Hey baby I love you

We call them cat calls in America and feel uncomfortable and degraded by them in Botswana the same calls can be considered true proposals of love. I thought this was an over exaggeration but nope. Men in Botswana will greet you will an Ke a go rata (I love you) marry me baby.  This proclamation maybe shocking but we have to consider the Setswana Language where is only one word for love and like, which is rata. So as my language teacher has explained after 5 mintues in Botswana “I love you” “I like you” ga go na mathata (no worries) and sure I can laugh off an I love you from a group of drunks or old men as I’m walking to school but it’s when the love you’s come with touchy hands and demands of a phone number that a smile and keep walking just doesn’t cut it.  When I arrived in Botswana I was worried about being the only girl in my group and when I met my fellow classmates I won’t lie knew I was on my own. They didn’t seem like the type who would step up for me and that’s not what many of you reading want to hear but this is Zina I can handle myself. But honestly I arrived in Bots drained my summer with UB took my sassy and pep and I was in a very shy place.

So when the guys approached a Motswana I usually hung off t the side trying not to attract attention, but this is not the best position to be in either. I’m still working on figuring out how to fit into the gender roles of Botswana and not have to worry too much. The boys in the group have stayed up a lot and I thank them I feel bad for doubting them but I’m not going to rest on expectations. I have heard its just the older men that are this way, and I agree young men seem less aggressive but like in most hyper masculine societies a no is not taken as easily as one you hope. However, My cab driver blew off a man today who has yelling about wanting a kiss and told me not to worry and drove away quickly. It all makes you think especially coming from the Bowdoin bubble. 

Female dominance and Brazilian meat

First day back in Gaborone and it was a short but very “full” day. After my messy next from Manyana, I arrived at the program house where we agreed that we would check our emails and what not for an hour drop off at the B&B we are staying at then roll to Game city for some lunch! Over the past month and a half the one thing everyone on the trip could agree on was that we were, dare I say, desperately missing FOOD.  Although I personally really enjoyed having plechece, I can’t say I will miss eating bogobe or dikgobe multiple times a week. So after sorting through tons of emails and messages (totally feeling the love guys!) we sat down at WIMPIS for a delicious meal. I ordered Double bacon, creamy avocado, cheese burger and fries with a single shot espresso milkshake follow later by a very yummy chocolate sundae. Might sound heavy but I haven’t been so hungry is a very long time there was silence and smiles all around. After some shopping and chilling, the true meal the boys had been waiting for arrived. During our previous stay in Gabz they came across this Brazilian restaurant that does the endless meat thing, sorry I’m so uncultured I don’t know what it is called but if you have seen Bridesmaids its exactly like the scene where they go out to the Brazilin place and end up sick minus the vomit). So being with five guys of course the challenge of who could last the most rounds came up, and SPOILER if you know me you know my motto “IF I THIINK I CAN DO IT THEN I CAN” . No way I was backing out of this especially when Mpho and Katlego were my only competition, seeing that Batsi had no interest and Thato and Thelego (the two nama kings) had thrown in the towel. I surprisingly got the second vote of confidence after it was clearly stated that Katlego couldn’t hang. Mpho was certain that he would defeat me and I was certain I was going to give him hell. Sure, I was totally falling into an unnecessary competition to prove myself to these boys, who, I think, I had already made up my failing at Kgale hill to but 120 pula ($15 US) and bragging rights were on the line!  By around 14 of chicken, beef, lamb, pork, every fucking meat known to be delicious, discussion of if vomiting was permitted started and shortly after Mpho gracefully bowed out, reassuring my victory. Although Katelgo had his own point to prove, by the time 3 more round came and went from my plate his was falling behind and with a little more shit talking from me his towel was chucked into the pile, 80 pula went into my pocket, 20 to Thelego who wisely bet on me and my belt went into my bag. How did victory taste? Full as FUCK! I don’t think I have ever, EVER in my life eaten so much, especially that much meat, but after some Sprite, a BTV movie some rolling around on my bed I’m good and I can’t wait to bring up my victory at breakfast tomorrow. 

