Dumelang!
Its been a great week already. We're still in orientation, and have sessions, which are lecture and discussion, every day. Sometimes 4 or 5 in a day, which is quite a lot. In the midst of it, we've tried our best with some impromptu language lessons.
My 'ear for languages' is delighted to not only learn an African language (where pronunciation is NOTHING like spelling appears), but also to hear people speaking English with absolutely beautiful accents and voices.
Sessions have been amazing, from living with HIV, to gender, to history, to volunteer living, and presentations from various NGOs.
We are exhausted all the time because our days are extremely planned and scheduled and busy. We get to bed at 9 or 10 everynight, but find ourselves waking up at 6:30 before the alarm goes. Its certainly a nice change of pace.
Food has been very good. Botswana is more modern and westernized, for the most part, than people generally realize.
Everyone we've been in contact with have been very friendly and helpful. Today, our general guide, Olefile, gave us all Setswana names, which he roughly tried to match to our personalities or meanings of our english names.
Mine is Boitumela, which means happiness
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Flight and Arrival
The flight was ridiculously long.
8ish hours to frankfurt, about 14 hours in Frankfurt...the group just wandered around the city, and it was nice weather so it was alright...and another 11 hours to Johannesburg, and finally an hour to Gabarone.
Did our luggage arrive safely? Of course not. Half the groups luggage, altogether, was missing. Luckily we got it later that day, so no big problem
Everyone was absolutely exhausted from the flight, but also maybe in awe, upon finally arriving in a completely different continent.
The two houses our group is split between are both lovely. Ours, at skillshare, looks like a 'regular' house outside, but actually is comprised of regular rooms connected by a semi-covered courtyard.
The African sun is very hot.
This is all surreal.
8ish hours to frankfurt, about 14 hours in Frankfurt...the group just wandered around the city, and it was nice weather so it was alright...and another 11 hours to Johannesburg, and finally an hour to Gabarone.
Did our luggage arrive safely? Of course not. Half the groups luggage, altogether, was missing. Luckily we got it later that day, so no big problem
Everyone was absolutely exhausted from the flight, but also maybe in awe, upon finally arriving in a completely different continent.
The two houses our group is split between are both lovely. Ours, at skillshare, looks like a 'regular' house outside, but actually is comprised of regular rooms connected by a semi-covered courtyard.
The African sun is very hot.
This is all surreal.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Hours from Departure
I`ll regret this post later (too cheesy and personal). Oh well.
It is just over 12 hours from my flight, and I should be asleep, but family and friends know me better than that.
I`ve been writing the predeparture journal entries that should`ve been done days or weeks ago, and it`s given me a much-needed opportunity to reflect.
Things have been much too hectic, trying to get my life in order and get everything done for this trip, but now that everythings done (thats a lie. Its just too late now to worry about things that didnt get done) and everything has settled, I suddenly realize the significance of what I`m about to do.
This is something I have literally wanted to do since I was 14. My recent trip to Mississippi was one of the most rich and meaningful experiences of my life, and I expect no less from this one.
Even though all of the planning and preparation has added far too much stress and chaos to my life for the past few months, the experience is what will bring focus to my life and remind me of who I am and who I mean to be.
Look forward to writing for all of you from Gabarone.
It is just over 12 hours from my flight, and I should be asleep, but family and friends know me better than that.
I`ve been writing the predeparture journal entries that should`ve been done days or weeks ago, and it`s given me a much-needed opportunity to reflect.
Things have been much too hectic, trying to get my life in order and get everything done for this trip, but now that everythings done (thats a lie. Its just too late now to worry about things that didnt get done) and everything has settled, I suddenly realize the significance of what I`m about to do.
This is something I have literally wanted to do since I was 14. My recent trip to Mississippi was one of the most rich and meaningful experiences of my life, and I expect no less from this one.
Even though all of the planning and preparation has added far too much stress and chaos to my life for the past few months, the experience is what will bring focus to my life and remind me of who I am and who I mean to be.
Look forward to writing for all of you from Gabarone.
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