Monday, February 25, 2013

23 Feb 13: Sarah Goes to More Meetings, Plans a Game Drive, and Celebrates Peace Corps Week

Sometimes Millie thinks she is a scarf. 
My beautiful little baby pterodactyl.

Note: This blog is chock full of pictures of MILLIE!! Get excited!

Hey everybody! Guess what starts tomorrow, lasts for one week, and is celebrated by thousands of dirty, smelly, hairy Americans worldwide?!? You guessed it! Peace Corps Week! Sunday, February 24th marks the first day of Peace Corps Week, a week devoted to celebrating the amazing accomplishments of Peace Corps Volunteers all over the world. In Botswana, there are currently 130 Americans serving their country as PCV's. PCV's in Botswana participate in various projects from organizing "Girls Leading Our World" camps, educating young men about Safe Male Circumcision, planting backyard gardens for poverty eradication, and teaching life skills. Volunteers come from all walks of life but we all have 3 things in common: we are all working towards the nation's goals for 2016 of zero new HIV infections, zero HIV/AIDS deaths, and zero stigma, we have all committed to sacrificing our homes, families, and careers to help other people for two years and we all miss America like crazy.
I love to kiss Millie!

I am kicking off Peace Corps Week one evening early. I just had a hot shower. I am sitting on a REAL bed with springs watching Arachnophobia (yeah, the movie from the 80's) on a flat screen tv in air conditioning. LUXURY! I am in Jwaneng for the weekend at the Peace Corps Regional Meeting that occurs once per year. Me and my fellow volunteers arrived here on Friday and we depart tomorrow. The hotel we are staying at, the Cezar Hotel, is super nice and I think we will all be a little sad to go back to 90 degree nights and scorpions.
Millie is also a ballerina.
As if fate knew that Peace Corps week was coming up, I was blessed with several good moments this week. My week started off slowly with nothing much for me to do at the school. Monday, I finished my backyard gardening information board in the library. On Tuesday, the government delivered a brand spankin new computer to my school. I set it up of course. I also received a call that afternoon from a woman who works at the meteorology station in my village. She asked me to come by the following morning to discuss organizing a wellness seminar. Wednesday, I was scheduled to have a site visit by my Peace Corps Programming Managers followed by a meeting with the new officer in charge of the prison. I rushed to the meteorology station and I was thrilled by what transpired at that meeting.
Millie keeps her feathers very clean.

Let me preface this by saying that it is incredibly discouraging to approach people wanting to help them just to be constantly turned away. So when someone approaches ME wanting help, well, it's pretty much the best feeling ever. The meteorology staff had chosen me to organize and execute a wellness seminar about anger management, stress management, budgeting, and financial management. I have until the middle of March to become an expert in those topics and I am so excited! I also agreed to teach a twice-a-week fitness class for the meteorology staff and police
officers beginning in March. I'm going to be busy!

After that small victory, I walked to my school to await the arrival of my programming managers. I was excited to meet with them as I wanted to show them my garden, introduce them to Millie, and tell them about all the exciting things I wanted to do. They arrived several hours late for my visit, causing me to have to reschedule my meeting at the prison. The visit went ok. They seemed disappointed that I wasn't working on any projects with my teachers. I informed them that the teachers are not interested in utilizing my skills in helping them implement life skills lessons. They came and visited my house after our meeting and boy were they impressed! I think my garden knocked their socks off and they told me that my house is the cleanest Peace Corps Volunteer house they have ever seen. I know my grandmothers will be proud to hear that!

I was feeling a little discouraged when they left, wondering what I could do to get the teachers at my school motivated to increase their teaching of life skills. I felt a little like a failure despite the fact that I am so active in the community. That feeling was short-lived as I had another success at the prison the following day.
Thursday morning I made the 40 minute trek to the prison. Honestly, I love going there. I don't know if it's all the smiling faces, all the "good morning, madam"'s, or the captive audience but I just love it. I had met the new officer in charge only once and my nervousness at meeting with him proved to be unfounded. He and the deputy, whom I know fairly well, were thrilled at the prospect of having me there on a regular basis. Mr. David Phele, new officer in charge, wanted me to come every week and do something with the prisoners! The deputy suggested that maybe every other week would be better. We settled on me doing a health talk every other Friday from 2-3 pm. I know it's not the yoga class I envisioned but I am satisfied! I have made out a schedule for the entire year that includes topics such as HIV/AIDS info, gender-based violence, anger management, and proper parenting. Oh yeah, and when I went to the prison my old friend Phiri was visiting! I hadn't seen him since he transferred to another prison on the other side of the country.
Go ahead and get comfy, Millie.
Friday, I got up at 3:45 a.m. so that I could get my P90X workout in before heading to the bus stop. At 6 a.m. I set out walking hoping for a hitch to catch the bus. I walked for almost an hour, finally got a hitch, and caught the bus just in time. Because everyone had just been paid, mine was the last body they could fit on the bus. I had to stand on the engine cover for the first hour until I was able to move to the back with the other volunteers who had saved me a seat. I have had meetings all weekend but it has been really nice to meet and talk to volunteers who have been here for a while. This meeting included PCV's from groups other than my own. After talking to them I have validated my own feelings about my assignment and cemented my plan for the next year and a half.

