Back in Durban - one week later!

Yes, I have been slacking on the entries after I arrived back in Durban last, last Sunday. I have been trying to settle back in to the University system and as expected deal with the usual one-day logistical nightmares of UKZN - getting renewed student card, organizing an office, getting internet access, etc. But luckily it was one day and not an enduring process as one experienced last year during the strike, so I'm relatively happy about that. My birthday had recently passed so I had the chance to dine with some UKZN friends and Sean at a Moroccan restaurant called Fabulous. As fabulous as the food was, the service was pretty dismal - example, not allowing Lauren's vegan cake into the premises UNLESS we paid a "cake fee". Crazy. Anyways, I liked my chicken tagine and can say it was comparable to the Moroccan version but it looks like the lamb shanks and ostrich were the actual tasty winners. The weekend was spent reviewing notes and surfing back in town. Durban had some big canoe festival going on last Sunday, so while waiting on the surf break, we watched several hundred race canoe paddle out of the waterfront, of course, with a few overturned boats not quite making it past the break. too funny!

The university has its usual stream of School of Development Studies seminars and workshops going on: today, Professor Vishnu Padayachee will host "Capitalism of a special type? Trajectories of capital accumulation in South Africa" at noon today. I just might attend.

Duduzile Khumalo from the Centre for Civil Soceity hosts on Friday: "Social and cultural benefits of Umgeni River that have been lost to the Inanda Dam"

Her description: "Dudu Khumalo is a community activist working mostly with rural and townships organisations. She has worked with the South African Municipal workers union (SAMWU) as an Organiser and as a co-ordinator for Water and Sanitation issues in the SAMWU KwaZulu Natal Province. While at SAMWU she also helped to co-ordinate Women's issues within the Union. She is currently at the Centre for Civil Society as a community intern."