An interesting note: It is raining as I write this and has been every day for the past five days. It’s not just a slight, dreary drizzle but a commanding downpour that attacks and retreats on a constant loop.
I am teaching 7-9th grade English, 5-7th grade reading. Teaching English here is a professional, personal, physical and emotional challenge. I also run the library and I am excited about how often learners come to check out books.
A period at the end of a sentence is called a “full stop” and an erasure for a chalkboard is called a “duster”.
I never realized how loud rain is as it falls on a tin roof until the other day as I tried to read a book in class and I could barely hear my own voice. Plus, the learners that are lucky enough to have a desk were huddled on the opposite side of the room to avoid the leaks in the roof.
I never realized how loud complete silence is until waking up night after night to the sound of complete silence.
My house is lit with candles and my headlamp. When it rains, which happens quite a bit right now, it takes me 4,032 matches to light one candle.
The alternative to lighting candles is going to bed when the sun goes down. I have done that, too. It saves candles and matches.
I don’t expect my clothes to actually dry from washing until the rainy season ends, which I am told is in April.
I don’t expect my clothes to actually be clean until my Peace Corps service is over and I just buy new clothes.
My feet are always covered in mud.
When it rains, my roof leaks (luckily, none of the leaks are above my bed). When the roof is dry, I have some sort of yellow powder (looks like pollen) that falls from the roof. It covers everything. Everything. I am told it originates from the type of wood used to create my beams.
Currently, there is no place outside to hang my clothes to dry, so they are hanging all over the inside of my hut, and are now covered in the aforementioned yellow stuff.
I am irritated by what humidity does to, well, everything. After living in Colorado for so many years, I had forgotten.
Have you ever had the feeling that something was crawling on you only to realize it was nothing? If you have that sensation in Africa, something is really crawling on you.
A Poweraide (yeah they sell Poweraide in Namibia) bottle works well as a power wash when taking a bucket bath.
One rethinks how badly one must go to the bathroom in the night when it requires that you leave your home and walk across the village.
One rethinks how badly one wants to take a shower when you have to bathe with water you must carry yourself.
One rethinks how badly one wants to cook dinner when you have to cook your food and wash your dishes with water you must carry yourself.
One rethinks how badly one wants to wash clothes when you have to wash clothes with water you must carry yourself.
One rethinks how badly one wants to hydrate when you have to drink water you must carry yourself then dump into a filter and wait for it to filter it.
Are you sensing a theme here? Luckily, it has been raining so much I catch rainwater and using it to bathe, cook and clean.
The barefooted kids in my village run faster than me with my fancy Gortex running shoes. They are awesome.
Ashley and I went to town our first weekend here to shop for food. At the grocery store, I bought a pastry. I was on the final bite when I realized the inside was covered in mold. I survived. I consider that a success.
I buy Soymilk knowing there is no way to refrigerate it. I figured it might last a few days before it goes bad. I don’t know if or when Soymilk is considered bad. So, I designed a two-part test: Does it smell and did I get sick today? I guess that same logic could be applied to buying pastries, too.
There is a small bottle store in my village that sells “cool drink” which is how Namibians describe a cold soda. On Wednesdays, Ashley and I have a cool drink, which is the only one of the week. It accompanies our elaborate dinner (elaborate for us is noodles with garlic and perhaps some carrots and tomatoes) and a weekly malaria pill. Interesting dreams follow ingestion of said pill.
At night, Ashley and I spend time at the school recharging phones, laptops or ipods. One night, I thought it was raining and looked up to realize the noise was from the multitude of bugs hitting the overhead lights.
African people have the absolute best and most resilient attitudes. I am grateful to be around it.
I have fallen in love…with a skinny village mutt that I named Mohinder (after the dude from Heros, which is a flawless show). I call him Mo for short. Ashley and I have adopted him as our pet. He is a puppy. He follows us around and has even come to class with me.
I was reading a novel the other night when I came across a scene in a restaurant. The author described the meal and I nearly ate the page in a vain attempt to have a hot roll with butter on it.
