Over the course of six months, I’ve met some incredible friends who I will miss very much. I’ve attached pictures of just a few of our adventures around Cape Town!! Luckily, the world is small, I know we will cross paths again and will definitely stay in touch:

• Bobby. Originally from Atlanta, who left his consulting job to volunteer for a year, with aspirations to start his own NGO (very talented and super fun guy

• Byron. Princeton Grad, working as a fellow for two years in the legal and external affairs group, with aspirations to return to the US and pursue his law degree (hysterical and always life of the party)

• Julia. Columbia Grad, and originally from Santa Barbara, working here for two years as an assistant to the Co-Founder. She has lived in Africa for about three years now, previously working in hospitals in rural Sierra Leone and Senegal.

• Tamsin. Originally from Australia, recently left m2m to go to attend Oxford on a full scholarship, she is so impressive! I became very close friends with her and her fiancé Markus and plan to visit them in Oxford or host them in New York soon. They are getting married next April in Cape Town!

• Other close friends were Princeton Fellows: Wenli (who now lives in NYC and getting her law degree at Columbia), Morgan (now getting her PhD and Masters in Public Health in North Carolina) and Hannah and Allie (both still at m2m). Franklin and Phil from Grassroots Soccer, an organization that teaches AIDS/HIV awareness through soccer programs in townships; South African’s Kitsi, Fumani, Linda, Andrew and Janine; and two close friends Felipe and Luciano, originally from Brazil, who I enjoyed hiking and exploring Cape Town nightlife with.

For more photos check out http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/OutAndAbout & http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/MuzenbergSurfKalkBayChapmansPeak &
http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/Hermanus

Durban is a two hour flight north of Cape Town, east of Johannesburg on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Weather is a constant 75 degrees year round and the city is known for its laid back lifestyle, great surf and warm water (in contrast to the cool water of Cape Town on the Atlantic Ocean).

I was invited by my new friend Lloyd to spend a getaway weekend with his girlfriend and seven other friends on his private game reserve in Phinda, located about three hours north of Durban. Obviously my answer: Yes, a no-brainer! I met Lloyd through my friend Emily who visited back in April. They sat next to each other on her flight from New York to Johannesburg and apparently connected instantly…no, she normally does not pick up strange men on planes, ha. He joined us on a couple adventures in Cape Town while visiting his brother who lives there too. Long story short, we kept in touch and he is now a great friend who is also planning on visiting us in New York in September.

Another friend of mine Erica also lives in Durban so I decided to leave early and stay with her for a day. I know Erica through a mutual friend in New York and hungout with her last summer while she was taking classes at NYU.

Erica picked me up from the airport Thursday night. We arrived at her home and let me say it was palatial! She is staying with her Dad until the end of August when she moves to San Francisco to get her Masters. Her Dad is the general physician for South Africa’s President Zuma, wow. I’m sure he gets a lot of insight on the life of Zuma, who is very controversial and interesting character to say the least (e.g. he spent 10 years in prison on Robben Island, has gone to trial for corruption, fraud, rape and has three wives given he is from the Zulu tribe and practices polygamy. That night we had a nice casual dinner and didn’t do much except talk and catch up on each of our lives. The next morning we met Lloyd and one of his girlfriend’s friends at brunch at a beautiful ocean front hotel called the Oyster Box. We ate a lovely brunch outside overlooking the Indian Ocean. Afterwards, I said goodbye to Erica since she was going on a long yoga and meditation retreat for the weekend and could not join us.

Lloyd, Amy and I jumped in the car, picked up Lloyd’s girlfriend Allie and another guy Luke on the way and began our three day adventure in the bush!! The car was packed to the rim, not because we over-packed but because the boys loaded it up with boxes and boxes of food, wine, alcohol and freshly made brownies that Luke baked that morning. We drove for almost three hours, each mile more and more desolate. Paved roads turned into dirt roads, the shrubbery and bush got thicker and the temperature hotter. We finally arrive at his house, which was situated in the heart of the Phinda Game Reserve right on a lake. Unfortunately, no swimming in this lake…it’s full of fish, hippos and crocodiles oh my! The house had four huge bedrooms all adorned with safari amenities, an expansive deck and infinity pool.

While we luxuriated on the deck, Lloyd and Luke were busy in the kitchen. With Lloyd owning and restaurant and Luke as an Executive Chef at another restaurant, they were in their element. But before we could even get settled, we were off!! We hopped in Lloyd’s massive open air game driving land cruiser and hit the bush. From here on out, Lloyd was referred to as Ranger Dan. Since he grew up visiting the bush, he had a sixth sense out there. He was able to spot animals hiding in the bush, behind trees and way off in the distance. Of the course of the weekend, we made our way through different territory and came up close and personal with giraffe, white and black rhinocerous, elephants, lions, crocodiles, warthog, buffalo, zebra, kudu and springbok. The adrenaline rush hit when we were leisurely viewing an elephant when all of a sudden three lions jump out of the bush to chase a herd of Impala. Luckily for us, or me, we avoided witnessing any attack.

After every evening game drive, we would drive to a secluded area in the bush and enjoyed sundowners (aka South African for cocktails at sunset) and snacks like roasted nuts, biltong (similar to beef jerky) and dried mango. We were definitely spoiled by Ranger Dan and Luke the entire weekend. They also cooked us gourmet meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m not talking ham and cheese sandwiches and spaghetti. More like fillet mignon, roasted chicken and Italian sausages on the braai (South African for barbeque), rigatoni with pesto chicken roasted vegetables, linguine with garlic shrimp and mussels, grilled pork tenderloin, and unlimited amounts of delicious wine and cocktails…unbelievable, boys!!

Although it was incredible staying in the bush and seeing National Geographic come to life, the best part of the whole weekend was meeting new friends. This group was so much fun and definitely entertaining!! Thank you Erica and Ranger Dan for your generosity and hospitality….I definitely have a wonderful impression of Durban and am looking forward to coming back one day!

For more pictures, see http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/DurbanAndPhinda

I don’t need to say it, you can see for yourself that Cape Town is conducive to those who love playing outdoors…me!! It seemed like there were always people running on the seaboard, hiking, surfing, biking, paragliding, or sailing. I thought California was a nature lover’s paradise, which it is, but Cape Town took it to a whole other level. Some people are even extremists, and no I’m not trying to follow suit. Take my boss for example. This year alone, he biked in the Cape Argus (100 mile bike race up and around steep mountains), ran the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (36 mile run), completed the South Africa Iron Man (one of the toughest competitions in the world…4 mile swim, 100 mile bike race, plus a Marathon!!) and wrapped the summer up with the Comrades Marathon (56 mile race –only for the insane at heart).

Since I love running outdoors, it was heaven, with the ocean in my front yard, a running path that went on for miles along the coast and Table Mountain as the backdrop. Table Mountain is not just a beautiful view, it’s hikable too (not sure if this is a word, but it works).

