No. 1 Ladies'

Okay, this one is for all you fans of Mma Ramotswe, Mr. JLB Matekoni and the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of books by Alexader McCall Smith. Today a friend picked me up and took me out to the No. 1 Ladies Opera House wwhich is just south of the Gaborone CBD. The Opera House is a re-fitted garage that hosts events and live performances. We were there for the monthly food and farmers' market- a lovely event with live music and good company. The top picture is the sign outside the gate and the bottom picture is where you order your drinks- I am taking the picture while standing on the stairs that lead up to the seating area for viewing performances.




On a sad note- during the drive to the Opera House we saw a group of monkeys and one of them got hit by a car in front of us. Traffic stopped and another monkey retrieved the monkey who had been hit (and was very badly injured) from the road and carried him (or her) away. I am telling you all this 2nd hand from my friend who was driving because all I saw were the group of monkeys playing and then one going under the car- from then on, I shut my eyes.

They tried to warn me that this would happen...

Thank you to all of my friends and colleagues who have done international work- for your words of wisdom and for correctly cautioning me against potential pitfalls. One of the phenomenons I was correctly cautioned against might be referred to as the 'one-month blues.' It is the point about one month into an international experience when the honeymoon period is over and some of the tough realities set in. Well, I have been here for a month and I think I have the one-month blues. While I am still enjoying the delights of my work and life here, I am feeling anxiety related to home-sickness, daily annoyances, inconveniences, and generally feeling like a cultural (and linguistic) outsider. So, to counteract this malaise, I am going to share a list of things I am very much enjoying about Botswana: In no particular order, other than the order they occurred to me.

Fruit! Lots of it and at really cheap prices.
Hanging clothes on the line for drying-- and the clothes drying really fast in the sun
Purposeful work and the respect of the community for the work BHP does
Wonderful friends and colleagues from all over the world doing amazing work here
Birds- beautiful little birds everywhere, (especially the brightly colored ones)
National pride for Botswana and its potential as a young nation
Sun, all day, everyday
Curious people asking me all sorts of interesting questions- where am I from, do I know of someone who can help them with this or that
Church and the fervor and enthusiasm with which my church family worships
And last, but not least, knowing that you are all thinking and praying for me!

Mochudi Prevention Project

I am coming up for air after an intense week of presentations, meetings, discussions, brainstorming sessions, decision making, and planning. We are preparing to kick-off the scaled-up Mochudi Prevention Project and there is a great deal of work to be done. It has all been very exciting. The pictures above: 1) a view of the village from the Museum (where the meetings were held) and 2: the sign in front of the museum. The village symbol is the monkey.

Keep reading- the next post is hot off the press...

Bojale

It must be universal- being initiated into a group involves staying up all nights and listening to long speeches from your elders (whether those “elders” are one year ahead of you in school, outrank you by a pay grade in the military, or are the cultural leaders of your community). This eventful week ended with the privilege of observing the coming of age ceremony for young women in the village of Mochudi. The Bojale commences with the young women, who have spent the previous weeks learning lessons about what it means to be a woman in the community and the previous night preparing down by the river, entering the Kgotla (village meeting area) around 0800. Here, the entire community, along with a few Anglo guests, await their arrival. All of the women cover their heads and wear skirts and the men who have been initiated wear impala skins on their backs (sometimes over modern sweat-suits or jeans). There are speeches by leaders including the Kgosi (Chief) and village leaders. After the ceremony, the new initiates file off to their respective wards singing chants lead by the elder women.
I did not attend the entire Bojale, but arrived to see the finale procession and enjoy a post- Bojale luncheon that our group had been invited to in one of the wards. The picture above represents these festivities.

Spring is in the air

Ah, spring is in the air. I have been noticing the beautiful flowers around town and I thought these were especially worth sharing. From what I can tell, there are not any manicured gardens or potted plants, but many spaces are spotted with drought-resistant species such as these (which I think are relatives of the bougainvillea).

Another sign of spring has been the increase in temperature. This morning it was 8... which is much more comfortable for taking a shower than 4 (but still a bit chilly).

My team at work is getting ready for a marathon of meetings and events in anticipation of the kick-off of our project. The pilot study is complete and we will be presenting the findings, meeting with stakeholders, engaging community members, and having an intensive time of planning for the future during the coming days.

Botswana Philatelic Society

Okay, there isn't actually a Botswana Philatelic Society, but with beauties like these, I think I should start one...

Botswana 101

This statue of Seretse Khama- which I walk by almost daily (sometimes twice) prompted me to share a bit about Botswana’s political structure, history, and basic information I have learned thus far.
Botswana is a very young, democratic nation. The President,Ian Khama is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party which has held power since independence in 1966. This is where the statue comes in- it is of Seretse Khama, the first President (and father of the current president) of Botswana.

In addition to the Executive Branch, Botswana has a Legislative Branch that includes the House of Chiefs. This committee is made up of representative members of Batswana. Matters of tribal concern must go through the House of Chiefs. Additionally, some legal matters that involve traditional laws a customs are heard in the Kgotla. The House of Chiefs and Kgotla are central aspects of Botswana’s culture and I have seen how they play a big role in the day to day functions of the people.

Basic information I have learned thus far:
Citizens of Botswana are referred to as Batswana (Motswana is the singular)
English is an official language, but Batswana speak Setswana more often than not.
There is a great deal of national pride. Billboards, t-shirts, flags, posts, fences, stores and vehicles display the blue/ black/ blue stripes that are indicative of the country’s flag (see the fence in the photo above).

