U2 - Best Band EVER!

OH MY GOODNESS! What a show!


Okay, calm down, write clearly, be... but I saw The Edge - a LOT. So, my one complaint about all U2 videos is: too much Bono, not enough The Edge - in my book the hottest man in rock music. He was great, the music was fantastic. What a fun night.


Okay, now that I managed to get that out of my system, on to other things.


The weather in Cape Town was so beautiful - though the wind has been pretty harsh. But hey, even with the wind, you are in Cape Town, so, no reason to complain. I managed to have some seafood, I saw my friends Stacie and Mark, and I spent some time with Asara (oh yeah, and her parents and grandparents, but really, it is all about Asara). Sadly she was sleeping the whole time I was babysitting, save for 5 minutes when she woke up and cried for Mommy. When that did not work, she wailed for Daddy, and when it was still just me, she turned to sobbing herself back to sleep. So, what should have been fun time with Asara turned into reading on my Kindle. Oh well, next time.


I would move to Cape Town tomorrow if I could - it is my favourite city. I love everything about it.


Tomorrow I am back at work with a vengeance, and I am not exactly super psyched about that. I have tried to work since getting back from the US, but I find my motivation is lacking. If anyone has a magic cure, please send it along.


Anyway, I really have nothing profound to say today, so, maybe I will just end it here. End the torture for all and sundry.


However, I cannot end without a shout out to Heidi and Bryan, who are celebrating their wedding anniversary today. In their honour I am posting a picture from that auspicious day 5 years ago. Congratulations Heidi and Bryan!

Remembering a beautiful friend, Carmen Urdaneta

Today is the birthday of my beautiful friend Carmen Urdaneta, who died in Afghanistan in February 2005. She was a gorgeous, kind, funny, wonderful person. I still miss her. She was a wonderful photographer. A better friend.


Here is a little about her:


Carmen Christina Urdaneta, 32, was born 13 February 1972 in Venezuela, raised partly there in Maracaibo and grew up in Topeka, KS but was residing in Brookline, MA at the time of her death. She graduated from Hayden High School where she was on the honor roll, a member of Amnesty International, the International Club, Hispanic Club, campus ministry and the volleyball team. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in human biology from the University of Kansas in 1994 and participated in a study abroad program in France. In 1997 she earned a master’s degree in public health from Boston University’s School of Public Health. She began her professional career at the AIDS Bureau in Boston, where she worked on an epidemiologic project on AIDS. She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the Worldspace Foundation, an organization whose mission is to improve access to information in the developing world. In 1999, Carmen became a senior communications associate in the Family Planning Management Program at Management Sciences for Health. In 2001, she served as the director of communications for the firm’s Equity Project, residing in Pretoria, South Africa. She had worked to combat AIDS in Africa and to improve health services in Angola. She was well known in the global health community for her writing and photography. She returned to Boston in late 2003 where she became a senior communications associate at MSH. Carmen was a key member of the team responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies for MSH's various global health programs. She traveled extensively, visiting program sites throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America to capture firsthand the beneficial impact of MS H initiatives. Carmen is well-known in the global health community for both her writing and photography. Her stories have been featured in a variety of publications, and she was a finalist in several photography competitions. She told stories of the people she met around the world. She captured their faces in photographs. She spoke of how MSH programs affected their lives and what they needed to make their lives better. Her stories, published by MSH and in public health news magazines, along with her photos, had won awards. Carmen had been with working for the MSH for five years. She was in Afghanistan to help develop a comprehensive communications strategy for expansion of Afghanistan’s community-based health care plan. Carmen’s last comments in an email before she boarded the plane were that she loved the country and couldn’t wait to go back and do more. In her spare time, Carmen enjoyed the simple things in life such as reading, music, dancing salsa and merengue, the arts and a good cup of coffee. She was fluent in Spanish and French. The family is setting up the Carmen Christina Urdaneta Memorial Fund, which will probably be a scholarship for studying international health or funding for a project that would benefit the people she tried to help. She is survived by her parents Dr. Leonel Urdaneta and Judy Urdaneta; her mother Lia Urdaneta and Larry Lundquist; brothers Dr. JosŽ Urdaneta of Phoenix, AZ and Dr. Leonel Urdaneta of Manhattan, NY; her stepbrothers, Bo and Justin Bowen of Topeka; her stepsisters, Lea Araujo of CO and Christine Owens of Topeka; her nephew and niece Jace Haizley Bowen of Topeka; other very close relatives in Venezuela; and a host of global family and friends.

