Will you be my Valentine? Valentine's Day is many things to different people. It is a thrilling day of uncertainty for teenagers, a day of anticipation for those hoping to tie the knot, and a racket of distasteful commercialism for others. We wade around buckets of single roses, cute coffee cups and musical cards in the shops finally settling on making a homemade note at home and cooking a favourite dinner. Some local couples seem to have found the magic recipe which glues the right people together after the whirlwind romance fades and the single roses have died. We asked them how they met.
ABRIE EN MARLIZE HICKMAN Ons paaie het begin kruis deur die sosiale media... na ons eerste afspraak was daar geen omdraaikans. Ons was verlief en verlore! Na 6 jaar getroud, vul ons nog elke dag mekaar se lewens en toekomsdrome aan. Soos ons met ons ontmoeting, – verlief, verloof, getroud en swanger in een jaar, pak ons die lewe met passie en geloof aan.
GEORGE AND ELIZABETH PHILI We met in B.T. Malawi and I was so happy to have a boyfriend that day. It is now ten years later and we are still together. Happy Valentine's Day to my husband George, my daughter, Abigirl, and my son, Boniface.
ERNIE BLOMMAERT EN CHANETTE PAUL My vriendin se oproep volg op skouerhuilgesprek waarby 'n hele paar glase wyn betrokke was. 'Nee, ek pleeg nie blind dates nie,' keer ek. 'Net dronkverdriet gehad. Mans kompliseer net mens se lewe.' 'Middagete by Harbour Rock. Die vier van ons. En basta. Ernie is ordentlik. Iemand saam met wie jy af en toe 'n bier kan drink of na 'n show kan gaan. Dis al. As julle kliek.' Met die instapslag weet ek al ons sal nie kliek nie. Snor. Stokkieshare. Stellenbosch op sy voorkop geskryf. Dit was 5 Desember 2003. Elf jaar later... Nou-ja.
JAN VAN TONDER
GERRIE AND RETHA FOURIE We met at a wine promotion at the Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch during February 1989 where Gerry was performing, and I was involved in the wine industry – this was actually only two days after Valentine’s Day! We chatted and became friends and throughout the rest of that year our friendship blossomed and ten months later, we got married in Stellenbosch on 16 December. 25 Years later we are very fortunate to have retired in Stanford and would like to express our sincere thanks to everybody who made us feel so welcome and part of this lovely village!
JOHN AND SHIRLEY WITHERS LOUIS AND WANYA VAN DER WALT Our story started back in 1997. We met at a Christian outreach camp in Badplaas. Louis was in fourth year and I was in first year at varsity in Pretoria. Louis was terribly shy and I had a great time teasing him. He invited me to his final year dinner. Alas he could not dance and I decided that just wouldn't do in the long term. Then we bumped in to each other five years later (Louis in the meantime had taken ballroom lessons) and started dating after a whirlwind week of romance. Then we started commuting between Bloemfontein, where I worked for the SANDF, and Pretoria, where Louis had his base of operations (and his mother’s home cooked meals). A year later we got married. Louis is the love of my life, my best friend, the best dad to our three children; his wisdom and soft spoken nature captured my heart. He is my Men’s Health Model and just an overall honey! The best thing is that I know that he loves me just the way I am and in his own words, 'I will always be two steps away - close enough if you need me but far enough to give you room to be yourself.'
Shirley’s version: I was working as a copywriter at an advertising agency. We had just been awarded the Shell account and John was the advertising manager. My office was adjacent to reception and on one particular Spring day in 1980, I heard this magnificent voice saying, 'Good morning Libby, is el Fatso in?' (He was referring to the MD Daryl Fine, not me.) I just had to get up from my desk to see who the voice belonged to, and there he was. He later came into my office and said. 'I believe you are the copywriter on the account; I hope you are good.' I knew that he had worked with some of the best copywriters in London and I was so nervous about the first copy I wrote for him that I spent the entire weekend writing and rewriting it. When it was presented to him he read it and approved it without changes. Then he invited me out for lunch. John’s version: She came out of her office and I thought, 'What a body!' And then I invited her out for lunch. STANFORD RIVER TALK 9