A typical diet for someone who does not have a stove, refrigerator or oven: Cereal (until the Soymilk stinks or makes me sick), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna on crackers, apples and granola. Sometimes, I borrow Ashley’s propane stove and cook some noodles or lentils. This should change once I get my own stove and fridge (which are in my hut right now) hooked up to either propane or electricity. Yes, I have a fridge and a stove/oven combo sitting in my mud hut collecting Africa's version of pollen. And, yes, I might get electricity. It must be said that electricity in a small village in the bush looks and acts drastically different than electricity at your house, but I am not complaining. A cold fridge is a cold fridge no matter where it’s plugged in.
You have heard it before, but I will say it again: This is the toughest thing I have ever done. Ever. It is a harsh place to live, but there are so many reasons why it is worth the hardship. I love it and hate it at the same time, and I could not be happier to be here (if that makes any sense at all).
Thanks to everyone who remains in contact or is sending me packages. I can’t really explain how wonderful it is to get a small piece of America either via email or snail mail. If I have not heard from you, there is still time and I would love to hear from you. Please remember that I can chat on AIM, iChat or Google Talk and its cheap. I get to chat with Chris in person since he will be in Namibia for a business trip in two weeks. I am counting the days to a visit from a member of my fam! Yahoo!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Another photo post....
These first two photos are from our "Swearing In" Ceremony, which was televised in Namibia. The group shot is the CATJAR (the gang of awesome gals I have gotten close with). The gal next to me in the group shot (in the black dress) is the health worker in my village.
The photos below are of my village. The first is the school, the second is the library (Can you call it a library with so few books?) and the final one is my hut that is not complete just yet.
The photos below are of my village. The first is the school, the second is the library (Can you call it a library with so few books?) and the final one is my hut that is not complete just yet.
Friday, January 11, 2008
American Football, Namibian Chick-fil-a and a Spanish Telenovela
Happy 2008 to all of you! I hope your new year is starting off well. I spent the first days of the new year watching college football on ESPN International. I did not get to watch all the games I would have wanted to, but I got my fill of college football all the same. In addition, we had a tailgate party at the training center featuring BBQ chicken and the Redskins vs. Seahawks. I also got to watch the Steelers lose to Jacksonville. Bummer. On a happier note, the Peace Corps took us all in to Windhoek, which is the capital of Namibia, for a field trip. We saw the Peace Corps offices then they dropped us off at the mall. Yes, you read correctly, the mall. It was surreal to walk around a mall in Africa. It was as if I was in any mall in America. I had mixed feelings about it. I did almost cry when I ate a chicken sandwich, fries and a soda. It was like African Chick-fil-a. I also bought some fudge, which I ate within a 24-hour period. The purpose for the Windhoek trip was to buy things to furnish our homes at our permanent sites. I did not buy anything because I doubt I will need much for a two-room hut. I did enjoy Windhoek, though.
I officially became a Peace Corps Volunteer on January 9th. Thinking back, it does not seem like it has been two months. It feels more like ten. But, I have created some amazing friendships and I will miss those individuals as we all head off to our permanent sites. I will not see most of these people until April when we attend what is called reconnect. At the top of the “miss list” are my five roommates at the training center. We have named our small group of girls the CATJAR, which is simply the first letters of all our names. This is juvenile, I know, but when you are bored to tears your gauge of what is unique, interesting and age-appropriate shifts dramatically. Each reminds me of my close family and friends in some way. The CATJAR offers me support and a humorous outlet when things are tough. We get hours of laugher from various things including the abnormal-sized creatures that fly around our room. One in particular is the moth we named “both” (pronounced like “moth” with a “b”) because we are convinced it is a cross between a bird and moth. It’s huge. We also eat lots of chocolate and pastries together, and talk endlessly about this adventure we signed up for. Outside of my CATJAR, I have created relationships with other volunteers. Three in particular are Griffin, Jeff and Jay. Griffin and Jeff will be working as teachers in the same region as me. Jay will be teaching in another region, but shares a love for college football. We have spent late nights in front of the TV catching whatever televised bowl ESPN International happens to show. Anyway, an interesting thing happened at our talent show one of the final nights of training. Griffin and Jay sang the theme song to Gardener’s Daughter, which is a Spanish telenovela that is wildly popular here in Namibia. They both speak Spanish and dedicated their performance to me, which was highly embarrassing because I had no clue that was going to happen and the whole room turned to see my reaction. Despite my red face, it made me feel kinda special. One of the best parts was when Jeff came out wearing a dress and sang with them. It was a classic moment. I loved it.
