Cold, Mountains, & Babies... & Food

Hey all,

so I'm in day 3 right now and feeling much more settled (though still trying to find my bearings). Thus, sit in & relax for a long update with many many details.

I moved into my apartment on Sunday. The building itself is nice, and my apartment is very cozy. Cold, though, because no where in South Africa is there central heating -- and right now it's about 55 degrees everyday. I'm FREEZING, I need to invest in a pair of gloves. Anyway, the apartment is on the 15th floor, and I have to admit the view is...

UNDESCRIBABLE!

I'm only living here for another ten days, but until then I take every single meal in front of the window. The first day it was total sunshine, so I could see all the mountains perfectly. Next it was so cloudy that there was just this ominous start of a mountain, and you couldn't tell where it stopped. Today the clouds have been sifting in and out between the mountains. I can't wait for tomorrow! Ironically, the best view is actually from the bathroom, and it's so incredible it even overshadows the major downside of the 1508 cockroaches. 1508, as in... the number of our apartment. There aren't 1508 cockroaches. ...I hope.

And speaking of views, I saw one that blew my apartment's view out of the water -- but the only time you see it is when we're driving to work, so I'm not quite sure how to get a photo of it.

Work itself is at the Red Cross Children's Hospital. I leave my apartment by 8:30 every morning, drive to work. Go up three floors to the volunteer's room. Sign in, lock in my bag, put on an apron, and stash a bag with toys. I'm assigned to a different ward each day. Go to the ward, entertain. At 11, there's a tea break with "biscuits" (cookies!!). Go back, clean up & disinfect the toys. Then we take a brief lunch break and leave for Sarah Fox Hospital, which is just ten minutes away. It's where babies who are too sick to go home but too healthy to be in the hospital stay. Then we take care of them 'til four or so. Then head home.

That's the schedule. Things are definitely going to change, especially as other people working at the hospital leave & my time goes on & whatnot. I'm probably going to start working on materials for the hospital after some time passes.

The first day I was assigned to the urology ward. I entertained (or tried to) two ex-conjoined twins, Zinzey and Zanetta. This was where I learned the one thing that has cheered up EVERY SINGLE KID SO FAR: teach them the word "pink". They CRACK UP. I have NO IDEA what it is! Today I worked in the oncology unit, which I won't deny was a bit depressing. 'Here, tiny and fatally ill two-year-old, life's not so bad because you can knock over this stack of old blocks I built you'. Uh-huh.

Sarah Fox is BY FAR my biggest challenge though. Why? I am not a baby person. I understand they've never done me any personal wrong, but I cannot look at a baby and melt into a puddle of "omigosh". That's why Sarah Fox was possibly one of my worst nightmares. Literally: twenty babies in a pen. Put me in the pen. Go.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

I went grocery shopping for the first time yesterday at a store very, very close to my place called Fruit & Veggie City. I think it's pretty much South Africa's version of a Whole Foods, just much smaller. It was a find -- food is generally cheaper here. I bought a TON of apples, a block of cheese, water, apple crumbly stuff & a loaf of bread for eight dollars. (And yes, I do intend to live on that specific diet for the duration of my stay.) I'm going to do some more substantial food shops tomorrow maybe.

Tonight I'm meeting up with a girl from Grand Rapids who happens to be living in the area. We're gonna get dinner & maybe catch a movie. (Movies are CHEAP to see here - but sadly they come out a few weeks later. The Dark Knight premieres on Friday. I'm DEFINITELY gonna see it again.)

Basically, things here are going really well. I'm loving everything so far & can't wait to be completely settled so I can start doing crazy things like.... touring.

The highlight of this week? Is looking forward to next week. Next Wednesday, I'm going cage diving.

OH! And people, if you don't post comments, I don't know you've read. And if I don't know you read, I think you don't love me. And if I think you don't love me, I get too sad to cheer up children. It works that way. You're hurting orphans in Africa, people.