Dixons head back home

Just got back from dropping off Michelle's dad, grandma and sister at the airport as they begin their long journey home. We hope they had a good time visiting us. Yesterday was a reallu nice day of visiting Gabane and picking up some great hand made pottery, seeing a boat load of monkeys at the neighborhood game reserve and then eating dinner as the sunset at Mokolodi restaurant. The pottery shop was closed for the holidays , but there was a cell number posted on the door that you could call if you needed assistance. I called Bapsi, she came down and opened the shop and we almost wiped them out of all of their pieces. Here's video of the actual shop where we went. I didn't shoot the video , but it give you a good picture of the place.. One is the view of the shop and the other is one of the potters explaining the process.. I didn't take any photos, but intend to on one of my weekly visits to the village.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdPdJs4hE-c
http://youtube.com/watch?v=v374agdbWnQ

We then went to the home of peter and Faith, who had some other items for us to look at,mainly tapestries..

It was a bit sad dropping them off at the airport.. We all kind of wanted to go home too... But we'll be coming home soon... Michelle is sick today and layed up on the couch as Maura climbs around her. Taking it easy today, will probably go swimming here shortly.. It's getting hot again. I plan on celebrating a little later tonight, I hear John Black is ALIVE!!!!

All for now..

Dixons get a taste for the 'Real Africa"

Well, after celebrating Christmas in style here our visitors experienced one of Africa's great traditions.... sickness. Helen started it off, Mark and Emily got it the next day. Hopefully it hasn't put too much of a damper on things, but unfortunately it has put them in bed for 2 and half days of their trip. Mark and I did get to go golfing with a Botswana character, a pious man named Pax. He was a treat, we were his guests at the Gaborone golf club... He gave us each a set of clubs to play with, while he used his new set of Taylor Made clubs. Oh yeah, he had 27 sets of golf clubs and 9 cars, was best friends with the president so he could totally relate to the rest of the country who was living off of 1 dollar a day. But he was a self made man who was "born in the bush" . He was kind and extremely entertaining,as was my golf game. My caddy began coaching me in the end, and I could hear him moan with each and every shot. God I suck. But the course is within walking distance to my house so I plan to improve before we leave.

Everyone is on the mend today and are in South Africa taking in some lunch and a game drive at Madikwe game Reserve with Michelle. Tomorrow we plan to go to Gabane to meet all my photo buddies and visit a great studio where they make local pottery using traditional patterns. Headed to the "bull and bush" tonight( i think) for a sundowner and an evening of no sickness. Keep your fingers crossed. Michelle's grandma and I took the twins and Maura for a stroll to the Main Mall this morning as we worked on Helen's Setswana by saying "Dumela " to everyone we passed. It's a great place to people watch and be stared at by all the locals.

All for now, let's hope the game drive doesn't produce any nausea.

Holiday festivities

well we had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at our home with friends and family... Michelle fixed a great meal for all, but the highlight of the dinner was seeing Michelle's Dad and Grandma partake in Botswana's traditional beer call "Chibuku" aka "Shake- Shake" . I purchased a carton or it, that's right, a carton from a local shake shake shop, which is a home in the nighborhood for 3 pula. It was worth it...

We had a great night, missed home a bit, but all was made up for as we/I wached "It's a Wonderful Life". One thing I almost forgot to mention was the beautiful singing of Celeste and her friend Kabo that occurred before the viewing of the movie. Their siing was fantastic, and made us sit in awe of them. it really was a nice touch to the evening.

The next morning, Santa Claus came , the kids had a blast opeing gifts from santa and all the family members who brought them ove with Mark and grandma... thanks so much for making the kids morning wonderful. After that, we had plans to take a trip to Mochudi to see traditional music performed for the holidays.. I'm not sure what everyonehad imagined this would be, but I can tell you it was nothing like I thought... It was a wild goose chase trying to find the place, but once we found the open field that it was taking place, I think the family was a bit taken back by the whole scene. People were drinking, celebrating and having an "Irish" of a time, but the music and dancing was beautiful. It had nothing to do with Christmas, but all the same was a unique experience for Michelle's family... Here's some video from the festivities,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Itx1nyHbDE

I hope it does it justice.. there were two groups singing and dancing, it was like a "Battle of the bands" where one choir would try to do the other. Check it out, I am amazed at the quality of singing and togetherness that is achieved during these things.... it must be the "shake shake". taking it easy tonight, Jacob's getting ready for yet another trip, we're planning to play Twister..

Merry Christmas to all !

Merry Christmas!!!!!

I realize this is a day or so early but we have visitors coming (they're flying over Guinea right now) but I wanted to write some thoughts before they arrive... I went for a run this morning around Gaborone and couldn't help but feel grateful for the experiences we have had these past 4 + months. As we approach the year 2008, I thought it would be a good thing to reflect on some of the highlights of our life here. This is mainly for myself, not for you.. I just wanted to list them, because my mind is like a steel trap.... If I don't do it now, I'll forget it...

