Internet is terrible in Africa =(

Sorry everyone!

I had a shortage of internet here because I was worried I was going to run out of South African currency (Rand?). I am now in Gaborone, Botswana but let me tell you how I got here.

4/18-4/19
So yes New York. I didn't get to see much of it since we headed straight for the airport. I was so sad in the airport. I didn't have a phone, so I tried to call people using another PCV's phone but no one could really talk. =(

We all boarded the flight to South Africa which had a stop in Dakur, Senegal. We didn't get off the plane but we got to stretch out and another hour later we were on our way. It was a terribly long flight and I saw movie after movie. The seats didn't give much room and my seat wouldn't stay reclined... which made it difficult to sleep.
16+ hours later we're in South Africa! We got into our hotel, not even a 10 minute drive from the airport, at about 8 pm. I guess Peace Corps decided to spoil us a bit because this hotel was VERY nice. I had a wonderful dinner (some kind of cous cous pasta thing), got on the internet for a bit then went to bed. Next morning, I enjoyed an absolutely free and fabulous breakfast which included French toast with chocolate sauce, papaya, passion fruit, and guava juice.

Sunday morn we headed off to bus to Botswana. Unfortunately the most interesting animal we saw on the road was a cardboard cutout zebra even though we passed a game reserve and roadkill. We saw beautiful houses and buildings in South Africa and also the very opposite. I think seeing these ‘shantytowns’ was my first realization I was in Africa. When we got to the border, we had to leave the bus to go through customs … so we literally walked into Botswana. By then, I was so glad to stretch my legs and look around I had no complaints. A short drive later, we arrived at our motel, which was polar opposite in quality to the hotel we stayed at in South Africa. Training was done here where volunteers have been stuck with at most 6 shots [yellow fever, hep a, hep b, meningitis, typhoid, tetanus] with rabies, flu and a whole bunch more to come! I lucked out and I only needed three so far. Our language lessons have also started and I am struggling with Setswana, which requires lots of different tongue movements to make different sounds. My notes are actually partially in Korean because some of the sounds are more similar to it! Besides the preparing for the real training in Molepolole, we have had some meet and greets and lots of lectures. Food consists of lots of chicken, lots of beef, lots of starches & carbs ie rice, potatoes, bland cornmeal resembling grits supposedly and very little vegetables. The fruit juices owever, in Africa are incredible, even simple apple juice tastes better. Oh and they have incredible desserts... many of them like bread pudding and always with some sort of liquid "custard" thing poured all over it. OH! and we have "tea time" with BUSH TEA and little sandwiches or biscuits! There goes my diet plan. What else? I got my first sunburn in years but some of the other volunteers seem a bit worse off... oh and there are kitties all over the hotel that crave attention. Um, other observations... the toilet paper here is narrower, the toilets flush funny (like a small waterfall), lots of bugs and etc...

I found out more about what my job is in. My job title is a Life Skills Technical Advisor and I'm working on a pilot program for the Peace Corps. I'm going to mainly work in schools and work closely with educators and my "counterpart" will probably be an a principal or some high administrator. Lots of Batswana children live in boarding schools so I guess it will be a different experience. I think we're expected to teach a little of everything, be a counselor, be an administrator, and try to make this program sustainable for the next PCVs. We're also expected to do a secondary job and I hope I can find a clinic to work in! I'll find out more about my job tomorrow.

I am meeting my host family tomorrow. Honestly, I am terrified. I hope, no, I KNOW things will work out and I will have an awesome experience but I just can’t help the nervous butterflies in my stomach.

I wanted to say goodbye to ya’ll for a bit… I have no clue when I can get access to internet again… it may be one day… or 2 months (the length of my homestay)!

Oh, I do have a cell phone now so if you’d like to call me please email me! I would love the phone calls (especially since they’re free for me!) and if I can’t get to you, I will do my best to call you back.

I will see the REAL Botswana tomorrow… wish me luck! Oh, and my tentative last day is June 18th 2010.

Go Siame~

--Nicole--