light & (darkly)

In photos: 10 best South Africa moments + some.

My ten favorite South Africa moments in photos:

1. Khayelitsha. Being my third trip to Africa, I was hardly shocked at the poverty that can be found in particular areas; however, something you will absolutely never get used to is the astounding optimism of the people who live there. The resilience. The will to continue on in the face of overwhelming odds. It’s amazing. Don’t let the shantytowns fool you–the people living inside are as colorful and bright as the tin panel walls that shield them.

2. Nature. A baby (jackass) penguin. What else can I say? Oh, I know–elephants.

3. The kids. From a safe distance, these girls smiled and (cautiously and curiously) watched me. The second I pulled out my camera, they stopped walking and immediately struck a pose. As I kept getting closer, they kept getting more nervous. In the next shot, the two girls on the side are hiding behind the girl in red. Adorable.

4. The food. I’m pretty spoiled as far as food goes. As much as I love other cities in the US, there’s just no place that can hold its own against New York. New York City is an endless landscape of amazing food from every country, available at any time of day–given you can afford it. That said, the food in South Africa is pretty good. I even got a chance to eat authentic South Africa township street meat.⁽¹⁾

5. The diversity. From townships to coastal mansions, South Africa has a hugely diverse distribution–everything from health care (free primary care to anybody who can make their way to a clinic, first-class health research centers, and yet an inability to get everybody ARTs) to economics (from townships to beach front mansions). Two photos ago, I showed you 3 smiling girls in the middle of a slum. Here’s one of the happiest kids I’ve ever seen in the middle of a tourist hotspot.

6. Night sky. One time, after leaving a bar with some friends somewhere in the Lower East Side, we looked up and saw a (yes, just one) star. In New York, that kind of thing makes your night. In South Africa, this is what you get all the time.

7. Schools. Reminds me of Uganda. It’s weird to think your visit to their school meant just as much to them as it did to you. Playing with them, talking with them, and giving them toys made my week and I can only hope it made theirs.

8. Sunrises. So awesome they don’t even look real.

9. The reminders. In the end, I’m getting myself into nearly six-figure debt for a degree that (if I’m lucky) will bring in $45,000 a year. I’ve never really thought of myself as money-hungry and I’m not particularly driven by financial incentives or material worth, but even I know that’s a stupid thing to do. However, walking through the pediatrics ward in a developing country’s hospital is a pretty good reminder of why international health is important and why I’m doing it. This was one of the underdeveloped, malnourished kids in the ward. If he doesn’t make you sad, the idea of him being one of the lucky ones should. There are hundreds of thousands more not in hospitals and not getting taken care of.

10. Giving. The kids in the first photo were the first ones I gave a gift to. (A blue and white, Nike soccer ball.) The oldest one in the back (holding the ball) wants to be a medical doctor. The one in the middle is his younger brother. The one up front is his cousin. Sweetest kids ever. The second photo is of a faculty member holding up a few of the toys I gave to the school. The last photo is of the toys. This school had next to nothing. The only toy I saw was a old, size 3 soccer ball that was falling apart. The principal and teachers were speechlessly grateful. Thanks to everybody who contributed.

Bonus photos:

From Cape Town to Dubai to Rome to Cinque Terre to Paris. A few bonus photos. I’m still working on all of them, but they’ll be up soon.

1. Probably a mistake, but hey–I’ll try anything once. [↩]