Ashlee's Peace Corps adventure...

I had a little more random stuff written. But I decided for my last blog entry I would just leave it to saying goodbye?

I left Pilikwe, my home of the last two years, on Monday 18 May, and leave Botswana on Thursday 21 May. Time has flown. I have no idea where the last few months have gone especially. This last week has really been an emotional one. I am pretty much a basket case of emotions going in-between feeling sad, excited and anxious. Being in Gabs for these last few days has just been weird. It doesn?t really feel like we?re all leaving because we have been here so many times before. The only difference is that this time we are leaving on a plane instead of a bus back to the village. It is all still so surreal.

          Before I left the states my mom gave me a card that said, ?Saying goodbye isn?t so hard, but saying it with a smile is impossible.? Oh, how true is that saying to my life right now! I have realized that saying goodbye is also so hard here because it is much more final.

          When I left the states two years ago I knew that when I got back the most important parts of my life there (people and things) would still be around, and that with technology like email and whatnot I could stay in touch with people relatively easily. But when I leave here that is not the case. It is just really weird that the reality is 99% of the people who are so important to me and involved in my daily life here I?ll likely never see or talk to again.

          There have been days or weeks that have definitely felt like they?ve lasted for forever and drawn on. But over all the last two years has flown by. In Peace Corps the highs are high and the lows are definitely low. But my highs have far outnumbered any lows and it?s definitely been an amazing adventure, more so than I could have ever imagined. I wouldn?t have changed anything about it, and I would do it again in a heart beat.

          And with that, I am signing off. This was my first dab at the blogging world, and I have really enjoyed keeping this up for the last two years, but I don?t think I will keep it going once I am back. Now it?s on to the next step in my life (which I have yet to figure out just what that will be!). One step at a time?first I am just focused on getting back to the states and adjusting back to life there.

So this is the final entry for my great Peace Corps adventure. It?s been a good run. Thanks to everyone who has followed the journey along the way and for all the nice messages and mail. I have greatly appreciated it all.

          I guess the best way to leave this is with that classic saying from Porky the Pig ?That?s all folks?.

Has it really been a month since my last posting?! Sorry aboutthat, I really had no idea! It was totally unintentional… don’t worry… it’s not you, it’s me .

Mosadi Mogolo…

We had our catchment area Mosadi Mogolo competition on the18th. Once the games got underway it was a lot of fun. As I have saidbefore, the most fitting saying for how events run in Botswana isthat nothing ever comes together, it falls together. So, in true Botswanafashion, Mosadi Mogolo was no exception.

          There werethe little things like mix ups over who was transporting who and the biggerthings like there being no stakes for the tents which were supposed to be usedfor HIV testing. Oops. But in the end it all worked out, everyone got there andmake shift areas were erected to allow for people to be tested. And, mostimportantly, the old women got to strut their stuff on the well manicuredfootball pitch and play for bragging rights and a spot in the final districtwide competition on this Friday.

          I am sad toreport that both Pilikwe and Maape were not able to make it to position one,but I have to give credit where credit is due and admit that Moshopa (thewinners) definitely came out ready to win. Imagine that, me being a good loser,maybe I did actually learn something in PE class growing up.

T minus 30 days and counting…

I have hit the one month mark as far as time left in Botswana goes. Actuallymy official COS date is creeping up on me faster than the flat spiders here (forthose of you fortunate enough to have never lived with the creepy things, youare just going to have to take my word for it that that’s fast)! Here isbasically my timeline: 18 May-leave Pilikwe for Gabs to do my last of PCpaperwork and what not, 21 May-fly out of Botswana to UAE and 29May-officially return back to American soil after more than two years.

          As of Monday I am left with only 2 weeks in Pilikwe. That is nothing. And this week ispretty much a wash as far as hanging out in the village goes because I havelots of different things to do in town like Mosadi Mogolo, closing out my bankaccount and other PC admin stuff and entertaining my Bots8 shadow. On Wednesday I get one of the new Bots8ers, who arrived in country on the 20 April, to comeand visit me until Sunday. I am hoping to put them to work to help me finish upgoing through things in my house and packing.

          I have made alot of progress, but I have a lot ofstuff. And it is just sad to be going through everything and seeing my housegetting so empty. When I leave I am going to have one suitcase and a backpack.It is really weird to see two years of my life in just a suitcase and backpack.

          I have made alot of Pulafrom selling lots of things and my clothing. My goal is that by the end of thisweek I will have nothing left but what is going with me or what I am leavingfor the volunteer who replaces me.

Weather…

Winter is definitely making its way here, but summer is notready to give up just yet. There have been some really coooold days recently,but there have also still been some pretty hot ones too. This weekend we gotsome really good rain accompanied with super loud thunder and lots oflightening. I must say I am so happy that I will be leaving before winterreally hits, because my concrete cube gets way too chilly come June/July!

An unwelcome visitor…

There were a few times recently when I was convinced I heardsomething moving around in my house, like a rat. But whenever I would goinspect the situation where the noise was coming from, I didn’t see a thing.Then the other night I heard some miniature feet running around, and the nextday I heard scratching noises coming from my closet. I looked in my closet anddidn’t see anything, but I knew it was in there, so I just waited andeventually it popped its head out.

          Of courseonce it saw me it immediately took off. Luckily I had closed my bedroom door soI could trap it. I was prepared to kill the thing, but it was actually prettycute so I just didn’t have the heart to beat it to death. I kept trying to catchit in a big plastic bag, but that was definitely not happening. After about 30minutes or so of chasing the thing around (those buggers are fast!) I finallycornered it and was able to get it in to a box and throw it outside. Its lifewas spared this time, but I did make sure to tell it that if I ever see it inthe house again it’s a goner.

Things I’ll miss about Botswana #5:Hitching

I have come to absolutely loving hitching rides here. It isgreat and always an adventure. You never know who you are going to meet or whatmight happen. During training PC told us that we are not supposed to hitchrides to travel around, so in theory we are to use public transportation. Butthe irony of that policy is that then I was placed in a village with no publictransportation. So I either had to get good at hitching or never leave myvillage. I am actually pretty good at the latter, but I still do have needslike, you know, eating, which requires me going in to town to the grocerystores. So anyways it started out as something I was forced to do if I wantedto not starve and use the internet, and grew into something I love doing! And,if I do say so myself, I have gotten pretty great at it as well.

          I am sad thatit is something I will lose in the states. Here everyone does it to get around,so it is not like I am the odd one out when I am standing on the side of theroad flagging down cars. Well, I usually am the only white person out there,and oftentimes people just think I am confused and that I don’t know where I amgoing, but that also works to my advantage. People love to pick up the randomwhite girl out at the hitching spot.

          It is also agreat way to develop your sense of trust in people. You have to trust strangersa lot when they are driving you somewhere. There have been a couple times whenI have been getting in a car and I think, “Wow, without even giving this asecond thought I just got into the car of a complete stranger and I trust themto take me where I want to go.” But they always do. I learned early on that Ihave to trust that they want to get to wherever it is we are going safely andalso that they wouldn’t want anything to happen to their car, so I am as safeas I can be.

If people are ever driving and Idon’t feel safe I tell them that if anything happens they are the ones whowould have to call my mother, and that is definitely a call they don’t want tomake. That line works like a charm. And I also tell them I am Property of theUS Government, and no one here wants to upset their idol Obama

          I have metsome really interesting people, some not so interesting, and definitely havesome good stories from my times of hitching. It has been a great part of myexperience here and I am sure there will be times in the states I will miss waitingfor rides on the side of the road or being packed into a stranger’s car withway too many other people. Or maybe not.

