Durban

Today was my first full day in Durban. It's much warmer weather here on the Eastern Cape - it touches the Indian Ocean. The receptionist at the front desk told me that a lot of people from Jo'berg come to Durban on holiday, because you can sit comfortably at the beach even though it is their winter. So that's just what I did today, and it was beautiful.

Mosaic

I was happy to have accomplished so much office work at my internship for the day; but I was still struggling with my desire to go out and see the community. I came to Africa to be "connected to a cause" - and I hadn't found it. I was seemingly stuck in an office on the administrative side of non-profit work, until 4:35 on that Thursday afternoon.

Sitting in the front waiting room patiently waiting for my transport to arrive, I was chatting away with one of my colleagues. Recounting our day and laughing at some of the random things that had taken place, we were all of a sudden silenced in our tracks. Our internship manager walked into the room only to hold open the door to the clinic waiting area, and say, "Come on in. You can come in here," in a strong but safe voice. Not one moment later did a large woman of such broad stature, wrapped in black headscarf slowly stagger in. Each step she took seemed heavier than the next, and although I could sense that she wanted to conceal her wet eyes, she could no longer control her emotions once she crossed the threshold of the safe space. She began with a quiet sob, hiccuping short breaths with every tear as she strode across the hallway. The counselor took her into the room adjacent to us, closed the door, and she broke down.

HIV/AIDS

Ahh the things we take for granted...toilet paper, clean water, electricity, and of course, Internet access. I've been lucky enough to have all four of these things throughout most of my travels. [Interesting fact: toilet paper was a convenience item that was rarely found in public restrooms in the Philippines several years ago. It is now available in single square dispensers everywhere, thank goodness.] But I have now come to a road block. Internet access.

I'm typing up this blog in TextEdit at the Cape Town domestic airport where my flight is delayed by 4 hours, in anticipation of posting this sometime over the next week. I'm headed to Durban and Kwazulu-Natal, where I'll get a much richer experience of the Africa that is painted in stateside pictures as more provincial and struggling. Kwazulu Natal has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS than any other area of South Africa - I believe it is around 70%.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is really different up close. Here in Africa, it is banded with poverty, low levels of formal education, stigma, burden, despair, racism, sexism, desensitization, fear, struggle, strength, hope, the audacity of optimism, and strands of support. It is embodied in the faces and names of fathers, mothers, sisters, uncles, first borns, newborns, neighbors, friends, and communities. You see it everywhere, yet it is nowhere.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is still under resourced, and there are many people who do not care to know their status, or even their child's status. ARV's are becoming more widely available, but there still isn't enough - especially in the rural areas. And in some of the most impoverished communities, ARV's are sold on the streets and then converted into drugs for substance abusers to find a quick high.

It is such a dynamic epidemic, a terrible ravaging disease that seems to prey on some of the least likely of victims - passionate, caring, creative, beautiful people.

Stellenbosch & Mama Africa

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting a cheetah reserve. In the Stellenbosch area (known for its wine routes), there is a winery called Spier. Spier is actually known as a tourist spot because it has its own cheetah reserve (they are an endangered species, you know), a restaurant where you can dine in the treetops, African face painting, and of course, wine tasting. Because we had some incredibly rainy weather this past Sunday, we just visited the cheetah habitat and then moved to a different winery for tasting (Asara). The South African winelands are beautiful - in some spots even prettier than Napa Valley. And the wine is diverse and robust.












































One of my other favorite spots here in Cape Town is actually on Long Street (a popular street for nightlife) -- it's a place called Mama Africa. You need reservations almost every night of the week at this bustling place, because its so addicting. Mama Africa is a large restaurant and bar with some pretty awesome live music. You can't help but find yourself head bopping (yes, I used the word head bopping) to the marimbas late in the evening, and chilling out to the great local bands that play there. The food is delicious too. I had a Zimbabwean dish of chicken, peanuts, and spinach with rice...and it was excellent.













