Am I updating this blog instead of studying for my last exam tomorrow morning? You bet I am!
Dear readers, if there's one bizarre phenomena of this last year, it's been the oddness of my working status. It seems that every time I have a job offer (be it as a waitress, teacher, or public health-er) I have been offered numerous opportunities at once, with dry spells in between. Well, this last week has not been a dry spell, and don't you know it's right before I leave for the States (hooray!). Still, things are looking up for next year.
After months of barely a peep from the Learning Network (they're busy folks and I wasn't exactly seeking them out either), I was asked to do a research gig for about 40 hours that would actually pay me. Unfortunately, it's over the next couple of months so they'll be looking for another candidate. My friend Bob also recommended me for a fieldworker job. It's one of those jobs where they reeeeeally want you to speak Afrikaans or Xhosa, so I probably would have never gone for it on my own. They called me recently to say that they are interested in me for a slightly higher level position that sounds a bit more like coordinating fieldwork rather than doing it. I have an interview on Friday where I have to do a three minute presentation. We'll see how it goes. They explained that they have some positions where only English is required, so it sounds like a possibility.
Alright, I might be a just a little too proud of this last one, but you have to understand that after MONTHS of not getting even close to working in sexual or reproductive health, even a glimmer of hope is amazing. An email went out to the MPH students requesting a student to work for about 40 hours with Landon Myer to edit a document. It's in the heart of finals, so I knew most people probably wouldn't respond. Maybe I shouldn't have either, but the work started when I only had one exam left, and I figured I could balance it all. I've heard amazing things about Landon and his research, and I figured if editing was a way to get in the door, I would jump at it. He does a lot of HIV research, but more recently has also been focusing on IUDs, which I am completely obsessed with.
I met with Landon, who is awesome, discovered that when you're editing a giant NIH grant it is COMPLETELY possible to spend 40 hours editing it, if not more, and that because it is such "menial" work, he was willing to may me r20 (about 3 USD) extra per hour of the normal student rate to do it. I've been working hard, making sure everything is as perfect as possible to make a good first impression. Things are hectic with the grant right now (due Thursday!) but on Friday he talked to me a little about my interests and said that we should sit down and talk about future work after the grant is finished, because there are a lot of exciting projects coming up next year. I really really hope something works out, because his research is exactly the kind of stuff I'd like to be a part of!
Also, I am officially done at Bella. Still love the food and the people, but I really want to focus my energies more on projects such as the above. Here and there I've been doing the breast pump thing and, if I haven't mentioned, I also did a brief gig with Stellenbosch University doing some data extraction, which was my first official paid public health job here.
So, things are looking up! Even doing the editing over the last few days (which I strangely enjoy, by the way), it felt so wonderful to have work to do again. It was tiring, but fulfilling. I'm looking forward to more of that next year!
Yes, I almost through finals! Earlier this week I took Health, Policy, and Planning, which I actually felt I did quite well on. Evidence Based Healthcare was a bit scary at first--the format of the exam was definitely not how I studied, but after freaking out for five minutes I read the questions and realized I knew how to answer them. I actually finished about half an hour early, even with checking it over. Tomorrow, I have Economics of Health Systems. It was my first ever economics course and entirely new material for me. I learned a TON and really enjoyed it, but I think at this point my getting a solid B is inevitable. In a way, that is freeing because I feel less stressed studying for it. The chances of my doing miraculously well and pulling out a high A on the exam are slim, but I certainly know enough that I don't expect anything below a B. In a little over 24 hours, I will officially be done with my first year of grad school!
Well, I'd better put my money where my mouth is and go do some studying. Oh, and Thomas is great--in a couple of hours he'll be getting home from his last Nigeria trip. Having him home once a week has been AMAZING. Let's hope there are some more gigs like that in our future.
Love!
Kristen
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Settled In
I should probably stop apologizing at this point for the length of time between entries...but I will try to be better!
So, nine months after moving to Cape Town, I can finally say that I feel settled in. I have an established group of friends, I'm doing well with school, I don't gawk at the scenery (though I still make a point of being grateful for my mountain views each morning and night), and I have a solid idea of how to get around Cape Town and where things are.
Of course, it's just around this time of settling in that it comes time to go home again--thankfully only for a long visit, before returning to Cape Town for at least another year.
I am incredibly excited about the impending visit (I leave in less than five weeks!). I'll be able to work and replenish my bank account a bit and also hopefully get a bit of health policy experience out of an internship. But, the top two things I am looking forward to? The people and the food. :)
But, as I said, I've been making more new friends recently and have a fairly solid group of people here as well. At Gabby's going away party I had met a group of five young women who are here in Cape Town for a year doing the Princeton in Africa fellowship. They are really incredible women with impressive resumes despite being a bit younger than I am!
Apparently, I have managed to neglect mentioning that I have been taking courses in salsa dancing for the last eight weeks or so. It started because a woman I know really wanted to go so I volunteered to go with, figuring I'd try something new. Honestly, it's turned out to be one of the best times of the week for me. It is SO much fun, decent exercise, and I've actually met some people through the course. I have a new friend, Homero, who is from Angola and came to Cape Town for an English language course. We decided to get together before class yesterday for dinner so I could help him practice English. Honestly, I don't think he needs the help--he talked up a storm! All I knew about Angola prior was that it is located on the west coast of Africa (kinda in the middle) and that the national language is Portuguese. Afterwards, I knew about the thirty year civil war, the politics, the role of the U.S., and what the main city Luanda is like. Oh, and it's good to have a boy to practice salsa with, since Thomas refuses!
I also recently met a couple of whom the guy is South African, the gal is Chilean. They are both super sweet, plus it's always nice to hear about another successful international romance--they are getting married in February and are taking the dance lessons because their wedding will be Latin themed! We're going to try to do a double date when Thomas is home. He FINALLY got the right visa for Nigeria, so I'll have him home at least a couple of days each week--could not be happier about that!
If I haven't made it clear by now, Cape Town is a very international city--not just the MPH program. Everyday you hear a variety of accents and, if you're friendly about it, you're constantly meeting new people. I have a theory that many of us internationals aren't outgoing because we were naturally born that way, but as a survival mechanism. Any time you go somewhere new, you need to reach out unless you want to be a loner. At least, I've become much more willing to strike up conversation since moving here. I find that other non-South Africans tend to be same.
Alright folks, don't forget to mark your calendars: I'll be home November 22nd! Love.
So, nine months after moving to Cape Town, I can finally say that I feel settled in. I have an established group of friends, I'm doing well with school, I don't gawk at the scenery (though I still make a point of being grateful for my mountain views each morning and night), and I have a solid idea of how to get around Cape Town and where things are.
Of course, it's just around this time of settling in that it comes time to go home again--thankfully only for a long visit, before returning to Cape Town for at least another year.
I am incredibly excited about the impending visit (I leave in less than five weeks!). I'll be able to work and replenish my bank account a bit and also hopefully get a bit of health policy experience out of an internship. But, the top two things I am looking forward to? The people and the food. :)
But, as I said, I've been making more new friends recently and have a fairly solid group of people here as well. At Gabby's going away party I had met a group of five young women who are here in Cape Town for a year doing the Princeton in Africa fellowship. They are really incredible women with impressive resumes despite being a bit younger than I am!
Apparently, I have managed to neglect mentioning that I have been taking courses in salsa dancing for the last eight weeks or so. It started because a woman I know really wanted to go so I volunteered to go with, figuring I'd try something new. Honestly, it's turned out to be one of the best times of the week for me. It is SO much fun, decent exercise, and I've actually met some people through the course. I have a new friend, Homero, who is from Angola and came to Cape Town for an English language course. We decided to get together before class yesterday for dinner so I could help him practice English. Honestly, I don't think he needs the help--he talked up a storm! All I knew about Angola prior was that it is located on the west coast of Africa (kinda in the middle) and that the national language is Portuguese. Afterwards, I knew about the thirty year civil war, the politics, the role of the U.S., and what the main city Luanda is like. Oh, and it's good to have a boy to practice salsa with, since Thomas refuses!
I also recently met a couple of whom the guy is South African, the gal is Chilean. They are both super sweet, plus it's always nice to hear about another successful international romance--they are getting married in February and are taking the dance lessons because their wedding will be Latin themed! We're going to try to do a double date when Thomas is home. He FINALLY got the right visa for Nigeria, so I'll have him home at least a couple of days each week--could not be happier about that!
If I haven't made it clear by now, Cape Town is a very international city--not just the MPH program. Everyday you hear a variety of accents and, if you're friendly about it, you're constantly meeting new people. I have a theory that many of us internationals aren't outgoing because we were naturally born that way, but as a survival mechanism. Any time you go somewhere new, you need to reach out unless you want to be a loner. At least, I've become much more willing to strike up conversation since moving here. I find that other non-South Africans tend to be same.
Alright folks, don't forget to mark your calendars: I'll be home November 22nd! Love.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Life is Simple; Life is Good
This is the sentiment that continues to come to mind over the last few days.
I've really been trying to scale back the stress in my life. Schoolwork is important. Making some amount of income is important. Building my resume is important. But all of the stress just ain't worth it at the end of the day. I'm learning a lot in school, making some spending money with waitressing, and doing my best to put myself out there in the public health field. This might be the only time for the next few DECADES that I'm not bound to a full time job. I'm prone to workaholicism, especially when it's a job I'm passionate about. So, I am once more trying to settle into enjoying the little things in life.
These include:
-Sitting out on the balcony to enjoy the sunshine. Spring is coming!
-Giving myself permission to read for pleasure without the guilt (i.e. that I "should be" reading for class). Right now I am 2/3 through The Help. It's been an interesting reflection exercise since race is definitely still a hot topic here.
-Time with girlfriends. I've organized a dinner this Thursday for--brace yourself--18 girlfriends and myself. Wow! I owe the large turnout to the Ethiopian cuisine and not my organizing skills, but I'm looking forward to having many wonderful women in one place.
-Time with my love. Thomas is doing a gig in Nigeria for the next couple of months (well, barring that his visa come through in time...!) that will have him home a few days of each week. Needless to say, we're psyched!
-Food. I blame this on also reading Eat, Pray, Love with my mom. Been indulging in some amazing biltong and tonight I'm going for a burger with Katherine....and "Bitchy Bingo" at Beefcakes. :)
And the pink of the sunset is just starting to seep into the sky. Yes, life is good.
I've really been trying to scale back the stress in my life. Schoolwork is important. Making some amount of income is important. Building my resume is important. But all of the stress just ain't worth it at the end of the day. I'm learning a lot in school, making some spending money with waitressing, and doing my best to put myself out there in the public health field. This might be the only time for the next few DECADES that I'm not bound to a full time job. I'm prone to workaholicism, especially when it's a job I'm passionate about. So, I am once more trying to settle into enjoying the little things in life.
These include:
-Sitting out on the balcony to enjoy the sunshine. Spring is coming!
-Giving myself permission to read for pleasure without the guilt (i.e. that I "should be" reading for class). Right now I am 2/3 through The Help. It's been an interesting reflection exercise since race is definitely still a hot topic here.
-Time with girlfriends. I've organized a dinner this Thursday for--brace yourself--18 girlfriends and myself. Wow! I owe the large turnout to the Ethiopian cuisine and not my organizing skills, but I'm looking forward to having many wonderful women in one place.
