It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas !

 

On Sunday, I hosted "WUSCY COOKIE Madness" at my house.  Melissa, Haley, David, Alison, Thandi, Becca and I baked up a storm of brownies, cupcakes, fudge, shortbread, and peanut butter balls.

While the baking was cooling, so were we -- in the pool !  Christmas in Africa -- what can I say ?

Russ, Kari, Rachel and Isobel sent a box full of Christmas that arrived just in time for the festivities.  I decorated the mantle with goodies they sent and played the Christmas cd they included in the package.



Christmas decorations, courtesy of my family !



Becca and Thandi mixing cupcake batter.
 

The prep station.

The girls decorated paper plates.

Never stop to bake that Christmas cake !

Reindeer cupcakes.



A well earned dip in the pool !









A letter to my niece

My 10 year-old niece, Isobel, sent me a letter with some questions about how and what I am doing in Africa.  My whole family sent letters to me, in response to a request from the organizers of a recent staff retreat.  Isobel, in particular, asked some very good questions -- some that others have asked me before, and a couple that no one has ever asked me before.  I thought I would share my answers:

Dear Isobel,

Thank you for your letter.  It was a nice surprise to get letters from all of you – you, your sister, your Dad, Kari, and your Grandpa Bill.  My colleagues who organized our staff retreat planned that surprise for us.  When you are living far from family, it is so nice to get letters from home.

Thank you for telling me a bit about your life.  It is good to know that you have so many favorite colours.  That will make it easy to shop for you!  Orange and brown are very popular colours here now. 

I am looking forward to hearing you play the guitar when I see you again.  By then, I am sure you will know more than 4 songs.  I would also like to hear your sister play the Charlie Brown Christmas song on the piano.  Please let her know I am happy to hear that she is still involved with music.

I would like to see you riding horses again.  You wrote that you are “starting to jump horses a couple of feet high”.  Although I knew what you meant, I had to laugh, because I had a picture in my mind of you leaping over miniature horses.  I watched you at riding lessons when you were just 5, and even then, I was impressed with your skills.  You were doing acrobatics, flipping from one side of the horse to another.  I thought you were very brave!

Isobel, you asked some very good questions about what and how I am doing here in Africa, and I will answer them.

Is it everything you expected?

Although I had been to other countries in Africa before (Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Morocco), I had never been to southern Africa.  I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect to find in Botswana, so I did some research before I came. 

I learned that Botswana is a peaceful, stable country. Botswana had been spared the wounds of deep seated colonialism and Apartheid that were experienced by its neighbours. 

I have found that the people I meet here are very kind, gentle, and tolerant.  Maybe this is a reflection of their history as a nation -- or, maybe their history as a nation is a result of who they are, as people.

I also learned that Botswana is the number one diamond producer in the world, and because of this, it has been granted middle income status. The government has wisely invested its revenues in infrastructure and services, so it has good roads and schools.  However, once I came here, I learned that the wealth is concentrated in the city, and there are still many people living in poverty.  

I am working with a national organization that provides support and services to people living with an illness called HIV that can progress to AIDS. Although HIV and AIDS impact people from all segments of society, those most vulnerable are those who live in poverty.  Before I came here, I expected to see more people who look sick, but there are medications now that allow people with HIV to live relatively normal lives. The reality is that 1 in 5 people live with HIV, but you wouldn’t be able to pick them out in a crowd. 

If you want to learn more about things like colonialism, Apartheid, and HIV and AIDS, I can tell you more in another letter or when we see each other again. 

Is it too hot in Africa?

Right now, it is very hot here in Botswana.  While it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is summer here in the southern hemisphere.  The sun is at its most intense right now at the Tropic of Capricorn, which happens to pass through Botswana.  Days here usually reach above 30 degrees Celsius, and sometimes temperatures get close to 40 degrees.  I am fortunate to have a pool to cool off in and air conditioning at home.  However, I don’t have air conditioning at my place of work, so it can be a little hard to handle.

Our winter (your summer) was quite cool.  It got to close to freezing at times.  Most homes and buildings are not heated, so people have to bundle up. 

Will it change the way you think?

This is a very good question, Isobel. 

One of the reasons I enjoy living in and traveling to different countries is that it does challenge the way you think about the world, and about yourself. 

When you go to a new county, it’s a bit like being a small child again.  You have to relearn how to do many things: how to count change; how to get places; how to cross the street safely; how to greet people; and how to eat new foods.  Sometimes, you have to learn a new language.  You have to think again about how to do very basic things.

You may come with a set of expectations about how people should act, and then learn that they have a whole different way of doing things.  Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that there is not only one right way to do things.  There are always reasons for the way we and others do things, and it's good to think about what those reasons are.

