Simple Things . . .

This is my fourth or fifth attempt to actually get a post together.  There's so much to talk about that I still can't pull my thoughts together in any coherent fashion.  The best I can do is to say that, after a little more than nine days in Cape Town, I'm in love with this place; the geography is breathtaking and the people have been - without exception - warm, welcoming and gracious.  So, given how quickly my first week flew by, I thought I'd just get a quick note up now, and I'll work on a more detailed posting over the long weekend (this Friday is a national holiday, Heritage Day, here in South Africa, so I'll have a little more time to pull something together).

Words cannot describe the beauty of this place.  When I was deciding where I wanted to do my volunteer placement, I chose South Africa because I wanted to see the post-Apartheid, new democracy Rainbow Nation for myself.  I had NO idea that Cape Town would be so stunning.  And I'm not just talking about the geography of the place; the history, its people and cuisine, and the odd and uniquely South African -- okay, uniquely Captonian! -- culture are all captivating (even if at times bizarrely captivating).  The pictures I have uploaded to the Picasa web albums fail to capture the overwhelming beauty, stark contrasts and brilliant life that is here.  But it does offer a pale glimpse of what I've seen . . . so I'll post a link to the another album later today or tomorrow.

My placement at the Scalabrini Centre is exactly what I needed at this time and I could not have wished for something better.  As I was counting down my final days in New York City, I kept reminding myself to come here with as few expectations as possible.  It has proved to be a sound approach, as it has allowed me to ease into working with the asylum seekers, refugees and South Africans on Scalabrini's Employment Help Desk (EHD).  What has been the most surprising thing for me, and the thing that continues to stick with me, is how truly and genuinely thankful the clients are for the assistance that Scalabrini and the EHD provide.   So, to those of you who know me from my days at various law firms, I owe you all an apology for the biting bitterness that was a near constant presence in my life.  (Yes, you needn't worry, I'm still sarcastic to the core -- I'm just not bitter and sarcastic.)

So, more details to follow in my next post.  Much love to you all back home and thank you for your continued well wishes.

All the best,

Troy