As many of you know, I am constantly cold, and I am a sucker for the heat. Well, the locals are saying that this is a very cold winter so far and I couldn't agree more! I just used a hair dryer to heat up the room lol. While the afternoons are usually quite beautiful, we did a reality tour today of Ikhaya Lobomi AIDS Centre in Hillcrest and indoors it was FREEZING. Outdoors in the sun was bearable, but in the cement building it was so cold that feet were turning blue. Our prof even asked if they don't have the heat on or even if they have the air conditioning on for a reason. Patience, in charge of the centre replied that it was cold to inhibit the spread of germs and bacteria, but I have a hard time imagining frail, ill patients who can withstand that temperature. On the other hand, the centre has been closed down since last March due to a lack of funding, so maybe it gets warmer with several patients inside and the washer and dryers going and the kitchen ovens turned on.
http://www.durbaninvest.co.za/index.php/local-business-news/3603-welcome-to-winter-cold-weather-descends-on-sa
In any case, the tour was nice and we got to meet two amazing ladies who are HIV+ and one of them has TB as well and 5 boys at home to raise as a single mother. She just finished her high school and is awaiting her final scores so that she may further her education, which is incredibly admirable. Her boys were all born healthy and none have HIV so far. What an experience!
Then I finally went for a run solo around the neighbourhood surrounding the hostel (and brought my cell phone and Andrea's pepper spray), and it felt INCREDIBLE! It was also a great way to shake the chill from the cold AIDS centre. It was completely safe and everyone was walking home from work (including a few white people). I had to be careful in choosing my route, though, because the hills can be very steep!
For dinner we went to Moyo at the uShaka beachfront, which specialized in African specialties. I ordered sprinkbok for an appetizer (also had THE BEST SAMOSAS...spelled "samoosas" here...but they were pricey!) and then I had a Tanzanian fish curry which was good and very filling! This was our final group dinner, which will be paid for out of the Dean's money, so that was a great way to end the evening. Again, it was not insulated and we were freezing lol. Then on the way out, we ran into two girls we met on the trip to Leotho a few weeks back! They're staying at the Happy Hippo on the beachfront downtown and said it was the only place open! Small world!
Tomorrow we have another reality tour and a final lecture with Patrick Bond via Skype, so I had better get to bed so that I can stay awake through it! Good night!
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