-Time with my love. Thomas is doing a gig in Nigeria for the next couple of months (well, barring that his visa come through in time...!) that will have him home a few days of each week. Needless to say, we're psyched!
-Food. I blame this on also reading Eat, Pray, Love with my mom. Been indulging in some amazing biltong and tonight I'm going for a burger with Katherine....and "Bitchy Bingo" at Beefcakes. :)
And the pink of the sunset is just starting to seep into the sky. Yes, life is good.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Whales, Sluts, and the Archbishop
Okay, I have a tiny bit of an excuse this time for not writing--for the last week I've been sick, spending several days in bed barely thinking about anything more than watching television. I'm fully on the mend now, with just a bit of congestion and a cough. Of course, my sickness doesn't excuse the two weeks prior that I have not updated, so let's back track a bit.
A couple of months ago, I met a new friend, Gabby, at a Learning Network training. She is an MPH student from the states doing a summer internship in Cape Town with Leslie London (of the LN). We got to chatting, hung out again, and somehow decided that we should go to Hermanus together before she left the country. Hermanus is one of the best places in the world for whale watching from land. I'd been wanting to go, so when she suggested it I was all for it. Plus it would nice to get out of Cape Town overnight--something I haven't done since moving here except for the 24 hour trip to Durban for Thomas' sister's birthday.
Unfortunately, our trip was fruitless--despite it being whale season, the waves were rather choppy the two days we were there and apparently the whales are not to fond of that. However, I personally enjoyed the trip immensely because it gave me a chance to get to know Gabby better. I have a bit of a friend crush on her--she is one of those woman that I truly admire, beautiful on the inside and out, and I learned as much as I could from her during those couple of days. Besides her giving me an actual lesson in driving stick (yup, the battle still sloooowly wages on...), I have also learned how to sell wine to customers (bullshit), travel the world on a budget (she's been to about 40 different countries), additional relationship communication skills (she has a husband back home), and the titles of a ton of new books, movies, and songs (we made each other lists on the ride home of recommendations for each other). I feel really lucky to have met such an amazing person and we plan on remaining long distance friends.
Unfortunately, the weekend before last was Gabby's last weekend in Cape Town. We gave her a pretty interesting send off by attending the Cape Town Slut Walk. If you haven't heard about Slut Walks yet, frankly I'd be surprised, but you can read more about the original here. We had gorgeous weather for the event and there were about 2000 people there dressed up, with signs, etc. It was a cool experience. The only thing I would've liked in addition would have been a rally or some time of speaker at the beginning or end of the walk to articulate the purpose of the event, particularly in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of rape in the world.
I've added pictures from Hermanus and the Slut Walk at the end of this album.
After the Slut Walk I had lunch with Gabby and then hung out with her until her going away party. I had the chance to finally meet a lot of her friends whom she had been talking about whom were fantastic. I left that night with almost ten new friends, which included South Africans, Tanzanians, Ugandans, and Americans. The party also reminded me what a wonderful energy being with a group of women can generate. Don't get me wrong, I love my male friends and they are wonderful and important in my life, but there is definitely a different energy with all women that I also enjoy. It was a great evening of food, wine, and laughter.
Lastly, I recently attended a Q&A for a new book at the Cape Town Book Lounge. I'll be honest, the event itself didn't hold much appeal to me--I hadn't read the book, didn't know who the author was, and didn't know what it was about--but my friend Katherine had invited me so I decided to go. I glazed over for most of the talk while eating the complimentary finger sandwiches, but there was one definite exciting moment: when Archbishop Desmond Tutu walked in! Yes, he is just as precious in person. We didn't speak to him as he left before the end of the talk (and as some of you might now, I hate introducing myself to "famous" people) but it was still neat to see him there. Just goes to show how small Cape Town is--never know who you might run into!
Now I must get back to working on a paper for my Economics of Health Systems course. Missing you all and looking forward to being home with you again soon!
A couple of months ago, I met a new friend, Gabby, at a Learning Network training. She is an MPH student from the states doing a summer internship in Cape Town with Leslie London (of the LN). We got to chatting, hung out again, and somehow decided that we should go to Hermanus together before she left the country. Hermanus is one of the best places in the world for whale watching from land. I'd been wanting to go, so when she suggested it I was all for it. Plus it would nice to get out of Cape Town overnight--something I haven't done since moving here except for the 24 hour trip to Durban for Thomas' sister's birthday.
Unfortunately, our trip was fruitless--despite it being whale season, the waves were rather choppy the two days we were there and apparently the whales are not to fond of that. However, I personally enjoyed the trip immensely because it gave me a chance to get to know Gabby better. I have a bit of a friend crush on her--she is one of those woman that I truly admire, beautiful on the inside and out, and I learned as much as I could from her during those couple of days. Besides her giving me an actual lesson in driving stick (yup, the battle still sloooowly wages on...), I have also learned how to sell wine to customers (bullshit), travel the world on a budget (she's been to about 40 different countries), additional relationship communication skills (she has a husband back home), and the titles of a ton of new books, movies, and songs (we made each other lists on the ride home of recommendations for each other). I feel really lucky to have met such an amazing person and we plan on remaining long distance friends.
Unfortunately, the weekend before last was Gabby's last weekend in Cape Town. We gave her a pretty interesting send off by attending the Cape Town Slut Walk. If you haven't heard about Slut Walks yet, frankly I'd be surprised, but you can read more about the original here. We had gorgeous weather for the event and there were about 2000 people there dressed up, with signs, etc. It was a cool experience. The only thing I would've liked in addition would have been a rally or some time of speaker at the beginning or end of the walk to articulate the purpose of the event, particularly in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of rape in the world.
I've added pictures from Hermanus and the Slut Walk at the end of this album.
After the Slut Walk I had lunch with Gabby and then hung out with her until her going away party. I had the chance to finally meet a lot of her friends whom she had been talking about whom were fantastic. I left that night with almost ten new friends, which included South Africans, Tanzanians, Ugandans, and Americans. The party also reminded me what a wonderful energy being with a group of women can generate. Don't get me wrong, I love my male friends and they are wonderful and important in my life, but there is definitely a different energy with all women that I also enjoy. It was a great evening of food, wine, and laughter.
Lastly, I recently attended a Q&A for a new book at the Cape Town Book Lounge. I'll be honest, the event itself didn't hold much appeal to me--I hadn't read the book, didn't know who the author was, and didn't know what it was about--but my friend Katherine had invited me so I decided to go. I glazed over for most of the talk while eating the complimentary finger sandwiches, but there was one definite exciting moment: when Archbishop Desmond Tutu walked in! Yes, he is just as precious in person. We didn't speak to him as he left before the end of the talk (and as some of you might now, I hate introducing myself to "famous" people) but it was still neat to see him there. Just goes to show how small Cape Town is--never know who you might run into!
Now I must get back to working on a paper for my Economics of Health Systems course. Missing you all and looking forward to being home with you again soon!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Back from Break
Hi folks,
Oh my, it is August 1st! I will use the university break as my excuse for not updating. The Namibia trip did not pan out, but I did a couple of day trips and spent time with friends. It was a good stress relief. I received "firsts" which are sorta like As in three of my courses and am waiting to hear about the last course. It was my most challenging class (Public Health and Society) so I'm not expecting a first, but hopefully I did well.
I am still working at the Italian restaurant and should be starting with the music school soon. I don't have any private students yet, but I'll be teaching a woodwind sectional class with clarinet and saxophone. Should be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it.
Class has started again and I've just finished my block classes. I decided to take three courses rather than two. My plan is too finish all of my course work by the end of the next semester so that I am free to travel during my last semester (when I'm writing my thesis) if the opportunity arrises. I'm really enjoying my courses this semester, which are more Health Systems focused: Health Policy and Planning and Economics of Health Systems. I'm also taking Evidence Based Health Care, which isn't health systems focused, but the concepts can certainly be applied (using research to make policy decisions rather than clinical decisions).
Thomas and I are still doing well, though it's been difficult for me that so much of his work is in Joburg. It's the reality of our situation and while it's better than living in different countries, it's still hard. I think this is worth mentioning. There are some positive things about long (or short!) distance relationships, including having "self" time. However, at the end of the day, I think most of us would rather have the person you love nearby. I'm really surprised there isn't more information/support out there for people doing the long distance thang, what with globalization and all. Surely someone somewhere should be making money off of this? :)
I'm still lacking in the activism department, buuuuut the Cape Town Slut Walk is coming up! We were also treated to two famous feminist thinkers visiting Cape Town last week: Judith Butler and Raewyn Connell. Butler didn't come to speak about feminism--her topic was about Zionism, but I really loved what she had to say (what I could follow, at least!). Connell spoke about Transexual rights in relation to feminism and was a really good talk. She feels that women whom are transexual should be working towards policy change for women that includes trans women, as opposed to policy targeted only at transexual women. I both agree and disagree with her, but I definitely see where she is coming from. My only concern is how to actually make "women" an inclusive term, especially under a legal setting. For non-trans feminists, she urged that we spend some time learning about what the lives of trans women (and men) are like. She gave us a reading list and I plan on checking at least one of the books out.
Time for me to get back to the reading grind. Sorry to have disappeared for so long, but I plan to be updating regularly now. Love!
Oh my, it is August 1st! I will use the university break as my excuse for not updating. The Namibia trip did not pan out, but I did a couple of day trips and spent time with friends. It was a good stress relief. I received "firsts" which are sorta like As in three of my courses and am waiting to hear about the last course. It was my most challenging class (Public Health and Society) so I'm not expecting a first, but hopefully I did well.
I am still working at the Italian restaurant and should be starting with the music school soon. I don't have any private students yet, but I'll be teaching a woodwind sectional class with clarinet and saxophone. Should be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it.
Class has started again and I've just finished my block classes. I decided to take three courses rather than two. My plan is too finish all of my course work by the end of the next semester so that I am free to travel during my last semester (when I'm writing my thesis) if the opportunity arrises. I'm really enjoying my courses this semester, which are more Health Systems focused: Health Policy and Planning and Economics of Health Systems. I'm also taking Evidence Based Health Care, which isn't health systems focused, but the concepts can certainly be applied (using research to make policy decisions rather than clinical decisions).
Thomas and I are still doing well, though it's been difficult for me that so much of his work is in Joburg. It's the reality of our situation and while it's better than living in different countries, it's still hard. I think this is worth mentioning. There are some positive things about long (or short!) distance relationships, including having "self" time. However, at the end of the day, I think most of us would rather have the person you love nearby. I'm really surprised there isn't more information/support out there for people doing the long distance thang, what with globalization and all. Surely someone somewhere should be making money off of this? :)
I'm still lacking in the activism department, buuuuut the Cape Town Slut Walk is coming up! We were also treated to two famous feminist thinkers visiting Cape Town last week: Judith Butler and Raewyn Connell. Butler didn't come to speak about feminism--her topic was about Zionism, but I really loved what she had to say (what I could follow, at least!). Connell spoke about Transexual rights in relation to feminism and was a really good talk. She feels that women whom are transexual should be working towards policy change for women that includes trans women, as opposed to policy targeted only at transexual women. I both agree and disagree with her, but I definitely see where she is coming from. My only concern is how to actually make "women" an inclusive term, especially under a legal setting. For non-trans feminists, she urged that we spend some time learning about what the lives of trans women (and men) are like. She gave us a reading list and I plan on checking at least one of the books out.
