Get to know Lindsey

Left: July 27, 2012
Returning: Dec. 18, 2012
Location: Gaborone, Botswana
Year in School: Junior
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.

Entry No. 11 | Oct. 9, 2012

Hey! So these past two weeks were officially the mid-semester break for the University. Most of the international students planned trips to travel during this time off. Some people went to Victoria Falls, the Delta Game Reserves, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Cape Town and other places. Three friends and I decided to go to Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa. It was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on!

One of the girls I went with named Elle had connections in every country that we went to so we had places to stay everywhere we went. So, we knew where we were staying, but we weren’t entirely sure how we were going to get there. We took a bus from Gaborone to Johannesburg. This was the first time that I’ve ever crossed a border on foot so I didn’t know what to expect. We arrived at the Botswana South African border and me and my friend Lindsay didn’t even realize we were there. We asked someone where we were and they just said passport check. So we got out of the bus and got our passports stamped and walked back to the bus. The bus driver yelled at us and told us to go wait over there in which she proceeded to vaguely point to the right. So we thought we had time, used the restroom and talked for a little. When we came out the bus was gone and so was everyone on the bus. We had a mini panic attack. We circled the building and didn’t see anyone. We tried to ask around if they saw a TJ bus anywhere and everyone said no. We looked at each other with pure panic in both of our faces thinking we got left in the middle of nowhere. This is when a guard told us we have to cross the border still. He said to follow this dirt path and it led to a little opening in a gate, once we crossed the gate we looked like we were in a warehouse parking lot but we kept walking on the road and on the other side of the warehouse was the south African passport check and we saw the bus and everyone on it. At this point we were running across the border and were so relieved when we saw everyone. At that moment we felt pretty stupid but it was the most inconspicuous border I would’ve never guessed. This was a wonderful start to our trip--haha. At least we had a good laugh on our way down to Johannesburg.

When we got to the bus station, we just asked around for a minibus that was going to Manzini, Swaziland. Thankfully we arrived at 2 p.m. and the bus to Manzini was leaving at 3 p.m. The minibuses which are called combis were a lot cheaper than a large bus although some people thing they’re less safe. We didn’t encounter any issues taking them though. Swaziland was so beautiful though. I had NO idea. The country is covered in these picturesque green mountains everywhere you look. We stayed with the Donaldson’s who Elle knew. I was so thankful because they were great hosts. Inge Donaldson cooked us cookies and breakfast and dinner which was amazing! It’s crazy how much you really appreciate home cooking when you’re stuck with University cafeteria food for a few months. The first day they had a Braai which is a cookout. They invited all the kids that are a part of their ministry or who’ve they met and we played games with them all day and helped feed everyone. We visited one of the churches that is a part of Inge and Dudley’s ministry and we went to the market to check out Manizi city. It was just really relaxing because we could read outside with this gorgeous view or relax in the living room watching JAG and the ID channel in the evenings. At one moment our group visited one of the children’s homes. She walked us down the side of this mountain until we came to her house. It was like no place I’ve ever been before. Standing on her property you see this huge valley below and mountains for miles.

In Johannesburg, we rented a car because we figured it would be cheaper than taking taxis everywhere paying R150 each ride. We actually got upgraded to a Mercedes because all of the GPS systems were being worked on and this car had one built in. So that was exciting we were high rolling for a few days. We spent a lot of time at this place called MonteCasino which is a hotel/casino which has a movie theater, restaurants, shops, and everything you can imagine. Me and Lindsay spent a lot of time in the bookstore checking out the LonelyPlanet travel books and getting sushi. The main reason we went there was because of the Passion 2012 event. It was amazing! I’ve heard of Passion before and they do it in America but we were excited to go in South Africa!!

Mozambique was awesome. We stayed in Macia for two days which is about two hours north of Maputo (capital). We stayed with Mancoba and Joseph who are from Swaziland but are starting a school and feeding center in Mozambique. We helped out in a village where Joseph grew up. The kids there were adorable and I got attached to them so fast for just the two days that we spent there. It’s really amazing what they’re doing though because most of the kids looked like they needed good meals and many don’t go to school because they just don’t get a chance to or the nearest school is so far away. Mozambique is known for its beautiful beaches and we went to Praia do Bilene beach. It was amazing. White sand and crystal clear water. It was so nice to relax for the day on the beach. Another thing Mozambique is known for is cashews. They sell them everywhere and they’re fresh. I think we ate way too many because they weren’t too expensive and they were the best things I’ve ever eaten. I don’t even like cashews at home but fresh is something different. The last day we took a combi to Maputo and found this backpackers hostel called Fatima’s. It was a really cute place where I got a chance to talk to other backpackers. One actually made and sold leather products and I got a case for my iPhone which I needed! We spent the day attempting to go to a beach, until we figured out there are no beaches in Maputo and we ended up just sightseeing around the city. It’s a really cool place though and everyone either speaks Chanang (I’m sure I’m spelling that wrong) or Portuguese so we had the most difficulty trying to translate or find someone who spoke English. It’s a really beautiful place though I’d love to go back!