Sometimes, people may react to you based on how you look, where you are from, and what you may represent to them.  That gives you an opportunity to learn about how their history and experiences have shaped the way they think -- and also to think about what has shaped the way you think about the world.  

I wish many things for you and your sister, and one of them is that you, too, will have the opportunity to experience life in other countries.  Living in other places not only changes the way you think -- it also broadens and expands the way you think.

Do you even like it there?

I am enjoying it here, very much, Isobel.  

My favorite part of the day is my morning walk to work.  I pass many friendly people, who always say “Dumela” or hello with a warm smile.  I also see beautiful trees and blossoms.  I especially like the purple jacaranda blossoms and the red flame tree blossoms, both of which are blooming right now. 

I like the people I work with.  They are very passionate about what they do, and they know they are making a difference in peoples’ lives.  It is a pleasure to work with them.   My other wish for you and your sister is that you will find something to do in life that you are passionate about and is meaningful to you and those you touch.

When I come home in the evening, I take a few moments to watch the weaver birds building their nests in the tree in the courtyard.  I tried to count them, and there are more than 100 nests in one tree.  Then, if it is still hot, I take a dip in the pool and make myself dinner. 

Sometimes on weekends, I will go to a concert or out for dinner with friends.  I see different parts of the city when I go on weekly walks with a hiking / running club. 

My all time favorite thing to do when I have is enough time is to go on safari.  I never get tired of looking at animals.  They are always doing something different.

Is it safe?

Botswana is a relatively safe country, and has been fortunate to avoid the political and social turmoil that has touched many of its neighbouring countries.  I am not worried about things like political coups or wars breaking out.

I walk a lot in Gaborone, and I feel safe when I pass by friendly faces on the streets. I am careful to take taxis when I go out at night, though.

Like most places in the world, crime is a problem here, and people take precautions.  Many people live in gated houses with guard dogs.  I have six keys I need to use to get into my house: a remote control for the front gate; one key for the main house; another for the entry into my unit; another for my bedroom; one for the door to the courtyard patio; and one for the side gate.  So, I feel safe at home when all the doors and gates are locked.  We don’t have any guard dogs, but our neighbours’ dogs would kick up a fuss if anything strange were to happen. 

Although -- I do confess that I am not convinced that walled and gated houses are really the safest places to live.  It is very easy to come and go without seeing your neighbours, which is not good if you do not know if this or that person going into a house is the person who lives there.  I have a friend who lives in a neighbourhood without the big walls.  She knows all her neighbours, and they look out for one another.

You may also be wondering if I have encountered any safety issues with wildlife.  So far, I have managed to avoid dangerous encounters with poisonous insects and snakes.  I have been on several safaris, and although I have never felt threatened by the wildlife, I woke up to the sound of a lion growling next to my tent one night when I was camping!  Needless to say, I didn’t get back to sleep that night.

Isobel, I will be thinking about you and everyone at Christmas, and I am looking forward to seeing you in the New Year!  Please write again to tell me more about how you are doing and to ask more questions.

Much Love,

Aunt Stephanie

International AIDS Day, December 1, 2012

I attended the International AIDS Day event in Mogiditshane, outside Gaborone, yesterday. It was a rainy, blustery day, but the crowds, exhibitors, and entertainers showed up in full force.  With a national prevalence rate of 17.6%, it is estimated that 301,807 people are currently living with HIV in Botswana.  Events like this to share information and resources are part of a national awareness and prevention campaign.



Building an HIV Free Generation

Young girl, showing her support

Display at the WUSC booth



Even "Ex Toughmen" want to learn about the benefits of safe male circumcision

The HIV testing caravan behind the BOCAIP tent had a steady line of people wanting to know their status

BOCAIP banner

Pearl, the face of BOCAIP

The links between gender based violence and the spread of HIV are undeniable

Traditional dancers entertain the crowd



The President and other dignitaries show their support

One Hundred

This is post number 100 since I started this blog, nearly one year ago.  At this time last year, I had just returned home from my pre-orientation session in Montreal, where I stumbled upon Rue Sansregret, a dark mysterious alley with no clear end in sight.

I started the blog even before I formally accepted the volunteer opportunity.  I still had a lot of arrangements and consequences to consider.  I think, in some ways, the act of setting up the blog and stating my intentions to the world gave me the final push I needed.

In fact, the intention for this sabbatical was set in motion about 5 years earlier.  I was travelling through Kenya and Tanzania with my dear friend, Roxanne, and we both mused about returning to Africa to volunteer in public health or community development.  Roxanne asked when I might do so, and I said, "Maybe in five years, if I can arrange for a one year leave of absence from work."  I didn't think much about it, or do anything consciously to make it happen, until I happened upon a serenidipitous opportunity through WUSC / Uniterra.  And then I arrived here in Botswana, almost 5 years to the day of my prophetic pronouncement.  Roxanne's life path took a different but equally exciting course, and she has been a source of encouragement and support throughout my journey down this road.

