Reconnect - Week 1

I'm sitting outside enjoying an amazing view using the free wi-fi. Am I really in Africa?!?

This week has been week 1 of reconnect, which is training for the Peace Corps with my group. It has been great to see everyone, and the place we are staying is just beautiful! It's so different than my village. Though, I do miss my village some. Right now, my village is very empty. After exams ended last Thursday, the learners that stay in the hostel were gone by 12:00. It will be strange to go back next week with them not there. But it will be a nice break too.

This past week we have talked a lot about our experiences from the past six weeks. It's amazing how some are so similar, but also how much the stories can vary. We have also talked a lot about classroom management (which I'm glad about), lesson planning and integration within our communities. It's been very informative, but a complete change of pace from my normal schedule in the village.

We had a toga party this past week which was a lot of fun. I had a volunteer that lives in the Caprivi region bring me back a shitange (not sure if I'm spelling that right) which is a large piece of beautiful fabric that can be used as a sheet, a towel, a dress, a skirt...many different options. A lot of us used ours as our toga and therefore we called them our "shitogas".

This weekend we have been able to go into the city which has been nice to have a little more Western culture. The mall was so crowded with Christmas shoppers - which feels so strange, because it doesn't feel like Christmas time at all to me right now. I did some retail therapy and ate some really good pizza. Then today I went on a walking tour and saw a museum of village life and the Parliament building among other things. The museum had a section about Nama village life which was great to read about part of the culture I live in. The Parliament building and grounds were absolutely beautiful with lots of grass and trees and beautiful flowers. Then we went back to the mall to watch Harry Potter 7 part 1. It was a really nice day.

I have one more week of reconnect before heading back to my village. Then I will be traveling for the holidays - which means that I will not be very connected internet wise. I don't think I will be bringing my laptop with me for two reason - 1. it's lighter and easier to travel without it and 2. i don't want it to get stolen. I hope that there is an internet cafe in the town we are going to be staying, but if not, I will just have to have a long update after the new year. So if you don't hear from me for awhile, don't worry, I'm probably just lounging on the beach with a good book. I do want to say in advance Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Thanksgiving

Today marks my 100^th day in Namibia. How crazy is that!?! It is also Thanksgiving – although it doesn’t feel so much like it. It’s been HOT lately. The temperatures have been in the 90’s pretty consistently lately. And since no one here knows about Thanksgiving, it just seems like another normal day. Except the fact that today was the last day of school for the learners. It was sad seeing them all moving out of the hostel and going home. A lot have said they might not be back to this school next year, and that makes me sad too because I’ve gotten to know a lot of them and will miss them if they don’t return.

I was able to attend a Thanksgiving Day celebration in Keetmanshoop this past weekend with some other volunteers. There was no turkey, but there was chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, butternut squash soup (amazing!), corn pudding (very good), stuffing, corn bread, pumpkin bread, homemade rolls (delicious), pumpkin pie, cherry pie, snicker doodle cookies and watermelon. It was all so very good, and somehow, I didn’t cook anything. But I did help to clean!

School is out until the middle of January which means that I will be traveling throughout the holidays. I’m not sure how much internet time I will find, but I will try to keep posting on my adventures.

I’m very thankful for the opportunity that I have being a Peace Corps Volunteer. I’m thankful to have had a wonderful host family in Okahandja, a nice place to live at site with a very nice family, learners who are fun to be around (even if they drive me crazy sometimes), a wonderful principal and work colleagues, amazing new friends, and time to travel around the country during the holidays. And of course I’m so thankful for all the support I have from my family and friends back home. I feel very blessed.

Dance Party and Braiding Hair

Last night there was a dance party at the hostel. So much fun to get dressed up and go dancing - even if it is with grade 8 and 9 learners! At first there were not many people there, then slowly the boys showed up. Then the girls followed. The learners split themselves with boys on one side and girls on the other - typical junior high type scenario. But slowly they started to dance and by the end we were all having a great time! I'm trying to learn how they dance, but sometimes I just feel silly. But it doesn't matter - I like to dance, and they like to laugh at me try!

