I am here!

Just a quick message to say i am alive and well.  We are at the peace corps office in Gaborone, were supposed to get our visas but the computers and immigration were down so i have a few minutes on the computer before i have to share with someone else. i left my computer in storage so that i could focus on just learning the language, figuring out my family situation and dealing with the differences. I have a host family that has a 14 month old boy and a 2 year old girl, along with at 13 year old girl, 22 year old mother of the two kids, my brother (her boyfriend) and my mom who is 54 years old. thank goodness the 14 month old does't expect me to speak to him. He understands more than I do but I can say about 10 words more than he can.  it has been challenging and funny at times. Sad and stressful but i will save my stories for when no one is looking over my shoulder waiting for the computer.  My stress relief is hanging with the kids and some of the other voluntees in my neighborhood who I have language classes with.  I managed to fall in my house while mopping the floor and hit my head so I have decided that i have to be careful doing anything. my house has electricity, running water and and indoor toilet, so i am luckier than most. we get our placement assignment after we are sworn in on June 7th, so by then, I should be acclimated and hope for the best in terms of housing.  i was my laundry outside in a basin and hang on the line. i got to do a bit of weeding here last weekend, just like home.  we have had some tremendous thunder/lightening torrential downpours so i feel at home. unfortunately, this won't last and it will be very hot in a few months.  I am the 7th oldest in the group. we have a 84 year old male as our oldest, two couples in their 50s/ 60s 2 women in their 60s, a guy in his 50s and 2 other people in their forties, then the rest are between 22 and 30.  A good group overall who are all so danged smart. I like smart people.  So far I am not the dumbest. Though maybe I am. hmmm. when i fell on the floor i felt pretty dumb. anyway, should sign off. will borrow a computer next week to do some emails, but so far i am just soaking up the situation.  The food is interesting, but I will save that for later.  If you want to send me something, candy, power bars, nuts, good sunscreen for faces (35+ spf) and well, can't think of anything else right now. All is well, homesick at times, but that is normal and so I just roll with the flow and see where it takes me.  I am not spell checking this for eloquence either, so there you have it!