• Our arrival in Botswana, stepping off the plane and onto the runway, as people stared at us through a chain link fence, we were so excited, scared, overjoyed that we made it... then walking into the airport to see all of our bags had arrived safely... The place was so quiet, clear and cool, felt like we had just stepped onto the surface of Mars.
  
• Waiting for everything, learning how to live and be patient "Africa time"


• seeing the kids adjust, never complaining and rolling with the punches


• How our attitude has changed dramatically within the past few months, overcoming culture shock and settling in...this had alot to do with the arrival of the car and our friend Celeste.
  
• Meeting the people in Gabane and the wait staff in every single place that we've stayed in that pick up our kids, want to have keep them or marry them in 30 years (Jude)
• the women and men here who constantly tellinng us that we are 'rich' because of the fact that we have 5 kids... They tell us we are blessed and that we should be thankful for our large family.. Puts things in perspective considering the state of affairs here.


• The sunsets, the light and the overall atmosphere of this place


• seeing Michelle at work and realizing in person why we came in the first place... even though this place is wonderful, the reality is sad and seeing her doing her work and a clinic full of sick children that are awaiting treatment which will help them live normal lives, made the time, money and effort that it took us to get here all worth while.


• The drakensburg mountains.


• Jude and franny walking, talking and playing with each other.
• And of course our families, who we hope will miss us dearly this holiday.. we'll miss you too and be thinking of you.
• Lizards,lizards, lizards and no snakes.... yet
  
• Our guards Steven and James saying hellos to us each and every time they see us, despite the fact that they work every day, for peanuts


• Jacob and Kate's school... awesome


• Maura's friend "bubby" whoever the hell that is..


• The ability of the women here to carry anything and everything on their head, from piles of sticks, clothes, sacks of maize, etc., while having a baby strapped to their back, and carrying other bags in their hands.... I have to get a photo of that.... Hats off.


• Receiving packages from home , email and THANK GOD FOR INSTANT MESSAGING!!!


• Windhoek Lager, Windhoek Lager and Windhoek Lager(especially during the months of September and October...... well and November and December too..

A friend of mine asked if I could find any local music to give them.. Well on Sunday mornings, they play traditional Botswana music for a few hours and then follow it up with a great jazz show.... No "breakfast with the beatles" here.... Anyway, I was able to tape some of the show, and plan to do so every so often.. The music is cool and really gives me a sense that we are no where near home.. Here's the link.... there's no pictures, just sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktUbmYmq1PE

Merry christmas and much love to all.

Gabs becomes a ghost town

As the holiday season approaches, most people who live in Gabs head for their home village... Traffic is horrible today, the combis are packed with people and folks are standing by the side of the road, loaded with their belongings, hitching rides (which can be done here with ease) or waiting for the next available combi. I'm told we'll have the place to ourselves his holiday, which I don't necessarily like, but it will be nice to get around town without any hassle. All is well today, michelle got out of work at 3 and is currently shopping for fabric with the girls. We are preparing for our first visitors from home..... Michelle's dad, her sister and grandma, and we cannot wait!!

Michelle is making her menu for a Christmas dinner and is visiting a warehouse/shop called "world foods".... funny , they pride themselves on the fact that "EVERYTHING IS IMPORTED". unlike the trendy American move to supporting local produce/buying from local merchants, etc... here, the draw is to make sure it's NOT from here. Sad but true.. We'll see what she comes up with.. I've been listening to my favorite radio station, WMKV (89.3 FM)from Cincinnati to get me in the holiday mood. They play all the great stuff for the holiday season and brings home a little bit closer.

There was a Santa Claus in the Mall today, it just wasn't the same... I can't decide if it was his cotton ball beard , red sweatsuit or red Army duffel bag that made him a bit more pathetic than the Santa's we encouter at home..I think they mistook the notion of Santa Claus for an unshaven whino. Kate saw him and said.. "Ew". That's what I said...

Nothing on the plate tonight, Jacob and his friend are playing soccer outside, I'm here typing and Jude has totally destroyed the living room in the time it took me to write this sentence...

For those arriving on Sunday, It's been cloudy and cool all week, but it's breaking up as I speak.. i think we're headed for a scorcher of a week. By the way, the sun comes up here at 4:45 so be ready...

Have a great trip over here Mr. Dixon, Emily and Grandma..... I know you don't take a liking to beer that much, but the free drinks help.... alot.

Hope everyone is doing well. Found this picture as I was searching for a santa claus picture to put on the blog, thought it was pretty funny.

Shake Shake

I had another eventful morning in the village of Gabane, taking more pictures, talking to some of the people I have met, and watching many of the men in town, drink like Irishmen. It was 10 am when I arrived, and 80 percent of the men I talked to were 3 sheets to the wind. I couldn't decide whether this was a sad state of affairs or just some early celebrating with christmas around the corner. Our friend Celeste told me it was due to the holiday season. Most people there don't have jobs, are looking for work or drinking in order to forget about the fact they can't find work. Regardless, I love meeting with them and having them let me interact with them and take their photos.. What is sad though is that I'll never really connect with them, I'll always be viewed as a rich white man, a person who takes photos but doesn't have a clue as to what we are going through. I came to this realization as many of them approached me after taking their photos and asked if they could be my "garden boy".

