Botswana Days 2 and 3

Pic #1: Our grad dorms, suite-like space with the shower room on far left, toilet room in the middle, and down the long hall on the right is my small room with a heater, closet, bed, table, mirror, and bookshelf!

Globalization: It is so weird. There are poor people everywhere, people riding in cars with 12-14 people were van (not enough seats), people trying to sell things on the street in the HIGH UV indexed sun with signs that read "talk to me", meanwhile those who have money go to the Riverwalk mall, where there is a 4-theatre cinema playing Dark Knight, WallE, Hancock, and Wanted (all new movies!), places to buy imported smoked salmon, ALL electronics needs (like a HUGE warehouse best buy, called "Game"), and high-class dinners and lunches served to those willing to foot the bill. Last night, we went out to Dinner at Primi, this awesome Italian Restaraunt, with the 8 students and our instructor, Jodi (who rocks cuz she knows SO much about botswana!). I ordered a HUGE serving of Frutti di Mare seafood pasta, and 4 dark chocolate brownies with cream/ice cream for dessert and it cost me 90 Pula, and it's about 6.75 Pula = $1, so it was about $15, which was NOT BAD. i was so surprised. After spending a good 3+ hours there, our waiter, Timothy, (pronounced Te-mo-tay) wanted a picture with us, so we took one with him and promised to get a developed photo back to him. He spoke to a small group of us afterwards, and we told him we were nursing students and his response was almost heartwrenching: "Thank you, our people are dying of AIDS". You could see the humanity behind his dark brown eyes, this waiter, clad in a bright orange uniform with "Work is Love Made Visible", opening up to us as we give him his tip. Jodi, our instructor, was explaining that tips in Botswana usually are around 10%, which was like 90 Pula or $12, which wasn't a whole lot. She said she likes to give more because many of the service workers go home to places with no running water, none of the amenities that we are luxuriously granted at the dorms. Timothy said his cousin died of AIDS last week and that he is going to her funeral next week, that he is raising 3 kids at home and trying to save up to install running water and a water heater. this was a huge reality check for me, coming from America. I rag on America all the time, but i am realizing it COULD be worse. I mean, some things here are all "westernized": Ford dealership in the main downtown area, people driving Mercedes all over, traffic jamming the freeways during rush-hour, self-proclaimed hip-hop booths at the mall, etc. It's all very interesting and eye-opening. Basically, White = Money = Power, and it's more apparent here than anywhere else i have seen.

IDCC: So, we are here for my community clinical experience for nursing at Penn. I will be working with one other student at the Infectious Disease Control Center clinic near the Princess Marina Hospital. Supposedly, 70% of patients have HIV with 50% of those co-infected with TB. The hospital doesn't turn any patients away, so there are apparently many people lying on the ground, some dying, and it can get very intense, from what i've heard. i don't start working there til next week i think (this week is more orientation, buying things to settle in, technicalities cuz some people still don't have luggage or working keys to their room doors). This is pretty much EXACTLY what i want to do, so i am SO excited at this prospect. I was asked to wash hands frequently, wear a mask, and don't get near people who sneeze, to prevent myself from acquiring a latent TB infection, for which i would need to get chest xrays instead of PPDs to be tested for TB for the rest of my life :(

Pic 2: Best sign ever! They have these random postings about healthcare all over campus, and of course, this is my favorite one! There is another one about Cervical Cancer and Testicular Cancer screening for students, which we don't have anything like on Penn's campus or any campuses in america!


Pic #3: I hate to get political in my postings, but EVERYONE here wants Obama to win. I have seen 4 guys wearing Obama shirts already here, and this awesome bumper sticker with the "O" as a globe! UH!!! I mean, Obama has heritage from Kenya, so the whole african continent wants him, as well as all of us, so we were HELLA excited to see Obama supporters here!