Gaborone

I am now in my second homestay in Gaborone and its quite a different experience than my 2 weeks in Mogobane. In my first homestay I only had 1 little nephew in the house, who was about 8 years old. Besides him, I had a few cousins that were 5-10 years older than me and they visited the house from time to time. This homestay I have 4 nephews living in the house, all boys ranging from about 5-11. They are quite a whoot- they call me auntie Laura and follow me around everywhere I go. A couple days ago a baked a chocolate cake with them and they had such a good time. Now everytime I get to the house they ask me what we are going to bake next. I also have 3 sisters, two of which stay in the house and 1 of which I share a bed. They are around 25-29 years old and I love having them around to fill me in on various city tips. One thing I really enjoy about this homestay is the fact that they speak fluent English and don't expect me to speak Setswana at all. This way I can really get to know them better and interact with them more than just making gestures. My homestay mother is also much younger- about 55- and she is very nice. The house I'm living in is pretty small for the amount of people living in it (living room, kitchen, bathroom, 3 bedrooms), and there is lots going on at all times. They actually have a maid that works in the house during the week and she'll do basic things like clean up the house and prepare food. The family also just got a puppy- a small little black mutt that is very young and adorable. The house is actually located in a great spot, only a 35 min walk away from the University of Botswana (where I am currently taking classes). This past week I've spent a lot of time in the classroom, with 2 hour-and-a-half classes in the morning starting at 8:30 and then 2 hour long classes in the afternoon. Each lecture is on a different topic by a specialist in the field. To give you an idea of what we are learning about, here are some sample classes: Key Environment issues in Botswana, Wetlands Ecolgoy, Water Resources of Botswana, Wildlife Management in the Kalahari, Botswana's acceptance of statutory foster care, politics and democracy in Botswana, Economy of Botswana, etc. I definitely appreciate these classes more than the Setswana classes I was taking in Mogobane- they feel more relevant to my interests. Taking these classes has been keeping quite busy, but with any free time I have been visiting the malls, hanging out with my family, and checking out the Botswana nightlife. Its amazing to me how comfortable I've become in this city. I know how to get around well and I'm understanding the cultural differences more and more. It shocks me everytime I remember that I'm living alone in Africa. I'm having quite an adventure indeed. Alrighty, I think thats about all I have to say for now. As usual, feel free to ask any questions. I'm sending my love to the states!