Medical School

Whew! We have completed the Mental Health Module with the Medical students--36 students, 15 hours of original lecture, 3 Three hour workshops and a 57 question exam. We have been working 20 days straight including weekends in preparation. Its honest work and something that we really feel good about. Nevertheless one never knows just how much of the material sunk in. Much of it is new to them and some things clearly were different than what they have learned about mental health--which is almost nil.

I am sure that they didn't know what to make of our "American style" teaching--walking all over the room instead of standing behind a podium, small group discussions and insisting on class participation, questions and responses. The students are almost pathologically averse to raising their hands and risk an answer that may be "wrong" or found foolish. It is unfortunately part of long tradition in African education and society in general--don't stand out, always be one of the group, don't take a chance that you will be publicly shamed. It got better as they came to trust us, but often we still had to call on a person directly to get a response. Interestingly they always had a response, many of which were considered and well thought out, but they were still afraid to volunteer them. We did a number of role plays to illustrate various clinical scenarios. Again almost never a volunteer, but once called on to come forward,almost to a person, they were great actors and actresses and very creative.

Kopo and I were a great teaching team, sometimes as a tag team in one lecture/activity and other times on our own. Even with the cultural differences, we were still able to get consistent rapt attention and frequent laughs--I guess we've both still got the right stuff for teaching.

Bits from Botswana

We are staying here in Gaborone over the weekend at the home of our good friends, Mike and Lynne Pendleton. Mike is an exchange family practice physician with the University of Pennsylvania-Botswana Medical Program. While they are away in the States, we have been able to stay at their condo. Since we taught last Friday at the Medical School and are scheduled again for classes this Monday, staying here makes it so much more convenient than commuting from Ramotswa.

I came up to the city two days early in order to attend the National HIV/AIDS Research Conference which is held every 5 years. We had hoped that our District research project on the “Age of Consent for HIV Testing” would have been ready to present. Since the study involved school students however, we were stymied by the recent month long break between terms from doing data collection—maybe next time.

The Pendleton’s have a home alarm system similar to ours in Denver. I arrived Wednesday evening with the instructions and door key in hand, entered the house and diligently punched in the code. Within a few seconds, it became obvious that this was not the correct code and the sirens started to blare. Thinking perhaps I had pushed the wrong numbers, I frantically began re-entering the code, but to no avail. By this time I had attracted the attention of the security guard from the apartment complex who was trying to assess who I was and what was happening. I tried to explain that I didn’t live here, but indeed was authorized by the owners. The guard looked suspiciously at me saying the alarm company employees were on their way (I didn’t know if this was a good or a bad thing). I really hoped to convince people that I wasn’t a criminal before the police were called. Usually in Botswana, if you produce 5 forms of ID and sign away your first born off-spring, people will accept that you are who you say you are. As the sirens continued to wail, the security staff appeared to believe me, and my daughter is still a free woman.

Then I suggested that they call the central office and have the alarm stopped. After all, that is a common procedure in America. But Nooooooooo, this is BW and the alarm company has absolutely no way to turn off the siren. The only way to shut off the blasted blaring was to enter the correct code—which I obviously didn’t have. They suggested that perhaps the alarm wires could be disconnected from the wall. After a thorough search of the house, no one could find any connection box. We were just about to give up that idea when one of the security people found an apparatus high on a wall, only to realize that the wires were buried into the masonry—presumably to keep people from doing exactly what we were trying to do.

The only possibility now was to call Lynne or Mike in the States and try to get the code. I didn’t have the number, but Maureen did. She called the States, only to get Lynne’s voice mail--- Ugh! The alarm men then called central office who then called the Kestlers, other friends of ours and the only other name listed on the alarm account. They told her that “Mr. Christopher” was trying to get into the house. Knowing me as “Kip” they hemmed and hawed for awhile, but finally guessed who I was, and vouched for me. She gave them another cell phone number in America to call. When the central office finally got a hold of the Pendleton’s, they didn’t want to give the code to anyone but me, so they said they would call me directly.

