Negative

Right, I’m trying to write this episode, issue, entry, whatever at home in the guest cottage so I can just plug it in and post next time I’m available on the Internet. Which, despite my initial doubts, is occurring pretty regularly. I end up going to the café once or twice a week and relish in broadband Internet, and now I can use the dial up connection at the hospice whenever things are going slowly (i.e. most of the time). In fact, I think now is as good a time as any to elaborate –
‘I’m coming’ two words I’ve come to dread over here. More often than not they’re said in Setswana, but I have no idea how to spell it. So I’ll try – Kee-ate-la – It could be five minutes, it could be an hour, it could be that you’ll need a Gillette and some imagination to be recognised by the time the offending article shows up. I’ve mostly experienced this at the hospice – I’ll be told we’re leaving now; I drop everything and appear ready at the door. Then it turns out we need a driver (there is only one now, since we lost the global fund – and I’ve witnessed him perform an entire journey one-handed. The other wasn’t particularly busy, but still remained inert throughout…) so we wait. Then he arrives, and it turns out we need to bring a cheque, so we get that written, and then it turns out that the cheque needs signing, and of course none of the signatories are ever at the hospice, so we have to wait for them to arrive, or even send out our sole driver to find them. Then it’s teatime, and everyone downs tools and has a well-earned break. After all this, we eventually cram ourselves into the smallest vehicle available, and off we go.
This isn’t meant to be a rant though, as everybody in Botswana seems to work on these arrangements. You make an appointment, you really do have to phone up just before to remind them, and see if they are actually going to turn up. I think I’ve mentioned before that these guys are lazy, but it’s true! They often admit it themselves, I’ve seen a security guard who was dozing next to a metal detector, and staff in shops regularly look like you just woke them up. Example – on a game drive a couple of weeks ago, we arrived two hours before it was due to close, and we got in for free because they had counted the tills already! But that’ll do.
I’m still working on the newsletter, though quite slowly. I need to get the last contributions, present it in various formats to be criticised, decide who to send it to, and see if the management committee likes the idea. It’s not really something I can spend all day busy at, so I read up on HIV/AIDs, just to reassure myself that there’s no was I’ve got it, doing quite a bit of computer work, and learning to eat with my fingers.
I’m looking forwards to when the kids come back from their Easter holidays, which have lasted about a month now, as that’ll give me an excuse to go to the new pre-school and help them on one or two days a week. Also, I’m trying to arrange to spend some time in one of the local hospitals so I can gain some experience relative to my course.
I can’t really tell how long this is going to be, but I think I’ve said enough for now. Next time, how Matthew fared finding a travel buddy…
PS, there is a lizard in the room with me, hiding from the thunderstorm. He’s quite cute.

Time on their hands

I've had an interesting week so far, I've been spending most of my time attached to the pre-school, which is currently preparing for a move to the new site whilst the OVC's (orphans and vulnerable children) are on holiday. So, on Monday we went with another volunteer from Flying Mission, Lillian, to the prison to find out prices for covering 20 matresses which were donated, asthey are a great source of cheap labour, in fact whilst we were there, lots of vans arrived with broken furniture for them to work on. Whilst in there, I couldn't help but find myself trying to attach crimes to faces. The legal system over here is odd, in that minor crimes are often taken to tribal courts, where the elders of that person's village hear the allegations and dish out a suitable punishment, usually flogging or something similar. Oh, and they have the death penalty over here, so I'm going to be extra careful!
At the moment I'm trying to find out where to go if I want to book a stay in a nature reserve, the one I've got my heart set on particularly is Chobe way up north, where there are hundreds of thouasands of wild elephants, hippos, crocs, cheetah and all sorts, and it is also a good base to go to Victoria Falls from for a day trip, and I think it would be a shame not to go when I'm so close to one of the seven natural wonders of the world! Also, I get to say 'Zimbabwe? Oh yes, I've been there. Nice place' That alone might be worth the p2000 (200 pounds) I'm budgeting for it. I mean, when will I get the chance to do it again? I'm looking at camping with a Batswana friend of mine, but she needs to see if she can raise the funds. If not, it will be a great pity, but I will try and find another overseas volunteer or anyone to keep me entertained on the 12 hour bus journey. I'll let you know how that gets on,
Oh, and I've changed the settings on this blog to allow anyone to comment, so please do if there is anything you'd like to know. More pictures, um, eventually. Not much really photogenic going on at the moment...