So...what did I learn this week? I learned that you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. If the teachers at my school don't want to teach life skills like they are supposed to, I can't force them. They know that I am available. They know that I am more than willing to help them. That is the best that I can do. I am (hopefully) starting my after school GrassRootSoccer program this week. Until the teachers want help from me, extracurricular activities are going to be the extent of my work at the school. I am going to begin cutting back the time I spend there, going from 5 days a week to 3 days a week or maybe 2 days a week.
awwwwwww Millie! Have you ever seen such a cute face?
This brings me to my next lesson. I spent some time this week beating myself up about being more active in the community than in the school. The school is supposed to be my first priority with the community coming in second. Having talked to other PCV's, I have decided that I am going to do what the community wants me to do and what makes me happy. If the community wants aerobics classes, I'm teaching aerobics classes. Do they need condom demonstrations more than aerobics classes? Yes. Do they want condom demonstrations more than they want aerobics classes. Not at all.

The last lesson I learned this week is how very important it is to feel needed and wanted. That is something that was lacking for me in my position at the school. I know the kids wanted me to be there but the teachers just don't want the kind of help I can give them. All they seem to want is for me to type letters for them. Unfortunately, the kids are really the ones losing out on the deal. I absolutely cannot work with the kids without a teacher acting as the translator. I couldn't do it alone. When and if the teachers want my help I will be there. If they want help 8 days a week, I will be glad to do it. But until then, I'm gonna go where I'm wanted and needed and that is at the prison and at the police station.

In other exciting news, I am going on a 3 day game drive this weekend to the Transfrontier National Park. On Friday, me, the 3 PCV's near me, a volunteer from Greece, a guide, and his assistant are going into the park to see LIONS!!!!! Not just any ol' lions. These are lions that only live in this one park. I forget what they're called of course but I will take pictures! We are going to be camping there Friday and Saturday night and returning home on Sunday. Because there are some many of us going, we are getting a good deal. The trip will likely cost me 1000 Pula, which is less than $150. How awesome is that?!?

Diane and I are also planning a trip. We have a 4 day weekend at the end of March, beginning with Good Friday and lasting until the following Monday. We are seriously discussing a 6 day trip to Cape Town, South Africa. We would stay in a backpacker's hostel and do free stuff since we are poor Peace Corps Volunteers. Everyone says that Cape Town is not-to-be-missed and with winter approaching we have to do it now or wait until late this year.
onion seedlings

lettuce seedlings

beetroot seedlings

Me! Sweaty, dirty Peace Corps Volunteer!



Between my small victories in my village, getting to see my friends, sleeping in air conditioning in a real bed, and planning mini-vacations, I can say this week was a success. In honor of Peace Corps Week, please take a moment this week to think about all of the Americans living overseas sacrificing their time/health to spread the love, kindness, and good fortune that we enjoy by birth as Americans. When you're snuggled up in your warm bed, think about the PCV's in Ukraine who live without heaters. When you're eating your delicious dinner, think about the PCV's in Africa who are taking prenatal vitamins because they can't get nutritious food. Please take a moment,
just one, to appreciate the bonds that are being forged, the FRIENDS OF AMERICA, the allies that are being made by Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide.

15 Feb 13: Sarah Goes to the Crazy Doctor and Plants Seeds


Happy Belated Singles Awareness Day! I know some of you enjoy the luxury of having a significant other and to that I say "Poo on you." Did you know that Valentine's Day is celebrated here in Botswana in the larger cities? And when I say celebrated, I mean the stores are making a killing selling all things heart-shaped and red. Not much different than America!
The garden is finished!

You might be wondering how I know what happened this week in the big city. Well, the answer to that is I know because I spent the last three days in Gaborone. But didn't I just come home from there? Yes!

Let me back up...Sunday evening Florence graciously helped me plant seeds in my garden. The idea of having a seedling nursery didn't really occur to me so I am thankful that Florence showed me the light. We blocked off a section of the garden and planted coriander, basil, tomatoes, swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, onions, lettuce and chives. We also planted beets and carrots in their respective sections of the garden. Because their "fruit" grows underground you have to plant them in their permanent spot. As of this evening, I have a garden full of tiny little baby plants!!! They germinated a week ahead of schedule I suspect because of the heat and the good cow poo I mixed into the sand.

Monday I worked hard in my school's "library" trying to make it into a place where I'd want to be if I were a kid. I made snowflakes for the windows. I decorated one of the many blank information boards with information about using the library. I made a schedule for the 8 classes to come and use the library in 30 minute blocks. After I finished I decided to walk to the small butchery in my village to buy some meat. While I was walking I received a text message from my program manager at Peace Corps saying that I would have to go to Gaborone the following day to sign a paper for the Ministry of Education. My reaction: ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? I HAVE TO MAKE A TWO DAY TRIP TO SIGN A *&%()%*$) PIECE OF PAPER?!?! The answer: Yes.

I figured that if I was going to have to go back to Gaborone, I might as well make the most of the trip. The Ministry of Education owes me a nice little chunk of change so why not fill out reimbursement forms and submit my receipts while I'm there?!? To do that I had to figure out how to stay an extra day. My program manager refused to let me stay just to turn in my receipts so I did what every other PCV does when they need a little break from their village: I made a medical appointment.

 It is not uncommon for Peace Corps Volunteers to receive mental health counseling while they are in-country. In light of all the nonsense that I've had to deal with lately, I had been considering seeing a therapist for several weeks.

On Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. I set off walking. At 5:50 a Water Company vehicle stopped, picked me up, and took me to the bus stop. I got on the bus at 6 a.m. and arrived in Gaborone at noon. I met up with my friend Diane, who was also in Gaborone to sign the paper and go to a medical appointment. We signed our papers and checked in at Kgale View Lodge. AIR CONDITIONING!!!! We had a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant and relaxed. Funny story: After dinner, I went into the bathroom in our room and saw one of the huge roaches that are so common here. I called Diane into the bathroom because she is an expert at killing roaches, usually. When she went to kill it, we were attacked by a swarm of roaches crawling out of their hiding spots. We started screaming and jumping up and down. There was a knock at the door and it was Corey, another PCV who was in town for a medical appointment and also a former marine, responding to the screams he heard coming from our room. Corey squished a roach with his flop but the others managed to escape. We spent the next two hours sneaking into the bathroom to see if another roach had come back out. Corey would smoosh it while me and Diane freaked out. Business as usual!

This is what me and Diane do when we get together.
Act a fool. FYI: she really does have all her teeth.
We still haven't figured out why the camera
removed one of her molars!
On Wednesday, me and Diane spent 10 hours running around Gaborone going to our appointments and trying to find the Ministry of Education building. Although it was very stressful trying to navigate around the city and use public transportation we did it! We treated ourselves to some Chinese takeout for not getting lost and not having a meltdown, which is what we expected.

The purpose of these emails is not to sugar coat what the Peace Corps experience is like. I am not going to pretend like Botswana is the best place in the whole world and my life is unicorns and rainbows. In an effort to stay real, I am going to admit that I am receiving therapy. Leaving your family and your life to come to a place where people don't appreciate you and don't really know what to do with you is HARD. Ever since the event with my housing I've been feeling a little depressed and homesick. The psychologist I saw is a nice lady who has lived all over Africa.  [Sorry to interrupt but I thought you'd like to know that Millie has just flown into my lap. She is sitting here like a kitty cat. Aww Millie!] After talking to her for an hour, she suggested that I a)do the bare minimum I have to do to satisfy my official duty here and then focus on backyard gardening as my real primary project, and b) find some way to get out of my village for 3-4 days every month. Peace Corps will pay for at least 4 sessions with her so she wants me to come see her once a month. She says that my appointments with her can be my "ticket to Gaborone." I love that lady already. She also suggested traveling and visiting other volunteers around the country.

