In the flats of Cape Town

I arrived into CPT in the morning and was greeted by two big smiles followed by big BIG hugs! Thank you to the coordinators in country here, Avril & Marion. We rushed through roads and places that didn't make any sense to me, we were on the wrong side of the road to start!! ahhh, i'm usually pretty calm until we go to turn... yikes! right into on coming traffic - oh wait, they ALL drive on the wrong side of the road... ha h ha.

My house is small and comfortable and safe, yes SAFE! Which is the most important thing. All the reading that I have done doesn't talk much about the flats - oh, now I get it! No tourists come here! This is just for them... and now me. Which I like, kind of like South Africa is letting me see a dirty little secret, you know? Whole areas of town that are lean to's and open sewage and little gross rivers and one well for thousands of them and then next to this is an area named the same but with "estates" behind the name and here I am, right beside this... but safe. Let's thank God again for that.

There was supposed to be another girl coming to start the program with me... alas, she no-showed, hmm. All alone? No, there is Rosen. He has been here for four weeks, American, beginning his third year of med school. Never touched a patient until he came here but it so sure of himself that I'm jealous and scared of him. Amazing, Americans, hurrummph...

All that being said, Rosen and I have spent the whole weekend together. When I thought I would be stuck in my house dealing with flu, jet lag, nervous disorders and such I was actually having orientation, supper at the waterfront in Cape Town proper, climbing the southern most tip of Africa, Cape Point, reveling in the beauty of the waters at Cape of Good Hope (with a name like that how couldn't you love it?) and to top it off I ended the day about a foot away from wild penguins on the rocks at boulder bay (not just a clever name, ha)

Last night I must have been wound up as tight as a top! I couldn't sleep, not a wink. well until 6:15 this morning when I had to wake at 6:50 to get ready for my first day in hospital. oh heck, I'm a wreck usually before my first day of clinical in Red Deer so  it makes sense, right? I was laying in bed thinking, oh my god! do I know anything? what am i going to wear? am i going to fit in? are they going to accept me? are the going to let me do things? I wonder what the patients will look like/ I wonder what I'll be doing? etc, etc, etc, from 9:30 to 6:15 - shoot me.

I was picked up at 7:45 by this man named Mr. Mammath who "we" call Uncle and he talked (and drove) me all the way to University of Cape Town, which is maybe the most beautiful place I've been. I'm going to try and go back there while I'm here. I got an ID card
Katrina Vande Bunte, Medical Student  ---- uh oh!! I should've taken this as a sign.

Then to the hospital. Uncle walked me in, i'm not sure I would have made it if it weren't for him. this place looks scary. I was given a 30 second tour and told to work in casualties; in my white coat. NO ONE else was wearing a white coat. all doctors in jeans. what? this is wild. 100's of people laid out on benches, coughing, holding sheets to their heads, whoa, i'm NOT ready for this. Thank God the doctor wasn't either. So I ended up in "See & Treat" It was cool. One patient at a time, with whatever their ailment, the doctor - Dr. Porsche Williams, a lady so wonderful and young, would consult with me, another doctor, a specialist, CT or x-ray treat and discharge the patient. whoa. this is living. we saw 28 patients. This woman did not eat. and its not like at home where they get paid per visit - this is straigh salary and she loves her job.... most of the time ;) Its a rough crowd so I understand.

The health system works quite different here and I can't wait to learn more about it... fascinating. On Friday I go with a tour guide who will take me through all the townships and explain the history and take me to a shanti area of town to meet some people. I can't wait! I wish it was friday!! ha ha.

I really must walk home now as I want to stop to buy a few apples and herbal tea at the local shoppie.
I am missing EVERYONE a lot and can't wait to hear from you all about... anything! its always nice to here even the "boring" stuff at home as i miss everyone all the time.

Until next time,
love love love.
You are all in my thoughts everyday.
katrina