I brought my camera out at the dance and I had one learner grab it and started taking pictures of everyone. Once everyone saw the camera they grouped up to start taking pictures. They LOVE having their picture taken. I wish it was easier to print them, because I would love to print pictures for each of them. But I will print them, they just have to give me money for it. At N$4 a print, that adds up when everyone wants a picture. They like to put up the sign for The Dogg or Gazza and were trying to get me to choose just one. These are two singers that are rivals and I haven't heard enough from either to choose yet, so the picture is of me showing both signs.

Today I went outside to see what everyone was up to. The boys were outside playing their typical soccer game so I watched for a little while. Then I walked over to where the girls were and they were talking and one was having her hair braided. One asked me if I wanted my hair done and I said yes of course! So I have my hair braided now. It's awesome! I really hope that it stays for a while because it took over two hours to fix! Afterwards, I took out my camera again and another photo shot began. This time with the girls in the hostel. They are so funny to watch. And they love putting on sunglasses to take a picture.

All in all it has been a really fun weekend!

Baptism and Fresh Sheep

This week I worked more on the library. It’s coming a long and I hope, if I have the supplies, I’ll be able to finish coding and shelf all the books. My principal told me this week that any time I want to use the school’s internet over the weekend to tell her and she will give me the keys to the school. How awesome is she!!! So no, I don’t always have to wake up at 1am for free internet!

Today I went to a three hour church service that included a lot of singing, a baptism, and confirmation. The service was all in KKG – it was very interesting. I was asked to go to the service because I know the family of the baby being baptized and was asked to take photos for them. After the church service I had my camera out again and everyone asked for pictures! The family I was with had to tell people – no more.

After church we went back to the family’s house and had lunch. Yesterday I walked over to the house to say hi to the family and saw a sheep pinned up. Today, I ate sheep. Talk about fresh! It was good, and I didn’t have to witness the slaughter, so no complaints from me.

Reading

I’ve decided I’ll keep a post of the books I read during my time here. I have a lot of time to read, so I’ve already read quite a few books. I’ll update as I finish more books.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks – Sept. 2010 (I didn’t write down the exact date)

Typical Nicholas Sparks – but I enjoy. This one is about a soldier who finds a picture of a girl while he is stationed overseas. His comrades think this becomes his lucky charm. After he is discharged from the military, he decides to seek out the woman in the photo.

Africa United – Soccer, Passion, Politics and the First World Cup in Africa by Steve Bloomfield – 22 Sept 2010

This book was about the effects of soccer in Africa; how soccer can unite a country even when it’s in a war. I don’t follow soccer so a lot of the names went over my head, but this was a really interesting and good read.

Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson – 26 Sept 2010

This was about the 1900 hurricane in Galveston. So interesting! Historical and scientific but with a personal touch.

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks – 3 Oct 2010

Another typical Nicholas Sparks – I just can’t seem to not read these! My guilty pleasure. This one follows the movie – a journalist finds a message in a bottle and writes about it in her column. More people call in to say they too have found a message in a bottle to and from the same people as the letter she found. She goes on a search for the man whom she has fallen for over the letters she reads.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen – 17 Oct 2010

Very cute young adult book. Told in two different forms – one chapter is the boy talking and the next chapter is the girl. Very good story! The boy moves into a new neighborhood and immediately the girl comes to play and falls in love with his blue eyes. They are in the same grade and she tries to befriend him while he tries to keep his distance.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson – 21 Oct 2010

I really enjoyed this one and want to read the others in the trilology now. Very good suspense novel. I watched the movie and it was not very good but I recommend the book even though it can be quite intense at times. There’s a lot to this story and many subparts that end up coming together in the end.

Einstein’s God – Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit by Krista Tippett – 4 Nov 2010

I wish I read this with a book club because there were so many things that would be great discussion topics. The authors that were interviewed in the book are authors I would like to read now. I love books that discuss how science and spirituality co-exist.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – 11 Nov 2010
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe – 17 Nov 2010
Life, The Universe and Everything – 23 Nov 2010
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish – 16 Dec 2010
Mostly Harmless – 19 Dec 2010

These were interesting reads. I’m glad that I read them, but they were a little weird at times. And I had some really weird dreams while reading!