There is a local brew made here called Shake-Shake... It comes in a carton, it is made in homes in the village, and I think consumed at the home of the brewer... THat is where several of my photos took place today. I also met with a large family who wanted me to take their photos in their garden behind their home. I really enjoy the people here and know that I'll truly miss them when we leave, but I won't miss their beer... think Weideman with oatmeal, ash and orange juice mixed together. The men buy it by the carton, sit in groups and share it... I met with a few characters for quite some time today discussing American politics... Thebe, OJ, and Coolman were a few of their names. What's so different about them is that they know exactly what's going on in the U.S. while most people in the U.S, have no idea where Botswana is on a map(myself included until I knew we were coming here.) they know the situation, the popularity ratings of Bush, the situation in Iraq, and think it is unfortunate that a black man and a woman should have to compete against one another.. "it's about time you have them in a position of power, why don't they take turns" is their solution.

They all want to come to america, to get their piece of the pie...... They ask if I own a cattle post at home and if it's as violent as it seems from the shows they see on television. How different it is here than at home. They are well informed and intelligent, just very poor and nothing to do....They love the photos I bring them and are anxious to have their pictures taken... I can't seem to get many candid shots because they all want to pose for me. It's good stuff and I look forward each week to developing their pictures, driving out to the villlage and taking more photos. The photos include Bushy, the Shake Shake brewer in his room, where he also stores his product. some young men drinking, older friends at the bar, a mother of 6 and a yound girl playing in her yard..

One major cultural difference.... men who are friends here hold hands.. i may have stated this in earlier entries, but it's happening to me here and there. So while they're chugging back a few cold ones, they'll hold hands while talking.. it happened to me several times today , in the outdoor bar area, holding hands with a man named Thebe as we discussed anything and everything. It also happened with the janitor at jacob and Kate's school, whom i've befriended, his name in Tonto.. He greeted me at the entrance of the school and we walked across the school grounds holding hands.. Felt a bit strange at first, but I really appreciated the gesture.. it's a way of showing respect , care and concern for the other person. What's strange is the men here act so stoic and masculine most of the time, you wouldn't think that they ever consider holding hands. But it's cool right? yeah it's cool.... It's like that Seinfeld episode where they talk about the man hug..... " we're hugging, but we're not touching"

all for now

Puke Fest for December

Photo slideshow of our trip to South Africa... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeukkDuBygc


Well, we've gone several weeks without a sickness, but the vacation is over. Today's a sick day for everyone, and the T.V.'s going full force... Jacob, Jude, Frances and Michelle all have a bug and we're taking it easy.

If you haven't noticed, I've taken the liberty to change the face of the blog... it's time for an upgrade and I think the changes make for a much better reading experience for you, our readers. We hope you like the changes and will continue to read my


poor attempts at documenting our day to day experiences.

Today I went to the post office to pick up a package from our friends, the Demarcos, the Rusnaks, the Debruers and the Kerreys. It was a wonderful surprise and he kids are watching "The Grinch " as we speak.. (Michelle is reading all your trashy mags as well). Thanks so much for all the wonderful stuff, especially the coffee, we were getting ulcers from the coffee here. By the way, I look stunning in my new running gear.

We knew we had a package in the post office because michelle received a very tiny receipt in her work mailbox informing her of the delivery of a package. I went to the post office to see what it was, only to wait in line for 45 minutes.. No one else seems to care about how long one has to wait for things here, so I soaked in the experience. i read my passport information/ tips at least 20 times and enjoyed watching 30 - 40 people sidestep the line and jump right in front of the service window, only to get serviced with a smile and see no one complain about others cutting the line.. When it was finally my turn, the woman went to get my package, and couldn't pick it up so she just kept kicking it all the way across the floor. It took here 5 minutesto kick it across the floor, and i don't think she was too concerned with damaging the contents of the package.

The kids were psyched about the package and Michelle and i began to really miss home.. Thanks.... What's up with the Ohio State shirt, are you trying to piss us off? By the way, the Ohio State shirt fits right in here, if there is one sweatshirt I see people wearing here, it's Ohio State... No lie.... And Michigan.

on another note, we have added a list to the blog containing our favorite names of combis here in town.. My personal favorite on the list is "caution: Children on board" right underneath this sticker was a huge pot plant sticker. Nothing says safety like completely stoned driver. Satan is a good one too... You can't help getting on a combi named after the prince of darkness.

All for now, I'm too busy putting in another movie for my kids to watch..

Trip through South Africa

Well we are back from our trip to Salt Rock and the Drackensberg mountains. It was a great trip through some of the most beautiful landscape we have ever seen. Every mile could have been a postcard (except the 20 minutes through Jo'burg). The weather was great throughout our travels and the kids seemed to have a great time.....