-Lindsey

 

 

Entry No. 11 | Sept. 20, 2012

I recently have been inquiring at the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone about doctor shadowing. I needed to write an official formal letter stating why and who I want to shadow. After turning it in, they told me I needed to letter from my University saying that I was in fact a pre-medical student as I claimed in my letter. I turned it in and am hoping to hear back soon. I want to start shadowing either an infectious disease physician or a general surgeon. I want to do this twice a week.

I’ve joined the University of Botswana boxing club. They have never had a women’s boxing league before and this is because women’s boxing is brand new in Botswana. They are trying to make it more popular and encourage more women to join. Right now there are six girls that I practice with. We’re all fairly new to boxing. I’ve taken private lessons for a short time about a year ago so I knew some of the basics but that was about it. I love it though--it’s daily practice and the coaches are serious. The University coach has been to the Olympics and one of the guys we practice with has been to the Olympics as well. He said that this club is the only boxing club in Botswana that has sent people to the Olympics. The ‘club’ is a small room that can barely fit us all. I love it though! It’s something new and challenging. I love pushing myself and when I focus on something I really get into it so two hours of boxing is a great way to end every weekday. Our coach said that in November he’d like to get us in tournaments! Exciting! I went to the National Championship last Saturday and saw some of the women boxers and learned a lot about what I would be up against. It motivated me to work hard every practice and learn all I can.

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 10 | Sept. 19, 2012

Unfortunately, security can sometimes be an issue here in Gaborone. There’s always a certain amount of caution that one should take, especially a girl, in another country for their own safety. Here I know that I have to be completely aware at all times of my surroundings and take extra precautions. I personally love it in Botswana and the people and I encourage people to choose to study at UB. There are just a few things that I will talk about that I wasn’t warned about when I came here. If you are fully aware of how to properly ensure your own safety then you can be better prepared and probably never encounter any issues.

First of all, never walk anywhere by yourself (although, people still do it all the time). There have been muggings, not only from two international students but a couple locals as well. They all happened while they were walking solo though.

The first thing everyone buys when they come here are huge padlocks for your dorm door and chain and another padlock for your closet. We have to make sure the door lock is massive. This is because, one Friday a group of people came around and cut the locks off of a couple dorms and two international students got their laptops, cameras, and phones stolen. There is a certain type of lock that you can buy that is impossible to cut though.

Do not attend the “Freshers Ball.” Although this year nothing happened, last year it was complete chaos. There are news articles you can find on the internet. Fresher’s ball is a big party that UB throws for all the new students. Last year there was no security and there were mobs and fights and men were harassing women. This year, most all of the international students just stayed in their rooms all day and didn’t leave to avoid the chaos that everyone was warning us about. Locals told us it was dangerous for us to attend. I saw that they increased security and I even saw a couple police with dogs around campus as well. So, as far as I know, nothing happened this year which was impressive that security kept it under control. Awesome!

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 9 | Sept. 18, 2012

I am taking four classes currently. A Setswana (the language they speak here) class, African Traditional Religion, Psychology of HIV/AIDS and Archaeological Theory (a Gen. Ed. FKL course I need). 

In Setswana we usually learn a lot about culture to take a little break from mundane language instruction. I love my professor--she’s full of energy and funny, and she will just talk and tell stories and tell us all about the culture in Gabs. I could listen to her all day--it’s so interesting. She spent our whole hour and a half lecture just talking about witch doctors, funerals, marriages, ghosts and superstition in Botswana.

In my African Traditional Religion course, the professor is a pastor and generally strays off the subject of African Traditional Religion and debates with some students in class about Christianity issues and the Bible. Somehow he always tries to relate it back to what the original lecture was supposed to be about. It’s still interesting nonetheless!

I like my HIV/AIDS class. It has opened my eyes to how big of an issue it is here and how the mindset is so different about HIV/AIDS than back home. I’ll have to write another entry just on that as well as the cultural stories I’ve heard.

In all of my classes they’re graded by one assignment during the semester and a final exam. This is a little nerve wrecking because I have no idea how the professors grade and assess work and exams. Back home I always know exactly what I have to do to get an A, to get a B, and what is bad or good work. Here I’m clueless on how the professors grade because expectations are never discussed so I’ll have to wait until I get my assignments back!

