Vienna in and around

Our trip to Vienna on the way to Moshi seems so long ago now. We had made many preparations, including 4 overweight bags for KIWAKKUKI and just a few clothes for our selves. But, we were ready. The trip began in Durham but quickly ground to a halt in Detroit as our plane had mechanical difficulties and we were grounded for two hours. Of course this meant that we would miss the Vienna flight. Because two major events were coinciding in Vienna, the World AIDS Conference (25,000 people) and the Life Ball, an annual event of the glitterati to raise money for AIDS in Austria and for the Global Fund, (@3,000 people) there were no seats on any flights directly to Vienna. This meant that we had to go to Vienna via Strasbourg and make a 45 minute connection to get to Vienna. Though we made it, sadly our bags did not. Strangely 3 bags (all for KIWAKKUKI) seemed to arrive from Kampala just as we were reporting our bags lost. There was general confusion and we spent our first night with KIWAKKUKI T-shirts on, wondering how long we would be in our dirty jeans.

Fortunately our last bag arrived the following morning. We stayed in the Regina Hotel, a very old and quaint hotel conveniently located to the subway, and also next to the Votive Church (built by Marie Theresia after Franz Joseph (which one?) was nearly murdered, and she built it when he survived.

Also coincidently, the hotel was right next to the Freud Park, the University where he taught, and his house, complete with funny ancient videos made by Anna Freud and THE COUCH! I love to poke around and this time my poking came in handy because the Freud Museum was close, but not where the guidebook described.
(Freud House)
Since John had a meeting when we first arrived, I was free to hop on and hop off the bus to acquaint myself with downtown Vienna. It was lots of fun, though extraordinarily hot. It would be hard to name highlights because so much is packed into a very small area. Clearly it felt amazing to be on the street where Mozart lived, where he wrote the Requiem shortly before his death, and where he and his wife were married (St. Stephen’s fabulous church).
(on square where St. Stephens Church is located--Mozarts were everywhere)
Vienna a beautiful City
I discovered that Otto Wagner (related to Richard) was very active in architecture and put his hand to tons of different things including the modern art museum. I loved the Russian soldier statue, Parliament, the Belvedere Palace, the Hofburg Palace and the gardens.
(Russian Soldier Statue)
(Butterfly Museum next to Hofburg House)

(Big Hofburg House)
On our own, John and I went to the Central Cemetery and found where the great masters of music are buried, and where a statue of Mozart resides as no one knows the location of his remains.
(Schubert)
(Beethoven)
(Brahms) (Mozart statue) (Strauss)

The Life Ball was an amazing thing to behold from the outside. John and I naively thought that we might be able to get tickets to this event since we were attending the conference. We had no idea that probably the cost to get inside was well over $1000/ticket or that it had been sold out months in advance and only the rich and famous are privy to these tickets. But we certainly watched the show until the lightening started. The outdoor festivities were over as soon as the rain poured down as the amount of electrical equipment was enough to probably blow up the city. But the costumes were fun enough.



On our last day, we went to see Cossi Fan Tutti at the SchÖnbrunn Palace and Gardens…There, too were stories of interest. All about Franz Joseph (the what?) dancing with Marie Antoinette (which one?) and falling in love, marrying her, bringing her to Vienna where she was unhappy and returned to Paris, and he took to walking with his “good friend” another woman with whom he had breakfast with each morning and then they walked around the gardens. Uh huh… The opera was great actually and in a lovely small setting. Unfortunately as it got darker and the spotlights came on so did horrible bugs (wadudu) and were totally eating us alive and landing everywhere. I managed to slide as close to John who was out of the light, but one elderly (not me) lady in front of me had about 200 of them making a nest on her shirt collar. It was totally gross and you couldn’t help but stare. At least it came at the end of the opera.

I have reported on the conference on the previous blog so I won't add more to it! But now we are near our last days in Moshi, and the entire Vienna trip seems like a dream. Wow. I wish we had had time for a little trip down the Danube. The old Danube looked lovely, the new Danube looked like a sewer.

World AIDS Day Coverage, my perspective

DAYS OF UPS AND DOWNS THE WORLD AIDS CONFERENCE

I HAVE SKIPPED THE MARCH AND THE SERVICE OF HEALING BECAUSE I SO WANTED TO GET THE GREAT NEWS OUT AND THE UPDATE WITH MY HOPEFUL U-TUBE VIDEO, ALL OF WHICH HAVE TAKEN ME MUCH LONGER TO EDIT HORRIBLY, AND TO TRY TO MOVE OVER TO JOHN’S COMPUTER, AND TO CONTEMPLATE THE LAST FEW DAYS.

VIENNA IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, AND GENERALLY A VERY FRIENDLY ONE. BUT, AS WE WATCH PRESENTATION AFTER PRESENTATION FROM SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, AND PONDER THE EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM ON THIS BEAUTIFUL CONTINENT, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HELPED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVESTATION OF PERSONS THERE FROM HIV/AIDS. AND, THEN WE HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THINK ABOUT GENDER ISSUES, AND THE WHOLE ISSUE OF CRIMINALIZATION OF ADDICTION, A SICKNESS IF YOU WILL, THAT ANY ONE OF US MIGHT HAVE.