In this past year, I have found 100 things to share with you, my friends and family.  100 events, experiences, musings, and observations that I found interesting enough to want to share. 

I wonder...at this time next year, once I have returned to Edmonton and settled into my regular routine, will I have found another 100 things of interest to share ?  I may have to look a bit harder or longer or differently at the familiar, but I think I am up to the challenge !

"It's a hard life"

Those were the last words I heard from Violet her last day working at our house.  She had been having some issues with her boss, our landlord, and it was time for her to move on.  When she said it, she had tears in her eyes.

Violet had become a dear friend to me.  She had a soft spot for Canadians, having worked for one before.  She was the last person I saw each morning when I left the house for work, and the first to greet me when I came home in the evening with a “Hello Sweetheart” and a warm smile.  

Although my housemate and I miss her, we are relieved that she is now in a better, less stressful environment.  She had been having issues with her boss for some time, and we tried to walk the fine line between being supportive and interfering. 

Domestic workers have little recourse when they experience conflicts with their bosses.  For those who are working legally, Botswana has labour laws that are intended to govern their working relationships.  Unfortunately, these laws offer less protection than for other working populations. Domestic workers have little clout in negotiating wages and working hours, and are not even entitled to the full suite of public holidays. As of yet, there is no union to hear or mediate their grievances, and legal aid is still a relatively new concept here. Those working illegally (there is an underground economy of workers from neighbouring countries) are even more vulnerable.

A Botswana based human rights organization, Ditshwanelo, has done some work in the past to articulate the issues impacting domestic workers and to encourage the development of a union.  They acknowledge that both domestic workers and their employers are poorly informed about their respective rights and responsibilities.

The issue of disclosure about HIV status is one that comes up again and again.  Some employers believe it is their legal right to know the HIV status of their employees, particularly those working in their homes.  It isn’t.  However, there is still a lot of stigma attached to HIV.  Workers who are afraid to disclose their positive status have to find creative ways to keep their medical appointments, take their medication, and tend to their health care needs. 

I think if I had more time and authority in this country, I would work on supporting Ditshwanelo to strengthen and advocate for the rights of domestic workers, particularly those whose health is compromised. 

While I can’t single-handedly make systemic changes, the very least I  can do is try to make at least one domestic worker’s life a little less hard.

I managed to find Violet and travelled to her village to visit her.  She greeted me at the road side with her warm smile, wearing her Sunday best.  She took me by the hand and walked me to her church, which was in mid-service.   She sang loudly and proudly to the beat of a cowhide drum as a little boy, cloaked in a red and white robe, led the small congregation in dance.   We then walked a few steps to the house she shares.   I gave her a necklace I brought from Canada.  She put it on and said she will wear it until the day she dies.  I also gave her a bonus I had originally been saving for her for Christmas.  She sighed with relief, and sent the little boy to buy milk and sugar so we could enjoy a cup of tea together. 

Attack of the Flying Termites

We had our first big rainfall over the weekend.  Not the kind that pours for an hour or two at night, only to evaporate the next day, but the kind that is sustained for hours on end.  I sat outside under the patio roof Saturday morning, enjoying the refreshing relief from the heat.

On Sunday morning, I went on a hike with the Kalahari Hash House Harriers, dodging puddles and side-stepping masses of white termites teeming on the dirt paths.  We also came across the thickest and longest black millipedes, like licorice sticks with legs, and the reddest ants I had ever seen.  It seems the rain brought many interesting creatures to surface.

Later that evening, I met a friend for dinner at an outdoor cafe.  As the sun set and the patio lights came on, we found ourselves in the midst of a flying termite storm.  They were everywhere.  In our hair.  In our salad.  Everywhere.  It was like a scene from a science fiction movie. We tried to move indoors, but they had also invaded the inside through the open patio door.  At first, I thought they were moths, but their wings were too long and thin. 

I did some research, and found out that sexually mature termites are prone to grow wings and swarm as part of a mating ritual after the first heavy rain of the season.  Once they have mated, they lose their wings and start new colonies at their new location.  We had found ourselves in the midst of a flying termite orgy !

This morning, the ground was littered with thousands upon thousands of translucent termite wings.

Charting a Friendship

I am fortunate to have one of those rare friendships that transcends the years and miles.  Here is the story of my friendship with Alice.

Hermanus (near Cape Town), Nov. 19, 2012

1991: Czech and Slovak Federal Rebublic

I am living Pribram, a mining town about 60 km south of Prague.  I work for a mining company, teaching English to the directors and engineers.  The company puts me up in a dormitory that lies vacant over the winter holidays.  Nobody supposes anyone will be living there, so there is no heat.  I catch pneumonia.  The company doctor takes pity on me, and brings me home to live with his family while I recuperate.  His daughter, Alice, is home for the holidays and becomes my interpreter and friend. I remain friends with Alice and her family long after my recovery.  They become my surrogate family, and include me in their family celebrations and outings.  Alice welcomes me into her social circle in Prague, where I am inducted into the weekend dorm life of Czech engineering students.