Right now, I am at a hostel in the town closest to my permanent site, which is about 60k away. We left the training center, where I have been much of the past two months, at 4:30 am and arrived here at 6pm. It was a brutal trip, yet we have to pass through a game preserve to get here and we saw a handful of elephants. It made the marathon sitting session easier to tolerate. I will stay here until Sunday when I will finally spend my first night in my home. School begins for teachers on Monday, so I will dive right in to work at that point. I am excited to finally settle in to a relatively normal routine. Stay tuned for exactly what relatively normal means in a small African village.
I miss you all.
I officially became a Peace Corps Volunteer on January 9th. Thinking back, it does not seem like it has been two months. It feels more like ten. But, I have created some amazing friendships and I will miss those individuals as we all head off to our permanent sites. I will not see most of these people until April when we attend what is called reconnect. At the top of the “miss list” are my five roommates at the training center. We have named our small group of girls the CATJAR, which is simply the first letters of all our names. This is juvenile, I know, but when you are bored to tears your gauge of what is unique, interesting and age-appropriate shifts dramatically. Each reminds me of my close family and friends in some way. The CATJAR offers me support and a humorous outlet when things are tough. We get hours of laugher from various things including the abnormal-sized creatures that fly around our room. One in particular is the moth we named “both” (pronounced like “moth” with a “b”) because we are convinced it is a cross between a bird and moth. It’s huge. We also eat lots of chocolate and pastries together, and talk endlessly about this adventure we signed up for. Outside of my CATJAR, I have created relationships with other volunteers. Three in particular are Griffin, Jeff and Jay. Griffin and Jeff will be working as teachers in the same region as me. Jay will be teaching in another region, but shares a love for college football. We have spent late nights in front of the TV catching whatever televised bowl ESPN International happens to show. Anyway, an interesting thing happened at our talent show one of the final nights of training. Griffin and Jay sang the theme song to Gardener’s Daughter, which is a Spanish telenovela that is wildly popular here in Namibia. They both speak Spanish and dedicated their performance to me, which was highly embarrassing because I had no clue that was going to happen and the whole room turned to see my reaction. Despite my red face, it made me feel kinda special. One of the best parts was when Jeff came out wearing a dress and sang with them. It was a classic moment. I loved it.
Right now, I am at a hostel in the town closest to my permanent site, which is about 60k away. We left the training center, where I have been much of the past two months, at 4:30 am and arrived here at 6pm. It was a brutal trip, yet we have to pass through a game preserve to get here and we saw a handful of elephants. It made the marathon sitting session easier to tolerate. I will stay here until Sunday when I will finally spend my first night in my home. School begins for teachers on Monday, so I will dive right in to work at that point. I am excited to finally settle in to a relatively normal routine. Stay tuned for exactly what relatively normal means in a small African village.
I miss you all.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Lunch lays eggs…
Let me start by wishing you a Happy Holiday. I am thinking of all of you back in the States. Big hug. Big kiss. Now, here is a tidbit about my life. The setting is my homestay family home, where I have been living for three weeks.
This morning there was a spider in my closet. As a result, I decided to remove all of my things and leave it empty until I leave next weekend. I know it’s not a rational response, but I hate spider confrontations. I was collecting my dirty clothes from the floor of the closet when a chicken egg rolled off my things. Odd. I was not sure how an egg made it there, but I decided not to be concerned. There is a two-year-old in the house so stuff tends to get moved around. Plus, the spider was distracting me.
I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich later when my host mom tells me there is a chicken in my room. Interesting development. I decided to clean my room. I was rearranging my things on the shelves only to locate two more eggs. It turns out, the chicken, playfully known as “lunch”, was flying into my open window when I was out and laying eggs in the closet. Needless to say, the window is now closed. As I write this, Lunch is peering in. Tapping at the glass. It’s searching for a way into my room in order to take care of its eggs. I am ashamed to admit this, but I threw the first egg out of the window. Yeah, I am a chicken killer. It hit the ground with a splatter and one of the other chickens in the yard ate it. The other two eggs were placed outside in a more appropriate place for Lunch to fulfill her motherly instincts. This adventure comes at the end of a week highlighted by a trip to the doctor to get some medicine for pink eye. Yeah, Tina is suffering from pink eye. It's disgusting. Yet, the hardest thing lately isn’t the infectious eye disease or the farm animal raising a family in my closet right on top of my clothes, but it’s struggling with the intensity of my homesickness. I miss familiar faces. I feel the distance. I feel alone, really alone. It’s been a tough three weeks. The Peace Corps has it’s ups and downs and, luckily, I have had many ups to keep me going during the downs.
