"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled"

- Prophet Mohammed (Sarah’s choice of quote for the week)

Friday was officially my last day at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. After speaking with my Connect-123 advisor about how I feel as if I’ve gotten everything I can out of my time spent in theatre, she hooked me with her sister-in-law who is a pediatric infectious disease doctor at the Red Cross. She was nice enough to meet up with me in the midst of her crazily busy day at the hospital and gave me a tour of the facilities that I hadn’t had a chance to explore, since the majority of my time was reserved to the surgical and anesthesiology units. Being an infectious disease physician, she works mostly with children who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), though outside of her clinic hours, she primarily works on TB research. She led me through the lab where she and her team are currently in the final stages of developing a blood test for TB, a diagnostic screening that holds considerable weight because “the national department of health has neglected to focus on children up until now because children – unlike adults – rarely transmit TB” (from an article I found online – I’m a science major; providing sources is practically in my blood). I asked her several questions about her work and the intricacies of South African healthcare, but my curiosity led me to scope out more information about the TB epidemic. I learned that of the nine million people who get infected with HIV each year, a third of them are in Africa and about 15% are children. Add in the high prevalence of HIV, which dreadfully compromises the child’s immune system, and 40-60% of those infected have at least one occurrence of TB in their lifetime. I asked the doctor about testing for HIV in newborns in the country and she told me that due to the incredibly high prevalence, every child is tested for the virus at birth unless the mother does not consent.

Back home in an anthropology of Africa class I took for my minor, I completed a research paper on HIV/AIDS in South Africa. No amount of hours at the library and piles of books could compare to actually wandering through the wards of the infectious disease unit, smiling and waving at the tiny, adorable children in the hospital beds and hearing details of the epidemic coming from the lips of a South African physician. When Sarah displayed her quote of the week, I couldn't get over how fitting it was to my recent realizations. This was the reason that had sparked my interest in coming to this country and I couldn’t have asked for better closure of my internship.

On a brighter note, Saturday and Sunday’s weather was divine. How refreshing to feel some breezy, 70-degree weather after living through such a steamy summer! I somehow had managed to catch a little bit of a cold on Friday, so the weekend was pretty low-key. After spending Friday night on the couch with some tea and a marathon of the TV show Psych with my roommate Christie, I was ready to make the most of the weekend. We spent Saturday afternoon in Sea Point, a beautiful suburb of Cape Town situated right along the water. The four of us packed our lunches and books and picnicked on the bright green grass alongside the ocean.

As it was St. Patty’s day, we celebrated the night at one of our favorite bars downtown called the Dubliner – needless to say, an Irish pub. Also needless to say, it was absolutely packed and while my claustrophobic personality tends to be turned off by being packed in a room like sardines, the live music, delicious drinks and great company made it a hell of a fun night.

My friends and I spent Sunday afternoon strolling through a huge indoor marketplace at the waterfront, oohing and aahing at the breathtaking displays of arts and crafts. We each walked away with a purchase of some kind and I officially completed all my shopping for loved ones back home. The relaxation theme continued when we returned; my roommate Sarah and I lounged by the pool on the roof of our apartment building with our noses in our books until dinnertime (I’m almost finished with a favorite of my dad’s, Atlas Shrugged – I highly recommend it!)

This past weekend was my last in Cape Town. I can’t tell you how strange it feels to say that. Luckily, it is not my last weekend in South Africa – three of my friends and I are departing on a private guided tour of the Garden Route on Wednesday of this week for five days. The timing of this mini-vacation could not have been more appropriate, as it perfectly concludes my three-month adventure with a bang and “ties up loose ends” in the sense that it includes all of the events on my African to-do list that I have yet to conquer. These upcoming five days will include two safari game drives, cave explorations, ostrich riding, canoeing, wine tasting and zip-lining, just to give a preview! Oh, and in less than a week from today, I will accomplish the adventure that was number one on my list before coming to South Africa…

Great white shark cage diving!

Until then,

xo Em

Having a wonderful time swinging in Sea Point

 Inadvertently wearing green on St. Patty's Day

 Kate, Sarah and Christie

 Christie's mom sent us matching bracelets, saying "Awesome" and "Star"....too cute :)

 Apparently this was "release your inner child" weekend...playing around at the waterfront

 Colorful elevators at the Red Cross

Happy Belated Pi Day!

Last night could have been like any other night back home. I was typing this laying on the couch in my apartment, listening to an episode of Psych that Christie’s watching on her laptop and drinking some tea after returning from a night out at the movies. We wanted to have a little “hump day” outing so we caught an evening showing of The Iron Lady at the movie theater in town (which is called Labia – hold the laughs). I can certainly see why Meryl Streep won the Oscar for her performance; she was brilliant, as always.

