Sept 5th

So before another day goes by I thought I’d write an update of my adventures so far. I arrived yesterday and have essentially been running around trying to get acquainted with the area, scheduling meetings with my mentor and the nurses in the NNU, figuring out the visa procedures, and lamenting the loss of the Trader Joes mostly cooked foods. It’s definitely been a full 2 days. At least getting here wasn’t too terrible. I actually slept quite well on the plane thanks to my therapeutic vibrating neck brace! Also I had a 12-hour layover in London, which was quite nice considering I got to hang out with my cousins (see pics above). They are some of the many relations that I have heard a lot about from my mom but had never met (well except for Ade and Lara). Anyway after that I was on a 10hr flight to Jo’burg, and then on to Gabs. I wish I had charged my camera before getting on the flight it would have been great to take some pictures of the landing. Botswana is a very flat country, but really beautiful from the air. The airport was unbelievable small but was beautifully landscaped. BHP sent a driver to pick me and he took me to PMH where I met my new roommate who took me back to our apartment. It is really nice!!! Thank goodness. Best of all we have an Internet connection, which is actually kind of rare in most homes in Bots. It’s really fast too, and seems better than what is at work. Anyway I’ve included pics of my room, though its nothing special. The roommate that picked me up is a Fogarty/NIH fellow, and she’s doing research in Dr Max Essex’s lab (he’s at Harvard school of public health). The other roommate is a Clinton Foundation fellow, though he’s not here and is letting his room to two other Clinton fellows. So it’s a full house. On Monday I get to tour the NNU and the maternity wards, and I’ll meet with my hospital-based mentor to discuss my project, then it will be work work work! However this weekend I’m going to Mokolodi Game reserve to pet cheetahs! Cheers B