Since December 4th, I have been teaching at a local school and living with a Namibian family. The Peace Corps set up what is called “Model School” for volunteers to practice teaching in a Namibian school with Namibian learners. I teach 9th and 10th grade English, and I adore the kids. I also adore my host family. They have been so wonderful teaching me how to be Namibian, and helping me as I contend with a severe case of homesickness. I will happily spend Christmas with them and then, next Sunday, head back to the training center to celebrate the New Year with fellow trainees. I have plans to sit my butt in front of the one TV at the center and watch bowl games on ESPN International. Finally, on January 9th, I will become a full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteer at the Swearing In Ceremony. At that point, the Peace Corps will transport me to my permanent site and leave me there for two years. Wow. Heavy.
The following are random thoughts about my last few weeks. Enjoy!
*My Namibian host family eats with their hands for many meals. I like this tradition.
*I went to my host brother’s school one night to watch an end of the year awards ceremony. It is called a prize giving ceremony here. The oddest thing was the award for “Most Tidy”.
*I killed a cockroach and it was a surprisingly disturbing endeavor. It was not all that big, but I hit it pretty hard with the outside of my journal. There was an impressive amount of white stuff that seemed to represent whatever it is that constitutes the inside of a cockroach. I had this skewed vision of a cockroach as being hollow on the inside.
*I washed my clothes by hand again and I officially am the worst at being my own washing machine. I can’t get things clean, and all this hand washing is stretching out everything I own.
*There are chickens that belong to my host family that wander in their large yard. The kids named one of them “lunch” and another “dinner”. Lunch was the one in my room. Dinner is the daddy.
*When I was washing my clothes I left the back door open and all the little baby chicks came in to the room. It was laughable to witness me trying to chase them out of the house.
*I went to a professional soccer match. There was no scoreboard and some random guy on the sidelines ran out on to the field, snatched the ball and proclaimed that the match was over. The match was not over.
*I took my first Silozi language test. It was humbling to realize how much I did not know.
*I made pizza for my host family. They liked it so much we made it two nights in a row. I have never had any group of people want to eat something I made more than once. I had my host sisters help. It was one of my favorite moments so far.
All the best from Namibia and much love to all…
This morning there was a spider in my closet. As a result, I decided to remove all of my things and leave it empty until I leave next weekend. I know it’s not a rational response, but I hate spider confrontations. I was collecting my dirty clothes from the floor of the closet when a chicken egg rolled off my things. Odd. I was not sure how an egg made it there, but I decided not to be concerned. There is a two-year-old in the house so stuff tends to get moved around. Plus, the spider was distracting me.
I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich later when my host mom tells me there is a chicken in my room. Interesting development. I decided to clean my room. I was rearranging my things on the shelves only to locate two more eggs. It turns out, the chicken, playfully known as “lunch”, was flying into my open window when I was out and laying eggs in the closet. Needless to say, the window is now closed. As I write this, Lunch is peering in. Tapping at the glass. It’s searching for a way into my room in order to take care of its eggs. I am ashamed to admit this, but I threw the first egg out of the window. Yeah, I am a chicken killer. It hit the ground with a splatter and one of the other chickens in the yard ate it. The other two eggs were placed outside in a more appropriate place for Lunch to fulfill her motherly instincts. This adventure comes at the end of a week highlighted by a trip to the doctor to get some medicine for pink eye. Yeah, Tina is suffering from pink eye. It's disgusting. Yet, the hardest thing lately isn’t the infectious eye disease or the farm animal raising a family in my closet right on top of my clothes, but it’s struggling with the intensity of my homesickness. I miss familiar faces. I feel the distance. I feel alone, really alone. It’s been a tough three weeks. The Peace Corps has it’s ups and downs and, luckily, I have had many ups to keep me going during the downs.