Time for me to get back to the reading grind. Sorry to have disappeared for so long, but I plan to be updating regularly now. Love!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Proof I'm a nerd (as if you needed more)
As I head off for my exam in biostatistics, I am comforted that I understood most of what he is talking about and found it hilarious! Click to enjoy "Baby Got Stat"
LAST FINAL OF THE FIRST SEMESTER TODAY! :-D
LAST FINAL OF THE FIRST SEMESTER TODAY! :-D
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Brought to you by STUDYING!
More fun to share. Promise this video is interesting and entertaining even if you know nothing about public health or statistics! Enjoy!
Halfway through exams...my most challenging one is tomorrow. PRAY FOR ME!
Halfway through exams...my most challenging one is tomorrow. PRAY FOR ME!
Monday, June 6, 2011
This update brought to you by finals
I am reading through my notes from my gender and health course and feel compelled to share some of the thoughts and facts. I'm not including citations here (I have enough school work to do as it is!) but of course if you want to know more about how I got the info just let me know! This is a pretty random list as things strike me....
HIV
HIV prevention needs to be sex positive. HIV is caused by a virus, not by sex!
As of 2009, there were approx 33.3 million people living with HIV globally. About 67% of those people live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The prevalence (amount of people currently living with HIV) of HIV in South Africa is about 11%.
In a state of povery and hunger, HIV prevention may not be people's priority. (And HIV can also lead to poverty, thus creating a cycle)
Gender Violence
South Africa has one of the highest rates of reported rapes in the world. Still, it's estimated that only 1 out of 20 rapes are reported (Gender Justice Research Unit).
Cervical Cancer
HPV, a sexually transmitted virus, MUST be present to have cervical cancer. In other words, 100% of women everywhere with cervical cancer have HPV. However, there are more than 100 strains of HPV, many of which are not linked to cancer. Additionally, a woman who has a cancer causing strain can clear the strain (i.e. her immune system fights it off) without cancer developing.
There is more cervical cancer prevalence in developing countries and is highest in Africa.
Prevalence of cervical cancer is 2 to 5 times higher in HIV+ women.
Maternal Health
Rates of maternal mortality are higher in Africa than elsewhere. Of the top ten countries with the worst maternal mortality rates, 9 are in Africa. 1 in 7 women for Niger, 1 in 87 for South Africa.
Estimated 60-80% of pregnancies in South Africa end in c-section. The World Health Organization recommeds a country rate of 10-15%.
Random, I know. More real udaptes soon! Finals are over June 14th, woo hoo!
HIV
HIV prevention needs to be sex positive. HIV is caused by a virus, not by sex!
As of 2009, there were approx 33.3 million people living with HIV globally. About 67% of those people live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The prevalence (amount of people currently living with HIV) of HIV in South Africa is about 11%.
In a state of povery and hunger, HIV prevention may not be people's priority. (And HIV can also lead to poverty, thus creating a cycle)
Gender Violence
South Africa has one of the highest rates of reported rapes in the world. Still, it's estimated that only 1 out of 20 rapes are reported (Gender Justice Research Unit).
Cervical Cancer
HPV, a sexually transmitted virus, MUST be present to have cervical cancer. In other words, 100% of women everywhere with cervical cancer have HPV. However, there are more than 100 strains of HPV, many of which are not linked to cancer. Additionally, a woman who has a cancer causing strain can clear the strain (i.e. her immune system fights it off) without cancer developing.
There is more cervical cancer prevalence in developing countries and is highest in Africa.
Prevalence of cervical cancer is 2 to 5 times higher in HIV+ women.
Maternal Health
Rates of maternal mortality are higher in Africa than elsewhere. Of the top ten countries with the worst maternal mortality rates, 9 are in Africa. 1 in 7 women for Niger, 1 in 87 for South Africa.
Estimated 60-80% of pregnancies in South Africa end in c-section. The World Health Organization recommeds a country rate of 10-15%.
Random, I know. More real udaptes soon! Finals are over June 14th, woo hoo!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Quick Updates
Hello, hello!
I have been in the depths of paper writing, but wanted to take a moment to share a few updates.
Firstly, after my last post I had what felt like an explosion of job offers! Currently, I am still only working at Bella. I had another serving job offer at what sounded like a great place, but am sticking to Bella, which is still going wonderfully. I also randomly responded to an ad looking for music teachers for woodwind lessons and ended up getting the job! I will try to write about that in more detail soon. It's for a non-profit music school in Hout Bay that began in 2007. I met the woman who runs it and she is really a cool person. I'll be starting with them in July. Lastly, the Learning Network finally got back to me and, as I write this, I am in their office. I began volunteering this week and then an official posting for an assistant position will go up soon. I've been encouraged to apply, so hopefully that means I'm pretty much in if I want it. We'll see!
Thomas will be home this weekend and we'll be celebrating his birthday, which is on Monday. Hooray!
Finally, I hand in my dreaded paper tomorrow and am SO excited it's almost finished! I don't even care about the grade that much any more, I just want the semester to be done!
I believe that's all the new for now. I'll try to write more soon. Love!
I have been in the depths of paper writing, but wanted to take a moment to share a few updates.
Firstly, after my last post I had what felt like an explosion of job offers! Currently, I am still only working at Bella. I had another serving job offer at what sounded like a great place, but am sticking to Bella, which is still going wonderfully. I also randomly responded to an ad looking for music teachers for woodwind lessons and ended up getting the job! I will try to write about that in more detail soon. It's for a non-profit music school in Hout Bay that began in 2007. I met the woman who runs it and she is really a cool person. I'll be starting with them in July. Lastly, the Learning Network finally got back to me and, as I write this, I am in their office. I began volunteering this week and then an official posting for an assistant position will go up soon. I've been encouraged to apply, so hopefully that means I'm pretty much in if I want it. We'll see!
Thomas will be home this weekend and we'll be celebrating his birthday, which is on Monday. Hooray!
Finally, I hand in my dreaded paper tomorrow and am SO excited it's almost finished! I don't even care about the grade that much any more, I just want the semester to be done!
I believe that's all the new for now. I'll try to write more soon. Love!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Because Heather Said I Had To
Why hello there everyone! I recently tried to update, but was thwarted by blogspot's website being down. However, thanks to my friend Heather, I was reminded that I still needed a new entry.
When we last left our heroine, she was learning to drive, anticipating May homework, and complacently settling for her job.
Well, I am still learning to drive, though honestly am feeling less optimistic about it. I experienced what I'm pretty sure was an actual panic attack during an attempt to drive to the Waterfront with Thomas and have been very turned off by even the thought of driving since. I did have another lesson last week where I drove to Hout Bay and back. It was a relaxed ride, kinda what I needed to "get back on the horse," but I've neglected to schedule another lesson yet. I can't remember the last time I felt so much anxiety about something!
In happier news, I have a new serving job! I was getting more and more disasatisfied with my previous job--it was dead almost every night, staff were treated horribly, and I was having more and more shifts with this terrible manager. On Friday, I went to have a haircut with the fabulous Natalie. While she was making my hair look amazing (seriously), I vented to her about my job. When I told her where I was working she was like, "I'm sorry but that place is a DIVE," and I had to agree! After telling her about my horrible manager, she was really encouraging to get myself out of there. She told me about a few restaurants in the area where she knew the owners took care of their staff and suggested I go drop off my CV.
I left early for work so that I could stop into a few places. Well, as it turned out, the very first place I walked into had just placed an ad in the paper for a part time waitress and after the owners spoke with me for a few minutes, they hired me on the spot! It is basically an Italian restaurant, pastas and pizza, and closer to me than my previous job. I had eaten there before I knew the food was good, they got steady business, and it is a nice atmosphere (not at all a "dive"). Went to work that night and told them it would be my last evening. Hooray!
I was glad I got to say good bye to a waitress I'm friends with there, although I know I'll see her again soon (we're planning to go out one night). Just a few things about her. She is from Zimbabwe originally, but now has been living in Cape Town with her boyfriend for a year or so. Before that, they were long distance with him in Zim and they did not see each other for TWO YEARS. They are very close and when I asked her about if they wanted to get married, she said that they did, but that he did not save enough yet to pay the bride price (I'm not sure of the word used in Zimbabwe) to her family. I felt so bad for her--she expressed frustration that they were bound to that tradition even though it was not important to her or her partner, but because of her family's expectations. Their families don't even know they live together in Cape Town! However, there is a happy ending. Her partner recently got a new job where he has been making better money and she told me a couple of weeks ago that they were going to be able to get married before the end of the year! So glad for her. I can't imagine how relieved she must feel.
Anyway, back to the new job. I began training today and, while it's still just a serving job, so far it has proved to be SO MUCH better than the last place! Staff are treated kindly and with respect--each shift that you work you get a free meal and drink. The owners are a married couple, the woman being Italian South African and the man being from Italy, I believe. The woman, Carla, was there with me for most of today and she was very pleasant and helpful. You can also tell that she takes a lot of pride in the restaurant which is really refreshing. I worked with her husband a little bit before my shift ended and he was also quite pleasant. Overall, I'm very happy with the change.
School is going well. I handed in my first big paper of the month last week and felt really good about it. I'm currently working on my last paper of the semester, which is by far the most difficult. It's for the same course that I had to write the history paper. I have to discuss the causes/risk factors for homicide in South Africa and El Salvador (I chose the countries and topic) and then design public health interventions for each countries in what is essentially a fifteen page paper. Oh my. I go back and forth between feeling confident and feeling like it is next to impossible, but pretty much everyone in our class is feeling the same way. I think this might be one of the hardest courses that I take, so I'm very much looking forward to it simply being over!
No news on the thesis stuff. The Learning Network is still and option, but not set in stone. I'm putting my search on the shelf for a little bit. I also officially handed in the paperwork to be in the Health Systems track last week.
That's all of my news for now. Surely I'll be looking to do a little more procrastinating in a week or so and will write again then.
Love to the States!
When we last left our heroine, she was learning to drive, anticipating May homework, and complacently settling for her job.
Well, I am still learning to drive, though honestly am feeling less optimistic about it. I experienced what I'm pretty sure was an actual panic attack during an attempt to drive to the Waterfront with Thomas and have been very turned off by even the thought of driving since. I did have another lesson last week where I drove to Hout Bay and back. It was a relaxed ride, kinda what I needed to "get back on the horse," but I've neglected to schedule another lesson yet. I can't remember the last time I felt so much anxiety about something!
In happier news, I have a new serving job! I was getting more and more disasatisfied with my previous job--it was dead almost every night, staff were treated horribly, and I was having more and more shifts with this terrible manager. On Friday, I went to have a haircut with the fabulous Natalie. While she was making my hair look amazing (seriously), I vented to her about my job. When I told her where I was working she was like, "I'm sorry but that place is a DIVE," and I had to agree! After telling her about my horrible manager, she was really encouraging to get myself out of there. She told me about a few restaurants in the area where she knew the owners took care of their staff and suggested I go drop off my CV.
