I know it’s been a while since my last post. I didn’t think many people outside of family were actually reading it. I am feeling less stressed and frustrated, but still not truly happy. I went a month without a single minute to myself. I’m still not sleeping well (waking 4-8 times a night and lying awake for hours at a time is no fun), though it’s better than it was a month ago. My stomach has been a mess for almost as long. PC gave me melatonin to help with the insomnia, but it doesn’t seem to be working yet. Brit’s visit helped me a lot. I really needed someone from home.
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The Bots8 group departed in mid-June. It was sad, since more of the people I talk to were in that group than in my own group. It turned out that 26 of the 60 of them left early, whether ET-ing or being medically separated. Those are not good percentages! I wonder if HQ in DC noticed or cared? 2 more of my group also left, so our original 57 is now down to 47. Morale seemed to have hit rock-bottom.
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The new volunteer moved to Bobonong, and has been living with me for the past 2 months. At first, her house wasn’t ready, but then I began to suspect she just didn’t want to move.Apparently I made her “too comfortable.” She wanted more furniture (ha! and she’s taking mine, leaving me with no kitchen once again, when I fought for 6 months to get it!), she wanted my neighbors, she wanted a drinking buddy, she wanted all the answers up front without meeting people and finding things out for herself. While was nice to have another person to talk to, it was also expensive hosting another person, I became tired of her messiness, and I missed my private time and my routine. I didn’t like always having to entertain her and faking a cheery mood, and I felt like she was taking over my life. But I also felt like I couldn’t complain, since at least someone actually wanted to spend time with me. Since the new volunteer here is Asian-American, the Chinese people in the village took to her immediately. During her first week, we were invited to the home of a few of the Chinese shopkeepers to learn to make and to eat dumplings. It was yummy.
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My group, Bots9, had our Mid-Service Training (MST) in Gabs at the end of June. I’d lost 15 pounds since arriving here (when I was at my fattest), so yippee!!!! I love it when my clothes fit!I also had a dental checkup with no cavities, which surprised me. (Though to be honest, none of our dental exams were terribly thorough.) Since I’d been guzzling tea in the colder weather and the water isn’t fluoridated like it is in the US, (and bcuz we only get 1 dental cleaning per year) I assumed I’d need tons of work done. (I probably will when I get home. One of my friends even needs gum surgery from the lack of care here.) Yay for my sugarless chewing gum.
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Immediately following MST, Michelle Obama visited Botswana, as part of her youth development tour in South Africa. 5 days to visit Cape Town, Joburg, and Gabs is not a lot of time! My group of PCVs was invited to see her speak at the US Ambassador’s house in Gabs. It was FREEZING and we were in a beautiful but shaded yard, where we waited several hours for her to appear. (We were told to be that early; she was very much on schedule.) The new Ambassador’s husband even fetched tea and cocoa for those of us in the front row, which was a kind gesture. There was a table with tea at the back of the yard, but we in the front row didn’t want to lose our spots. Of course, later PCVs were moved to a roped-off area across the yard, on the opposite side of the pool from the First Lady. Of course. There were about 50 PCVs among the 300 or so people gathered, and it was a good photo op for PC, especially considering all the scandal currently going on with the safety/security issues. (Apparently Congress has had hearings …?) She shook hands and made eye contact with most of us. You can read the news story on the PC website.
Her visit to Botswana made interesting news for the Batswana. The newspapers kept reporting how awful it was that there was no First Lady of Botswana to greet her (ie, the President is unmarried). Eventually, they arranged to have Michelle meet Khama’s ex-fiancé, who happened to be the dentist I was scheduled to see (but didn’t, since I got lost trying to find her office, and she was with Michelle by the time I found it. NOT my fault: PC gave directions using a road that no longer exists! Way to go on doublechecking facts, PC!). Some people were excited she was coming, but others just complained that Barack himself wasn’t here. Others complained of the US’s paranoia in terms of security (big air force planes at the airport, tanks and armed soldiers on the streets). Still others complained about the inconvenience the visit caused (a few roped off streets; really not that big a deal. We walked in groups to the Ambassador’s house and were never stopped or questioned).
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