Since December 4th, I have been teaching at a local school and living with a Namibian family. The Peace Corps set up what is called “Model School” for volunteers to practice teaching in a Namibian school with Namibian learners. I teach 9th and 10th grade English, and I adore the kids. I also adore my host family. They have been so wonderful teaching me how to be Namibian, and helping me as I contend with a severe case of homesickness. I will happily spend Christmas with them and then, next Sunday, head back to the training center to celebrate the New Year with fellow trainees. I have plans to sit my butt in front of the one TV at the center and watch bowl games on ESPN International. Finally, on January 9th, I will become a full-fledged Peace Corps Volunteer at the Swearing In Ceremony. At that point, the Peace Corps will transport me to my permanent site and leave me there for two years. Wow. Heavy.
The following are random thoughts about my last few weeks. Enjoy!
*My Namibian host family eats with their hands for many meals. I like this tradition.
*I went to my host brother’s school one night to watch an end of the year awards ceremony. It is called a prize giving ceremony here. The oddest thing was the award for “Most Tidy”.
*I killed a cockroach and it was a surprisingly disturbing endeavor. It was not all that big, but I hit it pretty hard with the outside of my journal. There was an impressive amount of white stuff that seemed to represent whatever it is that constitutes the inside of a cockroach. I had this skewed vision of a cockroach as being hollow on the inside.
*I washed my clothes by hand again and I officially am the worst at being my own washing machine. I can’t get things clean, and all this hand washing is stretching out everything I own.
*There are chickens that belong to my host family that wander in their large yard. The kids named one of them “lunch” and another “dinner”. Lunch was the one in my room. Dinner is the daddy.
*When I was washing my clothes I left the back door open and all the little baby chicks came in to the room. It was laughable to witness me trying to chase them out of the house.
*I went to a professional soccer match. There was no scoreboard and some random guy on the sidelines ran out on to the field, snatched the ball and proclaimed that the match was over. The match was not over.
*I took my first Silozi language test. It was humbling to realize how much I did not know.
*I made pizza for my host family. They liked it so much we made it two nights in a row. I have never had any group of people want to eat something I made more than once. I had my host sisters help. It was one of my favorite moments so far.
All the best from Namibia and much love to all…
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Photo post...
My camera is not functioning right now, so I don't have a ton of photos, and it costs more to download photos so I did not put up many. However, enjoy these few photographs of my flight into Namibia and my first two weeks here.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
A chicken in the shower and a lion in the road…
Over the past two weeks I visited my permanent site and shadowed a current PCV. I spent the first week at my permanent site (in Peace Corps lingo that represents the village where I will spend two years). As a side note, on our 12-hour journey to the village we saw giraffe, ostrich and baboons. These animals were not in a zoo when I saw them, but hanging out on the side of the road. Ashley (the health worker who will be in my town) and I were received into our village community at a meeting at the school. It was interesting when the Khunta (who is a traditional tribal leader) welcomed us and expressed the importance of our work. At that precise moment, the reality of my placement here set in. This is my home. I have a new community of people who are prepared to help me maintain a life in a place so remarkably different than Boulder. I only hope I can offer them tools to help build positive, sustainable practices in the school and community.
The indoctrination to village life began when I had the opportunity to assist building my mud hut because it was not complete yet. The construction of a mud hut is like nothing I have ever experienced. Dirt and water were blended to the perfect consistency and then we grabbed it with our bare hands and created the final wall of my house. We removed our shoes and eventually I had a layer of mud caked to the bottom of my feet. The mixture felt like clay. It was rewarding work for me because I have never been that involved in constructing my permanent shelter. The house has two rooms divided by a wall. I have no windows, but two doors. The walls and the thatch roof do not connect, so there is a gap for air to move through (and for spiders, which we have already experienced). The space maintains an exceptionally cool temperature. It reminds me of the pueblos in the Southwest. I have a wash area, which consists of a grass fence tall enough to create a private area to dump water on my head. It sounds like the worst way to bathe, but it is just the opposite. I have enjoyed showering outside. It is refreshing and tends to be the only time the heat is bearable. There was a chicken in there the other day, which was one a memorable experience for Ashley, who was taking a shower.
Other highlights:
*I will be teaching 6-9 English and I will be revamping the library. The library is basically a closet and they have a rather small selection of books and magazines. I also have the task of getting the kids to read books in English.
*Over half of the kids in my school are orphans.
*I ate 7654 crackers with peanut butter on it during my permanent site visit. The peanut butter is called Yum Yum.
