Blog #11 – Culture the Spice of Life

Today was the last day. We were going to go out with a bang!

Our bus picked us up in the morning and then brought us to the other U of G students in Botswana, a group of twelve students that were spending the month of May on the Guelph Global Learner Program – (check out the Student Affairs website if you are interested in this for next year!) We also picked up some other World Universtiy Service Canada – Student Withour Boarders participants (who I am doing my placement through). It was amazing to be halfway across the world and to be meeting all of these people from back home! We spend a good deal of time just chatting and catching up – sharing our stories. It was really neat, and an interesting way of wrapping both of our trips up! However, the main focus of the bus trip was that we were all going to an annual cultural celebration of Botswana!

The festival was sponsored and co-hosted by Orange (the local major cell phone company) and Botswanacraft (the industrialized craft company of Botswana). To say the least, the experience was a little corporate. However, there were some really cool elements to pull out of it. The entertainment that was provided was really interesting – there was an AMAZING children’s dance troop, and some really good music performances. We had wanted to see Culture Spears – a big hit traditional Botswana band, but no go… We had some food too: an interesting tea made from some indigenous plant, some ginger snack drink and some baked goods.

We spent some time looking at crafts and souvenirs. People definitely stocked up on things to decorate their rooms and gifts for their friends and families. By the time we had to leave the festival was really getting exiting – our group was responsible for starting the social dancing on the main floor – and we didn’t get the chance to try the other locally prepared main dishes. It was a really neat experience and I hope that I can have some more similar experiences to this, but on a more grassroots and local level.

The rest of the day was spent wrapping up our experience. We did our group processing, which only problem-based learners can truly appreciate. It was a three-hour session where each one of us reflected back on the week, the ups and downs, and provided comments to each and every member of the groups. It was pretty emotional and we had many tears, but it was a really good way to wrap up such an amazing, unique and life-changing trip. The rest of the evening was spent over dinner and drinks. It was reminiscent of a true family – thought none of us are related – we all share something that can never be taken away from us, that will be with us forever and are united together as one. The night closed as any night should we joyful dancing – we definitely brought our ‘A’ game to the café we were at and had even got several locals on the dance floor with us! It was a moment of pure happiness and one that I will always remember!

I don’t know if I have ever been more affected and appreciative of one week of my life. Our group grew really close and I am really excited for the fall when we will all be back in Guelph and able to hang out once again. The friends that I made are unbelievable! The lessons I learned, both academically as well as socially will be with me forever. The memories I have of things that only a handful of people will ever experience I will cherish forever. And the growth and learning that I experienced about myself will irrevocably change my future. I can’t thank enough everyone that was involved with this trip.

I have only been here for a little over a week, but I know that a small part of my soul will stay here in Botswana – and I will always consider it a place near and dear to my heart.