Oh happy day

This was a good day. I finally made it to the Air and Space Museum - and saw some beautiful photography, and I had sushi. Anyone who knows me well knowns that sushi makes me go to my happy place. But what made this day even better, was spending it with my friend Steve, who I have not spent time with in more than 3 years. When we worked together in South Africa, we would talk 3 times a day. It was wonderful to just spend time together, and just chat away like we did before.

Steve and I saw two movies at the museum, one about black holes, and the other about the place of Earth in the universe. Both had some amazing photography and of course CGI, but it really did provide that sense of amazing space, and the infinity of it all. Earth just being one of millions and millions of objects in the universe is really hard to conceptualise - and certainly is a good reminder of how insignificant we are. I am reminded about a TV programme many years ago called "Third rock from the Sun", and this certainly is an apt description - we are just one little pebble in an Everest mountain of pebbles. When also thinking about the trip to the Natural History Museum, and the exhibition on biodiversity, it also reminded me that we need to take better care of the planet. The interconnectedness of the continents, ecosystems, weather patterns - we are not islands, and decisions made in one place can affect someone half a world away.

Okay, I am getting of my high horse. I am now even annoying myself.

So, a little about my other happy day. Yesterday Bill and I took a drive to Annapolis, and it is a very quaint, lovely place. It was a little chilly, but I can imagine that in summer it must be a wonderful place to be. On the drive there we went past some beautiful homes on the water, and it must be an idyllic place to live. Bill and I checked out real estate prices in the area, and if I had $500,000 spare, I would definitely have an in.

So, now back "home" in Arlington. Tomorrow is my last day in DC. I have not yet decided what to do with my morning. I am having lunch with Bill and will pop into OGC to see other old friends. Maybe another museum or two.

Good night!

More NYC

My earlier post did not manage to contain all my feelings about New York. So, here goes:

1. New York is the most alive, vibrant, pulsating city I have ever been in. I loved every single minute of being there, despite the subzero temperatures (which as you know, I was not prepared for).

2. To be fair, I only visited Manhattan Island, so I may have to temper my review. Actually no, I stand by it - I love New York.

3. It is a city filled with cars, but on Manhattan, I only saw TWO filling stations.

4. The stories of crazy taxi drivers are true (see below).

5. The city is filled with weird and wonderful people - and some downright strange ones too.

6. New York is not cheap.

7. You can find excellent pizza.

8. It has the best bagels. Ever.

9. Central Park is the most amazing lung any city has.

10. It is loud. All the time.

11. In winter, very few streets get any sunshine.

12. The architecture is amazing. You could spend all your time just walking around, looking up.

So, the taxi driver.

Hitesh and I get in a cab. The driver pulls away, VERY SLOWLY. And then just keeps going, very slowly. Hitesh and I keep looking at each other, nonplussed. So finally he says to the driver, can you go faster, you are going very slow. He perks up, and asks, me, slow? YES! Anyway, he drives faster for about half a block, and then starts slowing down again. Hitesh thinks he is trying to screw us on the cab fare, I am convinced he is falling asleep. Finally we decide our lives are more important. We ask him to stop (a few times), he finally does, and we jump out - this is at a busy intersection. We cross the street, look back at the crazy cab, and he is just sitting there, not moving, at all. We keep looking at him for a few minutes - same thing. We look for a police officer, nothing. Well finally we leave, and two blocks later, we look back, and still the cab is just sitting there. Well, either he was asleep, stoned (Hitesh's theory), or was having a medical meltdown (my theory). Unfortunately we will never know. I am just happy we survived it.

Last comment: on Friday morning I went to the Museum of Natural History. It has an amazing collection of artifacts, but the decorations are stuck somewhere in the 1970s. Everything is painted in these really muted 70s colours, and instead of using photographs as backdrops, there are these really corny dioramas. I felt a compulsive need to redecorate the place.

