There should be a statue of Author Alexander McCall Smith in the center of Gaborone. Or he should get a key to the city. Or perhaps an action figure in his likeness could be placed in the kiddie meals at Wimpy's (the local answer to McDonalds). His book series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency has arguably done more than anything else to figuratively put Botswana on the map and literally into the minds of millions. The books are an entertaining read and full of insight about the city we now live in and the culture of the people here. I've only read the first one, Chase is on #3. While not on par with Harry Potter mania, the books are popular enough to have generated enough buzz that there is currently a movie being made here based on the series and there are tours of the places mentioned in the books.
There is also a No. 1 Ladies' Opera house which recently opened. Chase, Finn and I went to it recently for brunch and we had a chance to meet the proprietor. The story goes that the idea for the place came about when he and Alexander McCall Smith, a friend, met over coffee last year and came up with the idea of Botswana's first Opera House. The site is beautiful, and they intend to stage full operas there twice a year. (Botswana has a rich history of traditional music.) The menu includes gems such as "Mma Makutsi's sweet pancakes" and "Malawian Mbatata Sim-sim balls."
For every frustration that we encounter here, there are opportunities like visiting The No. 1 Ladies Opera House that make us smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment