Sanibonani! Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend where ever you may be. As promised, I worked hard this weekend but also managed to squeeze in some enjoyable moments. It was an absolutely beautiful day on Saturday, so I took a break and went down to the beach to go sunbathing and swimming. Later in the day I traveled to an Indian township with my friend Karthik to have dinner at one of his family friend’s house. We enjoyed a large feast of tasty Indian food, including a dish of sheep feet. I quickly transitioned into a food coma and went to bed relatively early. Yesterday was my friend Rainey’s 22nd birthday so I helped bake and eat a delicious cake. A group of us also went to dinner at a fancy seafood/sushi restaurant. I had some mouth-watering, curry-flavoured, deep-fried, Durban fish for a surprisingly reasonable price of only 50 Rand. If it helps at all, today’s exchange rate is 7.48 Rand for one U.S. Dollar…so this makes this meal about $6.68!
Since I’m spending so much time complaining about all of the academic work I must complete, I’ve decided that I should reveal some details about what I’m actually studying. Despite all of my grumbling, I actually really enjoy the topics I am studying. I’m currently writing a rather large paper about the medical brain drain that is occurring in South Africa. Essentially what is happening in this country is that health professionals are being trained in country then leaving for greener pastures. There are various reasons for why the health professionals are leaving, such as low salary, high crime rates, and high burden of disease. The loss of all of these doctors, nurses, and specialists contributes to many of the problems in South Africa’s public medical sector. So that summary along with a long list of other points is what I have been busy regurgitating and calling an essay.
Another academic area I have not spoken much of is all of the superb lectures that I’ve had the chance to hear on my program. We had two lectures today; the first was about the ethics of practicing medicine and the second was titled “Fluids and Foreskins” in which we discussed the history of blood, menstrual fluid, ear wax, etc. You name the bodily fluid and I bet you that we conversed about it. The titles of past lectures include, “Technology and Malaria Interventions,” “Alternative, Complimentary, and Integrated Medicines,” and “Rural Health and Social Justice.” It’s relatively impressive the quality of lecturers that we have the opportunity to enjoy. We have had professors from local universities, doctors from hospitals, chairpersons of NGO’s, and traditional healers share their wealth of knowledge.
I’m going into hibernation now and I will emerge at the end of the week with a solid essay and a start on my independent project. Here is to a productive week!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cowboys in Dance Clubs
My life actually had some regularity this week for the first time since arriving in South Africa. This is not necessarily a good thing because this regularity is driven by my large load of academic work I now have on my plate. I have spent most of the week scrambling around to complete the proposal for my Independent Study Project (ISP). Comparatively, I’m actually in a better position than most of my school mates in regard to organizing my ISP, but it’s still been a little stressful. My academic director summarized my situation the best: “your experiential learning is now slowing, and your academic learning is blooming.” I’m choosing rebel to try to prove my academic director wrong. I think it’s possible to get my work done AND continue my experiential learning. Here is the low-down on what new experiences I’m continuing to create:
Last Friday night I went to the dance club that sits right below my apartment building. I carefully selected this night because it was “Cowboy Night.” I was so entertained to see South Africans wearing cowboy hats and flannel while singing along to “Sweet Home Alabama.” Later on in the weekend I went to a township called KwaMashu just outside of Durban with a few South African friends. Prior to visiting this township I was warned that it is a black township that never has white visitors. Sure enough all of the kids started screaming out “umlungu” when they saw me, which means “white person,” but that even happened in Cato Manor during my homestay. However it was still very interesting to observe the neighborhoods’ reaction to my visit, but it was even more interesting to interact with the neighborhood. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. I took pictures with grandmothers, ate barbequed goat, and skipped rope with kids. Definitely experiential learning.
I have also managed to play lacrosse on the beach, have dance parties with my flat mates, and watch ESPN Sportscenter. I guess these may not be classified as experiential learning, but they do bring me comfort. I have also had the chance to speak with some close family and friends from home over the past week which always uplifts my spirits. There is nothing like hearing a familiar voice after months of disconnect.
This weekend I plan on cracking the whip to complete and edit my two essays. Unfortunately this means my experiential learning will have to be suppressed for a few days, but hopefully I’ll be able to take some fabulous study breaks. I already have a list of ideas: swim in the Indian Ocean, walk to a street vendor market, and watch some South African soap operas. It should be satisfying.
