So…by the end of this trip I expected to be certain of which career path I was choosing and to be a different person.  I’m not sure if either worked out according to plan. I think if anything, I have been assured that I am equally, and increasingly, passionate about medicine and public health.  I can see myself playing critical roles in both disciplines.  So, in the last month I have left of summer, I need to decide which death test I am going further in to debt for.  I think I have [...]

I’m back to the real world…as if being in Africa was surreal or fake.  It felt like such an adventure that it couldn’t be real.   Even after being back, my time there is such a blur yet set so vividly in my mind.  I was welcomed by what seemed to be the most comfortable temperature Minnesota has reached within the past few weeks; weather seems to make dramatic changes in my presence.  My jet lag is just beginning to hit me.  I woke up at 3am; it took me [...]

My first experiences in Botswana were those dealing with transportation.  It was our first ride out of the airport and we were on the left side of the road, going what seemed to be 80mph, and in a combi.  I was already anxious of finally arriving in Africa, and the lack of a speed limit or traffic regulations didn’t ease my worries.  A Zebras game had just ended at the stadium, and the streets were congested with blue and white fans, combis, taxis, and what seemed to be an unusual amount of Audi’s.  While [...]

“We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us” [John Steinbeck] In less than 12 hours I will begin my long journey back to the tropical rain forest that is now Minnesota. Saying goodbyes have never been easy, but even more so now.  I am leaving new friends and a new home.  I think no matter where I go in life, a part of me is permanently attached to Botswana.  My goodbyes are only simple “until next time”s or “I’ll see you [...]

“But we have lived enough to know, that what we never have, remains; It is the things we have that go.” [“Wisdom”- Sara Teasdale] The holiday weekend served to be the perfect end to an unforgettable experience.  Seeing the largest waterfall in the world was a life changing moment in itself.  My journey to and from was a growing and learning experience to say the least.  If I wasn’t convinced before that I would come back to Africa, I surely am now. We began our trip to the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls [...]

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in ever way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever…” [Isak Dinesen] “You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future” For some reason I am in a quote-y mood.  I just realized that the University’s wireless will let me search the iTunes store.  How have I missed this for so long?!  I have been so musically deprived; all the while [...]

“To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded” [Ralph Waldo Emerson] So, a bit of an update on the past few days: We spent two nights at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Serowe, Botswana.  Although I enjoyed Mokolodi, this was a vast improvement.  We saw a wide range of animals including white rhinos, impala, springbok, birds, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, warthogs, and jackals.  My pictures could not possibly do the Sanctuary justice; [...]

Today we visited DTC Botswana, which is their diamond trading company.  Fortunately, we could have one camera, so I took the responsibility upon myself to take mediocre pictures.  Unfortunately, we were coming towards the end of the work day, so not many diamonds were in plain sight.  We were able to go through a ridiculous amount of security, including passport checks and at least 5 key access doors.  We were escorted throughout the building and outside, with most of the eyes on me and my camera.  Trust me, even if I did take confidential [...]

Sorry for the delay in my commentary on Mochudi’s clinics, but fret not!  Here is my patchy synopsis of our four days spent in Boseja 1 clinic (aka “Brocedure” because we would rather say that). Boseja 1 is located just down the road from Borakanelo (the now famous restaurant graced by the presence of first lady Michelle Obama, aka “mma obama”).  Located in what seemed to be the middle of a sand dune, Boseja was laid out on a small square plot with three main buildings: a kitchen, HIV clinic, and main [...]

Today we went to see a traditional healer.  There was not much to the visit.  His room was quite small with walls lined with shelves full of jars with different herbs and mixes.  The man, whose mother was from Zimbabwe and father from Malawi, was a healer from birth.  He talked about how when he was younger, his ancestors would visit him in his dreams to teach him about healing.  He could sense sickness in people. From a young age he became well known throughout the communities, and began to [...]

“Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” –Oscar Wilde Another day, another experience.  Yet again I found myself in Extension 2.  This day I took advantage of the slow morning and asked as many questions as I could.  I’m finally getting to know people and they are getting comfortable enough to talk in English around me, which is a relief.  I asked Agnes, the nurse from Princess Marina Hospital, about the workers strike and why so many nurses from PMH have come to E2.  She explained how the recession affected Botswana’s economy and [...]

“At the end of the day, we belong to the same race, the human race” – Prof. Phaladze I mentioned before the benefits and disadvantages to the Botswana health care system, but I don’t think that I truly evaluated my thoughts.  Today we discussed our different experiences in the clinics throughout Gaborone, and I’ve found that although health care is free in terms of money, it comes at a price in relation to patient care. Professionalism and confidentiality are completely different from what I am accustomed to.  Privacy does not exist in [...]

Another day in the clinic, another day left with questions and confusion. I spent the majority of the day in the dressing room watching wounds being cleaned and bandaged.  The nurse, Agnes, was most likely in her mid twenties and was working her first day at Extension 2.  We talked about America and what it is like to live there, and about her applying for her green card.  I never realized the amount of money and work it took to apply for one, and how badly people want to come to the US [...]

Yesterday we visited the SOS Orphanage and it was by far the most rewarding experience so far.  The children were so excited to see us and had so much energy to share.  They absolutely loved our cameras and taking pictures. It was almost more overwhelming for us to have so many kids running around and trying to play with us than it was for them to have 22 white kids roaming around their playground.   Their motto was “It takes a whole village to raise a child” which is so [...]

Today, for P6 (6 Pula, less than 1USD), I bought some mopane (pronounced Moh-Pan-Ay) worms from a street vendor. These are a delicacy in Botswana and are picked from mopane trees.  They are full of protein.  You can eat them dried (in the picture above) or boil them and fry them (second picture).  We added some jazzy salt to them, but they were still near disgusting.  I think the fact that I know I’m eating a caterpillar makes it much less enjoyable.  They were crunchy and mushy at the same [...]