This Just In.

I have many new Cheers today:

- I have hot water. I went to take a shower today, expecting the worst, and as i was getting ready to bite my lip and jump in . . . i noticed that low and behold, the mirror was beginning to fog up. Thank You.
-The pool started getting cleaned today so i will be able to start swimming again soon. Let me explain, because of all the rain the sand from a construction sight near by fell into the pool and so it had a sandy bottom, this happened nearly two weeks ago. I have also told myself that by the time i leave i will be able to swim a mile, considering swimming 400m (one lap around a track) is painfully difficult for me this is a Challenge will, as you can see, a capital C. But I have realized that I am a better swimmer then i thought i was and was always told i was (thanks family) . . . . . . . Oh, speaking of that, word to the wise, if you ever have a kid who passes out from dehydration at the end of second grade because this kid is a super fast runner (I don't know, maybe fastest girl in her class with a 7:19 mile). And you, the parent, after taking her to every doctor in the city of Chicago, don't find everything wrong with her, STILL think that she is epileptic, just tell her. Don't tell her instead that she is a horrible swimmer and can't go in ANY water with out at flotation device, and supervision, when the summer before she could. I don't know and this just happens to be a summer you spend two weeks at a cottage in WI, with the gentlest lake ever. Just think again and don't, because it may hurt their confidence as a swimmer and when they are in the water for years and years to come.
- There is a rumor of swings, i shall keep everyone posted.
- I found my first old grave yard in Gabs. It was to bury British soldiers that were involved in small battle in the mid 1800's while protecting there little proctorial (pictures to come). If you didn't know this was a hobby of mine don't worry about it, and please don't think of me differently, i don't have time to explain it right now, but someday.
- I got my books for my classes today . . . 20 % off, I'm still broke from it though, calm down, i don't want any one to get too excited.
- I finally am going to start volunteering, you have no idea how excited this makes me, and what makes it even better . . . is that it is going to be with little kids, sadly (for them) orphans, but i really miss all my little ones in CT, so maybe this will help a little bit.

- I have my creative writing class tomorrow. woo woo, I really haven't been writing as much as i have planned/ would like since i have gotten here.
- And, I got an e-mail from Kay Dallh-ingg today, saying that the one of my poems has made it to the semi-finals of the competition that Kay and Bob so selflessly submitted it too.

Peace out,
Stay Well.

Cheers and Jeers! update

Cheers!
-Being in Africa a month!
-Feeling at home in Gabs.
- Obama winning South Carolina.
- The rains finally stopping! Botswana has seen more rain in the past 3 weeks then it has in about 12 years. It was really intense.
- Being able to have an elementary conversation in Setswana. I kind of feel like a big deal now.
-Being able to go to happy hour with Batsi, the love of my life, and program leader on Friday afternoon
- Being able to go out to lunch with Batsi and his wonderful and beautiful children on sat Ages 10 and 9.
- Becoming a Gaborone WASP for a day. Sunday a few friends and i went to the Gaborone Yacht Club for lunch. You may be asking, Elizabeth, are you crazy? Gaborone is in the dessert, there is no water for MILES! well that is when i would have nicely informed you that there is a man made dam here and that is where the yacht club is (when we all first saw the signs we were laughing pretty hard). Well once you travel about 4km down a dirt road off the main road you get to the yacht club. It is beautiful, don't get me wrong, it has the natural raw beauty, that I have found all over Botswana. However, they do not have food here, and only a bar with a thatched roof. Sadly our hungry tummies could not full, but the surrounding beauty of the dam itself was enough to fill our eyes completely full. the birds out there were awesome. Well after we traveled somewhere else to go get some lunch, my friend Sarah and I went to our riding lesson. For 60 pula (9 USD) we had an hour long horse back riding lesson. I know how to trot on a horse now! it was a very exciting and fun. However, my legs and butt are still very sore, its 3 days later. The stables were just as beautiful and RAW as the yacht club, they are owned and run by a woman named Kern, who I think is the Soul and best Anti-smoking campaign i have ever seen in my life. It was a really fun day, i now refer to it more as, WASP goes to wild west. But let us be honest with our selves, can you picture me having it any other way?
- Getting mail from my mom and dad. Thanks guys!
-being asked by a woman who works at the grocery store if she could touch me . . . She had never touched a white person.