Yesterday morning, my last morning in Gaborone, I had to attend to some business concerning my cell phone not working properly. Because of that I missed the morning bus back to my village. I was kind of flustered but then I realized that I could sit in Food Lovers, a specialty food store, and use their free WIFI and drink cappuccino. I ended up getting on the 1 p.m. bus and I was one of the few people on it. I got to stretch out and nap and read. Another funny story: Keep in mind that what I'm about to tell you is a normal occurrance for a white person on a bus. There was a man two rows in front of me across the aisle. Shortly after he got on the bus he began staring at me hardcore. When I'd make eye contact with him, he'd do this sexy nasty eyebrow wiggle thing. I moved to another row directly behind him so he couldn't look at me. Ha! He was smarter than me! I looked up from my book and he was peering at me between the seats. How creepy is that? Finally I screamed at him "WHAT?!?" When the bus stopped he turned around and said "I was just greeting you." I proceeded to tell him how rude he was being. His said that he had to stare at me because I am "soooo beauuuutiful." Then he changed his story to "I was praying and looking at the spirits." What the hell? I think it's worth mentioning that this guy was not wearing shoes. Only socks. Crazy? I think so. After the confrontation, he didn't look at me again. Besides that little bit of excitement, it was the most relaxing bus ride I've ever taken.
seedling nursery

I arrived home in good spirits, having spent two days in air conditioning with my friends. Millie was happy to see me of course. I watered my garden and saw that while I was away some of the seeds had sprouted! Today, I began a "Backyard Gardening" information board in the school library. [Now Millie is sitting on my shoulder. She is a parrot?] I am excited to finish it on Monday. Now all I have to do is convince my teachers to bring their classes to the library!
Inside my garden
Some other exciting things that happened this week:

- Some children came into the library during their free time and I read them several stories. I don't think they had ever been read a story. Although I can tell that they LOVED it, I think I got more out of the experience than they did.
-Along with my paleo diet, I started doing P90X today. I did it for about 5 weeks last year so it's not new to me. If you don't know about P90X look it up! It's a series of workout videos that kicks your butt.
-While I was digging in my garden I uncovered a baby scorpion. Apparently they live underground. He was a pale yellow color and looked like Satan.

Tomorrow I'm going to do my usual wash clothes in the bathtub, sweep the sand out of my house and back into the desert, etc. If I'm feeling really motivated, I might try to remove some of the thorny weeds that have overtaken my yard. We'll see.

Next week is going to be action packed. On Wednesday my program manager is coming to visit my site and see how I'm doing. On Friday I'm going to Jwaneng for the weekend for Peace Corp Regional Meetings. I'm excited to see my friends again and spend some more time in air conditioning. I've really been spoiled the last month or so with all the time I've gotten to spend in air conditioning. It is so hot here that I drink about 4 liters of water per day. That's hot!

I'm sad to say that another 3 volunteers were medically evacuated this week. Peace Corps service is hard physically as well as mentally. In the last month alone, at least 6 volunteers here have been medically separated. It makes me wonder if any one us will make it out alive after two years!

Good news: My Peace Corps issued phone broke so I paid a little extra for a fancier phone. For those of you with smart phones, if you download "whatsapp" for 99 cents, we can text each other! It uses internet (data) instead of airtime so it is probably free for you and really really cheap for me. All you have to do is put my phone number in the contacts on your phone (or email me your phone number and I'll put yours in), download whatsapp, and my name will show up when you open the app! My phone number is (and don't forget the + sign) +267 733 289 04. Let's chat!

Look how big and beautiful this lady is!
Well, I think it's time for me to take Millie to her house for bedtime. She will sit here on my shoulder all night if I let her. I know I don't say it every time but please know that I am grateful to everyone of you who still reads my blog. Thank you!

[Millie is chewing on my hair.]

