This is a translation into Setswana of an earlier blog post. I would like to thank Seabelo John for helping me with this translation.
Likes and Dislikes of Living in Rural Botswana
Tse Ke Di Ratang Le Tse Ke Sa Di Rateng Kwa Metseng Ya Botswana
(with the help of Seabelo John)
(ka thuso ya ga Seabelo John)
These likes and dislikes are based on my experiences living in Diphuduhudu (local language: Cua) and Mokgenene (local language: Sasi) (being in) in rural Botswana during my linguistic fieldwork.
Dilo tse ke di ratang le tse ke sa di rateng di remeletse mo maitemogelong a me fa ke nna kwa Diphuduhudu (teme: Secua) le kwa Mokgenene (teme: Sesasi) e le metse ya Botswana jaaka ke tlhotlhomisa diteme.
The locations I stayed at are called ‘settlements’, meaning that they were created as places where the ‘Basarwa’ (Khoisan population) could move to for access to amenities (e.g., school, clinic).
Mafelo a ke neng ke nna mo go one a bidiwa bodulo/magae, go raya mafelo a Basarwa ba ka yang teng go bona ditlamelo jaaka dikolo le dikokelwana.
I have no experience living in other kinds of rural villages in Botswana.
Ga ke na maitemogelo a go nna kwa metseng e mengwe ko Botswana.
I am grateful to the people of these villages for their friendship and for supporting my research.
Ke leboga banni ba metse e ka gore ba na le botsanalo gape ba rotloetsa ditlhotlhomiso tsa me.
Just to be clear, I love staying in the village and doing fieldwork.
Ke batla gore batho ba tlhaloganye gore ke rata go nna mo metseng ke dira ditlhotlhomiso.
The likes and dislikes are presented in no particular order.
Dilo tse ke di ratang le tse ke sa di rateng ga di a tlhomaganngwa ka tsela epe.
Likes
Dilo tse ke di ratang
1. Seeing the stars and the Milky Way at night.
Go bona dinaledi le mokgatšha wa dinaledi bosigo.
2. Doing fieldwork all day long.
Go dira ditlhotlhomiso tsa puo letsatsi lotlhe.
3. Discovering something cool about Cua/Sasi.
Go tlhaloganya se sentle (se se kgatlhang) ka dipuo tsa Secua kgotsa Sesasi.
4. Interacting with my elderly consultants.
Go buisana le bagolo ba ba nthusang.
5. Hot fresh baked bread from the bakery.
Borotho jo bo molelo jo bo tswang kwa lebentleleng la borotho/maapeelong a borotho.
6. No e-mail, no TV, no Internet.
Ga go na melaetsa ya maranyane, setshwantso sa motshikhinyego, le enthanete mo motseng.
7. Giving clothes to children, and seeing them smile and laugh.
Go neela bana diaparo, le go ba bona ba nyenya ba bo ba tshega.
8. Listening to Stadium play his guitar.
Go reetsa Stadium a tshameka katara ya gagwe.
9. Stadium’s song: ‘On the other side of the river, there is no honey.’
Pina ya ga Stadium: ‘Kwa boseja ga noka, ga gona dinotshi’.
10. Hearing and practicing Cua/Sasi.
Go utlwa le go ikatisa Secua le SeSasi.
11. Hearing and practicing Setswana.
Go utlwa le go ikatisa Setswana.
12. Using my solar panel for electricity.
Go dirisa maranyane a me a a dirisang letsatsi go fetlha motlakase.
13. Seeing six red bars (charged) on the inverter.
Go bona invetara (sekaedi sa motlakase) e/se na le masedi a mahibidu a le marataro.
14. Sitting around a fire at night talking.
Go ora molelo, le go bua le ditsala bosigo.
15. Eating motogo (sorghum porridge) in the morning.
Go ja motogo phakela.
16. Taking walks in the village after work, talking to people.
Go tsamaya ka dinao mo motseng morago ga tiro (fa re tšhaisa),
le go bua le batho ba motse.
17. Taking a hot bucket shower, in my office.
Go tlhapa ka metsi a molelo mo emereng mo ofising ya me.
18. Playing Morabaraba (advanced tic-tac-toe) in the sand/on the ground.
Go tshameka Morabaraba (kgotsa Mhele/Mohele) mo mmung.
19. Waking up to the rooster crowing.
Go tsoga mokoko o lela.
20. Locating and buying local products (e.g., tomatoes, vegetables, eggs)
Go batla le go reka dijo tsa mo gae jaaka ditamati, merogo, le mae.
21. Driving to the nearest town for provisions.
Go kgweeletsa kwa motseng wa mabapi go batla dithoto.
22. Absolute quiet in the middle of the night.
Ga go na modumo gotlhelele bosigogare.
23. Breathing the fresh country air.
Go hema pefo e phepha ya motse.
24. Watching the sunrise and sunset over the desert.
Go bona tlhabo ya letsatsi le phirimo ya letsatsi mo sekakeng.
25. Living outside my comfort zone.
Go nna go sena manobonobo.
Dislikes
Tse ke sa di rateng
1. Flies everywhere, all the time.
Go na le dintsi tse dintsi gongwe le gongwe, letsatsi le letsatsi.
2. Sand on my office floor.
Go na le motlhaba fa fatshe mo ofising yame.
3. Walking on sand.
Go tsamaya ka dinao mo motlhabeng.
4. Getting sand in shoes.
Go tsenwa ke motlhaba mo ditlhakong
5. Thorns in sand.
Mitlwa mo motlhabeng.
6. Seeing people living in abject poverty.
Go bona batho ba ba senang madi gotlhelele.
7. Seeing widespread alcoholism.
Go bona batho ba ba nwang bojalwa thatha.
8. Using one small room for office, bedroom, and shower.
Go dirisa kamore e le nngwe e nnye e le ofisi, kamore ya borobalo,
le kamore ya botlhapelo.
9. Using the outdoor latrine.
Go dirisa ntlwana ya boithomelo ya kwa ntle.
10. The smell of the outdoor latrine.
Monko wa ntlwana ya boithomelo ya kwa ntle.
11. Walking to the latrine in the dark in the morning.
Go ya kwa ntlwaneng ya boithomelo mo lefifing phakela.
12. Chickens defecating on my porch.
Dikoko di ithomela mo setupung same.
13. Goats drinking from my buckets.
Dipodi di nwela metsi mo diemereng tsame.
14. Cloudy days when the solar panel does not work well.
Malatsi a maru a thibileng fa maranyane a letsatsi a sa bereke sentle.
15. Seeing three bars (not charged) on the inverter.
Go bona invetara (sekaedi sa motlakase), e na le masedi a le mararo.
16. No electricity (no fans or heaters).
Ga go na motlakase (ga go na fene, ga go na hitara).
17. No washing machine.
Ga go na motšhine o o tlhatswang diaparo.
18. No indoor running water.
Ga go na metsi mo ntlong.
19. Getting skin cancer from being in the sun.
Go tsenwa ke kankere ya letlalo fa ke nna mo letsatsing.
20. Getting out of my blankets in the frigid morning air.
Go tswa mo dikobong fa go le tsididi phakela.
21. Chickens crowing during recording.
Dikoko di lela fa ke gatisa batho.
22. Children crying during recording.
Bana ba lela fa ke gatisa dipolelo tsa Batho.
23. Worrying about my house in Gaborone getting robbed.
Go belaela gore ntlo yame ko Gaborone e tla thubiwa.
24. Living outside my comfort zone.
Go nna go sena manobonobo.
