I'm Back

I had the flu last week, unfortunately, which resulted in me being essentially out of comission for 3 days. But I'm better now and back to regular life. I spent my first full day at the YMCA today - at a Youth Committee meeting, designing a spreadsheet to categorize member info, typing up notes on leadership, and hanging out with Thabi, the Kids Club coordinator.

Thabi and I were talking about our families and she was showing me photos of hers. She has a niece who is 5, too, so that's fun. The sad part of the story is that her niece's mom (her sister) died last year. I'm assuming from AIDS, though no one ever says. Even on death certificates doctors will not record AIDS as the cause of death because of the shame it brings to families. When talking about people who have AIDS we just say that they are very sick. So Thabi's niece is growing up without a mommy. And I'm reminded how thankful I am that my niece's mommy is healthy.

Yesterday I went to church at Emmanuel Cathedral. It's the big Catholic church in town - and it's old and beautiful, but I can't say when it was built. Mass was half in English, half in Zulu and attended by mostly Zulu people and a few Indians. So I only understood half of it, which was interesting. I felt sympathy for my Dad who had to attend Masses all in Latin back in the day.

And now I'm headed back to my apartment... on either the bus or the Minibus Taxi, whichever comes first. :)