I left early for work so that I could stop into a few places. Well, as it turned out, the very first place I walked into had just placed an ad in the paper for a part time waitress and after the owners spoke with me for a few minutes, they hired me on the spot! It is basically an Italian restaurant, pastas and pizza, and closer to me than my previous job. I had eaten there before I knew the food was good, they got steady business, and it is a nice atmosphere (not at all a "dive"). Went to work that night and told them it would be my last evening. Hooray!
I was glad I got to say good bye to a waitress I'm friends with there, although I know I'll see her again soon (we're planning to go out one night). Just a few things about her. She is from Zimbabwe originally, but now has been living in Cape Town with her boyfriend for a year or so. Before that, they were long distance with him in Zim and they did not see each other for TWO YEARS. They are very close and when I asked her about if they wanted to get married, she said that they did, but that he did not save enough yet to pay the bride price (I'm not sure of the word used in Zimbabwe) to her family. I felt so bad for her--she expressed frustration that they were bound to that tradition even though it was not important to her or her partner, but because of her family's expectations. Their families don't even know they live together in Cape Town! However, there is a happy ending. Her partner recently got a new job where he has been making better money and she told me a couple of weeks ago that they were going to be able to get married before the end of the year! So glad for her. I can't imagine how relieved she must feel.
Anyway, back to the new job. I began training today and, while it's still just a serving job, so far it has proved to be SO MUCH better than the last place! Staff are treated kindly and with respect--each shift that you work you get a free meal and drink. The owners are a married couple, the woman being Italian South African and the man being from Italy, I believe. The woman, Carla, was there with me for most of today and she was very pleasant and helpful. You can also tell that she takes a lot of pride in the restaurant which is really refreshing. I worked with her husband a little bit before my shift ended and he was also quite pleasant. Overall, I'm very happy with the change.
School is going well. I handed in my first big paper of the month last week and felt really good about it. I'm currently working on my last paper of the semester, which is by far the most difficult. It's for the same course that I had to write the history paper. I have to discuss the causes/risk factors for homicide in South Africa and El Salvador (I chose the countries and topic) and then design public health interventions for each countries in what is essentially a fifteen page paper. Oh my. I go back and forth between feeling confident and feeling like it is next to impossible, but pretty much everyone in our class is feeling the same way. I think this might be one of the hardest courses that I take, so I'm very much looking forward to it simply being over!
No news on the thesis stuff. The Learning Network is still and option, but not set in stone. I'm putting my search on the shelf for a little bit. I also officially handed in the paperwork to be in the Health Systems track last week.
That's all of my news for now. Surely I'll be looking to do a little more procrastinating in a week or so and will write again then.
Love to the States!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Climbing, Driving, and Same Old, Same Old
Hi folks!
Oh no, two weeks without writing--sorry about that! This will be a quick update. Thomas and I are heading out shortly to the climbing gym. Federico and Nany are very into outdoor climbing. We went with them and their friends Julie and Sam on Monday to a "wall" (outdoor rock) in Muizenberg. It was really fun to watch everyone climb up. It was Thomas and Julie's first time climbing outdoors and they did really well! I was tempted to join them, but I decided I would rather climb in the gym for my first time. So we're all going today! Don't think it'll become a hobby for me, but I'd like to at least try it.
School is rolling along. I've had a couple of meetings with the Learning Network, but I'm not 100% sure they are who I'll do my thesis with. It is a relief to know they are an option though! I have two big papers due in May, so I'll be relieved when they are over.
A few of my friends and I are planning a trip to Namibia in June. Has anyone out there visited there? Thoughts are welcome!
Yesterday I had my first driving lesson (to learn stick shift while driving on the left side of the road--two things I've never done before!) and it went really well. At first I wasn't sure if I liked my instructor. He seemed sort of disinterested. But he turned out to be perfect for me because he didn't really tell me what I was going to do next so I didn't have time to be nervous. He was very calm so I also stayed calm. By the end of the lesson I had driven us from Seapoint to Rondebosch and back through town up to Vredehoek, including being on the highway! I couldn't believe how much I got to do in one lesson. Thomas and I are going to practice in his car tomorrow and then I'll have another lesson next week.
Also, we had a nice Easter. We went to Annibale's house for a pot luck lunch. I made potato salad and we also had pasta and Zambian food. Yum!
For now, I'm keeping my same serving job. It's still mostly boring and I don't make too much, but I like the flexibility of it. I'm keeping my eyes out for other jobs and applying for stuff here and there as well.
Okay, time to go get ready! Love.
Oh no, two weeks without writing--sorry about that! This will be a quick update. Thomas and I are heading out shortly to the climbing gym. Federico and Nany are very into outdoor climbing. We went with them and their friends Julie and Sam on Monday to a "wall" (outdoor rock) in Muizenberg. It was really fun to watch everyone climb up. It was Thomas and Julie's first time climbing outdoors and they did really well! I was tempted to join them, but I decided I would rather climb in the gym for my first time. So we're all going today! Don't think it'll become a hobby for me, but I'd like to at least try it.
School is rolling along. I've had a couple of meetings with the Learning Network, but I'm not 100% sure they are who I'll do my thesis with. It is a relief to know they are an option though! I have two big papers due in May, so I'll be relieved when they are over.
A few of my friends and I are planning a trip to Namibia in June. Has anyone out there visited there? Thoughts are welcome!
Yesterday I had my first driving lesson (to learn stick shift while driving on the left side of the road--two things I've never done before!) and it went really well. At first I wasn't sure if I liked my instructor. He seemed sort of disinterested. But he turned out to be perfect for me because he didn't really tell me what I was going to do next so I didn't have time to be nervous. He was very calm so I also stayed calm. By the end of the lesson I had driven us from Seapoint to Rondebosch and back through town up to Vredehoek, including being on the highway! I couldn't believe how much I got to do in one lesson. Thomas and I are going to practice in his car tomorrow and then I'll have another lesson next week.
Also, we had a nice Easter. We went to Annibale's house for a pot luck lunch. I made potato salad and we also had pasta and Zambian food. Yum!
For now, I'm keeping my same serving job. It's still mostly boring and I don't make too much, but I like the flexibility of it. I'm keeping my eyes out for other jobs and applying for stuff here and there as well.
Okay, time to go get ready! Love.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Hello, America!
Writing to you all from sunny Cape Town! It's been a fun weekend. The weather has picked up a bit again and it seems winter will be delayed for a bit longer. Thomas and I seized what might one of our last opportunities to go to the beach this season and visited Camps Bay again on Saturday. Weather was perfect: hot and no Cape Doctor! That night we went to a new venue in town to see a couple of live bands. It was a very good time, especially since the 24 hour McDonalds was open afterwards...we weren't so lucky last time!
Yesterday was a very fun time. Thomas had the idea that we should have a braai which is basically a cook out or barbeque. He invited his friend Juliette whom I hadn't met before and Whitney, Federico, and Nany came as well. It was nice weather, good company, and Thomas the master chef made us some yummy steak rolls. :) It was the first time we had people over, so it was a lot of fun to play host.
The gym is going very well, although when Thomas is home it's hard to motivate myself to get up and go! I was very excited today because I realized I can now easily bend over and touch my toes--sadly that hasn't been so easy for many years! The gym also has the awesome spinning machines which basically lets you do the class by yourself. Tried it for the first time today and loved it!
As for school, I did meet with the health systems head, Lucy, and she thinks the hs track could be a good fit for me. I'm going to fill out the paper work this week and then it will be official. That means this is my last semester of biostats and possibly of epidemiology. I'm okay with that, since I really don't think those skills are going to be what I need for the type of employment I want. I'm glad I had the chance to consider the epi track though--I did enjoy the courses and they were interesting, but it just isn't the career path I see for myself.
Tomorrow I am meeting with a woman from the Learning Network for Health and Human Rights about my potential thesis project. If all goes well, I'll write another update soon with more details!
In other exciting news, my parents are talking about coming to visit some time over the next few months...so looking forward to it!
Have a great day everyone. Happy Monday!
Writing to you all from sunny Cape Town! It's been a fun weekend. The weather has picked up a bit again and it seems winter will be delayed for a bit longer. Thomas and I seized what might one of our last opportunities to go to the beach this season and visited Camps Bay again on Saturday. Weather was perfect: hot and no Cape Doctor! That night we went to a new venue in town to see a couple of live bands. It was a very good time, especially since the 24 hour McDonalds was open afterwards...we weren't so lucky last time!
Yesterday was a very fun time. Thomas had the idea that we should have a braai which is basically a cook out or barbeque. He invited his friend Juliette whom I hadn't met before and Whitney, Federico, and Nany came as well. It was nice weather, good company, and Thomas the master chef made us some yummy steak rolls. :) It was the first time we had people over, so it was a lot of fun to play host.
The gym is going very well, although when Thomas is home it's hard to motivate myself to get up and go! I was very excited today because I realized I can now easily bend over and touch my toes--sadly that hasn't been so easy for many years! The gym also has the awesome spinning machines which basically lets you do the class by yourself. Tried it for the first time today and loved it!
As for school, I did meet with the health systems head, Lucy, and she thinks the hs track could be a good fit for me. I'm going to fill out the paper work this week and then it will be official. That means this is my last semester of biostats and possibly of epidemiology. I'm okay with that, since I really don't think those skills are going to be what I need for the type of employment I want. I'm glad I had the chance to consider the epi track though--I did enjoy the courses and they were interesting, but it just isn't the career path I see for myself.
Tomorrow I am meeting with a woman from the Learning Network for Health and Human Rights about my potential thesis project. If all goes well, I'll write another update soon with more details!
In other exciting news, my parents are talking about coming to visit some time over the next few months...so looking forward to it!
Have a great day everyone. Happy Monday!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Hello, hello, America!
In just a few days I'll be able to start telling people I've been living in Cape Town for three months. Wow! It does feel longer sometimes. Christmas back in the States seems very far away.
Just a brief update here. The last week has been nice. Schoolwork has really let up since the last paper (did fairly well on it!), but I'm trying to keep myself motivated so I don't procrastinate on projects. I've met with two professors about potential thesis topics. They were both very interesting and fitting to me. I've always had a difficult time making decisions, largely because I'm interested in so many things! Right now I am pursuing one of the options further, but I would like to know more before I share the details. The fantastic news: that opportunity might lead to paid work. Fingers crossed!
Which brings me to my next update, which is that I'm looking for new jobs. I've found the environment there to be very frustrating as of late. It's been slow, I don't get much support from management, and the complete lack of teamwork is really disheartening. I know I'm not perfect either, but I see ways that it would be so easy to start getting us to work as a team and simply no effort is being made. Bah! Thankfully, there is a server and a bar tender that really seem to "get" it, and they definitely make life more tolerable there. One of the managers is also quite good, but unfortunately I don't work with her most of the time. I have no idea if/when another opportunity will work out (that will actually be better) but I'm looking.
Tomorrow morning I'm meeting with the Health Systems department head to officially change my MPH track. I've given it thought, and I think it's the best route for me. So barring her talking me out of it for some reason, I should be a on the health systems track as of tomorrow! I'll explain more later what that means.