WE HAVE WATCHED SOME AMAZING NEWS AND PRESENTATIONS, MOSTLY FROM THE WEST (OR NORTH), LOOKING AT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS. GREAT PRESENTATION FROM TONY FAUCI WHO BROKE DOWN THE WHOLE ISSUE OF VIRUS AND HOW IT SPREADS AND WHAT WE CAN AND ALREADY HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT’S GETTING INTO THE BODY. EVEN I COULD UNDERSTAND MOST OF IT.

BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH PIECE OF GOOD NEWS WAS SOME WELL PRESENTED, RESEARCHED AND PREPARED PRESENTATION OF HORRIBLE PROPORTIONS ABOUT LACK OF CARE, LACK OF ACCESS TO CARE OR MEDICATIONS, SUB-TREATMENT, AND MOST DIFFICULT, OF GENDER VIOLENCE.

WHEN I HEAR CRITICISMS OF “FOCUS ON AFRICA” OR EVEN WORSE, “FOCUS ON WOMEN”, I CRINGE WHEN I HEAR THESE PRESENTATIONS AND THESE STATISITCS REGARDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS. DO 10 YEAR OLD GIRLS REALLY CRAVE, WANT AND DESIRE TO HAVE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH 29 YEAR OLD MEN? MY HOUSEKEEPERS DAUGHTER IS 10, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SHE IS MOST INTERESTED IN PLAYING WITH BALLS, DOLLS, AND WHATEVER BOOKS I BRING TO MOSHI YEAR AFTER YEAR. WE TALK TO HER ABOUT THE DANGERS OF MEN, AND SHE IS FULLY AWARE AND TAKES BACK ROADS TO SCHOOL AS SHE WALKS EACH MORNING, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE FANCY CARS WHO ARE ALWAYS MOVING UP AND DOWN LEMA ROAD LOOKING AT THE PRETTY LITTLE GIRLS WHO WALK TO SCHOOL. SO, I REASONABLY SURE THAT THESE 10 YEAR OLD GIRLS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN BEGINNING THEIR SEXUAL ACTIVITY AT THIS TIME. THEY MIGHT WANT A SODA, A BRACELET, A DOLL, A PRETTY PAIR OF SHOES….BUT NOT WHAT COMES WITH SEX. AND DO WIVES REALLY WANT TO BE BEATEN? HOW CAN THAT BE? AND IF IN FACT MARRIAGE IS A RISK FACTOR FOR BECOMING HIV-INFECTED, WHATEVER WOULD CAUSE A WOMAN TO BE MARRIED. YET, ISN’T THAT WHAT MANY WOMEN STRIVE FOR? BECAUSE I HAVE A WONDERFUL, STABLE MARRIAGE WITH NO VIOLENCE, CAN I EXTRAPOLATE MY MARRIAGE TO ANYONE ELSES AND BELIEVE THAT THE WOMAN IS AT FAULT????

THE NEW MINISTER OF HEALTH IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS BEEN PRESENT ALL DAY EVERY DAY SPEAKING ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA’S DEDICATION TO UNIVERSAL ACCESS. WOW, WHAT A CHANGE. AND ERIC GOOSBY, OUR OWN PEPFAR DIRECTOR IS SO CLEARLY ON POINT. HE IS LIKE OBAMA. HE IS SO INTELLECTUAL, AND UNDERSTANDS THE ISSUES SO WELL, THAT, WELL, WE NEED TO JUST KEEP TALKING TO HIM. FOR ALL THE ACTIVISM IN MY HEART, I HEAR HIM AND BELIEVE HIM, AND I BELIEVE THAT OBAMA CARES AND BELIEVES. IN ONE VOICE HE TALKS ABOUT HILLARY, AND INDEED BILL CLINTON HAS BEEN HERE FOR THE LAST 3 DAYS TALKING UNTIL HE IS ONCE AGAIN CRACKING UNDER THE STRAIN. THEY ARE THINKING IN DIFFERENT WAYS. HOW CAN THE MONEY COME, AND HOW CAN IT COME MOST EASILY WITH THE NEW TEA PARTY LOVERS. PONDER.

OH DEAR. WHAT IS IT IN MY HEART THAT WRENCHES WHEN I HEAR THAT 33% OF CHILDREN IN A CLINIC IN UGANDA DIED WHILE THEY WAITED FOR ARV’S BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO OLD TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE UNIVERSAL TREATMENT PROGRAM. (< 1) I JUST CANNOT ACCEPT THAT THIS IS FAIR. I HAVE A GRADDAUGHTER WHO IS 15 MONTHS OLD. HOW COULD SHE BE DENIED MEDICATION BECAUSE SOMEHOW SHE WAS TOOOO OLD? NO.