The sirens were now beginning to give me a headache, when to my surprise, the alarm employees said they were going to leave the premises and leave me in my misery. They didn’t do so before one guy asked if I could give him dinner because he was hungry, and the other asked if I owned a company which could give him a job. When it became clear that I didn’t have anything further to offer and there was nothing to do about shutting off the alarm, they left (quite possibly to get away from the noise) which was driving everyone crazy.

Within 10-15 minutes Lynne called with the code and I was mercifully able to shut the darn thing off, some 1 and ½ hours after the whole episode started. The only cure for my mental state by that time was a hot bath and a slug of Mike’s bourbon.

Only in Botswana.


Don’t Jump the Gun Kopo

Maureen was attending an impromptu school Guidance Department meeting earlier this week that went on…..and on…..and on. After about four hours, it appeared that things were winding up. With muttering words of ……..gratitude…. for being able to attend this marathon mostly in Setswana, she began banging her forehead against the table to show her relief that it was over. Unfortunately for Kopo, the meeting was just pausing. It continued for another 20 minutes while Kopo had to sit there, trying to explain that she really didn’t have a headache but was showing her “thanks” for such a great meeting.

This scenario reminds me of one of the Southwest Airlines advertisements that show various embarrassing moments with the tagline “Want to get away?”

I would have loved to have had a video camera for this one.



English ain’t so eezy.

Brent Keener, PCV BOTS 7 volunteer is getting ready to leave Botswana, having served his two year stint. He reports on his Face Book page this text message he recently received from one of his Motswana villagers---

“I am full of sadness to know that you are living”
—a classic typo.


Kalahari Khronicle Volume 1 Final Edition

Having just passed the official half way mark of our 27 month service, this will be the final installment of the Khronicle’s first Volume. Never fear though, Volume 2 will begin shortly as soon as we can repair the cord to the printing press which appears to have been eaten as a snack by one of the local goats.


Brown coffee

The New York Times reports from the Phillipines on Goad Sibayan who has been prospecting the remote Philippine highlands know as the Cordillera. After driving 12 hours from Manila, hiking a very tortuous route up a hillside and down into a remote valley, he found what he was looking for—civet droppings. The civet, a nocturnal, furry, catlike animal treasures eating the juiciest, ripest coffee fruits. After allowing such fruits to ferment in its stomach acids and enzymes, it excretes the hard coffee bean innards on the ground inside…….well…….civet crap.

Sibayan knows his coffee and these beans make a brew that is “smooth, chocolaty and without any bitter aftertaste.” He also describes how someone recently tried to snooker him by gluing inferior beans to …….ahem……..
non-civet crap. Sibayan could tell immediately that these were not the real McCoy, because washing the beans couldn’t dislodge the lesser quality beans from the lesser quality crap.

The civets are quite discriminating and will only eat top quality beans, leaving the rest which will be chewed on and spat out by bats. Sibayan can distinguish the premium beans that have gone through the civet GI rollercoaster from the bat fodder by licking the beans.

Some industrious Phillipino farmers have tried to catch and cage the civets, so as to make it easy to find and collect the civet guano. Apparently real “connoisseurs” rejected the coffee from the caged civets which they claim does not taste the same as that from wild civets. Apparently, “the stress” experienced by the captured civets causes changes in their stomach juices.
There “coffee connoisseurs” in the US that will pay exorbitant prices for the wild civet beans—up to $150 dollars a pound.

The Pat-ogs, the Phillipino farmers interviewed for this Times article about the prices that foreigners would pay said “We are a bit surprised and perplexed” With a big grin they also added “We are ignorant.“


Kgosi’s Komments:

1 Kgosi can understand that this brew may be “chocolaty” but who is kidding whom about it being “smooth without any bitter aftertaste.”

2 Sibayan has recently been hospitalized for over two months in Manila with chronic diarrhea.

3 Therfore Kgosi wants to know if this job is the best that Sabayan can get. By coming to BW, the Khronicle can offer a higher paying position right here in Ramotswa licking the printing press clean of old ink, and extra money can be made by moonlighting after hours cleaning up the goat crap—no licking involved.