Even though the place was absolutey beautiful, the trip was a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions for us. Time and time again, we have been told horror stories of hijackings, muggings, carjackings, etc. that happen throughout the country.... We were warned, were a bit concerned about the possibility of encountering this, but it never did....

South Africa is a country in turmoil, still trying to find its identity and a balance between black and white.. Unfortunately, the disparity between the two was more than obvious throughout our travels. As you drive through the country, you encouter beautiful farmlands, rolling hills, wide open spaces, and then every so often you see a plot of land cluttered with tents, sheds made out of tarp, metal scraps and rocks. These areas were the small areas populated by the black South Africans. It was sad, truly depressing. The whole vibe of the place was different too...... not as freindly as Botswana and you could feel the tension as you walked down the street.

When we arrived in Salt Rock, a vacation town full of vacationing whites, we were greeted by our maid, Maureen... She told us she worked 7am- 6 pm, Sunday -saturday for 40 rand a day(a little less than 7 $ a day.) We told her to take a few days off, and that we would still pay her, but she didn't, I think out of fear of not getting paid. Unfortunately, I don't speak Zulu, and she didn't speak English. She did take sunday off, and seemed very happy about that.. The worst part of the deal was that she lived in the garage of the house with her son, who was Jacob's age. They slept on mattresses in the garage.

When you ask people about the cheap pay for house help, people always say, "It's just a different lifestyle", I just don't think Michelle and i have gotten used to accepting that people have a different "lifestyle", when it's impossible to choose your lifestyle on 7 bucks a day. People exploit it, but it does seems to be a way of life here.

We spent a day in Durban at the Ushaka Marine World, http://www.ushakamarineworld.co.za/home.html hung out at the beach and enjoyed our house a few minutes walk from the ocean. Kate lost another tooth, the babies got their first sunburn and we took a few drives to see the area.

On our way back from the beach, we decided that we had to stay a night in the Drakensberg mountains.. good choice....

It was beautiful, and I'm trying to figure out why they were so stunning and how they differ from the beauty of the mountains in the U.S. I think it's the fact that they seemed so untouched and the fact that they are in Africa makes them feel even more exotic? Maybe? I don't know. We stayed at the Alpine Heath resort http://www.alpineheath.co.za/and upon our arrival, extended our stay for another day. One day wasn't enough, and there were plenty of things for the kids to do....swimming, bike riding, movies, crafts, etc.

This place came with another depressing aspect as well...... Severe poverty and children by the side of the road, gesturing for food. I realize this is a daily occurrance to anyone who lives here, because when I told some South Africans at the bar the I bought some kids a pizza, they just laughed. We honestly haven't seen this form of poverty here in Botswana.. Or maybe as dramatic as it was here...

Money doesn't go very far here, so giving them food was very appreciated. Jacob and bought some boys a few pizzas after a drive to a local shop. It's difficult to enjoy oneself when you know there are people scrounging for food in the local villages. But the place was awe-inspiring and people were extremely kind, especially to our children. They are constantly playing with them and picking them up , Jude had a thing for Maureen at the beach house.

One thing to mention about the pictures. The picture of the man in front of the poster was taken at a coffee shop in Ballito, North Coast... Look closely at the poster.. It is for the Cincinnati/Dayton railway... What a crazy place to find a picture of home. We had tried to get coffee from this place earlier in the week, but the power was out in the whole complex, so no coffee.. Also, there was a "Subway" here and we tried to get sandwiches for lunch, but were evacuated because there was a bomb threat. Someone or something doesn't want us to experience the comforts of home... Good to be back.... Great trip.... looking forward to Christmas.

Be back in a week.

We are off to South Africa and the Indian Ocean. Can't write too much, packing up the truck. It is presently raining very, very hard here this morning and the thunder once again is deafening. Better go, check back with us next week, same bat time, same bat channel.

The Wait is over!!!!

No more pictures of traditional weddings, people in villages, etc... Today we bring the good stuff... Kate and her classmates singing some great tunes... The last one I think is an Irish drinking song, something about stumbling home? Anyway, it was a great event and simply capped a wonderful term of school for her. Northside has been a good experience for Kate and Jacob and they are finally used to the different teaching/learning styles that are applied here. We love the school and hope for more celebrations like this one in the future. Jacob had a swimming gala today at school, followed by a big time swimming party.. kate has her swimming gala tomorrow morning. They don't return to school until mid January.