Things I’ll miss about Botswana #6: The sunsets and the stars

I have seen some of the best sunsets of my life here. It’slike somehow everyday they are amazing. I don’t know how Mother Nature pulls itoff. The vibrancy of the colors and the way they take over the sky is sobeautiful.

          The night skyis also quite impressive. I have never lived somewhere where I could see somany stars so clearly at night. And, I have gotten to see different stars sinceI am in the Southern Hemisphere. The full moon lights up the place so well thatI can easily walk around the village at night without any other source oflight. It is definitely going to be an adjustment going back to a place full ofstreet lights and cars and lots of noise and action at night.

Has it really been a month since my last posting?! Sorry aboutthat, I really had no idea! It was totally unintentional… don’t worry… it’s not you, it’s me .

Mosadi Mogolo…

We had our catchment area Mosadi Mogolo competition on the18th. Once the games got underway it was a lot of fun. As I have saidbefore, the most fitting saying for how events run in Botswana isthat nothing ever comes together, it falls together. So, in true Botswanafashion, Mosadi Mogolo was no exception.

          There werethe little things like mix ups over who was transporting who and the biggerthings like there being no stakes for the tents which were supposed to be usedfor HIV testing. Oops. But in the end it all worked out, everyone got there andmake shift areas were erected to allow for people to be tested. And, mostimportantly, the old women got to strut their stuff on the well manicuredfootball pitch and play for bragging rights and a spot in the final districtwide competition on this Friday.

          I am sad toreport that both Pilikwe and Maape were not able to make it to position one,but I have to give credit where credit is due and admit that Moshopa (thewinners) definitely came out ready to win. Imagine that, me being a good loser,maybe I did actually learn something in PE class growing up.

T minus 30 days and counting…

I have hit the one month mark as far as time left in Botswana goes. Actuallymy official COS date is creeping up on me faster than the flat spiders here (forthose of you fortunate enough to have never lived with the creepy things, youare just going to have to take my word for it that that’s fast)! Here isbasically my timeline: 18 May-leave Pilikwe for Gabs to do my last of PCpaperwork and what not, 21 May-fly out of Botswana to UAE and 29May-officially return back to American soil after more than two years.

          As of Monday I am left with only 2 weeks in Pilikwe. That is nothing. And this week ispretty much a wash as far as hanging out in the village goes because I havelots of different things to do in town like Mosadi Mogolo, closing out my bankaccount and other PC admin stuff and entertaining my Bots8 shadow. On Wednesday I get one of the new Bots8ers, who arrived in country on the 20 April, to comeand visit me until Sunday. I am hoping to put them to work to help me finish upgoing through things in my house and packing.

          I have made alot of progress, but I have a lot ofstuff. And it is just sad to be going through everything and seeing my housegetting so empty. When I leave I am going to have one suitcase and a backpack.It is really weird to see two years of my life in just a suitcase and backpack.

          I have made alot of Pulafrom selling lots of things and my clothing. My goal is that by the end of thisweek I will have nothing left but what is going with me or what I am leavingfor the volunteer who replaces me.

Weather…

Winter is definitely making its way here, but summer is notready to give up just yet. There have been some really coooold days recently,but there have also still been some pretty hot ones too. This weekend we gotsome really good rain accompanied with super loud thunder and lots oflightening. I must say I am so happy that I will be leaving before winterreally hits, because my concrete cube gets way too chilly come June/July!

An unwelcome visitor…

There were a few times recently when I was convinced I heardsomething moving around in my house, like a rat. But whenever I would goinspect the situation where the noise was coming from, I didn’t see a thing.Then the other night I heard some miniature feet running around, and the nextday I heard scratching noises coming from my closet. I looked in my closet anddidn’t see anything, but I knew it was in there, so I just waited andeventually it popped its head out.

          Of courseonce it saw me it immediately took off. Luckily I had closed my bedroom door soI could trap it. I was prepared to kill the thing, but it was actually prettycute so I just didn’t have the heart to beat it to death. I kept trying to catchit in a big plastic bag, but that was definitely not happening. After about 30minutes or so of chasing the thing around (those buggers are fast!) I finallycornered it and was able to get it in to a box and throw it outside. Its lifewas spared this time, but I did make sure to tell it that if I ever see it inthe house again it’s a goner.

Things I’ll miss about Botswana #5:Hitching

I have come to absolutely loving hitching rides here. It isgreat and always an adventure. You never know who you are going to meet or whatmight happen. During training PC told us that we are not supposed to hitchrides to travel around, so in theory we are to use public transportation. Butthe irony of that policy is that then I was placed in a village with no publictransportation. So I either had to get good at hitching or never leave myvillage. I am actually pretty good at the latter, but I still do have needslike, you know, eating, which requires me going in to town to the grocerystores. So anyways it started out as something I was forced to do if I wantedto not starve and use the internet, and grew into something I love doing! And,if I do say so myself, I have gotten pretty great at it as well.

          I am sad thatit is something I will lose in the states. Here everyone does it to get around,so it is not like I am the odd one out when I am standing on the side of theroad flagging down cars. Well, I usually am the only white person out there,and oftentimes people just think I am confused and that I don’t know where I amgoing, but that also works to my advantage. People love to pick up the randomwhite girl out at the hitching spot.

          It is also agreat way to develop your sense of trust in people. You have to trust strangersa lot when they are driving you somewhere. There have been a couple times whenI have been getting in a car and I think, “Wow, without even giving this asecond thought I just got into the car of a complete stranger and I trust themto take me where I want to go.” But they always do. I learned early on that Ihave to trust that they want to get to wherever it is we are going safely andalso that they wouldn’t want anything to happen to their car, so I am as safeas I can be.

If people are ever driving and Idon’t feel safe I tell them that if anything happens they are the ones whowould have to call my mother, and that is definitely a call they don’t want tomake. That line works like a charm. And I also tell them I am Property of theUS Government, and no one here wants to upset their idol Obama

          I have metsome really interesting people, some not so interesting, and definitely havesome good stories from my times of hitching. It has been a great part of myexperience here and I am sure there will be times in the states I will miss waitingfor rides on the side of the road or being packed into a stranger’s car withway too many other people. Or maybe not.

Things I’ll miss about Botswana #6: The sunsets and the stars

I have seen some of the best sunsets of my life here. It’slike somehow everyday they are amazing. I don’t know how Mother Nature pulls itoff. The vibrancy of the colors and the way they take over the sky is sobeautiful.

          The night skyis also quite impressive. I have never lived somewhere where I could see somany stars so clearly at night. And, I have gotten to see different stars sinceI am in the Southern Hemisphere. The full moon lights up the place so well thatI can easily walk around the village at night without any other source oflight. It is definitely going to be an adjustment going back to a place full ofstreet lights and cars and lots of noise and action at night.

Has it really been a month since my last posting?! Sorry about that, I really had no idea! It was totally unintentional? don?t worry? it?s not you, it?s meJ.

Mosadi Mogolo?

We had our catchment area Mosadi Mogolo competition on the 18th. Once the games got underway it was a lot of fun. As I have said before, the most fitting saying for how events run in Botswana is that nothing ever comes together, it falls together. So, in true Botswana fashion, Mosadi Mogolo was no exception.

