time flies i guess...

July 24, 2011

Today I went to the agricultural fair for Bobonong. There were chickens, roosters, pigeons, geese, ducks, and rabbits! Haha. they were cute. I went with the Home Based Care group to help them set up and to see what the fair was about. They had prizes for beans, maize, cabbages, jams…all sorts of things. It was pretty cool. There were informational booths, like consumer affairs. I just wandered around and craved maguinya and soup. Finally, I caved in, and it was DELICIOUS. Lol. It was something I had been craving all week. And I had finally had my share. We watch Slizer, which I guess is a Botswana celebrity. She’s like the Botswana’s version of Shakira. The cool thing about her is that she is from Bobobong. So she came back to her home village. It was a fun performance. Then my friend Kers came by, so I hung out with her for a bit, and went to watch her soccer team. Oh did I forget to mention, my head outfit for the day consisted of pigtails, baseball cap, my green sunglasses, and…a band-aid on my face. I looked AMAZING and incredibly sexy. I had a mosquito bite on my face and it was starting to ooze out liquid. It was AWESOME. Haha, I had a few people tell me I looked ugly. Lol. honestly, fine by me, the uglier the better. Lol. To add to the deterrent of men besides my ugly face, I decided to carry around a box of condoms. I figured any guy that tried to approach me, I’d just give them a condom. It worked well, people were a bit taken aback, and left me alone. But the other good thing was that they actually took the condom. Yay! J haha, oh my volunteer with the gay and lesbian center did me well. I am not afraid of handing random people condoms. Others actually would yell at me and be like “do you know what you are holding?!” haha. I would say yes, then offer them condoms. That worked too. Cuz they would just laugh, and take the condoms. I just hope they use them properly!

So in the past week, Kers and I have noticed that there is a small group of children that have been running around, begging people for food, money, and clothes. This is actually incredibly odd to see. Kers calls them “street kids”. They refuse to go to school, and when they are forced to go, they just run away. Apparently, the situation is that their mother has died (most likely from AIDS), and they are being watched by their uncle…who I guess is a bit of a lush and doesn’t really watch the kids. There are about 7 kids, and the ages range from about 5 to 13. Anyways, these kids have been a bit of a worry to Kers and some of the members of the community.

Kers and I decide to pay a visit to where they are staying to check out exactly what the situation is. I want to go, because I want to see what is going on. She wants to go to talk to the people living with these kids…and of course I don’t understand a word, I’m just sitting there observing and really taking in the scenery, which honestly made me very sad and confused. There were about 8 women (if you can even call them that…I think some were as young as 15 years old) and about 25 children just running around. Some of these kids didn’t even have clothes. The women are sitting outside on blankets and cardboard, just breastfeeding babies. A puppy is chewing on a skinned rat. And the houses that they are staying in are basically mud shacks with holes in them. Some of them were even missing parts of their roofs. It was an abysmal sight to see. Their clothes were ragged and dirty. Some didn’t have shoes. Two of the older women had crutches. The government does help them out, being that the children are considered to be destitute, since they have a parent that has died from AIDS. They are rationed food, toiletries, soap, the basics. But clearly they aren’t getting enough, or they don’t know how to manage their rations. We talk to them for a bit and Kers thinks the best way to start with helping them is by helping them with a half built house. We’ll see when that can be done. A bit of a problem with these kids is that they’re not so much into the whole appreciation aspect, making it difficult for people to want to assist them. Which I can understand. But at the end of the day, if they need help, maybe in the long run, something good can come from it. As we were leaving, 2 of the kids run off at top speed, trying to make a run back into town. 2 of the girls or “women” (since they already have children…at the age of 15), chase after them to bring them back. It was baffling to see…children running away as fast as their little legs can take them to go begging. Running away from people that don’t necessary treat them badly, or yell at them…but running because they just want to beg. Sigh…I guess I should start at the social service office to see what can be done…but this was a new sight to me. And perhaps the reason why I wanted to come here to Botswana in the first place.

July 25, 2011

So you want to know what’s been happening in my life here in Botswana? o batla go itse ke dira eng mo Botswana? Not much really. Ke dira sepe. Lol. I go to work at the clinic in the mornings. Ke tsamaya go tiro phakela. Where most of the time I just spend weighing babies. I’ve been peed on about 3 times now. I’m a bit scared of holding babies without diapers now. lol. I just hang out with the people at the clinic. I just talk to people. Most people just talk to me in Setswana. And I normally respond with a confused look, until they repeat it over and over again and then give up. Or they just say it in English. I can actually pick up what people are asking me more times than not. Which is pretty cool. I don’t think I’ll come back fluent, but I’m not doing too bad with the Setswana. So ya, I weigh babies, and talk to people in Setswana, and learn Setswana. Then I normally head to town to hang out with Kers for a bit, and then go to Home Based Care to hang out with the lovely ladies that run the NGO. I watch them make beads. Or help them watch the desk. Help them cook. Whatever they need. Or we just talk. They also try to talk to me in Setswana a lot. So I’m picking up Setswana everywhere. Then I normally go home. Sit, watch a show, eat, read, just do whatever. Ke nna, leba TV, ja, bala, ke dira sepe. Then I hang out with my neighbor, Sego, we just chat or watch TV. Then I cook dinner. Watch another show or read. Take a bath. Tlapa. Then time for bed. Robala. That is my life here in Bobonong. I haven’t been writing much because not much has been happening, besides just what I described. Ga ke kwale ka go reng ga ke dire sepe le ga ke na le sepe go bua fa.

Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that I am in Botswana. It’s still strange to me. Whenever I say, it still feels incredibly odd. But at the same time, this place has become home. Botswana has become home. I’ve very much fallen into pace with life here. And for the first time in a really long time, I can honestly say that I am happy. I am saying it, and for once I am not trying to convince myself that I am happy. Not to say that I don’t miss home and my friends. But I have really come to embrace life here. Today I walked to the tuck shop to go get airtime. Walking on a dirt road…and I am getting airtime at a tuck shop. Simple. And it made me smile. This is my life in Botswana. This is what we do here in Botswana. It makes me happy to know that something so simple can make me happy. It’s funny because it’s such a simple task here. But in America, 3 of those things aren’t even in our vocabulary or found in everyday life. When was the last time you walked on a dirt road that didn’t involve hiking? In America, most people don’t buy “airtime” which is the equivalent of buying minutes in a way, we buy by a package. When we buy aritime, it’s by pula, and not by minutes. So each text or SMS within Botswana costs 25 thebe (which is equivalent to cents). Each SMS to the states is 1 pula (which is equivalent to dollars). I don’t know how much it costs to make a phone call within Botswana, but I wanna say somewhere around 50 to 75 thebe. And each phone call to the states is 6 pula per minute. So I went to go by 20 pula of airtime for me to use however I like. Now as for tuck shops, well, I already explained that before. I guess I’m just saying that I’m totally enthralled by my simple life out here.

For those of you who know me, when I was at home, I was constantly going out. I had schedules packed for 2 weeks straight. I always had to do be doing something. And it always had to be sometime engaging. Clubs. Bars. Shooting ranges. Beaches. Dinners. And here? What do I do? I sit on my doorstep and stare at the tree. Or stare at the stars. Or stare at the clouds. Watch ants.  It’s funny because, Botswana has given me lots of time to just…think. I find myself often staring off into space for long spans of time just thinking. Before, in the states, it was never a good thing when I started to think. It would lead me to dark places or make me over analyze everything. I would just stress the more I thought about things that were going on or things that were happening. But here, when I think about these things, I’m no longer stressed or upset about thinking. I just think. it has really given me the time to sort things out in my head. Not quite sure what I’m sorting out, but I know I’m finally feeling more at peace with myself. At home, I felt like I was always fighting against something, may it be expectations, society, or people. But here, I’m finally away from all that. And now is the time that I can really concentrate on myself. I have a lot of alone time here. Before that was bad thing. Now, it’s something I look forward to. I like doing nothing, I’ve decided. Which is completely contradictory of who I tried to make myself believe that I was in the states. I hated doing nothing. I think in the states, I was just running myself ragged and didn’t know how to stop and take a break. There was just always too much going on, that I never took the time to sort things out for me. Too many distractions. I just never took the time for myself, because I always felt like I had to be doing something because everyone else was always doing something. But here, I have nothing better or else to do, so I am finally forcing myself to take the break that I need. And at the end of the day, it’s making me more comfortable with who I am and who I want to be. And I love how here, I don’t have to be doing anything, because the way of life is to not really do very much here. It’s so laid back, and people actually just enjoy their time sitting. And it has really calmed my nerves down. I’ve even cut down a shit ton on my drinking. So I thank you, Botswana, for making me a happier/healthier person. And this time, it has nothing to do with a person making me happier, this is just ME making myself happier.

Today I got a package from my parents and Joanne. I was surprised as to how happy I was to get them. I knew it was coming, but I was still super excited to get them. I got an overwhelming feeling of love and appreciation. And I’m not saying this to be corny or anything. It made me really appreciate them for taking the effort to put the package together and send it to me. They sent me everything that I had asked for, and it made me really happy that they would do that for me. I was especially happy to find the picture of my teddy bear from my parents. They took the time to take the picture then go to the store to print out. I love them. I wish I could give them a hug. I can’t though, so I send viral hugs. *hug hug hug* J THANKS PARENTS AND JOANNE. I <3 u!!! J

July 27, 2011

Today I was walking to work, and 4 donkeys were blocking my path. When I walk to work, I normally take short cuts, which involves little pathways in between houses. So, there were 4 donkeys in my path. I literally stood there for 5 minutes…staring at them. and of course, they stared back. I would slowly approach them, and they would shift uneasily. The whole time I am thinking…please don’t kick me…please don’t kick me…please don’t kick me. I had heard of those donkey kicks, and I had no intention of experiencing them first hand. Finally these 2 ladies walked by, laughed, and asked me if I was scared of donkeys. I just told them I didn’t want to get kicked by them. They just laughed and said that they wouldn’t kick me. And just passed right through them. I did the same. Silly me. Haha. anyways, this is what happens in Botswana. At least now I know I can pass donkeys without the fear of being kicked by one.

August 1, 2011

WOW….it’s been 4 months since I left the states. That’s crazy. It has felt ridiculously slow…but when looking back…it seems like it’s gone by fast. I’ve been gone for 4 months. Has the past 4 months felt like a long time to you too? Or did it go by super fast? 22 more months to go!

Thank you to all my friends and family that have taken the time and effort to call and send packages. I know I’m not easy to get in touch with, but it’s ALWAYS nice to hear from you and a good reminder of what I have at home. I love you guys and miss you! J *HUGS*

August 19, 2011

Not much has happened. Went to training for IST. It was nice to see everyone, though the training aspect bored us all to tears. I’m heading back to Bobonong on Sunday, where I will officially be in my house. Which is going to be different…and interesting. I apparently have managed to get rosea, which is a weird skin thing that is going to leave me itchy for the next 2 months. In other words, I feel like crap, and can’t stop scratching, so I look like a crackhead. It’s a good thing we don’t have crackheads here, otherwise, people would think I am a crackhead. Do you think it’s possible for me to get new skin? Cuz that would be awesome.