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 8 | Sept. 17, 2012

Some more videos!

On the cultural weekend trip we also went on a game drive. At the game reserve there was a reptile sanctuary and this man has some really entertaining and interesting stories! He's tough dealing with these snakes.

This is at a music festival in Gaborone. These guys were the best! They're called the Chikenbus Band.

 

Entry No. 7 | Sept. 16, 2012

The hardest thing about being here is probably standing out everywhere you go. Everyone knows that you’re a foreigner and you’re not from Botswana. It causes people to treat you differently when I sometimes would just like to blend in and be treated like everyone else. I never like to be the center of attention, it’s just not my personality so sometimes it’s a little uncomfortable when I’m called out in class just for being international or being approached by people all the time just because I’m American. I’ve gotten marriage proposals by men who say they want to marry a “white” woman. I’m not the only international student this has happen to though; it’s pretty common. I never mind if people are just curious and want to ask me questions about where I’m from while I ask about their lives here. That’s the kind of conversations I like, not the conversations where they ask me if I would go with them to meet their parents on a dinner date. That’s awkward haha. They call foreigners ‘lekgowa’ which someone said literally means spewed from the sea. This makes sense because settlers came to Africa in boats originally. In my language class we found out that the prefix le- is in a noun class that refers to ‘things’ not people and that it is becoming more and more incorrect to refer to us as lekgowa. Some might take offense but I don’t. It’s just how people in Gabs grew up calling foreigners and while some may see it as derogatory it’s more of an observation I suppose. I don’t get offended easily though.

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 6 | Sept. 15, 2012

Most weekends I spend at Riverwalk Mall doing homework and hanging out at the coffee shops which are as nice as Starbucks. There’s this one place where you can get bottomless coffee for P15 which is around $2. Good deal. Even writing this right now I’m at a place called NewsCafe right down the street from the University. It’s nice because it is in walking distance and while cabs aren’t very expensive here things add up! The taxi rides are normally 30-40 pula which is around $5 and when split between four people it’s not too bad. I would much rather walk places especially when it is within walking distance. I’m getting used to walking everywhere!

All the people I’ve met since I’ve been here have been so nice. All the girls that live on the same level in the dorms are really cool. I was in the common room doing a workout video with someone else and the girl across from me opened up her door and at first she laughed at us. She closed the door and came back out in workout clothes to join us! I was so excited! I’d love to just get everyone to join us but a couple other girls just said it was too hard. Everyone is fun to hang out with and they’re always so inviting. I also like all the hairstyles. Everyone’s hair is different. There are braids, twists, dreads, or straight hair. Even when someone has braids they are styled differently or intricately styled. The women can get away with just being bald as well and still look good! but that’s a little more uncommon here in Gabs. 

We have gone out dancing a few times since I’ve been here. My favorite place has been Bull and Bush which is a restaurant by day and on the weekends they have a DJ. I like the African dance music, it has a good beat and the only way I can describe it is a mix between Raeggaeton and Techno and Jamaican music. It’s shortened B&B, but it’s where a lot of the locals also hang out. There’s another place called the Boulevard but it’s a little fancy for my liking. There’s nothing like finishing a huge paper and then hanging out with your friends talking and dancing!

My roommate! That was one thing I was really nervous about when I came here because I have never lived in dorms back home. I didn’t want somebody who would drive me crazy basically since we’d be living in close quarters. Her name is Alyssa and she came a couple days after me. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to have a roommate when I first got there because whenever someone new would come they would be put with someone else. I was alone in the dorms for about four days. She’s really down to earth and we totally get along. It’s really nice to have someone who you live with who you can talk to easily and we can both share what experiences we’re having good or bad while being abroad. We have a mutual love for coffee where we split the cost of a coffee machine :) Also we happened to be in three classes together as well!

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 5 | Sept. 13, 2012

A few videos. Enjoy!

This is a video clip of when we took the day to climb Kgale Hill which is the tallest hill in Gaborone. At the top you can see a 360 view of the whole city!

The International students went on a weekend trip to a cultural village. We stayed in the houses behind where they're dancing. This is a traditional village right outside of Botswana called the Baboon Totem Pole Tribe. The elders in the group were showing us how they dance and celebrate.

 

 

Entry No. 4 | Sept. 12, 2012

The first thing that was unexpected to me when I got here is how Americanized it is over here. I use America but I guess the better term would be western. The way everyone dresses is exactly like how they dress at home. Everyone has style! I feel underdressed half of the time because it’s customary for people to dress up to go to class or just to go anywhere. Rarely do you ever see someone walking around in a hoodie and sweats like 50 percent of all college students dress at home. Also, the malls and the restaurants are really nice as well. I think I had a different expectation because I’ve only been to very rural areas of Kenya that were pretty undeveloped, and that was what I was expecting when I came here. A lot of Africa is much more developed and nicer than most people realize. Even the campus is beautiful and the buildings are nicer than some at USF.

