Time is running fast

I only gut wo weeks left and I reallt feel that the time is to little to research on my topic. I mean, for sure, I will collect enough information untiul I leave Gaborone… but if I wanted, I could keep on researching for another six months or so. It is just like that, that once you opened the bottle, you cvan’t close it again. There is so many water spoilling out and I can’t prevent it from spilling on the ground. There is only so much I can pour in my cup.

But it’s a good felling, though. I will be doing another big  bunch of interviews this and next week. Also, next week I will be attending a workshop for two days. Today, I will be meeting the vice secretary of a youth organization here. Every day I am busy meeting people and I love it.

But there will be a lot of people I would love to meet. But I can never do it, because I will be leaving Gaborone soon.

I will miss this place, you know. I feel like I made friends her, which is a redicoulus thing to say after four weeks. Let me say it differently: I met a lot of people, I will take home in my memeries.

Isn’t that a good thing to say?

Take care

Paranoid and fundamentalistic ;)

That is, what I think sometimes, when I think of religiosity in our household. It is God 24/7 for my boss. Reading the Bible, listening to Gospel, watching Emmanuel TV (yes, it’s some kind of God TV). And everything, that is happening in the world… it’s God’s doing. Well, and if it is bad, it’s Satan’s doing.

With that comes a big mistrust for people. Mz boss always says: ” I don’t trust anyone. I just trust God.” And that one is true. God is his best friend, his only love and the only one he wants to trust truely. He would feel, that God is the one that porovides whatever challenge you go thorugh and that he will be the one that will always stay by your side as long as you pray and confess your sins.

Actually, I learned quite a long about christianity in the last few weeks. I feel like I made a degree in Christianity. So, whenver you have any religious question… come to me, I feel like I can answer them;). I am at a point, where I think, that I truely understand the meaning and place of sin, prayer, repentance and whatever in Christianity.

Christianity has its own logic and all the peaces actually fit together nicely, if you know how the full picture is supposed to look like.

My boss says, I will not go back home the way I came. He is right on the one hand, on the other hand he is not. What he is saying is, that I will grow spiritually and turn to God during my stay. I can ensure you: I will not. But still, I will go back differently. I have learned so much here. So I grew intellectually.

But I also see very clear, that I never want to become a Christian. Their moral values can never be mine. Really, like their sexual morality is sooo conservative. Lust is bad, homosexuality is bad… I even wonder, if enjying sex at all is a sin. Also, they consider jealousy and anger as sins. But I say: where would humans be, if we would be jealous or feel anger? Those are powerful and cleansing feelings, as well.

So, I restisted Christianity for four weeks, now, staying with the pator in his house, accompaniying him to every church service. I am so proud of my thickheadedness (you understand, what I mean?), really;).

Meeting the Germans

Guys, something really strange happend the other day: I met some Germans here in Gaborone.

Actuyally, there are quite a few around, since the DED (Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst), the GTZ (Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation all run offices here in town. So those three german companies would stay in close interaction and the Germans working there would spend a lot of free time togehter as well.

So, the other day, I was given the mail and cell number of another German girl, who is working for the GTZ (thanks Anna;)). We were meeting up at “Linga Longo”, which is a true white cafe and restuarant. I am telling you, I have never seen so many white people in one place before in Botswana.

Actually, I didn’t even know, there were so many;).

So, I really liked talking to her and later one we met some of her German friends. But to tell you the truth: to me it felt very strange to meet Germans and to talk German, too. Alo I felt how much more reserved and closed-minded Germans are in comparison to Batswana. Germans would watch and wait to see, who you are. They would not be as open minded as the Batswana.

So, whenever Germans ask themselves still, if they really want to get to know you or not, the Batswana would still have given you their pohne number.

Guys, I really liked that easy going openness. I meet so many interesting, fun people here, allready. I can tell you!

And I felt, that I don’t want to sp[end my time with Germans here. It just doens’t feel right. I didn’t come to Botswana to speak German… although, today on the combi I met a painter who has been attending an art festival in Vienna/Austris once. So, we would end up speaking a bit of German. I was impressed to say the least.

I am going back to my Afreican people, still .

Go siame,

Martina

Sorry for the delay

hej folks.

I am so sorry for the delay. It has been an awful long time since you last heard from me. You see, the problem is, our internet cafe closed down until december.  Also, it is not so easy to get an internet computer at university. I try it everytime I am there. But still, at times they would all be in use by other people.

So, right now I am actually at Game City. This is one of the latest shopping malls here in Gaborone. It is still in the process of building and I can allready see, that it will become huge, I am telling you. Game City is actually pretty far from tlokweng. By combi (the public transport here) it would take me an hour or even more to get here. So I hardly ever go to Game City.