Anyway, to anyone reading this - go to New York. I definitely will go back, probably in Spring or Autumn - which I can imagine would be just beautiful. And in my dreams, I am staying in the most gorgeous hotel in the city - the Plaza.

Peace out everyone.

I left my heart in NYC

Okay, so I have not left yet, but I can tell you that it is going to be really hard to leave New York tomorrow. I have loved every second of being in this city. It is alive, and seriously, VERY COLD. As a South African living in Pretoria, we think 10 degrees Celsius is freezing. Well, let me tell you that the -4 degrees Celsius the past two days takes some getting used to. I have been inside for about an hour already, and I think my face is still frozen.

So, New York. It is so large, and crowded, that it is easy to feel completely dwarfed by this city. I guess this is why movie stars love living here - it is easy to be anonymous around here. I remember being in Mexico City and feeling completely overwhelmed by its size, in a way that felt like it was pressing down on my chest. This city has the exact opposite effect. As large as it is, it makes my feel elated. I think it probably has much to do with being surrounded by beautiful buildings. And then of course there is Central Park. Even covered in snow, and with bare trees, it has a distinct beauty about it.

So, what have I been up to? Took an uptown and downtown bus tour with Hitesh, visited the Clinton Foundation offices in Harlem, visited the Metropolitan Museum (sadly for a short time), had lots of great pizza, and then major highlight - saw a great Kandinsky exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum. Hitesh, Cheryl and I also saw a Broadway show last night - La Cage Aux Folles, with Kelsey Grammar in the lead. Let's just say that acting may be his forte, but singing sure is not. A fun time nonetheless.

Tomorrow I hope to visit the Museum of Natural History, and meet up with Amy. Then tomorrow it is back to Arlington for dinner with Gray, Marie and Bill - which is something I am REALLY looking forward to.

I will definitely come back - probably in Fall next time. I can imagine the city will be gorgeous then. So, I may be leaving soon, but I cannot wait to be back.

Day of Reflection

I had a good day. Slept late (or at least, late enough), took my time reserving travel and accommodation to NY, and then finally got going quite late in the day. Oh well, I am on vacation after all.

First stop: Rosa Mexicana for the pomegranate margarita, the tortilla soup (the vegetarian version), and an excellent vegetarian enchilada. Excellent, and I have to admit, the margarita made my head spin a little. Then a leisurely stroll to the mall, and straight off to the holocaust museum, where I spent the rest of the afternoon. Anyone who knows me really well will know that I have a strange obsession with the Holocaust. I had been to this museum before, but I did not have much time, so this time I really took my time. It was engrossing, and the approach to the exhibits reminded me of the Apartheid Museum back home. For some reason the sections that really got to me was the one on the medical experiments, and a picture of thousands of pounds of hair - shaved from the prisoners.

It made me think a lot of the inhumanity of man, and at the same time there were exhibits that exemplified the power of the human spirit, and the will to survive. It reminded me that people are more complex than the sometimes basic labels we attach to people: good-bad, rich-poor, Democrat-Republican, white-black, as if our entire being can be reduced to a single label.

A day of reflection indeed.

In case this is getting way too serious for you, I will switch topics immediately.

So, soon Bill and I are off to Clarendon soon for pizza - the perfect dinner on this cold night.

PS: Blast from the past - Bill sent me a message about the fact that Mary Wettrich is leaving CDC after 22 years. And so, in the words of Mary - See you later suckers!

Super Bowl 45

Okay, so, I have sort of watched the Super Bowl. I supported the winners - the Green Bay Packers - for no other reason than their supporters are called Cheeseheads, and I love cheese. I have no special connection with steel, other than that I know it is important to have it. But I fail to feel emotional about it. I say my love of cheese is as good a reason as any to support a support I only barely understand.

Also, to say I really watched it is a stretch of the imagination. While watching, and eating the excellent spread Bill had prepared, and drinking wine, I was also editing a document on HIV prevention in South Africa.

So, there goes my Super Bowl experience.

Go Packers!