The End of Someone Else’s Rainbow by Robert Rossner – 24 Nov 2010

This was in my school library and I decided to check it out. The story was a little lacking to me; it had a good plot but needed some development. Not that I’m a literary critic by any means but I just think it could have been a lot better. A guy gets out of prison and goes back to his home town to find it has changed and grown a lot over the past 20 years. A cop follows him because he suspects that the ex-convict still knows where the money he stole 20 years ago is hidden and is determined to catch him again. The town librarian befriends the ex-convict and they become unlikely friends.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie – 14 Dec 2010

Another young adult read. This was very good and I think would bring up good discussions in a classroom. It’s about a young boy who is a Native American and lives on a reservation. He had “water on the brain” when he was born and has some disabilities. But he is smart and funny and decides to go to the “white” school for a better education. This creates a lot of problems within the reservation because many people there feel he is betraying them.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – 7 Jan 2011

American classic. It took me awhile to get through the book, but it was also one that was hard to put down. I now want to re-watch the movie.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks – 11 Jan 2011

An interesting thing about this book is that he wrote the screenplay first before writing the novel. Miley Cyrus, after watching A Walk to Remember, wanted to do a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. This book is the result of that. A teenage girl has to go live with her father over the summer. Both she and her father are piano players and composers, but she refuses to play ever since her parents divorced. The summer unfolds and she becomes close to her father once again and also falls in love with a local boy.

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn – 14 Jan 2011

An amazing book that everyone should read! It’s about “Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide”. The book talks about maternal mortality, sex trafficking, female genital cutting, how girls are less likely to be educated, among other oppressions on women around the world. It gives specific cases of how some women overcome these obstacles and reach out to help others. It’s empowering, but also tragic to read.

A Time to Die by Wilbur Smith – 21 Jan 2011

A novel set in Southern Africa – it has action, adventure and romance. It was nice read and I’m looking forward to the next book I have to read by the same author. A woman goes with her father to Africa (Zimbabwe) on an African safari to hunt large game. The guide is a veteran guerrilla fighter who thrives on the hunt. They push themselves to find the elusive elephant, Tukutela, the Angry One. Their hunt pushes them into a civil war across the border in Mozambique and they must fight to survive.

Elephant Song by Wilbur Smith – 6 Feb 2011

Another novel set in Southern Africa. I’ve enjoyed reading both books by this author, but both endings were a little abrupt. This one more than A Time to Die. But I still enjoyed reading. This book was about a journalist who films the “real” Africa. Showing things such as having to kill elephants so that they are not over populated and destroy their own feeding grounds. There were a lot of different parts to the story and it was a good read.

Hello, My Name Is

Hello – my name is Miss. Most of the learners call me Miss, some put the Barbara in there too, but mostly it’s just Miss. So all day long I hear, hello Miss, good morning Miss, how are you Miss, etc.

I live at the hostel with the Matron, her daughter Celeste, and granddaughter Zia. Celeste is now calling me Barbarita – which makes me smile every time because it reminds me of people back home who call me by the same name. Celeste is telling her daughter Zia, who is 17 months old, to call me Nana Barbara (Aunt Barbara in Nama). So cute!

I stared working on my school’s library this week. It was SOOO dirty! I had some help from the 9B boys (grade nine – group B) to help clear the wood away and move all the donated text books. The library used to be the school’s wood shop, so there was a lot of wood and a lot of sawdust. All the text books were moved into the cabinets and the other books have been put back in order. My next step is to do an inventory of what is there and then finish categorizing and marking the books that have not been entered into the system. I really love organizing! This is very strange for me to say. But I have found that I’m very good at it and there’s a sense of accomplishment when you go from chaos to organized. Maybe there’s something in that job wise for me after I’m finished with the Peace Corps.

Today at the hostel the kids were playing an interested game outside. One kid hides a belt and then the others run to find it. The one who finds it beats another child that is close to him/her. I found this a little disturbing, but the kids really seemed to be having fun. In fact, more kids joined before the game ended. Oh Namibia…

First Week

I have now moved to Tses. It is a very small village, but with very nice and welcoming people. I have enjoyed my first week here and am looking forward to what's to come. I have taught a few lessons this week on my own and co-teaching. It's been a learning experience. I am already starting to formulate the rules that I will have in my classroom.

I was able to take a walk to the dunes that are close to the village. It's a nice walk, and a beautiful view. I think it will become a favorite place for me to go. Both times I went this week I did go with some learners. It's nice to get to know the learners better...but it's really hard to remember everyone's name! I think I'm going to take everyone's picture with them holding a sign with their name - otherwise, they will need to wear name tags everyday!

