Summer Update #3

As July comes to a close, the blog is set to celebrate its first birthday. It seems only appropriate then to update its loving followers (are there any left?) on the summer's progression.

Danie and I have both been working quite a bit, but, as you might suspect, we're managing to have more than our fair share of fun as well. Here's an eclectic collection of pictures that have been taken at some point during the last month or so while we were out gallivanting around the city. Notable activities so documented include: the world cup semi-finals and finals, and a Dave Mathews Band concert.

Meanwhile, the topics of research for my associateship/internship have remained relatively consistent since the last update. I've moved from small and medium sized enterprise development to issues involving microfinance and programmatic approaches to serving communities impacted by HIV/AIDS via migratory labor, all still under the umbrella of Corporate Social Responsibility. My seniors are still in rural Mozambique, which makes their near daily emails that much more impressive.

Danie's had a relapse. That's right, she's back on Craigslist. She just found five levels of Rosetta Stone Spanish for only $50, or about 8% of the market price. When she hits the list she does it right. Living in New York, speaking only one language is just short of being an openly embarrassing deficiency. As such, Danie and I are both working on picking up a second in the short-term before hopefully moving on to a third before too long. The restaurant has been immensely helpful for me in this regard, as it provides a regular opportunity for practice.

Otherwise, Danie and I are looking forward to her family's visit next week. We'll be in the city for a couple days, after which we'll spend a week together upstate. As their impending arrival approaches, the days can't pass quickly enough; Danie and I are so eager to share our lives out here with the whole crew at once. Expect pictures and blogs to follow.