         There were the little things like mix ups over who was transporting who and the bigger things like there being no stakes for the tents which were supposed to be used for HIV testing. Oops. But in the end it all worked out, everyone got there and make shift areas were erected to allow for people to be tested. And, most importantly, the old women got to strut their stuff on the well manicured football pitch and play for bragging rights and a spot in the final district wide competition on this Friday.

         I am sad to report that both Pilikwe and Maape were not able to make it to position one, but I have to give credit where credit is due and admit that Moshopa (the winners) definitely came out ready to win. Imagine that, me being a good loser, maybe I did actually learn something in PE class growing upJ. 

T minus 30 days and counting?

I have hit the one month mark as far as time left in Botswana goes. Actually my official COS date is creeping up on me faster than the flat spiders here (for those of you fortunate enough to have never lived with the creepy things, you are just going to have to take my word for it that that?s fast)! Here is basically my timeline: 18 May-leave Pilikwe for Gabs to do my last of PC paperwork and what not, 21 May-fly out of Botswana to UAE and 29 May-officially return back to American soil after more than two years.

         As of Monday I am left with only 2 weeks in Pilikwe. That is nothing. And this week is pretty much a wash as far as hanging out in the village goes because I have lots of different things to do in town like Mosadi Mogolo, closing out my bank account and other PC admin stuff and entertaining my Bots8 shadow. On Wednesday I get one of the new Bots8ers, who arrived in country on the 20 April, to come and visit me until Sunday. I am hoping to put them to work to help me finish up going through things in my house and packingJ.

         I have made a lot of progress, but I have a lot of stuff. And it is just sad to be going through everything and seeing my house getting so empty. When I leave I am going to have one suitcase and a backpack. It is really weird to see two years of my life in just a suitcase and backpack.

         I have made a lot of Pula from selling lots of things and my clothing. My goal is that by the end of this week I will have nothing left but what is going with me or what I am leaving for the volunteer who replaces me.

Weather?

Winter is definitely making its way here, but summer is not ready to give up just yet. There have been some really coooold days recently, but there have also still been some pretty hot ones too. This weekend we got some really good rain accompanied with super loud thunder and lots of lightening. I must say I am so happy that I will be leaving before winter really hits, because my concrete cube gets way too chilly come June/July!

An unwelcome visitor?

There were a few times recently when I was convinced I heard something moving around in my house, like a rat. But whenever I would go inspect the situation where the noise was coming from, I didn?t see a thing. Then the other night I heard some miniature feet running around, and the next day I heard scratching noises coming from my closet. I looked in my closet and didn?t see anything, but I knew it was in there, so I just waited and eventually it popped its head out.

         Of course once it saw me it immediately took off. Luckily I had closed my bedroom door so I could trap it. I was prepared to kill the thing, but it was actually pretty cute so I just didn?t have the heart to beat it to death. I kept trying to catch it in a big plastic bag, but that was definitely not happening. After about 30 minutes or so of chasing the thing around (those buggers are fast!) I finally cornered it and was able to get it in to a box and throw it outside. Its life was spared this time, but I did make sure to tell it that if I ever see it in the house again it?s a gonerJ.

Things I?ll miss about Botswana #5: Hitching

I have come to absolutely loving hitching rides here. It is great and always an adventure. You never know who you are going to meet or what might happen. During training PC told us that we are not supposed to hitch rides to travel around, so in theory we are to use public transportation. But the irony of that policy is that then I was placed in a village with no public transportation. So I either had to get good at hitching or never leave my village. I am actually pretty good at the latter, but I still do have needs like, you know, eating, which requires me going in to town to the grocery stores. So anyways it started out as something I was forced to do if I wanted to not starve and use the internet, and grew into something I love doing! And, if I do say so myself, I have gotten pretty great at it as well.

         I am sad that it is something I will lose in the states. Here everyone does it to get around, so it is not like I am the odd one out when I am standing on the side of the road flagging down cars. Well, I usually am the only white person out there, and oftentimes people just think I am confused and that I don?t know where I am going, but that also works to my advantage. People love to pick up the random white girl out at the hitching spot.

         It is also a great way to develop your sense of trust in people. You have to trust strangers a lot when they are driving you somewhere. There have been a couple times when I have been getting in a car and I think, ?Wow, without even giving this a second thought I just got into the car of a complete stranger and I trust them to take me where I want to go.? But they always do. I learned early on that I have to trust that they want to get to wherever it is we are going safely and also that they wouldn?t want anything to happen to their car, so I am as safe as I can be.

If people are ever driving and I don?t feel safe I tell them that if anything happens they are the ones who would have to call my mother, and that is definitely a call they don?t want to make. That line works like a charm. And I also tell them I am Property of the US Government, and no one here wants to upset their idol Obama.J

         I have met some really interesting people, some not so interesting, and definitely have some good stories from my times of hitching. It has been a great part of my experience here and I am sure there will be times in the states I will miss waiting for rides on the side of the road or being packed into a stranger?s car with way too many other people. Or maybe notJ.

Things I?ll miss about Botswana #6: The sunsets and the stars

I have seen some of the best sunsets of my life here. It?s like somehow everyday they are amazing. I don?t know how Mother Nature pulls it off. The vibrancy of the colors and the way they take over the sky is so beautiful.

         The night sky is also quite impressive. I have never lived somewhere where I could see so many stars so clearly at night. And, I have gotten to see different stars since I am in the Southern Hemisphere. The full moon lights up the place so well that I can easily walk around the village at night without any other source of light. It is definitely going to be an adjustment going back to a place full of street lights and cars and lots of noise and action at night.

Blog March 25-April 11, 2009

First off let me start by apologizing that it has been so long since my last entry. I didn't even realize until I was writing the dates for this one just how long it had been! Time is really not on my side lately. I have no idea where the last few weeks have gone and I am sure the few I have left in Botswana will fly by even faster. Anyways I fell off the blog wagon a bit but now I am back in and will do my best to stay more on top of it for what is left of my time here! So, with no further ado... my latest entry awaits you, enjoy ☺

