Beating! (Betsa)

Botswana has some very different traditions than the United States. One is corporal punishment used in primary and secondary schools. I have started tutoring a couple days a week at the SOS orphanage in Tlokweng Gaborone. These are all kids that for one reason or another cannot be adopted, so they live here until they are old enough to leave. Anyhow, they were telling us stories how in school they are whipped, slapped, or pinched for getting answers wrong, being loud, or any other type of "misbehavior" This was confirmed when we asked our Setswana professor during class. She recalled in second grade when she would hide and skip school because the beatings her professor gave were so bad. This helps explain a much different trend in the University classes of no one answering questions. I have noticed no one responds to a professor's question, even when it is a basic "how are you?" Because of the schooling they all went through in Botswana, they have all learned it better to never answer questions in class than to risk being wrong. This creates some really awkward silences in classes, since we're all so used to speaking a lot in class in the US. Also, when you get arrested here for things like marijuana, you go to jail for two days and get whipped then released. No fine, nothing, just a whipping. The capital punishment here is still death by hanging, which Kelly likes to point out is still on the books as the only capital punishment method in New Hampshire since they haven't executed someone in so long. With a recent case, that is being changed to allow for other methods. Our setswana professor was astonished at how teachers in the US aren't even allowed to hug a student, let alone hit one. She said she's still so scared from it, she refuses to send her kids to government schools and sends them to private ones instead.

I am starting to do well with Setswana and I can say many useful phrases now, which is good. The local people find it hilarious when I tell them I am taking Setswana as a course, since they find it so easy. I have been really intrigued so far by my Natural Resource Economics class. All of the examples we look at happen in Botswana, which helps me to learn more about the country too, specifically diamond mines, forests, copper mines, and water resourse issues. The class is quite long (1 3-hour lecture per week) but very informative. It has helped to steer me in deciding my topic for my honors thesis next year, which I will discuss in future conversations when my research and topics have narrowed.

I finally have internet in my room which is quite exciting. I can now use Skype to call home really cheap ($5 unlimited calling per month) as well as update my blog and check the news more frequently. I am hoping I can also upload more pictures too since I can now do them in the middle of the night when the internet is much faster. It takes a day or two to download a movie from itunes, but its worth it once its done. I have been renting them lately from itunes, which is a pretty good deal. Speaking of movies, I went to see Watchmen last night which was really good. It's the only movie (so far) that was released here the same time as in the US. Usually by the time I watch them here, they are ready for release in the US on DVD. Watchmen is based on the graphic novel of the same name. Watchmen is the only comic ever to be listed on Time Magazine's top 100 novels of all time, it's that well known. The movie was very good, albeit quite long, but was definitely worth it. The main story revolves around an alternate history of the US where Nixon is still president in 1985 and the US and Soviet Union are inching closer to nuclear war. It's based on outlawed "superheroes" which have no powers except for the glowing (literally) Dr. Manhattan. There are great themes throughout the movie and the director was amazing the way he did the shooting.

Hope all is well.