Hello again, darlings.
I was going to tell you all about Jersey Boys, and the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, and really, I shall post about it soon, but first I'd like to make sure that it's noted that I have now been in Los Angeles for two full months (and away from Johannesburg for three)! I'm much browner, slightly and probably unnoticeably thinner, and my brain feels stretched by all of the wonderful things I've seen, and the thoughts I've thought, and the dreams I've had, and my many little adventures. I daresay a list of more of my favourite things will follow soon, but for now I'd just like to thank all of you who have stayed in touch, and those who have read and continue to read this blog over the past two months and to give such lovely feedback. I'm glad that those of you who do read it, enjoy it!
There are a few news items (some quite mundane) that haven't found their way into previous posts:
1. I've been offered a leadership position on the International Justice Project, a student organisation at UCLA that partners students with international NGOs to provide research support. My project is the Health and Human Rights Database project, which partners with Global Human Rights in India. The purpose of the Database is to make health rights litigation from around the world universally accessible for NGOs, lawyers, activists and governments seeking to promote legal accountability for the right to health. They are actively seeking interested students to help us expand and deepen the content of the Database by summarizing relevant cases during the school year. I'm super excited about participating in this project, and about my role as a leader. It feels like it's been a long time since I held a leadership position (I miss you, SLSJ!), and I'm very keen to do more health-related work.
2. I've booked my ticket to Washington D.C. to spend Thanksgiving with my lovely friends and former housemates, Tom and Kristin! I'm very anxious to do some travelling and to see more of the States and to see some faces that I knew before I arrived. I'll be in D.C. for 4 days and hopefully will get some sight-seeing and museum visits in while I'm there. I'm also very much looking forward to some bracing cold weather, as the never-ending assault of heatwaves in L.A. is causing me to wilt a little.
3. I've picked up kickboxing for the month, and yoga. I decided it was time to get this old machine of mine moving again (I miss exercise, and I am dismayed that I do). Both are hilarious, and demand that I check in my dignity at the door. I've spent much of the last week in agony caused by suddenly deciding to MOVE. Pleasant agony though.
4. I'm still loving school. I feel as though I've opened a window and there is suddenly sunshine streaming into my brain. We spend so much time battling with binaries and very difficult concepts. I've missed studying very much! I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I think perhaps I might be keen to take on a PhD at some point, provided it's at an American law school.
This weekend UCLA hosted a critical race theory symposium to applaud and explore the seminal piece by my CRT professor, Cheryl Harris (I'm basically being taught by the god of legal academe over here). Mind blown. Shout out to Tim for insisting that I take this course, even though it often leaves my mind thoroughly scrambled.
5. In spite of all the nonsense happening back home, I'm still happy to be a South African, and to live in a country that has progressive bill of rights. Horizontal application, people! (The lawyers will know what I'm speaking about.) Granted, South Africa isn't very good at implementation, but at least we recognise the rights themselves, and there's an acknowledgement that we're screwing up. America's track record on human rights is appalling. But it's not just the U.S., do you know how many countries in the world don't recognise women's rights? There are so many countries where abortion is still illegal. And don't get me started on same sex marriage, or same sex anything. Say what you want, I'm still proudly South African!
6. That said, it's very cool being here for a little while, and doing all of these very cool things. I will certainly miss Downtown L.A. and Santa Monica pier, and being able to pop over to Hollywood to watch Jersey Boys or Wicked (coming soon!), or to Fox Studios to take a look at the New Girl set.
I'm writing and posting letters slowly. If you don't get them all at the same time, it's because I'm taking my time to make them unique and special. Please feel free to send me postcards or letters too!
Lots of love, dearhearts. I am posting this youtube video of my favourite song from Jersey Boys (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons) as a teaser. Soon. But now I must work.
XX