Durban - June 2004

Sunday, June 13
Hmmm... this morning was our visit to the Durban Christian Centre. Certainly the most interesting church I've ever been to. By about 5,000 miles. I mean, we got it all in today's service. Speaking in tongues, healing by laying on of hands, people really feeling the Holy Spirit, even an exorcism (or something of the like). I was actually really enjoying the service for a while. The music was awesome and the people all seemed so happy and Pastor Nel Roberts was quite funny and enjoyable. I was able to really understand how Christianity has gained so many followers in Africa. I'd never realized just how much hope and joy people who probably have next to nothing could get from their faith. Poverty was no longer important, the service was almost like a release. Of course, me being the cynic, I felt slightly bad that these people were being given what I consider to be a false hope that by simply having faith they will be rewarded. Come on now, maybe in the next life, but in this world, the majority of these people will never get richer or better off, materially speaking, just by being pious and righteous. Not gonna happen. Then of course the service lost me when Pastor Fred Roberts went into his whole rant on Islam and the "healings" started occurring. Gimme a freaking break. About the Islam thing I mean. After that I was watching the clock. 2-hour service. Shoot me. Anyway, tour of Durban later on. Not much to say. It's a city. Then bowling at night, actually quite fun. Hadn't done that in a while, I ended with a 104. Broke 100! Yes! Love our group. Mark and Holly and Laura in particular crack me up. Great kids. Tomorrow is the beginning of the AIDS unit. Prepare to be depressed.



Monday, June 14
Well, today wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting, mainly because we didn't actually deal with any patients directly. We started off the day doing interviews in Chesterville, a mainly Zulu neighborhood. I've decided I really don't like going into residential areas to do the interviews. I just feel intrusive. All I can think of is the screen door of the house I lived in when I was little onto which my my mom had sewed No Soliciting. I was just raised not to do fundraising or go door-to-door, and I realize this is a different situation, but I just can't get over my uncomfortableness with the situation. Afterwards, we made another stop on our "Malls of South Africa" tour and then visited the Sinikithemba HIV/AIDS clinic at McCord Hospital. We learned a lot about how HIV is being dealt with in this country; it's a very sad topic. I did buy the coolest picture frame, though, made entirely out of burnt matches by one of the patients in the clinic's Income Generation department. I got to buy a cool item as well as help support a sick person's handiworks. Probably the best purchase I made the whole trip.

Tuesday, June 15
Today was a very long drive out to Shakaland, the re-creation of a Zulu village. To be honest, it was pretty much like the Lesedi cultural village all over again, but only focusing on one tribe rather than five. It was cool to see it again, I guess, but it definitely wasn't worth the drive. Even the lunch was just OK (besides the desserts). Then we had the worst interviews ever at the Eshowe Mall. Eshowe does not have nice people. I think the day overall kind of sucked, but I also think I'm in a terrible mood right now, so I'm sure that's coloring my opinion somewhat. Oh well.

Wednesday, June 16
At last a nice relaxing day. Woke up at 11:00, went to the beach, went to class, saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. That was pretty much it. Nice slow enjoyable day, chillin in Shady D.

Thursday, June 17
This morning we spent two great hours at the Othandweni Children's Home, which I thought would be more sad than it was. Not that it wasn't sad.... Knowing that the majority of those kids are going to die, probably before the age of 10, is depressing. But the amazing thing was that I knew that and yet it was still just fun to play with them. They're just normal kids and the fact that they're terminally ill won't change the fact that they're kids. They still act like kids and have fun like kids and maintain the innocence of kids. Nothing can change that, at least not until the very late stages when they become truly, deeply sick. On that note, it was incredibly sad to see Sanele, the little boy who was in the throes of AIDS. He was only four and a half years old yet he was so thin and frail. He could barely open his eyes and it was obvious that just the simple touch of Brooke or Susan's hand was causing him pain or at least great discomfort. I got really angry at the time because I felt certain people were treating him like an academic case when in reality there was a little boy dying in front of us. He's not an animal at the zoo. I managed to keep it to myself though, only because I knew I'd just get more upset if I voiced it and I wanted to be able to enjoy the other kids. Which I did. The little baby David was my favorite! He was so cute and he recognized me after leaving him for over an hour, he just toddled right up to me with his arms out and didn't want me to put him down. And the little boy in the Special Care Unit who figured out how to work Holly's camera in 15 minutes flat, I was so impressed by him. He got such joy from that camera... all I could think was this kid could have grown up to be a great photographer or something but that will never happen. These kids were doomed from the start, completely out of their control. It just isn't right. Life can on occasion seem totally screwed-up.

Friday, June 18
Today was one of those days that just left me baffled. We spent the morning at the Nelson Mandela Clinic at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and discussed the issues involved with formulating policy for the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the two Karens. The situation is so complex and multi-faceted, it made my head spin. I got the same feeling later in the day when we discussed it in class. How can there ever be a solution to this problem? Notwithstanding the development of a vaccine or a cure, there doesn't seem to be any way out of the situation the country is in right now. The logistics of the whole thing are just insane... the nature of the virus, the adherence/resistance issue, the cultural issues (particularly regarding women), and above all, the money.... It made me feel somewhat hopeless but at the same time determined that there has to be a way to start fixing it. No situation can be this hopeless. Between our frustrating discussions and the negative attitudes of three-fifths of the group, I'm desperate for some stress release so I'm glad we're about to leave for Joe Kool's... need some dancing.

Saturday, June 19
Joe Kool's was fun. Today wasn't. We sat on the bus from 8-11, stopped for a 3-hour (!!!) lunch in St. Lucia where we at least got to see some crocs and hippos, and then spent from 2-7 driving some more. Booo. We are now at the Lugogo Sun Hotel in Ezulwini, Swaziland. Can I just say Swaziland has the most ghetto border crossing I've ever been to?