Long time no see! This program has really opened my eyes to the social aspects that affect health. It’s appalling that so many people go on to be healthcare professionals without this knowledge. This past month, we learned about traditional methods of healing, as well as the depressing topic of health insurance. It’s sad that so much of healthcare delivery is dependent on politicians that have no background in health and it only takes a few bad apples to ruin good legislation. Then there’s the issue of enforcement, which is a huge problem in South Africa’s corrupt government. And still yet, health insurance will never be perfect because there’s always going to be new diseases that won’t be covered. It’s also wild that people here know so much about what is happening in the United States. Seeing that makes me kind of guilty for not keeping up with international news. I’ve been reading for fun a lot more here than I have since I started college. You could say that study abroad #changed me.
Friday was the last day of my homestay. We moved out this morning and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a lil emotional. Last Thursday, it was my mama’s birthday and we had a farewell dinner for all of the homestay families. I had everyone sing happy birthday to her and she loved it! And it didn’t hurt that she didn’t have to cook and got free food on her birthday. She brought tupperware to the dinner. She is my queen.
We also did homestays in Nzinga, a rural town about 3 hours from Durban. We got to attend a Zulu wedding. It was a really cool cultural experience. There are many intricacies in the Our homestay mama, Mama Zuma, lent us some traditional outfits. We still stood out in the crowd despite our efforts in dressing up! I am currently leading the class in most marriage proposals. Stay tuned for updates.
Me and my new friend in Nzinga!
This past weekend, we spent the weekend in Margate, a beach resort. We stayed in these little beach houses right next to the water and we could see whales from our front door! I spent all of Saturday tanning and swimming. The Indian Ocean is so warm! Can’t wait to go back to Whitman with my tan and make all of my friends jealous. It’s really cool of SIT to plan these fun weekend excursions for us. All of the traveling can be tiring but it definitely pays off when you get there.
Margate!! South Africa is beautiful!
I’ve finally secured an internship! I will be working in the Emergency Department at Edendale Hospital. We have to select a topic that we may encounter during our internship and do a write-up at the end of the semester. SIT and hospitals are strict on confidentiality and privacy so I won’t be able to share much about what I will be up to in a hospital but I will be happy to share a pic or two of me cooking with 3 other gals that will also be interning at Edendale.
I am now about halfway through the program and time really flies when you’re having fun. Wifi has been a little unreliable so I haven’t been able to post as much as I want to. I have two more weeks staying at the North Beach in Durban and then it’s off to Pietermaritzburg for my internship!