These are heavy days. They really are. I am typically an eternal optimist, but in the wake of recent events, and being a new mom to a baby girl, I would be dishonest if I denied feeling some trepidation about raising her in this country. I do however still feel hope. And I think we must recognise that there is no utopia. I chatted to a French diplomat at a recent event. He admitted to me that he breathed a sigh of relief when he arrived on African soil. He told me Parisians still feel they are living in a state of emergency in the wake of the last terrorist attack. The stats on gun violence – particularly in schools – in the USA are equally depressing. As is Trump. The migrants crisis in Europe is devastating. Corruption is sadly a disease that riddles our country. But it is not unique unto South Africa. Speaking of corruption, I watched “The Big Short” the other night – brilliant movie, by the way. It really reveals the ugliness of the fraudulent, greedy banking industry and the US government’s blind eye to it. It makes you feel sick when you understand how many people lost their homes, pensions, livelihoods etc because of the sector’s greed and negligence. These nasty symptoms present themselves the world over. Yes we have our share of problems here, but we resilient and resourceful and I refuse to give up on my country. I am so inspired by many of my students. They give me hope for our future. South Africa, I love you warts and all, and I’m not giving up on you.