How has BO (Bruinou.com) affected your life?

Resident Bruinou.com member, who goes by the alias of Meecegirl, has started a really interesting post on the forum at the end of last year, titled “How has BO affected your life?” There have been some really interesting responses and we know that not many people get a chance to look at the forums so we have decided to post an article on this. Many people do not access the forums and some may have missed that topic altogether, while others do not have internet access and rely only on newsletters. Since all articles eventually get included in the newsletters, we felt this would be the best way to address that. We have tried to leave it as original as possible and have not edited.

Feel free to share your comments and stories by either posting them in the forums (preferred, as everybody gets to share in the discussions) or alternately, sending them to my e-mail address on Lester@Bruinou.com.

Meecegirl – I just wanted to start a thread where we can tell our good or bad stories honestly, on how BO has affected your life, your daily routine, what happens when you edgily log on at home, work or play.
Whether you like me and keep refreshing the page making sure you never missing out on a new post??? Or the fact that it’s the first and last thing you do everyday…OR how ya felt the first time some one nipped your pip or changed your point of view.
What have you learnt….Do you talk about the things spoken here at home and with other friends, are you an unofficial ambassador cause every chance you get do you somehow bring the site into conversation?
You know man…the before BO and after BO came into my life kinda thing.

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Lonelypixel – Oh boy… there I was…my finger nervously fiddling with the scroll button on my mouse…a single bead of sweat ran down my temple… I swallowed hard… then I clicked on the register button…It all happened so fast… My life will never be the same again…Try BO today… It will definitely enrich your life…

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Gissel – When BO was on Noeleen’s 3Talk, I sms’d everybody that I know that has no internet and said watch. I now speak openly about Coloured issues with friends, family and strangers. Every day I give the b/f an update on what happened on BO today. People at work call me Bruin ou. So yes BO has changed my life A LOT. Every morning I get to work and log on to BO.

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Rachel – Mine is oh so simple….I heard, I checked it out, stayed a while, built solid friendships (Jenna you rock) but most importantly, and this is a shocker to myself as well – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I AM PROUD TO STAND TALL AND SAY I AM COLOURED – that’s right, because of this site…Props man, props….

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$Force – I can honestly say that I never thought I’d ever “meet” so many likeminded, yet differently opinioned people ever! We all have different opinions about many things but never had I thought I’d meet so many peeps that all have the same things at heart…the upliftment and betterment of ourselves and our people.
I would never have personally met a good friend like Lester. Then there’s Jazz22.
I would never have known about my home town girl EKKE that’s in England.
My Hart se Punt. tom_boi.

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Challo – Bruinou.com is like my morning & afternoon newspaper…the plus is that I’ve met a lot of really nice ppl here. Thanks to Lester, Charles, Bevan, Marvy, the DJ’s at the functions and all the loyal patrons of BO who really makes my day ELKE DAG!!!

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Mochiatto – BO has really changed my life for the better. I feel proud to be a Bruinou, like I never knew I could – now I feel a real connection to my fellow “bruins”.
It’s a truly brilliant concept & I can now proudly explain my “bruinness” to other races when asked or when needed – don’t know if anybody has experienced this but I hear a lot of criticism of the Coloured race!!!
I’m glad people like Lester & Charles are giving us a good name out there & also speaking up for our peeps! Much love & appreciation to them.

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JXK – Self confessed Junkie…if I don’t get a fix everyday I get the shakes and believe you me its not a nice picture…I feel disorientated, my stomach is in knots, my concentration is shot and I really don’t want people around me. I’m just thinking of my next hit…over and over again until Marvin stops showing me that freaking screen, and my 3G connection does not fail because I prayed in advance for some signal…any signal, just for one log in, one post, one glimpse…but its never enough like any junkie would tell you, because that one post turns into several, and logging in once is not enough because my unsaturated need for this thing we call Bruinou.com escalates every single day so now I stay a little longer, start thinking a little deeper, expand my knowledge, listen more carefully but more importantly fill up my tank with what I need and chuck the rest…
I’m starting a therapy group for the likes of me because this drug is so powerful… need to get out, so therapy starts first thing in the morning by typing in www.Bruinou.com or if you like me its your homepage already…

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DHimself – Simply put, Bruinou.com is the best thing since Sunday morning koeksisters, I’m k*k serious my bru!!!

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Meecegirl – I don’t even know where to start…BO to me is eish…EVERYTHING.
I was in New York for about a year when I came across the site, it had just re-opened that day (I’m like member # 69, lol) and I didn’t know weather to jump, laugh or cry. I remember email admin THANKING them for it….When your in another country, with not a lot of fellow Bruinous surrounding you…joh joh joh, I mean I was even forgetting how to speak slang…so when I read words like nca, jirre, tsek, gwaan…Ohhhhhhh my heart was thumpin like the bass in ‘tootsy roll’.

I am someone who isn’t afraid to speak my mind and sure don’t have problems articulating myself to get what I think across…and to be given the opp/ platform to do so….well hence the reason I love this site even more!