Today was the farewell party for the grade 10 learners. Everyone dressed up and we had a very lovely dinner and then a dance. It was really fun to watch these kids dance - some really have some good moves! And they were trying to teach me some too. I think I did okay - I hope to get more practice!

It's strange that it has only been one week that I've been here. It's been long - but overall, very good.

Officially a Volunteer

This has been a long, but great week. It started with having to prepare for and take my final LPI (language test). I did not feel very prepared for it, so I was very nervous. And even after I took the test, I wasn’t sure how well I would be scored. We needed to get at least an intermediate low…I got an intermediate mid! I was pleasantly surprised. I can speak very basic Afrikaans talking about my family, my house, my job, giving directions, etc. Glad to have that over with!

On Thursday, we went to Windhoek for an admin session, a basic bicycle repair session and shopping! I bought a hiking backpack, a sleeping bag, a sandwich maker and some other miscellaneous items. I also ate sushi and had a milkshake. It was all wonderful and a great way to wind down some from the week.

Today, I was officially sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The ceremony was very nice and it was nice to be able to dress up. It was also a bitter sweet day because I left right after the ceremony. I had to say goodbye to all my friends and to my host family. I’ll see my fellow volunteers again in six weeks when we have our reconnect, which I’m looking forward to. I’m going to make sure to visit my host family. I didn’t realize how close I had become to them, but I really will miss them a lot!

I’ve almost completely unpacked at my new place in Tses. It feels nice to already be settled in. I do need to do some more shopping for items such as hangers and a laundry hamper. I hope to do that this weekend or next.

Teaching and Cooking

This week we visited schools around Okahandja to observe and co-plan/co-teach. It was nice to be able to observe more classrooms and different teachers. I was able to teach two classes of grade 9 learners. They were going over the equation for speed and using graphs. I think the lesson went well. It was more just going over examples, but I tried to ask additional questions and to make them think about comparing the answers and converting to km/hr to km/m. I wish I had had someone to observe me to give me feedback, but it didn’t work out this week. I hope that I’ll have more opportunities to come.

This week we were planning for the Host Family Appreciation Day and I somehow volunteered to be on the Food Committee. I’m glad I ended up being on the committee and being in charge of the “Texas Group” – which turned into “Boarder States” or “Southwest Group”. Our group decided to cook chili and fajitas. I went shopping for all the food and then cooked the chili last night. I was a little worried about it because it came out spicier than I had anticipated (which was actually not as spicy as I usually make it). The chili powder here is not exactly the same as the chili powder back home. BUT it turned out fabulous and was a hit at the lunch today. In fact, I had a few people ask me for the recipe, and one person say that it was the best chili they’ve had!

The meat for the fajitas turned out well. Not exactly fajita flavored but you go with what you have and they still tasted good. We also made homemade tortillas. I have always wanted to make my own tortillas, but never got around to doing it. Funny that my first experience is when I’m in Africa! But they turned out soooo good! I will always make fresh tortillas now! And the fajitas turned out to be a hit too. In fact, we ran out before the trainees were able to go through the line. I’m glad I snuck a bite or two before taking the food to the lunch!

After cleaning up, a small group of us were waiting around finishing up the last of the dishes and waiting for the combi to come pick us up. Sarah, a fellow trainee, started playing the guitar and singing. It was so wonderful! It was so relaxing and moving and just what I needed after the busy and stressful week. I love how music can be so moving. Sarah – you definitely have a wonderful gift; thank you for sharing it today!

This is the last week that I will be in Okahandja. It’s crazy how fast time is going. I’ve been in Africa for over 50 days now (I keep a day count in my journal). I have a new address for my permanent site. I don’t want to post it on here, but if you would like me to send it to you, please send me an email and I’ll be happy to send it to you.

Playing Catch Up

It’s been a while since my last post – so there’s a lot to catch up on! We took a trip to Windhoek to visit the University of Namibia campus and NAMCOL (Namibian College of Open Learning). I was able to sit in on a class for grade 5-7 math teachers. I’ve also been trying to jog/walk some in the evenings, though I haven’t been as consistent as I want. I think it will be easier to get into a routine once I’ve moved to my permanent site.

