Hakuna Matata

This week, as I ventured outside Gaborone to some neighboring villages I got my first glimpse of rural Africa. There was poverty and destitution. Animals roamed the roadways and sidewalks. The women carried baskets of flour and maize on their heads.

I saw Africa in its most unadulterated state; where life and living are different concepts. Where hunger brutally collides with survival and the cruel reality of poverty evidences itself on the smitten livelihoods of the rural Batswana. Yet, the people are happy; they seemingly had no worries, like hakuna matata.

By American standards, they would be considered the poorest of the poor, but here they are like many of the other people in rural Botswana (and Africa for that matter) and it’s ok; they have what they need to survive and what is important to them.

Botswana is a very communal society. The people feel that it is their responsibility to care for one another as if they were your own family. This helps explain the unusual hospitality I have received since coming here. Whether it’s getting directions or translating a word or simply the “hellos” as I walk across campus.

I had my first hamburger since 2008 for dinner last night and it was wonderful. I got it with bacon, cheddar, and guacamole on it and a salad and chocolate shake. I spent money that I didn’t necessarily need to spend but it was so worth it.

Tomorrow it’s back to the grind for school. I am really going to have to buckle down. A professor told our class that if any of us were lucky, we might get up to a 80 for our final grade, I haven’t decided whether I should feel challenged or scared, I guess time will tell.

I tried to buy a episode of 24 on iTunes but once it began downloading it said I had 134 hours remaining…yes, the internet connection here is that slow, so I don’t guess I’ll be watching it till I get back home.