GRAHAMSTOWN – The first Friday of February 2008 had the tradionally English schools of St Andrew’s College and the Diocesan School for Girls going Afrikaans.

The school day saw “Souties” wearing alternative Afrikaans T-shirts and bouncing to funky Afrikaans music pumping form Upper House during ‘rush’ (the seven minute break between classes). Meanwhile, the kitchen turned lunch into a traditional meal with a twist.

The afternoon started, and startled, the crowd with some impressive whip cracking, while teams battled it out to see who the sack-racing, egg-running or ‘bokdrolspoeg’ champion of our two schools would be. Inevitably the afternoon ended in a watermelon fight that eventually sent everyone off to have a shower before the evening’s ‘sokkie jol’.

The theme for the sokkie was Boere-chic and many a wardrobe was ransacked for some old-style charms such as bobby socks and old time favourites, the ‘kaminnie-kous’ and ‘rokkies wif belts’. The results was pure millennium magic with the hightlight of the day certainly being the hip-hop generation going for a proper boere-2-step at the Centenary Hall. “The turnout was just amazing! The pupils certainly rose to the occasion,” said Ms Christa Snyman, HOD of Afrikaans and organizer of the event. “We’ll certainly do this again”. Until then…get those dancing vellies on en roer jou litte!