I don't have much time but I wanted to post some of the interesting cultural differences I've been noting as I've been here. Things are great, my family is really neat and has been helping me with my Setswana, even though they mostly speak English. On Friday night a small group of us went to a music festival of sorts with all local bands that was awesome. We were the only makoa(white people) to stand up and dance and we actually got cheered on when we got up, it was great. Hope everyone is well!
-It is expected that we take 2 baths/showers a day, even if our families don't, because a stereotype of westerners is that we are very clean
-Almost all food is eaten with your hands, rice, corn, meat. My family still gives me a fork and knife but I'm the only one that is given them, so I haven't been using them.
-People are shocked when we are able to use even basic Setswana, which says a lot about the ex-pat population here. Some ex-pats even boast about the fact that they have managed to avoid learning the language, which is a bit disheartening
-children are expected to do all the serving when it comes to food, so at big parties, all the kids will make plates and take them to the parents before they are allowed to get food themselves, which def expedites the process when it comes to some of the large gatherings I've been to of 40+ people.
All for now. My family is buying pani worms, a Botswana favorite, which is actually a caterpillar about 5 inches in length that is braii-ed(barbequed) and eaten, so I'll def be updating about that experience!
Cheers!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Back in Gabs!
Dumela!
Sorry for the long lapse in updates. I just arrived back into the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, after spending two weeks in homestay in a village about 45 minutes outside the city.
Although very tired, I am having a great time. Homestay was very cool, I spoke a ton of Setswana( my skills have greatly improved!), drank bush tea, played with goats, learned how to make bread from scratch(and several types at that!), listened to a lot of old school rap, learned how to use a pit latrine rather than a flush toilet, watched a ton of Generations (a South African soap opera that everyone here loves and follows religiously, dinner in my house was served every night to coincide with watching it as we ate.), and met a lot of new people. My host family was great, very supportive of my learning and willing to take me all the places of interest within the village. It's the summer here, so air con was def something I miss, seeing as how it was often 95 degrees in my room where I was sleeping at 1 or 2 am, but I got used to it.
We also have gone on a few excursions, where, among other things, we went on a game drive (where we saw giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, and ostrich), learned how to track rhinos, and ended up getting within 40 feets of 3 fully grown, wild rhinos (very cool, granted a bit nerve wracking!), learned about natural products that come from the ecosystem, such as fruits, honey, etc., and finally climbed to the top of the hill that overlooks Gaborone, a humbling experience.
Botswana is amazing! The people are very friendly, especially if you make an attempt to speak Setswana with them. A few people have asked if I get nervous at all, and I'm getting more and more used to being the minority in every situation. People are always willing to help and show you the way or a lot of the time, walk you to your destination. Crime is very low and usually petty, so no worries there. As for food, nothing too weird yet, a lot of starches, sorghum, maize, and rice mostly, along with chicken and beef.
I'm in Gabs for the next 3 weeks, so more updates will come soon, maybe with another pic or two! I hope everyone is well!
Sorry for the long lapse in updates. I just arrived back into the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, after spending two weeks in homestay in a village about 45 minutes outside the city.
Although very tired, I am having a great time. Homestay was very cool, I spoke a ton of Setswana( my skills have greatly improved!), drank bush tea, played with goats, learned how to make bread from scratch(and several types at that!), listened to a lot of old school rap, learned how to use a pit latrine rather than a flush toilet, watched a ton of Generations (a South African soap opera that everyone here loves and follows religiously, dinner in my house was served every night to coincide with watching it as we ate.), and met a lot of new people. My host family was great, very supportive of my learning and willing to take me all the places of interest within the village. It's the summer here, so air con was def something I miss, seeing as how it was often 95 degrees in my room where I was sleeping at 1 or 2 am, but I got used to it.
We also have gone on a few excursions, where, among other things, we went on a game drive (where we saw giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, and ostrich), learned how to track rhinos, and ended up getting within 40 feets of 3 fully grown, wild rhinos (very cool, granted a bit nerve wracking!), learned about natural products that come from the ecosystem, such as fruits, honey, etc., and finally climbed to the top of the hill that overlooks Gaborone, a humbling experience.
Botswana is amazing! The people are very friendly, especially if you make an attempt to speak Setswana with them. A few people have asked if I get nervous at all, and I'm getting more and more used to being the minority in every situation. People are always willing to help and show you the way or a lot of the time, walk you to your destination. Crime is very low and usually petty, so no worries there. As for food, nothing too weird yet, a lot of starches, sorghum, maize, and rice mostly, along with chicken and beef.
I'm in Gabs for the next 3 weeks, so more updates will come soon, maybe with another pic or two! I hope everyone is well!
Monday, February 1, 2010
African Crashcourse
Dumelang!
I am loving it here so far, the people are very friendly, I'm with a great group of other students, and the country is beautiful. I'm having trouble uploading pictures, but I will try again when I have internet again. Our days have been spent in a combination of culture adjustment activities, Setswana language classes, and game drives/walks. The people here are all very friendly, as long as you are polite and present yourself well.
