7-1 A Day In The Life

Danie Robus

Hello! My name is Danie Robus. I am 18 years old. I live with my family in Soweto, a township near Johannesburg, South Africa. My dad wakes me up at 7:00 a.m.. I brush my teeth, wash, dress and pack my bag to get ready for theatre club. For breakfast, I have cereal or bread and tea. Today is Saturday. Weekends are good because I don't have to get up too early. During the week, I am up at 5 a.m. because it's a long journey to my school.

My dad works as a supervisor in a cotton mill and he starts at eight o’clock. On his way to work, he drops me off at the train station or the bus stop; then I travel into Cape Town. Sometimes the trip takes an hour and a half. I read my book or listen to music on my cell phone.

At ten o’clock arrive at City at Peace, my theater group, where I spend Saturdays. Here, we learn about theater, sing and talk about issues that involve youth. We are creating a play based on our life stories. We also have poetry, drumming and jam sessions. If you don't have a place to express yourself, you can come here.

We finish at about one in the afternoon and I go with my friend Kim to a café to buy pies and drinks for lunch. At 2:00, we go back to City at Peace. When we have a break, I do my homework. I love my school because I have supportive friends. But the teachers are very strict and they give us a lot of homework. I like English. Math is my worst subject.

I take the train home with Kim at four o’clock. I don't have many friends in the community. My friends are in town, where my school and theater group are. If I get home early, I do chores, such as helping to prepare dinner. Then I watch television with my sister.

We normally eat late on Saturdays, at about eight. We eat potatoes, rice, eggs and sausage for dinner. If there is no electricity, we can't cook, so we have bread with tea instead of a hot meal. We buy prepaid electricity vouchers. When they run out, there is no warning; the lights just shut off. Then my brother goes to the café to buy more vouchers.

I get into bed around ten and read my book. Sometimes I read political books or poetry. I really like to read.