Settling down

Night 1: My travel sequence was as follows -Houston to Washington DC (3 hours) with a 2 hour layover - DC to Dakar, Senegal (for refueling-8 hours) with about an hour stay in the plane - Dakar to Johannesburg, South Africa (9 hours) with an hour and fifteen layover - Johannesburg to Gaborone, Botswana (1 hour)

I flew South African Airways and was pleased with my travel experience. I even received a boxed dinner and complementary drink service on my flight from Johannesburg to Gaborone which was about 48 minutes from take off to landing. Africa 1 USA 0

Landing in Gaborone was...an experience. No wifi for purchase. Immigrations wasn't bad either with that blue passport. Now, let's get to the good stuff. There were five girls in my program who flew DC- Gabs together and we met at the airport. We were all expecting to call our parents from the motel we stayed at because we were promised wifi at the motel (confirmed by members of the group who arrived earlier). Well, you can't have wifi if you have a power outage. So, I didn't get to contact the outside world until about two hours after my flight arrived to tell them I was still alive.

"Welcome to Africa" everyone kept saying. Now, I know what it really means.

The night went well and I met some cool people too. The first two pictures are of Oasis motel, where we had orientation. 

The next morning we traveled to UB, University of Botswana, where I am staying at. I'm rooming with two other CIEE program girls, Emily and Jamieca, as well as two graduate students studying abroad for veterinary school from the states and one Motswana (a Botswanian), Fiji, taking winter classes.

After this we went to purchase living essentials from a Wal-Mart equivalent  (The store is owned by wal-mart). So it was easy to find such like pots and pans, shower items, pillows and other items. The struggle to find an adaptor/convertor is no joke. From three prong rectangle outlet to three prong circle adaptor to two prong rectangle adaptor to two prong rectangle device. It is harder than it sounds due to certain stores only having certain types of adaptors. The variety is mind-boggling. Underneath I have all of my adaptors as well as on top, a European style two prong rectangular phone charger for a nokia phone to use locally and a macbook pro charger.

Is this real?

Since then, I've found a spider on my bed (not too big) and I also saw the largest scorpion I have ever seen out camping at the Mokolodi Wildlife reserve...which I'll give details about soon!

We also had a nice dinner at a Portuguese restaurant, Caravella, complementary of the program.

The process of obtaining alcohol is also different considering it is 18 and up. Alcohol is widely available and people take advantage of it here. There is a student bar ON campus called 411 (4-1-1) which is like the country's "place to go". I would associate it with a shitty, one bar version of Austin's 6th street (at least from the outside). It looks like a classroom from the outside. Tobacco is sold in the student convenient store and it's not uncommon for a man to say vulgar, sexual things to women (in Setswana). Generally, the local people are friendly and do not talk about "fluff." We have a few student volunteers from Botswana who are all really cool and just a bunch of college kids.

Being Pakistani/brown is different too considering I don't think I stick out as much as white people and there is a lot of Indian influence here seen through the city's cuisine. There is a large mosque right outside my campus as well which has a welcoming sign every time I pass by. I haven't particularly seen many people who I can identify as "brown".  One of the girls doing homestay has a sister who is Muslim and said she might be able to take me to mosque one day so that will be interesting and different. I don't know too much of any local stereotypes toward Muslims or Pakistani/Indian people so that will also be a sight to see when I find out.



I start classes on Monday as well as clinical rotations. Clinic is usually 8-12 and classes 2-4 or 2-6 depending on the day so I expect to have a variety of experiences!

Best, 

Komal

Packing like a pro- how to

Above is a 65 L backpack from REI (originally comes with a daypack which I didn't bring) and a regular size backpack.
Packing was a bit stressful because I needed some specific space-taking items for my study abroad component and some separate items my backpacking component of my trip.

