I am currently sitting in bed with a sweater on, under three blankets, with a heat bag on my feet.
It feels like I am camping; that way you can't quite escape the cold even inside your tent, in your sleeping bag.
The weather outside is like a Canadian Autumn, and I love that type of weather; sun during the day, clear skies, sweater weather. But in Canada, when the sun goes down and you're inside for the night, you can turn on the heat to keep yourself warm.
Not the case in South Africa.
Most of the houses don't have any heating (or air conditioning) and the windows and doors have no weather proofing. Everyone is dependent on space heaters and just bundling up.
I don't quite comprehend why none of these houses have proper heat given winter strikes every year, but I guess it's an expense South Africans feel like they can avoid and they just power through for the two or three months of winter.
As crazy as it sounds, I'll take Canadian winter over South African winter if it means I can have a warm house and beautiful snow. But maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic, or going through a brain freeze...
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Giardia
Quick followup to the previous post.
Last night I started feeling a little yucky again, but hoped it was nothing. Woke up this morning with the abdominal pain and other uncomfortable afflictions I was experiencing before. Called the doc and she sent me a prescription for another course of antibiotics. It's a bit of a more intense antibiotic which she tries to avoid prescribing because it can cause lots of nausea, but this is one of the few cited as being effective for Giardia, so hopefully it'll do the trick.
The first antibiotic I was on is a a good general antibiotic called Ciprofloxacin, but a word to the wise, if you think you have Giardiasis, go straight for the Metronidazole!
Bleck!
Last night I started feeling a little yucky again, but hoped it was nothing. Woke up this morning with the abdominal pain and other uncomfortable afflictions I was experiencing before. Called the doc and she sent me a prescription for another course of antibiotics. It's a bit of a more intense antibiotic which she tries to avoid prescribing because it can cause lots of nausea, but this is one of the few cited as being effective for Giardia, so hopefully it'll do the trick.
The first antibiotic I was on is a a good general antibiotic called Ciprofloxacin, but a word to the wise, if you think you have Giardiasis, go straight for the Metronidazole!
Bleck!
Sunday, 21 June 2015
Healthcare
Well, with all the traveling I've been doing, I suppose it was bound to happen...I caught a parasite somewhere along the way.
On Saturday I started feeling really terrible. I was out with some friends and I needed to go home because I had so much discomfort in my abdomen. Sadly, it meant I missed out on going to a documentary I had purchased a ticket to see. I stayed home and continued to feel like garbage all through the weekend and into the start of the work week, so I stayed home, hoping it would pass.
It didn't.
The next day was a public holiday so I suffered through more pain and discomfort until I could see my doctor the next morning. I went in and she examined me and asked me to provide her with a few bodily fluid samples. We needed to wait for those to come back to get any sort of results so I was sent home with a doctor's note for missing the week of work and a list of rehydration powders for me to pick up so I wouldn't get too dehydrated. I wasn't eating much because it didn't sit well so I was also really hungry. In short, I was a mess.
I finally got the test results back on Thursday evening and although they were inconclusive, my doctor decided to prescribe me some antibiotics because she was pretty sure it was some kind of bug and these would do the trick. I had also been doing some Googling (of course, as every sick person does, for better or worse) and it was clear from all my systems, that Giardia was the likely culprit; a pretty common parasite picked up while traveling.
I've been taking the antibiotics since Friday and I am happy to say that I am feeling immensely better and I'm almost back to 100%. I finish the meds tomorrow and I'll also be back at work.
Although it was a shitty week (literally...), I am lucky I have a really caring doctor. She personally checked in on me a few times and got the care as quickly as possible, the tests were quick and easy and everything is covered by my medical aid here.
I have heard lots of good things about the healthcare system here in South Africa and how great the service and care is here and I can now attest to that, but I have to back up Canada on this one. I receive the same level of service and care when I am in Canada. The difference, I receive this care in South Africa because I have an employer who provides me with a good benefits plan (Discovery Insurance). I receive this care in Canada because I am a human being. It makes me sad that there are a lot of people across South Africa who are unemployed (the unemployment rate is at 40% right now) and they do not have the same access to care in their own home country that I am receiving as a temporary resident. I'm sure there was someone else in Joburg who was rocking a parasite last week just like me and it makes me sad to think they might not be feeling better just yet like I am or they might be footing a bill that they can't afford.
On Saturday I started feeling really terrible. I was out with some friends and I needed to go home because I had so much discomfort in my abdomen. Sadly, it meant I missed out on going to a documentary I had purchased a ticket to see. I stayed home and continued to feel like garbage all through the weekend and into the start of the work week, so I stayed home, hoping it would pass.
It didn't.
The next day was a public holiday so I suffered through more pain and discomfort until I could see my doctor the next morning. I went in and she examined me and asked me to provide her with a few bodily fluid samples. We needed to wait for those to come back to get any sort of results so I was sent home with a doctor's note for missing the week of work and a list of rehydration powders for me to pick up so I wouldn't get too dehydrated. I wasn't eating much because it didn't sit well so I was also really hungry. In short, I was a mess.
