Positive Life Choices: March 23rd – 24th

This morning was a little wet and rainy, and the house was very quiet when I woke up and took my laptop into the front room to check my email. It was then that I saw an email from the San Francisco Department of Public Health, unfortunately updating me that I had not been selected to progress further in the interview process for the Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program. I was crestfallen and a little surprised, and just sat there and breathed for a while. I knew I was shooting high with this opportunity, but after my first interview I came away feeling pretty good. After processing this for a few minutes, I realized it meant my indecision/uncertainty about the summer was ended: I was going to stay in South Africa.

Dubious Life Choices: March 21st – 22nd

What a weekend this was. On Friday morning, I had signed up to do a 5k run with Melanie, Katrina, and Savannah out near Tygerberg, in Cape Town’s northern suburbs. Mel and Katrina were running a half marathon, so in order for them to be there on time we got up around 5:00am to take a taxi out there. Given the planned physical exertion of the day, I should have probably made wiser decisions the previous night. Here’s that story.

Where on the Planet Earth is David currently?

Hey folks! As some may know, I have decided to extend my stay in South Africa through the month of July. My UConn program ends on April 27th, and on Monday April 28th I will be leaving Cape Town to begin backpacking around SA (and possibly to an adjacent country). I anticipate returning to Cape Town for the months of June and July, though that is certainly open to change.

Will I have a great time? Absolutely. Will I be safe? Yes. Do I understand that my family members may have reason to worry? Also yes. In order to somewhat quell your worries, I will attempt to provide consistent updates on twitter, though internet access is not always reliable or accessible. I will be communicating regularly with family members as well. When I return to Cape Town communication will no longer be a challenge.

I will be leaving Cape Town on Monday, April 28th, heading out along the Garden Route. I will be staying at backpackers (hostels) along the way, and using the Baz Bus for transportation.

My travels will take me from Cape Town along the Garden Route to the Tsitsikamma National Park. There I will hike the 5-day Otter Trail from May 3rd to 7th. I will then continue to Port Elizabeth, and then through the Eastern Cape up to Durban. 

From Durban, I may travel to the Drakensberg Mountains for another multi-day hike, and then continue on to Johannesburg or elsewhere in the country. Mozambique remains an option, though the logistics (and language barrier) pose difficulties.

I’m excited for this next month, and also a little intimidated. Mostly because I’m just scrambling to get my life together before I embark in… less than 48 hours. Best wishes from South Africa, y’all!

On Safety

Safety is complex topic here. I believe that as a person in Cape Town, I experience safety in different shades, in different places, at different times, in different ways. There are an infinite number of ways to be exposed to danger or risk in Cape Town: by walking down the street, by climbing Lion’s Head, by taking the train, or by eating a sandwich. I will share my impressions about safety as it relates to a recent experience.

March 15th -17th: Cape Town Nights

We have Fridays off, so on this particular day I jumped on the train and traveled to St. James, a nice little beach on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula. The beach is just a minute’s walk from the train station, and there’s a spacious tidal pool and some nice sand to lay out on. I remember having recently talked about safety with my parents, yet the most dangerous thing I did this entire weekend was nearly choke on a turkey sandwich while sitting on the beach. It was a delicious sandwich though.

March 14th: Amandla!

Today was the morning of the big TAC march to Parliament. Lauren and Emily and I got up early to travel into the city, and Sarah and Manuela tagged along to witness the event. Once in Cape Town, we headed for Kaisergracht, the staging area where the march would begin.

March 10th – 13th: Within the Informal Settlements

Firstly, I realize it’s been a long time since the last update. Apologies- I’ve been on the road! Many exciting developments have come to pass in the last few weeks. Let’s catch up with where I left things off.

In my time in Cape Town so far, I have had the opportunity to enter the informal settlements on two distinct occasions. Usually seen from the road or highway as I drive by, on both these occasions I was able to navigate the settlements on foot and enter people’s homes. The first time was when Isaac from Africa Unite brought a group of us to his home in Europe before we had lunch at Mzoli’s. The minibus trundled down the narrow dirt road, barely passing shacks and fences and children by inches on either side, and Isaac showed us his home and his immediate community. I have detailed this experience in a prior blog post.