As far as packing goes, I packed an average sized towel, a face towel, travel size- toiletries, 12 tops -including tees/ v-necks/ 2 blouses and a few knits,  10 bottoms - 3 pairs of leggings, 1 pair of chinos, 1 pair black skinny jeggings, 1 black hi-low maxi skirt, 3 pairs nike shorts, 1 pair khaki shorts. (I took an extra amount of bottoms because of the daily variance in temperatures), 1 mini cream colored lace dress, a swimsuit,  six pairs of socks including two pair of long socks for sleeping in cold weather or hiking , and undergarments to last me for two weeks. I packed a pair of chacos, black flats, running shoes and hiking boots. I wore my hiking boots, chinos, a tee and light-weight omni heat Columbia jacket on the plane because those took up the most space in my backpack. Along with this, I managed to fit necessary medications, a compact sized wireless modem, a flat linen sheet, and other accessories such as makeup ESSENTIALS, a travel sized first aid kit and a small sewing kit. Another essential to travel with is feminine products because of the lack of choice or type in certain areas. Oh, I also managed to squeeze in my stuffed bunny which is always comforting and home-like. I'm planning on purchasing a sleeping bag here to limit where I need to carry it. Ideally, I would squeeze it in my 65L and over-fill my other backpack to limit what I need to carry. I used the roll style of folding for my clothing and bundles for my underwear and socks. Don't forget to put small items like socks in your shoes to save space and keep the shoe shape! I'll post pictures later of when I'm repacking to give people an idea of how I packed so much in my backpack. My 65L came out to be 22 lbs and I could fit more if I tried.

Looking back, I would have packed more tees and maybe one less pair of nike shorts and no jeggings, I also would not have brought the wireless modem (partly because it's taking a while to start using and will only be beneficial to me during study abroad). Other than that, I think I did well because I wanted to maintain a balance between backpacking and carrying enough variety to please my personal preferences for seven weeks (well, nine including backpacking).

For future backpacking trips, I'm sure I'll be able to travel with even less considering some specific things I needed to/ was suggested to bring for this trip.

Carrying these backpacks (smaller backpack in front) is much easier to me than carrying a suitcase. It's comfortable once on and it's easy to walk with as well. My hands are free for showing passports/ IDs/ boarding passes/ train tickets and my luggage is always on me which is nice because the risk of losing it or having it stolen is reduced greatly.

Don't forget your luggage locks!

Enjoy and safe travels,

Komal

The Inverted Bell Curve of Reactions

Written May 26, 2013. 

Still couldn't sleep on the flight because of a crying baby. It was frustrating but I would hate to be that baby and not be able to pop my ears. Talk about discomfort.

Reactions of me telling people I'm studying abroad in Africa 

When I told people I planned to study abroad in Africa, moreover in Botswana (a country most could not locate and some could not identify) the reactions I got were that of an inverted bell shape curve, strong at the ends of the curve and plateaued down in the middle. For some reason, everyone I told had more to say than “that’s cool. Safe travels.”

On one hand, my parents’ friends strongly urged my parents not to send me to AFRICA (the whole continent) due to safety issues. My parents didn’t even get a chance to tell them where in Africa I would be (stating the country would not have likely helped my case). I had college students asking me why I wouldn’t want to travel somewhere in Europe that most study abroad students were magnetized to, such as Italy, France or Spain. I even told my bank of my travel plans for accessibility purposes and the lady on the end of the other line told me to spell out the names of the countries because she hadn’t heard of them. I know I'm a little Africa crazy but come on, she seriously made me spell out Swaziland. 

However, on the other end of the inverted curve, I had people (mostly those who enjoyed traveling) telling me this would be the best experience of my life. For example, my older brother was so excited that he and I are backpacking after my program ends. I had people, mostly students, who told me how envious they were of my travel plans and how they wished they could study abroad as well. I received travel advice from the few I knew who had been to southern Africa.

What was interesting to me was that most people, whether they realized it or not, had strong opinions to my study abroad plans. This was interesting to me because most of peoples’ first reactions were generally valid yet vague. “You’ll have a great experience.” “Why don’t you go somewhere safer?” “Why do you want to go to Africa?” “Make sure you get all of your shots.” “Take lots of pictures.” “Be careful.” “Be careful of dangerous people.”

Advice

“Keep your eyes on your valuables, don’t portray wealth of any sorts, keep copies of your passport handy, store money in various places, don’t make bold decisions, don’t go to strange places with men, don’t go out alone at night, make sure people don’t drug your drinks, don’t wear revealing clothing and be aware of your surroundings.” Is it odd that I’ve been given about half of this advice in the form of recommendation via UT Austin freshman orientation.
"Don't share syringes, don't be afraid to leave situations you don't feel comfortable in, and don't play with wildlife."

Thanks y'all.

In case some are still confused and don't wish to look up a map. This is Botswana. It is landlocked and surrounded by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Yes, it is a real country, yes tourists go there, yes you should definitely google image search the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Go ahead. Please. 

Goodbye for now,

Komal

Of all the places I could've gone...Why Africa?

Written on May 26, 2013

Reasoning

There are three parts to why I am partaking in this program. Firstly, I wanted to study abroad. Secondly, I wanted to participate in a public health program. Thirdly, I wanted to go to Africa.