Brrrr

So, finally I am on vacation! I arrived in Washington DC after a pretty good flight (as good as any flight stuck in economy is ever going to be), and here I am in chilly DC. Well, technically Arlington, Virginia, where Bill's house is. First thing upon arrival in DC - getting a bagel with cream cheese from Einstein Bros - heaven. And then just to add to my joy, I had Mexican food for dinner, at Baja Fresh. Aah, Mexican food, what a joy. The jet lag really kicked my ass, but after a good night's sleep (barring the bit where I forgot to turn off the sound on my cellphone, and was woken at 2am by SMS messages), I was ready to face the world. A world covered in snow, that is.

I am sure Bill and his fellow Arlingtonians (is that a word?) will say, enough already, but for this "snow virgin" from South Africa, perfectly enchanting. And chilly. But I love it.

Had an okay (read: bland) breakfast with Kelly and Robert, it was off to the National Portrait Gallery (across from the Verizon Centre), and then a movie (Black Swan). Black Swan was quite intense, but Bill and I are still speculating about much of the meaning of it. However, I just read Shaun de Waal's review in the Mail & Guardian, and it certainly helped with the analysis, but not maybe the full understanding. All in all, I thought it was well acted. At least now I know what all the fuss is about, mainly the awards for Natalie Portman.

Now I am comfortably ensconced on the couch listening to the news, and of course typing this. Even better, all this domesticity is accompanied by a glass of wine. Aah, life sure is good. Just before you get too envious, the downer in this picture is what I am listening to: the sound of construction. Even at 18:15 and pitch darkness, hard labour (and I am guessing hard labourers) is happening right across the street. New house. Noisy.

Anyway, next up is trying to finally secure some bus tickets and hotel accommodation in New York city. Am keen to explore New York - I have only been there once, for a few hours, and all I did was walk around, have lunch at Times Square, and go up the Empire State Building. I am keen to go back and explore more - and have, according to Hitesh, the best bagels in the world.

So, from my position of bliss, signing off.

Early mornings

Okay, so this is how you know you are getting old. I had to get up at 03:30 this morning to catch a 06:00 flight to Cape Town. It is now exactly 12 hours later (15:30), and I am completely exhausted. It seems the vitamins have had little to no impact. My flight back to Lanseria is only at 20:00, getting home around 23:00. I am going to hit that bed, hard.

For anyone who has not been to the Lanseria Airport - do go. It is a lovely place, and the terminal is very comfortable, with lots of power outlet.

Anyway, have to run - am on a call.


See you!

Leopards and spots

So, here I am on a lovely Tuesday evening. It is 22:20, and I just finished working. So, how did I end up in the same position as I did last year? I guess the holiday is truly over. Sigh.

Anyway, while on the work front I seem not to be making any progress, I have made another decision that will be a change. I have decided as far as possible to follow a vegetarian diet. Actually, technically it is more a pescetarian diet. I am not ready to give up fish, and shellfish especially. Not saying I will never eat another piece of meat or chicken, but as said, when I can control it, meat is out. So, maybe a leopard can change its spots. Time will tell.

I suppose the question then is why? So many reasons - health, environmental, and maybe even a little financial. I hope this will make a difference not just in my life, but also be a small contribution to the environment.

Anyway, as you can see, there is nothing significant happening in my life right now, so, I will not bore you any longer.

I did discover something really stupid today: I booked my flights to the US to visit friends that overlap with the dates of the U2 concert in South Africa. Aagh. Maybe I will see if it is possible to change my tickets. Idiot.

Anyway, signing off.

Wedding Day

So, the wedding happened, and went off without a hitch. The weather was pretty grim on Saturday morning - raining, overcast, wet. How much more descriptive can I be? Anyway, because the wedding was happening on the beach, it had to be moved to 13:00, and thank goodness, that worked out really well, because the weather cleared up, and we had glorious sunshine!

Anyway, the ceremony was short and sweet, lunch (and especially dessert) was fabulous, and everyone was happy. So, here we are. I have a new brother-in-law. Other than that, the highlights were seeing my uncle Dion, and my cousins Gene and Vincent - all 3 miracle workers who managed to pull together a wedding (including a photographer) within 2 days. Who knows that they could accomplish in a week? They could rule the world!

I also managed to spend a lot of time with my godchild Tylo, who is such a little cutie. It was wonderful - except for Saturday evening when she threw one of her famous 5-star tantrums. Boy, she is loud. Anyway... it was still fun to spend time with her.

So, everyone, have a fantastic 2011!