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| Sunset in Gabarone |
Each
morning I’m awoken at six by the Paul Simon song. After lying in bed a moment,
still not believing I’m actually here, I slide under my mosquito net and make
my way to the kitchen. There I find the large water pot already warm on the
stove. My host mother, Mé, has already risen and prepared it for me. I carry
the container to the bathroom where the water splashes into the tub. I run a
bit of cool water from the tap, just enough so I won’t burn myself while
washing.
When
I’m washed and dressed, I head back to the kitchen for breakfast. On weekends
it will probably be a larger meal but on school days I have bran flakes and
milk. The milk is whole and heated in the microwave. I then gather my bag, say
“Go siame” to Mé, and head out the door.
As I
walk through Serowe, many people greet me. Some seem to want to use the English
they’ve been learning since grade school, others are just friendly. I suspect
that the children who look on with eager and some-what timid faces are just
surprised to see a Lekgoa (white person). The bravest of them will call out
“Dumela mme” or “Hello”.
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| Livestock on the side of the street is not uncommon in Serowe |
On my
forty minute walk I leave my ward and immediately pass the shopping area. I
continue along the dirt surrounding the paved road, passing the bus/combi stop,
homes, churches, bars, hair salons, grocery stores, government buildings, and
the library. I frequently see chickens and dogs wandering from yard to yard and
from time to time a donkey or goat will cross the road. If I am awake enough I
may sing one of the songs my Language and Cultural Facilitator has taught us.
For instance, “Re tswa Amerkia/ Re baithaopi/ Re ithuta Setswana/ Re ithuta le
ngwo” (We come from America/ We are volunteers/ We are learning Setswana/ We
are learning the culture).
I’ll
usually reach at the teacher’s college (locally known as the TCC) where we have
our classes by about 7:15. Sessions begin at eight but if I arrive early there
are only one or two other people using the internet which means I can actually
connect and send an email or two.
The day
is jam packed. We cover subjects from Setswana (studying it almost every day
and sometimes twice a day) to development to strategies for keeping ourselves
healthy. Today, a large portion of the day was spent on the basics of HIV/AIDS
which will be extremely helpful since every Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana
is addressing the epidemic.
When
sessions finish at five or five-thirty it’s time to make the long walk home.
While I’m always tired after such a full day, the walk gives my brain a chance
to rest before starting on my homework. Just as in the morning, many people
greet me. Yesterday a woman even had a full conversation with me and insisted
on walking me half way home. It turned out she was the neighbor of a married
couple who are also Peace Corps Trainees.
As I
approach the house, Mé is almost always outside. We greet each other, ask how
the other’s day went, and express that we’re happy to see one another. I head
inside to do homework. I usually have some Setswana (which my family often helps
me with) and some programing notes to review. We have biweekly assignments
which are broken into smaller pieces making it very easy to do a little bit
each day.
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| Ivy, Mé, and Jade |
If homework doesn’t take too long I assist Girly (pronounced
Gelé) or Ivy, my host sisters, with the cooking. Assist might be too generous a
term. They’re teaching me how to cook the Setswana way. Some days, Matlhodi, my
mother’s nephew will spend the evenings with us. He likes to help me with my
language skills and make sure everything is going well. My first weekend in
Serowe he showed me around the village and how to walk to the TCC.
After a
little time with the family and a second bath it’s time for bed. If I’m not too
tired I might do some leisure reading but most days I’m so beat I’m asleep by
nine-thirty. My life during Pre-Service Training (PST) is exhausting but I’m
having the best time of my life.
~Jade