Today is one of those special days, becauuse I came to pop in the Vision 2016 office, which is just around the corner. I was hoping to get some pieces of information about my research topic Botho, that I could use. Vision 2016 is an approach of the people of Botswana to their government and in that vision they summoned up all the wishes and expectations they have, that the government might reach them by 2016. And the government is really struggeling to reach those aims that its people it putting onto them.

In the end, it didn’t bring me too much to go there, although they gave me a pretty new idea of who to speak to about Botho.

Stay in touch!

I long to hear from you.

the parliament is one of the most impressive buildings in the governmental quarter in Gaborone.

the ministry of health is probably the biggest building around. Botswana actually does not only spend much money on the ministry houses, but also in health care itself, since Botswana is one of the top 3 countries with HIV/Aids in the world.

African suset

the view from our garden after a long hot summers’ day.

What is it like here?

That is, what a lot of people ask me whenever I met someone new in Botswana: What is your first impression about Botswana?

Well, the very first impression, might be this: it is HOT. really hot.

the sun is burnung early in the morning until in the evening. It will burn at seven in the morning throughout the day until five in the evening. Then, it will cool down. When there is a cool breath, the weather is actually wonderful and it is wonderful to sit outside during the evenings when the sun is setting and the most beautiful African star sky will great you.

The second thing, I love about Botswana are its people. There are very warm and welcoming. So, whenever Batswana would ask me what my first impression of their country was like, I would say I was impressed at the kindness of the people.

one of the best examples for a modern tswana lady is Malekuha (her name actually means “descendant of whites”). So, also you might not see it at first glance you will find two white ladies, two lekua, on that picture.

The Batswana go crazy over lekua. Last weekend, I was baking marble cake for the participants of the church services who would eat with us afterwards (Saturday 70 people, Sunday around 200). This weekend, I will bake a raisin cake.

Go siame as we say in Setswana (Go well)

Mpho

Looking around the Kgotla

a statue of the late Kgosi Gaborone. Nowadays, the chief wouldn’t run around wearing traditional clothing. actually, you will find him looking like an ordinary business man. Although, I have to admit, he is a very authoritive business man. He is very friendly, but you would feel he is used to having and acting power.

a small extract of the Setswana language you will find all over Botswana. The Batlokwa are the main tribe you will find around Tlokweng. The writing is outside the Kgotla (the house were concerns of the village and the people are discussed).

what you see in the front is the traditional fencing of the Kgotla. In the back zou will find the less traditional administration offices.

The Kgotla indicates the house as well as the generell place where matters of the village will be discussed. In former times, the Kgotla would have been in the center of the village. It would be an open space with some thatchted roof hut. The royal family would live around the Kgotla, then further their relatives. The ordinary people would be living on the outskirts. But those traditional living organisations don’t exist anymore. People just stay whereever they like. The Kgosi (the chief) is actually building his new house in my direct neighbourhood.

the Kgotla on the left with its adiminstration buildings on the right. The Kgosi is having is office here as well, were we came to talk to him. I would have liked to take photos but I was much to shy in his presence. But I will meet him again before I leave. So watch out for news .

Visiting the Chief

The other day, we have been at the Kgotla (the building you see here) of Tlokweng. The Kgotla in former days was the place, where people would meet to adress the chief and discuss issues.

In former days, the head of the Kgotla, the chief, would have the absolute executive, legislative and whatever else power. Since independence in the 1960s, the chiefs power is somehow diminished. Although chiefs are still taking many positions in politics on the local as well as the national level.

That day, another volunteer of the WCCC and me went to a social workers’ meeting there and were so lucky as to meet the chief of Tlokweng afterwards. Kgosi Gaborone (Chief Gaborone) welcomed us in his office and we actually spend about 20 minutes discussing botswanian politics, the power of chiefs, Tlokweng and Botho. This is a very big honour as he is a big man in national politics, he is actually the vice president of the house of chiefs which is an advisour to the president. Also, the chief is still a highly respectable person within the village that has to be abroach with the utmost respect.

Botho is the topic I am writing my master thesis about. It can be translated as humanity and is a social ethic that is carried out in everyday life through a very openhearded and welcoming nature of the people towards others. Although, I have to admit, it somehow diminishes over time and the spirit of Botho is not as strong as it used to be in former times.

I feel actually very honoured that the chief would take his time to talk to us and am still walking on clouds… people, I feel so important, right now. I hae to tell everyone I know, that we have been seeing the chief. Really, I still can’t believe it.

Better to just shut up

random pics