Unjane?

Unjane means "How are you?"
I am just on lunch break before going to the Dream Centre which is a Hospice for people living with HIV/AIDS...I went there on Friday afternoon as well. It was really sad but fulfilling in a strange sort of way. Edith (one of the other volunteers) is a nurse and she arrived to find that one of her patients that she was trying to help the previous day had passed away. She was quite upset. Nonclanka, another patient, had apparently gone very downhill in the last few weeks (Carina told me)...she was a very upbeat and friendly patient that everyone loved but now she cannot even register when she has a visitor. It was crushing.
On Friday we went to a new club in Hillcrest. It was pretty awful...only white people, and the two black people in the club were in clearing tables and cleaning dishes. The racism here is quite evident in places such as these, so it will be the last time I go there.
The weekend was nice...went to the beach on Saturday and then met up with Pillubhai and some of his friends in Durban. They were all very nice and took me to a restaurant in uShaka (the aquarium) where you could see sharks swimming while you ate. It was neat.
Sunday we didn't do so much...went to Durban for the afternoon and then came back.
Yesterday I talked to Claire (the organizer) about living arrangements as I still feel too comfortable here and too guilty after working at the orphanages/clinics all day. I asked her if I could stay at AGAPE (the orphanage) but she said no. Unfortunately, there isn't anything she can do although she has had other volunteers make similar comments.
I've resolved instead to 'not-learn' to use luxuries. H. Kohl talks about not-learning in his essays in "I won't learn from you" (Shradha gave me that book)...basically, it is just taking a conscious and active decision not to learn something even though you are fully able to. My not-learning will begin by not-learning to drop off my laundry and do it myself, by not using the microwave, by not going to the mall like the others, and not eating out...and other such things.

Today we went to Savannah house to paint...Nonjabulo (the little one who always pees) is actually 4. But she has the most infectious laugh that you could possibly imagine. It's absolutely delightful. She's so adorable...you just look at her and she squeels with happiness and you can't help but smile.

Also...time for some shoutouts to people who have helped make my stay here so much better:

Prat, Surender (thanks for the cookies), Sofi (the card was so sweet and the pics are awesome), Seema, Derek (for the awesome letter), Mom, Dad & Ba -- for sending me off at the airport.
Hussein A. -- the first one to call me other than my mom!
Pillubhai, Dolat Uncle & Patti Auntie (sp?) -- who have been so helpful since I got here!!!!
Sundeep & Abbas -- for the supernice emails...

Also -- bought a few presents for people. One of them is a book that i'm gonna have to read before they get it because it looks so interesting...!!!

That's it for now...I am so super late!!!!!!!!