Table Mountain

Its named Table since it has a two mile flat plateau surrounded by steep cliffs. It curves around Cape Town, so from the city you’ve got the ocean on one side and incredible beautiful mountain on the other. It peaks at 3500 ft above sea level.

Hiking this mountain was not for the faint of heart. Hikes ranged anywhere from a couple hours to six hours, or longer if you decide to camp. I hiked this mountain about four times, all of them with friends who were WAY more experienced than me, who were able to lift me when rock walls were too steep, figure out paths just by looking at rock placement (since there were few signs), and who always managed to have an extra water or snack supply.

Part of the mountain had inclined trails, but the majority was rock scrambles, vertical rock walls and lots of exposure...treacherous!! Signs were posted “WARNING: Extremely dangerous route with steep rock climbing and difficult navigation. DO NOT attempt this route if inexperienced. Use at own risk.” Other than bungee jumping and sky diving, this was the scariest adventure challenge of my life. Especially five minutes of one hike where I thought my life was at stake…later to find out two people died at that same spot a year earlier. Luckily, I was smart enough to know my limits and was extremely careful. I know it’s not as accessible, but hopefully I can hit up some hiking in New York or California, since I’ve invested in new hiking shoes and a sweet backpack!

Lion’s Head

There is also Lion’s Head which is a mountain right next to Table which peaks at 2200 ft above sea level and has views of Table Bay on one side and Atlantic Ocean on the other. This hike signified my welcome and bon voyage, since I did this on my first and last weekends in Cape Town. The hike is a little over an hour each way, with a portion of it on a steep incline and most of it with semi challenging rock scrambles. There are also chains you can climb at two different junctures. Once you get to the top, the views are unbelievable. Often times, we would do this after work or before going out on the weekend just in time to watch the sunset as you climb down. The best time to do it is on a full moon, when the sun sets and the moon rises simultaneously, beautiful.

Scuba Diving!!

Although I was certified in Costa Rica almost four years ago, I decided since I have a scuba diving haven in my backyard why not pursue my advanced license!! Additionally, I already had one test under my belt which I had to take on a dive excursion in Mozambique to see the Giant Manta Rays. The only downside, was diving in extremely cold temperatures. When I say extreme, I mean low 50s. To give you an idea, usually I dive with a 3mm wetsuit…here they made me wear two 5mm wetsuits, so 10mm total. I was like that little kid in the Christmas Story who could barely move.

The certification entailed taking five written exams and five dives with a dive master, including underwater navigation (using a standard compass to calculate your direction/path and a dive computer to measure your depth / air consumption), underwater naturalist (fish and plant identification), deep dive (using unique equipment and safety measures at a specific depth), shipwrecks (understanding how to navigate them and unique obstacles/protection laws), and night dive (unique equipment and navigation).

The best experience was definitely the night dive. It was scary at first, but once I was under it was fine. The moon illuminated everything and gave you a whole new perspective at night. The kelp beds and jellyfish were glowing and the lobster, massive crabs and eels were out to play. I even made friends with a huge seal, who apparently loves divers. We swam through caves where strangely this certain species of fish like swimming upside down. The whole thing was pretty surreal.

Thanks to William and Jacques at Pisces Divers and to Sandra, my dive partner.

For more photos, see http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/HikingTableMountainLionSHeadScubaDiving

Um, what happened to the last month of my life? Oh wait...World Cup happened. As anticipated, my life was taken over by World Cup and surprisingly, I loved every moment of it. The energy in the city from day one was incredible.

I had the fan fest around the corner from my office, the pleasure (and sometimes displeasure) of hearing the games streaming from the oversized screens, game day concerts (including a performance by R Kelly...this country is obsessed with him, huh?), humming of thousands of vuvuzelas and certifiably insane fans. Speaking of vuvus, I hope my hearing is not permanently damaged.

Every day was a celebration...imagine colourful painted faces (and bodies), waving flags from around the globe, impromptu dancing and singing, and some creative fans including the French who mounted their flags in French baguettes, Dutch dressed in traditional blue delft pottery costumes (but most in blinding bright orange), fans from Mexico adorning Sombreros, Brazilians in festive Carnival attire...the list could go on.

Mothers2Mothers did an incredible job catering to the World Cup experience and recognizing that it is a once in a lifetime experience for staff. They held a World Cup Opening Day Celebration where people were encouraged to dress in soccer attire supporting their favorite team or native country. They served cake in the shape of soccer balls and hosted a traditional soccer dance competition. They brought in a popcorn machine and foosball table for the entire month. Colleagues were also awarded a day off to view games of their choice. Grassroots Soccer, a local non-profit organization which uses soccer as a vehicle for educating youth about AIDS/HIV, donated over 500 tickets to our site coordinators and mentor mothers who could not afford to attend otherwise.

Despite concerns that it would be a failure, South Africa proved the world wrong by being very well organized!! Seriously not sure how they pulled it off. I remember a week before it started roads were being paved, structures being built, employees going on strike, homeless people on the street....and within days all of that was cleared up.

I attended four games including France vs. Uruguay, Netherlands vs. Cameroon, England vs. Algeria and a round of 16 game Spain vs. Portugal. Being in the stadium was so surreal. Magically, the people who hooked me up with tickets always had the best seats...either first or second section mid-field every time. Other than watching the game, I entertained myself by people watching and performing Shakira’s Waka Waka dance (if you don’t know, check it). PS, have you checked out the soccer players? They are some of the most attractive athletes in the world. Like I said, even if you don’t enjoy the sport there is fun for everyone!

Overall, it was an amazing experience and I really only have a few requests for next time. Dear FIFA, please serve something other than Budweiser...preferably, a full bar with a mixologist and since it will be in Brazil, fresh Caipirinhas would be nice; next, please try not to confiscate the cap to my beer...the cap is not dangerous, the beer is; last, if you need any assistance in the locker room, let me know!

Unfortunately the US didn’t make it past round of 16, however they played incredibly well against other international power players. The game where US scored a goal in overtime against Algeria to secure a position in round of 16, versus being eliminated, was one of the best moments! It seemed like the entire town was rooting for the US and at that moment you could hear screams everywhere. That night, streets were filled with US supporters, waving flags, singing Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen among other iconic American bands.

If I wasn’t attending a game, there was likely a braai (which is South African for barbeque) or some other party or event going on to celebrate. I know, I wasn’t a total lush this whole month. I still got my job done, actually doing three times as much work as agreed to in my objectives, and stayed active. Speaking of active, I have to tell you about these crazy hikes and dives I’ve been doing but will save that for later.

Overall, it was an amazing and surreal experience that I will never forget!!

