Gaborone

I would like to start this off by apologizing it's taken me all week to finally get to a computer for more than 3 minutes. Erin and I walked to the main mall today and are holed up in an internet cafe before we leave for Uganda tomorrow. Who knows how the internet will be while we're there. Let's cross our fingers this can become more regular.

I'm going to start with my first journal entry and end with yesterday's. Please bear with me that this is going to be a bit lengthy. :)

I'll add pictures next.


July 6

One day down. Only 32 more to go!

I can't believe I'm sitting in London's Heathrow airport right now waiting to board a 10 hr flight to South Africa. I've been looking forward to this trip for months, planning it since October

July 7

I'm here! My feel have touched African soil. Well almost soil... more like blacktop. I'm sitting in the Joburg airport with my new friend Mueller. He's having to hide his newly bought perfume samples from Botswana customs by putting the bottles in his jacket pockets.

July 8

Botswana is such a beautiful place. The people are so friendly and I have been made to feel so welcome. The last 48 hours have been so overwhelming. After my 7 hr flight from DC to London, I spent a few hours in downtown London. I cleared Heathrow's customs... after the customs officer said I have a sexy passport photo, and then I headed for the Underground (Tube). A 20 yr old Polish boy got on after me and asked me what he was supposed to do with his ticket. We got to talking and I forgot all about looking at the towns on the outskirts of the city. He told me about Communist occupation and his dreams to become a journalist. His father is a poet who has been published in Chinese and Polish. His demeanor and his life reminded me so much of Adam Iddings it was uncanny. We exchanged email and he left at Green Park in search of his new flat. I believe he'll agree that us meeting was a comfortable, great introduction to London. Once in London, I saw all of the typical tourist sites, but I must say, I wasn't terribly fond of the place. I believe I heard more American accents than British... there were so many tourists everywhere.



On the flight from London to Joburg I sat next to 2 Batswana (the term for the people of Botswana) returining from 7 weeks of aviation engineering training in Canada and the UK. They and their group (of 6 total) took me under their wings. They guided me through the Johannesburg airport and its confusing and intimidating environment. The flight from Joburg to Gaborone (pronounced Hab-or-O-nee) literally flew by as I sat by Stanley talking about the difference between life in American and Botswana.






Johanna from Amnesty at UT and baby Gustav picked me up from the airport and I was so ecstatic to see her. We exchanged hugs and headed to her friend Neil's home where I am currently staying. She used to teach Hebrew here, so she arrived 2 weeks ago to catch up with old friends. After finally showering (it had been 2 days) the 4 of us and Neil's Motswana (the singular term for the people of Botswana) girlfriend Tiapo went to the Gaborone Game Reserve for a pseudoAfrican safari. We drove around looking at ostrich, zebra, and warthogs. It was such a great first afternoon. Afterward we went to a dance and music recital at Tiapo's school and the kids were so talented. The school was very lovely and modern. I've found that about all of Gabs. I am definitely having my misconceptions about Africa erased. People here have Mercades and BMWs that my family can't afford in America. And this is "Africa"!



Another misconception is that Africa is always scorching. When I arrived in Joburg, I was astonished to find the temperature only 46. Here at Neil's, the home is meant to keep the house cool during the dreadful summers. I have been wearing thermals to bed.

Because Botswana is such a rich country (because of diamonds) the government pays for HIV+ people to receive free medicine. It seems as though they are spending little to no money on education. The people are very fate-oriented and believe if it was meant to happen, it will. Also, there are Malawi traditional healers scamming people, saying that they can cure them. Tiapo had much to say on the problem but was very unwilling to discover a way to fix it. I found that discouraging bc she could have such an influential voice with her primary-aged students. On another note, I haven't spoken with an American in days and all this accented English has left me repeating all that I'm writing in my head with a British twist. Erin will be here in 2 days and she may find me sounding quite different!