Taking a bit of Manyana

I had a very quick and unemotional goodbye with my Manyana host family at seven this morning. I was disappointed with my stay and myself, not because anything went particularly wrong, I had quite the uneventful stay in comparison to my other classmates. Rather I was disappointed because I felt that I had failed to make a deep connection with my host family or any members of the Manyana community. Many times I allowed myself to fall to the background during group interactions with new people for different reasons but all can be simply categorized under discomfort. As I clean out my room I thought over how I would appropriately thank and say goodbye to my host mother, although we didn’t bond much, she opened her home and family to me for a month and really cared for me when I got sick. But just as I was thinking think over Mme called me asking where was I because the kombi was at the school and I wasn’t. I rushed through the small village on the cloudiest I’ve experienced in Manyana, quickly giving greetings of Dumela as always getting a few extra strange looks because I was carrying my life on my back, my mother shouted a greeting to me as I passed the clinic, I quickly waved thinking I would return to hug her goodbye. When I made it to the school all the children and women that I interacted with on the daily and my classmates were waiting, upon seeing me quick final goodbyes were said and everyone entered the kombi. I dropped my things and began a second round of what I thought would be unemotional goodbyes however, I was met by Kabo’s (Cameron) host mother who stopped hugged me tightly giving me well wishes holding me close. Her eyes were filled with joy to have met and that was simply enough to valuate the whole month I spent in the village of Manyana. Then we were off! Too bad in the hurried exit (everyone had been anxiously awaiting or exit from Manyana for a few days now) I forgot to give my mme a hug and more importantly the house keys! 

Hiking and Starry nights

There is not much to do while in Manyana so today when our field trip to the rock paintings fell apart in typical “Botswana Time” fashion, my classmates and I decide that we would do a little exploring of our own. In the distance we spotted a nice pyramid rock formations and planed that we would head over and try to reach the peak by 4 ish and if we couldn’t we should head back to town because we all have been warned about going out at night. This hike lead us through what would have been “lands” but were now full of tonki, kgomo and podi shit and carcasses and a few live ones every now and then. We when reached the top, which I did more successfully than when climbing Kgale Hill. At the peak you could out over the whole village and we all took a moment to take in that we are in Africa, although it still hasn’t seemed to hit us. The setting of Manyana is very much similar to the flat desert of Arizona or Utah part of me wishes that I had traveled to a more jungle rich area but I know that when winter lifts it will become even more beautiful. While on top of the Legoka rock which we took the liberty of naming we agreed that we would meet up later to check out the stars since its warming up and beautiful at night. Upon return to our home we got very strange looks when we said we went hiking. Although there is great exploring to do all around the people of Manyana rather spend their free time watching South African soaps or drinking both which I will discuss in a different post. If the idea of hiking, which there is no word for in Setswana, seemed crazy to our families’ the request to go stargazing was mind blowing. Many of our parents out right said that no it was not safe to be out and others didn’t understand why we would want to do such a thing. Three of us made it out and we shocked by how lively the village of Manyana is at night both local bars were very busy and there were many people on the streets. Sitting under the stars allowed for us to talk about how we are noticing more each day that Manyana is a place that is on a very different time and value schedule than what we are used to, but before we could dive too deep into the conversions we all had parents calling asking when we were returning home since it was already ten! 

Do Americans understand water?

The water is out once again in my ward of Manyana, the first time this happened I had various talks with my family members and Batswana about the water situation in Botswana. The fact that Botswana is a land locked desert area means that most of the water in Botswana is brought in from the north. Manyana is one of the lucky villages that has water pipes running throughout, each compound with their own spout. In other villages there are only communal spouts that Bats must take their water jugs and wheelbarrows to daily in order to have water.   All the water in Botswana is 100% safe to drink although I have been noticing that rarely happens. Rather water that is collected from the spouts, when they are working, is used for washing, cooking, cleaning, bathing, everything! Although many of the houses have running water, there is no hot water and the skins and tubs are rarely used.  The cold water is collected and placed in pots over an open flame in the compounds “fire pit” in order to have hot water. Most families have a small water reserve built up for cases when the water is out however it has been about four days without water and many families are running low. During my first week in Manyana the water was off for about two days and I happen to have class visit to the Kgotla, you local government to meet the Kgosi head of the local government. When we asked him about Manyana’s water situation he laughed at us Americans, saying that we have no idea about living without running water, which for many Americans especially the ones on my trip is true but not by large. I was upset by his accusation that it is impossible for us to understand Manyana’s water troubles are not something that stops daily life. Although I have never had to fill buckets daily to bathe cook clean jalo jalo. I have gone without hot water and running water. I think our question about the water was taken has a complaint rather than a desire to know more about the environment that we are living in and studying in and about. The longer I stay in Manyana the greater similarities I see between the social problems of an African rural village and the poor urban and rural communities in American. 