My week could not have started out better. Monday evening I had the privilege of meeting up with a cousin of a great family friend, Susan Remsen. John picked me up near my apartment and took me to Blouberg Beach, an area of Cape Town that I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to explore. The bright blue waters were scattered with countless kite surfers, a sight made all the more beautiful with a stunning view of Table Mountain as the scene’s backdrop. I hate to say it, but I didn’t take a single picture! I was much too caught up in endless conversations with John and listening to his hilarious and insightful life stories. The restaurant we ate at was called Primi Blue and with a table situated right next to the window, it was hard to take my eyes off the view. After several glasses of wine, delicious food, and many laughs, I didn’t even realize it had grown dark. John is the sweetest guy and treated me like a queen! I would love to see his house (situated across the street from Kirstenbosch Gardens) and meet his partner and dogs, so we’re going to try to get together once more before I leave Cape Town. I’m certainly in good hands and great company here!

Today I spent my last moments in theatre watching my final brain surgery (insert lip pout here). Tomorrow marks my last day at the Red Cross – I cannot believe how time has flown. It’s a paradoxical feeling; part of me feels as if I arrived in Cape Town yesterday but mostly I feel like I’ve been here for years rather than months. I’ll be hopping aboard the plane two weeks from tomorrow, carrying back with me loads of goodies, souvenirs and memories.

I want to wish happy belated birthdays to three great friends back home, Adam, Nikki and Lupe! All throughout my college career we’ve had annual combined celebrations and I regret not being there to celebrate with the NU crew this year. I love you guys!

xo Em

Drumroll please…

Ta da! Skydiving pics!

Taking off!

 Excited and ready to go!

 Watching Becca jump out

 Here we go!!

 Flying the parachute all on my own!

                                 
We did it!
                                      
 Audra, Becca and me beforehand

 Telling the fam about my adventures :)

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”

- J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

I chose my quote of the week – an inspirational one to parallel my recent ambition-crazed attitude and appropriate because I WENT SKYDIVING TODAY! What better place than beautiful South Africa to cross off this feat on my bucket list.

Audra (from Belgium), Becca (from Scotland) and I put on our courage hats and traversed about 40 minutes outside of the city to hop on the tiniest plane I’ve ever seen in my life and take the plunge of a lifetime. We were harnessed up and strapped to our guys, who each had a video camera, the “Handy Cam,” with which they captured our entire skydiving experience. Becca was adamant about being the first one to jump, so she was placed next to the door, which was really just a glorified sliding window. I knew we were jumping out once we’d reached an altitude of 9,000 feet, about a twenty minute plane ride. When it looked as if we couldn’t possibly go any higher and the landscape below reminded me of the view outside a regular commercial airplane, I turned to my guy, named Blake, and asked him if this was the height we were jumping at. He chuckled and showed me the altimeter watch he was wearing that showed us at a mere 2,000 feet. Needless to say, my jaw dropped to the floor.

I hadn’t gotten very nervous since my excitement was overpowering, but when the door opened and Becca’s guy positioned them on the edge, it hit me hard about the insane thing I was about to do! In less a second, Becca was whipped out of the plane and completely disappeared – and I screamed. I was next! I was sitting on Blake’s lap and he scooted over to the edge of the plane until our legs were dangling, instructing me to hold onto my harness and put my head back on his shoulder. He leaned us forward and before I had time to think, I was literally free-falling in the air 9,000 feet above ground. We free-fell for a good 40 seconds, but I only felt an initial stomach-dropping “falling” sensation for maybe a second after leaving the plane. He tapped my shoulder to let me know I could lengthen my arms, and at that moment I felt like I was flying. There was the most massive wind in my face, but other than that I didn’t even feel like I was dropping. Since we were so far from the ground, it felt as if I was just suspended in midair, with absolutely nothing between my body and the earth below. To say it was thrilling is an understatement.

I felt quite a kick in the pants as the parachute was released and I was jolted in a sitting position. This was when we got to float along in the air, doing spins that made my stomach turn like no other roller coaster I’ve ever been on. I couldn’t wrap my head around how high up in the sky we were. Looking down at my dangling feet and seeing the landscape underneath me felt beyond fake. I even got to hold onto the parachute and guide us through the air. The entire event was the most mind-boggling experience I’ve ever had and it can’t be described in words. I highly recommend it to anyone who isn’t afraid of heights! (Or, if you’re feeling really brave, even those who want to tackle the fear!)