10 Feb 13: Sarah Finished In-Service Training, Builds Millie a Castle, and Almost Gets Kicked Out of Her House


Dumelang bagaetsho! Hello, my countrymen! I am so excited to write this email today. The last two weeks of my life have been jam-packed with authentic Peace Corps Volunteer achievements and challenges. When I last wrote I was at In-Service Training in the capital city of Gaborone at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA). I was wrapping up my first week of training and getting excited for the second week which would take place at Oasis Motel in the city.
Dirty Dancing. Diane said that she "had the time of her life"
that night.
On Saturday, January 26th, we packed up shop and moved to Oasis. Unlike ILEA, which is located right outside of Gabs in the middle of the bush, Oasis is a hop, skip, and  a jump away from a shopping center and movie theater. Me and Diane arrived to the hotel early, checked in, and went shopping. I was able to purchase a yoga mat, a sleeping bag for winter time, and some clothes. Best of all our hotel room had air conditioning, hot water, a shower, and a mini fridge!!! For the remainder of the week we enjoyed the cool room, swam in the hotel pool, and ate three square meals a day at the hotel's restaurant. My friend, Patrick, came to Gabs and we had lunch and saw a movie. Patrick and I went to the same high school so I
really like hanging out with him. I saw ANOTHER movie later in the week.
I organized a Game of Thrones Book Club. We had our first meeting at IST. Some of  us rocked
our best Game of Thrones hair do's. I call this one "The Blood of the Dragon."
Indian night at Oasis!
The most memorable night of training occurred after the PCV's requested that the manager of Oasis, an Indian man, prepare an Indian dinner for us. When we all went to eat that evening, the staff had set up tables in a beautiful, grassy courtyard complete with American-themed table linens, a speaker playing music, and a delicious spread of Indian cuisine. It was absolutely beautiful. I feel so grateful to have had the chance to spend two weeks with my fellow Peace Corps volunteers talking about home, eating good food, and laughing.

But training wasn't all fun and games. During working hours I attended some great sessions about potential projects for PCV's. I learned how to teach teachers how to teach life skills. I spent two days learning about facilitating screenings of films dedicated to HIV/AIDS and social change. When I left training on Saturday, February 2nd, my bags were stuffed with materials, a soccer ball, about 30 DVD's, manuals, papers, and tons of soap and shampoo that I stole from the hotel. :)
Pool partaaayyy!
One of my friends had an underwater camera, so of course we had to have an underwater fancy time
tea party!!!! The person on the right is Diane (making a heart near her crotch!) Classy!
While I was sad to be leaving my friends and air conditioning, I was happy to get home and see my Millie Moo. She had almost doubled in size while I was gone! Tsene, one the cleaners from my school, took good care of her in my absence. When I walked up to my fence, bags in tow, Millie came running up to me. I missed my little feather ball!
Tsene and her son

I was eager to get to school on Monday and tell the teachers about all the things I had learned. The first thing my school head said to me was "Hi Maduo! The brigade wants their bed back." As a refresher, let me say that the agreement between the government of Botswana and the Peace Corps is that PCV's will be placed in this country so long as the ministries provide housing and furniture. I have lived in this house for three months and have only received a refrigerator (which I love, but still...) The brigade in the next village loaned me a two-inch thick foam pad to sleep on until the Ministry of Education delivered my bed, which they should have done back in November. The Ministry swears that they are delivering furniture, they are ordering tables, blah blah blah. But anyway, so the first thing I find out when I come back from training is that I am going to be sleeping on the floor until my bed arrives, if ever.

You can imagine my reaction to that bit of news. I was quite frustrated but I just went on about my day. I was sitting in my office organizing my new papers when Tsene came in and said "You have a visitor, Maduo!" I went to the school head's office and there was a woman from the Ministry of Education with a bed for me! OH YEAHHHH! So now I have a thicker foam pad (not a real mattress but it's fine) and a wooden bed frame. The best thing is that it is double bed! I rehung my mosquito net and I have lots of room to sprawl. It's wonderful.

Later that day, I had a meeting with the school head to discuss the things that I had learned at training. She asked me to present this to the teachers at the staff meeting the following day. So Tuesday morning, armed with all my new project ideas, I presented to the teachers all the different ways I could help them, from lesson planning to facilitating clubs. None of them seemed to want help but at least they know that I am available! As a side note, I have found a man in my community who is going to facilitate a club with me! No teacher needed!

After the meeting, the school head and my counterpart pulled me aside. What happened at this point defined and set the tone for my week. The school head said to me "Maduo. The council has decided that Peace Corps Volunteers are not supposed to live in council housing. We have to find you somewhere else to live." I couldn't even respond. I was confused because I know that many of the PCV's here live in council housing. As much as I didn't want to, I started crying. All I could say was "I'm sorry. But I have left my family and my job and my life to come here only for the government of Botswana to continually not fulfill their obligations. I have no furniture. One of my friends has become seriously ill because she has no way to cook and she is malnourished. And now I am being kicked out of my house? I have invested thousands of pula building a garden and putting curtains on the windows." And that was the end of the meeting. She acted very sympathetic to my situation and assured me that she would try to find me suitable housing.

