Sick

Thursday 3/19 - I was sick today and had to stay home from the hospital so I didn't pass anything on to the kids with immune system deficiencies. Instead I slept in the morning and took some throat medicine. Jessie said that I missed a hectic day at Sarah Fox. One of the little toddlers pinched his finger in a metal hinge and he had to be rushed to the emergency room. They think he might lose his fingertip. There was also a film crew there filming a commercial for a peanut butter-like product for malnourished kids. In the middle of the commercial one of the autistic kids jumped in and started screaming swear words in Afrikaans.

By the afternoon my throat was feeling better and my voice was coming back. I joined the group for a trip to the "Bo Kaap" or "Cape Malay Quarter" in Cape Town. Most of the people who live there are descendants of the people from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India, who were captured and enslaved by the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Afrikaans language was first developed by the slaves. They came from all over the world and needed a common language to speak with each other and with their masters. Many of the people were Muslim, and the Muslim community has had a huge influence on South African cuisine. We ate at a local restaurant called Bo Kaap Kombuis. Kombuis means "kitchen" and the name represents part of the history. Prior to 1994 and the end of apartheid, the Cape Malay people were not allowed to gather outside of their homes. The kitchen became the place for people to visit with one another and to keep warm. The food was delicious. It was different from anything I've ever tasted and very spicy. Later, we went downtown to the slave quarters and toured the museum there. Very interesting.