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.
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| 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.
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