Chapter 2: Living Here

Botswana Time

Let me tell you about Botswana time. It's not like US time. It's not like Germany time. It's like...no time. “Botswana's population was estimated at 1.58 million in July 2000, growing at the slow rate of .76 percent. The population was expected to reach 2 million by 2030. The birth rate was 29.63 births per 1,000 people, and the death rate was 22.08 deaths per 1,000 people. Approximately 41 percent of the population was less than 15 years old, 55 percent was 15-64 years old, and only 4 percent had lived over 64 years of age in 2000”, as reported by nationencyclopedia.com. So it surprises me somewhat that there are ques for everything. Need your school id so that you can access campus and use the all important IT department, not to mention the cool swimming pool? Okay, wait in line for three hours only to be told the card printer is broken. When will it be fixed? Tomorrow. Need an add/drop form so that you can be sure that you have every class you want by Friday, which is the deadline? Tomorrow you can get the form. You have no cash and you need some in order t pay for dinner but the ATMS are all closed until tomorrow? Tomorrow is a very big thing here in Botswana. So when it comes to important academic and financial business, be prepared with an ocean of patients and something good to read while you qeue.

On the other hand, the living is much more relaxed. Enjoy the sunshine and the little lizards running around while you wait. There is an understanding that all things will come in good time. If you are on your way to a meeting at 9.00 it is not uncommon for people to arrive around 9.30 or so because they ran into a dear friend on the way and stopped to catch up. It's okay, people come before business.

So life here for me (I simply love being on time. The efficiency of trains and buses being on time makes me so happy) is taking some extra getting used to. Culture shock can be harsh!

Shower Adventures.

Dorms at UB are divided into blocks; I live in block 480 (also known as Las Vegas to all the UB-ers) A3. Most unfortunately A3 does not have any hot water. Anything coming out of the taps and the shower is absolutely freezing. I refuse absolutely to take a shower like this when it is already cold. The first morning I just stuck my head under the sink and washed my hair. Now I know better. Now I go over to A1 to use their showers. I also use the on on floor 1 on the 110 side of the building because not only can I take shelter in my friend Dianna's unusually warm room, but the shower curtain has a very delightful happy happy dolphin design. These happy happy dolphins see me at my happiest, usually, which is when I am finally standing under a jet of hot (or at least very warm) water. So I have begun naming them. So far I have Marc, Thebe, and Tuto. More on their way. I need to stare at them long enough to deduce their personalities.

Anyway, the thing about this particular bathroom is that there are two stalls with toilets, two sinks, one shower, one happy happy dolphin curtain, and no lock on the door. Here in Botswana residents are quite happy to burst in on one when one is showering or stripping in order to get into the shower. Thus the process can be rather tense. After showering slipping into my jam jams, I make the trek back outside and across the way to good ole' A3 in towel head, flip flops, and shower bag regalia. Oddly enough, I have come to enjoy these shower adventures.

Food:

The food in Botswana, while tasty, is admittedly meaty and ….hmm, what is a polite word for monotonous? Granted, I am only eating in a limited geographical area and I haven't been here that long, but let's just say that I have seen many plates of chicken, rice, cooked carrots, beans, and beef/goat in my time here. There is also a healthy abundance of very sweet fruit juices. My friend Meara will tell you that LiquiJuice is the best, but I personally like to water down the Fruitree varieties and enjoy them.

Last night (Tuesday) some of my CIEE friends ordered delivery Indian food from a place called Moghul. It was delicious and oh-so-affordable. Example: the delivery free was one thebe. Divide that by 6.5 for the US amount. We have no plates or utensils here, so we had a messy finger food floor party. Yum!

Every day I see a veritable army of men and women (mostly women) out around the UB campus sweeping. They sweep the dirt to remove leaves, grass, and trash; they sweep the sidewalk (for the same reasons); they sweep the drainage ditch (for fun!); and they all do it while using Harry Potter brooms. By Harry Potter brooms I course mean brooms with magical qualities. I just thought I should let you know.