Lunch Posts: Lunch at Rural Hospital

The food trolley with the squeaky wheel arrives in the Outpatients’ Department. It is laden with with warm cling-wrapped food. Rice, pumpkin, beans, and on a good day, some meat. Surreptitiously a lull descends over OPD. You know you are really hungry when hospital food looks appetising. Doctors conclude their current consultations and walk to

Mobile Update: Their Window to the World

Thought I’d join in The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge via this phone that I can barely type on.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Good Morning, Cape Town! [Guest]

The Boy is hijacking my blog for this week’s photo challenge. He’s recently shown a lot of interest in photography and naturally lives in one of the best places to try it out.   This picture was taken during an icy cold morning walk. The season is slowly turning to Spring, but the weather is

For the Children with Specs

“Can you read the top letter?” I ask the six-year-old with the massive specs. “That’s a number eight!” she exclaims, visibly proud. Or maybe relieved. After a few more lines, she falters. “six… no, five- threeeee… uhm…” “Read it.” Says the voice in the corner. Her mother. “You can read. Don’t let the white doctor

Weekly Photo Challenge: Sea

I grew up by the ocean. Feeling the sand under my nails and scrabbling as the water tried to swallow my sandcastles was second nature to me. In the late summer months, after-school activities meant going to the beach. I am glad I have never had to live inland, but I am convinced that my

Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape

I took this picture at Elmina Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana, during my visit there with Semester at Sea in April this year. We learned about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in high school history class, and it was incredibly educational to visit this castle in the flesh. It was harrowing too. What a dark time

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

Two photo posts in a row! This week’s photo challenge with The Daily Post is about culture. YAY! I have seen a LOT of that these past four months. The most beautiful thing about culture and travel is not just learning to celebrate differences… but learning to appreciate what makes us the same. There was

Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

This week’s photo challenge (which expires soon!) with The Daily Post is titled “Up”. [Let the record state that I love that movie.] I have been sailing around the world for 106 days. Today we disembarked the ship. I feel that in these 106 days, I have looked to the sky more often than not.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Sailing to the Future

This week’s weekly photo challenge with The Daily Post looks to the future. In my immediate future is touching on home base! In fact, right now we are sailing past the East Coast of South Africa, and just a few hours I was giddily staring at the lights of Durban’s coastline. I even have cell

Weekly Photo Challenge: Surprise!

It was Christmas! I love this holiday. And now Christmas is technically over, but it’s still in the air and our tree is still shining, and I’m still on a Christmassy high. Here are some pictures of the surprises of Christmas Eve (which is when we open our gifts), as prompted by The Daily Post.