Firstly, I wanted to study abroad. What college student doesn’t? Well, this might sound a little extreme but toward the end of last year I found myself thoroughly evaluating different study abroad programs on a daily basis. At one point in time, I visited The University of Texas study abroad website more than any other! I started to ask around to friends who had studied abroad and met with a study abroad advisor as well. It might have become an obsession but I have to say it was worth it. I participated in a week-long Global Medical Brigade in Panama a year and a half earlier and after that experience, I was certain I had to learn the lessons of the world. I had to get to know the real world, the world outside what I called home. Also, I had a serious case of the traveler's bug. 

Secondly, I wanted to participate in a public health program. I was seeking international public health experience and I wanted to find a program that worked well with my career needs. I lucked right out on that one! I've always intended on doing international work sometime in my career. I didn't want to be one of those people who always talked the talk but never flew on the plane. So, I decided to start now.  For me, however, this is not simply a “résumé booster”. I am doing this much more for the educational and cultural experience rather than solely to appear a better candidate to graduate schools and jobs. It isn't nearly at all about taking classes that are half-way across the world, it's about being here and learning how the world works outside the reigns of the United States. For some reason, I've always wanted to travel to Africa. This leads me to my third point.

Thirdly, I wanted to go Africa. Technically speaking, I am already in Africa. I am currently on a plane from Dakar, Senegal to Johannesburg, South Africa (stopped for refueling and we didn't even leave the plane). I have wanted to travel to Africa for a very long time now. When I was younger, it was more of wanting to travel somewhere where not many people wanted to go as their first choice. I enjoyed finding beauty in underappreciated areas. I didn’t fully understand why I was drawn to this continent as a whole. Maybe it was because I wanted to become a doctor, serve internationally, and cure AIDS as a child. Maybe I wanted to serve in Africa because that’s where I heard people went to help people who "couldn't help themselves". That’s where I thought people "needed" help. This sounds foolish, odd, and childish. However, I have no better reasoning for why I wanted so badly to one day make it to this continent. The older I got, the stronger the urge became. Along with this, the realities of concerning myself with safety and security issues grew exponentially. I had also discovered more concrete explanations for why I wanted to go to Africa. I wanted  to travel on humanitarian and tourist basises. I wanted to help people. I wanted to be exposed to different cultures and languages. I wanted to be exposed to major healthcare differences. For instance, Botswana has an HIV/AIDS rate of 24%. It has been said that every individual knows somebody who has died of HIV/ AIDS. This is almost one in every four people. Just let that sink in for a moment.

Fast forward to present day, I am going to Africa almost as a “pre-test”. I want to join the Peace Corps and I’d like to see if this is something that I really want to do or if it simply a fantasy I have built up in my mind about only theoretically wanting to make a twenty-seven month commitment to helping people I don’t know and being independent in a country far away from all of my family and friends. After all, it is possible that I find after this program that I want something else out of my life unrelated to the Peace Corps or public health or even health care! All I know is that I am trying to go into this experience with an open mind.

That being said, even if all else does work in my favor, my parents aren’t exactly jumping with joy with  my desire to join the Peace Corps or the thought of me being in a different continent for seven weeks and this is a pre-test for them as well to see if and how they handle their concerns with me being so far away.

All pre-testing aside, it looks like I'm in for the summer of my life! The one that I have literally fantasized of. More posts to come.

Goodnight for now,

Komal

Cliché About Me First Blog

Hello all. My name is Komal Ramzanali and I am participating in the CIEE 2013 Summer Community Public Health program in Gaborone, Botswana. The length of this program is seven weeks beginning May 27th and ending July 15th. This will be my first time traveling to Africa. After the end of my program, my brother and I will travel for fifteen days to various countries including South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho. We also plan to travel to Victoria Falls, thereby covering parts of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A little about me is that I am an undergraduate student at The University of Texas Austin (HOOK EM HORNS) and I have just finished my second year. I am a born and raised Texan and boy, do I love Texas. I am majoring in public health and I plan to continue my education in the field of public health. However, I enjoy keeping my options and my future open to what the universe brings at me so everything is tentative.

This blog is for the purpose of documenting my journey as well as for the enjoyment and curiosity of others whether it may be family, friends, strangers, travelers, or potential study abroad students. This is my first attempt at blogging and I apologize for any amateur writing mistakes or grammar errors. In my defense, I’m a science student and better at writing research papers so bare with me and enjoy the read!