Greeting everyone you come in contact is very important. Even if you’re in a store and you need to ask an employee a question! This took me a little while to realize but I found out that if you say hello and ask someone how they are first, then address them they will treat you so much better. I’m so used to saying “excuse me, do you know where....etc.” but I found out that’s a little impolite. Some of the stores and cabs don’t have change either. I’ve been in cabs where we had to short them money because they didn’t have change for a large bill, or at a store where they tell me to go to another cash register because they don’t have change. I was just at the Mozambique embassy buying a visa and they needed the exact amount! You get used to it though.

Drinking is much more common here than I am used to. There is a bar on campus called 411 and I am not lying when I say every day by noon or 1 p.m. there is already a good amount of students that are starting the ‘night’ early. People will be drunk hanging out at 411 by 2 p.m. which is ridiculously early. At least wait until it’s dark outside! I personally keep my sweet distance from the campus bar because I do not enjoy being approached by drunken men. Drinking before noon is generally frowned upon at home but here I’ve seen people order a beer for breakfast at restaurants, when I’m waking up with a strong coffee. Everyone has their preference!

-Lindsey

Entry No. 3 | Sept. 10, 2012

Life is a lot slower in Botswana. Coming from a city and living in large cities my whole life I’m so used to the hurried lifestyle where everyone moves fast, service is fast, school goes by quickly and maybe that is just my viewpoint because I’m a fast-moving person, but life is fast back home.

I love the slower lifestyle. People just hang out and take time to slow down and talk to people and not feel rushed. Stress still exists in the city but compared to the U.S. the stress level is so low. I am really adapting to the slower lifestyle though in which I take longer to even walk places or to get things done and I never feel rushed. It’s actually quite relaxing. It is sometimes frustrating when you’re waiting on others though because we jokingly call it “Africa Time” where if you plan to meet somewhere or set a certain time restraint, it’s common that people are late. You come to expect people to get together or meet anywhere from 10-45 minutes late. Even class starts late most of the time.

I really love the culture though, and that’s the reason that I chose to study abroad here. I wanted to live in Africa for a couple months so I could get a taste of what actual life is like here. I never wanted to study abroad for the tourist aspect or particularly for travel, but more for living daily life in another country and to understand better the culture and the people. That’s what I’m getting while being here. I wake up every day and don’t think, “wow I’m in another country living in a new place how crazy.” I wake up and just think this is home, and think about my day what I have to do, what classes I have, it’s too normal. It almost is strange how normal it is here because it’s just daily life to me. I love it.

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 2 | Aug. 31, 2012

So you know a little about me from the video below. The reason that I missed my flight on Wednesday was because I forgot my passport at home. I know, you would think that would be the first thing I would check before leaving but I left it in the copier at my house. I was trying to make copies of all my important documents and leave copies at home and take some with me. I tried hurrying back from TPA airport home and I got back to the airport at 5:20 a.m. My flight left at 6 a.m. When I got to the check-in counter I told them I had one overweight luggage that I was willing to pay extra for. The woman at the desk didn’t know the overweight fee and took some time trying to figure it out. After a few minutes she just told me to take things out of my luggage to make it 50 lbs. It was late, and my luggage weighed 73 lbs. So here I was, in the middle of the airport frantically throwing things out of my bag trying to reason with myself what I could live without for 5 months. Finally got it to 50 lbs and ran to my gate but I missed it by minutes. Right when I got to my gate I saw the walkway being pulled away from the plane. That was one of THE most frustrating moments of my life. I had to reschedule not only my flight from Tampa to New York, but from New York to Johannesburg and to Gaborone. After a whole day of arguing with South African airways and JetBlue airways I got a flight for the next morning in which I was well prepared for and on time!

Saying goodbye to everyone at home was hard, and I’ll miss them so much while I’m studying abroad, but 5 months will go quickly. I’ll be back mid-December just in time for Christmas and my sister’s birthday. I’m so excited for this semester. I have no idea what to expect just yet which makes me nervous but really eager to start already. I’ve been working toward this and thinking about this for months now--since January--so I can’t believe I’m almost there! I’ll update this blog with photos and videos as much as I can (which I know personally are always more interesting than paragraphs of writing). More to come!

In my video I mentioned my grandparent’s orphanages in Kenya that I volunteered and visited in 2009 and in 2011-2012 holidays. Check out the website at www.missiontothefatherless.org. 

-Lindsey

 

Entry No. 1 | Aug. 31, 2012