So the swelling of my eye due to the bloody bug has increased, not decreased. I called the doctor today but they were closed. I really do not think it is anything important. Compared to this morning the swelling has gone down but my eye was halfway swollen shut (if that makes sense) when I went to leave in the morning. If the swelling has increased when I wake up tomorrow I will bring a book and sit in the ER of Groote Schuur hospitals, just because I don't want to get cellulitis and have my eye swollen shut and have it be all hard and red. It is itchy...:( I look like I got punched in the face. Stupid bug. But do not worry - it will be fine and if it gets worse tomorrow, I will get some antibiotics. I still can't believe the bug latched itself to my face and bit me. Bloody beetle...

Anyways, today we went to an HIV/AIDS orphanage in Khayelitsha with Leon-Lee - a friend of Jung and Michelle's from TAC (Treatment Action Campaign - an NGO that work to educate people about HIV/AIDS). These kids ranged from 1.5 to 14 years old and according to the worker, all of them are HIV+ and all are orphans. Some were abandoned by one or more parents that could no longer care for them because of their HIV status, some had one or both parents die from AIDS. It was really sad. Every month they go to Red Cross to refill the children's ARV prescriptions. It is so sad that these children are already on ARVs. I understand that they do not want the kids to get AIDS but ARVs are pretty toxic and they have really bad side effects. Some people delay taking ARVs until their CD4 count is at a certain point because the of the side effects and the fact that the sooner you start taking the medication, the quicker the virus will become resistant to it. I wanted to cry but in reality, these kids have a good life, compared to other AIDS orphans. They live in the nicest houses I have seen in Khayelitsha. They all have food and a bed (although there may be two to three kids to twin bed). All of them go to school or to krish (day care) and they have somebody to look after them. Apparently, they are all up for adoption and if they are not adopted, will eventually go into foster care. Unfortunately though, because of their HIV status, there is little hope that they will get adopted. Who wants a child that has HIV and has to take ARV's every day? It is so sad but once again, these children were so happy. First of all, they were really excited that we were there. I got attached to them all so quickly. Vuyani was a young boy who had a birth defect - his left ear was not formed fully (it was more inside his head) and his face was crooked (that is the only way I could think of saying it). He walked with a little bit of a limp and it seemed as if he was mentally handicapped. Vuyani also had these polyps all over his face - there is a virus that causes that but I am not sure, if in his case, these polyps were from a virus or if it meant that he had a very advanced HIV status. He was so cute though! I picked him up and spun him in circles, we taught them Duck Duck Goose and played catch with them. I almost cried when I left - we spent at least three hours with them and they were all so sad that we were leaving. This is what I came here to do though - make a difference. These kids won't remember us but at least, for one day, we could give them joy. Hopefully, although we don't have too much time left, we can go back again.

I only have three more weeks left of my program, then an extra two weeks in South Africa with Amanda. How crazy is that?!