Party...
I would say my birthday/farewell party was a big success and lots of fun, but I suppose I might be just a little biased. As expected, about half of the people I invited actually showed, and that was A-OK with me because the people who I most wanted to have there to spend some time with were all able to make it. The night went off like a typical party here in Botswana in that we had lots of food, music and hanging out. Everything went really smoothly the night of. One thing I love about people here is that as soon as they got to my house they immediately went into the kitchen to see what they could help with. Aside from shredding a couple carrots for the coleslaw I didn't do anything the whole night!
    In an effort to expose my Batswana friends to only the finest points of American culture, we played home-made Pin The Tail on the big five (with our big five being chicken, goat, donkey, pig and cow). Creative huh?! Us PCVs definitely found the whole big 5 thing more entertaining than the locals, but I have found that the whole Pin The Tail concept is actually a really big hit!
    A saying that is very applicable to life here would be, “things don't come together they fall together.” And in true Botswana fashion that is pretty much what happened with the party. The party was on Saturday night, so on Wednesday I planned to go in to town with the ambulance, because it always goes in on Wednesday to drop off specimens and that way I knew I would have transport straight from the grocery store to my door step. A typical day in Mahalapye with the clinic means usually arriving around 11 and leaving between 4 or 5. The earliest I had ever left was 330, which was a shocker itself, until this Wednesday. On this Wednesday, one of the few times where I actually needed some time in the offices and to do other things like buy the food, we arrived just passed 11 and by 130 we were on our way back to Pilikwe. I couldn’t believe it. There have been so many day where I would have loved to get back so early, but of course on the one day where I wasn’t just sitting around for the day after finishing what I had to do in 30 minutes, we would go back early. By the time we were leaving I was still in the offices.
    Lots of the time they will call me to come and collect me and then we will spend another hour or two driving around to different places either picking up people or just doing random things. I thought maybe that‘s what was going on when they picked me up at 130, but no, we were straight on our way out of town. Amazing.
    So there I was foodless, three days before the party. Now, is it possible for me to get into town without the ambulance? Of course. But that requires hitching a ride from Pilikwe to Palapye, and then hitching a ride back—and when you hitch you never know what kind of car you are going to get or where they are going to drop you once you are in Pilikwe. So basically I was dreading the thought of having to hitch with all the food I was about to buy.
    Luckily one of my nurses volunteered to give me a lift into town to buy the food so that I wouldn’t have to hitch. Thank goodness! She is someone who whenever I am with her in town she likes it if we do everything with each other. So before I could head to the grocery store I accompanied her to the bank to make a money transfer, Water Affairs to pay her water bill, the furniture store to pick out a new kitchen set and to the Department of Transportation to renew her license. I don't know, I guess maybe it is a sign you are integrated somewhere when people don't feel like they need to make special accommodations for you and they just take you along on their daily life to do things like renew their driver’s license. Luckily she passed because hers was expiring the exact day we were there so we would have both been up a creek had she not been legally able to drive us back!
    After making the rounds we made it to the grocery store and I was able to successfully purchase everything needed for the day. Oh, did I mention this was on Friday? Yeah, the day before the party, so I was definitely feeling a sense of relief to have this done. We got back to Pilikwe a little after 12 and at 2 Lettie and I left to head to the clinic to check on the goat situation. I should really know by now that just because someone tells you they have found a goat does not actually mean they have found a goat. But for some crazy reason I still just take it at face value and believe people. My bad. I had two people tell me they had found goats for me for the party, only to find out, as we were walking to the clinic, that both of those goats were now nonexistent. This was a bit of a problem!
    The goat, ideally, needs to be killed the day before so the carcass can dry overnight before being cooked. It was a bit of a process that I don't really feel like getting totally into but what is most important is that by 330 we had a goat. The clinic gardener pulled up to the clinic in his donkey cart with a goat tied to the seat and two kids who were his designated slaughtering helpers. They just made a quick pass through the clinic to fill the cart with firewood and pots and then took off to my house. Lettie and I walked back and by the time we got there the goat was already dead. I was definitely happy to see that because I like the meat and all but I really am just fine not actually seeing it killed. One benefit to being a girl is that they never even thought for a second I would be helping kill it, since that is a man’s job. Now that is one gender role I am not going to argue with!
    With the goat killed all the pieces were hung up on my fence to dry for the afternoon and it slept in Lettie’s house, because there was no way I was going to have a dead goat sleeping in my kitchen overnight! The intestines, testicles, liver, heart, feet and lungs were all cooked up that night and everyone (yours truly excluded) feasted on what they kept trying to convince me were the best parts of the animal. Lucky for them there was more to go around because I am was not going to fight them for any!  

What’s in a name.?.?
The best thing about people’s name’s here is that they have a meaning. Granted this is not always the best thing when the meaning is something like “problem” or “where are you from?”, but in general they mean nice things like “luck” or “beauty” or “prayer” or things like that. Many times people have asked me what Ashlee means and they always look so disappointed when I tell them it means absolutely nothing! I always explain that we just aren’t that creative, and lucky for me I have a Setswana name. That seems to make them feel better, knowing I have a Setswana name (which by the way is Olorato and it means “you have love”).
Whenever people hear my Setswana name they tend to have two reactions. The first is just shock that this white person is responding to a Setswana name; the second is they ask if I know what it means. I always say of course I do, how could I be walking around with a name I don't even know the meaning of?! My Setswana isn’t that bad!
    Anyways that was a bit of a side note to the actual story here. Remember the baby shower I went to a few weeks back? Yeah, well the mother had the best excuse for not coming to my birthday party—she was in labour. So on the same day as my party she had her little baby girl and guess what she named her?! Go on... guess... Ashlee. Yeah, that’s right, I now have a Motswana baby named after me. It’s OK, you can still say you knew me before I was so cool and important☺. I do kind of feel a bit of pressure. The mom told me I have to give her pictures so she can show her daughter as she grows up and “hopefully she will grow up to be just like me.” Well, I guess that’s actually pressure for the little Ashlee, not the old one☺.

Booked...
My ticket back to the states has officially been booked. There’s no turning back now! I am heading down to Gabs on Monday, May 18 and flying out of Botswana International Airport at 5pm on Thursday May 21. My last days in Botswana are quickly approaching as I have just a matter of weeks (I believe 6 to be exact, of course that is assuming I counted right and I’ll be the first to admit I’m no math whiz at this point).  When it is time to COS Peace Corps gives you two options: 1. You can tell them the date you’re leaving and they will book you a ticket back to the state they flew you from when we came or, 2. You can have them give you the money they would have spent on the ticket and then you book your own. I am doing the second option. I think most people are doing the second option because lots are travelling before heading back to the states and because if you manage to find a fare cheaper than the amount they give you, you can have some extra spending money!
I keep going back and forth about being excited and so sad. I feel like I just need to get there and then it will be great getting to see people and all the things I haven’t for the last two years. And let’s not forget the food. Mmm yummy food! I am not sure I’ll be able to wait until I am actually home to eat, I’d say there is a good chance my first meal will be in the airport!

Things ill miss about Botswana #3—My kids...
What would my life have been here without my kids?! I have no idea. It would have been very, very, very different for sure. And oh so incredibly boring. Whenever I was having a good day or a bad one, they were always around for a game of Uno or Candy Land or coloring. They were my best Setswana teachers, having way more patience with me than any adults for sure. They are just so great. It is definitely going to be weird to not see them every afternoon once I leave.
Koketso, who is 10, is so sweet. The schools are closing for a month this week and so all my regulars will be gone during the holiday staying with family in other villages. She told me she wanted to stay with me for the holiday, since I am leaving in May. But luckily they come back about a week or so before I actually leave so I assured her she can still go visit her family for the holiday and we can still hang out before I leave. I know you’re not supposed to have favourites, but she is definitely mine. We have had lots of good memories while I have been here.

Things I’ll miss about Botswana #4—Time...
(I figured I should throw two in this week otherwise I am going to not have enough entries left for all the things I want to write about here.)
One thing I have learned over the last two years is that time is a very fluid and relative concept. Time is very different here than in the states. And, at this point, I love it. Granted there have been many times where lack of consciousness around time here has been the source of much annoyance and frustration, but overall I have really grown to appreciate the different pace of life I live here.
 There is always another day and time to get something done. The best part is that there is always time to spend with other people. You don't have to be running around doing a hundred things at once and, even if you do have lots to get done, people still make the time to go and check other people or spend the afternoon at a friend’s house. So much of my time here has been spent with people who randomly come over to my house and end up staying for hours or me randomly going to theirs and likewise staying for a long time. I am really going to miss being able to just show up at someone’s house out of the blue and it turning into a full afternoon of just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company.
    I have decided I don't think either use of time is good or bad, but I think somewhere in the middle of our fast paced, results oriented, always on the go society and Botswana’s slower, more casual attitude, could be pretty much perfect. But I am not sure just where that “perfect” pace exists, so I am a bit concerned about how I am going to do adjusting back to the pace of life in America. Just wish me luck that I am able to adapt back to an American pace of life just as well as I have managed to adapt to a village pace of life here!

