My journey to the Caxton Awards – Part 2

So, we left off where everyone was checking into their rooms. Let's continue.

April 18, 2019

Jonothan Hen-Boisen 2 minutes read

https://www.citizen.co.za/lowvelder/476091/journey-caxton-awards-part-1/

After receiving my room card, I quickly went upstairs to drop off my bags so that I could go with Bridget to Menlyn. She wanted to get some last-minute accessories for her outfit. We set off on foot, but little did we know that it was quite a distance away. After shopping, we decided to spoil ourselves with some ice chai lattés from Starbucks.

We arrived back at the hotel all sweaty and tired, with just enough time to get dressed before the ceremony began. I quickly hopped through the shower and unpacked my outfit. I was horrified! I had forgotten my pants at home, so here I was sitting on the bed, knowing full well that I have bootstraps, but no boots or pants to attach them to, so I just improvised.

I proceeded to strip my shoes of their laces and tied them around my calves to keep the straps up. I put on my coverall and wore shorts, as that is all I had. Like we all say, if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.

All dressed up and ready I went downstairs to the reception area… Another horror! I was the only one who went all out with my outfit, and I stood out like a sore thumb. I was so self-conscious that I wanted to go and hide in my room till everyone was in the Diamond Hall where it would be dark. I decided what the heck, and just decided to wing it. Soon after arriving, we were whisked away to a photo booth where our memories would be captured forever. I must admit, I actually quite enjoyed being in front of the camera for a change.

It was snack time, and the tables were adorned with amazing delights for everyone to indulge in. I tried not to eat a lot as I was saving space for my dinner. After about 45 minutes of mingling, we were all invited into the hall for the ceremony to start.

The lights dimmed and I could barely contain my excitement. It was time. To kick off the event, guests werere treated to the soulful voices of the opera group Forté, and boy can this trio sing.

The creative categories were first, and as each one was mentioned, my excitement grew. Four categories came up and one of my amazing colleagues, Geraldine Reyneke, bagged two of them. As I was prepping my camera to take photos, my category was called out. I quickly switched my phone to video to capture the moment. Instead of telling you, I will let you see for yourself:

https://www.facebook.com/corne.schalkwyk/videos/10156175433948873/

So, as you saw, I won. It was such an honour to be recognised for the hard work that I had put in throughout the year.