I had quite an amusing time watching the DVD video of the dive back home with the roommates – it’s really creative and well-done. The raw expressions on my face are priceless and it’s hilarious to see me mouth “OH MY GOD” over and over on film. My hair elastic had been whipped out during the drop, so the footage post-landing looks like I had just left a hair salon, obviously. I can’t wait to show the video to friends and family back home!

Tomorrow marks my last full week of volunteering at the Red Cross. Time has certainly flown by. I’ve still got a solid three weeks ahead of me with many planned outings, so my friends and I aren’t discussing the “end” yet. How many people can say they’ve gone skydiving and watched brain surgery in the same week?

Once I screenshot some pictures from my video, I’ll post skydiving photos as soon as possible!

You can fly, you can fly, you can fly…
xo Em

"The World Is Like a Book and Those Who Do Not Travel Have Only Read One Page"

This entry was supposed to be a bit more exciting, as I was scheduled to go paragliding this morning with Christie and her friend from home. Unfortunately, it was cancelled because the wind wasn’t right for it, so today ended up being a simple day off from work, which is perfectly fine with me. I have another exciting event coming up this weekend and after analyzing my finances, it was probably a blessing in disguise for my wallet that the paragliding was a no-go.

I spent Thursday morning watching brain surgery on a ten-year-old boy who was undergoing a craniometry for insertion of subdural electrodes to help treat his frontal lobe epilepsy – boring, right? Nah, just kidding, it was pretty awesome. After work, my friend Jenny (from London) and I went to Greenmarket Square, a huge open marketplace a few blocks down from our apartment made up of a bunch of vendors’ carts gridlocked within a cobblestoned area. The word “overwhelming” can’t even capture the vast amount of treasures being sold. I tried to restrain from buying anything for myself, but I did pick up a few souvenirs for friends and family back home. My haggling skills have become quite fine-tuned!

I received a package from my best friend Lexi today that was beyond wonderful! It was filled with the most thoughtful things. She baked me chocolate peanut butter biscotti (for those of you who don’t know, Lexi is a pastry chef who just graduated from the Culinary Institute of America); I already tried one and it was absolutely delicious, no surprise. She also included chocolate covered blueberries to remind me of home and the cutest card with a dog on the front, of course. She knows me too well! I greatly appreciated the tokens from home and the package reminded me of how much I miss Maine and everyone there. I have the best friend in the world!

There’s a huge chalkboard in the kitchen of my apartment and my roommates have been carrying out a tradition of taking turns to choose a quote of the week to display. This past week was Christie’s choice of Eleanor Roosevelt’s words: “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong she is until she’s in hot water.” Sunday’s quote is my choice, so the wheels are turning to think up a good one.

My endless hours at the gym aren’t quite shaping me up as much as I’d like, so I’ve decided to shake up my routine by taking the stairs up to my apartment at least once a day. I figured I’d stick to this plan if I let all you nice folks know about it. There’s nothing like some good ole’ accountability to keep me motivated. Oh, did I mention I live on the eleventh floor?...

xo Em

Pretty money, adorned with the big five

Sitting on my full-sized bed looking into my own bathroom!

"The world is like a book and those who do not travel have only read one page." - St. Augustine

View from my bedroom...I wake up to this every morning

Sarah and me

The contents of the package Lexi sent me :)

Marching Forth (Get It?)

Good morning/afternoon/evening, readers! Don't get too excited; I don't have anything brilliantly wonderful to update you on. Life has been a bit low-key, as I've been saving up money and energy for some really exciting things coming up in the next couple of weeks. This past weekend has consisted of chill nights out on the town, dinners with friends and simply curling up on the couch with the roomies and sharing a relaxing reading session. It's nice to live with a couple of fellow bookworms!

Speaking of which, I was informed early last week that I would have to move out of my apartment because it was being rented out to some locals for the month of March. I was disappointed at first that I had to move, but I found out I was moving in with my two best friends here! It's only one floor up and the apartment is much more gorgeous than my original one - a full kitchen, deliciously comfy leather couch, a huge chalkboard on the wall and a stunning view of Table Mountain. Even better, the only room open in the apartment was a single room, equipped with a full-sized bed and its own bathroom and shower! I couldn't have asked for a better living situation. I also tend to bore easily by a steady environment, so the change of atmosphere was refreshing as well. What a wonderful way to spend my remaining month here!

