Shake Shake!!!

So I’ve been in Botswana for almost four full days and I haven’t written about it yet.  Unfortunately, the reason for that is that we are in a ‘bubble’ of sorts.  We’re staying at a place called the Big Five lodge.  It’s located in Gaberone, and it’s far from the experience I was preparing myself for.  Honestly, that has probably been a good thing.  I’ve been able to get to know my fellow trainees in a fun environment.  Don’t get me wrong, during the day we stay very busy.  We study Setswana for about 3 or 4 hours per day, and have a multitude of orientation meetings.  But, come 5’ o clock, we just spend time together.  We eat dinner together, have a few drinks, and just get to know each other.  There are also 8 current volunteers here who are currently serving.  They have been a great guiding light to ease us into the reality of being a PCV in Botswana.  I’m glad to have had this experience, because tomorrow we head out for our PST (pre-service training) in Kanye.  I feel that I have a support structure here now.  I’m hoping I still feel that way when the hard times set in.

So that sums up the last couple of days, but that’s not why I’m writing tonight.  I’m writing to share my first ‘out of the bubble’ experience.  To be fair, it wasn’t entirely ‘out of the bubble, but it was certainly far from the ordinary.  After dinner tonight, I was sitting around having a conversation with a few of the other trainees.  One of the current volunteers approached me and said “I need you to come with me”.  Although I was in the midst of a semi-heavy conversation, I got the sense that I should go with him.  So, I quickly wrapped it up and went along with the volunteer.  We met up with a group, and I noticed that there were four trainees and four volunteers.  This really excited me, as I felt like I was on the inside of some type of tradition.  We went to one of the volunteer’s rooms, and I was handed a carton of something called chikubu.  I had heard of chikubu (by another name) but never tried it.  Basically, it’s a type of beer made from water, yeast, and sorghum.  Chikubu is very popular in rural areas of Botswana.  While I was very excited to try a local brew, I think the gesture meant more.  It felt that the current volunteers were treating me as one of their own.  Beyond that, the gesture was one that was culturally significant.  Not that I would ever want to speak on behalf of current volunteers, but it seemed to me that it was a vote of confidence.  That goes a long way right now.  My confidence in myself isn’t all that low, but it isn’t all that high either.  For someone who is a seasoned volunteer with Peace Corps Botswana to make this gesture, we’ll just say it has quite an affect on me.  It makes me feel more like myself; like I can start to believe in myself in a way that I haven’t through this transition. 

Once again, this is my interpretation of the gesture.  Even if things aren’t quite like I’ve articulated them, it was quite a night.  This intercultural experience with people who have successfully integrated into Botswana’s culture makes the intimidating challenges seem much more possible.  Anyways, after the initial experience with Chibuku, we went on another adventure.  As more people joined the get together, we ran out of our supply.  Therefore, we ventured beyond the Big Five into the streets of Gaberone.  We followed along as the current volunteers used their knowledge of Setswana to converse with the locals and find a place to buy more Chibuku.  While the journey was less that epic, watching the volunteers interact with the Batswana was an encouraging experience.  They could have easily used English to find their way, but they used Setswana.  The Batswana seem to love seeing the Lekgoa (white people) speaking in Setswana.  They immediately seem to have a rapport with the locals that would be hard to come by otherwise.  Setswana may not be necessary to communicate, but I think it is vital if a volunteer ever really wants to be a true part of their community.  I’ve known this for a while, but I was lucky enough to see it enacted in front of my eyes tonight.  I hope that, at this point, you all are able to see why I wanted to write about this.  I’m very thankful for what I experienced tonight.  I was able to see that the daunting tasks before me are more than just feasible.  I was also able to feel a part of Peace Corps Botswana, even though I’ve only been here for a few days.  I’ve said it already and I’ll say it again:  a vote of confidence goes a long way.  That’s all I really have for now.  Tlhotse sentle!

Cell Phone in Bots:  76569788

The country code is +267.  If you have a phone where you can’t dial a +, replace it with 011.  So, 011-267-76569788.  I would love to hear from people if you want to call.  Calling over Skype can still be cheap!

My address during PST is:

Blake Ruble, PCV.

Peace Corps, Botswana.

Private Bag 00243

Gaberone, Botswana