Street Smarts...

It's been an interesting time here recently. A lot has been happening to people in our international student group. A couple girls were at a party last night and had their drinks drugged, one of my friends just got her camera stolen from her bag when someone "bumped" into her, and another girl I know had her room broken into and her laptop stolen. I wonder what they'll think when they realize that her laptop was legitimately broken and she was trying to get some repairs done on it?

All these happenings make me a little nervous about life here. But I have to think that as long as I continue to lie low, not let people into my room, not tell people about my things (or tell the ones who know I have things how crappy my things are!), and just keep my Chi-town street smarts about me, I should be fine. And praying helps too.

I had kind of a homesick meltdown in my room yesterday afternoon, but spent the evening at a ballroom dance competition with friends who are more or less interested in the same things as me. Afterwards when we were waiting for our cab and they asked how I spent my afternoon, I was bluntly honest, and it actually felt pretty good, and they've come around me a bit more I think, it's nice. I think I've finally settled into my friend group, among the international students at least. I'm still working on the local student friends, but I'm hoping that'll come together a bit more with time. But overall, I think I'm starting to do better. Being able to eat yogurt and granola and clementines helps too, I suppose... :)

And now I need to stop procrastinating and get started on my humongous homework load.

'Twould be an awfully great adventure...

I just got back from seeing the latest Chronicles of Narnia, and I absolutely loved it. I really do have to read those books for myself someday. :)

I also bought this while I was there:

It's a watercolor paint set. I bought it because at P14 ($2) it was the cheapest one available. It happens to be pink with a faerie and German writing all over it - aside from the spot where it says "Made in Italy". It's a pretty neat set, though. It's its own self-containing tin with a paintbrush and everything!

Climbing Kgale Hill

This morning a bunch of us got up early and took the combis down to Game City to climb Kgale Hill (pronounced KAH-lee) that is located behind it. It's not a very big hill, and wasn't a very strenuous hike, but it felt really good. Today was the perfect day for it too: cooler, cloudy, and with a gentle pitter-patter of rain when we finished off the hike. The view from the top was astounding - you could see for miles, and the whole city of Gaborone was laid out before you in all its sprawl. Not to mention the reservoir, which looked stunningly beautiful from up there. We're talking about going up there again sometime with a picnic, and possibly paints and sketchpads. I didn't really get anything for sunburn today, so I suppose that my goofy hat is doing its job! :) Once we got to the bottom we were greeted by several baboons of various sizes, some of whom ignored us, some of whom glared at us, and some of whom mooned us. I have now officially seen baboons "in the wild" in the city, and have been mooned by a baboon.

Tonight is the "First Stoplight Party of the Year at Lizard Lounge" for the University students. I'm going to stay in, this time with the excuse that my money is running out and I don't know if my mastercard is going to work at the atm. Very valid. :) I think I may have found some people who aren't too keen on the party seen, but I'm not for sure. Still no sign of my roommate, but I have now met one of the girls in my common room named Mogi (MO-ghee). Tomorrow will be my first Sunday here, and I'm really not sure what I'm going to do. I don't really have the get-go to find a church all by myself, so I think I'm going to wait to do that until I can connect with some church-goers on campus. Aubra and I are planning on going to River Walk to try our mastercards together at the ATM and Barclay's and see what happens. Hopefully the results will be good. If not, I asked about getting an account in Botswana for the semester, and it doesn't seem like it'll be such a big deal. I'm thinking I might try to get Kevin to go with me if I have to though, because I was having a hard time understanding what the guy was telling me, and banking stuff is confusing enough to me already as it is.

Well, that's all for now. We're going to dinner in about fifteen minutes, so I should finish uploading pictures and whatnot. For photos from today's hike, click here. And for video of the top, click here and here. Enjoy!

Go time

I am finally online, and I am so glad that I was patient! Today I found an internet chord for myself. The price: 10 pula, or $1.52. That is to say, I paid 1o pula for an ethernet chord of 3 meters in length when the lowest price anyone else has found (and paid) so far was 80P or $12.14. I feel pretty good about that. So now the chord, combined with the plug adapters I spent all day yesterday to find, means that I am now good-to-go internet-wise. It's a fantastic feeling.

I am learning a lot here, and having a lot of fun. So far I love it, but I really do wish that things would get moving. My roommate hasn't even moved in yet, and the registration isn't working, so I have not yet been able to register for classes, which were supposed to start on Monday, but probably won't now until Wednesday. Se la vie.

But I continue to be thankful for everything that my experience in Zambia taught me, because I am coping way better than almost every international student I've noticed on almost every aspect of life here. The only thing I wish is that there were more people who like to spend their evenings in than to spend their evenings getting drunk. But at least these people are still excited to go out with me during the day to find and see things.

Well, this evening I have written several emails, updated both my blogs, and chatted with my sister, so I think I'm all pooped out for typing. Catch you later!

Arrived!

I'm typing from a dorm room at the University of Botswana: hot, sticky, and exhausted. I'd call this my dorm room, but they said they're going to move us around tomorrow. Tomorrow we begin the process of registration: registering our computers for internet (tricky that I was able to get on tonight!), register for classes, and the like. Things are interesting here - not the usual, but not much different from what I expected. We've got miniscule ants marching around the dorm room - not everyone has them, or perhaps not everyone has seen them, so maybe if I get moved they won't be in the next one. And of course, mosquitoes are buzzing around inside, driving me nuts. I know they say you won't get malaria in Gaborone, but I would feel much safer (and less itchy!) if they had mosquito nets over our beds. I might have to purchase some mosquito repellent for the room or something like that. I heard through the grapevine (as one hears just about everything here) that we're not allowed on skype? I'm not sure what to think about this - I'll have to ask someone. I'm wondering if the Google chat will still be ok? I suppose we'll have to wait and see. For now, I'm going to tuck into bed soon and (hopefully) sleep through the night. Of course, we might just chat and play cards for another hour, but that wouldn't be such a bad idea either. Anything to make us sleep off the jet-lag.

I like it here so far. We'll see what things look like when I get a local roommate and classes start. Most of the other international students are pretty cool, and we've got lots of talk already about planning groups trips to places, on weekends and our week-long break alike.

Well, until next time!

~Jaclynn

Study abroad:

Just so you know, I'm leaving on a jet plane. Tonight.

I fly from O'Hare this evening (late!), through London, Johannesburg, and then to Gaborone, where I will arrive on Wednesday, probably with RLS to the max, and will hopefully be met by someone. I wonder if they'll be holding up a sign with my name on it? :)

So crazy that I'm actually about to do this.

Keep me in your prayers this week, and over the next few months as I experience the world abroad. It's sure to be an adventure. And if you'd like, you can also subscribe to my travel-specific blog, Learning (in) Tswana, to read up on my travel experiences. Of course, I'll still post in here, but that'll cover the more general thoughts and experiences, whereas this will be mostly my day-to-day, rather introspective and reflective things, as it usually, typically is. :)

Alright, well I'd better get going. We've got just a couple hours before we hit the road for Chicago!