For all photos, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/WorldCup#

Three years ago, while on a weekend excursion from an assignment in Johannesburg I missed the opportunity to visit Robben Island due to poor weather conditions, so given I am back and this time for six months, I wasn’t about to forfeit the opportunity again. Lillian, another Pfizer Global Health Fellow who is on assignment at the Center for Disease Control in Zambia, was in town and decided to accompany me on this historical journey.

After spending several hours with Lillian that weekend, I heard many interesting...actually scary stories about her experience in Zambia so far. Just to share a few: she works at a lab on the hospital premises and has seen several cases of people dropping deceased off on the sidewalk then walking or driving off (she suspects they are family members who cannot take care of funeral costs and don’t know what to do with them); she has seen people carrying unprotected blood samples in test tubes (which more than likely are infected with HIV/AIDS) in their pockets and purses while in transition between buildings; she’s observed washing of potentially contaminated equipment with undistilled water, when a filter can be purchased for less than $25. There is also a case of a broken water pipe, where they’ve been hauling buckets of water from another building for over a year...also a fix that costs less than $20. On another note, she also has a very peculiar boss. She is a female in her late forties who has been accompanied by several different boys in their early twenties to work events, presumably as her date. She’s also asked Lillian to take “sexy” photographs of her for her boyfriend(s), luckily with all of her clothes on...imagine if that happened in the states! Ok, enough of that but you get the point. After hearing her stories, I feel more than lucky to be here. However, it does paint a picture for how some of these institutions in rural areas and/or poor countries operate and how even the simplest of things we may take for granted (...a $25 filter) can be considered too expensive, compromising quality and sanitation.

Sorry to digress...back to Robben Island. For those of you living in a bubble, here’s a brief history lesson for you to set the scene. Robben Island, Dutch for Seal Island, is situated about five miles off the coast of Cape Town. Funny, I grew up in Seal Beach. Anyway...back to the lesson. It was home to one of the most infamous prisons, where Nelson Mandela along with many other political prisoners spent decades imprisoned during the apartheid era. The island was also a leper colony in the 1800’s, then used for training and defence in World War II. In 1961, a prison was established where political prisoners and criminals were sent until the prison was shut down in 1997. It’s now a memorial and World Heritage Site.

For years, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and leader of a militant wing of the African National Congress (ANC). Apartheid was a shocking system of racial segregation enforced by the government in South Africa between 1948 and 1994. The government classified its people into four racial groups: white, black, colored (mostly mixed race) and Indian. One of the strangest classifications were Asians, where the government classified descendents of Asian countries with poor government relations as colored (e.g. China) and those where the government had strong relations (e.g. Japan, Taiwan and Korea) as white. The government provided inferior services to colored and Indian people and even more inferior services to black people as compared with whites. Apartheid meant segregated education, medical care, public services, forced removal from designated residential areas, prohibited mixed marriages, passport ineligibility and other inequalities. This obviously sparked significant resistance over the next forty plus years and resulted in series of brutal uprisings and protests.

In 1961, Mandela became leader of the ANC’s militant wing which advocated radical Black Nationalist programs. He coordinated sabotage campaigns against government targets and raised funds for a possible guerrilla war. He planned to bomb government offices, however claimed that it would be done in a way that didn’t cause harm or death.

In 1962, he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and conspiracy to help other countries invade South Africa, and sentenced to life in prison. During his plea, he said “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." While in prison, his reputation grew and he became widely known as the most significant black leader in South Africa.

There were years of violence and police brutalities. In the 80’s, foreign investors began to withdraw from South Africa and there was global resistence against apartheid. In 1990, Mandela was released from prison.

Apartheid came to an end in 1994 after a series of negotiations, many of which were initiated by Mandela. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 as a result of his work and was later elected as President in 1994, where he won international respect for his advocacy of reconciliation.

Unfortunately, Apartheid is nowhere close to being a distant memory. In fact, I hear racial references almost daily and read about articles about racial tension or violence on a surprisingly frequent basis. In fact, the murder of a very prominent white farmer occurred here just a couple months ago which most people believe was committed by members (or liaisons) of the ANC. And closer to home...last October, our finance group was split into two floors as a result of racial tension between black and colored South Africans. The other day, after the South African soccer team won their game against France, I asked my taxi driver who was born and raised here if he was excited...his angered response “no they are racist against us colored people, I wish they lost the game”...referring to the fact that they only recruit black south Africans. This week, I overheard a colleague of Xhosa descent verbally degrading a woman for taking time out of her day to say her prayers (she is South African, but of Indian descent and Muslim). I suppose that it takes a lot of education, a shift in culture/thinking and time for this to completely subside but it still surprises and saddens me to hear these comments.

Sorry to digress again, but hopefully that puts the significance of Robben Island into perspective.

Our journey began on aboard a boat, which departed the Cape Town waterfront and sped towards the island about thirty minutes away. From the dock, we boarded a bus headed towards the prison entrance. We passed a leper gravesite which was eerie to say the least. We also stopped at the limestone quarry where most prisoners worked several hours a day. Many prisoners lost their eye sight as they slaved daily for twenty years or more, hammering white limestone under the hot sun. We also saw the small cave they had used as a toilet, which also served as a secret meeting place where private discussions were held out of sight from wardens. We saw where prisoners used to bury things they made, collected or illegally smuggled, including paper torn from cement bags to record their stories and ideas. These scraps would later contribute to Mandela’s manuscript for the Long Walk to Freedom.

After a very short ride, we arrived at the prison gate and were greeted by our guide who was a former inmate. We walked under the stone archway, the same path the prisoners took back in the day. Inside the prison, we walked along the concrete floor passing prison cells no more than five square meters, rusted iron bars and walls with eroded paint. There was stillness in the air as people walked down the narrow corridor. Most of the cells were open and bare, except for pictures of its former inmates with dates of their sentencing and either a story of their experience or a direct quote. Some cells even contained inmate’s belongings, including shoes and a belt which was made by a prisoner over a period of fifteen years from smuggling fishing net he collected at the limestone quarry. The average time spent there was twenty-five years or more. They told stories of witnessing beatings, plans for escape, physical suffering, but mostly stories of hope for the future. We also saw where the prisoners showered and had their meals. The menus differentiated based on both the prisoners’ crime and race.

Our guide, and former inmate, told his stories with a sense of pride. He said that his time in prison was spent fighting for the rights of his people and that he felt he played a role in collectively making South Africa a better place to live today. He thanked us for coming and wished us a peaceful life.

For more pictures...visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/RobbenIsland

With only 15 days to go, World Cup is taking over this city....literally. It is the biggest sporting event the country has ever seen and while most people are ecstatic, the cynical ones are waiting to watch the city get crushed. Almost $500 million has been invested in Cape Town infrastructure alone, with the building of Green Point Stadium, restaurants and hotels and extensive improvements to roads, sidewalks and transportation. In fact, there are restaurants popping up in my neighbourhood overnight (no joke!!). On my way to work yesterday, my taxi driver looked me and said...”was that there yesterday?” and I said “nope”. Turns out they built the thing with wood and plastic overnight (not really sure if this is a temporary establishment or if it’s safe, I guess the tourists will never know...). Construction is not even close to being finished and some logistical issues remain...hope they can work wonders in 15 days. To that end, its strike season which could turn into a disaster. Last week, the trains weren't running at all. Now, power utility workers are threatening blackouts during the World Cup if they don't get a pay raise.

