On further research, there are about 3.3 people for every goat in Africa, while there are 100 people for every goat in America. No wonder so few of us eat them. For a village like Mabutsane, in the USA there would be about 20 goats, undoubtedly on a farm somewhere. Here in Botswana, there would be about 600,000 goats (Bots is about .2% of the African population). or close to 600 for this village alone.
Last night three donkeys got into the neighbor's yard, and decided to congregate by the fence just outside my bedroom window. Then they decided to express their desires and concerns with the community. When a donkey brays, first it sounds like an asthmatic wheeze, and you swear someone or something cannot breathe. Then the exhale is a honking sort of sound, in varying pitches. Then a cow wondered into the land just across my little street, and since the neighbors were making so much noise, the cow decided to join in. It is too warm to sleep with the windows closed, so I was treated to a concert of sorts throughout the night time hours.
Yesterday I went to Jwaneng on the bus to do some banking. On the return trip, the bus was packed, and I was one of the ones standing. A tall substantial man stood up, turned to face everyone on the bus, and began speaking (in Setswana) in ministerial tones. At first I thought he was trying to convert the bus of people.
Then, he began holding up various sizes of containers, and I realized he was selling some sort of snake oil. He continued on, in great volume, for about 1/2 hour. I heard him use the English words of 'fibroids and growths', 'brain tumors', 'low blood pressure', 'depression',and saw him motioning like he was applying it to his face and arms as a skin lotion. The busdriver and the conductor did not seem to mind, they carried on. I don't think he made any sales, though, unless he was hawking in the aisles after I got off in Mabs.
