I recently visited Cape Town after being away for six years and took my children on a tour of the school where I spent my teen years.

Vivid memories suddenly popped up as I walked through the corridors, classrooms, halls, and playgrounds, taking me back in time to one of the places that helped shape who I am today.

However, my primary school was at an all-girls school called Clarendon School for Girls in East London. A school that taught me the art of being a lady, how to knit and sew, how to perfectly harmonise every school song we sang, how to play tennis like a champion, and how to recite Pieter Dirk Uys poems by heart (we are talking 1980s). I loved everything about this school.

In 1990, at age 13 (halfway through grade 7) and shortly after my father’s sudden death, my family moved to Cape Town where my mother enrolled my younger sister and I at Herzlia Constantia where she took a post as a teacher.

Instead of the olive-green uniformed, pristine ladies of Clarendon that I was so used to, I found myself walking into a hall bustling with very lively, loud children. The girls dressed in blue button-up tunics with a white embroidered “Hay” on the top left side pocket, and the boys in khaki button-up shirts, matching khaki shorts and socks pulled up to the knees. It was the school assembly, and everyone sang in upbeat unison the morning prayers to kickstart the day. I was clueless but determined to fit in and started taking it all in as fast as I could.

Middle school was a jungle – but in a good way. I recall mostly the space and the spirit we had to express ourselves. It was there that I discovered my love for fine and graphic art. I was so eager to paint and learn about the great European, American and African artists. That class would come to life for me as we learned about colours, light, techniques, and masterpieces. I felt enchanted by this creative world.

Two years later I started high school – I volunteered for everything the school offered, from “The Big Clean” committee pledging to clean up Table Mountain, to singing in the school choir, writing for the school magazine, and even modelling the latest 1994 fashion trends along the runway in the “Standard 9 Fashion Show”.

I continued studying art towards my Matric, and I distinctly remember our teacher, Mr Simons, telling us to dream big and if we’re lucky enough, one day we may see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris (a challenge I took very seriously). I was elected to represent the school on the Junior City Council in grade 10 and by grade 11 I became the Deputy Junior Mayor of Cape Town. I organised numerous charity events for children in the Western Cape including initiatives to raise funds for local homeless shelters. I also judged at the Argus Nicknacks Miss Rave and Raver of the Year beauty pageant in 1994. And possibly the most memorable was being invited to meet and have tea with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, during their visit to Cape Town in 1995.

During my matric year, I was elected to serve on the Student Council. I graduated with a Matric Exemption. I won “The Rene and Ernest Samson Award for Service to the Community”, an “Effort and Diligence” certificate, I was captain of the girl’s tennis team, and awarded the “Half Colours” tie for Leadership (half?) amongst many other accomplishments.

I went on to study Public Relations and Communication Science at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. I volunteered as a radio DJ for the local campus radio station, and I co-launched an initiative to promote local South African musicians by inviting them to perform live at the campus amphitheatre during lunch hours.

As soon as I graduated from university, I landed the best job in the world as an intern for MTV Networks on the International Communications team in London. I stayed with MTV for 6 years, 2 of which included Cape Town’s “46664”, a series of AIDS benefit concerts in honour of Nelson Mandela which started in 2003. I then worked at the MTV Tel Aviv office as the regional Brand Manager and a TV presenter for MTV’s “Game One” channel.

On a whimsical trip to Paris for work, I met my future French husband which led me to move to the city of light. Shortly after moving to Paris, I launched my online blogazine called “Paris Popcorn” where I wrote (and still write) about culture, fashion and lifestyle. Soon my articles were translated and published in fashion magazines all over the world. I was covering the Paris Fashion Week runway shows, and art gallery openings on the Champs Elysees and Place Vendome. I was invited to attend events at the Cannes Film Festival, and throughout a couple of months I interviewed fashion legends the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Katy Perry, Tilda Swinton, Kanye West, Eva Herzigova, Pierre Cardin and Sonia Rykiel

Did all my energy and desire to experience and explore have anything to do with the ‘space and energy’ we received at Herzlia back in the day? Perhaps? Gratitude for my mother’s desire for her children to be fearless also played a big role. Surely it also had something to do with the words of Theodore Herzl etched on the school archway ‘Im tirzu ein zo agada’ – ‘If you will it, it is no dream’.

So? Did I ever get to see the Mona Lisa in person? Yes, I did! At a private event at the Louvre with a glass of champagne in one hand, I gave a little “cheers” and a wink to La Jaconde thinking of my wonderful High School art teacher Mr. Simons as I took a sip of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

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