I finally got the test results back on Thursday evening and although they were inconclusive, my doctor decided to prescribe me some antibiotics because she was pretty sure it was some kind of bug and these would do the trick. I had also been doing some Googling (of course, as every sick person does, for better or worse) and it was clear from all my systems, that Giardia was the likely culprit; a pretty common parasite picked up while traveling.
I've been taking the antibiotics since Friday and I am happy to say that I am feeling immensely better and I'm almost back to 100%. I finish the meds tomorrow and I'll also be back at work.
Although it was a shitty week (literally...), I am lucky I have a really caring doctor. She personally checked in on me a few times and got the care as quickly as possible, the tests were quick and easy and everything is covered by my medical aid here.
I have heard lots of good things about the healthcare system here in South Africa and how great the service and care is here and I can now attest to that, but I have to back up Canada on this one. I receive the same level of service and care when I am in Canada. The difference, I receive this care in South Africa because I have an employer who provides me with a good benefits plan (Discovery Insurance). I receive this care in Canada because I am a human being. It makes me sad that there are a lot of people across South Africa who are unemployed (the unemployment rate is at 40% right now) and they do not have the same access to care in their own home country that I am receiving as a temporary resident. I'm sure there was someone else in Joburg who was rocking a parasite last week just like me and it makes me sad to think they might not be feeling better just yet like I am or they might be footing a bill that they can't afford.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Safety Reminder
Before moving to Johannesburg, I had heard all the stories about robberies, smash and grabs and general crime in the city. When I moved everyone gave me the safety tips for living in the city:
But two weeks ago one of my colleagues was on her way home from the airport when someone followed her into her apartment complex and held her and her husband at gun point in their home. Luckily no one was harmed and the intruder just took a bunch of their electronics and left.
But that freaked me out.
It was like all of a sudden, I remembered, that scary things can happen in this city where there are lots of guns and lots of impoverished communities. That's not a good mix. The night I heard about this, I locked both the padlocks on my apartment door.
Although, I have to make sure I keep following my safety precautions and not forget that things can be dangerous and its always better safe than sorry, I am also reminding myself that I meet wonderful, friendly people every day and there is a lot of good I get to see in the city.
- keep your car doors locked
- store your purse in the trunk when you're driving
- don't walk by yourself at night
- if its late and the streets are empty, don't sit at red lights
But two weeks ago one of my colleagues was on her way home from the airport when someone followed her into her apartment complex and held her and her husband at gun point in their home. Luckily no one was harmed and the intruder just took a bunch of their electronics and left.
But that freaked me out.
It was like all of a sudden, I remembered, that scary things can happen in this city where there are lots of guns and lots of impoverished communities. That's not a good mix. The night I heard about this, I locked both the padlocks on my apartment door.
Although, I have to make sure I keep following my safety precautions and not forget that things can be dangerous and its always better safe than sorry, I am also reminding myself that I meet wonderful, friendly people every day and there is a lot of good I get to see in the city.
Thursday, 11 June 2015
Hola, Spain!
I am very lucky to have a job that allows me to travel. It can sometimes be exhausting, but it's a privilege I am very appreciate of, especially when the destination I am being sent is Spain.
I traveled through a big chunk of Europe when I graduated from university but I didn't make it over to Spain at that time so I was really excited to get the chance to see it now.
My meetings were scheduled over two days in Madrid but I flew into Barcelona for the weekend before going to Madrid.
Barcelona is a really lovely city, between the Gaudi architecture, beautiful parks and beaches on the Mediterranean, you can't really go wrong. I stayed in a hostel near La Sagrada Famila so I was able to capture many glimpses of this 150 year old work in progress. I also spent a lot of time just walking the streets of the city, taking it all in (and stopping periodically for a frappaccino at Starbucks, because I couldn't help myself - it was hot and there are no Starbucks in South Africa!).
It's a good thing I did pop into Starbucks though because I ended up seeing a woman steal someone's purse right off the back of her chair and I was able to alert the girl who chased the woman down and got back her purse. Thank goodness because her passport was in there! I actually was so naive that I didn't even recognize at first what the woman was actually doing, I guess it seemed unbelievable to me that she was doing so right there in the open, but she was. The sad part is that its so common to have thieves and pickpockets in Spain that the girl just yelled at the thief but then walked away and there weren't any real consequences. Word to the wise traveling in Spain: keep a hand on your purse at all times. A colleague also had her wallet stolen from her in a busy square of Madrid, right out of her bag without her noticing.
One of the best parts of spending my weekend in Barcelona though was going stand up paddle boarding in the Mediterranean. I have wanted to try it for so long and I really enjoyed it! It can be so relaxing to just paddle around in the sunshine and it's great practice for your balance; I feel in a couple of times. haha
I did a walking tour of the old city, which is always once of my favourite ways to get to know a new city and I learned a lot of interesting history while taking in the city. A very bizarre thing I learned about Catalonia, the region in which Barcelona lies (whom are also trying to get independence from Spain), is their affinity for strange traditions involving poo. One tradition they hold (although there are others!) is to have in their nativity scenes at Christmas, a little shepherd who is taking a poo behind a tree. I'm not even kidding. They put up a huge nativity scene in the main square of the city every year and without fail there is a shepherd hidden in the background taking a dump behind a tree. So OF COURSE I had to buy a little shitting shepherd of my own. Dad - you're welcome in advance for sprucing up your nativity scene.