RIP Charlie...
Charlie suffered an untimely death this last week. Apparently while I was in Gabs she was eaten by one of the dogs. Yes, eaten. The kids told me they buried her as soon as they found her and they covered the grave with pictures they had drawn before at my house. And they even cried! And then they went after the dog with a shovel trying to kill it! Luckily Lettie put a stop to that, because obviously two dead animals is not better than one. I definitely miss the little rascal; we had a fun couple months.
I am taking this as a sign I am so not meant for motherhood! My first cat ran away from the house he was supposed to be staying at over Christmas never to be seen again, and my second was eaten by a dog. I mean how/when/why does that even happen?! I guess I should be happy Dino somehow managed to live for 14 years!  
Everyone in Pilikwe has been so sweet coming to my house to “pass on their condolences” for Charlie. Word spread quickly, as it always does, that my cat was dead. I have been a bit surprised, though, at how many people have told me they are sorry for her, since cats are not exactly the most popular of animals here. But it seems somehow I have managed to demonstrate the fact that for me my cats were like my children, since they stayed with me in the house and I was always carrying them around and stuff.

Health club party...
It was about a month ago that the kids in the health club started spilling the beans to me that they were planning a surprise party for me. Even the lady at the bar was asking me about it, saying the kids had come and told her about it, and then I just played dumb like I didn't know anything about the party. What is fascinating is that while it seemed like lots of people outside of the school knew about it, word never got to the teachers that I knew. So they were still trying to go about it like it was really a surprise.
    The teachers never bothered to ask me what day I would be around or anything. They planned it for the week I was down in Gabs. Oops. Then for another day when I had to go to Mahalapye for a meeting, and then finally they just told me I needed to come because the school was closing for the holiday and the kids wanted to do a program for me. It all worked out in the end and this Tuesday we had the party. It was really cute.
    The kids decorated the chalk board saying “Welcome to the Party” and writing little messages. They had a whole program, as everything does here, with an MC, singing, dancing, messages of thanks and so on. And then afterwards we had snacks and cake. I am really glad it worked out to have it before the term ended, otherwise I am sure with schedules and stuff it would have never happened after the schools open again in mid-May before I leave.

April Fooled...
Before last week I had no idea April Fools was something people here even knew about. I completely forgot the day myself. On the first I got an SMS from one of my nurses telling me Lettie was really sick and admitted at the hospital. I was in Gabs, so I SMSed trying to find out what was wrong and couldn’t get through. Then that night I called Lettie, and she was perfectly fine. She told me they came up with this to “give me an April Fools.” I couldn’t believe it. They really got me good! The whole day I was worried thinking what could have possibly happened to her, and here it was nothing but a classic April Fools! Now I’m just plotting how I’m going to get them back☺.

Gabs...
I spent this last week in Gabs doing my final medical stuff for closing out my Peace Corps service. You’ll be happy to know I am TB free! That may not sound that exciting, but trust me, after living for two years in a country with so much of it and working in a clinic, I was pretty proud of myself for not even picking up a trace of it!
    This was my first time going to gabs and not wanting to shop for things like food or clothing. I am working on emptying out my house, which is moving along but I still have plenty to get rid of. At my party I got rid of a good amount of stuff, but it is honestly just amazing how much I have. Fascinating really. Or maybe pathetic. I guess it’s a matter of opinion☺

Of course, last but not least, I can’t leave you without wishing everyone a Happy Easter! I have a four day weekend, with Friday and Monday off, which I am pleasantly enjoying by hibernating in Pilikwe and enjoying spending time with my friends and one of the few weekends I have left in the village.

Finally got facebook to cooperate so I could do some much need pic uploading! Enjoy!

Pilikwe: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049318&id=42003302&l=b0292804c0      

Hanging out at the lands: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049241&id=42003302&l=4f8d59a623      

COS: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049240&id=42003302&l=e054ec2e69      

 Things I'll miss about Botswana #2: The Clinic

              Since I first got to Pilikwe the clinic has been my place, my favourite place, in Pilikwe. I love starting out everyday walking to the clinic with Lettie and seeing everyone there. From day one everyone at the clinic has been so great and they have been my family here. My last two years would not have been the same without them. Everyday starts out the same with everyone getting there at 730 (at least in theory), then the morning prayer and song (some of which I know very well by now), then the morning meeting that is all done in Setswana and which is pretty much where I have mastered the skill of spacing out. I came to the conclusion pretty early on that me becoming totally fluent in Setswana was not going to happen so I just started getting really good at spacing out when people around me are only speaking Setswana. It may not sound like much, but trust me this is a skill! I trust that if they discuss anything that involves me or that I should know about someone will tell me, and if not, oh well, I am sure life will go on just the same.

Granted there have been many, many days when I go to the clinic and I have absolutely nothing to do; but that doesn't matter, because the best thing about the clinic is the people and I love going there, even when I have nothing productive to do, because I get to hang out with everyone. I could always know that everyday I had the clinic to go to, to see familiar faces and have friendly conversation. We have shared lots of fun stories and entertaining cultural exchanges and my life in Pilikwe would not have been the same without all of them and the endless great memories I have from our random conversations about my Setswana figure or how I am crazy because I will eat seafood but not worms or how I don't think they should want to kill the baboons for stealing their watermelon or explaining how not every Lekgoa is the same just like not every Batswana is or that yes, the answer is the same as yesterday, I still let my cat in my houseJ.

  A basket case of emotions...

               It seems like everyday I have a different feeling about leaving. Monday was a big day because it was the 22nd and therefore officially two months from when I leave the country. Two months. In some ways it sounds far, but it's oh so close, especially when you think about it in the grand scheme of two years. Part of me feels like I hate this waiting around to leave feeling. I almost wish I didn't know months ahead exactly when I am going. But then at the same time I like being able to prepare and take my time trying to ease my way out of village life (which is much easier said than done by the way).

                I have a part of me that feels like if I am leaving then I am leaving and I should just go. Then there is another part of me that wishes I didn't have to leave at all. I guess what it comes down to is that leaving wouldn't be any easier tomorrow than three months or 2 years from now. Many people say readjusting back to life in the states is so much harder than adjusting to life in Peace Corps. I can already see that, and I am dreading the transition. It is going to be hard. It is going to be sad. But I know I just have to suck it up and do it!

              Next week I am heading down to Gabs for a few days to do my COS medical. And one of my best friends here is leaving for the states. And the next wave of PCVs for Botswana, basically our replacements, get into the country on April 20th. Just like that the process of "out with the old, in with the new" begins. In some ways I have done a pretty good job ignoring the fact I am leaving soon, and then things like my friend leaving and new people coming happen, and it reminds me my COS date is just around the corner. I am starting to have "lasts" of things. Like the last health club at the school, or last trip to Gabs before leaving. That is a weird thought.

 Party planning...

