Trying Things, the African way!

Yesterday I got an HIV/AIDS test right here on the good old University o f Botswana campus, not that for any reason I think that I have contracted the disease while being here, or had any concerns, but if Obama did I’ll do it. No but really, I thought that it could be a really substantial and memorable experience that I could do before I left this country, which seems to be quickly approaching. I don’t know, I guess I am just to much a produce of my up bringing and that consist of two important things: do on to others as you would like to be treated (which is still makes things interesting when you have siblings, even into your 20’s . . . or just a head ach for my dear mummy Kay), and before you make up your mind about a person walk a mile in their shoes, because a persons life is never a glamorous as you may think it is. This latter one always really hits home considering my lovely health. But I’ve digressed, let me continue this last month here I have really been focusing on really trying to see, feel, and experience everyday culture here. So to me being a student at UB having an HIV/AIDS test is with my fellow peers was something that was important for me to do at some point, also if I am going to preach at home and at my own campus awareness I have to practice what I preach, eh? So I sat down in the consulting room before hand and got asked tons of questions, some in which I didn’t always find necessary but I have come to learn that I am the white girl and something about that is novel. After confirming that I had prepared myself for the outcome no matter what it was I was sent into the lab which was across the hall. This is were I found things to have a wonderful comedic relief, I don’t know how many of you have ever gotten an HIV/AIDS test but I have found that one matter what, you freak yourself out, you maybe I am just an extremely worrisome person, however all of my friends who have been tested have said the same thing. I think it has a lot to do with the stigma’s that people have with HIV/AIDS and the lack of information people have about it in most of our worlds that we are living in, also most people in the states I feel don’t know about the great advances that have been made with ARV’s, making it that this is no longer a death sentence, still serious no doubt, but not a death sentence.

ARV’s are free here in Botswana so any one that’s CD4 count gets down to a certain number, one that means that they have moved across from HIV to AIDS they get all of their medical for free, yes logically you would say why let it even go there, but they do, and research is being done to make sure that in the future it doesn’t have to go there but for now . . . Anyway I am a little scared that here in Botswana - because of the free ARV’s and the fact that they personally see everyday that this is not as much of a death sentence, that they are not being as careful as they once were, and the pregnancies on campus are definite conformation of this. Oh and how cute these pregnant girls are!!! But that is a totally different subject for a different time, and really doesn’t help that I definitely think that pregnant women and the cutest most beautiful things ever.

Sorry for the anecdote, sometimes I feel like a position while I am writing these, but anyway the comedic relief in the lab room . . . the guy that took my blood had pictures of himself taped to the white walls all over the small room. One in his lab coat posed in front of the needles and rubber gloves, one of him looking dashing in his sunglasses, oh many more. However the best part for me was the music in the background. R. Kelly. People love him here! But not just R. Kelly, it was R. Kelly singing about two girls he just met and was getting to know (yes in the biblical sense) who had “crazy legs” and the effect of two women with “crazy legs” on one man. What an interesting song to have one while testing people for, in this country is mostly a sexually transmitted infection/disease. If just made me laugh. But the waiting outside in the hall with others for 45 minutes did not. That gave me time to think, a lot. On the upside, I um . . . made some friends while waiting, all for the same thing. I was very happy and excited when my results came back, and I was even happier that I had taken the test being able to sit with my peers and understand a little more.

Oh and on this journey of mine . . . I also got my hair did. I feel pictures are necessary to fully understand this wonderful thing, it was quite interesting, it gave me a little bit of a head ach, and those braids were really tight! It was a good thing and a bad, some people didn’t look at me look at me, talk to me, or try to touch me as much, and it stopped me from playing with my hair all the time, which is a horrible habit. Lastly, hair is really hot, and it was getting to the point where I was like, should I shave it all off, do this, that, and I can’t tell you how much cooler I felt, ahh it was nice. However on the other hand some people looked, talked to me, followed me more and it made things just as interesting, but not really in a good way. Also the headaches man the respect I have now for anyone that gets their hair braided. It takes a few days for it to stretch out. I also was getting lots of frizzies, so it started to look bad kind of quickly. But hey I did it, it was only 60p = 10 USD and I will always remember it.

It was called a fish tail braid if anyone was wondering.

Oh and today is an important day for all those Dems out there, so keep your fingers crossed!

And lastly I am having a beautiful quilt made and I got to design here in Gabs and I get to see it for the first time (not finished but still) this up coming weekend, I will try to take a picture!