Monday, October 5, 2009

Mthatha, I can call you home...

Well, I had a good weekend away in a rural coastal village called Mdumbi where there is a backpacker's lodge that has been established by a group of folks who aim to bring the community, not necessarily development as Westerners might think of it, but sustainable growth through giving the folks in the local area occupations and businesses. I was helping teach a small business class (I'm not sure I was quite qualified to do this, but I felt confident about the help I gave) to a group of 19 people who all plan on receiving grants from the non-profit Transcape. It was wonderful to fall asleep to the sound of the Indian ocean and to breathe fresh ocean air again.

However, when the time came to go back to Mthatha, I actually thought of it as home, which took me aback for a minute. I've really dug in here, and while I doubt my recapitulation for another year (any real thought of that decision seems a long way off) as my predecessors did, I certainly feel I've cut something of a niche out for myself. It was something of a joy to get back to the clinic and get back to work as usual.

That's all I really wish to say for now, and please, as always, stay tuned.

God bless.