A Brief State of Our Union

There have been many interesting parts of writing this blog so far. It has obviously been – as any of us might have guessed even before I left - a nice way for me to keep in touch with you guys and for all of you to feel like you’re keeping in touch with me while I’m in Africa. However, this particular process has at times been seriously mitigated by my editorial sensibilities; I haven’t felt entirely comfortable sharing the aspects of this trip that have been particularly challenging for me. (I am of the mind that airing dirty laundry in public spaces is invariably a Bad Idea.) What has been of even greater surprise to me is how much I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts and experiences surrounding my work at the clinic. I have been intellectually engaged by the both the conceptual underpinnings and the practical execution; both the purely scientific and the wider policy-related aspects of the work have been eye opening and engaging.

Maybe I would like to try to spend some more time in my upcoming posts outlining some of what my projects have entailed – highlighting some of the features that have provided interesting insights into my own thinking about the health crisis in the developing world and my (possible? probable?) career in the health-sciences.

So, consider this a Heads Up. I will also do my best not to estrange that portion of my readership that only read my blog for all the juicy gossip and the gorgeous pictures of yours truly. I even have a music recommendation for those Hip Hop- and Motown- heads out there. That’s enough of a hint for the time being; I’ll try to post a proper write-up of the album in the next few days.

I’ve loved hearing from all of you guys – even when (especially when, I guess) things haven’t been going so well here. Please keep the posts and e-mails coming; they are greatly appreciated, and I’ll try to respond to you as quickly as possible.