July 10

Yesterday was the first day of the conference. Johanna had the best paper in my unbiased opinion. She discussed the disgust the international community should have at terming the AIDS pandemic the "African Holocaust". First of all, yes while more than 60% of the AIDS cases are in subsaharan Africa, HIV/AIDS is a global crisis. Second, the term Holocaust isn't even a proper word for the Jewish event. Holocaust's origins were very antisemitic and racist in nature. It also has connotations of sacrifice and martyrdom, both of which involve a choice in the event. Third, by loosly terming the HIV epidemic the "African Holocaust", it fails the personalize or differentiate how democratic AIDS is... AIDS attacks regardless of gender, color, or nationality. It lumps the virus and Africa into one giant pot.

Another topic I found quite interesting was the issue of juggling personal beliefs with scholardom. For example, in many African churches, pastors are doubling as traditional healers and claiming they can cure HIV if those infected join their congregation and discontinue the use of AVR medicine. Should a religious studies researcher/scholar intervene and call to light the scam to those being scammed? The line between intervetion and observation-only seemed to be split right down the middle with those at the conference. I know that ethics comes first for me. I could not try to only observe. I do not think I would be very successful at a professional relationship, but that is why I want to use my scholarship to defend human rights. Then, I don't have to make that call between observing and intervening.

Last night I had the best Chinese food of my life. Yes, it beats Ming's hands down. The restaurant is called Red Lantern and I had a feast for $10US.

I'm staying at a new house now. Another friend of Johanna's. I am sad to see Neil and Tiapo go, but I love my new host- Mma Leloba. She lives in a sprawling home surrounded by beautiful gardens and biggest cacti I have ever seen. Unfortunately, there's no heat here either and I'm writing this in the 40 degree house.

This morning I babysat Gustav for 3 hours while Johanna went to the conference. It's the least I can do. She is putting me up with her friends and taking such great care of me. Goose and I played all morning and this afternoon ran errands. I finally bought CHOCOLATE!! at the supermarket. And Jo made me hot chocolate tonight to cure that craving. Oh what I would give for a packet of swiss miss right now. The instant coffee at the conference is such a tease.




Erin arrived tonight! I had to miss the trad. healer field trip to pick her up at the airport, but I couldn't allow her to get in and be alone. Getting there was quite the fiasco. I thought the conference was sending me to pick her up and they would drive us back, when in fact- they only called me a cab... that I was responsible for paying for. So after much confusion and being caught between 2 sets of advice, I rode with Bilogi (a Nigerian staying with Rosalind) and her cousin to the airport and illegally hitched a ride back on the Gaborone Sun Hotel's complementary (to hotel guests) shuttle. That is one travel trick that I now highly endorse to avoid paying the outlandish taxi fees.

July 13

I'm sitting in the national headquarters of the Botswana Christian AIDS Intervention Programme (BOCAIP) and I am so inspired to get involved in their program. But I am so frusterated in how to incorporate a volunteering component into my undergraduate program. I feel like if I wait until my master's, I will have to be more competitive for positions and then couldn't take 6mos. or a year off to work in an NGO. Especially if I would like to do something in a Peace and Reconciliation center. Maybe during my junior year, I could incorporate a counseling center in N. Uganda with my internship or research.

This morning Erin and I are touring around HIV/AIDS centers in Gaborone. This particular FBO (faith-based organization)has an interesting program for youth (10-29) called the Pledge 25 Club where kids pledge to donate blood 25 times through their lifetime. This is accountability to stay HIV- and therefore abstinent because if they become positive their peers will know because they will stop donating. Perhaps the most fascinating part of this club is how they overcome the state-mandated age of consent to test for HIV which is 21. They test all the blood donated and tell those who are negative so. The others know they are + by default.

Tonight I will begin by writing that I am extremely aggravated with the fact that the world cannot agree on which side of the world to drive on or which plug to use... until that can be solved, how can we ever hope to get over religious or cultural difference? My converter and adapters are not working and I can't charge my camera battery. Grr.

Enough complaining however. Despite the few drawbacks to Gaborone, the last two days have been the best of the trip.

Yesterday (Thursday) I briefly attended the conference before leaving Gabs for a look at the real Botswana.