Boitumelo Ipotseng (August 18th)

Soon after arriving in Manyana I met my first host family: Bo-Ipotseng. Mme Ruth, my host mother, Temogo her fourteen year old son and Ayanda her five year old granddaughter were at the preschool to greet me after arriving in Manyana. There is also a father and another brother, Jacob who is my age, both work in Gabz . Kefilwe, my twenty-seven year old sister and mother on Ayanda  is in her final year at UB studying chemistry. I was very nervous and I was unsure of what was going to happen when we got into Manyana, all I had was a small piece of paper telling me who my “family” was and all the things Cameron (my brother who did this trip two years ago) had told me about his stay in Manyana. Much of which was worrying. So like typical Zina fashion I went into “let me help” mode. I served drinks and snack and help sort our food care packages, which might have been my way of avoiding the awkward small talk that was taking place. Setswana is not coming easily to me but go siame. Once everything got settled Mme Ruth told me that my Setswana name would be “Boitumelo” meaning Joy, which I think is ironic and I very pleased with. I often hear people calling me as I walk to school or to the store. Manyana is a small place and I stand out without trying. Yet, its nice that everyone says hello to each other and knows your name or is eager to ask “O bidiwa mang?”

            I ended up expanding this blog post into my first full paper and I’ll attach it if anyone is interested in checking it out. 

From Upward Bound to University of Botswana (August 12th)

In the past week I have been working to make my transition from one UB to another. My summer with Upward Bound was so full and I can’t believe that I waved goodbye to the last students at 4 pm on the 3^rd, to staff at noon on the 4^th and goodbye to America at 4 am on the 5^th and was saying Dumela to Africa by the morning of the 6^th. It’s has been quite a world wind adventure and I know this is just the start. Gaborone is a very interesting capital city, high rises and shopping malls lots of construction, busy roads with cows, goats and monkeys roaming the busy streets along side many friendly Batswana. Capturing the image of Botswana quite clearly, a young nation working on developing as a modern state while retaining Setswana culture and the unique qualities that make it an African nation.

 While spending our first week of orientation shuttling back and forth from our 5 star hotel to the University to restaurants back to the hotel, I haven’t explored much but we shall return and I’m sure that my two month stay will expose me to tons of great spots in Gaborone.

I think I have yet to have my moment of realization that I am in a strange city in another country on a completely different continent, wrapping up my Upward Bound paperwork, going to classes, catching up on sleep, getting rid on my cold and mingling with my fellow Bats in training is keeping me in a bubble but I am sure that the transition to the small village of Manyana will help with making that realization. 

Lectures in Africa! (August 10th)

Despite falling asleep in every class thus far, [7 am and I have not met this often in a long time (lie!)] I am really excited and enjoying getting to know more about Botswana. We have examined the educational systems in Bots, which sounds amazing, key word sound as a visit to local village schools and stats would prove but every Motswana is guaranteed free education K- Ph.D. Yes to Ph.D, I was blown away to hear this but there are many gaps and outside factors that despite it’s low cost few Motswana get to take advantage of this opportunity.

Following education we entered the discussion of Botswana History guided by Professor Segobye, who I would love to take a class with, her passion and knowledge are extremely evident in the enthusiasm she speaks with. The sociologist in me was so excited by her discussion of traditional initiation school – bojale (boys) Bogwera (girls). Although there has been a great decline in the number of individuals who partake in the season long process of learning one’s “correct” gender role becoming a monna or mosadi  (HOWEVER both males and females are considered children until marriage in Setswana culture) due to the “backwards” and “barbaric” labels missionaries gave the schools forcing their closure. There is a movement throughout Botswana to revive Setswana culture; the slogan of “A country without culture is dead” is often flashed along side ads for upcoming cultural days through Bots. There are mixed emotions about the revival of tradition, youths are disinterested in strict and drawn out traditional ceremonies yet there is also a strong desire to keep Botswana culturally unique.

Our last lecture on Race, Gender, Color, Class and Ethnicity in Botswana, which should have given the spotlight to show how we Bowdoin soc students do it quickly turn to lets put the half asleep student on blast. Although I was called out by Dr. Dikobe for “laying down” in my chair, I was actually listening with my eyes closed! Race in Botswana is not much of an issue, never being colonized is a major factor in the non-issue, but the interesting debate lays in Ethnicity. Botswana is a country with 29 languages and many different ethnicities that people wear proudly.

The topics of educational systems, cultural revivals and race in Botswana briefly covered in post all came up during my stay in Manyana in ways I didn’t expect. I hope that I get the time to blog some about those experiences but for now its nako ya robala!