Same same but different.... kinda

Hello Everyone. Just a short note to catch you up on our lives. We are starting to get the feel of how things are going to be in Botswana over the next two years. Slowly, slowly is what we have to come to realize. The projects are going to be exciting and the work is going to fulfilling. All of this will come at the cost of great patience and learning to following the protocol of this country, that is so different then ours.

This past weekend we got to go camping in the great Kalahari desert. It was great and truly in the middle of no where. We got to hang out with some friends, the incredible full moon, and or course a baby giraffe. Oh did i forget to mention all the impala and crazy wildlife that i do not even know the name of.....

The weather is absolutely amazing. The day is sunny and warm and the night cools down to about 60. The lack of humidity is so great. The sun is warm but not hot. If you ever feel to hot the comfort of the shade is amazing. We hear summer is terrible here (Jan) but it is hard for me to believe considering that they do not even have the least bit of water in the air. It definitely will not be the swamp like feel you get in Indiana or say NYC.

We have obviously made many cultural observations up until this point- yet we are going to wait to comment until we have more time to fully analyze what we think.

The other Peace Corps volunteers are great. WE live near three people that bring laughter to our long training days. One of the volunteer is 72 years old and I absolutely adore her. I keep telling her I want to be her when I grow up. Every Sunday we meet at this lodge down the street to take back some beers and vent about the boring aspects of training. We also get to reflect together and talk about what we all think the inherent problems are associated with development. It always makes for a very passionate conversation, considering many of us have studied development theories in school.

That is all for today. I am heading to the grocery store- this is always one of the big excitements here for the day. I hear they have feta in the store today. YEAH!!! Matt is off to play basketball with all the local Batswana ballers!!!

Hope you are well and would love to hear what is going on in your lives. don't forget to update us on your lives. Hearing about you guys and your lives is truly the only reason to come to internet at this point- since are lives are not yet fascinating. If you email me , Laura, send to the hotmail account it has an easier time loading.

Robert happy birthday!

Bryn thank you for the pictures- it was so good to see nubs.

jamie- thanks for the email. first one i have gotten from anyone in a while. It was magical being transported back to carlton ave and malik.

Can’t wait to get all the surprises everyone is talking about. I can’t wait to make everyone jealous on mail day. I love you all- my friends and family!!!!

For all of you that have questions of what to send- wait until we move into our own house. It is not easy thinking about what we want, when we do not have any of our own stuff or freedom for that matter. Also, I have gotten reports of tons of people sending magazines. This is great, considering the only news we get here is WWF. I hope you keep sending them throughout the two years here. A Sunday edition of the NY Times would be a dream come true!!!!

We love you and think of you often.

Laura