We are currently in the middle of our "drop off" activity, where myself and 2 of the other students were dropped off in a shopping center/market in the capital city of Gaborone with a set of objectives and a place that we must meet the group at the end of our time.
We have seen so much wildlife already, elephants, wildebeest, ostrich, impala, kudu, warthog, and hornbills. The pictures I'm sending will be of some of those. It's going to be very hard going back to normal school at UPS when here our classroom is outdoors and we regularly see kudu and families of warthogs grazing around our class, as it's happening!
Everyday it seems like we get several reminders of the fact that we are in Africa, and just visitors to the bush. Last night, we got back late from watching the Africa Cup Soccer finals in Gaborone, and one of the other guys walked into the bathroom, only to find a Spitting Cobra coiled in the middle of the floor. Needless to say we all rushed into the bathroom and watched the "snake guy" come and get it, not without it spitting several times at him and putting up a good fight. The Cobra is one of the most deadly snakes on the continent, and can spit up to 3 meters.
Today was had our first thunderstorm, but with only light rain. At the end of classes today, two people from the animal rehab center here at the nature reserve came and brought a Marsh owl, which I got to touch, an African Peregrine Falcon, which I got to hold, two Rock Boa Constrictors, the smaller of which I held, and a Puff Adder, one of the seven most deadly snakes in Africa.
I'm already beginning to see why people who come to Africa fall in love with it and don't want to leave. We start our first homestay on Wednesday, so I'm excited to start using my Setswana skills and learn what it's like to live in a small village (3,000 people).
I'll hopefully post pictures soon, it will be a while before I can post again since I'll be out of contact, but I'll try again soon. Hope everyone is doing well!
Go siame!
I am loving it here so far, the people are very friendly, I'm with a great group of other students, and the country is beautiful. I'm having trouble uploading pictures, but I will try again when I have internet again. Our days have been spent in a combination of culture adjustment activities, Setswana language classes, and game drives/walks. The people here are all very friendly, as long as you are polite and present yourself well.
We are currently in the middle of our "drop off" activity, where myself and 2 of the other students were dropped off in a shopping center/market in the capital city of Gaborone with a set of objectives and a place that we must meet the group at the end of our time.
We have seen so much wildlife already, elephants, wildebeest, ostrich, impala, kudu, warthog, and hornbills. The pictures I'm sending will be of some of those. It's going to be very hard going back to normal school at UPS when here our classroom is outdoors and we regularly see kudu and families of warthogs grazing around our class, as it's happening!
Everyday it seems like we get several reminders of the fact that we are in Africa, and just visitors to the bush. Last night, we got back late from watching the Africa Cup Soccer finals in Gaborone, and one of the other guys walked into the bathroom, only to find a Spitting Cobra coiled in the middle of the floor. Needless to say we all rushed into the bathroom and watched the "snake guy" come and get it, not without it spitting several times at him and putting up a good fight. The Cobra is one of the most deadly snakes on the continent, and can spit up to 3 meters.
Today was had our first thunderstorm, but with only light rain. At the end of classes today, two people from the animal rehab center here at the nature reserve came and brought a Marsh owl, which I got to touch, an African Peregrine Falcon, which I got to hold, two Rock Boa Constrictors, the smaller of which I held, and a Puff Adder, one of the seven most deadly snakes in Africa.
I'm already beginning to see why people who come to Africa fall in love with it and don't want to leave. We start our first homestay on Wednesday, so I'm excited to start using my Setswana skills and learn what it's like to live in a small village (3,000 people).
I'll hopefully post pictures soon, it will be a while before I can post again since I'll be out of contact, but I'll try again soon. Hope everyone is doing well!
Go siame!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Pictures
Pictures from my first few days here! My comp is about to die, but I will write soon! Hope everyone is doing well, cause I ceratinly am! Africa is beautiful!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
2 Finals Thoughts
2 things I thought of:
1. Here's a really cool photo gallery from previous semesters in Botswana with SIT
http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/photos_bce.cfm
2. My address for letters in country is as follows:
Tim Van Loan
c/o Stewart Chirova
Private Bag T010, Suite 91
Postnet Tlokweng
Tlokweng, Botswana
I would love to get updates from the states about how people are doing, plus I will write back! And who doesn't love getting mail? Just no packages, as, according to my academic director, packages can take months to get through customs, and often don't come out with everything that it came in with.
Hope to hear from you all!
1. Here's a really cool photo gallery from previous semesters in Botswana with SIT
http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/photos_bce.cfm
2. My address for letters in country is as follows:
Tim Van Loan
c/o Stewart Chirova
Private Bag T010, Suite 91
Postnet Tlokweng
Tlokweng, Botswana
I would love to get updates from the states about how people are doing, plus I will write back! And who doesn't love getting mail? Just no packages, as, according to my academic director, packages can take months to get through customs, and often don't come out with everything that it came in with.