4Kgosi cannot spell “connoisseur” without a dictionary

5 Any bozo who is willing to pay $150 a pound for morning java made from civet guano beans deserves every smooth chocolaty mouthful.

5Nonetheless, with advice from his broker at Goldman Sachs on how to beat the usual stock market investments, Kgosi has invested a significant portion of his pension plan in civet coffee futures.


6Not wanting to put all his financial eggs in one basket and perhaps miss out on a possible new financial gold mine, Kgosi is also diversifying his investments by trying to feed coffee beans to various African animals and collecting the guano in hopes that the beans will have their own unique flavor.


7So far, the most promising coffee possibilities are:

--Wildebeest Wake Up Call
--Elephant Espresso with extra Chocolate
--Rip Roaring Rhino and
--Heavenly Hyena, which is decaf

Kgosi was using the previous “printing press licker” to taste test the brews, but unfortunately that guy is no longer with us (see above vacancy).

8Kgosi himself is switching to tea.




Marital Bliss

The Associated Press cites an Olympia Washington woman Carolyn Paulsen-Riat who was booked for third degree assault and domestic violence after her husband tried to use his table saw.
Switching the “on” button produced a severe electric jolt that knocked him to the floor. Apparently angry that her husband was leaving her, Carolyn had a reversed the wires on all his power tools.

The AP also reports on the Salt Lake City Utah woman, Amy Teresa Ricks who received 30 days in jail for assault.
The 37 year old blindfolded her husband and promised him
“a surprise.”—after which she hit him in the head with a hammer.

Kgosi’s Komment:

To be on the safe side, Kgosi now insists that power tools will only be turned on while Kopo is holding his hand and standing in a pool of water.

He has now also told her that he categorically refuses to further participate in our regular Sunday game of Blind Man’s Bluff without a helmet.

Kgosi

Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’

Things in Ramotswa had been rolling along at a relatively feverish pace. It hardly seems possible that May is already here, and with it, the advent of winter. Hopefully, we still have several more weeks of warm days and cool nights, but you never know. The space heater is out and ready!

The Police

I had the opportunity of doing some interesting training talks in the last couple of weeks including two presentations on "Stress and Stress Management for Law Enforcement Officers" at the Ramotswa Police Department. Twenty five to thirty officers participated each week and seemed really appreciative for the information. Although most do not carry guns, they are involved in all the confrontations, arrests, and physical altercations that make up the daily life of a police officer. The police chief here, Sarah Gabathusi, runs a tight ship. Several times during the talks, several of the officers came in late and upon seeing her, offered clicking heels and a smart salute. Most of the walking beat patrol officers are young men and women around the age of 20. They are high school graduates with a high grade point average and excellent English skills. They enter the Police Academy where all courses are taught in English. Overall I think the talks went very successfully and I’m pleased to have been able to offer some mental health related material.


The New Group Visitors

Beginning on Wednesday, we had "shadowees” from the new BOTS 9 group here with us in Ramotswa. We hosted a couple our age, Mary and Chuck McGee from Alaska. Lucie Kuhlmann, a 22-year-old from Fort Collins Colorado, was hosted by our fellow Peace Corps volunteer here in Ramotswa. They "shadowed" us at our work assignments during the week and had a chance to sleep in, rest and relax on the weekend. All three were delightful to meet and get to know. As expected for being in country for four weeks, they had many questions about being a volunteer, site placement, work assignments, interacting with the Batswana, shopping, money, and lots of other things. Hard to believe it was a year ago that we were in their positions!

An Interesting Book

For those of you who are interested in learning more about Botswana and the culture, we might recommend a book called "20 Chickens for a Saddle” written by Robyn Scott and published by Penguin Press. It describes her upbringing in Botswana from the late 1980s to the present and we believe represents well a Westerner’s experience with the Batswana. Her family is somewhat "eccentric" but in love with Botswana and all it has to offer. It is a good read and will give an accurate picture of life in many parts of this country.