              My birthday/farewell party is coming together quite nicely *knock on wood*. The goat has "tentatively" been secured, which was a bigger feat than it may sound like. I had no idea it would actually take some real prodding and time to get a goat. I thought since I see the little buggers running around everywhere all over the village it would be no problem. But, au contraire, I have learned that while there are what seems to a layperson (aka me) as an infinite number of goats around who do nothing but make noise and eat everything from grass to plastic containers, their owners actually like them and they are not for sale. Fascinating. Who knew?!  But luckily I have had a team of talent scouts out helping me find a nice looking, not insanely expensive, goat for the party, and it seems that we have one right here in Pilikwe. And another great thing is that I have multiple people more than willing to slaughter it. I made it clear I want to have nothing to do with the killing of the goat; I just want to pay for it and eat it. Music has also been arranged in the form of my friend who is bringing his stereo system. I was told my dainty little computer speakers are "for children not parties", so he is going to set his stereo up at my house for the day.

            I typed up a list of everyone's cooking duties. I wasn't sure how it would go over. I thought people might complain about me putting them to work or something, but no they talked the whole day about how funny I am for typing up the list and then also everyone told me there were no problems at all, they are more than happy to cook. How cool is that?! Pretty cool if you ask me!

             Another important part of party prep is cleaning my yard. I know I have written before about how I don't ever see myself adapting to the idea of cleaning dirt, and to this day I still haven't. But with all the rain we have been having over the last couple months my yard was getting pretty grown in. I had a lady who said she would come and clean it, but she never showed up. Then Thapelo, Lettie's 9 year old son, decided to create a work crew and do it himself. Now just take a second and imagine this situation in the states. I had a pack of 10 kids, all under the age of 10, voluntarily cleaning my yard. And cleaning dirt is harder work than it sounds like. It requires shovels and rakes and wheel barrows. But he took on the task and, much to my amazement, finished it. It took him the whole weekend, from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening, but it got done. Imagine kids in the states spending their weekend cleaning the yard. And as it turns out a pack of kids are much cheaper than an adult, so it was a win-win. They got to have fun, yes fun, cleaning my yard and I saved money. Not too shabby of a deal if you ask me.

            I am really looking forward to the party on Saturday. I have invited a good 40-50 people, but I'm thinking maybe 20-30ish will actually show up, so that should be a good number. I figure there is no way for it to not be great because I have the goat and music, what more does a party need?!

  Friendship bracelet afternoons

            The friendship bracelets we made during the health club have become quite popular around here! I've had kids coming to my house every afternoon to make some more. They are so creative too!  They have been coming up with their own new ways of making them. It is pretty cute. We all tape down our string to my table and sit around listening to music and making bracelets. So lucky for me the kids have pulled through and have given me something else fun to look forward to in the afternoons to replace our health club!

 Mosadi mogolo...

     So, here is a little test for your memory and to see just how dedicated of a fan you are of my blog. Remember almost a year ago when I talked about the Mosadi Mogolo (old women) soccer tournament we had?!  Well... it's back!  You might remember that the good ol' Pilikwe Strikers came in second place in the district tournament and we intend to stop nothing short of position one this time around! It was such a great  fun and unique event that everyone loved last year so it is back and hopefully bigger and better! We are having our catchment competition on April 18 and the district competition is May 9. For the catchment competition we could have up to six teams, as opposed to two last year, so the competition is amplified from the beginning. But I have complete confidence in my Pilikwe Strikers, and lucky for me I am just such a nice person that I will gladly claim Maape and Mhalapitsa as my team as well, if they are the ones that go to the district tournament. 

           I am so excited to have this as one of the last things I get to be involved in here because of all the events I've been to this was my favourite hands down!

Baby shower...

              A couple weekends back I went to my second baby shower. The teachers at my primary school seem to love having babies. I have been invited to five since being here, but have only been able to go to two. It started out kind of how most things like this go for me here. I am not really looking forward to going because I don't want to be on display being the only Lekgoa there or anything like that, but then once I am there I am really glad I went and have a great time. I am going to spare you another page long recap of the night like I wrote up after the first one I went to, because it was pretty much the same. So I guess if you really want the scoop you are going to have to look back for my entry on that one! One big difference this time.... I didn't get in trouble for anything! I was told I "learned well" from the first time. This time I came prepared. I knew my present couldn't just be wrapped in plastic and that it needed to be either in a nappie or blanket. I also knew that if I said something out of turn or lost a game or anything I would be punished by having to dance in front of everyone, so I definitely made sure to avoid that! 

 Food...

              I can't believe I forgot to tell you last time about the food I got while I was in Gabs! I found bagels at the grocery store. BAGELS! So I got to enjoy my first bagel with cream cheese in two years. Mmm was it delightful! I forgot how good a bagel and cream cheese is. They came in a pack of 8. I attempted to pace myself, and I managed to make them last for about five days. I think that's pretty good. It's all relativeJ. That's all for the food entry this week, I just had to be sure and share with you my HUGE discovery! 

 Weather...

             I would say the weather is pretty much near perfect right now. It is still nice and warm during the day, but cool at night. For the first time in many, many months I have been able to sleep with my sheet AND comforter! It is so nice being able to sleep comfortably and not waking up constantly from totally overheating. Hopefully it stays this way for awhile now,  although I would greatly appreciate it if winter held off until I am gone, because it gets way too cold day and night during the winter months here!

 Charlie update...

Charlie is well adjusted and growing into a wonderful young girl. Yeah, that's right, she's a girl. Despite my wishful thinking that I would get lucky and find myself once again with a boy, I got a girl. But I think it's all good because she's still so small I don't think she would be able to get pregnant before I leave. And that is music to my ears because kittens are definitely not something I need right now! Too bad for Charlie the simple Y in her DNA means Lettie won't be taking her once I leave, so she is going to go live at my friend's farm in another village about 20 minutes from Pilikwe. This happens to be the same farm Nikki was at over Christmas when he escaped and hasn't been seen since, so hopefully Charlie fares better at the farm than he did!

·               She really has quite the personality. She still likes to play her little hide-and-go-seek game. She also has taken to climbing up the trees and then jumping down from way up high. I know cats are supposed to always land on their feet, but it still amazes me every time when she jumps and makes it. She has definitely been a nice addition to have around, even if I will have only had her for a few months by the time I leave. 

Learning to ride a bike...

From out of nowhere a kids' bike appeared the other day. Thapelo and friends were playing with it, and I couldn?t get a clear answer as to just who the owner is. It?s not like kids? bikes are something you see a lot here, especially in the village, so I was a bit surprised. In fact, I am pretty sure it?s the first kids? bike I have seen.

            So they were all playing with it and trying to figure out how to ride it. There weren?t many other adults around and the couple who were don?t have any idea how to ride. Luckily for the kids I know how to ride a bike. Yeah, that singlehandedly increased my coolness factor with them 10 foldJ. But I tried to clarify that while I know how to ride a bike I am in no way a pro?shown by the fact when I was little I managed to rip off a toe nail while riding. And I learned quickly that riding on dirt is quite different from riding on nice, smooth pavement?especially when you?re just learning. I was also nervous because they obviously didn't have any of the luxuries we tend to have around while learning like training wheels and helmets.

            But these minor details were nothing in the minds of the kids who just wanted play with their new toy. They were great sports though. They did at least pretend to listen intently while I was explaining why I am far from the ideal bike teacher, and they probably only understood the word bikeJ.

It took awhile, and a lot of falls, but that?s where dirt comes in handy, it?s much more forgiving then pavement. By the end a couple of them had actually really gotten the hang of it. And I am sure within a couple days they will be way better at riding on the dirt and gravel then I ever will be!

(Attempted) surprise party...