Jeers.
- Daily/Nightly black outs because there is a power shortage in All of Southern Africa.
- Going into my second week of not having hot water. Things to consider: Showering, Washing dishes, Forgetting or hoping that today is the day that it will be fixed and then getting into the shower and no hot water.
- as well as a kitchen sink drip that is just out side my door and oddly loud.
- the swimming pool being dirty. Its just such a nice pool it is really a shame.
-Not having internet (i know that i have used this as a cheers before and it is, but sometimes i just want to look something up).
- Teachers who tells you in your HIV/AIDS class that a theory for how it has started and spread was by a fighter jet that passed and dropped fumes of HIV/AIDS, thus spreading it to many many people. Sometimes the prof's here give wrong information, it can be funny sitting in your chair thinking, "wrong, thats just wrong". But that is when it is about harmless things, if anything My HIV/AIDS preventions and control class should really have all her information together.

this was not proof read because i have to go to class, thanks for understanding!
Go Well.

thoughts and a story

I have been thinking a lot about racism since I have arrived here. How did it start? Why? When was the moment were it went from a concern to a problem? What can I do to end this? What can we do to end it? Can it be ended? Is there such a thing as a non-racist white, black, brown, green, blue, tan, gold, olive, yellowish person (I hope so!)? Is it right that I am pissed because whites in the past ruined or hurt me and potential friends, lovers, kids, because of the pigeon holes that they have put others in? How has it affected me, the person I am, and how I treat other people? Wow. colonization was A. Brutal. B. Just a bad idea for the most part.

Today a girl in class passed me a note it said, “Hi my name is Girlie! Would you like to be my friend?” In my opinion I don’t think that there is a better way to start ones day, a new friend and socialism. The two gifts that keep on giving. I told you I would love to be her friend, she was pretty and I am not in the position to pass up any friends let alone good looking ones (please note the sarcasm used as humor). I asked her in my note back what she liked doing for fun, she responded, “going clubbing and going on drinking sprees with my friends”. I don’t know if she did this to impress me because of the wonderful reputation that kids my age from the States have of “BLACKOUT or get out”. However I told her that I liked to chill with friends and going to movies, because my mom has always told me that friendships that are based around drinking are buddies, not friends, and I would love more Batswana friends. She is an English and Sociology major(s) too, so already we have so much in common, we said that we would go see a comedy at the cinema together. I hope it works our, because I was kind of prepped to have some concerns.

Again, at our orientation, I was warned about the motives people may have in befriending me, and I have taken these warnings to heart. Considering I have been approached to take and pay for at least 13 people to come back to the states with me and live at my home with me, buying meals for others, buying peoples grocery’s at the store, buying and covering people at clubs, and also to leave specific items that I have worn here when I leave for cretin people. Basically a big ol’ dollar bill sign flashes and screams from slightly above me head.

This is why I have started to tell people I meet who ask how I came over and if I am rich, that I am on scholarship and funded by my government. This is something nearly every student can relate too because the Botswana government pays these kids to go to school and gives them a stipend. I think that the States should look in to this, I am already freaking out on how I am going to send my kids to college and I don’t even have a boyfriend right now (not like I haven’t been asked and nearly stalked concerning the issue since I have been here). The fact that the government pays for most every student really does give a different feel to the education and the intent to learn, I have observed, but it’s still getting done.

Good morning God, GOOD GOD! Good morning.

***** A concerned reader cautiously brought to my attention that I may have a few spelling and grammar errors thus far in my blog, knowing that these are not my strong points, and it has caused a little bit of insecurity within myself in the past. I would like to address this now; it is true, I am not a good speller, and I am very comma happy, they are just so cute and I like people to read my writing as if I were talking to them. So I put in the commas as little pauses or breaths of air. As for referring to my ancestors and spelling the swear damn “dam”, I did this on purpose. I am a very superstitious person and in my eyes you never know what the dead can to do to you, and I rather not find out by cursing these people I never knew. But I still wish they could have spent more time in the sun.**

When I was going through my orientation into Botswana life, we were told that our United States humor would not always translate. We were also told not to talk as openly about sex as it is know that we do in the States, in any context really: jokes, puns, stories, but especially not to make comments or ask questions of any sexual nature to Batswana (meaning the people who live in Botswana). We quickly realize this also meant all HIV/AIDS topics as well, because to the people if asking how they have, in their lives, been effected by HIV/AIDS, if they know anyone, or if they are worried about it at all, it would be as if I was asking them about their sex life and how they practice.

