Seronga: Reality

It seems my fears were warranted about some things, and uncharacteristically overwrought on others. Right.

The Journey:

Seronga is a beautiful place. It’s rustic. It takes a shitlong time to get there from Gabs (anywhere in the neighborhood of two days, depending on the driver and how many friends and acquaintances he wants to “check” on the way, and how many cows, donkeys and other animals you must slow down to avoid hitting along the highway with your car.). After the 13 hour drive from Gabs on Tuesday, which by the end of we thought we were seeing unicorns and kangaroos in the dark- that much time in a car will make you positively loopy- we spent the night at my friend Katie’s (potential) NGO in Gumare- it seems they are having a tough time with the housing. So we slept in her temporary housing which was her office with a bed thrown in, and people listening to some sort of gospel DVD over the wall. All night. Again I am thankful for earplugs. The next morning I got my first hot shower in a month and a half in a shower filled with spiders, bugs, lizards and a door that doesn’t quite close. All the better to escape from should I find any bigger creature in there. Nonetheless it was a hot shower and I was happy. It’s amazing how your standards change.

I was picked up by someone else’s counterpart at half 7, so promptly I was shocked, and taken to the RAC, where I was able to upload last weeks blogs and return some emails. I was now on my own, and I was introduced (read: handed off) to several people as this will be my district office, and then met the driver and man who would tell me (6 hours later) that he was my counterpart. All the other PCV’s had spent Monday in a training with their counterpart, but as I am so very far up the delta, my counterpart did not come. It was very much the experience of being the dork at the dance without a date (incidentally- not familiar to me). All my arrangements were made by someone else’s counterpart, who couldn’t answer a ton of questions. So by Wednesday, after being passed around and uncertain of who was “in charge” of me, if anyone, for three days I was rabid to meet my counterpart. Sidenote: A counterpart is a Motswana person who is kind of responsible for you, helps you integrate into the community, learn the ropes, and whom you work in tandem with on projects, so that the work you do in your community can continue after you leave. Sort of like a supervisor, the counterpart is very important person and has been known to make or break a peacecorps experience. Pulane was initially introduced as my counterpart, but then quickly denied this fact. I spent the rest of the day asking about my counterpart, only to find, upon arrival at the clinic and brief interrogation of its entire staff 6 hours later that Pulane was indeed my counterpart. Through a combination of communication/translation problems and a sheepish “April Fools?” when further pressed, I realized that this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I will of course have to disregard the fact that over the course of an approximately 6 hour drive that should have taken 3, Pulane and I were pressed together into the front passenger seat of a truck cab, during which I proclaimed my engagement (surprise! Jack) as a result of Pulane asking if I had a boyfriend, and giving me his cell number, and otherwise asking many personal questions that the Batswana do not consider intrusive, and that I was hesitant not to answer as I had no idea who this guy was, but I was pretty sure that either way, I didn’t want to offend him. I also didn’t want him to think we were dating, or better yet, going to get married. This should not be a problem.

So the drive continued from Gumare to Seronga, all the way up to Shakawe, and to the edge of the delta to the ferry that took us over to “that side”. Apparently the translation to English to Setswana doesn’t include “here”, or “there,” but more so “this side” and “that side.” The definitions of which are always changing, leading me to constantly ask “WHERE??” Lots of pointing and gesturing ensues, as it can mean the other side of the delta, or the other side of the room. I love it.

Somewhere on “this side” of the delta, on the 150 kilometers of white, bumpy dirt roads, I was inexplicably filled with excitement and anticipation to see my village, and a sense that this was where I am supposed to be. These instances are few in the sea of doubts I harbor about this whole experience, and I’m sure to take note and bask in them when they grace me with their presence. As is common, this glory did not last, but to have had it was enough for this trip… I hope.

The house: I will be spending the next two years in a cement roundeval (bathroom attached) It’s similar to a studio apartment that is round, which presents interesting problems for square things fitting against the walls.(which is, I guess why the round papasuan chair along the wall – there is no corner- makes so much sense.) There is a solar panel on the roof, which provides electricity for one florescent overhead light, and is connected to what looks like a car battery, which has a converter attached into which I can plug my cell phone, and hopefully my laptop, or in addition to the sketchy internet possibilities in the village, will prevent much blogging. The bathroom needs some cleaning and attention and has a tub that can be filled with (cold) water for bathing. Water for this task can also be heated on the gas stove. 2 years of bucket bathing- game on. There is a cute patio out front with chairs straight out of the 70’s. It has a traditional reed fence enclosure with netting above for shade. As it has been empty for a few weeks a few critters have moved in, including a lizard that was not lucky enough to make it through the septic tank and is now being progressively flushed through my toilet. If you think this is disgusting to read, imagine flushing the toilet (in the dark- the bathroom has no light) and seeing something filling the bowl along with the water, and upon closer inspection realizing it is the bones and partial corpse of yet another creepy crawly “friend” the first being the lizard that fell out of my stove and crawled into the non-working fridge. Upon my expressing my dismay to my coworkers about the wildlife in the place, they didn’t understand why I was upset about a lizard as they are “friendly” and eat the bugs and spiders. “Friendly” although they may be, I’m not looking forward to my new roommates. Hopefully a good cleaning when I get back will discourage them from staying.

The village:

People are very nice. I feel pretty safe, and feel that my clinic will take good care of me. I’m excited about the prospects of living and working in this village, although I am still nervous about the distance from other PCV’s.

The Baby:

I mentioned wanting to see some babies be born, and was blessed with this opportunity on my second day at the clinic. I was present (and nearly passed out during) the birth of a brand new HIV neg baby. She was born at 2:05 (by MY watch, which was the official time) on Thursday. I’ve seen a birth before, but man, I was CLOSE, and a combination of hormones and heat nearly had me passed out on the floor! The nurse midwife said the same thing happened to her during the first delivery she observed, and she felt it was quite common, apparently when a woman watched another women giving birth she wants to push as well, which in my case entails holding my breath. It was amazing. I've got a lot to do!!!