1992/ 1993:  Czech and Slovak Federal Republic / Czech Republic

I have finished another teaching job in the Spanish Pyrenees, and travel to Pribram to spend Christmas with Alice and her family. We eat carp and open presents on Christmas Eve. On New Year's Eve, Alice and I join throngs of revelers at Wenceslas Square in Prague witnessing the creation of a new country. I stay until Easter.

1994:  Canada /USA

I meet Alice in Montreal and we rent a car for a road trip through Quebec and New Brunswick to Nova Scotia, where we meet my family for my paternal grandmother’s memorial service.  We then travel through Prince Edward Island and Maine en route to Boston, for Alice’s first experience with an American city.  We drive up through New Hampshire back to Montreal.  After a visit to Ottawa and Toronto, Alice returns with me to Edmonton for weekend visits to the Rocky Mountains and a jaunt to the West Coast with my parents.  Alice calls this her “all and nothing” tour of North America.  She saw it all, but in such a whirlwind, that she retained nothing.

1995:  Czech Republic

My parents travel to Europe with a friend, to celebrate my father’s retirement.  They put Prague and Pribram on their itinerary so they can visit with Alice and meet the kind doctor and his wife who were so good to me.  One night, Alice takes my dad to a pub frequented by engineers.  Alice translates a conversation between my father and a handsome young man, who is sitting at the same table.  She doesn’t translate everything he tells her.  He asks her out.

1995:  Thailand / Malaysia / Singapore

When we last met, Alice I agreed that our next visit would be somewhere neither of us had been before, about equi-distance from the both of us.  We looked at a globe and chose Thailand.  After a series of mishaps involving a hurricane and flight delays, we meet in Bangkok.  Along with a couple of Alice’s friends, we back-pack through Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore for 4 weeks.  Alice is missing the young engineer she has been dating since my parents’ visit.  Standa meets Alice when she returns home with a single red rose.

1997: Canada

Alice brings Standa to visit us in Edmonton.  We go to an Oilers hockey game for my birthday and go for a ski holiday at Lake Louise.

1998: Czech Republic

I travel to Pribram for Alice and Standa’s wedding.  Alice’s parents walk her down the aisle as the hall organist plays “Hey Jude”.  They invite me along on their honeymoon at their family cottage.

1999: Czech Republic

On March 31 (my birthday), my mom answers a mysterious phone call from a woman announcing that baby Anna has arrived.  The next day, April 1, Standa calls to let us know that Alice has given birth.  He is spooked when my mom tells him, "Yes, we already know.  How is baby Anna ?".  She had just been born, and they had not yet named her.

2000: Canada

Alice and Standa bring baby Anna to meet her surrogate Canadian family.

2001:  Turkey

I have just toured Turkey with two friends.  Alice brings her father and two-year old Anna to visit us in Istanbul.  Alice is protective of Anna, who attracts a lot of attention due to her blond hair and blue eyes.  Blue eyes are considered lucky in Turkey.

2002: Czech Republic

Baby Ludmila (Lida) is born.

2003: Czech Republic

I travel to Prague with two friends, one of whom is running in a marathon.  We learn that Alice is recovering from a miscarriage.  I mind little Lida while Alice gets medical attention.  She is well enough to help cheer on my friend in the Prague marathon.

2007: Canada

Alice, Standa, and both girls come to visit us in Edmonton.  They also pay a visit to my brother and his family in Paris, Ontario.  Their girls and my nieces are age mates.  We are planting the seeds for another generation of international friendship.

2008: USA

Alice and I meet in New York City for a girls’ getaway.  We stay at a hotel overlooking Ground Zero.  I book a room for us on the 34^th floor, not knowing that Alice has a fear of heights.  We keep the curtains closed. We have a great time seeing the sights, picnicking in Central Park, getting mani / pedis, and shopping.

2009: USA

We meet again in New York City.  This time, I bring two friends and Alice brings Standa and the girls.  We watch the Easter Parade on 5th Avenue.

2011:  Canada

Our plans for a 20-year reunion this year are put on hold.  My mother has passed away.  I am touched to see a bouquet of yellow roses from Alice and her family at the funeral chapel.

2012:  South Africa

I visit with Alice and Standa in Cape Town.  I am greeted upon arrival at the guest house with a sumptuous champagne brunch they have prepared .  We visit the waterfront, listen to live music, enjoy some fine wine, and take a day trip to Hermanus to watch the southern right whales nursing their babies offshore.  We discuss plans for a summer 2013 visit in Prague.