Kabelo, who is 10, came over to my house the other day and our conversation went like this...

Kabelo: I am contributing P5 for your party.

Me: What party?

Kabelo: For health club.

Me: There?s a health club party?

Kabelo: Yes. For you.

Me: Oh, I didn?t know there was a party. No one told me.

Kabelo: Yes, because it is a secret.

HA. He meant well, and I am not even sure he realized, even after telling me it was a secret, that he wasn?t supposed to have told me about it. So now I know. They are planning a party for me sometime towards the end of the term. Actually, I have to admit I kind of already had an idea they were planning something. This is because during our last session I told the teachers how I will be leaving in May so this is my last term with the club, and then, in Setswana, one asked the kids if they wanted to have some kind of celebration for me at the end of the term. Granted it was pretty reasonable for her to think I wouldn?t understand, since my Setswana is far from fluent, but I could get enough, so I just played along like I had no idea whatsoever what they were talking about. So I guess the fact the teacher felt it was justified to talk about having a surprise party for me while I was in the room might explain why Kabelo thought nothing of the fact he told me about the party.

Mail call...

I love mail. Whenever I have mail it always makes my day. Now I know it can be easy to think that because I am going to be back in just a few short months there?s no need to send packages. But don?t worry; I want to make sure you know I will gladly accept mail until the day I leave, because I am just so considerate like thatJ.

I definitely don?t need any sort of things?if there is one thing I have done well over the last two years here it has been accumulating stuff!?so food is always a winner. Some of my favourite things are snacks like pretzels, Cheez-Its, fruit snacks, granola bars or anything I can eat by just adding water like Pasta Sides or Hamburger Helper or things like that. Of course candy always works! And surprises are fun too! In case you?re looking for a little more inspiration other than the fact I like food, I do have a birthday coming up on March 16 and that?s always a good excuse to send a packageJ.

Charlie update...

They grow up so fast! Charlie is probably already about twice as big as he was when I got him. And he is really developing a personality. He likes to play a little game of hide and seek. Whenever I go in the kitchen or the hallway, he waits around the corner, and when I come back he just jumps up. It is pretty cute. And he pretty much has two speeds?running and passed out. He hasn?t quite learned to pace himself just yet, but I?m confident he?ll get there.

            He is still pretty scared being outside, but he?s improving. He now more voluntarily goes outside in the mornings, as oppose to me having to chase him around the room trying to catch him and then pick him up and put him out.

The weather...

Mother Nature is confused, or she just gets enjoyment out of totally confusing my internal thermometer. I haven?t figured out just which one it is yet. It?s been hot. It?s been cold. It?s rained, thundered, been cloudy and endless blue skies over the last couple weeks.

            This is the time of year for rain and with the rain comes some great thunderstorms. On Friday night we got a pretty impressive one. Of course I only really find them entertaining and impressive until the power goes out, which pretty much always happens, and then I?m just annoyed. On Friday the power went out pretty early in the storm, when I could only hear light thunder in the distance and scarcely spot lightening. The power going out was my warning something much bigger was coming, and come it did. It didn't just rain, it poured for hours through the night. At one point the eye of the storm must?ve been right over my house because the thunder was intensely loud and the lightening followed so closely to it I couldn?t even get a ?one Mississippi? in between them!

            About an hour into things my power came back, and then went off again, and then on, and then off. Clearly my power was just as confused as Mother Nature has been. Then it finally was seemingly back to stay and my water went off. Just when I thought I was getting ahead. Luckily with the heavy rain I was able to fill up my pots so I was adequately prepared in case it was off for a couple days.

            At one point when my power was playing games with me I thought it had gone off, but then realized only my lights were out, but all my outlets were working. This confused me. So I played around with the circuit breaker, but no luck with the lights. It took me a few minutes but I eventually figured out only my sitting room light had been on. Once I established it was the only light I felt better thinking maybe just the bulb had burnt out and that I wasn?t going to be living with no lights for the next few months. Turns out it was just the bulb. I took the bulb from my hallway to switch them out, but getting the bulb out was easier said than done. The bulbs are different here, you don't just twist them in. It?s like you have to push up and turn and it took me a bit to figure out just what was going on as I was endlessly twisting and utterly perplexed about the fact the bulb wasn?t going anywhere. But in the end the bulb got changed, I had light again (except for in my hallway) and my water came back Saturday afternoon, so all was right in the world... at least for the time beingJ.

Winding down...

This weekend I will be heading to Gabs for our Close of Service (COS) conference from 1-4 March. This is the last official PC thing we have before being finished. That?s pretty crazy to think about. Time has been going so fast I am trying to figure out where February went, it is pretty much just a blur in my head. I don't even want to think about how fast the last few months will go. Two years sounded like so long when I started, and now here it is coming to an end and it feels like I have been here for a matter of months.

And in Mid April the new wave of volunteers, basically our replacements, will appear. During COS we finalize our dates for leaving, so the next time we meet it is likely I will actually know the exact date I?ll be back in the states.

Blog February 1-15, 2009

Introducing Charlie...

A couple weeks ago I was given my new kitten. Charlie as he is affectionately now named, was delivered to me in a plastic bag. He is so tiny! I can’t get an exact answer as to how old he is, but I think he was about 3 weeks when I got him so now maybe he’s about 5 weeks old. I realize it could be on of the more stupid things I’ve done taking in a kitten with just a few months left here, but I just couldn’t say no! And Lettie has already laid claim to him once I leave, so I know he’ll be going to a good home. Now, I keep writing “he” but that’s more wishful thinking at this point then a fact. It is still too early to know whether it’s a boy or a girl, but I am definitely hoping for a boy.

                  Now while the fact Charlie’s a kitten makes him super cute, it also makes him have an infinite amount of energy. Luckily I’ve got my kids around who come over everyday to play with him. I am not sure what I would do without them; he has way too much energy for me! Back when I still had Nikki my grandparents sent him a couple toys, which on the package said they were made with catnip so every cat will love them. Nikki was less than impressed, but Charlie can’t get enough of them. Maybe Nikki was immune to catnip.

Luckily he also seems to get worn out fairly quickly. He’ll be running around in circles (literally) and then out of nowhere just pass out in the middle of the floor and take a power nap, or I guess it’s more of a cat nap . And he sleeps great during the night.

He also has a bit of a fascination with feet, and he keeps getting stuck in this one box. I have a box I keep magazines and things like that in, so it’s kind of tall. He’s great at getting in it, not so great at getting out. I had a bit of a parenting dilemma the other day with it—it was like his third time in a row getting in the box. I had taken him out the first two times after he was crying, but then this time I thought I should leave him in there so he could learn his lesson and have to figure out how to get out. But at the same time I didn't want to leave him in there because I am not totally confident in his litter box training just yet and I definitely didn’t want him to pee all over my magazines. So what to do—teach him a lesson or rescue him?! Tough choice. I rescued him. My magazines and puzzle books are much more important than the life lesson .

                  I am trying to do a better job this time at raising him to be more of an outdoor cat than Nikki was. I am pretty sure Nikki’s lack of outdoor survival skills are at least partially what led to his disappearance over Christmas. I have been keeping Charlie outside whenever I am gone and this weekend I went to visit one of my friends in another village for a night and left him out for the night. According to the kids he pretty much didn't move from his one bush the whole time I was gone, but at least he’s getting used to be outside. I’m hoping his timidness (side note... Word is telling me timidness is not a word, so what should it be?!) and paranoia about the outside world will wean over time!