Further, FIFA has been widely criticized with its management of ticket distribution in Africa. The majority of South Africans don't have access to the internet or own credit cards and therefore effectively didn't have an opportunity to purchase tickets until a few weeks ago (as opposed to the rest of the world who have had over a year to do so). There also seems to be confusion around why worldwide ticket sales are low. Not too hard to figure out. First, airfare to Africa and even between African countries has doubled, hotel costs are at a premium, and there are numerous challenges with obtaining a visa, not to mention economic instability. Additionally, there were major faults with the website. It’s actually crashed numerous times since tickets became available, didn’t process credit cards correctly and had misrepresented ticket availability. After attempting myself for months, last weekend a friend of mine was able to get me tickets to the opening game in Cape Town, between France and Uruguay. Through other connections, I may also be going to Netherlands and Cameroon and even the Semi Finals. If not...I’ll be attending the braais (South African for barbeque) and after parties.

My life is about to turn upside down for the next month. First, my apartment is less than a mile away from the stadium and on the main road, so yes I anticipate fans and partiers alike to be parading right in front of my apartment all day every day. Second, my gym is next door to the stadium and the nicest one in Cape Town so I expect visitors, players and/or family members to be taking over. Third, the ‘fan zone’ has been set up directly across the street from my work with HUGE TV screens, tents and kiosks everywhere. Expectations are that either we won’t be able to get to work with traffic/people or if we do happen to get here, it will be so loud we won’t be able to hear each other talk (walls/windows are so thin you, the noise outside echoes throughout the office). Despite potential issues on the horizon, I am very excited!!

As part of the anticipatory World Cup buzz, South Africa has a little tradition of wearing soccer jerseys on Friday. Not everyone does this, of course, but on Fridays you can see at least a few people walking around wearing the yellow Bafana Bafana jersey with pride and enthusiasm. Bafana Bafana is the South African soccer team, which means “the boys, the boys”. People here are excited even if their allegiances are with other teams, and it’s undeniable that the event is fostering a sense of national unity.

So...I’ve been anticipating this moment, the chance to visit a clinic and actually see the mission of m2m come to life!! Last week, I had the opportunity to visit a clinic in the Mfuleni Township about 25 miles from Cape Town.

That morning, we had the chance to speak with the founding director Mitch about our impending visit. He reminded us that almost every minute of every day, a baby is born with HIV. The greatest tragedy is that with simple inexpensive and often free treatment, mother-to-child transmission of HIV is almost entirely preventable. However, there are still significant gaps that need to be addressed particularly in areas where there are overburdened healthcare systems, social stigmas, and lack of access to proper healthcare. m2m works within the healthcare system to provide mothers and their families with the education, emotional and psychosocial support they need...what the doctors and nurses in clinics are unable to provide. By employing HIV+ women, who have successfully completed the program, run the program it empowers these women and demonstrates to new clients that it is possible for them to live long and healthy lives. He also shared a short video with us which can also be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiDBMIWEAu8.

After navigating through a labyrinth of tin-roofed shacks, we make our way to the clinic. This is the sole clinic in a township of over 7,000 and employs approximately 1 doctor and 14 nurses...almost unbelievable.

We entered the building and passed a small waiting area overflowing with patients, mostly pregnant women and women with their newborns. There were roughly thirty to forty people in the waiting area and surprisingly, I didn't see one healthcare professional. Inside, we were greeted by the site coordinator Funeka and four mothers and their six-week old babies. The babies had been brought in to receive their first HIV test.

I anticipated the mood to be solemn, but in contrast the women were laughing and smiling, seemingly in high spirits. The camaraderie was tangible and there was a sentiment that they were survivors together with a great possibility that their newborns were HIV-. One woman was brave enough to stand up and tell her story which commanded our undivided attention. She learned she was HIV+ about five years ago when she was tested at a clinic early in her first pregnancy. She thought it would never happen to her. “I thought it was the end of the world. I lay in bed for days and cried myself to sleep. I was so afraid to tell anyone, especially my husband”. She expressed that the program not only taught her about treatment, but it also provided a support group, new friendships and hope. She also serves as an informal mentor in her community.

After she finished telling her story, she asked if I could hold her baby while she ate her sandwich. I was honored. The most difficult part of the day was actually leaving the clinic. I was moved by the power and strength of these women and hope they can inspire others willing to listen. For some pretty amazing pictures check out Picasa @ http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/Mothers2MothersSiteVisit#

And yet another public holiday in April in South Africa...for m2m this meant a four day weekend...and for me a trip to Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe! It was Freedom Day, which commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held in 1994 where anyone 18 years or older from any race including non-citizens were allowed to vote. Prior to 1994, only white citizens were allowed to vote without restrictions. Last month, we celebrated Human Rights Day on March 21st, which is also in support of the anti-apartheid movement. The day represented the anniversary of when congress proposed a bill to eliminate the requirement of ‘passes’ to enter white-only areas. On that day, demonstrators gathered and collectively failed to present their ‘passes’, upon which police opened fire and killed 69 people. Just wanted to share a bit of history for you before I tell you all about how I spent Freedom Day Weekend...

I ventured to the falls with two fellow m2m’rs Julia and Wenli. Victoria Falls are located on the Zambezi River, straddling the east of Zambia and west of Zimbabwe, and are considered the 7th Natural Wonder of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The name is Mosi-oa-Tunya, the “Smoke that Thunders”, in the local Lozi tribal language...also known as Silozi or Rozi (say them all together, its fun). Apparently, we arrived at the end of rainy season so the water levels were at their peak...you’ll see what I’m talking about when you check out the pictures.

Just a Few Highlights:

Trekking Victoria Falls (Zambia)

We arrived at the falls and approached a little hut where locals were renting raincoats and shoes for a small price. Given the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky, I thought it was intended for the overprotective tourists afraid of getting a little wet. We almost bypassed the hut, but after seeing people exit the entrance to the falls, completely drenched, we thought it might be a good idea to suit up. I was adorned in green and pink trash bags, turquoise crocs one day and men’s Chicago Bulls flip flops another...yep this is what the locals gave me to wear (hilarious). You’ll see from the pictures that the mist was more like a waterfall monsoon!

We trekked along the rim of the falls getting a glimpse of different views at each cataract. Depending on the movement of the mist, sometimes you would have 0% visibility and a minute later it would open up to an unbelievable vision of lush greens, palm trees, cliffs, waterfalls. We passed the different cataracts and fall view points: devil’s cataract, eastern cataract, knife’s edge, danger point, horseshoe falls, rainbow falls, armchair falls you get the picture. We also discovered a little pathway to the Boiling Point, which was a 700 meter hike to the base of the falls where the currents of the water create a whirlpool affect. Breathtaking!!

