What a Weekend — and a Trip Down Memory Lane 🎶🌞

Dear Kuierkos Friends,

What a weekend we had! The weather was absolutely perfect — crisp spring sunshine mixed with the last touches of autumn leaves. We truly felt blessed to soak up such beauty right here at Kuierkos.

And to top it off, the Springbokke played an awesome game! Spirits were high all around. 🇿🇦🏉

But Saturday wasn’t only about rugby for the Dockel-Erasmus family — we hosted a party to remember! It was Anne’s 18th birthday celebration, and what a night it turned out to be. Thirty-five Dutch teenagers filled our garden with laughter, music, and energy. I must admit, I wasn’t too keen on having that many people in my house, so we improvised — and turned the garage into a party venue!

Now, if you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say “garage party.” Back then, there were no fancy event venues for birthdays. Summer meant parties in the garden and by the pool, and winter meant one thing — the garage!

It was a whole operation: cars out, floors swept — even when we knew we’d use pap later to make the rough garage floor a little smoother for the lekker vas-dans. By the end of the night, we all had pap stuck to our shoes — and we didn’t care one bit!

We always invited a lot of people, because let’s be honest — the garages back home in South Africa were much bigger! And for any teenage girl, that was an opportunity: to invite that young boer, the first team captain, or maybe even the older, more mature neighbour’s son who was home from university for the weekend. 😉

The CD player (or the cassette player, if you’re old-school!) was ready for the dance. There was always that one friend who knew someone old enough to buy alcohol, or the one who swore his dad wouldn’t miss a bottle of mampoer. 😂

It was simple, it was real, and it was fun — and this weekend brought all those memories flooding back. Seeing the joy and laughter in our own backyard reminded me that the best parties aren’t about perfection or fancy spaces — they’re about people, music, and moments shared.

And now, with another Springbok game coming up this Saturday — they’re taking on the Italians in Italy 🇮🇹💚💛 — I told Andreas that after our big “garage revival,” we might just have to renovate it into a proper braai-and-rugby room! I can already see it: boerewors on the fire, friends gathered around, and the Bokke on the screen. Sounds like the perfect plan, doesn’t it?

Here’s to more of those simple, joyful memories — whether in a garden, by the pool, or even in a little garage.

Warm regards,
Marnella & Andreas