Also, the gym is going well! Feeling healthier each day. :)
I'm feeling sleepy and have an early morning tomorrow, so that's all for now. It should be a fun, full day at school tomorrow and then Thomas will be getting home tomorrow night! Very excited to show him our beautiful new couch:
Goodnight, all!
In just a few days I'll be able to start telling people I've been living in Cape Town for three months. Wow! It does feel longer sometimes. Christmas back in the States seems very far away.
Just a brief update here. The last week has been nice. Schoolwork has really let up since the last paper (did fairly well on it!), but I'm trying to keep myself motivated so I don't procrastinate on projects. I've met with two professors about potential thesis topics. They were both very interesting and fitting to me. I've always had a difficult time making decisions, largely because I'm interested in so many things! Right now I am pursuing one of the options further, but I would like to know more before I share the details. The fantastic news: that opportunity might lead to paid work. Fingers crossed!
Which brings me to my next update, which is that I'm looking for new jobs. I've found the environment there to be very frustrating as of late. It's been slow, I don't get much support from management, and the complete lack of teamwork is really disheartening. I know I'm not perfect either, but I see ways that it would be so easy to start getting us to work as a team and simply no effort is being made. Bah! Thankfully, there is a server and a bar tender that really seem to "get" it, and they definitely make life more tolerable there. One of the managers is also quite good, but unfortunately I don't work with her most of the time. I have no idea if/when another opportunity will work out (that will actually be better) but I'm looking.
Tomorrow morning I'm meeting with the Health Systems department head to officially change my MPH track. I've given it thought, and I think it's the best route for me. So barring her talking me out of it for some reason, I should be a on the health systems track as of tomorrow! I'll explain more later what that means.
Also, the gym is going well! Feeling healthier each day. :)
I'm feeling sleepy and have an early morning tomorrow, so that's all for now. It should be a fun, full day at school tomorrow and then Thomas will be getting home tomorrow night! Very excited to show him our beautiful new couch:
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Oh happy day!
Just thought I'd share a bit of happiness with y'all. My days anymore are mostly straight forward and simple, but I am starting to find joy in my routines. There's a good chance that in a couple of years I'll be back to my old busy, busy life. For now, I'm taking time to take care of my body (first zumba class this morning...loved it!) and mind (school school school and Jane Eyre) and it feels really good.
Last night I was able to leave work early--no tables in two hours, yikes! Tonight's experiment: whether slight rain makes people want half price pizza more or less.
Tomorrow I'm meeting with a campus doctor about a potential thesis topic...fingers crossed for something good!
Last night I was able to leave work early--no tables in two hours, yikes! Tonight's experiment: whether slight rain makes people want half price pizza more or less.
Tomorrow I'm meeting with a campus doctor about a potential thesis topic...fingers crossed for something good!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Life is Good
Hello, hello!
I am writing to you all in good spirits! The last week was certainly busy with lots of prepping and paper writing, but I handed in my first Biostats assignment and turned in a major paper for my Gender and Health course which was a gender analysis of rape in South Africa. I put a lot of reading, note taking, and thought into the paper and am pretty proud of the work I did. We'll see what the professor thinks though! Regardless of the mark, I certainly learned a lot from the research process.
Although I am giving myself a bit of a break, I don't want to lose momentum. I have two more big papers due at the end of May. One will be on homicide in South Africa and El Salvador and the other I still need to choose a final topic for, but will be an evaluation of how gender sensitive a program is. Although I won't be turning in my mini-dissertation until the end of next year, I decided to contact some people doing research at UCT to learn about what they are doing and see if it might be appropriate for my project. Hopefully at least one of them gets back to me with interest. Will let y'all know if something pans out!
As per usual I am changing my mind often about what I want to do with my degree when I graduate. Currently, I've been thinking a lot about ways to improve health services, both for staff and patients. A friend of mine used to be a nurse here and actually changed careers because she became so frustrated with the system and barriers to giving good care. We also did a class on childbirth in South Africa last week and talked a lot about patient abuse and neglect in that setting, something that also came up in the abortion lecture and likely exists in other health care settings as well. They are such large problems that it is hard to know where to begin to address them, but it would something I would certainly be interested in dedicating my career to. Of course science and medicine are incredibly important, but why deliver those services without treating patients with dignity and care? And isn't mistreatment detrimental to health outcomes (well actually, I don't know, will have to look into what research has been done)? These are things I would be interested in further examining not only in South Africa but in the U.S. as well.
As for my social life, it's doing well! Thursday night an MPHer from Italy, Annibale, had a group of us over for "International Dinner" night. We were all supposed to bring a dish from our culture. Well, I didn't have time to even attempt cooking something, so I bought an apple tart (closest thing I could find to apple pie, one of the few dishes I could associate with America!) and ice cream. I was glad it was the only dessert and folks seemed to enjoy it. We also had guacamole, curry, lentil rice, AWESOME pasta, and arepas (by Federico and Nany, los colombianos). And of course, lots of wine. :) It was really nice to spend more time with the MPHers outside of class to just talk and enjoy delicious food. We all agreed it should happen again soon.
Saturday was the night of the birthday party my customers invited me to. They are a really friendly group, so I figured why not, but didn't know what to expect. I had no reason to be nervous as everyone at the party were just as warm and welcoming as my regulars. It was quite the fun event that I could go on in detail about....summarized version: amazing spicy seafood curry, monk cleansing the house, one of my adorable regulars, Shane, regailing us with Whitney Houston songs (amazing coming out of a boy!), Dutch lesson from folks from the Netherlands and, once again, lots of good wine! I also met one of Shane's friends who works for Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and has been working on the research that shows ARV treatment can prevent HIV infection in those uninfected--kinda like meeting a local rock star, imho!
I was torn about whether to leave such a fun gathering, but headed out a little after midnight to catch up with some MPHers out for a lady's night in town. From there, I decided to go dancing with Eliana at a place called DecoDance, which she always talks about. It's a more expensive cab ride for me, but it was a really fun time--they play a lot of hits from the '80s and '90s and we really enjoyed ourselves. It felt to get out and dance after all of that paper writing!
I guess the last update is that I LOVE my gym! I met with one of their staff on Friday and she helped me with an exercise plan. This is SO hopefully for me because I am a planner and really need structure for motivation. I'm planning on doing yoga once a week in addition to my regular workouts, and will probably be checking out a dance class on Saturday. There is also a yummy smoothie place in the gym, so I treated myself today. They have those frequent buyer cards and if you buy a smoothie on a Monday you get two stickers instead of one. So I've decided that for each week a stick to my workout plan, I will reward myself the following Monday with a smoothie!
Oh and Thomas is wonderful. :) He's away again for two weeks but I have a lot of good things going for me to keep me busy til he gets back. Our couch should be arriving in a little over week which, speaking for both of us, we are super excited about! He also got us a coffee table and microwave, so once the couch arrives we'll be pretty settled in.
I can't delude myself into believing I'm never going to feel homesick again, but my first wave has passed and I am soaking up the sun and loving life here. I think part of what was helpful was to begin planning my visit home in the winter--hopefully I'll be back in time for Thanksgiving!
That's all for now. Remember, I have skype at home now, so get in touch with me if you want to have a chat! Sundays are best for me, usually.
Love y'all,
Kristen
I am writing to you all in good spirits! The last week was certainly busy with lots of prepping and paper writing, but I handed in my first Biostats assignment and turned in a major paper for my Gender and Health course which was a gender analysis of rape in South Africa. I put a lot of reading, note taking, and thought into the paper and am pretty proud of the work I did. We'll see what the professor thinks though! Regardless of the mark, I certainly learned a lot from the research process.
Although I am giving myself a bit of a break, I don't want to lose momentum. I have two more big papers due at the end of May. One will be on homicide in South Africa and El Salvador and the other I still need to choose a final topic for, but will be an evaluation of how gender sensitive a program is. Although I won't be turning in my mini-dissertation until the end of next year, I decided to contact some people doing research at UCT to learn about what they are doing and see if it might be appropriate for my project. Hopefully at least one of them gets back to me with interest. Will let y'all know if something pans out!
As per usual I am changing my mind often about what I want to do with my degree when I graduate. Currently, I've been thinking a lot about ways to improve health services, both for staff and patients. A friend of mine used to be a nurse here and actually changed careers because she became so frustrated with the system and barriers to giving good care. We also did a class on childbirth in South Africa last week and talked a lot about patient abuse and neglect in that setting, something that also came up in the abortion lecture and likely exists in other health care settings as well. They are such large problems that it is hard to know where to begin to address them, but it would something I would certainly be interested in dedicating my career to. Of course science and medicine are incredibly important, but why deliver those services without treating patients with dignity and care? And isn't mistreatment detrimental to health outcomes (well actually, I don't know, will have to look into what research has been done)? These are things I would be interested in further examining not only in South Africa but in the U.S. as well.
As for my social life, it's doing well! Thursday night an MPHer from Italy, Annibale, had a group of us over for "International Dinner" night. We were all supposed to bring a dish from our culture. Well, I didn't have time to even attempt cooking something, so I bought an apple tart (closest thing I could find to apple pie, one of the few dishes I could associate with America!) and ice cream. I was glad it was the only dessert and folks seemed to enjoy it. We also had guacamole, curry, lentil rice, AWESOME pasta, and arepas (by Federico and Nany, los colombianos). And of course, lots of wine. :) It was really nice to spend more time with the MPHers outside of class to just talk and enjoy delicious food. We all agreed it should happen again soon.
Saturday was the night of the birthday party my customers invited me to. They are a really friendly group, so I figured why not, but didn't know what to expect. I had no reason to be nervous as everyone at the party were just as warm and welcoming as my regulars. It was quite the fun event that I could go on in detail about....summarized version: amazing spicy seafood curry, monk cleansing the house, one of my adorable regulars, Shane, regailing us with Whitney Houston songs (amazing coming out of a boy!), Dutch lesson from folks from the Netherlands and, once again, lots of good wine! I also met one of Shane's friends who works for Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and has been working on the research that shows ARV treatment can prevent HIV infection in those uninfected--kinda like meeting a local rock star, imho!
I was torn about whether to leave such a fun gathering, but headed out a little after midnight to catch up with some MPHers out for a lady's night in town. From there, I decided to go dancing with Eliana at a place called DecoDance, which she always talks about. It's a more expensive cab ride for me, but it was a really fun time--they play a lot of hits from the '80s and '90s and we really enjoyed ourselves. It felt to get out and dance after all of that paper writing!
I guess the last update is that I LOVE my gym! I met with one of their staff on Friday and she helped me with an exercise plan. This is SO hopefully for me because I am a planner and really need structure for motivation. I'm planning on doing yoga once a week in addition to my regular workouts, and will probably be checking out a dance class on Saturday. There is also a yummy smoothie place in the gym, so I treated myself today. They have those frequent buyer cards and if you buy a smoothie on a Monday you get two stickers instead of one. So I've decided that for each week a stick to my workout plan, I will reward myself the following Monday with a smoothie!
Oh and Thomas is wonderful. :) He's away again for two weeks but I have a lot of good things going for me to keep me busy til he gets back. Our couch should be arriving in a little over week which, speaking for both of us, we are super excited about! He also got us a coffee table and microwave, so once the couch arrives we'll be pretty settled in.