I traveled to my permanent site on Sept 24. It took about 5 hrs to get there, not including a stop in Windhoek to buy some groceries for the next few days. It wasn’t a terrible drive. There’s not much to look at on the road – a lot of dry dessert. I was able to stay at my permanent housing during my visit, which was a nice thing. I will be living at the hostel in the matron’s block. I have two rooms, a shower room and a toilet room all to myself. I share a kitchen and a living space that has a tv (with one channel) and some chairs. It’s very dorm like to me – but I can def. make it my own. I will be fed three meals a day living on the hostel, which is great for saving money. But I plan to make my own meals at times just because the food is cafeteria food which can get old.

While at site there was a marathon relay that my school had teams participate in. I was able to be at the finish line and it was amazing to see these kids running 10K each barefoot to complete the race. My school won first and second place for the boys and first place for the girls winning N$1,000 total for the school. That money will be used for them to travel to the big marathon race in October.

My principal and some colleagues took me to the bridge that crosses part of Fish River. There’s little water in it right now, but there’s so nice cliffs carved out when the water is flowing. We also went to my principal’s farm where I saw sheep being sheared. I also saw more of Fish River – a part that has a water fall during the rainy season. The picture that is posted is of this area.

On Sunday, I visited the Roman Catholic Church which is on the school grounds. Most of the service was in Afrikaans, but parts were in English too. Then I was taken to a family in the community to spend the afternoon with. One of the little girls was sitting close to me and her mom said that she wanted to touch my hair. I said it was not a problem because I love my hair being played with. For about thirty minutes I had 3-4 girls playing with my hair, putting in clips and hair bands. We took a picture afterwards. Then, EVERYONE wanted their pictures taken. I ended up taking about 30 pictures of the family and hope to be able to print them out to give to the family to keep.

I was able to observe some classes and other than the kids being talkative, there doesn’t seem to be too many discipline problems. Hopefully they weren’t just being extra good because I was there! After classes I heard some singing and found out that my school has a choir! I’m so excited! I was able to rehearse with them and I hope that I can continue to join. I will need to learn how to read the music they have – it’s all in “Do, Re, Mi” and not notes, so it’s new for me.

Oh Namibian time – I was told that I would be picked up on Tuesday by 10am to be able to drive to Bethanie (pronounced bet-han-nee) for a meeting with the secondary school there. I was picked up around 11:45. But it gave me time to read my book.

I traveled back to Okahandja on Sept 29. We drove to Keetmanshoop for me to get a ride back north. It was a quiet ride back to Windhoek where I met up with another volunteer to make the final journey to Okahandja. As we were coming in to Okahandja, we saw the “Welcome” sign and I realized how Okahandja has really become my home. I will miss being here. I missed my host family while I was gone and was glad to be back! It’s nice to know I have a home and family here in Namibia.

What a Week!

We had our mid-LPI (language performance interview) on Wednesday which started the week a little stressful trying to be the best prepared. I felt good about my performance after the interview, and found out the next day that I was at a Novice High level. I need to be at an Intermediate Mid level by the end of training, which I think is attainable. After training on Wednesday, a group of trainees played a softball game against a youth team from town. It was so much fun to watch, and next week I plan on bringing a change of clothes so that I can participate. There was a beautiful sunset across the playing field. In fact, most sunsets and sunrises are breath taking here. I need to post some pictures!

Thursday after classes I went for a jog around the neighborhood with a fellow trainee Rachel and about six or seven little girls from the neighborhood. It was nice to get out and move and it was fun having the kids around. I also met up with the group on Friday evening. When I approached the group, I was greeted with hugs from the kids. It was really sweet!

On Friday, I found out my permanent site. I will be in a village named Tses which is 80km from the major town of Keetmanshoop and is located in South Central Namibia. Tses has a population of about 2000. I will be teaching 8-10 grade Math and IT at St. Therese Junior Secondary School. The school has about 190 learners and 8 teachers. I will be living with the Matron of the hostel and I will flush toilet, water and electricity. I will share the kitchen with the matron. Other duties I might have at the school include assisting with the library and with debates. There are two health volunteers in my shopping town of Keetmanshoop.

Also on Friday we had a cooking day with our language class. We cooked Fat Cakes and spinach and a fish dish. We also made these amazing dumpling things. We cooked ground beef with onion, green pepper, tomato and veg-all. Then we made a dough and put the meat mixture inside and then fried the whole thing. It was delicious!

