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.