MMMBeki! Ba, Bou, Doo, Dop!

Where to begin?
It's been a while, and I'm sorry about that. Between hectic-ness, nothing to update, and lack of time, I have not been the dedicated blogger the world deserves.


First, let's talk politics.
South African history is being made. About ten years ago, there was a gigantic arms deal involving lots of Top People in government, including ANC president Jacob Zuma and South Africa's first post-Mandela president, Thabo Mbeki. (The ANC is the African National Congress, South Africa's majority party to which both Zuma and Mbeki belong.) Both Zuma and Mbeki have been involved in corruption charges that have gone to trial. Zuma's trial finished just this month and he was found not guilty. There are obvious, pink elephant-sized questions about his innocence, since a great number of Zuma's supporters threatened to incite civil war and large scale violence if he were found guilty. It obviously wasn't worth the bloodshed to send him to prison.

With Zuma's innocence officialized (is that a word?), several government factions next set their sights on Mbeki. This is where I get confused, but basically the ANC had a meeting last Friday to decide whether or not Mbeki should be president. And they decided to recall him, or in more basic terms, to fire the country's president. Mbeki then chose rather to "resign". It took a weekend to sort out who would be the acting president. First, it was Speaker of the House, who would have been South Africa's first female president, but she resigned along with Mbeki. In fact, FOURTEEN ministers loyal to Mbeki handed in their resignations (that's more than 1/3 of the cabinet). Among the ministers who resigned was Trevor Manuel, the minister of finance. The rand (South African currency) crashed briefly, then strengthened, weakened again, strengthened, etc., throughout the course of the afternoon, until Manuel was asked to retain his post and agreed.

So the president is out, the temporary president is in, cabinet is shuffled up, and Zuma is set to be elected as president come scheduled elections in March (unless they call early elections to deal with the political crisis).

Imagine this in the States. The Republican Party fires George Bush, they put somebody like Rudy Guiliani in temporarily, McCain is guaranteed the presidency next year, the secretary of state, treasury, defense, and attorney general (among several others) all resign, and the dollar goes up and down by the minute. This is history, people!


What else, what else?
I made it out to Kirstenbosch Gardens, which is one of the most renowned gardens in the world. It was like Meijer Gardens to the 1000th power. It has this crazy view of the mountains and is absolutely enormous. The tracheostomy sister I work for used to have a house IN Kirstenbosch because her stepfather was the director!

I also had some more animal sightings. I saw a whale JUMPING out of the water. From afar, yes, but as someone who has barely even seen a whale before, it was REALLY cool to see. They are huge. I had a staring contest with a seal (it won). And then we were able to get fresh yellowtail fish that had JUST come out of the bay. Yummmmm...

Wednesday was a public holiday: Heritage Day. I'm not quite sure how to celebrate heritage (as opposed to the easy holidays like President's Day). Anyway, it was also South African National Braai Day. If you remember, a braai is just a barbeque, and it's what South Africans are good at. I stuffed myself into a delicious oblivion.


Unfortunately, I made the poor decision to get sick. I'm stranded in bed for a few days with sinusitus and a fever. Lots of Groundhog Day, 7-Up, and shortbread. The doctor said that the fauna on the mountain goes pollen crazy and all of it sweeps down into the city. Apparently if you haven't lived in Cape Town for awhile, you're doomed.

I just recently hit the halfway mark of time here. I know the remaining time is going to go sooo fast. Hopefully the weather will improve (it's been cold and wet forever) and I can hit up all the things I want to do before I go. I'll be a much better blogger from now on, even if there's nothing to report!

Cheers,
Erin

A Photographic Tour

Well, it's time. For a visual glimpse into life here.

This is my workplace: The Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital. Long name, I know. It was built by the victors of World War II (instead of a monument). Strictly a children's hospital, the oldest patient is 14. And it is often followed with the title of "the only specialist's children's hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa".

This is my beloved rotary. It's on the hospital campus, and is where the parents of patients stay. And go figure, I work in a hospital filled with cute and terminally ill children and the people I get attached to are their PARENTS. The I'Khaya is simulatenously my favorite and the most frustrating job I have.

Just for fun; this is the sad loved bench on which I eat lunch everyday.

This is the living space in the apartment into which I just moved last weekend. 14th floor. Roommate Rachel. Lots of interesting cooking experiments.

That's all you get! ...For now. I want to take photos of the inside of the hospital, but technically, I'm not allowed to. The trick is to give your camera to a kid.

Okay, so what's new?

I'm definitely getting into the hospital work now. I'm working on the burns unit, the cardiac/tracheostomy unit, reception, the rotary, and the FRIENDS office. Therefore, I'm getting to know the hospital and everybody in it really well. And making a fatal mistake: getting attached!

I've also been exploring the city a bit more. I found some beautiful gardens right down the road and the church that Desmond Tutu used to preach at. Who knew?!

Speaking of church, I went to the Claremont Assembly today and it was crazy! People crying, jumping, the whole schpiel. I even got a gift bag for being a first-time visitor. I really enjoyed it, though, because it was the most diversity I've seen since I've arrived; and that includes the hospital.

Other minor news:
I switched apartments, a move from the 11th to the 14th floor. I like the new one better.
I was on the minibus and a guy next to me had a seizure - luckily we were next to the hospital. Draaamatic!
The weather has been tempermental, like usual. But Saturday was too gorgeous - a preview of the days to come, I'm told. (Remember seasons are switched.) So Janet took me on a drive looking over False Bay that was SO beautiful! We stopped in Simon's Town, which is a bit touristy but is a big fishing & boating locale. I saw a whale, penguins from afar, and a seal in the harbor. Pretty. Sweet.

Simon's Town

I'm thinking about going to Namibia or Mozambique next month. If anyone wants to tag along...

you know you're welcome!

Love,

Erin