Saturday our group went to the Hot Springs outside of Okahandja. I did not get in the hot springs because it cost an additional N$30, but there was a pool which I did enjoy. Although, the water was a little green and the bottom was very slimy with algae, but it was very enjoyable. Then we had a braai (grill) with goat, lamb and sausage. We also had some amazing vegetables and of course braai bread. Braai bread is something I will definitely bring back with me to the states. It’s amazing!

Saturday was my host ma’s birthday. I went to celebrate at her sister’s house in town and learned some dance steps. They call it the “Long Arm” and the “Swing” which seem similar to each other to me. I was able to catch on, and had a really great time.

Today I was able to sleep in. Then did some laundry and baked my first cake in Namibia! We haven’t cut into it yet, but it looks good and smells good, so I’m hoping it tastes good too!

Later this week I will be going to my permanent site for a visit. I’m really looking forward to it! It will be great to see the school and the village where I’ll be for the next two years. I’ll post more details of the village after my trip!

Success

It’s amazing how much I seem to accomplish in one day here. Today I slept in some (7:30am) and then went to see a dance group that performs traditional dances. They showed our group their dances and then we taught them an American dance – the electric slide. We couldn’t come up with another dance to teach, but it seemed to work very well and the group enjoyed it. Then they taught us some steps from their dances and we ended up in a huge circle with our Namibian friends pulling us into the center to dance. It really was a lot of fun.

Then we went to Rhino’s for lunch. I had a hamburger and fries with a coke – totally American! It was pretty good. They put a sauce on the burger that was interesting, but I liked it. I doctored the tomato sauce they use as ketchup to taste a little more what I’m used to. I added Worchester sauce and some Tabasco Habenero sauce and some pepper.

Then it was off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to make spaghetti with meat sauce for my host family. Afterwards we made the trek back to our area of town which was about a 2k walk. It was very hot outside, but it was still nice to walk. I still need to find a place to purchase a hat, because my scalp is a little burned now.

Once I was back, I sat on the porch with my host ma and two of her sisters. Then I decided to take a nap. Then I worked on the stocking for Nathaniel. Around 7:30 I started making my meat sauce. I cooked on a gas burner and sautéed the garlic and onions, then cooked the meat. I had to wait until my host ma got back from taking her sisters home to show me how to use the can opener. It was not like any one I have used before. I finished the sauce and cooked the pasta and shredded some cheese. I couldn’t find any parmesan cheese, so I went with mozzarella. I served all the plates and we sat down to eat. There was the good kind of silence as we ate – everyone was enjoying it! And I was very pleased with how it turned out. My next cooking attempt will be next weekend where I’ll be baking a birthday cake for my host ma.

It’s now 10pm and I have had a very successful and productive day.

Looking for a New Home for Jezebel

Hello all - I received an email from Darylanne who has been so kind as to watch after my cat Jezebel since I have left. Unfortunately, her husband and son have started having some allergies due to Jezebel living with them (she has long hair) and we now are looking for a new home for her. Please let me know if anyone is interested or knows someone who is. Thanks!

Pictures!

Cultural Day

Today we had each language group cook a traditional meal for the trainees, trainers and host families. There were some chickens that were slaughtered for the meals. I tried to watch, but once I heard the chicken make a squawk, I had to turn away. But I did watch some de-feathering and cutting up into pieces. It took a while for everything to be cooked because it was all cooked over an open fire. I helped to make dough rounds for the brie bread (bread cooked on a grill). These were delicious! I also helped grind the sheep for the sausage. Both the brie bread and sausage were from the Afrikaans group. Once everything was good it was all set out as a buffet. I tried as many dishes as I could and most were tasty, but there were a few I could only take one bite of. The caterpillar was one of those! I’m not sure if it was a worm or caterpillar, since it was referred as both. Either way – I will say it was edible, but I most likely will not eat it again. I tried two different types of porridge – one was very grainy (tasted like sand) which I didn’t care for. Most of the meat was very good – chicken and sheep. The one fish dish I tasted was WAY too fishy! The beans were all good and the breads were all good. It was a fun day and I’m still full from it!