Last Friday night I went to the dance club that sits right below my apartment building. I carefully selected this night because it was “Cowboy Night.” I was so entertained to see South Africans wearing cowboy hats and flannel while singing along to “Sweet Home Alabama.” Later on in the weekend I went to a township called KwaMashu just outside of Durban with a few South African friends. Prior to visiting this township I was warned that it is a black township that never has white visitors. Sure enough all of the kids started screaming out “umlungu” when they saw me, which means “white person,” but that even happened in Cato Manor during my homestay. However it was still very interesting to observe the neighborhoods’ reaction to my visit, but it was even more interesting to interact with the neighborhood. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. I took pictures with grandmothers, ate barbequed goat, and skipped rope with kids. Definitely experiential learning.
I have also managed to play lacrosse on the beach, have dance parties with my flat mates, and watch ESPN Sportscenter. I guess these may not be classified as experiential learning, but they do bring me comfort. I have also had the chance to speak with some close family and friends from home over the past week which always uplifts my spirits. There is nothing like hearing a familiar voice after months of disconnect.
This weekend I plan on cracking the whip to complete and edit my two essays. Unfortunately this means my experiential learning will have to be suppressed for a few days, but hopefully I’ll be able to take some fabulous study breaks. I already have a list of ideas: swim in the Indian Ocean, walk to a street vendor market, and watch some South African soap operas. It should be satisfying.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Escaping Goats
I’m back once again! I just finished my second and last rural homestay in the area of Impendle in the province of KwaZulu Natal. I very much enjoyed my eventful experience. This rural area was a little more developed than the last, therefore there was a little less “roughing it.”
The first night with my family was marked by a huge thunderstorm that ran through the village. The rain was pounding on the tin roof to the point where I couldn’t even speak with my mama who was sitting right next to me. After the thunderstorm passed I walked out to the pit latrine (aka toilet) to do my business. I absentmindedly left the gate open and in the 30 seconds it took me to pee all of the goats escaped into the garden. I ran back to the house to grab my little brother, Siyabonga, to help me find and catch the goats. With my excellent torch (aka flashlight) skills and Siyabonga’s ability to run after goats, we managed to catch all of the goats before they ate the cabbage. I would have felt so bad if the goats had damaged the garden because the garden provides a year’s supply of vegetables for the family.
The next day my group of 13 went and planted trees with some mama’s. It was extremely hard work using a pick axe but the mama’s whipped me into shape. Afterwards we watched a group of school children perform traditional dances in their schoolyard and visited some crafters to purchase some beautiful beading. On our last full day we visited a clinic in the village. We received a tour and spoke with some of the nurses and coordinators. The clinic was impressive in regards to its cleanliness and the fact that all services are free, but there were some obvious pitfalls. For instance, the clinic was severely understaffed which led to extremely long waiting lines. Many of the people have to wait at the clinic for the entire day before being seen by a nurse. Following the clinic visit, we were escorted to a hippie commune outside of the village. It was mindblowing how much it reminded me of home. It really felt like I was at the Saturday Market in Eugene.
Our last night was just as eventful as the first. As part of Erin and my homestay gift, we decided to apply temporary tattoos to our family. We tatted up the kids and mama, but the best part was when grandma ran into the room yelling “give me tattoo! I want one!” as she rolled up her sleeve to expose her bicep. In the end we all had matching flower tattoos. Later in the evening an isangoma, or a traditional healer, came to cleanse the house. Our mama told us that some man had been coming and planting bad medicine at her house because he has a grudge with her ancestors. The isangoma came to rid the house of all the bad vibes that the man brought. It was amazing to watch the isangoma work. She spread sand in each room of the house then placed candles outside of each door. She did some other activities which I didn’t quite understand, but all in all the process took about two and a half hours.
Overall Impendle was great. I ate like a king for every meal totaling about 4,000 calories per day if I had to put a number on it. I also had porridge for the first time in Impendle. It’s actually quite tasty with a little sugar added. Also, since it is spring time here it is the time for baby animals and boy are they cute! I loved watching the calves and baby goats prance around. My family also had a puppy named Stone that kept us entertained for hours.
