While I was working in Cape Town, my supervisor LvN had been graciously trying to secure opportunities to shadow in clinics and gain additional clinical exposure (since, you know, I'm applying to medical school). A fellow colleague on the health team, NvdM, had been working with primary clinics in the Western Cape and Groote Schuur Hospital to institute an electronic system with streamlined flow between the primary and tertiary care levels. He had been meeting with physicians all around the province to discuss the prospects for such a system, and one day in September, he offered to let me come along to a meeting at Lotus River Community Clinic.
This is the first thing we did upon arrival and walking with one of the main physicians to her office:
Apparently, every morning at Lotus River, staff play music and announce a song to be sung over the PA system. The purpose is to improve general morale, for both patients and providers. Definitely one of the most memorable highlights of my professional life in South Africa.
Ah, the last day! So much fun had, if only we had all the time in the world. SP and I first ventured out to Langa, a township some 15 minutes from Cape Town, to go on a tour: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312659-d460521-Reviews-Langa_Township-Cape_Town_Central_Western_Cape.html It was... interesting. We walked around, sat in a church during mass for a bit, talked with a local artisan, visited a traditional healer, and dropped by the tour guide's boyhood home. I personally found these to be the most interesting insights [CAVEAT: THE FOLLOWING IS BASED ONLY ON MY VERY, VERY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC LANDSCAPE]:
The two main parties are the African National Congress (ANC, Mandela's party) and the Democratic Alliance (DA). (A third rising one, I've been told, is the Economic Freedom Fighters [EFF], though let's save that for another day.) The majority of the populace tends to vote for the ANC, as they hold the legacy of the anti-apartheid movement. The one current exception is the Western Cape, where the DA currently holds power. The ANC has been rife with corruption allegations -- and to be honest, current president Jacob Zuma has a shocking history -- and so one would expect that more people would support the DA. But apparently not. Why? According to our black tour guide: "The DA is a racist party." I don't know how true this accusation rings, but I can see that there seems to be a deep rift in public sentiment.
One of the saddest parts of the Republic of South Africa is its stark inequality. Townships capture this perfectly. Why do so many live in such small shacks, so cloistered together? Poverty? Lasting effects of the apartheid regime?
Turns out, multiple families were once forced into single room homes. Single is the operative word here. Say there are three families sharing a room: a young married couple with no children, a single mother with four children, another couple who also have their grandparents and siblings living with them. The young couple do not care about the children. They decide to openly have sex in that one room. You can imagine how disastrous the arrangement is for the dynamics of each family.
Living in small shacks is way better. Why? Because it affords the occupants the dignity of privacy. The right to be left alone. Might be smaller and perhaps dingier than larger multi-family homes, but still way better for quality of life. And sanity.
Assuming that our tour guide's explanation is true, I thought this was really striking.
We ended the tour with a traditional braai:
#awesome #meat
Finally, after leaving Langa behind and returning to down town Cape Town, I took SP to the one sight that everyone who ever visits the city should see. I saved it for last for a reason:
#tablemountain
No matter how many times I might have posted pictures of Table Mountain, there's always reason to post more. Beautiful, iconic, breathtaking. And happy to bring SP along to see it! We had a few hours left before I had to take her to the airport to catch her flight. I decided maybe a stroll on the promenade, something we hadn't yet done together, would be in order. Especially at sunset:
I know this is the gazillionth time I've posted a photo of sunset over the Atlantic in Cape Town, but still. Just can't resist. I was so pumped to hear SP was coming to Cape Town, and it was awesome to spend several glorious days with her in such a beautiful part of the world. Thanks, SP!!