However, with that as my introduction, I have learned since I have been here that although you may no talk about sex, showing off ones sex is a different story. I understand that it is hot out, and culturally many tribal people where different types of clothes and beads on different parts of their bodies, personally I think it is beautiful. What I don’t think is beautiful is public urination, especially when it happens any where for 5 to 20 feet from you. It is true, I understand that nature calls, however these incidences seem to happen up against the building that people are leaving are very near to one that I have personally noted has a bathroom. To be fair I have to say that I have only really had a problem with this at dusk and on, but why so close to me and other people?! Yesterday morning, I woke up naturally on my own around 8:15. Not thinking that any of my friends were up yet I opened up my curtains, for some natural light, and went back to my bed to lie down and read my book (The Autobiography of Malcolm X, a powerful and life changing book) when something catches my little eye off yonder out my window. To my amazement I see a man, not a little boy, but a man, standing on the ledge railing of the residence hall walkway wall, which is directly across the patched crab grassed area used to hang dry clothes from my room. Aside from being concerned for this mans safety I was wondering what he could possibly be looking for, for one of his hands was on his hip while the other was on his forehead making a visor. Which I can confidently say is the international sign of acutely looking for anything at any distance.

I really think I know what he was looking for, and I will let you in on it, please try to calm down, I know you are super excited. Okay here it is, this man, who was glistening in the morning light, had to Must have, been looking for his clothes, because they were no where near his body. There at 8:30 in the morning is a buck naked man standing on a ledge that if it was any windier out (there are reasons that I know it was windy out in which I will not go into detail about) he would have fallen nearly 20+ feet.

Well obviously I put my nose back so far into my book it took me minutes to focus my eyes on the words, and for all of you that have read Malcolm X he was still hustling at this point in the book, so I don’t think he would have been too offended, at least I hope not. I naively thought that 1. By the time I had finished four pages he would be gone. And 2. There was no way that he would have ever been able to see into my room, in which I was lying in my minimal summer PJ’s. However to my surprise when I looked up a second time, my new friend, I’ll call him Bucky for identification sake, was now sitting below the ledge with only his shoulders up being exposed, thankfully. Not so thankfully, Buck S. Naked started waving very enthusiastically in my direction, not wanting to be self absorbed or vain in anyway, I pulled my blanket up to my chin and began to read once again. However, 10 min later when lost in my book I looked up to ponder a point, and Bucky was still there and again tried to waving in my direction, I realized that he wouldn’t have been able to miss my reflective white skin from anywhere and this is when I rolled slyly off of my bed right into an army crawl and only exposing my hands to the window pulled my curtains closed.

This is the last time I have seen Bucky.

I can’t say I miss him. Isn’t this a lovely way to start a Sunday morning? Good morning God. GOOD GOD! Good morning.

Cheers and Jeers

are these not the cutest kids ever?

Cheers!

- Kittens EVERYWHERE! So cute, and will let me pet them sometimes.

- Classes where teachers are really excited to have a student from the States, the reasons vary: different opinion, perspectives, approach at school work, and even at times as an example (that’s not as fun)/. However any way I look at it, this is really going to help me as a scholar and an intellectual who has an opinion.

- An Olympic size, outdoor, swimming pool!! On campus! It is such a comfort on the days where it is 32 degrees, Celsius, and there is not a cloud in the sky. Nevertheless, as I learned today, it can at times contribute to a jeer, but who is to blame but my dam ancestors who didn’t spend enough time in the sun?

- High dives!

- Finally getting the number to a place that sounds interesting to volunteer at, for youth prevention dealing with, and helping kids who have HIV/AID.

- Not having a car, and being close enough to everything that you can walk. Also for public transportation, that is always really excited you are there. So what if it is a white rumbling van that can fit 8 comfortably, forcing 13 people inside of it? It cost less then 50 cents for a ride, you always get right where you need to go, and it is so easy to believe that you smell really good, and you should know, because your nose is shoved very far into your arm pit to avoid other smells. (Secret Clinical Strength, I am proud to announce is wonderful, and really, really does her job, so fresh, all day. It was a great investment.)

- The US dollar being strong somewhere in the world, and coincidentally in the very place I am live right now!

Jeers.

- Sun burn, along with odd burn (and hopefully someday tan) lines because of sun screen that melts off.

- Not knowing if people are talking about you or not. Yes, this may sound petty, but after a long day when a person maybe tired, and a group of people are starring at this person, while the group is talking ¾ in Setswana and ¼ English. Some people, I may know, can get a little paranoid.

- Bugs. Of all kinds. Everywhere you could imagine. Millipedes, centipedes, mosquito’s, cockroaches (these are not in my room thank It, others I know have not faired so well), moths the size of my hand, and others bugs that look interesting, however I do not know the names.

- Phone calls to anyone but Orange customers = expensive.

- No walking at night alone or in pairs, one of my favorite things to do in order to clear my head. But we were told it was not safe and I promised my mum, I would not play the invincible card.

- The startling statistic that 50% of the University of Botswana campus is infected with HIV/AIDS.