And now I’m back in Durban. Yesterday I moved into a beachfront penthouse and it is beyond anything I could imagine. I never in my life thought that I would sleep out on a balcony and wake up to the sunrise over the Indian Ocean. I have six weeks of this and I will enjoy every single day.
The first night with my family was marked by a huge thunderstorm that ran through the village. The rain was pounding on the tin roof to the point where I couldn’t even speak with my mama who was sitting right next to me. After the thunderstorm passed I walked out to the pit latrine (aka toilet) to do my business. I absentmindedly left the gate open and in the 30 seconds it took me to pee all of the goats escaped into the garden. I ran back to the house to grab my little brother, Siyabonga, to help me find and catch the goats. With my excellent torch (aka flashlight) skills and Siyabonga’s ability to run after goats, we managed to catch all of the goats before they ate the cabbage. I would have felt so bad if the goats had damaged the garden because the garden provides a year’s supply of vegetables for the family.
The next day my group of 13 went and planted trees with some mama’s. It was extremely hard work using a pick axe but the mama’s whipped me into shape. Afterwards we watched a group of school children perform traditional dances in their schoolyard and visited some crafters to purchase some beautiful beading. On our last full day we visited a clinic in the village. We received a tour and spoke with some of the nurses and coordinators. The clinic was impressive in regards to its cleanliness and the fact that all services are free, but there were some obvious pitfalls. For instance, the clinic was severely understaffed which led to extremely long waiting lines. Many of the people have to wait at the clinic for the entire day before being seen by a nurse. Following the clinic visit, we were escorted to a hippie commune outside of the village. It was mindblowing how much it reminded me of home. It really felt like I was at the Saturday Market in Eugene.
Our last night was just as eventful as the first. As part of Erin and my homestay gift, we decided to apply temporary tattoos to our family. We tatted up the kids and mama, but the best part was when grandma ran into the room yelling “give me tattoo! I want one!” as she rolled up her sleeve to expose her bicep. In the end we all had matching flower tattoos. Later in the evening an isangoma, or a traditional healer, came to cleanse the house. Our mama told us that some man had been coming and planting bad medicine at her house because he has a grudge with her ancestors. The isangoma came to rid the house of all the bad vibes that the man brought. It was amazing to watch the isangoma work. She spread sand in each room of the house then placed candles outside of each door. She did some other activities which I didn’t quite understand, but all in all the process took about two and a half hours.
Overall Impendle was great. I ate like a king for every meal totaling about 4,000 calories per day if I had to put a number on it. I also had porridge for the first time in Impendle. It’s actually quite tasty with a little sugar added. Also, since it is spring time here it is the time for baby animals and boy are they cute! I loved watching the calves and baby goats prance around. My family also had a puppy named Stone that kept us entertained for hours.
And now I’m back in Durban. Yesterday I moved into a beachfront penthouse and it is beyond anything I could imagine. I never in my life thought that I would sleep out on a balcony and wake up to the sunrise over the Indian Ocean. I have six weeks of this and I will enjoy every single day.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sugar Cane
I’m having trouble figuring out where to even start. The past week has been absolutely amazing, but I’ll try to restrain my excitement in order to keep this post a suitable length.
Last weekend was spent in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains about three hours away from Durban. We took a nice 3 hour hike to the top a mountain to view cave paintings. The cave paintings were pretty awesome, but they definitely did not compete with the view of the valley. It was easily one of the most gorgeous places I have ever experienced. I posted a picture of the mountains in my last entry. It was wonderful to be out of the city, see the stars, and breathe fresh air.
On Monday, half of us traveled to a rural area called Amatikulu, which sits near the coast about an hour and a half outside of Durban. Myself and my friend Erin lived with a family in a small house where all eight of us slept in one bedroom. We had a few unexpected amenities, such as electricity and a washtub, but did not have running water or a toilet. We coped just fine with the only major problem of having super greasy hair. I know I have stated this once, but living with this family reiterated the fact that you can live a very happy and vibrant life without any luxuries. No one complained, and everyone had a smile on.
Our mama was a Community Health Worker and we followed her around during the day to all of the houses she visits. Each day we probably averaged about 6 to 7 miles of walking on dirt roads, across rivers, and through cow pastures. My mama was also really good at hitchhiking, so we got a few rides to save us many miles of walking. It was an awesome experience to follow my mama and learn about some of health problems in rural areas. Although I must say that I witnessed some extremely disheartening living situations that I will always have etched in my memory.
