Schalk Bezhuidenhout shares his hilarious struggle with a 1,000-piece puzzle over the festive season. Have you ever tried a puzzle this big?
South Africa (08 January 2026) – Holidays are supposed to be relaxing, but for Schalk Bezhuidenhout, one festive morning turned into a thousand-piece challenge.
It all started innocently: his girlfriend bought a puzzle for the holiday season. Schalk didn’t think much of it at first, but soon found himself roped in. He jokes, referring to the little dopamine hits you get every time you slot a piece into place. One piece leads to the next, and before you know it, hours (or even days) disappear.
By 6 a.m., while the house was still quiet, Schalk was deep into the puzzle, hunting for a missing piece like Nicolas Cage in The Da Vinci Code. He had the border done, but the inner pieces remained a mystery.
“It gives you small little hits. A thousand, to be exact. That’s how it hooks you.”
The puzzle may have taken over his morning, but it also gave a funny perspective on holiday pastimes.
Now, the big question for fellow South Africans: do you do puzzles over the festive season? What’s the best way to tackle a 1,000-piece challenge?
Now we’re wondering if this is ever meant to be finished. What started as a simple holiday activity has now turned into a full-blown mission. One puzzle and a thousand pieces.
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