So I recently had a crisis of authorship when I began listing those reading my blog. I realized that my mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother, a priest, a J.U.N.T.A. member, a motswana, and dread-locked geology major are all reading my blog (just to mention a few) and I do not know to which audience I ought to cater my writing. I have pondered this dilemma and ultimately decided that since Stephanie has by far left the best commentary responding to the blog, I will cater it towards her.
With that out of the way, I have a minimal update on that boy who I wish had a liver fluke, who forthwith shall be referred to as TBIWHLF. Apparently, he has been approaching my friends about setting me up with him, naturally assuming that since I am white I must therefore be desperate for a motswana boy to "get to know biblically" whilst in Botswana. Unfortunately, TBIWHLF has not approached me directly so I have not yet gotten to a)give him a piece of my mind b)casually mention/ demonstrate my ninja skill set or c)find him an actual liver-fluke muffin (by the way, could such a dish still be technically vegan?) When the moment comes, however, this blog will be the first artificial/ cyberspace reality to know the details.
In other news, today was the first day of the month and therefore the first allowance day of the semester. There were 25+ people long ATM lines around campus; right next to the ATMs were giant posters with a peeing man on them that reminded the populace: "Avoid indiscriminate Urinating; protect the environment!" courtesy of botswana's equivalent to the EPA. I appreciated the passive-aggressive timing of the signs as the first of the month is apparently a huge drinking day on campus but, firstly, I don't think "indiscriminate urinating" is the biggest threat to the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa and, secondly, I don't know that a 3ft-tall poster with a urinating man is necessarily the best way to get one's message across (wonder if he's buddies with the bunny creator?) Naturally we are sending a contingent of international students to steal the poster as soon as the ATM line dies down (some time next week). I will keep you posted as to the success of the operation/ if I need bail money wired to Africa in Pula.
In the category of the very exciting, I was given the name and basic info of the host family with which I will live for ten days starting saturday. I will be living with a mother, father, and their two sons (ages 5 and 13) in Mochudi, about an hour outside of Gaborone. I am really stoked but also nervous- I guess I have to pretend to be normal for a while, shoot. They are supposed to treat me as their daughter, chores and all, and I am going to get a real taste of Setswana rural life. Altho I won't be able to blog during the week (I have a hunch) I will collect stories and pictures in the interim.
As always.....Details to come!
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You have mentioned several times an urge to steal things in Botswana... I just wanted to draw your attention to this. Also, I wanted to let you know that I have found temporary replacement walking buddies, but I find our "gossip walks" to be of a much more substantial and scandalous nature.
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