We returned back to Durban on Thursday, and on Friday we had our ‘Farewell Party’ for our Cato Manor homestay. I have officially packed up my bags and moved out of my homestay house. It was a very sad moment to leave my family that I have grown so fond of. During the last evening at my house we exchanged stories about my time in Cato Manor. I told my mama that I would miss her excellent cooking and she told me that she would miss my laughter. Now who wouldn’t get emotional over such a discussion?! I plan on returning a few times on the weekends to visit with my family before I leave. I just couldn’t cut the umbilical cord right now. Although I must still be cautious because my mama continues to threaten to find and steal my passport so that I can’t leave the country.
I am currently sitting on a balcony at a hostel overlooking the beach, listening to Justin Timberlake, and stroking my clean hair. I leave tomorrow for another weeklong rural homestay where I will be sleeping in cramped quarters, listening to Zulu, and avoiding touching my oily hair. Ignoring my sarcasm, I’m actually extremely excited for another shot at a rural homestay. I’ll do my best to create some more great stories to share!
Last weekend was spent in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains about three hours away from Durban. We took a nice 3 hour hike to the top a mountain to view cave paintings. The cave paintings were pretty awesome, but they definitely did not compete with the view of the valley. It was easily one of the most gorgeous places I have ever experienced. I posted a picture of the mountains in my last entry. It was wonderful to be out of the city, see the stars, and breathe fresh air.
On Monday, half of us traveled to a rural area called Amatikulu, which sits near the coast about an hour and a half outside of Durban. Myself and my friend Erin lived with a family in a small house where all eight of us slept in one bedroom. We had a few unexpected amenities, such as electricity and a washtub, but did not have running water or a toilet. We coped just fine with the only major problem of having super greasy hair. I know I have stated this once, but living with this family reiterated the fact that you can live a very happy and vibrant life without any luxuries. No one complained, and everyone had a smile on.
Our mama was a Community Health Worker and we followed her around during the day to all of the houses she visits. Each day we probably averaged about 6 to 7 miles of walking on dirt roads, across rivers, and through cow pastures. My mama was also really good at hitchhiking, so we got a few rides to save us many miles of walking. It was an awesome experience to follow my mama and learn about some of health problems in rural areas. Although I must say that I witnessed some extremely disheartening living situations that I will always have etched in my memory.
We returned back to Durban on Thursday, and on Friday we had our ‘Farewell Party’ for our Cato Manor homestay. I have officially packed up my bags and moved out of my homestay house. It was a very sad moment to leave my family that I have grown so fond of. During the last evening at my house we exchanged stories about my time in Cato Manor. I told my mama that I would miss her excellent cooking and she told me that she would miss my laughter. Now who wouldn’t get emotional over such a discussion?! I plan on returning a few times on the weekends to visit with my family before I leave. I just couldn’t cut the umbilical cord right now. Although I must still be cautious because my mama continues to threaten to find and steal my passport so that I can’t leave the country.
I am currently sitting on a balcony at a hostel overlooking the beach, listening to Justin Timberlake, and stroking my clean hair. I leave tomorrow for another weeklong rural homestay where I will be sleeping in cramped quarters, listening to Zulu, and avoiding touching my oily hair. Ignoring my sarcasm, I’m actually extremely excited for another shot at a rural homestay. I’ll do my best to create some more great stories to share!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Nobuhle
Welcome to my mid-week debrief. I have had some wonderful lectures this week on the topics of sanitation and long-drop toilets, reproductive health, African masculinity, and the “sugar daddy syndrome”. I have also been working hard on conducting preliminary research for my two large papers I must write this semester. I have selected the topics of “The Medical Brain Drain: loss of doctors and nurses from South Africa” and “The Healthcare of Children with Down Syndrome in Durban, South Africa.” I’m pretty excited about both topics, so hopefully this enthusiasm will last through the end of the November when my 50-page report is due.
Other than diligently attending class every day, I have been preparing for my two weeks of rural homestays. On Saturday I leave for a weeklong stint in an area called Amatikulu, where I will have the chance to follow a community health worker on her daily rounds across the rural community. This homestay includes a host of changes: no electricity, no running water, wearing long skirts, sleeping on the floor with children, filtering water, and hardly any English. I expect the week to be challenging, but also highly educational, enjoyable, and eye-opening. I will do my best to post next Friday after I return from the bush to fill you in on my wonderful experience.
