Curious Case

After returning from the summit of relaxation that was Youth Day, I returned to work on Wednesday. It was an average day, except that we were dealing with a burglary that had happened the weekend before. Apparently during the 30 minutes that a couple guys in Africa House took to run an errand, someone broke into their dorm room and took one of the guys' luggage. Surprisingly, someone called him later that night offering to give him his passport and medication back. Rightfully wary of someone who could offer such a thing, they called the police to escort them to the "meeting." Unfortunately the person had left already and contacted them again later in the evening, when they met him without the police. He gave them back the passport and medication without question, but didn't give them back the clothes, saying that they were "wet after sitting in the rain." Happy to just have that much of their stuff returned, they just left.

Though they got some of their stuff back, the problem of a break in being able to happen without our alarm going off had to be dealt with. The security company guys returned and fiddled around for a bit and left. We thought the ordeal was over with, but lo and behold there was yet another break-in on Wednesday night! Apparently the potential robber somehow unlocked our gate without hurting the lock and disarmed all the alarms, while stealing away with only a remote-controlled panic button for the alarm system. Puzzled as to why the potential thief didn't try and take anything more valuable, we still had all the security people come by once again to make more changes. Hopefully I won't come to work tomorrow to a scene of further criminality.

On Wednesday morning I had the rare chance to talk with someone in real life about our insurance policy, which was much more exciting than it should have been. I had been getting tired of having to call the insurance company multiple times in order to get to talk with one knowledgeable person, so I opted for an insurance broker to handle All Nations' insurance. Though adding a middleman may make the process slower in some respects, it is extremely nice to have someone who will pick up the phone and answer questions, and even come to your workplace for a meeting. Our broker's name is Gerry and he seemed like a good guy, even if he is a salesman... I can tell you that I'm learning a lot about insurance down here.

For dinner on Wednesday night Toukam and I went out to eat, as we were a little tired of cooking every night. After consulting our Cape Town guidebook, we opted for Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant a short drive away. The restaurant was quite empty when we arrived (a combination of it being a Wednesday night and the middle of winter, assuredly) but it started filling up over time. We consulted the diverse but quality menu and decided to share some calamari as a starter and then move on to some mildly spicy red duck curry and some spicy basil beef. The guidebook didn't let us down and we really liked the food. The only disappointment was when their lack of fresh ginger meant that we could not explore the temptingly named "Ginger Ninja" cocktail. I settled for a margarita, but I still wonder what Asian deliciousness was kept from me...

Having spoiled ourselves with going out, we pursued further culinary know-how on Thursday night when I made the most satisfying meal a man can make. I made, not chicken thighs nor chicken breasts, but an entire chicken on a bed of potatoes. There's something about putting an entire bird into the oven and taking it out 50 minutes later, after the heat and spices have done their jobs, and finding a juicy, saliva-inducing confection that makes a man feel like a man. It was heaven, and I look forward to the next opportunity to make a whole chicken. It was so good, so hearty, and so easy!

For some of you who are news junkies like myself, you will know that this past week Obama named the selection board for the White House Fellows program. This program was started by President LBJ and serves to provide America's best and brightest young minds with the opportunity to work alongside cabinet members for a year. While looking around the website for the fellows, I found the listing of last year's fellows with their bios. What a sight! These 13 people who are finishing up their fellowship have some of the craziest biographies, especially for being under 40! One woman who stands out has been a consultant with McKinsey, board member for multiple large organizations, marathon and bike race participant, author of a book, humor writer with material in the New York Times, two-time patent earner, and volunteer in Calcutta. Oh, and she went to Harvard and then Oxford. How much crazier can you get? I think I may add this fellowship to my list of life goals. There is a downside, though- if I get it I'll have to give up my British citizenship to get the security clearance. Oh well, what's success without sacrifice?

Once again we're hoping for sunny weather on Saturday to attempt shark diving, but don't get your hopes up- the weather has been clear for the past couple days, which spells doom for the coming weekend. Thanks for reading and, as usual, stay classy Reader!