Ubuntu*

"I am who I am because of who you are." This is the phrase we repeated at the festival celebrating Mandela Day, and it seems fitting to share it on my last day in South Africa -- at least for now. I have learned so much from the people I have met here, from the health care professionals I interviewed, and from the patients whose stories they told; from small moments at markets and on the street; and from the friends I have made. It has been a privilege to talk to South Africans about their life in this very new country, still beset by poverty and social ills, but filled with people working to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. I'm honored to call some of them friends.

Yesterday was my last day at the office, where I had a series of warm good-byes and thank-yous. My friends there bestowed upon me enough UCT gear to last a lifetime, and a vuvuzela, the horn blown by SA soccer fans. There was lunch, there was dinner, and today there will be some last-minute hanging out and a much-appreciated ride to the airport.

And then I'm off, to London via Dubai. It's been as long as six years since I've seen some of my UK friends, so there is a lot of catching up to do! When I get back to the States, my brother will pick me and we'll spend some time with our mother. It will be the first time the three of us have been together since last December! And so while I'm sad to leave Cape Town and the friends I've made here, I am so looking forward to the next few weeks of reunions.

***

The other day, I was driving on the M3, a highway that circles Table Mountain and affords postcard views. It was a typical Cape Town day, raining on one side of the mountain with warm sun a few kilometers away -- dramatically gorgeous. I was struck by the lyrics to "Till I Gain Control Again," a song I've heard again and again, but it sounded new to me at that moment.

No matter what sea I've been sailing on, I'll always roll this way again.

So whether I come back here (yes please!), or my South African friends come to the States (yes please!), or we meet again elsewhere in this small world, I trust that the relationships I've built here will continue to grow in the years to come.




The nicest place I've ever had lunch -- atop Table Mountain after a three-hour hike.








*The wikipedia page on ubuntu is pretty interesting, with great quotes from Mandela and Archbishop Tutu. It sounds like parts of the Obama administration have actively embraced ubuntu, as have the Boston Celtics.