BUT THEN THE NEWS OF THE DAY. HERE I WILL TRY TO ADD A U-TUBE. IT IS AMAZING. THE FIRST MICROBICIDE TRIAL IS LOOKING VERY PROMISING. NEARLY 50% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ENROLLED WERE PREVENTED FROM BECOMING HIV INFECTED. THESE WERE WOMEN IN KWA ZULU NATAL WHO ARE 51% HIV INFECTED BY THE TIME THAT THEY ARE 20! SO, IF WE CAN BEGIN TO PREVENT INFECTION THROUGH WOMEN’S CONTROL, A MICROBICIDE, WE HAVE ENTERED THE DREAMLAND THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. LET US HOPE FOR THE BEST.

WITH THAT SAID, I HAVE BEEN MOVED BY BRAHMS’ IN THE CEMETARY, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO COSSI FAN TUTTI OUTDOORS.

WEEPING, LAUGHING CHEERING. HOPE. WOW.

A PS on the Wow...I have to cut my utube video of the great study. Check it out in the latest Science Magazine, or any thing on line about CAPRISA004. We saw the release on BBC last night. Amazing, and I will try to get some live footage by tomorrow.

A Busy Summer

This summer has perhaps been one of the busiest that I can remember. Visits to Rochester, Graduation, Visiting Rocky Mount and drinking moonshine, Wedding, AIDS Clinical Trials Group Meeting, The Beach, The mountains. It feels like we have been on a treadmill, but a wonderful one at that.

Next to James' immediate family, there could be no prouder uncle than John at James' graduation from High School. Imagine, the graduation ceremony was held at the DAR Independence Hall. Gulp! But, it was a wonderful event, and as James heads off to college next fall, there will be one Uncle who will be a watchful mentor. Congrats, James.

I definitely have a brother with a sense of humor and definitely good taste buds. As the Watson contingent gathered with significant others, spouses and friends, we drank a toast to getting together and to the delicious moonshine! I believe that it was about 100 degrees in Rocky Mount. Maybe we thought that would be the hottest part of the summer, but little did we know that would just remain off and on. Lots of fun had. I think that Julian enjoyed his new found technique for leaping from the tree into his pool as much as we enjoyed the moonshine.
(note beautiful toenails just for the wedding.)
We took a quick trip to Florida to witness Kathy and Don's beautiful daughter Kate marry Chris. Now that Kathy has morphed her life into a star on Dancing with the Stars and incidentally exchanged her old dress size for one 2 sizes smaller (how can we afford these lessons!) she was the stunning mother of the bride. I have found that renewing this old, great friendships has been one of the happiest things in my life. It just happens that John immediately bonded with Don, and there we are. John was doctor on hand for a few moments at the rehersal dinner, but all was well at the end of the day and the wedding was beautiful, music, readings, dresses, friendship. Who could ask for anything more.

The mountains for a weekend were spectacular. Not too hot, not too cold. Good friends on Register's deck, Grandfather mountain, sunset, cloud puddles in the morning. Hummingbirds have returned and rule. Pretty nice.
This shot is a bit blurry because the boys are definitely the aggressors this year and this one was waiting for the girl to arrive and then dive bombed her. She was in great haste to get away, only to come moments later and placidly ignore his leaping and bounding at her. He finally gave up and sat on a tree branch near by.



I had not been to Holden Beach in about 35 years, and it doesn't seem to have changed much. It is a family beach, and full of families. When Alice invited me down for a few days with the girls, I was thrilled. I had forgotten how much fun it is to walk a dog down the beach, keep her from drinking the salt water, sit by an umbrella, gossip, talk, and drink beer right there! Wow.



The part of the story no one will believe except Alice, is the moment of being in the water, jumping waves or diving through them (and these waves are nice gentle ones) when right next to me, as a wave was starting to break, I saw a grey dorsal fin speeding along side me, riding the wave. I looked at Alice, she looked at me, I said what the .... is that, and we both said "SHARK" at the same time. We raced in and then with hearts beating watched the waves to see a sign of this probable sand shark again. We did go back in the water--but not the same day. I understand that sand sharks won't bite, but just the view of this was enough for me!

Unbelievably, as soon as I got home from the beach, we were off again for the ACTG meeting in DC. I had exhausted my camera thumb for this trip, and have no pictures. Suffice it to say, it was packed with information, much of which presents challenges, networking, and quite a bit of new stuff. It seemed incredible that our leader Connie Benson has now stepped down, as she and her husband and scientist Chip Schooley were with us forever, and meeting their high standards will be a tall task. During their tenure as leaders, many new drug combination were tested and found to be safe and effective, international sites came on board and offer us new perspectives in HIV prevention and treatment, and much more community involvement has been encouraged. Our site had a great dinner with our sister site in Moshi, and toasts were raised.

So, I am happy to be back in the mountains where the hummingbirds fly, the birds chirp, the chipmonks chirp, the ground hogs amble around, the cows are back in Elizabeth and Steve's pasture, the blueberries are ripening very fast and our great lawn folks risk life and limb to keep our steep grass mowed.