I jumped off the Zim Zam Bridge!!!

So, I’ve been sky diving a couple times...so what could be worse right? Yep, bungee jumping. I never really had the inclination of doing this before, but it just kind of presented itself and like they always say...when in Zambia. Just kidding. So, Julia and I decide that since we are only here once, we’ve both never done it, and with over 500,000 people jumping with 100% safety record, we’d take the plunge off the 152m or 500 ft. high bridge (one of the tallest in the world). The most terrifying part was actually inching out to the platform after they’ve tied your legs up with the bungee cord and hearing 3-2-1. All I remember was feeling my stomach drop, hearing the rapids below me, seeing the most beautiful landscape (upside down nonetheless) and my friends screaming from the bridge. After the biggest adrenaline rush of my life, it gets worse...they reel you back up to a small platform below the top of the bridge, a foot wide metal wire platform, and make you walk along that to a ladder where you climb up to the top. All in all, it was an amazing experience, but not sure I’ll ever do it again....

Cruising Down the Zambezi...on Lady

We boarded the Lady Livingstone to catch the sunset and the ambience and views were stunning! It reminded me of riding on an old steamboat in the early 1900’s down the Mississippi River...not that I’ve ever been on a steamboat, or on the Mississippi, but you know what I mean!

Cruising Down the Zambezi......on Elephant

To get even closer to the Zambezi, we decided to board an ‘elephant-back-safari’. Local Zambian men led the pack with their rifles in hand, while we followed on elephants, formally orphaned wild elephants who have been raised, cared for and protected by these farmers. Elephant hunting for their ivory tusks and teeth still exists and is legal in parts of Zambia. My elephant was named Marula, for the marula fruit (which, side fact, makes a tasty little liqueur called Amarula, similar to Bailys).

Trekking Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)

There is a debate over which side is better for viewing, Zambia or Zimbabwe so we decided to investigate for ourselves and crossed over to the Zimbabwe side. Once again, adorned in our trash bags and crocs we go trekking along the rim of the falls only this time the mist was even more torrential.

We Went on a Game “Walk”

Strangely...we bumped into a woman who we met at our Mozambique bungalow a few weeks ago (who might be one of the most eclectic strange women I’ve ever come across). She told us there was a game walk right behind the entrance of the falls where you can see elephants, zebra, hippos, etc. A bit nervous, our curiosity got the best of us so we entered the path. We approached the game “walk” and saw fresh elephant prints, elephant dung, among other evidence of wildlife but unfortunately or fortunately didn’t see anything but warthogs and a massive baobab tree. Warthogs were everywhere, we even saw two procreating at the local gas station later that afternoon..awkward! Turns out, people back at our lodge told us that this is really a game “drive”, that there are tons of wild elephants roaming the roads and those who walk here usually have knives or guns for protection. Yikes!

Visited the Town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe...or should I say Village

We then took a walk to the town of Victoria Falls which was extremely tiny and only had a few shops (many which had really strange signs...you’ll see what I mean in the photos).

The small town was pleasant; however it’s becoming quite a ghost town given Zimbabwe’s political and economic situation. Tourists tend not to stay on the Zimbabwe side due to the economic instability. While walking down the street, we were swarmed by locals trying to sell us anything and everything, even obsolete currency! The Zimbabwean currency faced such rampant inflation that it was abandoned in April of last year. Inflation rate in 2009 was 230 million percent (no joke). At one point 1 trillion Zimbabwean dollars = 10 USD. They had bills that were 500 billion dollars, 1, 10 and 100 trillion dollars, all of which I thought were a joke until I started reading about this & learning that those were real bills! It’s hard to say what the conversion was given there was so much revaluation, but in 2008 approximately 500 billion ZW dollars equaled $2 USD. Apparently a beer costs $100 billion Zim dollars until last year when it became worthless. They also tried to barter with us asking us to trade our clothes & shoes...they especially loved Wenli and Julia’s Converse!! We also had little kids running up to us begging for money, which was heartbreaking. We were told not to give them money, so I gave them some pens and food I had in my bag. I hope that the economy and tourism situation there picks up again soon.

Anyhow, it was an amazing trip and I loved every minute of it. Now, back to Cape Town where I plan to say and relax for a while!!

For more pictures go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/VictoriaFallsZambiaZimbabwe#

What a better way to spend Easter right? Yep, it was a spontaneous trip inspired by hearing rumours of having some of the best diving in Africa and a four day weekend. Wenli, a fellow m2m’r and friend, joined me.

Mozambique is situated on the east coast of Southern Africa, north of South Africa, east of Zimbabwe, south of Tanzania and west of the island of Madagascar (a little geography for ya). The country faced twenty years of relentless gorilla war followed by a massive flood in 2001 and drought in 2002 killing over 25% of the population and destroying much of its infrastructure. Poverty is still widespread with more than 50% of people living on less than $1 per day. In recent years given its improved stability, investors are becoming interested in untapped oil reserves and coastline.

So...I thought, hey I can invest and untap part of the coastline myself....by eating locally caught Mozi prawns, sipping on some locally brewed Manica Beers, buying a hand sewn bag from some kids on the beach and snorkelling and diving with the local dive operators!

Our trip started in the Capital of Maputo, after a two hour flight to Johannesburg and another 1.5 hour flight to Maputo (not an easy commute). We spent less than 24 hours here, as we were scheduled to board a bus at 5am headed to Tofo (our intended destination, which is a tiny coastal beach with white sandy beaches, sand dunes, palm trees and home of some amazing diving. Did I mention an 8 hour bus ride on unpaved roads? Like I said, this was spontaneous....

Although we didn’t spend too much time in Maputo, we did explore the streets observing that many street names were of famous dictators (weird??), such as Vladimir Lenin, Mao Tse Tung, Karl Marx and many more but were relieved that Hitler didn’t get any credi, to our knowledge. We also walked along the beach which dotted with colorful fishing boats, young boys selling us handmade bracelets, sarongs and attempting to sell plastic bags full of prawns and squid. We stopped off at a restaurant for dinner and ate fresh Mozambique Prawns grilled in lemon, garlic and chili flakes (yum).

The next morning, we embarked on our never ending bus ride up to Tofo. When booking this adventure, I was imaging a nice greyhound right? Nope. This was the local town public bus, more like old shuttle on its last leg. Think 90 degree temperatures, 90% humidity, rickety seats, people standing in aisles and sitting on the mud soaked floors, mothers and feeding babies, unpaved roads pot holes and dust and of course surrounded by body odor. Despite the conditions, it was fascinating. We would stop on the side of the road to drop people off or pick them up, when all you could see for miles in both directions was bush. We would also stop and pick up money from people and drop goods off for others (e.g. fruit, water, milk)...so I made the assumption that the bus is also the country’s delivery system. The bus stopped one time in eight hours for five minutes for a gas refuel and bathroom break (luckily we were warned to not drink anything because the bus won’t stop....can’t be healthy). I paid the equivalent of $20 for the ride.



