Arrived in Gaborone!

I've arrived in Gaborone, Botswana and so far am enjoying all of the new experiences.  It is definitely a different culture here...a different pace.  The people (Batswana) walk almost everywhere...and at such a slow pace!!!  I told many people back home that Botswana is very westernized and developed...and it is not at all at the level of development that I made it out to be.  Don't get me wrong, it is far from the village life that some people inquired about, but it is definitely not some suburban city far removed from the traditional lifestyle.  It is very much an incorporation of both the traditional and modern way of life.  Since 1966, when the Botswana gained independence and its democracy started, many changes have been made.  Roads, offices, schools, and many other buildings have been built, but it is still not similar to a nice and well-kept city in which most of us live.  As far as the rate of development, it is one of the fastest in the world, with the growth in per capita income being 9% per year.  (Most of this is due to the discovery of diamonds in 1967...luckily for Botswana, this was just one year after the British left because the country was too 'poor'.)  If they have accomplished so much in the last several decades, I can't even imagine what the country will like in another 20 years.  I think I was telling people how developed Botswana was to sort of calm them (and myself) down and decrease the expected cultural differences that I would be experiencing.  However, there are many, many differences and I've only experienced a very small amount.

I am in a week of orientation now, and class at the University of Botswana starts on Monday, January 11.  I have my classes picked out, but due to a few differences from what I'd told my advisers at Tulsa, I'm going to have to contact them to let them know.  As of tonight, I'm taking physical chemistry, physics, demographics of HIV/AIDS, and two Setswana language courses.  I also may take a soccer class...which would be really fun, but it meets at 7am!!!  (to avoid the 110 degree heat)  I'm really looking forward to the classes.  I will probably be the only white person in most of them.  I also don't think most of the academic buildings are air conditioned.  I hope my physical chemistry lab is....heat and chemicals don't mix well.

The "hotel" we're staying in until Wednesday isn't so much of a hotel at all...it's more like a one-story, 8-bedroom bed-and-breakfast...that's the best comparison I can think of.  They call it a "guest house."  Joyce, who owns it, lived here with her children, and now that they are all old and moved out.  So, she bought the place next store and uses her old house as a guest house.  It surrounded by a 5 ft wall, complete with electric wiring.  We each share a room with one other student, but have a nice bed to ourselves.  I believe this is our last night here though...we all go to our home/dorm stays tomorrow.  There are 11 students in the program...all very nice and intelligent.  I found 3 bio buddies, so that is comforting :)
It is very humid here...not as hot as I was expecting, but very humid.  I am sweating a lot!  The guest house has air conditioning but it is only used at night.  During the day, the windows are open for fresh air, and for cries of neighboring babies and roosters.  I hear it supposed to get VERY hot here pretty soon...we have been lucky for the last few days with lower-than-normal temperatures.  I think 110 degrees is not an uncommon temperature!

Two other students and myself were here all day Monday, before the other students arrived that evening.  We able to get a tour of the city from a local guy.  They drive on the left side here...something I'd like to try...but also something with a high possibility of me turning down the wrong side of the road.  We saw the president's house...and got in trouble by the guards for taking pictures of it!  I guess they don't like that.  They just had elections last fall, and Ian Khama, the eldest son of the first president, Sir Seretse Khama (a former chief), was elected.  Also saw several malls they have here...sort of like two-level outdoor strip malls...looked nice!

Looking forward to:

• Meeting my host family tomorrow!  Hope they have kids...that play soccer!  Also hope they don't live too far from campus.
  
• Learning more Setswana in our second language course tomorrow.
• Going shopping tomorrow and seeing more of the city.
• Getting an internship at the hospital here...if possible, would like to focus on an HIV/AIDS issue.

Go siame!!  (Go well; pronounced 'ho see-eh-ma')