Ack.. Sick

I've been missing home these past few days. Being sick makes me long for the familiarity of smells and sounds and comforts of home.. and a medical system that I can trust won't tell me I have malaria or typhoid or something nasty so they can sell me drugs. This is done all the time here but luckily I'm not terribly ill because the hospital itself is a grim destination. I walked through the grounds the other day with my friend Betty. "What is that dreadful smell?" I asked as we passed one section, "Oh this is the mortuary" she responded as I turned to see a gurney covered in congealed blood and secretion.. oh Lord. Further on, in the courtyard is a carpet of people sweltering in the mid-day heat, cooking, waiting, sleeping, suckling babies, either waiting to be in the hospital because there is no room, or sitting vigil for their loved ones in the hospital. I've seen this before in Ghana, but it all comes back fresh - no cash - no treatment or release. At this place I feel most helpless.

Side note: 2 days later and I am still feeling desperately horrible and get retested - flip side of the clinic coin is that false negatives are also prevalent. I've suffered for 4 days thinking it's the flu and it is actually a high strain of malaria. I am just very fortunate that I can afford the medicine.. rest and nutrition.

I miss my culture.. some people say Canada has no culture, but spending time in another certainly makes me realize that, ya, we do, we have a strong, thriving culture, socially, politically, ethnically and more.. and it's a damn good one at that. While I am accepted here, I am always, always going to be on the outside. I am always going to be mzungu - which, by the way, means white person. I would never be absorbed here into the culture as Canada absorbs minorities and assimilates them into the fabric. There are exceptions, many, I know, but overall, diversity is our hallmark. I could not imagine we would call out from the streets "Hey, black man!" lol.

Things are starting to happen on the work front.. so much that I lament being sick for even a day. People are depending on me now (it does not take long). I have a fundraiser concert that I'm working with musicians and artists to coordinate - an experiment at best - for this has never been done here before. The concept of donating time, resources, goods and talent for a cause is completely foreign to anyone's way of thinking as eking out the daily bread is tough, but slowly we are bringing people on board and the response I usually first encounter of

"no, that can't be done here", is turning tide as we use the Obama tact - YES WE CAN!

Obama is good for Africa, its idea of itself, of potential and achieving dreams. I am excited to think civil responsibility in the form of donation in increments is evolving.

The non-violent election training is moving slowly but I am invited to attend press workshops as they are briefed on effective election reportage, to the International Repulic Institute's training for politicians and am being lobbied to help on many fronts. The downside is time and money for our program. These workshops are all developed for the educated and elites, our focus is on those who don't get have opportunity or advantage of attending and getting the full meal deal (ah, yes, lunch is included - a huge draw). And so we will organize our work around the village people and those who have a vote and yet no concept of what that vote means, what their rights are and the change that can be affected by that one vote, and yes.. we will have the free lunch or biscuits and soda, and transportation money - it is the standard and the draw.

Off to the cafe to see Bosco and organize promo materials, prospectus and corporate sponsorship plea letters and in hopes we can make the concert fly. I feel better - not 100% but I am not in the hospital line-up and that is a blessing.