I can't delude myself into believing I'm never going to feel homesick again, but my first wave has passed and I am soaking up the sun and loving life here. I think part of what was helpful was to begin planning my visit home in the winter--hopefully I'll be back in time for Thanksgiving!
That's all for now. Remember, I have skype at home now, so get in touch with me if you want to have a chat! Sundays are best for me, usually.
Love y'all,
Kristen
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Busy busy!
Hi folks!
It's a busy week, but as I've fallen behind once again, I figured I would give a quick update!
I'm very bogged down this week with school work: an assignment due tomorrow and paper due Monday, but it's going okay and I'm trying to stay positive! Thomas has been home the last few days and while I've mostly just been reading and writing, it's been great having him nearby.
My exciting news is that I finally joined a gym! It's a really beautiful facility and I'm looking forward to using it more. I took a yoga class on Sunday and will be exploring more of what it has to offer once I turn this paper in.
Waitressing is going alright. Sometimes it's a little stressful because of how the place is run, but I really enjoy the regulars who come in. Several of them have taken to calling me "Jersey Girl." :) A few of them actually invited me to a birthday party Saturday night, which was really sweet. I'm definitely still looking for other jobs pertaining more to public health, but I'm really glad to have the extra pocket money and different scenery throughout the week.
At this point, I'm pretty dedicated to just doing a general track MPH, but I will hopefully be meeting with the head of the health systems track soon to learn more about health systems and possibly incorporating more systems courses into my degree.
That's all for now! Sounds like the weather is improving for y'all back home. We had some KILLER hot days over the weekend, but it's cooled down considerably and been a bit overcast.
More from me soon!
Love,
Kristen
It's a busy week, but as I've fallen behind once again, I figured I would give a quick update!
I'm very bogged down this week with school work: an assignment due tomorrow and paper due Monday, but it's going okay and I'm trying to stay positive! Thomas has been home the last few days and while I've mostly just been reading and writing, it's been great having him nearby.
My exciting news is that I finally joined a gym! It's a really beautiful facility and I'm looking forward to using it more. I took a yoga class on Sunday and will be exploring more of what it has to offer once I turn this paper in.
Waitressing is going alright. Sometimes it's a little stressful because of how the place is run, but I really enjoy the regulars who come in. Several of them have taken to calling me "Jersey Girl." :) A few of them actually invited me to a birthday party Saturday night, which was really sweet. I'm definitely still looking for other jobs pertaining more to public health, but I'm really glad to have the extra pocket money and different scenery throughout the week.
At this point, I'm pretty dedicated to just doing a general track MPH, but I will hopefully be meeting with the head of the health systems track soon to learn more about health systems and possibly incorporating more systems courses into my degree.
That's all for now! Sounds like the weather is improving for y'all back home. We had some KILLER hot days over the weekend, but it's cooled down considerably and been a bit overcast.
More from me soon!
Love,
Kristen
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Hey everyone,
Sorry I'm so far behind on updating. For a little while I was waiting to have things to write about and then I got a bit busy and didn't get around to writing!
First of all, a little over a week ago I finally got that pang of homesickness I was expecting much earlier. I was feeling frustrated knowing that back home I have an amazing set of friends, my family, had a job I loved, community organizations I believed in...sometimes I can't help but wonder what exactly it is that I'm doing here. Those moments are rare, but they happen. I think that even when we are pursuing things that we love, we all have moments of questioning.
After a couple of days, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and figure out what to do with my life here. I chose to stop banking on finding a research job and starting looking into being a server again. The fact is, I just needed to get out of the apartment, interact with people, and have something else to think about besides school, my relationship, and what I should make for dinner. I dropped my CV off at a few places and was basically offered two jobs almost immediately, one of which is in Vredehoek. I decided to take that one since I could walk to work and because the manager I spoke with made it sound like a local place with a lot of regulars. I liked that vibe.
I started training last night and it was a pretty good time. Unfortunately, it was a slow night and somewhat boring--I like to keep busy. But the people I work with are cool and I was pretty amused that kitchen staff automatically took to me because I was American. There was also a hysterical moment when two of the regulars were discussing me. The one guy told the other that I was a "Jersey girl" and he took it to mean I was from Jersey...like Europe...yeah no. :) But we had a good laugh. The whole experience helped me realize just how much I've come to like working with people (even though I still think I'm an introvert!). I think it's going to be a good experience for me.
I also made some new friends which helped get me out of my slump, too. I had a met a woman, Catherine, who worked in a shop on Long Street a couple of weeks ago. We had chatted for a bit and when we realized we were both interested in women's health, decided to connect later on facebook. At first we didn't really talk, but my friend Federico's girlfriend, Nany, invited me to a SWEAT march for sex workers' rights. I passed the info on to Catherine and sure enough she came. The march was a really good experience and it felt awesome to be involved with activism again. As Federico pointed out to me, it was really amazing and brave that so many of the sex workers came to march--the purpose of the march was to call for decriminalization of sex work, but sex work is still illegal in South Africa (to learn more about decriminalization, check out SWEAT's website, linked above). Afterwards, Catherine, Federico, Nany, another SWEAT volunteer, Flor, and I went to the Eastern Food Bizarre, which is one of my fave places to eat in town. Cheap, delicious food of Asian influences? Yes, please! Everyone seemed to hit it off with each other and we had good conversation before heading off to class.
I mentioned to Catherine that I was going to watch the Pride parade on Saturday, and she told me not to be silly, that I should walk with her and the store in the parade! It was really cool with her to be so welcoming. I did walk with her and the store owner. I had an awesome time! It was very hot, but the walk was nice and some of the floats sprayed water to cool us off. After the parade you could pay R30 (less than 5 USD) to hang out outside the stadium to watch different performances. My initial thought after the parade was that I was tired and wanted to go home, but we ended up dancing for several hours! Federico and Nany also showed up. My new friend Natasha (who is friends with Catherine) then invited us all to go back to her place to eat dinner. We stopped to pick up food and then Catherine put together the meal for us! So there I was, randomly hanging out with a whole lot of people I'd just met (including more of Natasha's friends whom were at home) having a great time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Leave it to Pride to bring people together!
So I would say that between the job and spending time with new friends has really helped me feel better. I don't think it's ever going to be easy being away from so many people I love, but I am starting to make more connections here, too.
Tomorrow night I am going to a documentary about women's sexual and reproductive rights. Thursday is a double class day and then I'll be finishing training at work on Friday and Saturday. Then I can start taking real shifts and actually make money!
Just writing this post was really helpful to remind me of all the good stuff I have going on, as I was starting to feel a bit down again today. I really miss you all!
Sorry I'm so far behind on updating. For a little while I was waiting to have things to write about and then I got a bit busy and didn't get around to writing!
First of all, a little over a week ago I finally got that pang of homesickness I was expecting much earlier. I was feeling frustrated knowing that back home I have an amazing set of friends, my family, had a job I loved, community organizations I believed in...sometimes I can't help but wonder what exactly it is that I'm doing here. Those moments are rare, but they happen. I think that even when we are pursuing things that we love, we all have moments of questioning.
After a couple of days, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and figure out what to do with my life here. I chose to stop banking on finding a research job and starting looking into being a server again. The fact is, I just needed to get out of the apartment, interact with people, and have something else to think about besides school, my relationship, and what I should make for dinner. I dropped my CV off at a few places and was basically offered two jobs almost immediately, one of which is in Vredehoek. I decided to take that one since I could walk to work and because the manager I spoke with made it sound like a local place with a lot of regulars. I liked that vibe.
I started training last night and it was a pretty good time. Unfortunately, it was a slow night and somewhat boring--I like to keep busy. But the people I work with are cool and I was pretty amused that kitchen staff automatically took to me because I was American. There was also a hysterical moment when two of the regulars were discussing me. The one guy told the other that I was a "Jersey girl" and he took it to mean I was from Jersey...like Europe...yeah no. :) But we had a good laugh. The whole experience helped me realize just how much I've come to like working with people (even though I still think I'm an introvert!). I think it's going to be a good experience for me.
I also made some new friends which helped get me out of my slump, too. I had a met a woman, Catherine, who worked in a shop on Long Street a couple of weeks ago. We had chatted for a bit and when we realized we were both interested in women's health, decided to connect later on facebook. At first we didn't really talk, but my friend Federico's girlfriend, Nany, invited me to a SWEAT march for sex workers' rights. I passed the info on to Catherine and sure enough she came. The march was a really good experience and it felt awesome to be involved with activism again. As Federico pointed out to me, it was really amazing and brave that so many of the sex workers came to march--the purpose of the march was to call for decriminalization of sex work, but sex work is still illegal in South Africa (to learn more about decriminalization, check out SWEAT's website, linked above). Afterwards, Catherine, Federico, Nany, another SWEAT volunteer, Flor, and I went to the Eastern Food Bizarre, which is one of my fave places to eat in town. Cheap, delicious food of Asian influences? Yes, please! Everyone seemed to hit it off with each other and we had good conversation before heading off to class.
I mentioned to Catherine that I was going to watch the Pride parade on Saturday, and she told me not to be silly, that I should walk with her and the store in the parade! It was really cool with her to be so welcoming. I did walk with her and the store owner. I had an awesome time! It was very hot, but the walk was nice and some of the floats sprayed water to cool us off. After the parade you could pay R30 (less than 5 USD) to hang out outside the stadium to watch different performances. My initial thought after the parade was that I was tired and wanted to go home, but we ended up dancing for several hours! Federico and Nany also showed up. My new friend Natasha (who is friends with Catherine) then invited us all to go back to her place to eat dinner. We stopped to pick up food and then Catherine put together the meal for us! So there I was, randomly hanging out with a whole lot of people I'd just met (including more of Natasha's friends whom were at home) having a great time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Leave it to Pride to bring people together!
So I would say that between the job and spending time with new friends has really helped me feel better. I don't think it's ever going to be easy being away from so many people I love, but I am starting to make more connections here, too.
Tomorrow night I am going to a documentary about women's sexual and reproductive rights. Thursday is a double class day and then I'll be finishing training at work on Friday and Saturday. Then I can start taking real shifts and actually make money!
Just writing this post was really helpful to remind me of all the good stuff I have going on, as I was starting to feel a bit down again today. I really miss you all!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
More Pictures!
Hi folks! I have a written post coming soon, but I've been receiving a lot of requests for pictures. Click here to see some from hiking, the beach, and more!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
The Abortion Entry
If you know me well, you knew this was coming. Maybe you didn't know it was coming. This post isn't meant to be controversial in anyway or start up moral debates.
On Tuesday we had a lecture on abortion in South Africa in my Gender and Health course. Prior to the class, we read two studies that the guest speaker, Jane Harries, had conducted: one on health workers' attitudes on abortion and the other on delays in seeking abortion until the second trimester. She also recently did another study but is having trouble finding a publisher. As one might imagine, it can be difficult for researchers to receive support in examining abortion.