Puzzle making...

Teaching my kids the fun and skill of doing puzzles has been something I’ve spent a lot of time on. It hasn’t been the quickest thing. I never realized before this that the concept of how to go about putting together a puzzle is really a learned skill. But they have come a long way from the first time they saw a jigsaw puzzle in my house and just started stacking the pieces to make a tower. They now are great at using the picture to see where pieces could go and realize that you have to actually think about what two pieces could go together based on the pictures on them, not just arbitrarily shove pieces together.

                  So this last week I helped Koketso make her own puzzle. She drew a picture on a piece of cardboard and then we cut it up and voila she had her very own puzzle. She definitely thought she was pretty cool! She even made a little pouch to keep the pieces in and told me she took it to school so when she’s bored she works on it. How cool is that?! I think it’s pretty cool—she’s gone from not even knowing really what a jigsaw puzzle was or how to do it to being great at putting them together and making her own.

Scorpion show and tell...

The other day Lettie kept yelling my name for me to come outside. So I come. She holds up her shovel over the fence. I was confused as to why she was showing off the shovel, and then I saw it. A HUGE scorpion! Then I just demanded answers as to why she felt it necessary to hold the thing over my fence and make me come out to see it! She said she wasn’t sure I had ever seen one and she wanted to make sure that before I leave Botswana I have seen a scorpion. That’s nice, I think. I assured her I have seen one before and I am completely OK not seeing one ever again, and since the shovel is mine I told her if she makes a habit of bringing bugs to me on it I will definitely be taking it back!

Cooking lessons...

Remember English Muffins?! Well, there is something here people eat all the time, diphapata, which are fairly similar. I love them. Diphapata and madombi (basically just a big fluffy ball of dough) are my two favourite foods. And luckily they are both easy to make. I had learned how to make madombi some time back, but had yet to learn the art of diphapata... until now!

                  The other day I went with my nurse around ten from the clinic to visit one of the other ladies who works at the clinic who was sick. Then we were supposed to go by the post and then she was going to take me to my house, and then go back to the clinic. We went to the post, and then to my house, but she didn't quite make it back to the clinic. She had been telling me for awhile she would teach me how to make diphapata but she stays in Palapye so is only really around Pilikwe when she’s on call, so only about one week a month, so it hadn’t worked out. So since we were already at my house, and it’s not like after 10 there are ever really any patients at the clinic, I convinced her we should have a diphapata lesson. It took a little coaxing but I got her. It was so much fun just because she’s great and we always have fun when we hang out together. AND they were so good. Every day since then I have been making my own. I want to make sure I have the recipe mastered by the time I’m back in the states so I can eat diphapata forever!

                  While we’re on the subject of food, I have to say how I love all the fresh stuff available here this time of year. Everyone’s hard work of planting and ploughing and everything is beginning to pay off because the fresh fruits and vegetables are starting to be ready to eat. My favourite of all are the watermelons. And lucky for me lots of people I know in Pilikwe are growing their own and I apparently have made my affinity for watermelons pretty clear because I keep getting some! I am also a big fan of the fresh peaches and mangos. Mmm yummy!

Homemade kites...

I was gone for a night this weekend, and when I came back the kids had made their own kites. They never cease to amaze me with their creativity! They had taken big pieces of cardboard, folded up the sides, carved holes to weave wire through and then had their very own kite like things! I asked where they learned how to make them and they said “no, we are teaching us,” so I guess they just came up with it all by themselves. I was impressed!

Health club...

Wednesdays are absolutely my favourite day of the week these days. I always look forward to it because it is the day we have our afternoon health club at the primary school. The past couple weeks we have been talking about puberty. It has definitely been entertaining, but I think there’s no way to talk about puberty with young kids and have it not be entertaining! We have done a few different activities to get them to talk about the physical and emotional changes that come along with puberty, all building up to next week when they are going to be in pairs doing dramas about different issues related to puberty. I am really excited to see how they do with these. Pretty much all the kids here love drama, but it will be interesting to see how they do with what can be a funny, embarrassing subject like puberty.

                  The school terms just go way too fast. They are three months long but feel like only a few weeks. We are already half way through our time for this term. The school term goes through the first week of April, but we will be finished with the health club for the term in the middle of March because the last couple weeks of the term the kids are writing their exams. Hopefully we will get a few more good weeks in because then school doesn’t open again until Mid May so I won’t be around to do the club next term.

                  I think the kids in the club have appreciated having it lately because it gets them out of having to clean the school yard. The grass is getting pretty long so this week in the afternoons they started the cleaning of the school grounds. And by “they” I mean the kids, under the leadership of the teachers, who monitor them from their chairs under the shade of a tree. Can you imagine trying to get kids in America to do that? Here they tell them it’s time to clean and the kids go and collect rakes, wheel barrows and shovels and dig in. I am pretty sure if you tried something like this in the states the school would never hear the end of it, probably more so from the parents than the kids!

A night out...

Like I said before, this weekend I spent the night at one of my friend’s who stays in a village near me. In a car going straight from me to her you can get there in about 45 minutes, but without the luxury of personal transport it took me about 3 hours, and 5 rides, to get there. We decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day by going out with one of her clinic nurses and his cousin who we are both friends with. It was definitely an entertaining night. The best part was when the police came to close down the bar/night club. It really wasn’t much of a bar or night club as we would think of one. Really it was a room that sells alcohol and pop and had a pool table and they play music outside.

                  There have been lots of changes in the country lately around alcohol laws. The changes have been lead by the new President Ian Khama and his attempts to try and curve the problem of alcoholism in the country. It’s definitely a subject lots of people have strong opinions about here and a politically lead one so I won’t get into it; you can Google it if you care. Anyways, the latest law is that bars are to close at 1030. So around 1130 the police came (yes, an hour after the bar was to close). They shut the place down, well, kind of. They made the owner lock up so no more drinks could be sold and told him to turn off his music. So you would think after there is no more alcohol being sold and the music is off the party would be over. But you would be mistaken.

                  As soon as the cops made the bar turn off the music, 3 or 4 different cars started playing their own music. The cops didn't seem to have a problem with this, probably at least partly because a couple of the people were either cops themselves or friends of them, so they actually hung out awhile. Around 12 the cops came back to tell the cars that needed to turn off their music. But that didn't work out so well. As soon as someone spotted the police word would spread and all of the cars playing music would turn it off. Once the police just started pulling out, not even out of the parking lot, the cars would start with their music again! This went on until about 1 or so, with the cops coming around every 10-15 minutes. Actually for all I know it went on all night but 1 is about when we left. So I am not really sure just what the cops even accomplished, if anything, but it was entertaining to me to watch .

Weather...

*Knock on wood* I think winter is coming. Slowly, but coming nonetheless. It definitely feels like the temperatures are cooling down. The best part is that at night it’s finally getting to where I can sleep so well without my fan, just my window open, with the cool fresh air. That is so nice. The worst part about the summer heat is not being able to sleep at night, even with windows open and my fan on there were still many nights I was just totally overheating. Don't get me wrong, it’s not like snow’s coming, I have still been taking cold baths, but temperatures have definitely been more bearable lately.

                  We have even had multiple days where it was cool, windy and cloudy for almost the whole day. That does not happen a lot! So now we just begin the countdown to when I am writing to you complaining about being absolutely freezing!

Of course I can’t end this blog without saying I hope you all had a

Happy Valentine’s Day!