Safari, Sagoodi !

Afternoon game drive at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, 10 minutes from town.

That's Gaborone Dam in the distance.

Mmapaseka, taking a break, while our guide scans the horizon for giraffes.

There's one !

We also saw impalas, zebras, warthogs, kudus, wildebeest, ostriches, and a cheetah. I will go back some weekend morning to see the rhinos when they are active.

Housemates

Some of you have asked about my housemates and accommodations. I have 6 housemates:
Ian. Late-40's. From South Africa. Represents Fedex in Botswana. Likes photography and birds.
Paul. Early-30's. Also from South Africa. Works for a mining exploration firm. Likes pubs.
Melissa. Early-30's. From Ireland. Doctor. Volunteering for the Botswana / Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, treating pediatric HIV/AIDS patients.
Pallavi. Early-20's. From U.S.A. Fullbright Scholar. Also volunteering for the Botswana / Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, as a lab researcher, studying HIV drug resistance.
Eva-Maria. Mid-20's. From ?? (Most recently lived in U.K., grew up in Far East and Middle East, and has a German mother and Swedish/American father who run a private game farm in South Africa.) Lawyer. Worked in insurance field, and now transitioning to International Human Rights Law. Volunteering with a national Human Rights NGO.
Roast. Early-0's. From Gaborone. Resident Chicken. Likes eating ants, seeds, and pooping on pool deck.

Can you see Roast, skulking around the kitchen door ?

Roast, the chicken. (Not: Roast the chicken.)

Pool - Took dip this afternoon after a game drive. Yup - life is tough ! Can you see Melissa relaxing on the patio ?

Early Lessons - Part 1

1. Airport lounges rock ! Definitely worth the splurge for long layovers.
2. Always carry a change of clothes in your carry on, and never check through anything that is irreplaceable. Also, what may seem non-essential to you, may be valuable to someone else.
3. Yes, chickens can be pets.
4. Stewed greens may not look very appetizing, but taste yummy, especially in peanut sauce.
5. Local police driving tip #1: To thwart a "smash and grab", leave your car window slightly ajar. (A completely rolled up window will break when hit.)
6. Local police driving tip #2: Never fill your car up to more than 1/2 a tank. (So the thieves don't get very far; they won't want to fill up at a gas station for risk of being identified by the security camera, and will likely abandon your vehicle, increasing odds it will be found.)
7. Cell phones are essential. (Yes, I am just learning this now. Sorry to those who have been asking me to text for years !)
8. Air conditioning is essential, especially when it is 34 degrees outside.
9. Sharing a house with 5 other people (and 1 chicken) can be a good idea. (It makes a difference to have 1 person in charge of cleaning, to avoid disputes over dirty dishes, who cleans up after the chicken, etc. Thank you, Thabo !)
10. Canadians really do say "Thank You" and "I'm sorry" a lot.

Settling In

Traditional lunch with WUSC staff and fellow newly arrived volunteer. Yummy selection of oxtail stew or seswaa (pounded beef), served with morogo (stewed greens, tomatoes and onions) with peanut sauce and papa (cornmeal or sorghum mash).

The WUSC Field staff have been a wonderful support throughout my orientation process.

What I can expect for my first week in Botswana

Saturday 18th Feb: Arrival,1510 hrs; Airport pick-up; Drop off at residence; Welcome dinner

Sunday 19th Feb: Shopping

Monday 20th Feb: Introduction to WUSC staff; Completion of forms and photocopying of important documents (insurance card, passport, contract e.t.c, Review orientation program, Out to police (certifying copies) and immigration for visa application; Safety and security (Places to avoid; Suspicious behavior; Going out at night; What to do in case of accident or theft, violence, etc); Overall WUSC Botswana programs; Organisational structure/roles and responsibilities; Presentation of emergency plan; Administrative procedures; Brief visit to BOCAIP

Tuesday 21st Feb: Discussion on context of the country; Values of the country: family, eating and religious etiquette, work, etc.; Customs and traditions: greetings, respect for authority, role of women, relationship with time, communications, physical contact, etc.; Daily life: poverty, clothing, travel, relationships with partners and domestic staff, photos, negotiating purchases, etc.; HIV and AIDS talk and adaptation in Botswana; Botswana craft; Contract review, understanding; Code of ethics (reading and signing); Uniterra norms and policies review; Visit to the museum

Wednesday 22nd Feb: Support/ Resources from WUSC; Sector funds; SPO /ODM; Sector meetings; Gender equality in Botswana; City tour – visit key places and learn public transport use (e.g. post office, movie theatre, restaurants, banks etc); Visit to Mokolodi (game drive)

Thursday 23rd Feb: Maatla program overview - Intro. to program & partners; Role of advisors; How advisor assign fits into CP; Monitoring and reporting (Mid-mandate reports, End of mandate reports, tripartite meetings, monthly team meetings); Introduction to BOCAIP; Briefing on BOCAIP, its mission, structure (roles and responsibilities), its programs; Administrative practices, working hours, etc.; Review mandate: expected results, activities; Roles and responsibilities of the 3 parties (BOCAIP, OCDM, SPO/ODM)

Friday 24th Feb: Visit health clinic for briefing on country specific health problems; Language lessons

Farewell Party, February 4

Flowers from my dear friends.

Thanks, all ! -- Roxanne, Eddie, Diane, Greg, Nancy, Ian, Yvonne, Huw, Emma, Andrea, Everly, Komali, Rob, A&T, Denise, Lisa, Bin, Lorraine, Connie, Rachel, Mihiri, and Dad, for the wonderful dinner at Hoang Long. And, many thanks also to Pam and Eric, for hosting brunch earlier in the day with R, E, D, Rispah, Serge, and Simon. And to Karen, for bringing Markus downtown for lunch on Feb. 2. And to Shauna and the neighbourhood book club ladies for the gathering on Jan. 31. And to M-J, Silvana, and Rox for making time for an enjoyable EC lunch. And to HC friends and colleagues, for weekday lunches. I am also thankful for recent serendipitous get-togethers with out-of-town friends, Kami, Sarah, and Mona-Lynn, and long-distance phone calls from Pam, Aniela, Susan, and Mark...I will miss you all, and hope to entice at least a few of you to join me for a safari in coming months !

My new digs !

My new room, ready for my arrival. I will be renting a room in a shared house in Gaborone. I am looking foward to meeting my 5 (yes, 5!) housemates, and cooling off in the pool ! Photos of the house are posted on the link called "My Gabs House".