My 'commute' home

To follow-up on my day-to-day experiences, here is a picture I took on my way home one day this week.

I have two options for getting home: taking a combi from the hospital to the bus station and then walking from there to my house (about 1.5 km's) or walking all the way from the hospital to my house (4 km's). Either way, I walk through the bus station (which is where I took this picture). If I walk the whole way, I go SW through the Main Mall, and across the highway using an underground pedestrian tunnel. This is where I meet up with the combi drop-off point. So, whether I combi or walk up to this point, the next part of my journey involves walking over the railroad tracks on a pedestrian 'flow-over' and then through the bus station- which is filled with people selling fruit, candy, "Nike" shoes, taxi rides, newspapers, Coke (the beverage that comes in a red can), and pre-paid cell phone minutes. Then I walk by a few stores, including where I buy by groceries, and head into my neighborhood.

The temperature is very pleasant this time of year (25 degrees Celsius or about 75-80 F). The past few days have been rather windy, though. So everything is extra dusty. People are mostly pleasant but dodging the traffic is exhausting. Drivers definitely rule the roads and shoulders (there are not always official 'sidewalks'). I have found the best way to cross the street is to join a cluster of people who are crossing and follow their lead.

Weekday Morning

I am inclined to showcase special or eventful pictures and occasions in my blog, but I thought you might also enjoy reading about the more mundane, day to day life I am experiencing. So, today I am highlighting weekday mornings. Today was a pretty typical morning, so I will describe it to you. I woke to my i-phone alarm at 0600, popped out of bed and turned on the hot water in my shower (it takes a few minutes to warm up to a tolerable temperature—and never gets totally hot in the mornings). The air temperature outside was about 4 degrees Celsius, and the indoor temperature was only a few degrees warmer. After my shower, I went into the main house and was happy to see that Allison was up and planning to drive to work. (She generously drives me into the central business district –specifically, the Ministry of Health, on mornings that she is going that way— otherwise, I have to take a combi). From the Ministry, I walked through the Main Mall to BHP. The pictures above were taken between 0715 and 0730 I was walking. Note the sun low in the Eastern sky, people wearing stocking caps, and the empty Main Mall. Within an hour the Main Mall will fill with people buying and selling goods, playing recorded music and carrying on the business of the day.

This weekend I went to the farmer's market and found a pet...

You'll be happy to know that I did not find my pet at the farmer's market, though.
First the farmer's market:
So, Rachel and I had planned to go to Mokolodi (not to be confused with Mochudi- where the clinic-base for the study I am working on is, or Molepolole where another BHP clinic is) for a mini-safari/ game viewing day. However, we had both had tiring weeks and we decided to go shopping instead. There is an international school in G-West (my neighborhood) and we spent the afternoon there. It was fantastic and relaxing. The sales booths included PTA members selling used books, a meditation professional advertising her personal coaching sessions and senior high school students selling grilled sausages. This outing to the farmer's market was the first time I felt connected to the community. I saw two of my co-workers who were also shopping at the market-- and, amazingly, I remembered each one's name and made the appropriate introductions. Weee! I also met several new people who I hope to connect with in the near future. The market is a monthly event, so I hope to return in September.

As for my pet: I noticed I have several lizards living under the clothes lines at my house. They are just darling and I have named the littlest one (pictured above) Geiko.

Oh, and I also found a church that I think will be my new church home for the duration of my stay in Botswana. I may visit a friend's church during an upcoming Sunday, but I think this one is a 'keeper.'

"Saturday is for Funerals" -Dow & Essex

I would like to recommend a new book to anyone who is interested in learning more about HIV/ AIDS in Botswana and the work of the Botswana Harvard Partnership. The book pictured above is Saturday is for Funerals by Unity Dow and Max Essex. I also recommend searching "Saturday is for Funerals" in your iTunes search browser and watching the WGBH Forum Network presentation featuring the authors.

Hail and farewell

One of the unique and stimulating characteristics of BHP is the flow of world-class scholars who come and go. Today we had a celebration luncheon to say goodbye to two undergraduate scholars from Harvard University and welcome Gaone and me as the newest Fogarty Scholars. In the Navy we referred to such an occasion as a ‘hail and farewell.’ So, now I have been officially hailed aboard! The pictures above are from our celebration at Sanitas-- a nursery in Gabs that is an oasis of beautiful plants and water features.

On another note, I have decided it will be important for me to learn the Setswana language. I have (so far) had no success contacting two sources that were recommended for taking Setswana lessons, but I am continuing to pursue them. In the interim, there are a few terms and phrases that I have learned. They are not Setswana, but they have helped me get around--- and may give you a little chuckle:

“I work in the A&E” = I work in the accident and emergency department in the hospital

“Cross the flow-over and turn left” = cross the overpass and turn left

“Go past the robot” = go past the traffic signal

“That will cost 20 Pula” = that will cost approximately 3 dollars

“Would you like a plastic?” = Would you like a plastic sack for carrying your groceries (which you have to pay for)?

“Where do you stay?” = where do you live?

“Where do you sit?” = where is your desk/ office?

“The meeting starts at 8:00” = the meeting might start by 8:25

“Condomize” = do don a condom

First Mochudi Visit

My primary project will be to work with a research project in the village of Mochudi. Today I visited the clinic in Mochudi for the first time. The clinic is on the grounds of the Deborah Retief Memorial Hospital. The picture above is of the hospital's school of nursing.