Sign In
Shannon Stevens-Commers
My husband and I have now completed our Peace Corps service in Botswana, and are living in Boise, Idaho. I'm still learning that no matter where I travel, there I am with my perceptions in tow, but with each experience, I'm learning to let go and the burden becomes lighter.Shannanigans
Travel Blog Posts
May 22nd 2011
Disclaimer: As has always been true and shall for now and ever more be true, this blog is a creation of my own thoughts, however random they may be, and has not and shall never be any reflection of the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and/or policies and politics, however pompous or pretentious they may or may not be, of the US Peace Corps, US government, and any of its subsidiaries, parent organizations, lobbyists, spies, puppets, etc. etc. etc. “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is hidden to the eyes.” From The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Today, May 22, 2011, we have been in Botswana for two years, one month, and 3 days. We’ve worked hard, worked little, traveled, been homesick, laughed and cried. What legacy we may leave behind, I will never ... read more
May 8th 2011
It is the harvest season in Botswana, but unfortunately for many subsistence farmers here, it isn’t always a time of bounty. Rain in this desert is unpredictable, often torrential, and the only thing small farmers can rely on to irrigate their crops. I’m sure it is no different for our hardworking neighbor. This woman must be well into her seventies and seems to have the primary responsibility for raising four grandchildren and secondary responsibility for several more. In a previous blog I talked about the contrast of the living conditions between our next door neighbors. Once we realized the needs of these neighbors, we began to help when we were mindful enough to remember. After work the children would stand at the wire fence and greet us and we would find something to share. These small ... read more
March 29th 2011
As always, I will remind you, dear reader, that these words are my own and do not represent the United States Peace Corps, the Federal Government, or any other of the vast bureaucracies of the USA, infamous or unknown. The opinions shared here have not been condoned by any bureaucrat, living or dead, and I have not fallen prey to illusions of grandeur that would lead me to believe that either have they been condemned. And to misquote that cutie, Clark Gable, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” If that hasn’t bored you to death, please read on. I want to tell you about a friend of ours, a wonderful artist, named Wilson Ngoni. (You can find him on Facebook.) He is in his early thirties, lives and creates here in Kopong, and shares ... read more
November 18th 2010
I just have to write this now as it is flailing about in my mind. So many thoughts have passed through so quickly that it may be difficult to sort them. Please know that I am not sharing this with you in order to shock, disgust, or dismay you. I am sharing, first because if you want to know what my experiences here are, I must give an honest account of them. Second, I write this because I hope there is something to be gained by contemplating these recent events. My work started on my way to school this morning. As I rounded the corner of the newly constructed wall that surrounds the family compound where we stay, I came up behind two female students. One was pulling up her panties and straightening her skirt. It ... read more
October 24th 2010
My logical, rational mind thinks, thinks too much, thinks it knows what cannot always be known. So was the meeting chance? I don’t know. I only know that I met a young ‘rasta looking’ man on the road, said my dumelas and passed by on my way to a planned event, a workshop that I was giving at the community library. I was several meters beyond him, when he called to me, said he was selling toilet paper and asked if I’d buy some. Being by now familiar with the all too frequent absence of what I consider a necessity, and pleased that he was doing something to help himself, I turned back, dug the two pula from my pack and purchased a roll. That was over two months ago when I first met Tau. I’ll ... read more
October 3rd 2010
It has been such a long time since I’ve written a blog. I’ve spent time writing in my journal and a few other scribbles here and there, but have missed connecting with all of you back home through the blog. The second year of service has its own set of challenges and rewards. Some of the challenges for me have been in the process of accepting that my impact seems to be smaller in scope than I first thought. I knew coming in that working in behavior change is a slow, uneven, and often mysterious process. As individuals, our capacity for change and the timing of that change is very unique. I think it is only magnified when looking at societal change. I know that I am making some differences one individual at a time, and ... read more
May 16th 2010
Without question, the most difficult part of our service here is being so far from family and friends. We think about you everyday and wonder at how quickly time goes, how much all the children must be changing, and the companionship we are missing. We certainly see the changes with the neighbor kids. The baby, Jr., who was born on July 13, is now toddling and chattering with every step. He walks like an old man with a bellyful of chibuku (traditional beer), and it is tempting to rush to his rescue with each faltering step. Tselang, the three-year-old who spoke no English when we came now parrots almost everything we say and understands us very well. Chantelle, the nine year-old, is quickly turning into a beautiful young lady. It makes me a bit sad to ... read more
April 15th 2010
Disclaimer: I take full responsibility for this rather long and rambling account of our latest adventure. I hold free of liability and responsibility, the US Peace Corps, the American Government and any of its affiliates, clandestine and public with liberty and justice for all. Read on at your own risk. Ahhh, vacations! I once reveled in dreams of exotic beaches, sun, books, and deep relaxation, but this vacation, this was not to be just a vacation, but a vacation to the beaches of Mozambique, even the name sounds romantic and relaxing. Mozambique, it just rolls so smoothly from the lips. I used to relax just hearing the name, but no more. This is one of those vacation stories that I will find amusing to tell about in maybe a decade, should I live so long after ... read more
February 1st 2010
Finally, I’m making time to write another blog. I want to share our experiences of visiting Victoria Fall and my revisiting Kasane. I had such a wonderful time taking the river trip on the Chobe when I was there during Pre-service Training, I wanted to go back with my long time companion and best friend, Steve - oh right, and husband, too. We left Kopong early on December 30th. By 7:15 in the morning we had found seats near one another on a bus headed to Francistown. By 10:15 we found ourselves in a broken down bus along the roadside near Mahalapye. Shortly after that we were hitching. We caught a ride in an air-conditioned, leather upholstered BMW with a Botswana Police Force prosecuting attorney. We had ever so brief hopes that he would be going ... read more
December 27th 2009
THIS IS MY PERSONAL BLOG AND COULD NOT POSSIBLY REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OF ANYONE OTHER THAN MYSELF, DUE TO MY UNIQUE MENTAL QUIRKS AND NEUROSES WHICH IN NO WAY WERE CAUSED BY THE THE US PEACE CORPS, THE US GOVERNMENT OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, OR AGENCIES, CLANDESTINE OR PUBLIC. Where are the sleigh bells ringing, Jack Frost, Frosty the Snowman? Melted in the searing African sun is where they are. There is no scent of pine, no hot cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I have seen a couple artificial trees, maybe a meter high at best, but I haven’t seen any with brightly wrapped packages piled high beneath them. I’ve heard a couple of Christmas carols blaring through the PA system at a grocery store in Gaborone where the cashiers wore Santa hats, but ... read more
Tot: 0.13s; Tpl: 0.007s; cc: 11; qc: 55; dbt: 0.0366s; 1; s:apollo w:www (50.28.60.10); sld: 2; ; mem: 6.4mb
© 2013 TravelBlog.org & Bloggers