Having seen / read people sharing their inner most thoughts, topics that are close to their hearts, watching as NYG and G4PMB help to find a sister across the blerrie world, reading the jokes or gwaar’s that are K*K funny…add to that the serious posts where you sit back and read and think flip….why aint I doing more in my community???….these are the things the site bring and spread! And just let it be offline…..MOVE OUTTA MY WAY…don’t speak to me ( the poor computer ) I will click that refresh button like there isn’t any 2mor.

Don’t even get me started on the addictive part….I talk about BO to everyone, every person that knows me personally knows about this site. Especially when I wear my t-shirt, PROUDLY.

I’ve met great people all around the world, hooked up with bras I ain’t seen in a looong while, plus it saves me a hell-of-a-lot on my phone bill!!!!

Ultimately this site to me is confirmation / evidence of fellow BO’S not conforming to the social norms, the fact that I can mix with them, embroil in their intellect and positiveness to cultivate a greater people. The more I/you see…./ read/hear/witness others go getter attitudes a seed is planted in you/me, BO is that isn’t the seed, it’s one of the transport methods….in my opinion, feel me.

As always thanks to all that made and contributed to the greatness of this site…you’ll just dunno how with much you affect my life.

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CJoe – I learn something new almost everyday, I wish more people would post though. But to those that do, I thank you. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some AMAZING people, doing AMAZING things, and it’s nice to be able to share with other people. MY parents sound so silly to me sometimes, I feel like they haven’t been through some of the things that I experience now, both corporate and social, and it’s nice that I can communicate with others that are not only going through the same things but are willing to talk about it.

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Baltozar – Every morning, the first thing I do is log on and look forward to a thrilling discussion. I just hope we get more good debates going. I was on the very first Bruinou and didn’t log on after that for years until last year. Now I’m permanently on.

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NewYorkGirl – Sjoe, I sat in front of my PC for 20mins before I started typing…cos I knew once I start..joh I can’t guarantee I can make this short.

HOW HAS BO AFFECTED MY LIFE?????
Well let me start by saying : Hi my name is NEWYORKGIRL and I’m an addict…I’m addicted to Bruinou.com.
Well BO has changed my life in so many ways. I’ve made so many friends from the site and I have learned so much too! So many friends I’ve met and so many I’m still gonna meet when I get back to SA. My lifelong friendships have helped me get through some lonely and bad times here in the USA.
Meece, through meeting you I got to meet other great friends like Claudes, Broni (and their huuuusssbands) and many other SA people out here in the States. Then there’s all the mense I chat to online that I met through this site. I’m not even going to mention names cos I will forget someone and then I’ll be in trouble.
I go through terrible withdrawal symptoms if I can’t log on…I refresh the page so many times just like Meece till it comes on and I’ve also been tempted to pick up the phone and phone Marvin but with the time difference I just feel bad.
Anyway before I go on and on, let me just say I love Bruinou and I think the world is a better place because of it.

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Munky – After being a registered user for about 5/6 years (if I’m not mistaken), I have really met alot of cool people , but just like in life outside of the www, not everyone is cool (lol). The few I’m really tight with are peeps I intend keeping in my friendship circle till further notice (julle rotte ken wie julle is).
Ash bro’s and Co, you really got a good thing going on here.
My addiction has been calmer this year compared to when I first started!
Oh not forgetting the night crew … you guys really make my shift seem so much shorter

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Tsung – Well I’m relatively new to this site but one thing I can say is that I’m a major addict. I love this site and I always log onto it first. I’ve met some interesting people and its been great. I’ve found the site littered with heroes and have been amazed at some of the insightful forum topics.
Have I learnt a lot? A hell of a lot and its great to be on a site with other Bruinous. I mean there are certain things that only a Bruinou understands. Most definitely a life changing moment for me the day I registered.
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BossLady – This is just so deep, my friend and I were discussing this the weekend, the story starts: she wore her Bruinou t-shirt to work and everyone wanted to know what Bruinou (brown man) is. She told them that she was a member of a community about “Bruinou’s”. They wanted to know what was so special about this site and she told them that it is was her 12 step programme to being a better coloured.
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Draconia – guys I’ve been registered for a while and I haven’t been chatting on the forums until recently… I have realised how much potential & intellect you all have, my prayer for all of you is that you all not only reach your potential but exceed & break the stereotype the rest of South Africa has of us, but to put it in a pile driver & hit it through a table.
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Licorice – The site has allowed me to get ‘back in touch’ with my South African roots. I’m getting to know some wonderful people.
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Deanieboy – Such creativity…such a great medium for expression…so many interesting people…very kewl
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Da Brother – Joh, I think I’m surely going to be the first one to disappoint you all, Sorry nê, but DaBrother has not been affected. He has been INFECTED. You all know that if you are affected by something you can still turn a blind eye, or get away from it but if you’ve been infected there is just no running away from yourself.
Confession: I have been infected by a deadly disease that has no cure and it’s deadlier than the current most feared virus HIV. The name of this Deadly Disease BO, short for Bruinou.com