Lead singer of the Marimba Project 2 at Mama Africa

Oh and speaking of food...I have to say that I'm hooked on the Cadbury hot chocolate mix here. That's right...Cadbury. Hot. Chocolate. I'm convinced that Cadbury, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher and Lindt could beat up a Hershey's any day.

South African Culture

So far I've shared a multitude of pictures of the beauty of Cape Town. It is a really gorgeous place, yet like any other country, South Africa also faces many harsh realities. However, unlike any other country, some of the issues that SA is plagued with are very much endemic and pandemic crises.

South Africa has some of the world's most alarming statistics when it comes to domestic violence, gender based violence, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. For example, a woman is killed by her intimate partner in South Africa every six hours. Yet men kill other men at seven times the rate that men kill women. SA also has the highest numbers of alcohol consumption per capita in the world. In this freshly scarred post-apartheid era, there are a lot of issues that still infect the scenic coasts and mountain ranges of this beautiful country.


















Jesus on the Cross wearing an AIDS ribbon at an Anglican church; Clinic center mural in Gugulethu

I'm in Cape Town because of these issues. They are complex and challenging, yet fascinating to study. I'm involved in a few public health seminars and have seen the multitude of programs and organizations that dedicate themselves to changing such a complex environment. Their work is arduous but admirable, they thrive on a common thread of such inspiring South African culture: spirit.

One of the most interesting things about the complexly woven fabric of South Africa is the spirit of its people. Here, things like depression and death can be seen in such a different light. A well-known photojournalist recently relayed one of his experiences about depression within the traditional African culture: such an overwhelming feeling of sadness or despair is normal to life. It can be seen as a phase in an individual's journey, signaling that one is "on the way to convalescence." It is such a beautiful light.

Today I went on a township tour. Here, townships are underdeveloped areas where informal illegal, informal legal, and formal settlements are packed together tighter than sardines. Many people from developed countries would consider these areas as "slums" because they're usually packed with shanties (aka shanty towns). It was such a humbling experience to see how so many people can live on so little - yet still be able to hold hope for so much. Although families in these settlements such as Khayelitsha and Nyanga, are considered to be living in poverty (the unemployment rate is appx 42% - the highest in the world); many still hold themselves as virtuous and proud citizens - proud in the sense that they are not in despair over their situation, proud in the sense that their spirit and resourcefulness carries them through to the promises of tomorrow.











































































Last two pictures in this settlement set: The entrance to a traditional healer's practice/clinic; Vicky from Vicky's B&B in Khayelitsha - Vicky used her entrepreneurial skills to open a beautiful B&B make a better life for her family. She's also partnered with the Department of Tourism to help other women in the community generate income for their families with their limited resources. More info: http://www.vickysbedandbreakfast.com/















Above: My lunch in Nyanga - a little bit of everything from squash curry to spicy beans to ostrich meat. South African cuisine is delicious.
Below: Traditional handicrafts - art depicting some of the settlements and beautiful beadwork.


















Below: District Six Museum (remembering the ruins of apartheid)



































These colorful houses are in Bo Kaap (originally a Malay settlement area)































It has been a long day...not to mention a long week here in Cape Town. But I am loving every new minute of it.

Touwwwwn!!!

Cape Town is such a lovely place. There's so much to do and so much to see...even right now while it's the winter season.

I named this post "Touwwwn!!!" because that's what the drivers on the mini-taxis shout as they try to pick up passengers from the surrounding areas, going toward Cape Town. They're pretty loud and enthusiastic as they make their calls. This is my photo collection from my pretty enthusiastic trip around the Cape Town peninsula over these past several days...

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Groot Constantia Winery, Simon's Town (Boulder Beach, where the South African penguins are), University of Cape Town, Rhodes Memorial, Views of Cape Town, Bo Kaap (samosas and malva pudding with ice cream)

Oh and I have to say that I am a little bummed that I didn't make it to Cape Point. That was supposed to be a stop on the road tour after the Boulder Beach penguins...but we didn't get to Cape Point (the Cape of Good Hope) until just after sunset. So we missed the park (it closes at sunset). But I can at least say that I've been there. I was at the southern most tip of Africa.