Here's the video.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8E9JnaxZNM

If you'll notice, I've added a bit of slick video editing to this one... "the fade" is what we cinematographers like to call it. enjoy.
Not much else to write about. We are getting ready for our next big adventure which will start on Friday, early. We drive through Johannesburg to "Northern Berg" to stay in the Bridge Lodge for an evening. we will be driving through the Drakensberg mountains which I believe extend through South Africa and Lesotho..http://www.encounter.co.za/article/93.html They look beautiful. This should take around 7 hours, and then onto Durban/ salt rock and the Indian Ocean. I'll write a little more tomorrow.. i had another photo shoot in the village of gabane yesterday, I am becoming a fixture in the village. Sort of like Norm in "Cheers". except everyone else in the bar is black and I'm white. Ok, more like the dudes in "Animal House" when they walk into the bar to see Otis Day and the Knights sing "Shama Lama Ding Dong."
"It's Otis, He loves us!!"whatever it is it's great. I love the people and they are really kind in allowing me to take their photos. it's a good experience, but it's costing me some money, because I'm promising copies of pictures to those who want them. Unfortunately, they all want them. But I think they mean alot to them as they get really excited when I show up with their photo.

update on all the kids

As we approach Christmas, it is amazing to

think back on all that has occurred in our short time here. Jacob and Kate will finish their first term of school here, passing into the next level(standard 7 for jacob, standard 2 for kate). They are doing well, making friends and are starting to swim in our pool on a daily basis. Next term Jacob will take on cricket as his sport, and there's some talk of a basketball team being started.. some american idiot father of five has stated he wants to be the coach.... we will win..... we will win...... it's still up in the air though . Maura survived her first term at Tiny Bubbles.. I think being the minority was rough for her, but she did well. She loved "Monkeynastiks" and even received a medal for her accomplishments.. Bubby is her friend, still haven't figured out who that is and Ms. Grace and Ms. Emily Elizabeth are her favorite teachers. She is now potty trained, kind of, it only took til her 3rd b-day. She doesn't poop in her pants, she "diarrheas them". Nice. She won't nap and therefore the hours between 3pm-7pm are the "maura's a complete basket case" time. She's great though, and enjoying being home with Celeste and the twins. The twins have grown so much, are going through 2 major periods in their life... Franny is obsessed with shoes, mostly hers, and Jude is obsessed with being naked.. He won't keep on his diaper, and really enjoys what he's discovered underneath the diaper. But, I'm sure this will pass( he sometimes wears underpants over his diaper to keep him intact). They are on a great schedule, they wake up around 6:30, take a nap at 10:30, sleep til 1 or 1:30 and back in bed for the night at 7. It's great.. They are talking alot(franny mosly) , and starting to play together, plus kissing and hugging on each other... Jude eats anything, while franny refuses to sit in her chair.. She eats practically nothing b/c of this.

Other than that, it's business as usual... they love outlets, pointy things, electrical cords, poisonous berries and flushing toilets..

Below is a photo slideshow of the wedding I attended.. People have been asking to see more pictures, so here you are. coming up in the next few days is a video of Kate's end of the school year gala.... It's great to see for all those Kate fans out there. All for now, i'll have that video up soon, once I sift through the footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5HIK7kXFqc

World AIDS Day here..

Saw a story published on Yahoo yesterday(world AIDS day). Michelle and I were reading it together, it stated there has been a serious rise in the cases of AIDS in the U.S. I think the number of cases rose from 1,008 to 1,213(something like that). Michelle was reading the article and stated, "that's how many kids we see just at our clinic." Not to mention all of those that don't come, haven't been diagnosed, etc. This is one clinic in a country the same size as France.

Kind of scary.

Plan is to put up the Xmas tree today..... it should take us about 30 seconds. we have no ornaments, a few lights , and a fake tree that comes up to my waste... We're looking for "I'ts a Wonderful Life" I want to download it via some computer site, but some sites only allow you to download if you live in the U.S. If anyone knows a way to get this movie from a trustworthy site, let me know.. Also, we're jonesing for some claymation, 1960's xmas shows.. Any place to download those, let me know. Have a good Sunday, we'll be laying by the pool sipping cocktails after we put up the tree.

Botswana wedding

I had the privilege to photograph a pre-wedding ceremony today in Gabane. I tasted traditional home brew beer, met the elders(men and women) and had the distinct honor of sticking our like a sour thumb. The pictures and video I took were great(i'm not sure on what level) but the experience was awesome. I sat around in the courtyard talking with these old women about their customs and the ceremony while drinking this beer, which honestly wasn't that bad.

each woman dresses in a traditional skirt called a German print(brought to them by the Germans, prior to that they wore animal skin) and a quilt to wrap over their shoulders. The quilt signifies that they have gained the status of married.. they also wear a traditional giant pin that signifies this fact as well. Apparently i was at the groom's home... The women from the brides family arrive to the home, ululating(i think that is what they call it) and singing a song while marching slowly in 2 lines into the home. the song is basically asking "may we enter". It is repeated over and over.. Once they are done with their parade, they all gather under a tree in the courtyard and talk. It was very cool .

I took tons of photos, many of them portraits.

This began at 8 am, all the while, the men sat in a circle outside the home drinking beer out of cups which were hollowed gourds or squash. Not that much different from a Catholic wedding, the drinking at 8 am part. I've never had a beer out of a gourd before..