What I did in my Summer Holidays

Some of you have asked what I do at the hospice, and what it's like (honestly!). So here you go, but on your own heads be it -
I get up at 6 oclock, lie in bed trying to work out a faster way of getting out so I can spend more time in bed, get up at about 620, then eat breakfast whilst trying not to short out the house (I did that yesterday, slight panic after plugging in a kettle and having all the lights go out, but I sorted it, tech-savvy bloke that I am!)
Then it's off to morning eucharist, as I live next to the cathedral, and find it a good way to start the day. Then I set off to a Kombi stop and cram into a vehilce meant for 12 people with up to 17 others off to work.
There aren't many clients at the hospice at the moment, as it recently lost a major source of funding and had to lose some staff. But, the new director, Una, is getting this sorted by putting administration in place to make everybosdy accountable. The clients are picked up from their homes and brought to the hospice for about 9, and they stay until about 3. I'm there from about 8 till 4. Most of these clients are going to be discharged soon, as they have been with the hospice for a long time, and are suitably independent to have regained their lives. There are people out there who need the hospice more than them, I went out with the nurses for the past couple of days to the poorest district of the city, and saw that.
There is a pre-school attached to the hospice, where orphans and vulnerable children of clients who have been and passed on are looked after during the day. At the moment, they can only come in 2 days a week because of a lack of space at the hospice, but they will be movng to a new site at the beginnning of May where there should be room for all of them 4 days a week, so I'm going to try and spend maybe one or two days a week there as well.
I've been given a project to try during my time here, which is to try and restart a newsletter which the hospice used to have. My main problem with this is finding things to write about (which I'm working on by making sure everone knows about it), and how to make sure it can be continued when I go in 13 short weeks (which I'm working on by creating an easy template to follow).
That's about it, one thing I've noticed, which I was told to look out for, is just how lazy the Batswana can be, though it might be something to do with the heat. It is well recognised that Zimbabweans are hard workers, as they are often illegal and need any money they can get.
That should be enough for now, any more questions please ask, otherwise it should be normal service again in a few days time!

1/8th!

Yesterday was odd, as it was Good Friday it was a holiday, so I didn't have to go to work. Instead, I went to a 3 hour service at the cathedral, which was pretty good if, well, long.
Ok, so I have limited time on the internet, what have I just done with a significant portion of it? Read comics and made a fool of myself by lolling in an internet cafe. Where, by the way, I'm sure people read over my shoulder. Yes - you!
I had a brief moment of panic this morning when I went to use an ATM for the first time, and when I got two receipts, the first one I read said I had withdrawn P400 of my P480, when I had only taken p200 out of what should be a lot more. I broke out in a sweat (ok, I continued sweating), and started wondering how anyone could drain my account like that. Then, I looked at the other one, and it said withdrawn p200. So I was confused... but thankfully I looked at them again once I got here, and worked out that they were for different times, so fingers crossed the first one I got had been left by someone before me.
So, you can all breathe again, Matthew is in the black and still a natural born worrier.
The last bunch of photos I got were from the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, which is bigger than the first place, but of course that means more places for the animals to hide, so we didn't get to see any of their giraffes or zebra, but they arranged for the hefflelumps to have their lunch next to us, which was good, if not quite as wild as they should have been. But, if Iwant that, I'm probably going to have to go away for a weekend or something to another part of the country, rather than spending all my time in this city. So I just need to start planning and budgeting, and find me some company!
I'm off to go for another Braai (bbq), where I suppose I'll do my best to endure some more fillet steaks...

I'm going to be incredibly lazy, and give a link to my first batch of photos -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1574&l=72b3f&id=505324220
Some are from the Gaborone game reserve, some are from Mokolodi game reserve, some are from the hospice and the rest are just random.
More later, though I think I've been pretty good to you all (all = fewer people than I could count on 2 hands probably) today.
Laters,

Teaser

Ok, I've been abandoned here now, the dean and Anna left for their respective destinations this weekend, and although I haven't really known them for long, it still feels wierd without them. Still, I'm thriving with the help of the Millers, a great family from Newcastle here on a holiday over Easter - we went to see some more expats on sunday for lunch, then ended up going on a game drive with Julie to a local reserve, not more than 5 minutes drive from the city, but completely wild bush, full of interesting life - ostrich, zebra, warthog, monkey and more. So I hear you cry, you must have got some great photos! Yes I did. Can we see, you ask? No I say - I am technologically challenged and it might not be until next time that I manage to put them up here. But rest assured, they do exist! I am actually in Africa, contrary to what must be becoming popular belief!
Today has been pretty hot, so I'm starting to learn to stick to the shade, rather than expose myself to the inferno.
I think that's it for today, I'll start working on the photo situation. See you again on... Wednesday maybe?