FAQ's

These are all questions that I have been asked.

1. What is Botswana?
Botswana is a country in southern Africa.

2. Where is Botswana?
Southern Africa.

3. So it's part of South Africa?
No.

4. How big is Botswana?
It's big, about the size of Texas. Estimated population: 1.6 million.

5. So do they live in huts and stuff?
Much of the population live in major cities. The country's capital, Gaborone, has 250,000 people. There are some villages/suburbs and a few communities of bushmen, who probably live in huts. I'll have a better idea once I'm there.

6. Don't you have to get all sorts of shots to go there?
I've been vaccinated for Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, and Rabies. I will be on a course of anti-malarial prophylactics for the next four months.

7. Do lots of people have AIDS there?
Yes. With an estimated 38.8% of the population HIV positive, Botswana has possibly the highest rate of infection in the world. However, Botswana is also unique in that it's government is one of the few to provide anti-retrovirals to citizens who can't afford to pay. The country has also funded widespread education campaigns.

8. Can you get a vaccine to protect yourself from AIDS?
No.

9. How long are you going to be there?
Three and a half months. I will be there from September 10 to December 24.

10. How long is the flight?
There will be about 36 hours of travel, divided into three separate flights and layovers. I will fly from JFK to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa, and from Jo'burg to Gaborone, Botswana. The longest of the flights is Atlanta to Jo'burg, which is 18 hours. That's a long flight.

11. What's the weather like there?
Hot, dry. A lot of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert, which should give you some idea of the weather, although it's not technically a desert. It's a semi-arid something or other.
I'll be there in the Spring, when temperatures average in the high-80's to low-90's.

12. Are you going to be living in a dorm?
For about a third of the semester, I will live with three different host families. For another third of the semester, I'll be living in my beautiful tent. The rest of the semester will be determined by where I decide to do my research.

13. Do they speak English?
In the cities, they speak English. It is the official language of Botswana, although most of the population speaks Setswana. The first weeks of my semester will be spent studying Setswana many hours a day.

14. What does Setswana sound like? Is it a clicking language?
It is not a clicking language. It sounds, to me, a little like Spanish spoken really, really slowly. The language is spoken in such a way that it is clear that the speaker is in no hurry.

15. Can you buy toiletries there?
Yes. In the cities, I will be able to find everything I need. Although I'm told that Tampons are really expensive.

16. Do you have internet access?
The cities have internet cafes. I will not have a computer, so will only have access to the internet periodically.

17. What are you studying there?
Mostly, ecology. In addition to the intensive language course, I will have seminars in local ecology, conservation ecology, and field research techniques. The last four weeks of the semester are spent doing independent research somewhere in the country.

18. What are you going to research?
I have no idea.

19. Will you see lions and tigers and bears, oh my?
Yes, no, and no. And wildebeest, elephants, hippopatomuses, rhinocerosesoses, leopards, springbok, gazelles, and other cool animals I can't think of at the moment.

If you have any other questions, ask!