Medical School Teaching

Maureen and I begin our teaching at the Medical School this week. We have been feverishly completing lectures, handouts, self- learning assignments and test questions. There are 36 students in the first year class, mostly from Botswana, but a few from neighboring African countries as well. It already has been a lot of work, although it is a labor of love and right up our alley. This week we will be giving presentations on an Overview of the Psychological Aspects of the Brain and the Mind, How to Do a Mental Status Exam, and Alcohol and Substance Abuse. The last of these three lectures will be presented by our Peace Corps colleague, Shannon Commers, who is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. All three of us will participate in the two-hour workshop that follows her didactic material.

The Kalahari Khronicle Volume 1 Number 9

Public Notice from the Botswana Examiner May 8, 2010

"Currently trained Botswana Defense Force snake handlers are ONLY based at the Khama army barracks in the town of Mogoditsane. As a result, services of that nature will not be offered from other camps or from locations far from the barracks as handlers usually arrive only to find the snake has long disappeared.
As a cost recovery measure, each call shall attract a P100.00 fee, irrespective of whether the snake has been found or not. In case of snake attacks, please contact 366-2208"

Kgosi’s Komment-- Now that it has emerged that most of these calls do not actually confront a snake, Kgosi has found his new post-Peace Corps career as a trained snake handler. His only challenge now will be to figure out how to call in sick if it appears that there actually IS a snake to be found when the team arrives.

New Driving challenge in South Korea

The Associated Press reports the triumph of a 69-year-old South Korean woman over adversity to obtain her driver's license in Jeenju province.
Cha Sa-Soon has passed her road driving test on her 10th try. She had been finally granted a road test after she had taken the written exam virtually every day since April 2005. She eventually passed that test on her 960th attempt. She is now attempting to buy a small second hand car to utilize her newly granted license.

Kgosi’s Komment--Kgosi is wondering if the South Korean Motor Vehicle Bureau grants “Mercy Passes” for those who take the exam more than 950 times. Kgosi is also hoping that it takes Ms Sa-Soon many, many tries to correctly fill out the paperwork for an auto purchase. When news of a successful purchase is announced however, Kgosi will cancel any planned travel to the Korean Peninsula, or demand 24 hours advance notice of where Ms Sa-soon will be on the road.

An Embalming Advance?

Primera Hora, the Puerto Rican news service reports that the Marin Funeral Home in San Juan's Halo Rey district has begun a new trend by embalming the body of David Mireles Colón, who is a 22-year-old Puerto Rican native who died last week. He has been presented, not formally in a casket as is usual, but in casual clothes and sunglasses posed riding his Honda CBR 600 motorcycle. After having the vehicle delivered to the funeral home, those attending the wake will see Mr. Colón’s body riding atop the motorcycle. This presentation also depicts Mr. Colón's lifestyle in that he is not wearing a helmet while aboard the cycle.

Kgosi’s Komment-- Having now learned that this procedure is a possibility, Kgosi has expressed his last wishes should he expire in Africa-- to be positioned in his favorite pose -- riding an ostrich bareback and being followed by a trail of adoring admirers waving large fans constructed of palm fronds and feathers.

New Job Requirement

Reuters News Service reports that the police chief in Papua, Indonesia has now declared that each police applicant "will be asked whether or not, his vital organ has been enlarged.” If it has, he will be “considered unfit to join the police or the military," because, according to the chief, the unnatural size causes "a hindrance during the training." According to the Jakarta Globe’s expert sexologist’s response to this announcement, local males wrap the penis “with leaves from a gatal-gatal (itchy) tree” so that it swells up "like it has been stung by a bee."

Kgosi’s Komment--Kgosi does not have much fondness for the Itchy tree and during his lectures, he did not ask Chief Gabathusi whether this ban was in effect in the Ramotswa community.

Happy Mother's Day to all who qualify.

Kgosi