I have also been preparing to leave my homestay family in Cato Manor. I broke the news today to my family that my last night with them is next Friday. When my Mama found out she said that she is going to take my passport from me so that I can’t leave the country. And maybe it was a culture barrier, but I did not pick up on any sarcasm. I’m pretty sure my Mama will be crying herself to sleep tonight. I have grown very attached to my Mama and brothers, but I’m pretty sure they reciprocate the attachment and times it by 10. For example, a few nights ago my Mama gave me a Zulu name and insists that everyone calls me by it. You may now refer to me as “Nobuhle,” which means ‘beautiful’ in Zulu.
Before I depart for the African bush, I will leave you with a continuation of my “Things I love/Things I don’t love” list. I know you all can’t wait for my next installment of this tantalizing list, so wish for my safe arrival back to the city! Love you all!
Things I love:
1. Adding e’s to the end of random words, such as “programme” and “centre”.
2. Referring to the traffic lights as “robots” when giving directions.
3. Desire for South Africans to make any reason a viable reason for having a braai and slaughtering a goat. Such reasons include, but are not limited to, paying lobola, weddings, deaths, new jobs, holidays, birthdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
4. Spinning tops and skipping rope with adorable neighborhood children.
5. Blaming any differences in culture on “TIA” or “This is Africa”.
Things I don’t love:
1. FRIED FOOD. It may taste good, but it sure doesn’t settle well on the stomach.
2. Having to convert my skewed American brain into liters, meters, Celsius, kilograms etc.
3. Being awakened daily at 5 am by barking street dogs, honking taxies, loud music, and my Mama’s snoring.
4. Buying airtime for my pay-as-go cell phone. I miss Verizon.
5. The seemingly uniform obsession with Janet Jackson. I just don’t understand.
Other than diligently attending class every day, I have been preparing for my two weeks of rural homestays. On Saturday I leave for a weeklong stint in an area called Amatikulu, where I will have the chance to follow a community health worker on her daily rounds across the rural community. This homestay includes a host of changes: no electricity, no running water, wearing long skirts, sleeping on the floor with children, filtering water, and hardly any English. I expect the week to be challenging, but also highly educational, enjoyable, and eye-opening. I will do my best to post next Friday after I return from the bush to fill you in on my wonderful experience.
I have also been preparing to leave my homestay family in Cato Manor. I broke the news today to my family that my last night with them is next Friday. When my Mama found out she said that she is going to take my passport from me so that I can’t leave the country. And maybe it was a culture barrier, but I did not pick up on any sarcasm. I’m pretty sure my Mama will be crying herself to sleep tonight. I have grown very attached to my Mama and brothers, but I’m pretty sure they reciprocate the attachment and times it by 10. For example, a few nights ago my Mama gave me a Zulu name and insists that everyone calls me by it. You may now refer to me as “Nobuhle,” which means ‘beautiful’ in Zulu.
Before I depart for the African bush, I will leave you with a continuation of my “Things I love/Things I don’t love” list. I know you all can’t wait for my next installment of this tantalizing list, so wish for my safe arrival back to the city! Love you all!
Things I love:
1. Adding e’s to the end of random words, such as “programme” and “centre”.
2. Referring to the traffic lights as “robots” when giving directions.
3. Desire for South Africans to make any reason a viable reason for having a braai and slaughtering a goat. Such reasons include, but are not limited to, paying lobola, weddings, deaths, new jobs, holidays, birthdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
4. Spinning tops and skipping rope with adorable neighborhood children.
5. Blaming any differences in culture on “TIA” or “This is Africa”.
Things I don’t love:
1. FRIED FOOD. It may taste good, but it sure doesn’t settle well on the stomach.
2. Having to convert my skewed American brain into liters, meters, Celsius, kilograms etc.
3. Being awakened daily at 5 am by barking street dogs, honking taxies, loud music, and my Mama’s snoring.
4. Buying airtime for my pay-as-go cell phone. I miss Verizon.
5. The seemingly uniform obsession with Janet Jackson. I just don’t understand.
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