It's impossible to cover everything that I learned in one entry, so I'll try to summarize my thoughts (all of the info is coming from her presentation and studies. Email me if you want more detailed info). First of all, South Africa has some of the most liberal abortion legislation in the world. This is a recent development that occurred in 1996; prior to that it was very restricted. Most of the rest of African nations still have very restrictive laws on abortion, which leads to unsafe, illegal abortions. Approximately 68,000 women die every year from illegal abortion and many more are injured, often permanently. Keep in mind that abortion is an extremely safe procedure when done in a legitimate medical setting, so the liberal laws in South Africa have saved thousands of lives. Abortion is available on demand in the first trimester of pregnancy, though it is more restricted in the second trimester (only for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, fetal abnormality, life threat to the woman carrying, or if the woman can prove low income status). Abortions are also FREE in the public sector. Yes, free! In the U.S, first trimester abortions cost about $300-$700 depending on where you are, and second trimester procedures can be $2000-3000. Something else exciting is that "mid-level" providers, such as midwives, are allowed to perform first trimester abortions here with MVA. (By the way, abortion rights are increasingly under attack in the U.S. If you'd like to learn more and support abortion access in the U.S., please click here).
Something surprising was the high percentage of South African abortions that occur in the second trimester. Later term abortions are relatively rare in the States, but here they account for 20+% of all abortions. Harries' study on delays in seeking abortion covered most of the same issues I've heard from women back home, so I haven't drawn a conclusion myself for why there are more delays here.
Probably the biggest shock for me was that medication abortion is very commonly used for second trimester procedures. Back home, it was offered to nine weeks at the latest, and to seven weeks in the FDA approved version. Here, a woman in the second trimester can be admitted to a hospital, administered medication, and then waits it out until she passes the pregnancy. To me, I can only imagine that that is a very difficult, painful (physically and emotionally) process for the woman. I would really love to see a study on women's experiences of second trimester medication abortion (I believe that is what Harries' latest study examines, so I am going to try and get my hands on it!).
Overall, despite the liberal legislation, there are certainly problems with the implementation. When the most recent legislation came out in the nineties, very few doctors were trained or prepared to offer abortion services. Also, the stigma of abortion often keeps providers from getting training even when they are seeking it out. Most disheartening to me was to hear that there isn't much pre or post abortion counseling being given to clients, and that includes contraceptive counseling. I wish there were some type of organization to offer these services, even outside of the clinic setting, like CHOICE or Exhale back home. Giving women safe spaces to discuss their health, particularly with a professional, is something that I am very passionate about. I wish I could find away to be involved with such initiatives here.
I'm going to leave the abortion portion of this entry there. But if you have questions or want more info, leave it in the comments or email me (disrespectful anti comments will be removed, so please show courtesy!).
Some updates in addition to all of that...we now have home internet (thank you, Thomas)! Schedule your skype call with me when you have time!
I've been a bit of a hermit this weekend after a bunch of classmates and I went out on Thursday to celebrate handing in our first paper. Tonight, I am going with my friends Bob and Ozie to some type of church gala dinner thingy. I have no idea what religion it's for, so it could be interesting! But it should be fun. Tomorrow night, Thomas gets home for a couple of days (yay!), so we're planning on possibly going to beach and also going out with the MPHers on Monday. I'm also going to try to persuade him that we should buy our couch this week!
Missing y'all!
On Tuesday we had a lecture on abortion in South Africa in my Gender and Health course. Prior to the class, we read two studies that the guest speaker, Jane Harries, had conducted: one on health workers' attitudes on abortion and the other on delays in seeking abortion until the second trimester. She also recently did another study but is having trouble finding a publisher. As one might imagine, it can be difficult for researchers to receive support in examining abortion.
It's impossible to cover everything that I learned in one entry, so I'll try to summarize my thoughts (all of the info is coming from her presentation and studies. Email me if you want more detailed info). First of all, South Africa has some of the most liberal abortion legislation in the world. This is a recent development that occurred in 1996; prior to that it was very restricted. Most of the rest of African nations still have very restrictive laws on abortion, which leads to unsafe, illegal abortions. Approximately 68,000 women die every year from illegal abortion and many more are injured, often permanently. Keep in mind that abortion is an extremely safe procedure when done in a legitimate medical setting, so the liberal laws in South Africa have saved thousands of lives. Abortion is available on demand in the first trimester of pregnancy, though it is more restricted in the second trimester (only for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, fetal abnormality, life threat to the woman carrying, or if the woman can prove low income status). Abortions are also FREE in the public sector. Yes, free! In the U.S, first trimester abortions cost about $300-$700 depending on where you are, and second trimester procedures can be $2000-3000. Something else exciting is that "mid-level" providers, such as midwives, are allowed to perform first trimester abortions here with MVA. (By the way, abortion rights are increasingly under attack in the U.S. If you'd like to learn more and support abortion access in the U.S., please click here).
Something surprising was the high percentage of South African abortions that occur in the second trimester. Later term abortions are relatively rare in the States, but here they account for 20+% of all abortions. Harries' study on delays in seeking abortion covered most of the same issues I've heard from women back home, so I haven't drawn a conclusion myself for why there are more delays here.
Probably the biggest shock for me was that medication abortion is very commonly used for second trimester procedures. Back home, it was offered to nine weeks at the latest, and to seven weeks in the FDA approved version. Here, a woman in the second trimester can be admitted to a hospital, administered medication, and then waits it out until she passes the pregnancy. To me, I can only imagine that that is a very difficult, painful (physically and emotionally) process for the woman. I would really love to see a study on women's experiences of second trimester medication abortion (I believe that is what Harries' latest study examines, so I am going to try and get my hands on it!).
Overall, despite the liberal legislation, there are certainly problems with the implementation. When the most recent legislation came out in the nineties, very few doctors were trained or prepared to offer abortion services. Also, the stigma of abortion often keeps providers from getting training even when they are seeking it out. Most disheartening to me was to hear that there isn't much pre or post abortion counseling being given to clients, and that includes contraceptive counseling. I wish there were some type of organization to offer these services, even outside of the clinic setting, like CHOICE or Exhale back home. Giving women safe spaces to discuss their health, particularly with a professional, is something that I am very passionate about. I wish I could find away to be involved with such initiatives here.
I'm going to leave the abortion portion of this entry there. But if you have questions or want more info, leave it in the comments or email me (disrespectful anti comments will be removed, so please show courtesy!).
Some updates in addition to all of that...we now have home internet (thank you, Thomas)! Schedule your skype call with me when you have time!
I've been a bit of a hermit this weekend after a bunch of classmates and I went out on Thursday to celebrate handing in our first paper. Tonight, I am going with my friends Bob and Ozie to some type of church gala dinner thingy. I have no idea what religion it's for, so it could be interesting! But it should be fun. Tomorrow night, Thomas gets home for a couple of days (yay!), so we're planning on possibly going to beach and also going out with the MPHers on Monday. I'm also going to try to persuade him that we should buy our couch this week!
Missing y'all!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thar She Blows!
Hello folks,
Oh what a day. This morning, while the Telecom guy was here to install our internet (hooray! however, we won’t be totally up and running for at least a couple more days), the wind blew one of our balcony doors open (which were locked, by the way) and shattered the glass in one of the four doors. At the time, I was downstairs letting the guy out to check the box. At the sound of broken glass, I went upstairs to discover it!
The wind has been very, very strong since last night. I was loving it since we finally had a nice, cool evening, but obviously this is the downside. I have to say, our landlord was amazing about it—it’s already repaired. Phew. I couldn’t figure out what actually broke the glass, but the repair guy said very likely it was just a direct result of the wind. Geez.
Otherwise, it’s been an uneventful week. Studying, catching up on laundry, etc.
I finally started that dreaded history paper and have a decent chunk complete. To prep, I read some of our professor’s (Howard Phillips) book UCT: The Formative Years. It was actually a really interesting read, especially as a student. When UCT first started training doctors, they were only able to provide the first year of medical school and then students would travel overseas to complete their studies. In 1920, they were able to offer the full program for the first time. It was soon evident that class rooms and clinical space were too limited for the amount of students training, so in the late ‘20s, they moved to a new Health Sciences campus in Observatory, which is where I take classes now! They also built Groote Schuur Hospital specially to be a University hospital, which I didn’t know. It was finished in 1938. I had thought the hospital was older than that.
Something else really interesting (and horrifying) was that originally Indian and Colored (people of mixed race) medical students were forced to complete clinical trainings abroad, as they were not to work in white wards. No one in the faculty really spoke up about it, because it was thought breaking that rule would place the medical program in jeopardy. Because of WWII, in 1943 Indian and Colored students were allowed to do clinical in Groote Schuur, but they weren’t allowed to see White patients—even if they were deceased! Seriously?! Seriously. And even that policy was thought of as liberal! His book says the policy continued until the 1960s, but I’m not sure what changes were put in place then.
Another interesting thing we learned in class was how the outbreak of the bubonic plague at the beginning of the twentieth century followed by the flu outbreak of 1918 (which was devastating…dead bodies in the streets, etc.) led to some of the first racially segregated living. The plague was blamed on dock workers (of color) for bringing it in with their cargo and they were driven out of Cape Town. A similar thing happened in 1918, especially because more and more Black residents were arriving.
I should totally get an A in this class, right? J
I’m working on some Epidemiology right now, since I had to miss class today for the repairs (thankfully this professor had made it very clear that it’s okay to miss class if we need to). Hopefully I’ll be posting this in an hour or so since my plan is to head to Sidewalk Café for dinner and internet! (actually, Sidewalk's internet cut out while I was there, probably due to the wind? So I'm posting this a day late, from another Vredehoek cafe with free internet that I recently discovered).
I’ve been spending so much time alone, it’s strange. Definitely missing my friends and family back home. <3
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday Fun
Hello friends!
Apologies for not updating for over a week--it seems that time got away from me! My internet availability is a little patchy as well. This week I won't have much access, but Thomas is working on getting us a home connection so I should be a little more available to y'all soon.
Block classes are officially over! Last week was Introduction to Epidemiology, during which we focused on research study designs. I personally found this extremely helpful since I haven't actually done research before. I think I'll learn a lot from Epi and am excited to work more on the course. For my other classes, I have a couple of assignments come up, some of which I'm more excited about than others. Overall, I am still really enjoying the program and feel it is a good fit for me. School wise, this will probably be my busiest semester as I am taking four courses. Next semester I am planning on taking three and then I'll have to complete three more plus my dissertation over the following two semesters.
I've had more opportunities to spend time with some of my classmates. We're really blessed to have such an enthusiastic, fun group of people. Yesterday, a group of us went on a hike. If you're like Thomas, right now you are saying, "You went on a WHAT?" Okay guys, I know I'm not the most athletic person out there, but I figured the naturally beauty paired with being with the MPHers would make for a good time. And it did!
We went to Crystal Pools, which is near Gordon's Bay, about 45 minutes or so from the city. I got a ride from Eben (South Africa), along with his wife, Aldi and my friend Eliana (US). We left early, which turned out to be a good idea. The morning hike was nice and cool and we seemed to beat a lot of the crowds.
The concept of Crystal Pools is wonderful. You hike about 45 minutes on fairly flat terrain (save some spots where you make climbs up or down) until you reach the first pool. The pools are natural bodies of water and there are about six of them throughout the trail. So, once you finish a portion of your hike and are feeling hot, tired, and sweaty, you get to go for a refreshing swim in a beautiful place. That's my kind of hike!