We finally arrived safe and sound in Tofo. We stayed in a little bungalow on the beach...when I say bungalow, I mean bamboo hut with sand as our floor and a huge crab and mosquitoes as pets. This beach town is centered around a vibrant market with small cafes and beach bungalows. The town is an interesting mix of local Mozambicans and hippies, many whom have quit their corporate jobs, became nomads in Africa, and have turned a week into months, seeking jobs at cafes and scuba shops to make a little money. In fact, I met one name Henk, who started his journey in Netherlands where he was a marketing guy. He and two of his friends quit their jobs, and drove from the Netherlands to Mozambique...I’m not kidding!! They’ve been on the road for 19 months, living on what little saving s they have and money they earn town to town. A few highlights include getting chased by corrupt police in Egypt, getting arrested in Malawi, getting their passports stolen, almost getting eaten by crocodiles in Botswana. Check out his website at www.threelefthands.com.



The next three days we spent in the water more or less diving and swimming with Mozambique’s finest...Manta Rays and Whale Sharks (incredible!!). The island was surrounded by reefs and dive sites, but I was bound and determined to get to the best one “Manta Reef” where giant mantas congregate around a huge reef. In order to get there, you need to be advanced so I did what any other determined girl would do, get my advanced diver license. It takes a series of five advanced dives and tests to pass, but they let me go to the reef after just one course. I’m in the process of completing the others in South Africa now (will write more about this in later posts).

On the way to my first dive, we spotted whale sharks swimming on the surface. Before you get scared, yes these are real sharks but they are filter feeding harmless giants. We saw three in total, each about 18 feet in length. The driver told us if we wanted to jump out and swim with them we could, so I jumped!! I was the first in the water and I was less than 2 feet away (I think closer, in fact I was trying to swim away because I thought one was going to run into me). They are fine with people swimming around them but once they sense someone doing anything aggressive, they dive and disappear into the ocean depths. During my two dives, I saw 5 Giant Manta Rays spanning 18 – 20 feet in length. They are majestic creatures and swam gracefully all around us. A guy diving with me had an underwater camera and took some really amazing shots (see link to Picasa photos). We also saw sting rays, rock lobsters, a variety of angel fish, moray eels and other cute little things. My expectations were certainly exceeded!

One bit of tragedy to share during our trip. As we were walking along the beach in attempts to buy a sarong, we spotted people from the local vendor huts running to shore. I looked to my left and a little boy’s lifeless body washed to shore. We did not want to become yet another spectator, so we continued walking. About thirty feet later, we spotted a man’s body crashing in the waves. About the same time I spotted him, two men next to us did as well and dove into to bring him out of the water. We learned later that these people went out fishing, when their boat capsized. They were weak swimmers and unfortunately were killed. The mother and wife also on board survived. Incredibly shocking and sad event we witnessed.

All in all, it was an incredible trip and worth the chaotic transit there! PS, the commute on the way home was even more eventful from the trip up. The bus broke down half way home and we were stuck in a very remote village for over an hour. The bus was immediately swarmed by locals selling us plantains, cashews and bread. I paid less than 10 cents for a bunch of bananas (i tried to buy one but they threw the whole bunch at me). Meanwhile, the bus driver and other locals try to fix the bus. I saw them looking on the side of the road for something they could use as a tool to fix the bus. Yikes. Needless to say, I made it home safe and sound...and exhausted. Until my next adventure....

For all my pictures, see...http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/Mozambique#

Molo! (Hello in Xhosa)



I first read about Khayelitsha during my research for volunteer opportunities outside of my day job. All I was coming up with were dead ends and would see things like “come volunteer with us and we’ll let you interact with children in the orphanage for seven days followed by an exclusive luxury safari and wine land tour!”…blah blah blah. First, I don’t want to pay $3,000. Second, we are in one of the most impoverished countries and I’m sure someone can use an extra volunteer in some capacity. Third, I did not want to partake in something that seemed like an organized human safari both invasive and humiliating to the people living there. Let’s just hope a portion of that money goes to support the orphanage, but I think that’s a little optimistic. I also tried local churches and contacting the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, but no response.

Just as I was about to quit the online search, I came across an interesting article. It referred to a woman offering people to stay in her home, turned “B&B”, where she would speak to guests about her experience growing up in the township, living through Apartheid, provide insight into township culture and match guests with volunteer opportunities. Most of her guests are volunteers or journalists doing research. Her name is Thope Lekau, a registered community economic development worker, local NGO advocate, volunteer matchmaker and local legend. She and her daughter Mhpo, share one bedroom, while they host guests in the second.
Before I describe my experience, it’s important that you understand the significance of this township. Let’s be honest….I didn’t know much before being educated by the wise one herself.

Khayelitsha means “New Home” in Xhosa, the most common language spoken after English, Afrikaans (form of Dutch) and Zulu. This township sits just outside of Capetown and is the largest township in South Africa, even bigger than Soweto. The township population is reaching 2 million which is about 70% of the total population. Khayelitsha was created in 1985 during the apartheid era. At that time, Cape Town government began implementing segregated housing districts for Black Africans, coloreds, and whites and is still considered the most segregated city in South Africa. The term colored does not refer to Latino, it refers to lighter skin Black Africans of mixed decent with Dutch, Indian, Portuguese. Housing ranges from informal shacks made of sheet metal, wood, cardboard, tires and other unidentifiable objects to small permanent brick homes with water, sanitation and electricity supply. It is only after the shacks are given street numbers that the settlement is deemed legal and with a street number comes electricity, an outdoor water tap, and toilet. Right now, the brick housing backlog is estimated at 400,000. There are no street names. The area is divided into 26 districts that are simply numbered by letters (chaotic to say the least).

Ethic make up of the residents are 99% black African and less than 1% white, which are likely temporary NGO volunteer residents. Approximately 50-70% of its residents are unemployed.

As far as healthcare goes, there is only one emergency/trauma clinic in the entire township and several smaller clinics however these are often too far to reach and only provide minor treatment and testing for TB, HIV and STD. Regarding education, all children are granted primary education at village schools however secondary or university level education is far too expensive.

Everyone told me not to go to Khayelitsha alone…what are you thinking, it’s not safe! Well, after doing my own research and reading the articles about Thope’s house I had to check it out myself.

I was dropped off by the taxi around 5pm and was greeted by Mhpo with a huge hug. She walked me into her home and provided me with some tea and oat biscuits (aka cookies). There were three other girls staying that night, Silje, Hilda and Susana who were from Norway but studying and working in children’s orphanages in Cape Town.