- Lastly, Africans have a very hard time understanding sarcasm. I know maybe I will be forced to change my ways . . . Or maybe I will just make the world a funnier place.

- OH! And I haven’t found any swings yet. But I have faith that I will, and I shall keep everyone posted on this magical necessity.

Catch up!

Here is my first e-mail that I basically sent out four different times before I decided to Do the whole blog thing:

The stars in Botswana are amazing, i have never seen so many in my life, i kid you not. Last night i say the milky way, i have never been able to see the milkyway before in the US. I will fill you in all the way, so i will start at the very beginning. I hear its a very good place to start.

the plane ride wasn't that bad at all, that was the part i was most worried about. My closest friend here thus far is a very nice young lady named Sarah, I think you would like her her . . . today we were those people who were running narrators to the lives, actions, and "thoughts" of those we were with. What fun, eh?

It is so beautiful here, and hot, and already I am starting to get lil tan which i know you were really interested in. Last week started our first week of classes . . . . KIND OF, you see no one shows up the first week, not the teachers not the students, no one really, its silly so i go to class everyday sit there for 20 min hoping that someone comes and then i leave. Everyone of my classes is about africa in come way or another and we have started planning the most amazing trips, i just hope that we have enough time for all of them . . . you are so invited to come. . . I have been told by our main instructor and others that over 1/2 of the university population is positive with HIV/AIDS, and i am going to start volunteering soon, with orphans or at a clinic, which for me, is really exciting. Being here is so much more then i was expecting thus far, I mean its not perfect . . . . as you will see, but it is like something i have never seen/experienced thus far.
I found a kitten the other day, and i brought it back to my apartment with me, i named her rain cloud (mura a pula) because her coloring looks like a rain cloud, but she is so sick and skinny, less then a lb prob. I didn't keep her, because she is peeing EVERYWHERE! not cool, not cool at all, esp when you have to wash your clothes by hand.

Okay so maybe i don't HAVE to wash them by hand but i don't know where the laundry room in on campus and i lost my map, and considering the whole third world country, i don't even have Internet in my own apartment, and everywhere is BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper)I have just assumed that the washers and dyers may not be in tip top shape. But i am really happy to be here and i am meeting the coolest people. I think that you would really dig it . . .

My Address

Hiya.

I thought that i would explain the pictures, they where taken when i was on a hike a week or so ago it was early in the morning, and the first time I had seen any water since i had been in the country, it is man made and well hidden, but these views were so beautiful.

This picture is from a traditional dinner that we went to about the 3rd or fourth day in Gaborone, I ate a huge gross worm at this dinner, i don't have a picture of me eating it on my camra but one one of my friends gives it to me i shall post it, because i feel it is one of those things that you have to see to believe. However I am posting the picture of the house in which this all went down, this way you can see some of the kids in my group. Next time i have internet i will post the game reserve pictures! These pictures of the animals are so amazing!

Oh yes, and here is my address here just in case anyone wants to send me anything . . . and get something back in return!

Miss Elizabeth Otter

c/o Batisrai Chidzodzo, CIEE

University of Botswana

International Education and Partnerships Office, Room #149

Private Bag 0022

Gaborone, Botswana

Welcome to Botswana as I know it!

Welcome! After battling with myself for the past two weeks, I have finally made up my mind and I shall be having a blog VS the whole group e-mail thing. This is because one of my biggest fears in life is being boring, thus boring other people, and since I have a tendency to ramble on when I write and have already started to e-mail people back. Seemingly, writing the same e-mail over and over, for these people I am starting a blog, just so they can choose which entries sound a little to similar to what I have already written to them.

I have been wondering what I would write about, and this as well has been plaguing the start of the “blogging”. But what better way to start than by letting you into my smart, witty, free-spirited, wired, and at times immature head, and how I look at everyday life and their simple pleasure in this new place, or the things that I really could live with out. So begins: Cheers! And Jeers (which was once a segment in my high school news paper).

Cheers!

- 9 hours of Sun!!

- The primaries!! and being surrounded by people who know so much about them, and seem to be as excited about this turn in out government and policy to come.

- Pasty skin, on the down fall.

- Going to clubs, and being told, “Eh! White girl, you really know how to dance”! It is something that I have always known, but it feels so nice to be finally recognized, if only they could see my sister and me in action together. However, my amigo here, Sarah, is doing a good enough job.

- No classes the first week of school. A tradition that I did not know about until half way through last week, after sitting in each classroom alone wondering if I had the right room/times. But hey, I am definitely not complaining about it, I have almost finished two books already.

- Reading for FUN again! How I miss that during the semester in the US.

- There is no such thing as American vanity here, it is too hot, and there is something about this humbling experience i love.