Here is some video of the procession.. enjoy. Michelle mentioned the beauty of their singing, as experienced at the clinic every morning. This was my first experience, and the video does it no justice... All of the "lalalalalallalalalala" you hear is the women, it is a way of displaying your happiness and joy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00b5Yr8yAfA

Notes for Thursday

Kate has a big assembly at school tonight. big show and dance.. video will follow. It is nearing the end of the school year here and in January, kate and jacob will up to Standard 2 and 7. They are on holiday from dec. 7 to january something.

As stated in the last blog, I head to Gabane tomorrow for a wedding. The place has become my project. I've been there 3 times in the past 2 weeks and have befriended a family, a very big family. They live right next to the shop where i took my first few pictures, and every time I go to town, I always park near the shop and buy a bottle of coke. From there, people become intrigued with my camera, asks me why I am here and then wants a photo. Yesterday I met up with a girl who I took pictures of before out trip to Kasane, her name is Nolitah.. She introduced me to her mom(Joyce), I got pictures of them together and then they invited me to their home to meet the elders. The whole family, aunts ,uncles, sisters, brothers, etc. live on this very small plot of dirt with a small brick home, a traditional hut, and an outhouse. I would venture to say 20-25 people all together.. The photos turned out well, but just the getting into the family and meeting all of them was the experience of a lifetime. they must have liked me, because the oldest woman invited me to take photos of the wedding. Her picture is here, she asked if I would take a pictures of her so that all would remember what she looked like when she died. They couldn't believe what they looked like when i showed them the digital image.

One other note about the experience was the great sense of love, respect and happiness they felt for each other... Particularly the mother and daughter relationship.. It was so natural and sincere. I'll post some of the pictures later, but for now here's a few snapshots...

Also, here's another video from our trip to Chobe. It's a boat ride this time.. if you're getting tired of this stuff, let me know.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMXzrjZ6_Mc

More to follow tomorrow, time to get the kids at school.

chobe trip #2

More from the trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMTrWkBnGwg

another short video..

here's a short video of michelle pouring a coke... fun stuff. More to write about soon, I've been invited to photograph a traditional wedding on Friday morning in the village of Gabane. I can't wait. All the female elders of the family were making beer in the back yard today, so I think they plan on getting liquored up on friday.. I'll be getting my first taste of traditional beer and some great pictures.. I'll tell you how this all came about with pics in the next entry. Not enough time right now.. here's the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L-ztmdcUj0
If you're looking for pics from chobe, check the last 2 posts.. I'm also downloading another as we speak. it will be up tomorrow... I think

video as well

here's a video too. check out the monkeys!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9mXPLtcYfg

photo slideshow

Here's some photos from our trip. Enjoy!!! Videos to come in the next few days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhLLTg3ut3g

Cool as all get out!!!!

Well, we are back from the wild at Chobe National Park and what an adventure it was...

I have so much to write about, I don't really know where to start. It was overall a very surreal experience. We drove over 11 hours through small villages, over roads that had no signs, no people, no nothing for hours. Thank God we had no problems. It was such a different driving experience than at home. The highway was a 2 lane road(one for each direction) all the way there. We went north, via Francistown to Nata to Kasane.. the 6 hours to Francistown was scattered with lots of villages comprised of mud huts, grass houses and a few bars. People sit under the sole tree in their yard and talk. There were families riding on buggies pulled by donkeys, a few gas stations and some overnight lodges. We drove behind a funeral procession, which was a huge amount of people stacked in the back of pickup trucks dressed in white.

We stayed in Nata after about a 7 hour drive, which is basically a bird sanctuary. It was quiet, beautiful and the place we lost out Ipod.... No more music for the rest of the drive there and back...We had our own huts and had our first date with malaria medicine and mosquito nets. Pretty cool.

The drive after that was eerie. No people, no villages, no nothing, except for an occassional pile of elephant dung on the highway. The landscape was flat, some green, large sprawling areas of bush, red dirt and an occassional baobab tree. Every so often there would be what they call a "lay-bye", which is essentially a tree and a garbage can( their version of a rest stop). It was beautiful. We arrived in Kasane and stayed in rondavels that were located steps away from the Chobe river. This sounds peaceful, but was very unnerving because along the river were signs telling you to watch your children... hippos, crocs and elephants come to graze here... There were large monitor lizards chilling out in front of Jacob, Kate and Celestes' hut, while in the middle of the night, I awoke to hippos eating outside our hut. Not your Holiday Inn Express. Oh yeah, and were attacked by a group of monkeys again(video to come). They basically took over the area and would let us back in our huts. Every day we took game drives (in our own truck) through the park, and then would venutre back out before the sun went down after Michelle was finished with her seminar.

Michelle and a colleague were in Kasane giving a conference to local health professionals on how to deal with AIDS patients. Apparently, Kasane is one of the worst affected towns in Botswana. It seemed to go well.

While she was in her conference, Celeste and I would pack all the kids in the truck and go 4X 4 ing through Chobe... Chobe is a must for anyone coming to Africa. If you have money to burn on flight, game drives, and lodging(which we all do), i highly recommend it. We were in the park for no more than 10 minutes and came across a group of 25 elephants walking the beach of the river. We saw herds and herds of buffalo, giraffe , all antelope types, crocs, tons of hippos and birds.

