Recently in Encyclopedia of Life in Botswana Category

I'm going to let the picture do the talking on this one. All I'm going to add is that Botswana has the most amazing sunsets. Especially out in the villages. They pass quickly but they're almost always brilliant like this.

Have you seen the first episode in the BBC series Planet Earth? One of the major story lines features water coming into the Okavango Delta in Botswana. I love that episode. (And if you haven't seen the entire Planet Earth series go out and watch it. Right now!)

The Delta (as we called it for short) is one of the most amazing places I've seen in my life. This picture is just from the edge of it, taken at Swamp Stop in Sepopa. We were so lucky to be able to visit a couple of times during our Peace Corps service.

In pre-service training you learn all about "community entry" - basically the process of becoming accepted among the people you live and work with. As part of our community entry strategy Brian and I made rice krispie treats and brought them over to our neighbors. They were a big hit.

I sometimes get questions from people who read the blog and are getting ready to join Peace Corps with a spouse. They want to know what it’s like to serve as a married couple. Do you fight more? Is it harder or easier than being single? The first thing I always write back is that Peace Corps is rough on a relationship but probably not for the reasons you think. It’s also great for a relationship, but also not for the reasons you think.

One big benefit to doing Peace Corps as a couple is having another person to bounce ideas off of and just hash issues out. Having Brian around has been totally invaluable for me in this respect. In fact I can honestly say that I would not have made it through my first year without his support. At the same time this can be a source of difficulty. When one spouse struggles it puts a strain on your entire relationship. Our first year was especially rough because I was struggling with counterpart issues and for Brian there was basically no way to escape it. We lived together, worked across the parking lot from each other, ate lunch together and did everything TOGETHER. That was hard. Coming to Gabs for our third year has allowed us to be more “normal.’ I work in one direction from home and he works in the opposite direction. We’ll sometimes get together for lunch, but for the most part we don’t see each other during the day. Feeling normal really helps.

Occasionally I’ll be envious of single PCVs who get to be independent and live on their own. Then a bug will come in the room, Brian will kill it and I’m over my envy. For me, however, the big deal breaker is trying to imagine NOT sharing this whole experience with someone Peace Corps is life altering in so many ways and I just don’t know how single PCVs feel complete when there’s nobody who understands it completely. So ultimately I think Peace Corps is great for relationships because you have the person you love most sharing your life altering experience and that person will know you and love you all the more for getting through it together.

No, not the movie I'm talking about my office space here in Bots. You see, I've been kind of spoiled since graduating from college and have always had my own office. Therefore sharing an office with my counterparts in Molepolole (Nancy and then Mma Maphane) took some adjusting. I think that sharing an office in the US probably wouldn't be that bad. Here, however, it usually means usually means that your officemate will go through your desk or rearrange the stuff on your desk at anytime. That was pretty annoying. For example, the DHT didn't keep toilet paper in the bathroom. Instead the supplies lady (Mma Noko) would come around every couple of weeks and issue everyone their own roll. (They also did this with pens.) I tended not to use my whole roll and usually had more than one hiding in a desk drawer. If I was gone for a day it was guaranteed that any stockpile of TP would be gone. When I came to BOTUSA I originally shared a portacabin that had several desks in an open space. Within a few days, however, construction was complete on a new portacabin with actual offices and I was the first to move in. I was thrilled to find out that not only would I have my own office but it came completely furnished with guest chairs and a bookshelf. I will never take having my own office for granted again.

Marsha gave me and Brian magazine subscriptions for our first Christmas here. Brian’s is for Sports Illustrated and mine is for People. The magazines are sent to her house in the U.S. first and then she bundles them up and ships them once or twice a month. It is such a treat. I don’t think I’ve ever been as up-to-date on celebrity gossip as I am now, even given that the magazines are about 2-3 weeks late. The best part about magazines subscriptions is they’re the gift that keeps on giving. We read them and then pass them along to other volunteers and I have never had a problem getting others to take them.

In Botswana potato chips (aka “crisps”) come in every flavor imaginable: Fried chicken, Peri-Peri, sour cream and onion, cheese and onion, chutney, beef jerky, salt and vinegar, Mexican chili, etc. (Just to be clear “chips” refer to French fries.) For a long time my favorite flavor good ol’ “lightly salted” (or plain.) Problem was plain crisps were hard to find in Moleps so they became a treat when we came to Gabs. I still enjoy Lightly Salted but now my favorite flavor is Oven Roasted Chicken and Thyme by Lays. Yummmmm. They’re extra yummy dipped in ranch dressing. I also really enjoy the Woolworth’s brand crisps that are “Sea Salt and Crushed Pepper” flavor. Ooooh. Bet you can’t eat just one!

Setswana for "no." It's one of those little sounds that you take for granted but will totally make you stick out if you say it in the U.S. Also in that category: "Ee" (I say this often to our French teacher); "this side" or "that side" as in "My office is that side"; and "yeah, no" as in "yeah, no, I totally agree."

Another thing I miss about life in Molepolole is having kids in the neighborhood over at our house. Or even having kids around. Pretty much everyone in our neighborhood has tall walls with electric fencing so we just don't see kids playing in the street like we did in Moleps. Sometimes I miss that alot. But, don't get me wrong, having kids around all the time wasn't always idyllic. There was one little girl who was maybe the cutest little girl ever but a terrorist when she didn't get her way. And sometimes the group would get a little bratty and ask "why?" when we said no to doing something. Then we had to start saying no to everything for a while just so they wouldn't take us for granted.

Nevertheless, some highlights of our neighbor kids in Moleps include:

• Field day with the kids basically racing around the house a million times. Foot races, wheelbarrow races, one-foot jumping races, you name it. (See picture.)


• The first time we had a big rainstorm a large puddle formed in the street. Brian taught the kids to make paper boats and then they raced them in the puddle.


• Playing frisbee or softball in the street.


• Teaching the kids to play Uno. They got the general idea but could never remember to take turns.


• Brian's "basimane power trio" with three little boys playing the guitar, harmonica and drums.


• Coloring on the porch

We have the best full moons here – especially out in the village or when you’re camping and there are no street lights to block out its light. When the moon is full it feels like early morning all night, but when the moon is new the darkness is completely consuming. One of the things I miss most about life in the village is enjoying the full moon. The full moon effect just isn’t the same in the city. Our friends gave me this Full Moon Calendar pictured for my birthday last year. I will be taking it with me so that I can reminisce about the bright Botswana moon at the right time of each month.