*Thanksgiving dinner? I had a cold Coke and a bag of chips.
*Mango flavored Tang does wonders for water that is, well, less than tasty.
*Elephants walk through our village during certain times of the year.
*I went to the Botswana border, which happens to be closer to me than the town where I buy my groceries.
The second week, we visited with a current Peace Corps Volunteer and shadowed him. It was nice to stay in a home with electricity and running water after a week in the hut. We had many interesting experiences during our visit. One of the most amazing was the safari. We spent the day at an amazing lodge. We had lunch (grilled cheese, which might not sound exciting, but there is not an abundance of cheese eating happening here, so I am going into dairy withdraw). After lunch, some of us went swimming in a pool, because swimming in rivers here is a death sentence because of crocs or hippos. After relaxing for a bit, we hopped into open air Range Rovers and headed into the game park. We spent about four hours traveling through the park. We saw giraffe, hippos, turtles, monitor lizard, water buffalo, zebra, ostrich and a bunch of other things that I can’t remember. Yet, the most amazing moment happened as we were heading out of the park. We turned a corner to discover a lion in the road. We rolled up on a pride that stayed within 10-15 feet of us for much of the time. Lions are impressive creatures with gigantic paws. After the lion sighting, we headed back for dinner by the river. We could hear the hippos grunting in the water. Those massive creatures are so cranky. We lingered at the lodge until late talking and laughing about all that has happened in just one month. The whole day cost me about $65 (American).
Other highlights:
*I got to proctor the end of the year exams at my PCV’s school. In Namibia, proctoring the national exam is called “invigilating”.
*I ate fat cakes, which taste a bit like doughnuts, but not as sweet.
*I attended a mourning at the home of a local man who died. It was at dusk outside, and the sunset was breathtaking. The whole countryside seemed to be on fire because the sky was a brilliant orange.
*Toured a hospital…it was a tough experience
*Learned about a Marathon in October on the Namibian coast. I have plans to run it with some other people.
There is so much more to be said, but I doubt anyone would read it all. I am back at the training center for a few days, then we head out for a month with a host family. I finally got the Internet and Bluetooth working on my phone, so I can have Internet on my computer again assuming I have cell service.
The indoctrination to village life began when I had the opportunity to assist building my mud hut because it was not complete yet. The construction of a mud hut is like nothing I have ever experienced. Dirt and water were blended to the perfect consistency and then we grabbed it with our bare hands and created the final wall of my house. We removed our shoes and eventually I had a layer of mud caked to the bottom of my feet. The mixture felt like clay. It was rewarding work for me because I have never been that involved in constructing my permanent shelter. The house has two rooms divided by a wall. I have no windows, but two doors. The walls and the thatch roof do not connect, so there is a gap for air to move through (and for spiders, which we have already experienced). The space maintains an exceptionally cool temperature. It reminds me of the pueblos in the Southwest. I have a wash area, which consists of a grass fence tall enough to create a private area to dump water on my head. It sounds like the worst way to bathe, but it is just the opposite. I have enjoyed showering outside. It is refreshing and tends to be the only time the heat is bearable. There was a chicken in there the other day, which was one a memorable experience for Ashley, who was taking a shower.
Other highlights:
*I will be teaching 6-9 English and I will be revamping the library. The library is basically a closet and they have a rather small selection of books and magazines. I also have the task of getting the kids to read books in English.
*Over half of the kids in my school are orphans.
*I ate 7654 crackers with peanut butter on it during my permanent site visit. The peanut butter is called Yum Yum.
*Thanksgiving dinner? I had a cold Coke and a bag of chips.
*Mango flavored Tang does wonders for water that is, well, less than tasty.
*Elephants walk through our village during certain times of the year.
*I went to the Botswana border, which happens to be closer to me than the town where I buy my groceries.
