Sauna Time

I spent 4 straight nights up in the sauna this week.  Kenyatta, Rebekah, and I (sometimes Emma) go sit up there for the views and the warmth.  It has been an exceptionally rainy and cold week.  Also my office is air conditioned so I think they are trying to freeze me out.   On Wednesday night the huge lights on Table Mountain were turned on creating an amazing view.

After completing my first work week, I am happy to say I enjoy my job. It is similar to some of the work I did at East Meets West in Vietnam this spring, but I definitely enjoy the focus on HIV prevention and treatment.  My office is in a huge area called the Waverly Complex that houses a bunch of other businesses.  There is a security gate and I have to buzz in every day and then go through the revolving door.  This weeks’ main office tasks included transcribing video footage from the Botswana 2011 conference into passages for the annual proceedings booklet and background research on various grants and funding opportunities to plan for the December 2012 conference in Cape Town. This is my place of employment. My office is on the ground level on the right hand side.

I have mastered the bus route to and from Mowbray. All that is left is to buy a bus pass instead of paying with change every day – but I really don’t want to wake up any earlier to do that before work.  The stop before mine is the Groote Schuur Hospital that is famous because it is where the first human heart transplant took place. 

I also have adapted to living in my apartment complex.  First we scan in through the doors with a key card.  Then I scan in through the turnstile by the security desk (you also scan out through a turnstile and scan to open the door).  Then I proceed to take an elevator up to the fifth floor (6^th in American buildings).  The elevators move fast and stop quickly like you are on a roller coaster.  They also open the doors before they are completely level with the floor so you are about 8 inches off for a second before it levels out.  We always take the stairs the 6 flights down because the elevator doesn’t like to come back to our floor. 

We have a regular key to get into the apartment.  Unlike some of the other interns on the upper floors who have a view, mine is windows of the other half of the apartment complex. That is disappointing but after a couple months there are fewer interns here so I get to move upstairs. One of the weird things about the apartments is how you get electricity.  It is pre-pay so we take the card on our electricity box down to the front desk with our money.  They give you a code that you type into the box in your room.  During the week you slowly watch the Rand tick away until you have to go add more.  It definitely makes you electricity conscious and we try to keep the lights off at all times.

My new favorite kitchen gadget is the electric kettle.  It is phenomenal.  It heats my water up so fast!  Then me and Rebekah sit and drink hot chocolate to stay warm (since we do not have heating in our unit and the temperature indoors is pretty cold).

We had a roomie movie night on Tuesday where we introduced Kenyatta to “Bridesmaids” because she had never seen it before.  Wednesday was pizza and Wi-Fi at Narona where I proceeded to knock over Emma’s Martini and break a glass – oops.  Last night was drinks night at the Best Western bar where we had around 50 people in my program meet up.  It was good to meet up with more new people.

I have some incredible plans for the next 4 weekends! J