We stopped at the third pool first. Once you reach the first pool, the next two are not very far, about fifteen minutes more for each. However, the hiking changes to be more steep. This made me nervous, but it turned out it wasn't actually too difficult. Katrine (who is from Denmark, but spent many years growing up in Princeton, as it turns out!), is a seasoned hiker and was really cool about explaining to me that it would actually be a lot easier to come back down the steeper areas than it looked (and she was right!). I was pretty exhausted when we reached the third pool but by the time we decided to hike to one of the higher ones, I was very refreshed and, perhaps the adreneline was kicking in, because I felt fantastic during that portion of the hike. I must've been channeling my dear friend Tamra, because suddenly the climbing and hiking felt wonderful instead of tiring. We had trouble finding the next pool, but I didn't mind. We climbed fairly high up into the mountain, which was probably my favorite part of the hike. Eventually we found our way over to what was either the fourth or fifth pond and we ate lunch and had another swim. Some people were climbing up the rock formations to jump or dive into the pools. Honestly, the pools were pretty deep, so it didn't seem too dangerous...but I'd rather just watch that part. :)
The hike back out was a little less fun, because we knew there was no refreshing pool at the end, haha. However, we made it! We were on the trails either hiking or swimming for about 8 hours and it felt pretty good to have done that. I won't lie, I'm feeling the burn today though!
That night was my friend Bob's (Zambia) birthday, so we went out to a little bar on Long Street. It was a good speed after a long day. We hung out on the large balcony which was very conducive to talking, although there was a live band inside. I got to chat more with Whitney (US) about the time she spent living in Liberia! I can't wait to hear even more about it. I love hearing about places other people have been. Vicarious traveling! I also met some of Bob's friends from outside of the MPH program, and they were just as warm and friendly as he is. Bob is one of those people you can't help but smile around and he brings a great energy to our group. After midnight I decided to make an early night of it and caught a cab home.
This week should be fairly relaxed. Right now I am enjoying a glorious breakfast at the Sidewalk Cafe, which is basically around the corner from our place. Not only is the food delicious, but the presentation is always gorgeous--today, my platter had a huge flower on it which was just lovely. I'm planning on trying to catch a taxi down to a nearby mall, just to browse and pick up a few needed things. Not sure how regularly the taxis run on Sundays, so if that doesn't work out, I'll probably skip the mall (the burn is making me not want to walk too much right now!) and relax at home. I only have Epi this week for two hours, so on the other days I'll be working on assignments and sending out my resume for part time jobs. On Tuesday we also have a meet and greet for graduate students and faculty.
Friday Thomas will fly home so that we can U2 in the World Cup stadium--very exciting!
Lastly, I would really like to know if there is anything in particular you would like to hear about in this blog. Although this is my first time living in Cape Town, it's a place I'm somewhat familiar with. So if there is something you'd like to know more about, please let me know and I will be more than happy to write about it!
Sending y'all love back home.
Apologies for not updating for over a week--it seems that time got away from me! My internet availability is a little patchy as well. This week I won't have much access, but Thomas is working on getting us a home connection so I should be a little more available to y'all soon.
Block classes are officially over! Last week was Introduction to Epidemiology, during which we focused on research study designs. I personally found this extremely helpful since I haven't actually done research before. I think I'll learn a lot from Epi and am excited to work more on the course. For my other classes, I have a couple of assignments come up, some of which I'm more excited about than others. Overall, I am still really enjoying the program and feel it is a good fit for me. School wise, this will probably be my busiest semester as I am taking four courses. Next semester I am planning on taking three and then I'll have to complete three more plus my dissertation over the following two semesters.
I've had more opportunities to spend time with some of my classmates. We're really blessed to have such an enthusiastic, fun group of people. Yesterday, a group of us went on a hike. If you're like Thomas, right now you are saying, "You went on a WHAT?" Okay guys, I know I'm not the most athletic person out there, but I figured the naturally beauty paired with being with the MPHers would make for a good time. And it did!
We went to Crystal Pools, which is near Gordon's Bay, about 45 minutes or so from the city. I got a ride from Eben (South Africa), along with his wife, Aldi and my friend Eliana (US). We left early, which turned out to be a good idea. The morning hike was nice and cool and we seemed to beat a lot of the crowds.
The concept of Crystal Pools is wonderful. You hike about 45 minutes on fairly flat terrain (save some spots where you make climbs up or down) until you reach the first pool. The pools are natural bodies of water and there are about six of them throughout the trail. So, once you finish a portion of your hike and are feeling hot, tired, and sweaty, you get to go for a refreshing swim in a beautiful place. That's my kind of hike!
We stopped at the third pool first. Once you reach the first pool, the next two are not very far, about fifteen minutes more for each. However, the hiking changes to be more steep. This made me nervous, but it turned out it wasn't actually too difficult. Katrine (who is from Denmark, but spent many years growing up in Princeton, as it turns out!), is a seasoned hiker and was really cool about explaining to me that it would actually be a lot easier to come back down the steeper areas than it looked (and she was right!). I was pretty exhausted when we reached the third pool but by the time we decided to hike to one of the higher ones, I was very refreshed and, perhaps the adreneline was kicking in, because I felt fantastic during that portion of the hike. I must've been channeling my dear friend Tamra, because suddenly the climbing and hiking felt wonderful instead of tiring. We had trouble finding the next pool, but I didn't mind. We climbed fairly high up into the mountain, which was probably my favorite part of the hike. Eventually we found our way over to what was either the fourth or fifth pond and we ate lunch and had another swim. Some people were climbing up the rock formations to jump or dive into the pools. Honestly, the pools were pretty deep, so it didn't seem too dangerous...but I'd rather just watch that part. :)
The hike back out was a little less fun, because we knew there was no refreshing pool at the end, haha. However, we made it! We were on the trails either hiking or swimming for about 8 hours and it felt pretty good to have done that. I won't lie, I'm feeling the burn today though!
That night was my friend Bob's (Zambia) birthday, so we went out to a little bar on Long Street. It was a good speed after a long day. We hung out on the large balcony which was very conducive to talking, although there was a live band inside. I got to chat more with Whitney (US) about the time she spent living in Liberia! I can't wait to hear even more about it. I love hearing about places other people have been. Vicarious traveling! I also met some of Bob's friends from outside of the MPH program, and they were just as warm and friendly as he is. Bob is one of those people you can't help but smile around and he brings a great energy to our group. After midnight I decided to make an early night of it and caught a cab home.
This week should be fairly relaxed. Right now I am enjoying a glorious breakfast at the Sidewalk Cafe, which is basically around the corner from our place. Not only is the food delicious, but the presentation is always gorgeous--today, my platter had a huge flower on it which was just lovely. I'm planning on trying to catch a taxi down to a nearby mall, just to browse and pick up a few needed things. Not sure how regularly the taxis run on Sundays, so if that doesn't work out, I'll probably skip the mall (the burn is making me not want to walk too much right now!) and relax at home. I only have Epi this week for two hours, so on the other days I'll be working on assignments and sending out my resume for part time jobs. On Tuesday we also have a meet and greet for graduate students and faculty.
Friday Thomas will fly home so that we can U2 in the World Cup stadium--very exciting!
Lastly, I would really like to know if there is anything in particular you would like to hear about in this blog. Although this is my first time living in Cape Town, it's a place I'm somewhat familiar with. So if there is something you'd like to know more about, please let me know and I will be more than happy to write about it!
Sending y'all love back home.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Pictures!
...are up on facebook! If you don't use facebook, click here. Please let me know if it does not work!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Day in the Life of a Commuter
I’ve realized that I was awfully distracted a couple of weeks ago when I wasn’t feeling well. Time to take a step back and talk a little bit about living in Cape Town, specifically, Vredehoek. One of these days, I’ll hopefully find a way to upload pictures, but until then, I’ll do my best to describe what I see. I've also talked about some of this before but figured I'd go into more detail.
I wake up pretty early for my block courses—not a problem, since it’s about the same time I used to get up for work. Also, the sun helps wake me up when I sleep with the blinds open. We have a very large window looking down on the city center, or “town,” as I’ve come to call it. In our living room there are glass doors that lead out to a small balcony with a similar view to our bedroom. It’s neat to look out at the city in the morning and know that’s where I’m headed.
There are many neighborhoods in Cape Town (Gardens, Observatory, Mowbray, Green Point, just to name a few) that comprise the city as a whole. Vredehoek is ours, and it is lovely. We live in a residential area with a suburban feel; when I walk outside I don’t feel like I’m in a “city.” However, only a few blocks away is a Spar (convenience store/supermarket), a bottle store (liquor store), several restaurants, and of course, Natalie the hairdresser. When traveling, the Spar is an extremely helpful landmark—all taxi and cab drivers seem to know it. Pointing out my new home to friends is also easy. When you look up at Table Mountain from town you can see three towers in front of it. We live across the street from the middle tower.
It’s not difficult to catch a taxi in the morning, probably because we live along the route to Spar. I usually wait no more than five minutes for one to come. If you catch a taxi in Vredehoek, they are all headed into town eventually. Their last stop is Grand Parade, which is where I get off, so it’s a stress free ride. Occasionally I’m lucky and we head right into town, but far more often we take a zigzag route looking for more riders. Even with the circuitous route, it typically is no more than a ten minute ride to Grand Parade. GP is an open square in town with some stands selling various wares across the street from City Hall. Across the square is the bus station and another block up is the train station. There are several buses that will get me to Groote Schuur Hospital from where I have about a seven minute walk to the Health Sciences Campus of UCT, where all of my classes are held. The ride from town to UCT (which is in Observatory aka Obs or Obz) on Main Rd reminds me a little bit of my brief experience in the Bronx—lots and lots of shops along main road, all with loud, slightly dirty signs, but none looking terribly inviting.
The Health Sciences Campus is small with only a few buildings. It felt confusing at first, but I find my way easily now. We have our own library with computer labs, including a special room for grad students with wireless internet (haven’t tried that yet!). At lunch, there is a cafeteria which is so-so and a little stand selling Indian food. I tried today and it was quite delicious, although I’m disappointed with the portion size in comparison to what the wonderful woman at UKZN would sell. Anyway, most of the time I bring peanut butter and jelly.
I’ve pretty much decided on taking taxis all the way home. I usually have someone to ride with and if not, at least it’s bright and sunny out. Main Rd is busy territory for taxis—it seems they pass constantly! I can catch a taxi from school to what I like to personally call Taxi Land. It’s only a few blocks walk from Grand Parade and it is an enormous lot FULL of taxis, parked, coming and going. I could probably also take a taxi from there in the morning, but for only a rand more I can take a bus which is calmer and I can read. These days it’s getting dark late, around 8 or 8:30 and I finish school at 4, so I still have a few hours of daylight when I get home. In a week, my commuting habits will further adjust since block classes will be over and I’ll only have class a few hours per week.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Thomas and I are doing swell. He’s not working this week so we’ve had lots of time together and have been cooking dinner together every night. Cooking is a lot more fun when you’re with someone and not eating alone! I look forward to that when I’m done school.
Tomorrow is my final block day of biostatistics. It’s going well, but by the end of today, my brain felt to full to absorb anymore! I’ll be glad when the sessions are shorter.
Hope everything is well back home!
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