My roommate Christie has a friend from back home from Northeastern visiting this week during her spring break (and, funnily enough, my friend Katelyn's boyfriend and another friend Kate's family are here at the exact same time and all arrived on the same flight!) I love having visitors because it allows me to see Cape Town through a fresh set of eyes. Once you've lived somewhere for two months, the newness and original excitement start to dull a bit. I also get the privilege of tagging along in Christie's introductions to the best parts of the city, so I'm psyched to re-experience some of our favorite places and events. On the docket for tonight is a big group dinner at the sushi restaurant that we all adore near the waterfront. Half-price sushi and cocktails on Sundays, baby!

My experience here has led me to become a bit too ambitious. My success at planning and (almost) completing this internship has instilled in me a feeling that I can conquer anything. The world does not seem as large as it once did and I'm starting to realize how many things I want to accomplish both in the near future while I'm still young and throughout my entire life in general. I'm set on visiting all seven continents before I kick the bucket and hope to cross one more off my list before I graduate from medical school (I still need to hit South America, Asia and Antarctica). I've also decided to spend the rest of this year training for a half-marathon in Disney World in January 2013 and I'm attempting to save up some funds within the next year to visit my best friend Lexi in Germany next summer. Life is too short to waste. I have four weeks left in Cape Town and I'm planning on making the best of it!

Check in for some exciting updates within the next few weeks. Miss you all.
xo Em

South Africa, the Sequel: Return to Cape Town

This past week has found me snapped out of the daydream that was my vacation with my family and back to the mundane everyday of my life as a quasi-Capetonian. After two weeks of being in the “tourist bubble” living in luxury among other fairly upper-class and mostly white, American travelers, I think I had mentally forgotten what it was like to simply live among the locals on a budget – going grocery shopping for bargains instead of eating extravagant meals, hitting the gym instead of lounging at the hotel bar, taking a grungy bus in a total of an hour commute to work instead of catching fancy private shuttles.

To be honest with you, my walk to the bus terminal at 6:30 every morning is a little discomforting. I feel like a spoiled brat admitting this, but I feel a little uncomfortable and lonely when I encounter hundreds of people within ten minutes and the only white skin I see is my own. Never have I been so acutely conscious of my status as a Caucasian woman. My discomfort turns to guilt as I arrive at the bus terminal to see the streets littered with unkemptly dressed individuals curled up asleep on the ground and traces of scattered boxes and cardboard, left over from being used as a replacement for a bed overnight. The whole terminal strongly reeks of urine and there’s always a good chance that I’ll come by a man sitting on the curb talking to himself. I never feel threatened or endangered in any way, but it’s a sobering experience, for sure. And hopefully a character-building one, as well.

In makes me a teensy bit resentful of tourists in a strange way, at least those who think they’re practicing other forms of “culture” or paint what they believe to be a realistic picture of South Africa when they’ve only grazed the surface of life in this country. It’s a bit like visiting a zoo or going on a Disney ride and believing that you’ve seen animals in the wild.  A trip up Table Mountain and a night spent on Long Street does not a true Cape Town experience make. Don’t get me wrong, I in no way consider myself somehow above other foreigners or deem myself creditable to give voice to legal South Africans. I’m living in a gorgeous apartment and work with incredibly intelligent, wealthy people all day. I merely have realized that I must always remain humble and open-eyed when attempting to understand a culture different from my own, as I’ve witnessed the multiple layers that make up a certain way of life. I feel privileged to have been able to see the country both as a tourist and as a (albeit warped) resident. I have achieved what I set out to accomplish in my journey here: to see South Africa at its best and worst. To witness the ecstatically exciting and heartbreakingly unfortunate; the developed and underdeveloped; the beautiful and the ugly.

On another note, I believe my relationship with general (and to some extent, open-heart) surgery has passed the honeymoon phase. In the last three days, I’ve been fairly unfazed when assisting in changing bandages of burn victims or watching cardiac and neurosurgery. However, my fascination absolutely peaks when I get to watch brain surgery. Seeing a completely open brain pulsing is one of the coolest things ever. I was fortunate today to get to observe a cranial reconstruction on a 10-month-old baby. It was a really big case for the hospital and apart from the three neurosurgeons scrubbed in for the surgery, there were about five or six others that were there simply to watch. Since I was one of the only non-sterile people in the room, I got to control the monitor that was recording and photographing the procedure.

Here’s to March – may it bring you revelations and endless smiles.

xo Em

PS. I’m trying to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi in this café, so here are some pictures of various African sunsets from my vacation. Enjoy.

This is technically a sunrise, on our way to ride elephants