I am overdue for a blog update but I’m not feeling particularly inspired to write something interesting or exciting, so this will be an update in it’s most basic form.
First of all, I will be home for Christmas this year! I’m arriving in Rochester December 21 and then flying back to South Africa January 9. I’m planning on traveling to NYC, New Jersey, and Philly, so if you’re in these areas let me know and we can try to meet up.
Work is going well. It continues to be challenging and a constant learning experience, both through the research I do and through the constant cultural interactions and new experiences. I’ve recently started doing more HIV/AIDS related research, which has proved to be both very interesting, and incredibly frustrating. At times, the battles that we face seem insurmountable. And yet we fight on. I was going to share lots of shocking stats and figures with you in honor of World AIDS Day, but decided against it because it was just a list of figures that probably would mean nothing to most people. Let me just say that it is a heavy weight on my heart and on the hearts of most South African to witness the suffering of an entire nation. Everyone here is either infected or affected by the disease and the impacts will be felt and magnified for generations to come.
But it’s not all doom and gloom here on this side. There is always hope, and one of the aspects of this country that continually impresses and humbles me is the ability of the people to hold on to hope and to truly believe that things are getting better. The spirit of growth and community that exists in South Africa, despite all of the crime, poverty, corruption and disease that the media likes to talk about, is truly inspiring.
My life here in SA continues to feel more comfortable and more routine as I settle into this life and this city that has now been my home for almost two years. There are always new challenges and new adventures, but there is also the comfort of familiar faces and constant routines to counteract the never-ending newness of living in a country other than the one that I grew up in. It is still the rainy season here, which means that it rains every day without fail. There are sometimes sunny mornings, but they always end in rainy afternoons. I’m looking forward to the return of the summer sun, and thus the return to the beaches and barbeques. But for now, the rain continues. November and December showers bring January and February flowers I suppose.
So I think this is all I have to update you on for now. I’m sorry there aren’t any exciting stories or inspiring anecdotes to share. Perhaps those are better told in person anyway.
Wishing you all a wonderful and peaceful holiday season!
