Sala Sentle South Africa, Hello Again America

My time as a Peace Corps Volunter is about to end.

I am medically separating from Peace Corps South Africa. In about five hours from now, I will be on a plane bound for the US.

I didn't say it before, but I've thought a lot about it these last several weeks, and I feel it's more productive (than not) to share what happened that caused me to move from Mafikeng.

More than a month ago, I was sexually assaulted at my site. Peace Corps pulled me out in fear for my safety, but it's been all downhill from there. The assault has had cultural ramifications for me and I don't feel safe when I'm not around Americans I know will protect me.

I'll definitely be sharing more in the future regarding this issue because I found out through this process that Peace Corps has NO global policy on sexual assault or rape. For an organization that operates worldwide and in some pretty unstable countries, I think this is appalling. I am planning to devote time when I return to working with Peace Corps, PCVs, RPCVs, etc. on this.

But, for the very short term, I'm just focusing on going home.

Visions of hot showers, unlimited Internet and indoor flush toilets flash through my mind. People ask me what I want to do when I get home. All I can think of is just hugging my parents. A lot. And seeing my family and friends who have been so steady for me through this ordeal. I don't care which food I eat first, now I just want to see my family. (And if we share that quality time over Donatos pizza or Skyline Chili, that's even better : )

Looking ahead, it seems like I have a lot to catch up with at home. My NY Times e-mail updates have been talking a lot about this new healthcare reform process and Sotomayor, so I'll have to get up-to-date with my current events.

I'm also excited to hear really silly news again on a daily basis. Like I saw the other day on Yahoo that Paula Abdul is quitting American Idol. I'm so used to hearing about workers striking, more HIV, more raping, young boys dying from botched circumcisions and the like that I'm not sure I'll know what to do with fluffy news again.

I'm nervous about the American economy since I thought when I'd be back in spring 2011, the economy would be in a different place. But, my Peace Corps experience turned out to be very different than I'd hoped and it's not safe or healthy for me to be here anymore. I will have to play the hand I've been dealt.

I suppose, in general, that this blog as my Peace Corps experience is finished. But I hope to keep this as my life experiences blog, which will include working with PC in DC on a global sexual assault and rape policy. If you are interested in helping or if you're an RPCV or current PCV and would like to help this cause, please comment or email me at caseyfrazee@gmail.com. I've never done anything like this before, but I can only imagine that with the US government, it may take awhile and may be complicated beyond my wildest dreams. But if I can prevent what happened to me from happening to anyone else, that is what I will do. If Obama wants to double Peace Corps, we have to get some basics in place first.

Thanks to everyone who has followed my experiences thus far. Even though my Peace Corps chapter is finishing, there's still much more to come : )

And thank you to my Peace Corps friends. I will miss you all incredibly, but am so excited to hear upates about the work you are doing!

Stay well,

Casey

Chocolate Chai Latte Exists!

Last week was one of the more fabulous weeks I've had, in terms of picturesque landscape. I have been planning a trip to Cape Town for the International AIDS Society Conference since last fall when I knew I'd be in Africa.

I volunteered for the conference for each of the four days. It was faciniating to hear the findings of the leading scientists in the field of HIV/AIDS research. Having been on the ground, so-to-speak, for the last six months in the country with the highest HIV incidences in the world, there were some glaring gaps in what the West is doing and then how that's going to work in the rest of the world. All of the session's PowerPoints are online as well as the overview Rapporteur reports. It was a very interesting experience and I'm so glad I got to be part of it while I am in South Africa.

I extended a couple more days to do some sightseeing (pictures below). Since I'm a fan of lists, here are some highlights of my trip to Cape Town, South Africa:

• Saw those African penguins! They're actually called Jackass Penguins for the donkey noise they make when mating. Hmm.
• Got sprayed with lots of frigid Atlantic waters when I did a tour around Cape Point. It's the height of winter here, but luckily the temperature was in the low 20s C, which is around 70F, so not too bad for winter. My friends in Michigan would laugh that this is what people in Cape Town call winter!
• Discovered chocolate chai latte! Who knew that existed?! I had it every morning I was in Cape Town except for one. The guy at the shoppe probably thought I was crazy. I tried to do a silly "hello again" in a funny voice with a little courtsey to be sort of funny that I was coming back again for the tasty chocolate chai, but he didn't really find it funny, so I didn't do it again.
• Met lots of fasinating volunteers at the conference representing the diverse history of South Africa. It was nice to have a week break from people yelling "lekgoa!" at me b/c of my white skin. There's only so much racism one can tolerate.
• Got to walk around at night! Seriously, we (PC volunteers) can't do that in most of South Africa due to safety, so this was a treat not to have to disappear w/ the sunset.
• Climbed the mountain at the Cape of Good Hope! My calves were screaming at me for a couple of days about that. For awhile, it's almost a straight incline, so it's a killer for the calves.
• Walked all around Table Mountain. It's so funny to think you can just walk all around on the top of a mountain. There are all these stone paths marked out too, very cool.
• Ate sushi! My long lost love! I found a place that had half off rolls! Super-great prawn and calamari sushi for half price, who can beat that?!

Me and a girl from Bombay, India (who goes to Harvard, hense the hoodie) and a girl from London who is backpacking her way around the world. These are the girls I climbed around the Cape of Good Hope with and now have the picture to commemorate how ridiculous our hair looked after the screaming winds and Atlantic spray gave us a blow-out.

Me and Obama at an overlook on Table Mountain with the city of Cape Town in the background.

Proud to be an American : )

The welcome sign at the International AIDS Society Conference in Cape Town. I volunteered for all four days of the conference - it was fabulous!

Clouds sitting in one of the crevases of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa. I think it's so cool how the clouds just sit there. I also walked right to the edge of that cliff on the right.

A gorgeous rainbow over one of the seal islands around Cape Point, South Africa

'Jackass' Penguins around Cape Point, South Africa.

They're super tiny. I just watched Zoolander on a bus trip, so the small penguins remind me of "what is this, a school for ants?!"

As for me, well, I continue to be homeless in South Africa. But this week I've met with Peace Corps and I think we're moving in a direction. We'll see, I'm taking it one day at a time. I was able to eat some more sushi last night, so I'm feeling pretty happy.

Sala Sentle,

Casey