Episode 7: Too tired for a catchy title

January 5, 2011

Kudos to the superb staff at the University of Botswana Office of International Education and Programs for meeting, greeting, welcoming, and shuttling over 50 international students today, and for extraordinary improvisation under stressful circumstances! All 23 of “my” students in the ACM program are here.  They have all had pizza.  They have a flat place with mattress to sleep.  They have met Cha and David, two local undergraduates who will help them for the next two weeks.  And every single one was in good humor despite plenty of opportunities to be grumpy.  Some of them have most of their luggage; others have a sheet to sleep on for the night and are trusting in luggage delivery tomorrow (I do believe it will work out just fine).  Every single one of them was a gentleman or lady, despite difficult circumstances, for example they distributed the few bed sheets there were first and foremost to the ones who had the least luggage!  I’m so proud to get to be their faculty director.

Orientation begins tomorrow at 9, but they will be taken to a cafeteria for breakfast in the morning.  Then on we go! Classes to begin the 10^th.

I hope that I will get to have time to get a little orientation for me in tomorrow….perhaps a meeting with Dr. Sabone, my Head of Department in the Faculty of Nursing (nursing! How exciting!).  

Today I was told that I should be a stand-up comic.  I told them, what do you think I am already, I teach five hours/day back home, to the same students!  So I’m sorry that this post is not so funny – I’m just exhausted but wanted any friends & family of the ACM crowd to know that we are all here.

Here is my first safari photo, lions or perhaps cheetahs but certainly not vultures or hyenas at a feed….

And here is the nicest room in my “flat,” which is actually a townhouse.  The rest is much much plainer, but they do go in for plush, comfy living room furniture!  Very nice.