BIRTHDAY UPDATE!

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I have made it to Botswana! Sorry it has been such a long time since I was able to update but the internet here is a bit shaky and up to this point I have only had access through an internet café, in half hour slots, on Saturdays. I am crossing my fingers that now that we are entering week 4, I will be able to have some access at the Education Center on a regular basis.

So let me fill you in on all things Botswana. We arrived in Gaborone after a cumulative 20 some hours on the plane to be ushered into the wonderful and fabulous Big 5 Lodge. We only got to stay for one night but it was so wonderful to sleep in a bed instead of having to adjust myself into the upright position while attempting sleep. I have to say though, with my first walk around money from Peace Corps I bought one of those funky little neck pillows and it 100% made all the difference in my ability to be able to sleep on the plane. For those of you looking to travel long distances who don’t have one yet, just do it, it’s totally worth whatever you end up spending.

Anyhoo, we pretty much hit the ground running. At the Lodge we received our phones, mosquito nets and around 5 hours of debriefing. The next day we loaded the bus for Kanye and went straight to our “Matching Ceremony” in order to meet our new families for the next two months. I know this may be slightly baised but I got the best family ;) My host mother, Bonolo and my host brother, Tebo, live in the house and then I have two host sisters, Lame and Tshiamo, who don’t live in Kanye. Bonolo was unable to be at the matching ceremony but upon coming home that night exclaimed “where is my new daughter?!?” and I knew things were going to be just fine. I have been completely welcomed into the family and my mother introduces me as her daughter at any events we go to, and I think the vast majority of people we meet find this hilarious. Our house is equipped with running water, electricity and a toilet and is only a 10min walk from the training center. This is both awesome and a little unnerving, since my site placement could still be out in the middle of nowhere in which case many of the things I need to know how to do will be new to me. I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it. 

As you can image getting used to Botswana has been a lot of ups and downs; not only Botswana herself but also life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I have learned a few things:

·         White vinegar will take soap out of your hair and clothing and also works wonders as a meat tenderizer.

·         “You’re fat” and “you’re beautiful” can be said on the same breath in Botswana without any offense and are often followed by “marry me.”

·         The Batswana are generous and kind people on the whole and seem to find no greater delight than for a slow talking Lekoga (English/ white person) to attempt Setswana. Even if you totally botch it they are just happy you tried in the first place.

·         Personal space is a remarkably fluid concept in Botswana, and if the lady standing behind you in line at the electricity post wants to continuously hit you with her umbrella because she is standing close enough for her boobs to be on your back, so be it

·         When a Motswana says they want sugar in their tea or coffee, it means 6-8 spoon fulls, not 2

·         Possible road hazards: goats, chicken, dogs, cows and donkies…lots and lots of donkies

·         A Peace Corps staff member would rather have bamboo shoots hammered under their fingernails than divulge any scrap of information about your site placement before the site ceremony

·         It is not a Botswana ceremony unless there is singing and prayer

·         Africa, and the pace of life here, can be addicting

As it may be apparent by now, I am having a pretty smooth time adjusting. I do miss home, I do miss friends and family, and I do miss that certain level of comfort you can only really achieve within your own territory. That being said though, I am happy to be slowly stripping myself of the need to be on my turf and I think that will serve me well as a citizen of the world.

We are almost at our 1 month mark for training, and in two weeks I will find out where my site placement is going to be. After that it will be another 4-5 weeks of training before I am sent off for community integration period, more commonly referred to among volunteers as “lockdown.” This period will last for 2 months after which I will have IST (in service training) and then settle into life as a working volunteer. For those of you with the means, that will also be the time when I am allowed to have visitors, and if you have any desire to come to Africa, Botswana should be on your list of places to go.

With all the language, cross cultural and safety and security training as well as the occasional out of class room experiences (we did a whole lesson on perma-gardening on Saturday) I have been very busy. I’m enjoying my life as a volunteer thus far and at this point am just anxious to start the real work. My fellow trainees are wonderful and I am learning a lot.

More to come soon (hopefully)

Much love,

Claire/ Tlotlo ß My new Setswana name, it means “Respect”