The second week, we visited with a current Peace Corps Volunteer and shadowed him. It was nice to stay in a home with electricity and running water after a week in the hut. We had many interesting experiences during our visit. One of the most amazing was the safari. We spent the day at an amazing lodge. We had lunch (grilled cheese, which might not sound exciting, but there is not an abundance of cheese eating happening here, so I am going into dairy withdraw). After lunch, some of us went swimming in a pool, because swimming in rivers here is a death sentence because of crocs or hippos. After relaxing for a bit, we hopped into open air Range Rovers and headed into the game park. We spent about four hours traveling through the park. We saw giraffe, hippos, turtles, monitor lizard, water buffalo, zebra, ostrich and a bunch of other things that I can’t remember. Yet, the most amazing moment happened as we were heading out of the park. We turned a corner to discover a lion in the road. We rolled up on a pride that stayed within 10-15 feet of us for much of the time. Lions are impressive creatures with gigantic paws. After the lion sighting, we headed back for dinner by the river. We could hear the hippos grunting in the water. Those massive creatures are so cranky. We lingered at the lodge until late talking and laughing about all that has happened in just one month. The whole day cost me about $65 (American).
Other highlights:
*I got to proctor the end of the year exams at my PCV’s school. In Namibia, proctoring the national exam is called “invigilating”.
*I ate fat cakes, which taste a bit like doughnuts, but not as sweet.
*I attended a mourning at the home of a local man who died. It was at dusk outside, and the sunset was breathtaking. The whole countryside seemed to be on fire because the sky was a brilliant orange.
*Toured a hospital…it was a tough experience
*Learned about a Marathon in October on the Namibian coast. I have plans to run it with some other people.
There is so much more to be said, but I doubt anyone would read it all. I am back at the training center for a few days, then we head out for a month with a host family. I finally got the Internet and Bluetooth working on my phone, so I can have Internet on my computer again assuming I have cell service.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Ku Cwani!
First off, I have a cell phone now.
Country Code: 264
My cell phone number: 0813642888
I can receive text messages, as well.
If you would like to help me with my teaching, please send any of the following, although the priority would be any sort of reading material appropriate for grades 3-8. Ship anything in a padded envelope or taped up REALLY well. Write in red marker “Sister Tina Greene” along with “Jesus is watching” or other religious statements.
Grade 3-5 short reading passages
Grade 3-8 novels
Picture books
Magazines
Stickers
Word search puzzles
Any sort of games
Pencils
Pencil sharpener
Printer
And now, a little bit about my experience so far...
Greetings from Namibia! I am currently typing this under the clear African night sky watching Goonies on a projector screen. One of my fantastic roommates is the movie night brainchild so we could all have a small taste of home while soaking in the glorious spring weather.
Departure from DC was not without interesting twists and turns as I got a shot for yellow fever and started Malaria medication. I then spent fifteen and a half hours in a center seat. I don’t do well in confined spaces and I struggled to maintain my sanity after about seven hours. In fact, another fantastic roommate of mine and I started to watch the blinking light that was outside the plane. We could see this light from a camera feed to our monitor in each of our chairs. It was a long flight, but worth every minute.
The climate in Namibia is mild right now. It feels similar to Colorado’s summer because it is incredibly dry, and endlessly sunny and hot. At night, it cools down and I can throw on a jacket and gaze at the stars. I woke up yesterday morning for a jog at 6:30 am and there was a cold drizzle, which made me feel like I was home as I ran head on in a stiff wind. The landscape reminds me of Western Colorado, but the mountains are not as tall. I must admit I have not seen much of this country, but it is exciting to start learning about so many possibilities for adventure here. Windhoek is tremendously clean and surrounded by mountains. Many people claim they saw baboons and giraffe on our ride from the airport. I did not see any baboons until a few of us hiked to the top of a local mountain, where we heard and saw them.
I do have more news on my teaching assignment. I am headed to the northeast corner of the country to live out my two years in a thatch hut. I will be in an area that has not had a Peace Corps Volunteer in several years, and my understanding is they have never had an education volunteer. The four teachers going will be the first. I feel privileged to have the opportunity. I am cautious, but ecstatic, to try something entirely different than what I am used to. It is a good thing I spent so much time in the woods, huh. I will be schmooing in the woods for quite awhile. I don’t know my exact assignment right now, but I am hoping it will be teaching English and remedial reading to 8-10th graders. At then end of this week, I will find out for certain. In addition, I will be gone for six weeks starting at the end of this week. My time away from the training center will include a home stay with a Namibian family, shadowing a current PCV, and continued language and cultural training.
