First Update from Botswana!

Dumela (Hello) from Botswana!  I cannot believe that it has been a whole week since I packed my bags and began my 3-day journey to Botswana!  I have already met so many wonderful people and seen several different parts of Botswana’s beautiful capital city, Gaborone. 

After over 20 hours of different flights and two 7+ hour layovers (one in London and one in Johannesburg), I finally arrived in Botswana last Sunday, both exhausted and excited to begin this amazing experience.  Sunday through Wednesday, all of the students in my study abroad program stayed in a local hotel, during which we were introduced to the University of Botswana, explored the local area, and had a chance to catch our breaths after traveling several thousand miles.  On Monday, after going through the logistics of the program, a University of Botswana faculty member held a discussion with us about many of the current issues facing Botswana with regard to race, ethnicity, color, class, and gender.  After all of my sociology and women’s studies courses, it was fascinating to hear about the ways in which many of the social issues I have studied within a U.S. context have also played out in Botswana.  I ate my very first lunch in Botswana on Monday as well, and it was both colorful and delicious, as I had roasted chicken, pumpkin, beets, a local type of doughy bread, and a tomato-based vegetable stew. 

On Tuesday, we explored more of the city and shopped in one of the local malls.  Even though many of the stores here may not necessarily be the exact same as those in the U.S., the layout of the mall was very similar to many shopping centers that I have visited in the States, and it was really interesting to see all of the similarities.  One of the aspects of the mall that I found a little surprising, however, was how many of the restaurants served so many foods that I already recognized.  I have already eaten some amazing pork ribs and chicken kabobs, and I’ve also noticed that many meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are served with french fries!  After our excursion into the city, we returned to the University of Botswana to learn about some of the basics of Botswana’s culture, and I am so excited that I have the chance to immerse myself in such an enchanting and welcoming culture.  Later in the day we had a chance to meet with a former CIEE student who had returned to Botswana for a summer internship after studying last year for several months at the University of Botswana.  She offered us tons of tips and suggestions for our time here, and it was great to meet another student who had an insider’s perspective on the journey that I had just begun. 

On Wednesday we finished up orientation, and I moved into my host family’s house in the afternoon.  My host family has been so amazing, welcoming, and basically done everything possible to make me feel like a member of the family.  Like many of the other Batswana that I have met in the past week, they have been warm, friendly, and extremely welcoming.  I spent much of Wednesday afternoon unpacking my suitcases and arranging my room, and it’s definitely starting to feel like home. 

Yesterday we had our first day of classes, and I have already learned a bit of Setswana (the local language).  :) I hope that by the end of the summer, I’ll know enough to be able to communicate at least on a basic level, and my host family has already volunteered to help me practice!  In addition to a class on Setswana, I am also taking an Introductory Public Health course as well as a class that includes an internship component in local clinics.  I also attempted to navigate (“attempted” being the key word) my first combi ride back from the University yesterday, and it was definitely an exciting experience, to say the least.  Combis are the main form of public transportation in Gaborone, and they run all throughout the city.  Even though I did get slightly lost, the driver and other passengers were extremely helpful in making sure that I got onto a different combi that would take me where I needed to go.  I finally made it home and enjoyed a dinner of chicken, pasta salad, baked beans, and salad.  Although it’s winter here in Botswana, I’m finding that I’ve still been eating many of the same “summer” foods that I would have eaten back home. :)

Today we have our second day of classes, and this weekend we will be doing more traveling around Gaborone.  As I said before, I cannot believe that it has already been a week since I left home, but I am extremely excited for all of the adventures and excursions that await me!  Even though I have limited internet access, I will do my best to post as many updates as possible, and I will also try to post a few photos sometime soon.  Until next time, sala sentle!

Peace,

Lizzy