Welcoming 2024 with a Day in the Life

Happy New Year everyone! I'm finally back to work after a wonderful Christmas holiday with friends and family in the US. To kick off the new year, I thought it would be fun to make a 'day in the life' post sharing what a typical workday for me in Cape Town looks like. I hope you enjoy!

06:00 Rise and Shine

I wake up with the sun to get a head start on the day. In the summer, the sun can rise as early as 5AM in Cape Town! I've learned to enjoy the long & warm summer days here - the winter gets cold and you really start to miss the early sunrise!

08:00 Arrive at School

After getting ready, I take a short 10 minute walk to school. It's nice to pass by the small businesses and coffee shops surrounding the campus area that are opening up for the day. When I get to school, the first thing I see on my office door is our 'Question of the Day.' Last year, I had the idea to start this as a way to get to know some of the other students. The question for the previous day was: "Name one thing you spend way to much money on." After adding my answer, I head inside and get started preparing for my first task of the day.

Today, the student representative council for my division is having a scavenger hunt for the new Master's students. I was recently elected chair of the council, so it's my job to organize events like these for our student body. I make sure I have everything in order and head to our meeting spot to check in with the other council members who will be helping.

09:00 Scavenger Hunt Begins!

The scavenger hunt starts by me giving a quick brief to the new students about what the council does. We serve as representatives for the rest of the students, so we are there to facilitate discussions between staff and students, get students involved, and build community within our division. We then kick off the scavenger hunt, which consists of 10 different clues that have the students go around the medical campus to learn where things are. I wait at my station by the bus stop to let them know how they can get around to the other campuses and the rest of Cape Town using the free university shuttle. After I give them their next clue, I head back to check on the other stations. After the students finish navigating the scavenger hunt, the council members and I give a quick tour around some of the labs within our division and answer any questions they might have.

12:00 A Working Lunch

I quickly heat up my lunch and take it to my office to begin getting some work done. Each day is different, but most of the time my work consists of writing or coding. Right now, I am doing a little bit of both. I prefer coding, because I get to be more creative and do more problem solving, but sometimes when I'm stuck on a really difficult issue it's helpful to take a break by switching to writing. There's always some piece of writing that needs to be taken care of - whether it be a proposal, a journal article, an application, etc.

15:00 Snack Break!

Around 3pm, I'm in need of a caffiene boost. The university's medical campus is pretty small, and there's only one option for food and drinks. I head there, but unfortunately the coffee machine is broken! Typically I might check out one of the coffee spots outside of campus, but because today the weather is warm, I decide to get a Coke & water instead. My total is R29 (R or Rand is the South African currency), which is about $1.50. Then I get back to work to finish up a few last tasks.

17:00 Grab the Jammie

I finish my work day around 5pm and head to the bus stop once again, this time to actually get the bus (the students call it the Jammie). I head to upper campus, which is the university's main campus and about a 5 min drive from the medical campus. I'm heading there to hear a lecture from a South African business owner and doctor who works in telemedicine, which is also the field I work in. I join some of my friends and we head to the lecture venue.

18:00 Bongani Mayosi Memorial Lecture

At 6pm, the lecture begins. The lecture is an annual memorial lecture in honor of the late Professor Bongani Mayosi. He was a medical doctor and professor in the university's medical department and focused on cardiology research. His research was extremely important for not only the university and South Africa, but for the whole of Africa. One of his mentees was the speaker for the night, and he shared how Prof Mayosi had positively impacted his life as well as how he had become successful through his telemedicine business. It was a very inspiring talk and so interesting to hear. After the lecture was over I enjoyed a few refreshments with some of my friends and then headed home.

20:30 A Relaxing Evening

After a long day, I'm happy to finally be home and spend a few hours in front of the TV just relaxing. Then, I head to bed and get ready to do it all over again the next day!