Opsonize

Opsonize-(v) to increase the susceptibility of (bacteria) to ingestion by phagocytes.

This is what we talked about in Immunology today. I like the cadence of the word. My professor describes it as putting sugar on top of your cereal in the morning to make it more appetizing.

After Robben Island, we took the ferry back to Cape Town. I stood on the outside deck in the cold to watch the bay and the island fading away in the fog. I saw a group of about 8 African Penguins swimming a long in the bay, about ten meters from the boat. That made me feel terrible. We had lunch, walked through the ritzy shopping mall where I saw more American and European stores than African ones. We drove along the Cape Peninsula to Chapman’s peak, where we took pictures in the wind, then over to Simonstown where we saw the wild penguins. They looked healthy! Quite cute to see them floppin’ about in the waves and foraging in the shrubbery. I was slightly unimpressed with the facility; it is run by SANParks but I saw very little educational material teaching people about the penguins’ plight. All the tourists just walked along the boardwalk, squee’d at the awkward waddling of the birds, took their pictures and then walked away. The purpose of public access to conservation sites should be to motivate people to understand and appreciate wild creatures and spaces, not just take pictures to show the folks at home. I suppose SANParks earns revenue from this operation that can be used for conservation work. Then, we drove out to the Cape of Good Hope. WHOAH! The land was beautiful. Jagged rocky mountains anchored by plains of bush brush and wildflowers. I would have liked to spend an entire day just walking around there. We climbed to the lighthouse at the top of the point then climbed over the railing to take pictures on the very edge. I felt like we were at the true edge of the world, more so than any other ocean cliff. Any beach, every beach is the edge of the world really, but somehow this felt wild and final. The ocean raged in foamy blue eons down as grey storm clouds gathered overhead. We drove back and were given free range for dinner. I walked around Long Street again and went to sleep. This was the first night of Pesach and I didn’t feel like eating a dinner that wasn’t a Seder. 

Saturday we woke, ate watching the news as runners in the Two Oceans marathon battled the rain, and embarked on a wine-tasting tour. Not a whole lot to say: wine is likely the most pleasant of alcoholic beverages  that I’ve tried thus far but all the different flavours and blends don’t necessarily pique my interest. We went to three different wineries in Stellenbosch; I tried ten different wines and eight different cheeses plus five kinds of chocolate. Out of the three, the chocolate is the only sample that would earn a repeat. Everyone else seemed happy with the day though. I liked the storm clouds best. Once we arrived back in town we went to a Cape Malay restaurant named Bo-Kaap (Afrikaans for Over the Cape) for dinner. The food was reminiscent of Indian cuisine but without too much spice or heat. The chef was kind enough to prepare a special vegetarian meal for me: lentils and stewed garbanzo beans, my favourite. We had rooibos and koeksisterss for dessert. Sunday we packed up, I ran down the street to take some pictures of  a Faith 47 piece I found, and drove along scenic route 62 to Oudtshoorn . We ate lunch at an Ostrich ranch. I almost lost my temper: being a muggy day, flies were out and our guide was killing them by the handful; everyone in the group ordered ostrich for lunch when we could see the pretty birds right from our table; I ate the only vegetarian option, a big sandwich on the second day of Pesach. Instead of having an outburst, I just sat there fuming. This is a weird country. We went on a tour of the ostrich ranch, I hugged an ostrich named Betsy, and some of the students rode ostriches. I was uncomfortable with the idea of ostrich riding though I must admit the sight was hilarious. The day before in Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s largest township, I saw boys throwing rocks at a stray dog pacing through the streets. Is it because humans don’t have the full extension of their legally granted rights that animals as well are subjugated to ignominy and abuse? I abhor it. I forget which famous thinker said that we are able to judge the quality of a society by the way people treat their animals. By this standard, South Africa hasn’t impressed me much thus far. 

After lunch, we went to the Cango caves. We arrived late for our tour, so we ran through the moist and slippery cave to catch up. Consequently, we missed the historical explanation. The caves were beautiful and ancient. We traversed tiny spaces with exotic names like ‘The Tunnel of Love,’ ‘Devil’s Chimney,’ and ‘The Postbox.’ I want to write a poem about our adventure if I make the time. Dinner was at a game lodge that served kudu and springbok and ostrich… quite fancy: I didn’t appreciate the eland staring at our table nor the kudu horn candle sticks. My salad was delicious. Around midnight, the rain stopped and the clouds cleared some, so I went out in the cold of the Klein Karoo to stargaze. With the help of a friend’s book I found most of the Southern constellations plus a few meteorites J No wishes. I am completely taken by the stars here. Everything is so clear and so clearly in its place. I can see into space and time from my balcony only a few meters away. The colours, the depth, and the clarity are astounding. Monday we drove back to Port Elizabeth in the rain. I had a nice trip with several good experiences, but not enough time to see the museums of Cape Town and a tour dominated by an all-too-cheerful guide. Maybe I’ll go back. I don't have very many pictures because my camera battery ran out half-way through. I'll put some up later.

I think I would have had more fun if I had planned the trip myself but I didn’t really have anyone to go with and the convenience of a pre-planned adventure was all too appealing to my scattered student brain searching for time. 

This term I have fewer classes I need to attend so I have fortunately found myself working at SAMREC thrice a week. I’m taking Immunology, Conservation Biology, and isiXhosa, which doesn’t sound like very much at all, but I’m busy. I’m taking SCUBA lessons! I already love the freedom of being underwater as long as suits my fancy. I have a rugged (read: lovely) new friend who has been kind enough to show me around parts of Port Elizabeth and make sure I don’t go stir crazy taking care of penguins and reading about protein structure. He doesn’t know, but when we hang out I pretend I’m conducting anthropological studies on the people of South Africa. I would make a poor anthropologist. It’s cold here! I love it! The heat was pleasant while it lasted but I’m in my element now. I punctured both my bicycle tyres on some hostile African thorns. I’m proud of the fact that I patched them both and put the ensemble together again. Cross your fingers that the patches hold. Early lecture tomorrow so I must depart to do my sit-ups and go to sleep. Sobonana!