Mhpo and Thope cooked us a delicious meal that night with grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and yucca, sautéed spinach and a vegetable curry with tomato, onion, garlic and peppers. Later that evening, Mhpo took us to a local Shabeen (aka bar). The bar was like most shacks, built out of wood and sheet metal with small stools and benches to sit on. It served homemade beer, wine, whiskey, wings and potato chips! These Shabeens were considered illegal until the end of Apartheid in 1994. Mhpo said that even folks that have left the townships come back to hangout at the shabeens just for the gritty, unpretentious, laid back vibe and to reconnect with friends and family. Although I didn’t join in on the drinking, beverages were being consumed at an impressive rate by the locals…reminded me of times at Brooklyn’s finest establishment, the Old Fashioned Pizza Parlour! Everyone was dancing. They played some funky local South African tribal music, some blues like Otis Redding and some American jazz classics by Ella and Louis Armstrong.

That night, we had to stay at one of Thope’s friends houses a block away since the extra room in her home was occupied. Unfortunately, the friend was working the graveyard shift and it was her son’s birthday that night. Needless to say, her two sons and daughter (in their late teens) broke into her liquor cabinet and got completely trashed. The daughter was hugging me non-stop…oh Nee-cole, you are beautiful American, I have been waiting for you for hours…oh Nee-cole, please celebrate with us, this drink for you…oh Nee-cole where have you been? Luckily, they were harmless (but hilarious), it was close to midnight, I was exhausted and I just crashed. I woke up in the morning to the daughter (probably still drunk) walking around my room in her bra and underwear looking for a towel. Unbelievable.

I headed back to Thope’s house around 8am the next morning. Thope was waiting for us. She is a dynamic, larger-than-life woman dressed in a traditional colorful African gown. She cooked a lovely breakfast including scrambled eggs, local sausage (tried it but not a fan), cereal and fruit.

Later that morning, I accompany Mhpo into town. We walk down the street greeting her neighbors. I can’t help feel a little out of place, but I don’t feel unsafe or uncomfortable at all. Although there is large resentment of the government and some of the wealthy Dutch South Africans whom have turned their back on townships, they welcome visitors. Their priority is for people to gain a perspective about local culture and spread the positive word so it reduces the fear/negative perceptions about life in townships.

The township is alive and busy – children are running up and down the streets playing soccer, girls braiding each other’s hair, women hanging fresh laundry, carrying babies on their backs and groceries on their head, children gathering water from the well and many people in route to church. Music blares from all over…some local South African, blues, jazz, gospel, house and hip hop.

We stop by a local barber to say hi to Mhpo’s friends. They asked me what I thought about their community and if I was afraid. I obviously responded that I was not afraid and that I felt very welcomed. They told me that they hoped more people would visit the township and understand that it is not a place to be feared. They kept hugging me and saying “please tell your people not to be afraid, we are all people of God”. They also wanted to cut my hair, ha! I will never forget that moment.

While we were there, we heard children laughing from a distance. We turned and saw a teenage boy walking down the middle of the street stark naked with nothing on but an unzipped hooded shirt. Mhpo believed that he was mentally ill and she said there are many people with mental illnesses living in the township that go untreated because there is no access to proper care.

We then proceeded to walk to the local Baptist church, which was about an hour away. Church service was two hours! The service was filled with vibrant singing and clapping. I have no idea where all their energy comes from. Every time I thought I couldn’t sing one more song, or clap one more time, or stand for any longer…I thought if the four year old standing next to me and his eighty year old great grandmother next to him could do it then so could I. We sang traditional Xhosa songs, Christian songs and gospel. The pastor was full of even more energy. He started the service by welcoming me…apparently I stood out. He asked where I was from and why I was there. After he embarrassed me...I mean introduced me…about twenty people got out of their seats and hugged me. Then someone came up to me and gave me their bible to use during service. Another moment of awe. It was very interesting to hear about their message and interpretation of the bible. We read a chapter that had to do with greed and choosing the right path. The pastor’s message to the people was “do not let the devil make promises of prosperity through your account, you will only sell your soul and put your family in danger”…and kept saying “account is bad….cash is good” over and over again. I think what he was trying to get at is that decisions we make today have a long term affect in the future, and don’t let instant gratification get the best of you. I guess there has been increasing corruption in the townships where people enter into these “agreements” to take food/supplies/furniture for future payment (not credit cards, but a vow to owe) without having the ability to pay back the cash then face consequences even if agreements were not legally binding. The service did follow a similar format as the ones in the states…singing, prayer, sermon, offering, announcements and more singing albeit much more vocal and animated and much less formal.

After church, we walked around town a bit and went back to Mhpo’s home. We exchanged contact information and she wrote down music recommendations. I also gave her about 30 pens, some with the Pfizer logo, some with cartoon pictures that she plans to give to the local elementary school which happened to be closed given I was there on a Sunday. We had a late lunch/early dinner, then I headed back home.

After my two day visit, I’ve realized that there is little to fear about Khayelitsha. In spite of poor living conditions, it is a place of strength, community and faith & I hope to return again!

http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/Khayelitsha#

Yes its true...I’m not engaged just yet since we’ve only known each other for five weeks, but I think I’m falling in love...with Cape Town! After travelling the globe the past five years, it doesn’t compare to some of my favorite cities...those where I shared spiritual moving experiences such as Chiang Mai, Bali or Tanzania, but it is one of the few destinations that I would seriously consider living in outside of California and New York. That’s not even a consideration at this point, but just wanted to give you a little perspective.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written and wanted to quickly bring you up to speed. I’ve been living in my apartment for about three weeks now. The apartment is lovely, don’t get me wrong, but I have to share with you some of the obstacles I faced upon moving in. First, I know someone was living here before I moved in but I think the last time they dusted or cleaned was the year Mandela was released from prison. Seriously, there were layers and layers of dust and mold...I did a physical and spiritual cleansing. I had to buy new towels and sheets for my bed because the ones in the closet were probably also twenty years old. Second, they only informed me that the pipe on the washing machine was detached after I put in my first load of laundry, which resulted in a minor flood. To remedy the situation I moved the entire washing machine into the middle of my kitchen, put the pipe in the sink and held it down with a pasta pot (you can see a photo of my contraption on Picasa). I got a hold of a plumber that fixed it...his name happened to be Johnny Walker. Situation gets better. I went to the city municipality to change the electric bill in my name, only to find out the bill hadn’t been paid in six months. They didn’t realize this until I arrived that day inquiring about my bill and they threatened to turn off my electricity (I’m like really, you didn’t notice for six months and now you threaten to turn it off?!). Although I’m not surprised given the guy “helping me” was falling asleep on me mid-sentence. I’m not sure if he was drunk, tired or had a condition. Side note, luckily I get billed monthly but most residents here have to buy kilowatts from their local store for electricity and if they use all of their kilowatts then woops no electricity until they stock up on more. I also buy internet by megabyte…I’m averaging 500 megabytes per two weeks. My sliding shower door is broken so it repeatedly falls of the tracks and a few times has fallen on my head…so I’ve accepted showering with the door open…who needs it. In order to turn my television, I had to wire cash into the bank account of the owner living in Johannesburg. Other than these few “minor” obstacles, I adore my apartment and again, it’s much nicer than anything I ever imagined especially in comparison with some of the conditions the other fellows are living in other parts of Africa.