Hope to hear from you all!
Getting Started
Welcome to the blog that will document my semester in Botswana! I've known I was in this program for close to 6 months now, and in just 48 hours I will be on a flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
I'm starting my trip from Phoenix, AZ on the 26th, where I will fly to London on British Air, switch planes and fly to Johannesburg, South Africa. On the 28th I fly from Joburg to Gaborone, Botswana where my program starts.
There are 10 other students in my program, all of whom are form around the US. My program is titled Community Based Natural Resource Management, which essentially means I will be spending the semester looking at ways communities go about taking care of, or taking advantage of the environment, flora, and fauna. While I do have 4 classes that I will be receiving credit for, they aren't your typical, single professor, rigidly structured classes. Instead, all courses are supplemented by field excursions, hands-on lab and experimentation, and home stays. Some highlights I'm especially excited for are learning to track rhinos, lions, and hyenas in the field, identifying and using medicinal plants, and working with an organization called Living With Elephants, where we will observe the effects local elephant populations can have on farming communities, and explore solutions to allow for coexistence between human and elephant populations.
My program lasts from January 28th to May 12th, after which I will be traveling around the African continent. Although specifics of what I'll be doing in each location are still a bit up in the air I have a basic itinerary worked out. On May 12th, I will fly from Gaborone, Botswana to Inhambane, Mozambique. Mozambique is 172/182 on the Human Development Index, one of the lowest in the world. While there I will be taking advantage of my recent SCUBA certification by spending 7 days diving with Manta Rays, Hammerheads, Whale Sharks, and a massive variety of tropical reef life.
From Mozambique, I will fly to Livingstone, Zambia, one of two access points to Victoria Falls. While the falls are neither the longest or tallest in the world, they are considered to be the largest based on the area of falling water, making it the largest sheet of constantly falling water in the world. I'm planning on doing some bungee jumping, going on an elephant back safari, and who knows what else while.
The final leg of my trip takes me form Livingstone to Cairo, Egypt. I'll spend my 21st bday in Egypt, going to the pyramids, Sphyinx, and possibly the Valley of the Kings, time permitting.
On the 29th of May I'll leave Cairo at 5am, and land in Seattle at noon the same day.
I didn't write much about Botswana itself, cause I figure my time in the country will lead me to write more about the people, culture, and land. I am unbelievably excited for my trip, I can't wait to get started!
I'll have limited internet access, so my school email, comments on here, and Facebook will be the best ways to contact me, but don't expect a reply for a few days! I'll write again once I'm in country!
Tim
I'm starting my trip from Phoenix, AZ on the 26th, where I will fly to London on British Air, switch planes and fly to Johannesburg, South Africa. On the 28th I fly from Joburg to Gaborone, Botswana where my program starts.
There are 10 other students in my program, all of whom are form around the US. My program is titled Community Based Natural Resource Management, which essentially means I will be spending the semester looking at ways communities go about taking care of, or taking advantage of the environment, flora, and fauna. While I do have 4 classes that I will be receiving credit for, they aren't your typical, single professor, rigidly structured classes. Instead, all courses are supplemented by field excursions, hands-on lab and experimentation, and home stays. Some highlights I'm especially excited for are learning to track rhinos, lions, and hyenas in the field, identifying and using medicinal plants, and working with an organization called Living With Elephants, where we will observe the effects local elephant populations can have on farming communities, and explore solutions to allow for coexistence between human and elephant populations.
My program lasts from January 28th to May 12th, after which I will be traveling around the African continent. Although specifics of what I'll be doing in each location are still a bit up in the air I have a basic itinerary worked out. On May 12th, I will fly from Gaborone, Botswana to Inhambane, Mozambique. Mozambique is 172/182 on the Human Development Index, one of the lowest in the world. While there I will be taking advantage of my recent SCUBA certification by spending 7 days diving with Manta Rays, Hammerheads, Whale Sharks, and a massive variety of tropical reef life.
From Mozambique, I will fly to Livingstone, Zambia, one of two access points to Victoria Falls. While the falls are neither the longest or tallest in the world, they are considered to be the largest based on the area of falling water, making it the largest sheet of constantly falling water in the world. I'm planning on doing some bungee jumping, going on an elephant back safari, and who knows what else while.
The final leg of my trip takes me form Livingstone to Cairo, Egypt. I'll spend my 21st bday in Egypt, going to the pyramids, Sphyinx, and possibly the Valley of the Kings, time permitting.
On the 29th of May I'll leave Cairo at 5am, and land in Seattle at noon the same day.
I didn't write much about Botswana itself, cause I figure my time in the country will lead me to write more about the people, culture, and land. I am unbelievably excited for my trip, I can't wait to get started!
I'll have limited internet access, so my school email, comments on here, and Facebook will be the best ways to contact me, but don't expect a reply for a few days! I'll write again once I'm in country!
Tim
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