What if...

Life has been pretty average here in South Africa the past few weeks, hence the lack of posts. We had internet at my house for approximately 48 hours. The router was then "vandalized" in some way and it is out of commission for the next few weeks at least...fantastic. I'll just have to go to campus to check my email and skype people but I'm used to that by now.


There were two things I wanted to write about. The first being my History of Jazz professor. Not the class, mind you, just him. This man runs marathons and triathlons for fun whenever he can. I know this because he informs us of how in shape he is every class period. Don't get me wrong, the man is in peak physical condition and could bench press me ten times and wouldn't break a sweat but to let us know how good he looks every Tuesday and Thursday gets a wee bit old. Here is a break down of the hour-and-a-half class:

• 20 minute lecture on various aspects of Jazz
• 10 minutes of listening to Jazz music
• 35 minutes listening to the professor play piano (he is very good but does it for the applause we give him when he's done)
• 15 minutes on why exercise and eating right is important
• Leave 10 minutes early

I'm still having fun in the class mostly by watching my roommate, who sits right next to me, bury his face in his hands at the teacher's ridiculousness. We also have a tutorial, an extra half hour led by the TA to help us understand the material in a deeper way, which is completely unnecessary. We did roll call for 15 minutes and, when the TA heard our accents, were told to "just continue talking because our voices were so sweet". Now, I know I've been called the songbird of our generation but come on! I wasted half of my lunch hour for that?! Hopefully things improve sooner rather than later.


My second topic that I wanted to discuss is HIV (buzz kill, right?). There have been booths set up in a few building here on campus for the past week. I thought they were Red Cross blood-giving stations so I passed by without a second glance. I was told I couldn't give blood for a year because of my Mexico spring break trip and I'm assuming they won't want me for a while now that I'm in Africa...just a guess. I saw one of my friends in line so I asked to confirm what she was in line for. She surprised me by saying they were HIV testing booths and suggested I get tested too. Now, I was fairly confident that I didn't have HIV (sharing needles gives me the heebie jeebies) so I said, "Why not" and hopped in line. I filled out some simple paperwork and sat down until a tent opened up. I went in and had a nice discussion with the man working inside. He gave me good information on how one contracts HIV and the difference between HIV and AIDS. I remembered most of the stuff from health class but it all felt different when the test was right in front of me. I found myself short of breath and I was visibly shaking. He asked me what I would do if the test proved negative and I said I would live my life in a similar fashion as I currently do and remain as safe as possible. He then asked what I would do if it was positive. I froze. I had no response because I had never even considered it. All I could mumble about was things would change. He asked if I had a support group that I could rely on if the test came back positive and again, I froze. I have people back home, obviously, but I don't know if I have made a friend here that I could lay that kind of information on and expect support back. That's a lot to ask of someone who you've know for less than a month. The worker put on gloves and took out a test kit in a sealed bag. Everything was completely sterile and very professional and I took the test. As we waited for the results, he asked what I would do tonight if it came back negative and I told him "celebrate with my new friends" and I can tell you, it felt different saying it then, like an elephant had entered the room and the air was gone. The test came back negative, thank God, and the elephant slowly left. I got a free water bottle and a copy of the results.


I went to the bathroom right after the test and thought I was going to be sick. I had built up so many nerves in the 10 minute test that I could barely stand still or walk in a straight line. I've seen documentaries about HIV in Africa and the people being interviewed hardly ever want to get tested. I always assumed it was expensive or hard to access but I still thought everyone should be tested because it's the right thing to do. Now, after doing it myself, I understand why there's even a question whether to get the test or not. I was 99.999% sure that the result would be negative but I had a minor panic attack. It's hard for me to consider how hard it would be to get the finger prick if you weren't sure. It's a tough thing to do but I can say I am a stronger person now that I am certain of where I stand. I'm not saying everyone should run out and get tested but I AM saying that if you are questioning it, get yourself to the clinic. Not just for HIV/AIDS but any STD because it's better to know and a lot are curable. There's my health and safety rant for the day :)