2 nights out of the week, we went on boat cruises through the park and were able to take in alot of the sights as well. the landscape of the place seemed desolate in some areas, and teeming with life in others. It was hot, dusty and littered with elephant pooh as far as the eye can see. I will put up a slide show and lots of video in the next few days. In the evening, we would have a "sundowner" , which is term for a evening cocktail, while sitting next to the river. During the drives, we were literally 15 feet away fro herds of elephant and were able to see a whole pack of lions wander down to the river... That was probably the highlight of the trip....

Aside from that, the hotels and swimming pools were great. we spent Thanksgiving by the Chobe River... I think Thanksgiving night was the night we saw the lions..

The people at the hotels were taken by our children(jude mostly). They were so nice and helpful... One of the reception workers walked with me to the grocery store and helped me shop while we talked about all the poverty and AIDS in the city. Not a light hearted discussion, but it made me realize that all the people(mostly white) come to vacation here and never get a sense of what is going on in these places. It made me grateful that we are living here and also made me feel as if I understood the situation a little bit more. Jacob and I took in a round of golf at the lodge, but I had to cut it short.. We had a caddy with us( at his request) who I paid the equivalent of 4 dollars to carry our bags. It wasn't the most relaxing round, the young boy who was from Zimbabwe told me about his poverty, that he hadn't eaten in 3 days, and asked if I could spare an American dollar(the American dollar is apparently worth a million zimbabwean dollars) . He was doing "piece jobs" (part time work) to make ends meet for his ailing mother and to get some food. If you are unaware of what is going on in Zimbabwe, basically the president has run the country into the ground. Due to sanctions, etc. there is no food, gas prices are sky high and people are desperate. They come to Botswana looking for work. Chobe is right on the border so it sees alot of Zimbabweans. As matter of fact, at the local gas station, we were waiting in line for 30 minutes while people filled their canisters to take back home and either sell or use the gas themselves. they come from miles and miles away for gas, and then head back home.

Anyway, The stories the boy was telling me were sad, honest and didn't help my short game. I quit after 6 holes, he asked to wash my car for 3 dollars, I found an American dollar to give him, and gave him some clothing.. The experience put things in perspective and made me feel guilty about staying in such a posh place.

Point is...... for the most part, life is hard here....

Back to the trip.... we are animal snobs.. we've seen it all and it was a great trip.. give me a day or two and the pics will be on the blog as well as lots of video... On the way back, we stayed at the Baylor AIDS Corps home in Francistown and capped off the trip watching "Lion King". The kids watched the beginning scene saying.... "we've seen that, we've seen that, we've seen that"

On the drive back, we encountered a few African rain storms(cool lightning), and a foot and mouth disease checkpoint. All of us had to get out, take off our shoes, put them on a pad of disinfectant, and then drive the truck through a pool of the disinfectant. Very strange.

Oh yeah, and we saw our first snakes.... I saw one by the pool side, a big green one that scared the hell out of the waitress.. I was in the pool, so no one saw that I peed my pants... Joking.. Or am I? Michelle saw a baby puff adder (one of the deadliest snakes in the world outside our room).

It was a successful trip. No one was swallowed whole by a wild animal or bitten by a deadly mosquito.. We saw the sites and it was truly an African experience.. Keep checking back for the photos and videos.. I hope everyone had a great holiday..

One other thing that came from this trip was the realization that we are really, really far from home. While i was waiting for Michelle to get out of the grocery store, we noticed a family of warthogs wandering the parking lot... It was at that point that I realized this was going to be a Thanksgiving like no other. I think the holiday, coupled with the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere, made us a bit homesick... Or maybe we were drunk from the constant scent of elephant dung.. I'm sure more stories from the week will come to me, but for now , that's it.. The kids have school for 2 more weeks and then we take off for our next adventure, the Indian Ocean.

Jacob had to go back to school today and perform a one man play he wrote, which was a fractured nursery rhyme, based on "Old King Cole." Jacob basically wrote this very witty comedy in which "old king cole" was replaced by "president Smush," which of course is a character based on our beloved president (who is not well liked here either...surprise, surprise)... Jacob wrote about the naked seals diving into the ocean looking for the presidents' lollipop, etc. It was pretty funny and well received by his teacher, who is a Bush- hater a as well.

