St. Paddy’s day later on in the year.

Fortunately, amidst the mind-blowing parties, I did manage to soak in a bit of what Tuks Rag is all about. The first year res students make these amazing floats while all the day students have casual braais on the side of the road. As the parade moves through, the streets of Pretoria come alive with a truly awesome atmosphere. It is a brilliant spectacle – something that is completely unique to this part of South Africa. Finally, when the day of the parade ends with a crazy Goldfish performance at Square you find yourself thinking: There really isn’t more to life than this.

The following morning kicks off with either leftovers from McDonalds or a Driving Range Breakfast Special – R5 for 2 eggs on toast. The Driving Range is amazing for students like me who are running on budget. On Saturdays you’ll find the place swamped with students taking advantage of a bottomless rib special for only R80 -  so cheap, it’s like stealing from a baby!