August 30, 2014

I opted to participate in an optional permagardening session immediately following Setswana lessons. Permagardening is similar to permaculture in that it is intended to provide a sustainable means of growing vegetables in our future communities. By having the skills and knowledge of gardening in this new climate, we have the possibility of creating a garden in our backyard for our own enjoyment, at our school to provide nutritional supplements to lunches, or in the community as another nutritional resource for anyone passing by. I like the idea of having a garden and growing my own vegetables, but it is the execution of this idea that posses a challenge. It would be nice to say I’ve gardened in the past, but nurturing seedlings of lettuce without actually having them make it to the ground hardly counts. I’m going to give Botswana gardening an honest effort because, quite frankly, I’ll probably have nothing better to do after work once I’m at site. 

When I say don’t try this at home, I’m serious, don’t try this at home. For the fifth night in a row (since Mme Chiliwa has left for Gaborone and yes, I’ve been counting) I have had chicken and rice for dinner. I’m not complaining because I haven’t had to cook, but there has been no variation until tonight. I watched Princess mix the rice on her plate with ketchup and mayonnaise. I’ve heard this is a common practice in Botswana, but I’ve never actually mustered up the courage to try it until tonight. The distinct and unique taste of mayonnaise and ketchup in Botswana are very different than in the United States which is why I would suggest not actually pursuing the recipe. Botswana mayonnaise is called “tangy mayonnaise,” and in accordance with the name, it is slightly tangy. Botswana ketchup tastes more like real tomatoes compared to the United States which I would consider a good thing. It is also a little more watery and tastes as though there is less sugar, another positive aspect. When mixed together, it produces a surprisingly nice mix of salty, tomatoey, and tangy that is quite enjoyable. However, this may be a one time experience because eating mayonnaise every night with my rice can’t be the most healthy decision.