My Humble Abode

Before my departure to Botswana, I often heard people asking me if I could be living in a hut. Just like many of you, I had never been to Africa and I was unsure of what to expect. What do you think of when you hear "Africa"? I know, with complete  certainty, that my ideas of what I would find here is drastically different from where I am living. Of course, there are places that are less developed than this great country of Botswana, but I am here to break down some of the stereotypes we might have become accustomed to.

I live in a beautiful home which was recently built with running water and wired for electricity . My house is much bigger than I ever expected with a master bedroom, master bathroom, shower (can you believe it!?), extra bathroom, guest bedroom, living room, dining room & kitchen. Makibikibi, or Keebs, my little furry cat, is in cat heaven with all the space he could dream of to run and play in. All of the floors are tile as well, which makes cleaning them much easier & brings my kitty great entertainment to run, slide & crash into the walls. As I mentioned before, it is incredibly sandy here, so I must sweep and mop quite frequently to avoid sand dunes in my home.

I want to share some additional pictures of my house, along with a disclaimer. All of my walls are concrete which makes decorating quite the burden. I've decided that given the limited options for wall hangings, my house looks a bit like a glorified dorm room. Tacky, yet beautiful. I've become quite fond of it.

living room shot # 1

master bathroom

map of states with pictures of family!

living room shot #2

Kitchen shot #1

kitchen shot #2

my bedroom 

lil vanity / desk area in my bedroom 

My gas stove has been connected in my kitchen to allow me to cook, warm bath water, and make tea for my neighbors who constantly drop by for a visit. Before my stove was connected, I was bathing with cold water. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't the dead of winter here. After lathering shampoo into my hair, I began to rinse out all of the suds. By the time the third or fourth cup of cold water was dumped onto my head, I had to stop because I had a brain freeze. Never in all of my life has that happened! Needless to say, I stopped washing my hair until I got my stove. I hugged the man who installed it for me; it was impossible to contain my excitement to have the option of boiling water. It's the little things in life, I'm telling you!

The electrical box is the missing piece before I get electricity, so until then, I won't have use of the refrigerator sitting so nicely in a box in my kitchen. (With electricity, I will also be able to use a geyser to have hot running water!)  I have a system for cooking which seems to be working out alright for me… I make dinner to serve two, eating one portion at night and saving one portion for lunch the following day. Although I don't have a fridge to store leftovers, it stays cool enough at night and even by mid morning, my food is still ok. Yet another reason I am thankful to be a vegetarian! Nothing I cook has much potential to spoil by the second day.

And so, here I am in Kang, happy as a clam. I already love to read by candle light and I think I may end up doing so even after electricity is available in my home. I've found great comfort in my simple life here - it can be very nice to have your computer turned off to have some quiet time to yourself. Try turning your phone & computer off for the day, or even the evening. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy your own company :o)

Love & Light,

TMV 

P.S. Please notice the random Christmas tree in the corner of my living room, the yellow!! paint on the walls & the beautiful 1980's prom dress curtains.