AK Davidson Redemption

Just arrived in Zurich after a strenuous couple of weeks. No idea as to when this unrelenting feeling of stress will lift itself from my mind but all I can think about is the pressures felt these last few weeks. It has been an emotional rollercoaster insofar as saying goodbye. I have had to say goodbye to AK Davidson, the building with a dichotomy similar to that from Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “The Fall of the House of Usher”. Ok perhaps not that dramatic but it reminded me on multiple occasions as to its resemblence to prison and prison cells. Prison cells where probably more comfotable…bar the lack of freedom bit….we were quite free. But the building can safely be claimed an eyesore, however, the dichotomy came in the people that I have met in halls. I assume there are all sorts of relationships formed in the cells of AK Davidson and other halls for which university students call their home; be it hate, romance or friendship, each and every student who has lived in university halls will never forget their time spent. AKD was good to us. All those nights that we do not remember going to bed, not spending the night in your own bed or whatever it may be after a heavy drinking session and equally earthshaking party, we always woke up in the same place and sought the friends that we could share our stories with. I will miss the conversations I have had through walls the next morning after either construction works or a flock of squaking birds waking me from my alcohol soaked evening. “Practically sharing a double bed with a wall down the middle” with someone but having had the same night before. It was a time of ups and downs and the simple reality is that is tough, tough but get over it. The life skills and lessons we learnt in our development as university students and eventually people allowed to walk on the streets after their hard time inside. It has not been easy with issues raised and problems solved but ultimately dealt with inside those walls.

Sorry for the nostalgia but it has been an amazing time together in halls capped of with an absolute ‘belter’ of a night where we ate dinner and drank our wine. The night was the perfect way to end the exam period as well as the time spent in halls. I know this is no ending to a story like the famous Shawshank Redemption but in my mind and everyone elses’ minds it felt as if it was. However, there are a few things that I have been thinking about after completing the coveted ‘first year of uni’. Namely the difference between living in university opposed to at home. Living at home with your parents and having not to care to issues such as cooking and cleaning is an absolute disgrace as to home much it was taken for granted before the move to university. Issues such as stocking the fridge and contemplating what to buy for when and for how long was a definite to get used to. What has been a common exclamation that has been shared with me about my general behaviour is how much I have been able to control my tempter after leaving as well as how independent I have become. It was a ‘sink or swim’ sort of situation in terms of the independence part. Having to set up a bank account, phone number was all an absolute nightmare waiting to happen but surprisingly was able to get through to the other end unharmed with phone number and bank account in hand (figuratively speaking). Of course had help along the way with everything that was new such as friends saying “Carl make something for Christ sake! You’re a big boy, you need to eat!” and “Right Carl, you need to brown the mince first otherwise you will get food poisoning” as examples of words of encouragement said to get me to cook. Someone coming with me to the bank when needing to set up the bank account even if they were not there to do anything particularly it was just appreciated that they were there for some form of moral support. We all had our problems and we all managed to get through them somehow.

Other miniscule details I have noticed during my time were not necessarily with university life per se but living in Scotland. I have lived in many a place and each and every one has been unique and special in its own way. I feel as if I have a connection with every place that I have lived in which has been amazing and an emotional relation to each place. I will always be a South African but for the moment and for the next 3 years I am a South African Scot, once described by a flat mate as being a Scot with “a funny accent”. Cheers! Initially I was deemed as very shy by the flat but I generally am when adapting to a new country. When applying for accomodation I had planned to apply to another hall altogether, however, a muck up in Student Services could only get me into AK Davidson. It did not really matter because I was not aware of the difference really but I find myself incredibly fortunate that it had happened so. I am the only ‘international’ student on the floor with the rest being Scottish born and bred from all over the country. Again fortunate was that I was able to make friends with each and every person. This way I feel I can get a proper appreciating for the place I am living in and see the whole country. I love the people and would not trade this experience for the world.