I'm not going to lie. I went home after that meeting and spent the next two hours crying in my bed. What's worse is that the internet has been out so I couldn't reach out to my family for the support that I needed. I called Peace Corps and later that day they called the school head. As is turns out, there is an education officer in the next village who wants to live in my house. Rather than kick out the veterinary officer, the wildlife officer, or the police officer who are living in teacher's housing, they are trying to remove the person of least resistance, which they think is me. Peace Corps has been very supportive of me. My program manager thinks that they what they are trying to do is ridiculous and he described the situation as them "trying to discard me like a piece of trash." He told the school head that if she attempts to move me there will be "problems" for her.

Over the past 5 days or so, I have done a lot of thinking about what is happening. At first I was really discouraged because I feel like I'm not a valued member of this community. Most of the volunteers feel that they are not totally wanted by their communities because we can't hand out money and that is what these people want from us. I am blatantly refusing at this point to move. If it comes down to it, they can drag me out of this house kicking and screaming and then I will be reassigned to a new village. It is Peace Corps's opinion as well as mine, that if I am forced to move, it is in my best interest to move to another village. It would be hard to work with people who value me so little.

So as of today, I haven't heard another word about this whole moving idea. On Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from a police officer who was trying to organize a health and wellness workshop for the other officers. He invited me to come and present something related to parenting. This invitation gave me the boost I needed to get over the terrible feelings I was having. I spent the day reading a book called "Power Parents" and on Wednesday I gave a wonderful (if I may say so!) presentation about how to talk to your children about sex. Talking about sex is something that parents and children don't do here. Kids learn about sex from their peers, which is not helpful. The police station requested a written copy of my presentation, which I gladly gave them.

Thursday, I went to Jwaneng and stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables, which has also perked me up. Friday, I helped a teacher create a health corner in her classroom. These small, daily accomplishments keep me motivated. Livin day to day.

Millie's Chicken Castle
Not only was I busy with work this week, but I am proud to announce that Millie has a new house beside the garden in my backyard. I was reluctant to start building it because of the threat of moving but after I decided that I point blank AM NOT moving, it was good therapy for me. I worked on it for over 10 hours over 3 days using left over shade netting and some gum poles. I went out and found branches, which I criss crossed to make roosting spots. She seems to really love her house and I am expecting her to start laying eggs in about a month or so! Oh yeah, and Millie likes to sit on my shoulder these days. I guess I'm becoming a pirate and she is my parrot.

Ironically enough, the day I was told that I'm being kicked out, a man showed up at my house with a truck load of cow manure for my garden. On Friday afternoon, I mixed manure into the soil, watered it, and sprinkled it with some love. Later today I am going to make a door for the garden and then tomorrow I will start planting!!!
Millie likes to have dinner in her castle

Yesterday, Saturday, my friend Ashley, the PCV from the next village over, and I had a Southern-themed evening. She spent most of her life in Louisiana so she can appreciate the finer things in life like pecan pie, bourbon whiskey, crawfish creole, etc. We drank Southern Comfort, baked an apple coffee cake, and had a nice chicken/mashed potatoes/green bean dinner. This morning, we got up and I walked her along the road until she got a hitch.

As you can imagine, my diet went to hell during training. But I'm back on the wagon! Eating clean is something that I have to do for my own mental health. I have a brief, 3 day meeting at the end of this month in Jwaneng, at which time I will probably have to eat crap again. After that though, I don't have another meeting until December.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to go to the prison since before training. Phiri has transferred to a boys prison on the other side of the country. I have met the new officer in charge, David Phele, once but I am nervous about how he will react to all the things I want to do at the prison. I plan to go chat with him one day this week.

So this week has been stressful but I think that I have learned a lot from it. First thing, as Peace Corps Volunteers we always try to be diplomatic. To these people, I am representative of every American. If I am mean, they will think that all Americans are mean. If I am lazy, they will think that all Americans are lazy. There is a time and place for diplomacy and the situation with my housing may force me to be a little bit more than diplomatic. I will stand up for myself and set a precedent for how PCV's should and should not be treated. And Peace Corps is backing me up. I also learned that my mental and physical health is the most important thing. If I spend two years here, do great things, and come home a nervous wreck then what was the point? Working in my yard has proven to be something that I find very therapeutic. I am sore, sun burnt, and full of tiny thorn wounds but I am happy as a clam.

