Depression in the Time of Typhoid

So it appears Harare has a typhoid epidemic, although the government hasn't really responded and there is no medical alert. A close friend of mine has had it and is recovering. She's not sure still where she contracted it from. Guess one has to be wary about eating out and what water you're drinking. Have become familiar with the tale of Typhoid Mary.

Am helping my two students that I tutor at the International School with their assignment on plastic. Learnt today that the first plastic was invented in the late 1800's as a solution to not using ivory for billiard balls. The inventor Hyatt instead created a plastic out of cellulose and camphor. Also found an article on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - a floating mass of floating plastic waste spanning from California to Japan. My Chinese student got quite emotional about it and it's effects on animals and the environment but my Swedish student was rather unfazed. Claire the Chinese student may come up with a solution, who knows.

Only had two others come to tonight's Depression Support Group meeting. It was constructive though and we were able to share on different challenges with depression and our own experiences. Was told about a TED talk by Andrew Solomon. I think the one below is one of the best I've heard on depression to date. It was brought up at the group that we could try do work on raising awareness in Zim and try offer support to those who can't afford treatment. A girl I was at school with is currently running from Harare to Victoria Falls for awareness on mental health and to raise money for the Zimbabwe National Association for Mental Health. If you'd like to sponsor her have a look here. You can also read her posts as she runs on Wordpress here.

Nellie English running for Zimbabwe Mental Health

TED talk on Depression by Andrew Solomon