Getting Oriented

Nearly all of my intern group and I have officially arrived in Gaborone!  The weather is beautiful, not unlike a Californian or Mediterranean summer, and with the forecast of no significant rains for several months, things already feel like a vacation ;)

I don't think, however, that a Motswana would say the same thing- the currency and national slogan are both Pula, meaning rain.  In a land that has no natural standing water sources and whose land is taken up by the expansive Kalahari, pula makes sense.

Today was our group's short orientation to the University of Botswana, Gaborone, and some of Motswana traditional culture.  Our in-country coordinator, Dr. Oagile, is like our adoptive mother and is really dedicated to making sure our time here is safe, fun and productive.  The best part of today was our outing to a re-enactment of a traditional Tswana village, where two of our group were married in the traditional way, dowry of cattle and all, and shown the duties of adult married life.  Revenue from the village supports the group of elderly women who work and live there, all of whom lost their husbands to the side affects of a miner's career long ago.  The sharing of cultures and food was culture shock in a good way, reinforcing the fact that we are in essentially a totally different world and showing us the value of it's many differences.

The countryside that we drove through today was beautiful- scrub-covered red stone hills, brush and cotton-puff clouds bathed in a red African sunset.  At times, it's really hard to believe that I'm on this continent and experiencing all that I am, which has been a dream of mine for so long.

Yes, pictures are to come!  I need to borrow some from the rest of my group, and remember to bring my own camera next time.  Tomorrow will be my first day on the job with Dr. Zetola, so more updates to come!

Off to Botswana

Welcome! In a little more than 8 hours, I'll be flying to Gaborone, capital of Botswana, through the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. The surreal feelings of expectation and waiting are hard to put into words. Botswana is a beautiful and peaceful country in southern Africa, full of biodiversity, expansive desert and multitude of different peoples and cultures. To the north lies the Okavango River Delta, which drains into the sands of the Kalahari Desert. But before doing so, it makes a marshy home for millions of birds, plants, hippos, crocodiles, and other animals, and provides for the inhabitants of Maun and the surrounding country. Botswana also is home to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, modern home of the San people, who speak (along with Khoisian peoples) a unique language interspersed with tongue clicks. The San maintain a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and culture, although this is continually under threat of change by modern times.

Prefixes are all-important to the Tswana people, the main ethnic group in Botswana- the official languages are English and Setswana and a citizen of the country is Motswana, in plural Batswana. Botswana is home to the fastest-growing economy in Africa, evidenced by the success of their diamond mining corporation, Debswana, and the multitude of modern architecture one finds in Gaborone. Yet, the country struggles with an HIV infection rate of approx. 25%, and tuberculosis continues to be a problem. Thus I see Botswana as a land full of culture and dichotomies, and I can't wait to begin my exploration.

More to come after I touch down in Gaborone and get myself oriented, stay tuned!