Charles Hill, Botswana. That's where I'm going to spend the next two years. It's way over west near the Namibia border. A smallish town, the nearest town of any size is Ghanzi a two and a half hour bus ride away. I'll head up there next week for a one week shake down tour. Another week of pre-Service training remains after that. On June 18th we get sworn in and away we go.
I had no expectations on where I was to be assigned. Hadn't asked for any place in particular. But, as I was walking up to learn where I was to go the thought "Charles Hill" popped into my head. I read a book last year about a British school teacher who found himself in Charles Hill for a year. Can't remember the title, but I'll have to run it down.
So it's Chuck Hill for me. I'm entirely good with it. Sadly I'll be far from most of my Peace Corps friends.
BUT, my house will have electricity and running water. Back in the lap of luxury!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Continuing On...
Got a little internet time so I figured I'd update. Can't log in to facebook for some reason.
Anyway, I'm in Shoshong this week "shadowing" a current Peace corps Volunteer. The guy is a Community Capacity Builder, mainly working with the local PMTCT (Preventing Mother To Child Transmission) clinic. He has a nice house with electricity AND hot and cold running water! Gloriosky! The lap of luxury.
In my first post I neglected to mention that my host family lacks these modern conveniences. My host mom gets up around 5AM each day to start a fire outside to heat my daily bucket of water. I drag a huge galvanized vat into my room and set up for the morning prep. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream (goes into the bucket to warm it up. I maintain SOME standards!), razor, soap, shampoo. I'm able to do the needfull each morning with less than a full bucket of warm water. ONE bucket. That includes rinsing everything off.
Usually I have an inch or two of clean water left to water the melon we have growing out front. I then empty the soapy water from the vat back into the bucket for disposal in what they call the pit latrine, but we commonly call the out house. It is, in fact, build like a brick privy. More adobe actually.
It amazes me to consider the relative efficiency of all this. Time-wise it's not much more than when I was in the States. On average Americans flush 25 GALLONS of water down their toilets every day. Add showers, shaving and teethbrushing alone and you can see how much we waste.
To say the least I'm quite satisfied with myself.
But it was nice this morning to have running water.
Botswana is heading into Winter now. The Batswana (what the Bots people are called collectively) think it's getting very cold. Personally it's still T-shirt weather. The skies are clear almost every day and I would guess the high temps to be in the 80s. Nights maybe upper 50s. It's not humid, so even running during the day is comfortable. A guy could get used to this.
A couple of us have found a little running route near our homes that takes us out into the Bush. Running the high veldt. It feels like we have left civilization out there. From one hill top you can see for maybe 30 miles. I really feel like I'm in Africa out there.
I'll post pix when I can, but right now it looks like it may be almost two months before I'm able.
Meanwhile my Setswana is coming S L O W L Y! I'm rated Novice Low. Go gona mathata! (No problem!)
Anyway, I'm in Shoshong this week "shadowing" a current Peace corps Volunteer. The guy is a Community Capacity Builder, mainly working with the local PMTCT (Preventing Mother To Child Transmission) clinic. He has a nice house with electricity AND hot and cold running water! Gloriosky! The lap of luxury.
In my first post I neglected to mention that my host family lacks these modern conveniences. My host mom gets up around 5AM each day to start a fire outside to heat my daily bucket of water. I drag a huge galvanized vat into my room and set up for the morning prep. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream (goes into the bucket to warm it up. I maintain SOME standards!), razor, soap, shampoo. I'm able to do the needfull each morning with less than a full bucket of warm water. ONE bucket. That includes rinsing everything off.
Usually I have an inch or two of clean water left to water the melon we have growing out front. I then empty the soapy water from the vat back into the bucket for disposal in what they call the pit latrine, but we commonly call the out house. It is, in fact, build like a brick privy. More adobe actually.
It amazes me to consider the relative efficiency of all this. Time-wise it's not much more than when I was in the States. On average Americans flush 25 GALLONS of water down their toilets every day. Add showers, shaving and teethbrushing alone and you can see how much we waste.
To say the least I'm quite satisfied with myself.
But it was nice this morning to have running water.
Botswana is heading into Winter now. The Batswana (what the Bots people are called collectively) think it's getting very cold. Personally it's still T-shirt weather. The skies are clear almost every day and I would guess the high temps to be in the 80s. Nights maybe upper 50s. It's not humid, so even running during the day is comfortable. A guy could get used to this.
A couple of us have found a little running route near our homes that takes us out into the Bush. Running the high veldt. It feels like we have left civilization out there. From one hill top you can see for maybe 30 miles. I really feel like I'm in Africa out there.
I'll post pix when I can, but right now it looks like it may be almost two months before I'm able.
Meanwhile my Setswana is coming S L O W L Y! I'm rated Novice Low. Go gona mathata! (No problem!)
Sunday, May 04, 2008
They Had Me at "Dumela!"
That's Setswana for Hello. I've been here two weeks already. I live with a host family of three women and one man. It ain't Kansas, but I love it. The night skies are incredible. And I live right under the Southern Cross.
Classes are long. My days are full. Heading out to an actual site to shadow a current Peace Corps volunteer. In a month and a half we will finish our training and hit our actual jobs. Can't wait.
So far I've loved the whole experience. At times I don't care if I never come back.
Oh and by the way, my name is now Mothusi (Mo Two' See) Kolane (Ko lan' eh). It means "helper."
Every kid in the neighborhood knows me by that. Yesterday at the grocery store I was checking out and the clerk asked me if my name was Mothusi!
I'm famous in Botswana.
Internet is scarce. Will chat later.
Out.
Classes are long. My days are full. Heading out to an actual site to shadow a current Peace Corps volunteer. In a month and a half we will finish our training and hit our actual jobs. Can't wait.
So far I've loved the whole experience. At times I don't care if I never come back.
Oh and by the way, my name is now Mothusi (Mo Two' See) Kolane (Ko lan' eh). It means "helper."
Every kid in the neighborhood knows me by that. Yesterday at the grocery store I was checking out and the clerk asked me if my name was Mothusi!
I'm famous in Botswana.
Internet is scarce. Will chat later.
Out.
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