I think about you all when I count the hours back to figure out the time in Colorado. I hope to hear from everyone and I hope you are all doing well. I run most mornings (and see several Dachshunds on my run), and some of us have been playing soccer in the afternoon at a local field. I am really sore since I have not actually played soccer since college. We have met some precious kids in town who are teaching us their local dialect, and everyday I walk to the store and get a Coke and a skoetsol, which is this amazing pastry that I am almost positive I am spelling wrong. However, it tastes oh so right! Last night, a bunch of us went to a local pizza, yes pizza, place here for a celebration of my birthday. I enjoyed a Windhoek Lager with my ‘za, and it was the largest beer I have ever had. Overall, it was one of the most memorable birthday’s of have ever had and I have my fabulous roommates to thank for it all.
This is an amazing country with interesting people and I am excited to one day leave the confines of training and start life in my permanent site. I will write again when I can. In the meantime, take out your favorite pad and pen and write me about all I am missing back home.
Country Code: 264
My cell phone number: 0813642888
I can receive text messages, as well.
If you would like to help me with my teaching, please send any of the following, although the priority would be any sort of reading material appropriate for grades 3-8. Ship anything in a padded envelope or taped up REALLY well. Write in red marker “Sister Tina Greene” along with “Jesus is watching” or other religious statements.
Grade 3-5 short reading passages
Grade 3-8 novels
Picture books
Magazines
Stickers
Word search puzzles
Any sort of games
Pencils
Pencil sharpener
Printer
And now, a little bit about my experience so far...
Greetings from Namibia! I am currently typing this under the clear African night sky watching Goonies on a projector screen. One of my fantastic roommates is the movie night brainchild so we could all have a small taste of home while soaking in the glorious spring weather.
Departure from DC was not without interesting twists and turns as I got a shot for yellow fever and started Malaria medication. I then spent fifteen and a half hours in a center seat. I don’t do well in confined spaces and I struggled to maintain my sanity after about seven hours. In fact, another fantastic roommate of mine and I started to watch the blinking light that was outside the plane. We could see this light from a camera feed to our monitor in each of our chairs. It was a long flight, but worth every minute.
The climate in Namibia is mild right now. It feels similar to Colorado’s summer because it is incredibly dry, and endlessly sunny and hot. At night, it cools down and I can throw on a jacket and gaze at the stars. I woke up yesterday morning for a jog at 6:30 am and there was a cold drizzle, which made me feel like I was home as I ran head on in a stiff wind. The landscape reminds me of Western Colorado, but the mountains are not as tall. I must admit I have not seen much of this country, but it is exciting to start learning about so many possibilities for adventure here. Windhoek is tremendously clean and surrounded by mountains. Many people claim they saw baboons and giraffe on our ride from the airport. I did not see any baboons until a few of us hiked to the top of a local mountain, where we heard and saw them.
I do have more news on my teaching assignment. I am headed to the northeast corner of the country to live out my two years in a thatch hut. I will be in an area that has not had a Peace Corps Volunteer in several years, and my understanding is they have never had an education volunteer. The four teachers going will be the first. I feel privileged to have the opportunity. I am cautious, but ecstatic, to try something entirely different than what I am used to. It is a good thing I spent so much time in the woods, huh. I will be schmooing in the woods for quite awhile. I don’t know my exact assignment right now, but I am hoping it will be teaching English and remedial reading to 8-10th graders. At then end of this week, I will find out for certain. In addition, I will be gone for six weeks starting at the end of this week. My time away from the training center will include a home stay with a Namibian family, shadowing a current PCV, and continued language and cultural training.
I think about you all when I count the hours back to figure out the time in Colorado. I hope to hear from everyone and I hope you are all doing well. I run most mornings (and see several Dachshunds on my run), and some of us have been playing soccer in the afternoon at a local field. I am really sore since I have not actually played soccer since college. We have met some precious kids in town who are teaching us their local dialect, and everyday I walk to the store and get a Coke and a skoetsol, which is this amazing pastry that I am almost positive I am spelling wrong. However, it tastes oh so right! Last night, a bunch of us went to a local pizza, yes pizza, place here for a celebration of my birthday. I enjoyed a Windhoek Lager with my ‘za, and it was the largest beer I have ever had. Overall, it was one of the most memorable birthday’s of have ever had and I have my fabulous roommates to thank for it all.
This is an amazing country with interesting people and I am excited to one day leave the confines of training and start life in my permanent site. I will write again when I can. In the meantime, take out your favorite pad and pen and write me about all I am missing back home.
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