The past few weeks have flown by. I am very busy at work trying to implement a budget and forecasting model. Currently they are crafting their budgets in excel for seven countries and numerous donors which are highly complex. Not only is this inefficient and unreliable, but it has also led to missed funding opportunities. I helped facilitate training on a small component of this project to over sixty people this week. Sorry for those of you who fell asleep like five minutes ago. Onto better things.

Some of the highlights of the past few weeks are:

M2M recently secured a donation from Elton John worth almost $2M, his largest donation ever made. He was in town for a two day concert and made a visit to M2M. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet him but did get to go to his concert that night which was held at the Kirstenbausch Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful night and he ended with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”…ala Lion King. Anyone??

Annie Lennox is also in town and actually came to the office today. She has been very engaged and interested in m2m recently and made a donation...amount yet unknown. I got to meet her and speak with her. She was very humble. I also loved her look...sans makeup with a tangerine colored Indian tunic, shorts and flip flops.

Cape Argus, one of the world’s largest cycling events was held here and went right by my apartment. It’s an 80 mile race with extreme hills to conquer. Lance Armstrong raced along the likes of my boss. I participated by attending a Bicycles, Bagels and Bloody Marys party.

Two weeks ago, a group of us went to Wine Country which sounds far but luckily is only 35 minutes away. We went to three different vineyards; one of which was a wine & chocolate pairing (Pinotage with Masala Chai Dark Chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon with Sea Salt Chocolate, yums!). I bought a couple bottles, but these were consumed during a barbeque the next day in which we commemorated Human Rights Day…not just the people’s right to freedom but also the right to enjoy fine wine.

This past weekend I spent Saturday at the Taste of Cape, an outdoor wine and food tasting which brings over twenty of the best restaurants together showcasing their menus. I tried some of the most incredible dishes…a few highlights include “pan seared scallops on saffron risotto, micro greens and burnt butter vinaigrette; miso seared black cod; cumin crusted springbok loin with smoked sweet potato and goat cheese samosas; vanilla bean crème brulee with berry chutney and salted peanut butter”…the list can go on but you get the point. Scrumpdidlyumptous.

I wrapped up the weekend with a stay in the Khayelitsha Township, but it was so powerful it deserved its own write up (see next posting).

Stay tuned for my adventures in Mozambique!! Still missing you all very much & Happy Easter!!

See pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/March2010#

Just wanted to update you on my first weekend in Cape Town, apartment, first day at work, etc. I got in very late Thursday night (2am) to find out that my apartment will not be ready until March 8th, so I'm living at the Best Western for the next week (not bad, except no AC and its about 85 degrees and I share my room with larger than average ants, flies and bugs...welcome to africa).

Friday morning I decided to head to the beach. Randomly a guy next to me was also going to the beach and invited me to share a taxi. Long story short, it was someone from the Argentina Rugby Team here for a tournament. So needless to say, I joined the team as an honorary member for beach time, lunches, dinners (which they were generous enough to pick up), etc. They were a hilarious, very fun crew. Also, you might see pictures of a lot of these guys kissing me on the cheek...let me put this into context for you, they are Argentinean and they kiss everyone..innocent...enough said :)

Friday afternoon, I went on a long run (best way to explore). Ran downtown, along the beach, marina and did some residential hills. Hit up a few bike shops with an idea of buying a bike, but everyone i talked to recommended against it for a few reasons...too many hills, wind is fierce (already heard first hand stories of fly away car doors and a girl being blown over breaking her arm on the way to work) and rainy season is approaching (April/May) so my idea was shot down.

Saturday, woke up at 330am (jet lag got the best of me, so ironed, researched area/gyms/churches/restaurants, organized my room and my equipment for my assignment). Went back to the beach for a couple hours but didn't last long...sun is crucial and I was getting too dark even burned...but i stayed long enough to get a massage on the beach of course. Went to look at my apartment, went to the local grocery store called Pic & Pay..sh$t show fo sho!!, imagine Trader Joes in Union Sq. on a Sat afternoon times 20, can't handle), then napped for a few hours.

Went to church service on Sunday at St. Georges Cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu used to preach...beautiful service!! My goal is to try at least a few around town to see what's out there before I pick one to attend regularly.

People here are incredibly warm & hospitable. I have been very welcomed by everyone I meet. However, everyone always has some sort of warning.."be careful", "watch your purse", etc. Although I feel safe, robbery/theft is a major issue here especially with westerners. I feel very safe & given my experience (getting my purse stolen in this city three years ago) I am taking every precaution possible.

Today was my first day at work. Everyone was incredibly friendly and down to earth and the culture very relaxed. I walked in wearing a button down, pin black skirt and black high heels and there wasn't any gossip...people were not shy, walked right up to me and said "girl, you are overdressed, this aint no fashion boutique...come in your flip flops tomorrow...ahhh i feel at home :) I am surprised at how diverse the organization is...locals that started from inception but mostly people consulting, volunteering or on fellowship from other African countries and Europe. In fact there are a few others from US...a guy from New York (imagine Jack from Will and Grace), Chicago (laid back hippy guy who quit his job to move to africa) and LA (mysterious surfer guy) here. I will be working on all sorts of projects (some which appear to be very boring which I will do my best to make fun - developing policies and procedures...to developing strategies which are actually fun for me).

After work, a few people invited me to hike Lion's Head Mountain (about 2 hours) to watch the sunset / full moon sunrise which happens each month simultaneosly. It was breathtaking. Of course I left my camera in the car so could not capture the essense..I will go back at least a few times so i can try do this view justice. It was two hours rountrip excluding view time at the top. There were some treacherous rocks & slipped once but only have minor scratches. Afterwards we went to a co-workers place overlooking Camps Bay and ordered Ostrich Burgers with blue cheese and avocado (amazing!!!!) and local pinotage wine which is as cheap as water/soda.

So....I don't have many pics yet but have some of my hotel room / apt where I'm staying. I am blessed. Not really sure what I did to deserve this, but I am very grateful, will enjoy every minute of it and will hopefully give back to M2M and community during my assignment. I am arranging a visit to local clinics/hospitals where they administer medicines and to other countries where they are growing business. I almost feel uncomfortable living in such nice accomodations knowing that there is massive poverty / illness in every corner of this town/country :(

See my photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/nicolenys/CapeTownWeekend1