So, I have to begin this blog by first apologizing for completely slacking and not having any updates since the end of January. A lot has happened since then and I unfortunately will not be able to cover it all nor will I be able to remember it. That being said I will write about whatever comes to mind.

So, when I last left you I was writing about how I was just findiny my place at Baylor and what my role would be within the organization. But I would have to say that my experience at Baylor has been nothing but awesome. I have learned so much in the short time that I have been here. I like it so much in fact that I made an attempt to extend my contract until November. However, due to budgetary constraints on WUSC\s part and their over quota of volunteers in Botswana, I was unsuccessful. Much to the delight of my parents (ans some of you) I am sure. Nonetheless, part of me is looking forward to coming home and starting something new at home. While part of me wishes I could have stuck around here just a little bit longer, but I have over a month and a half left, so I am not going to dwell on it and enjoy the rest of my time here.

So what have been up to...?

With work, I have had the opportunity to do some traveling for Teen Club. I got to go to some Teen Club events in Molepolole and Mahalapye in March where the theme of the month was financial literacy where all our Teen Club sites learned about the importance of money with the help on some representatives from Barclays bank. While, it may not sound like the most fun of activities, it was pretty successful. However, what has been even more fun was taking the older Teens during February Teen Club swimming and I get to do it agine this coming Saturday with the younger kids. It's awesome.!!! Additionally, I was able to travel in the city of Francistown where I participated in a workshop/training on the problem of MCP (Multiple Concurrent Partnerships and it contribution to the spread of HIV in Botswana. Being a government funded workshop for NGO partners, I was put up in a fancy hotel, given my own room, was allowed to order room service and had it all paid for all. It was really nice, but overall it really seemed like a waste of money, not that I am complaining, but did we really need to stay at the nicest hotel, probably not. I did enjoy watching TV (the National Geographich Channel is GREAT!)

What else? Oh I have also been able to see a couple of talent/hip hop shows, put on by different organizations. The talent show in February was showcasing talent from young people in the Western part of the county, including the Basarwa (The San). It was a really cool thing to see and the kids were great.

In terms of personal travel I haven't done a whole lot. I am booked for a week long to Cape Twon over Easter, which I am really looking forward to. However, the second week of March all the WUSC interns took part in a 5 day retreat to Ghanzi and Maun. It was an 8 hour bus to Ghanzi. It was really cool to all hang out together, and in Ghanzi we stayed in Bushmen style huts and were takn on a Bushmen tour and had a traditional dance performance (some of us even joined in). It was definitely really cool, but also a really strange experience as these people where demonstrating their traditional way of life, which is being destroyed. On the Bush walk I also saw my first snake in the wild (A Green Mamba). A nice surprise in Ghanzi ( a semi-arrid desert) was this natural quarry we were brought too. In the middle of this rock quarry was this natural underground water that filled up and provided this beautiful little watering hole. The water was a great temperature and those who had underwater cameras took a ton of pictures which I will be getting some copies of soon.

From there we were off to Maun which is about 3 hours away. However, since we were a group of 12, transport proved to be a bit of a challenge. There was only onw WUSC vehicle so straws were drawn for who got to go ing the car and who would take the bus. I and a few others were left out of the car are were not up for taking a sticky hot bus midday. So we opted to hitchhikie along the main road between the two towns. Before everyone freaks out, hitching is extremely commin in Botswana and is relatively safe. My friend Sarah and I managed to get a ride with two women in a nice air conditioned car and have a lovely nap along the way.

In Maub we stayed at a really nice backpacker's right on the river of the Okavango Delta. The next day a bunch of us took a ride on a dugout Canoe steered by a local with a large stick (extremely hard work) into the Delta which was a beautiful but scorching hot and little shade. Hence the head wrap. Apparently at the right time of year you can see plenty of corcs and hippos, but we saw none. Probably for the better, especially because we were taken to a spot in the Delta that was 'safe' to swim. How is it safe? I asked thiis question to our guide and the answer was "because you can see the bottom" Right!! Hahah. It was actually suprisingly really clean and really refreshing after being out on the water in the sun for 2 hours. The next day we just relaxed by the river before catching our afternoon flight back to Gabs a comfortable 1.5 hours vs taking the bus which would have been over 10.

All in all that has been my life in Bots thus far, I am sure I am missing tons of little things that make up the best parts of these experience, the people I have met, the restaurants I have been too and the lack of customer service or seperate bills and everything else in between. Most of the WUSC volunteers are leaving at the end of this month and there will just be a few stragglers here until May. It's going to be sad to see them leave, but luckily most of them live in Ottawa.

So that is that, I apologize again for failing to blog more regularly, its hard to take the time to sit and write about what has been going on in your day to dat life. Its easier when you are travling, but I will update again soon, especially after Cape Town...

So until then Happy Easter....!