Easter Weekend

There is a local hill near here that overlooks Gabs and the surrounding Botswanan and South African area. It on occasion is the site of robbery and muggings by local thugs and so is on “the list” of the US Embassy as place one shouldn’t go. So I got up this morning early and went. But first a bit about yesterday…

It began with meeting an MO friend of mine from Zambia who works in Lobatse. We met at a local amusement park that is just of the main road in the bush. His kids are 2 and 8 and gorgeous. I was great to see his family and to watch every flavor and color of people there. Teens are teens anywhere; girls giggling and grooming with an eye on the boys and boys playing football with an eye on the girls. Parents over indulging their kids and general fun and laughter as the kids ride some rides that remind me of a county fair. I have vowed to get out of the white expat culture and this was a good first start.

Nicola and Chawa, both valued friends and colleagues invited me to their flat for an evening of high protein intake (I’m a touch underweight apparently) and hepatic stress testing. Nicola is from Peru and brilliant. He somehow hit the jackpot and is in relationship with Chawa, an equally brilliant Batswana who is as beautiful as she is brilliant. We sat down to some whiskey, he and I smoked pipes, ate some meat, drank some more whiskey, more meat, more miskey and more weat…..Made it home in one piece but had to bargain with my GI tract and liver that I’d go easy from now on. It was delightful and peaceful to sit, laugh, eat, laugh, and relax. I even took several naps yesterday.

This AM I climbed Kaghle Hill to watch the sunrise and again saw all flavors of people up there. There were Africans from all over sub-Saharan Africa, South Asians, East Asians, and one bald white guy from Gabs by way of Hood River. It was a great way to greet Easter and feel a citizen of the world at once. It would be tough to be a mugger with all the folks around. Some younger people regularly run up and down the trail, a hill like one in the middle of the Hood River Valley, only taller and rockier, and oh-my-gosh I can’t recall its name.

So today its more naps and lazing around. I will write a talk about anemia this afternoon for Tuesday which should be easy and then an easy evening on the ol’ liver. Happy Easter to those who celebrate it. Hope all is well for all of you and those you love.