At least one person tells me everyday "Ah Maduo! You are very hardworking!" They see me in my yard, they see me walking around the village, they see me following through with my promises. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I have the best family in the world. When they say these things I respond "That's how I was raised." Sometimes I say "Thank you, mma. It is best to do things for yourself. Do you know what will happen if you wait for someone else to do things for you that you could do for yourself? You will be waiting a long time." So maybe when I leave here people will think that Americans are assertive, hard working people who are kind to animals, fair to everyone, and stand up for what they believe in. I think I can live with that.

Last thing: I saw the elusive and legendary Tshane camel yesterday! He was hanging out right beside the road! He is the last of a group of camels that used to inhabit the salt pan. I had never seen him up close and it was ammmmazing!

27 Jan 13: Sarah Goes to the International Law Enforcement Academy


Good morning from Gaborone, Botswana! I just had a large breakfast that included a cheese and veggie omelet, cereal, toast, fruit, and yogurt. Since arriving yesterday at Oasis Motel in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, I have been spoiled with air conditioning and a pool! But more about that later...

I apologize for not posting a blog for last week. Besides finishing my community assessment, my week was so uneventful that I felt it a waste of your eyeballs to make you read a boring ol blog. So yeah, I spent that week writing my assessment and packing for my two week trip to in-service training. On Sunday, January 20th, all 32 of the volunteers in my group made the journey to Gaborone. I boarded the bus at 6 a.m. and was immediately wary because it looked a little rickety. I was right. On the way to Gabs the bus broke down twice. The driver had to crawl under the bus and reattach some hose that had come loose. I finally made it to Gaborone at 1 pm and I was super excited to see all of my fellow volunteers.
Me and my friend, Diane at ILEA

We spent the first week of our training at the International Law Enforcement Academy, a US funded and run academy that provides specialized training for high position law enforcement agents from around the world. I even got to meet some Americans! I was sooooo excited when I arrived because 1. the grounds were amazingly beautiful, 2. we got private rooms in hostels, 3. the rooms had air conditioning, 4. HOT WATER in the baths, and 5. free internet! Within the first day both the internet and air conditioning broke. They eventually got the internet working but we spent the week sweating. No worries, I'm used to that!

So far training has been a lot of technical information about project design and management. I got many useful tools for teaching HIV/AIDS prevention including a really awesome curriculum called GrassRootSoccer. GrassRootSoccer is a program for teaching life skills that uses soccer and games to educate. I got several coach's books and an indestructable ball. I can't wait to get back to my village and start the 12 week program with some of the children at my school.

Yesterday (Saturday) we all packed up and moved to Oasis Motel here in the city. Diane and I are sharing a room- slumber party all day!!! We have air conditioning, a mini fridge in the room, and a spa rain type of shower head. Super exciting. We spent last night swimming in the pool and having fun with other volunteers. When we arrived yesterday afternoon we were able to go to a mall for some shopping. I got a sleeping bag and a yoga mat, which I'm really pumped about. Come winter time, it gets below freezing in the Kalahari at night and since there is now heat, I have to have a sleeping bag.

Training continues all this week. I will be returning to my village on Saturday. I am being well fed here, a little too well, and its gonna be weird to go back to Tshane. Exciting news: my friend/volunteer, Patrick, is coming to Gaborone today and we are having lunch and...drum roll please...GOING TO SEE A MOVIE!!!!!! Hot dog! I haven't seen anything on a television or movie screen for over 4 months. SO EXCITED!! Icing on the cake: not only is Patrick from Lexington, KY but we went to the same high school. How weird is that? Oh yeah, and we are having lunch at an Indian restaurant!

I guess if I learned a lesson this week it would be to appreciate what you have and enjoy it while you can. Not only is this a lesson for me (especially when I come back to America) but it can be a lesson for all Americans. I never imagined I would get so excited about mini packets of jelly at a buffet, a shower, a flush toilet, cool drinking water, and climate control. But the truth is, these small luxuries become the most exciting things in the whole world when you are used to do without. I am going to enjoy not waking up at night sweating. I am going to enjoy getting my whole body wet in a shower. I am going to enjoy gaining 5 pounds because I'm getting plenty to eat. And on Saturday, I'm going to suck it up, go back to my village, and keep on truckin.