All for now, it's good to be back in Gabs... The pics..... Elephant, a pool of 30 hippos waiting to eat us, chobe landscape, chobe sunset, and me waiting/ asking about gas

headed to Chobe!!! and photo slideshow

We just received word that Michelle is helping direct a conference in Kasane, which is right outside the main entrance to Chobe National Park, the best in Botswana. we leave Saturday and will be gone all week. I dont think I'll be able to upkeep the blog during this time, sodon't forget about us. WE'LL BE BACK!!!! With some great stuff. Apparently, we are staying in some cool places right on the Chobe River. No swimming in the river, crocs and hippos by the hundreds. Apparently Hippos roam the grounds at night, so I hope Jude doesn't escape our sight. On the drive up, we travel near all the salt pans and I hear that lions, elephants, and various other animals roam wild near the highway. Crazy. I wonder if the elephant crossing signs. ...
Anyway, Kasane is on the border where Botswana Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia meet. We are planning on seeing Victoria Falls(Zimbabwe) while we're up there and taking a boat ride to see elephants crossing the river.
Here's where we're staying... Chobe Safari Lodge for 2 nights

http://www.chobesafarilodge.com/


and Mowana Safari Lodge for 3 nights

http://www.cresta-hospitality.com/index.php?page=destinations/Botswana/Mowana%20Safari%20Lodge/about


Cool stuff.

And as promised, here's a video slide show of my day in Gabane. Lots of windows, walls, etc.. But they make for some good pictures.. I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdscIMDDMK0



The photos above are the side of the shop where I met Mary, Koketso, Sheila, Banyana and Onthusitse, the characters in some of the photos. The other photo is of the huge combi(bus) that Michelle gets to drive on some her visits to local villages. Cool eh? She's only killed 5 people backing out of out complex.This is also the first vehicle we took a ride in upon our arrival to Gaborone.



Enjoy!!!!

Andy, Photographer from the U.S. of A

I finally took the plunge and became a phtographer. I had the morning free and pursued what I've been wanting to since we arrived... I drove off to a local village, parked the car and walked. I drove to Gabane, 17 km. outside of the city, . I don't feel comfortable approaching people here about pictures, simply because i heard they find it insulting. I wandered and wandered, camera in hand.. no pictures..
I decided to walk into a local goods shop and buy a coke(Boipelego shop). The owner of the shop said hello in Setswana , I replied and asked how are you in Setswana... She answered, laughed at me and then corrected my pronunciation. I asked her if I could take a picture of her shop,showed her and others my camera. They loved the camera, couldn't believe you could see yourself right away, and that was that. I gained some confidence, told them I was a photographer from the U.S (hilarious) and got the guts to beging taking photos. I now understand why photographers love their job and what I've been missing being as a painter all these years. I got suckered into taking photos of these guys at a car wash, which was a blast. I promised them that for their time, I would make copies and drive it back out to them. I'm most interested in windows and walls for some reason though.I think the colors here are so vibrant, the sun so incredibly hot and bright, you have to take pictures. It somehow makes you want to record every second of your experience. Hard to explain. I'll post a few of them in a couple of days. But for now, here is Aubee, me and a few of his friends. Koketso(man) in front of shop, and Banyana(in front of shop). enjoy.
The whole experience was surreal... Being in this small village, in the middle of Africa, surrounded by quiet, and having a blast with people who I'm sure are laughing at you right in front of your face. The surrounding felt like an old western ghost town. On the way home, I gave 8 hitchhikers a ride back into town. Little did I know that all of them wanted to get off at different spots. It was a great morning.
One note... Images look best if you click on them to blow them up...
.

Weekend thoughts

After being here for so many months, I think it's safe to say we are finally feeling like life is normal here. This weekend was a good one, in the sense that we didn't sit around talking about how nice it would be if we had ........ (fill in the blank) . I think the pace of life here has finally caught up to us and we have joyfully accepted it. When I speak of the pace of life, I mean how slow, slow, slow it is. As Americans, I think we've always felt like there had to be something to do, somewhere to go , etc . Michelle and I are bums as it is, but here, we feel right at home because no one does anthing, except be with family. Saturday night was great. We visited friends in a village (Oodi), which is a total change from Gabs.. No paved roads, quiet, a real african village. The sunset was unbelievable. Across the street from the home was a group of women, huddled in a circle singing..They sang for a good hour and a half, it was beautiful. Behind the home was a group of girls playing jump rope and soccer, occassionally peering through the gate to see what we were up to. I saw my first snake, it was dead in a pot. The cousin had killed it. When I asked what type it was, the boy said.. `"The kind that if it bites you on the leg, it will kill you.... This is a small one, there is a big fat one here too, we can't find it just yet." We proceeded to play soccer and ride bikes through the yard for the next 3 hours. Maura played in the sand box in the back of the house. Good parenting? When in Africa, do as they do.

Sunday, we cleaned a bit, cut hair and sat around the baby pool, hangin', In the evening, a family from the states who has been here for 7 years came over and had dinner. Both of them are doctors and their children are around the same ages as ~Kate and Jacob. They helped reinforce all the reason we dragged our kids here in the first place. The kids had a blast and swam in the pool as we sat around and watched them.

I fell asleep on the couch watching an old Jay Leno show. What a bum. All in all a great weekend. Weekends hae been tough here, but I think we've found a comfort level with it and don't whine about how much we miss home. It was good. Don't get me wrong, we miss home, but a sense of normalcy has been found. We hope that you can visit.