Monday, July 22, 2013

Sometimes Life Is Funny, Even In Durban



Today in Durban, South Africa. The day began at the Chelsea Villa B and B with an English breakfast. I am beginning here to make a correction and claim my ignorance. Those baked beans were not for you they were for the British. Silly me, today's breakfast included baked beans with eggs if so desired. Well that just shows you......what?.....that we need to travel more so that I do not make stupid assumptions. I have not been to England for a while either.....

After breakfast we explored a bit down the street. It is so fun to go into markets in new places. We chose a few snacky items and two bottles of red wine. At the cash register our ignorance of the Rand was quite evident as we tried to pay and this led to..... where are you from? "California." I answered. This beautiful dark African woman in a deep blue apron widened her eyes to see me and her vision that I came from an exotic place. I saw it in her wide eye amazement. But I thought that she lived in an exotic place, Africa, as I viewed her with my wide eye curiosity.....The allure of "California" was more than she could take. "Do you have anything for me?" she asked. "Anything, a bracelet, an earring, from California?" She was serious. Her beautiful black, deep blue aproned bagger's ears perked and she smiled in support of her request. "Yes if you have anything to give us." I replied, "But, I don't, I am so sorry." As we left I remembered putting a pair of earrings in my purse to "give away" if I found someone to give them too. "Well, why not these ladies? It would make them so happy." Doug and I went back into the market and I gave them the earrings, to share. One for each. Joy and hugs! So, perhaps they will begin a new fashion thing wearing only one earring and all of AFrica will follow suit....it did make them so happy......As I stood there with the smell of old Africa and masala spices in the air and dried ostrich jerky on the shelf near by I was being seen as the one from the exotic land. Life is funny you know.



The day continued to be full and it is here that I wish to share one of the other important reasons we are here. Doug is to give a talk at a research institute tomorrow. He will spend two full days at KRITH at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine. Today we were taken by Frederick, Doug's friend and host to visit KRITH. This is a brand new institute that is using micro fluidic technologies to help in the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of TB and HIV in Africa. Because of his friendship with Frederick and his work at Lawrence Livermore Lab, Doug has been given this opportunity to talk about ways to collaborate in the development of a new generation of technology to fight these scourges in an underdeveloped country. The title of the talk is "From Biosecurity Technologies to World Health Solutions." This is a wonderful and exciting opportunity for Doug and an amazing serendipitous situation to arise in Durban at the same time as the Transplant Games......again, life is funny you know.....





And when visiting KRITH I was imediately taken with the incredible mosaic art that decorated the building. Since this is my avenue of artistic expression at this time I was enthralled with the beauty of these mosaics. It was a place where both of us had something important speaking to us....again, life is funny.....





 And then. Ashmika from KRITH was given the task to show us around. We decided on a restaurant for lunch by the ocean. And, as it turned out, it was her birthday, July 22! This is also our Sara's birthday and being in Africa we can not be with her to celebrate..... but here is a beautiful young woman with the same birthday! So we celebrated Ashmika's 28th! And Sara, Happy Birthday to you from far away on your 25th!  And then as strange as it is.....we were out to dinner and in all of Durban Ashmika walked in with her family to celebrate her b'day and sat right next to us....Again, life is funny, so very funny sometimes.....

 And then there is Ruth Ann.....my new friend. She joined us for dinner tonight. I met her in Murphys not long ago through a friend. She comes to Durban every summer to be with her son and grandchildren. So wonderful for me, she is to be my personal guide and adventure partner for the next two days while Doug is in science land....I am so lucky.....to have a friend from our exotic California to be in this exotic place to play with me these few days.........again, life is so funny, isn't it?

And OK, one more thing....while in the market looking at wine I found this....

reminding us......did you put that there, Anna?

Yes, life is funny.............


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