I took the train from Barca into Madrid on Sunday night and a friend of mine who lives there picked me up at the train station and we were for dinner on the rooftop of a building and did a walk around some of the main sites in Madrid, like the royal palace, city hall, etc. It was quite lovely and I was impressed by how beautiful and clean Madrid is. On the last day of my meetings in Madrid our whole group had lunch in the beautiful Parque del Retiro. A charming end to a short European stay.
I traveled through a big chunk of Europe when I graduated from university but I didn't make it over to Spain at that time so I was really excited to get the chance to see it now.
My meetings were scheduled over two days in Madrid but I flew into Barcelona for the weekend before going to Madrid.
Barcelona is a really lovely city, between the Gaudi architecture, beautiful parks and beaches on the Mediterranean, you can't really go wrong. I stayed in a hostel near La Sagrada Famila so I was able to capture many glimpses of this 150 year old work in progress. I also spent a lot of time just walking the streets of the city, taking it all in (and stopping periodically for a frappaccino at Starbucks, because I couldn't help myself - it was hot and there are no Starbucks in South Africa!).
It's a good thing I did pop into Starbucks though because I ended up seeing a woman steal someone's purse right off the back of her chair and I was able to alert the girl who chased the woman down and got back her purse. Thank goodness because her passport was in there! I actually was so naive that I didn't even recognize at first what the woman was actually doing, I guess it seemed unbelievable to me that she was doing so right there in the open, but she was. The sad part is that its so common to have thieves and pickpockets in Spain that the girl just yelled at the thief but then walked away and there weren't any real consequences. Word to the wise traveling in Spain: keep a hand on your purse at all times. A colleague also had her wallet stolen from her in a busy square of Madrid, right out of her bag without her noticing.
One of the best parts of spending my weekend in Barcelona though was going stand up paddle boarding in the Mediterranean. I have wanted to try it for so long and I really enjoyed it! It can be so relaxing to just paddle around in the sunshine and it's great practice for your balance; I feel in a couple of times. haha
I did a walking tour of the old city, which is always once of my favourite ways to get to know a new city and I learned a lot of interesting history while taking in the city. A very bizarre thing I learned about Catalonia, the region in which Barcelona lies (whom are also trying to get independence from Spain), is their affinity for strange traditions involving poo. One tradition they hold (although there are others!) is to have in their nativity scenes at Christmas, a little shepherd who is taking a poo behind a tree. I'm not even kidding. They put up a huge nativity scene in the main square of the city every year and without fail there is a shepherd hidden in the background taking a dump behind a tree. So OF COURSE I had to buy a little shitting shepherd of my own. Dad - you're welcome in advance for sprucing up your nativity scene.
I took the train from Barca into Madrid on Sunday night and a friend of mine who lives there picked me up at the train station and we were for dinner on the rooftop of a building and did a walk around some of the main sites in Madrid, like the royal palace, city hall, etc. It was quite lovely and I was impressed by how beautiful and clean Madrid is. On the last day of my meetings in Madrid our whole group had lunch in the beautiful Parque del Retiro. A charming end to a short European stay.
Kalk Bay
About three weeks ago, I was sent back to Cape Town for a work event and my friend and I decided to take advantage of being sent out that way, to spend a relaxing weekend in Kalk Bay.
Kalk Bay is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Cape Town so it was perfect. We were able to enjoy the relaxation of the small town with its super hippie vibes, little shops and lovely views, but also had an easy drive into Cape Town when we wanted.
There was a cute little restaurant I really enjoyed called Lekker (which in South Africa, is slang for "good"). We also walked along the trail on the coast from Kalk Bay to the nearby surfer town of Muizenberg. I could have sat there for hours just people watching, seeing all the different surfers and paddle boarders along the beach and out in the water. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Tiger's Milk, which was also really good and had a nice view of the beach, before walking the same path back to Kalk Bay. We had good luck with food actually, because we also had a great dinner in Cape Town one night at Kloof Street House.
I'm not much of a shopper, but we spent one day checking out different shopping hotspots in Cape Town and each of us ended up with some artwork and clothing, so it was a successful mission. We shopped around The Old Biscuit Mill, which is an old factory yard that's been renovated into lots of shops and restaurants with vendor stalls on the weekend also. While we were in that area we also wandered the streets a bit and stumbled into a private artist's studio who had some really cool and affordable pieces so this is where the artwork came from! Then we headed over to the Watershed down at the Waterfront which is a huge warehouse loaded with vendor stalls selling crafts, art and clothing.
So all in all, it was a really nice weekend just to relax, eat well and take in these views.
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