Typical Day

My day usually starts around 6am because that’s when the sun comes up and it wakes me up. Sometimes I also wake up during the night and early morning because of dogs barking or roosters crowing. I get up and turn on the heater for the water (just flipping the breaker switch) and then wait a few min. for the water to heat up some. It’s usually only luke warm when I get in the shower, but it’s not too bad. I take my shower and get ready for the day. My breakfast has been Wheat Bix with warm milk this past week – it’s sort of like mini wheats without sugar. Then I say, “Geniet jou dag” (Enjoy your day) to my host mom and walk to the pickup spot. Most days I walk with the other trainees that live close to me. Then we get picked up by the comvee and are taken to the school where we have our language lessons.

Language lessons are for two hours in the morning. Yesterday, my class went out into the neighborhood of the school to greet people. It was good practice hearing other accents. Then we are picked up again and taken to the town center where we have the remaining sessions of the day. Our lunch is from 12:30 to 2 and it’s nice that we are in the center of the town because we can walk to the shops and see lots of people. We have a tea break at 3, which I’m really liking the tea breaks! Then more sessions until 4:30 or 5pm.

We are then taken back to our neighborhoods. Once I get home, I sit down and tell my host mom what I learned at school. I then do my homework. Doing my homework right when I get home from school is a new thing for me, because I used to always wait until right before bed; but it’s nice to have it complete right away and I’m not too tired yet. Then I usually talk with my host family while dinner is cooking. Usually we watch some soapies. These are usually Spanish soap operas dubbed in English. Right now Shades of Sin and The Storm are the two we are watching. Shades of Sin is from Brazil and the main character’s name is Barbara. It’s weird to hear people talk about the show b/c I hear my name a lot!

We all sit down together to eat dinner. My host mom is a great cook and I’m enjoying the dinners a lot. There’s not many vegetables, but it all tastes very good! We had Japanese the other night – rice with onion, spinach and sausage. I need to start writing down the recipes so I can make them when I’m on my own. After dinner we talk some more, or watch some more tv. I’ve been working on the Christmas stocking for my nephew Nathaniel. My host mom also likes doing needle work; she was working on an apron this week, but has now finished.

Usually around 8:30 I retire to my bedroom. I’ll journal or read or check my email. I usually am asleep by 9:30 or 10pm which is early, but I need the sleep! Then the day starts again.

I’m going to cook for my host family soon and am trying to think of some good American dishes to prepare. Suggestions would be great! Also, if anyone has questions, please ask.

Connected Again!

I'm happy to say that I can now connect to the internet via my phone or my own laptop. We went into Windhoek today to the mall to buy cell phones and netman (a 3G internet USB for your computer) and whatever else we wanted to buy. Since my cell phone I brought with me does not work using the Sprint network, I was able to switch the SIM card and have a Namibian number. My host brother had an extra SIM card and set up my phone for me last night. So all I had to do today was buy recharge cards (everything is prepaid) and buy myself a Netman for my computer. It's nice to feel connected to everyone again!

Also today in Windhoek we went to Hero's Acre and the Old Cemetery. Hero's Acre commemorates all heroes who died for Namibian's independence. It had a bronze wall depicting all the various stages to gain independence. It was a very beautiful place.

Tomorrow is my first day off from any type of scheduled activities. I hope to sleep in some, but may take advantage of the free internet from 1am to 5am if the roosters wake me up early. Otherwise my plan is to join my host mom at church and then learn how to do my laundry.

Night One at Home Stay

(written on August 25, 2010)

My family is very welcoming. They cooked a very good meal – steak and sausage cooked out on the open fire (just like our grills at home), toasted bread and salad (which was boiled potatoes, canned corn and mayonnaise). I might be on carb overload these next two years! But it was all very good. The sausage I still have to get used to, but the steak was good and the salad was good too. They take turns doing dishes at night, and I get put in the rotation starting Monday, which I’m very glad to help out. I don’t feel too awkward right now, which is nice. I have a HUGE room to myself and the bathroom too. They have electricity and running water. In fact my bathroom has a tub and shower! I feel a little spoiled. But I’m not complaining.

Today at training we had our first lesson with our language. I learned to pronounce all the letters and letter combinations. I have to roll my R’s. This makes me nervous since I have never been able to roll my R’s. I have to practice my R’s and G’s a lot! My host family all speaks Afrikaans, so it will be very nice to be able to practice after training. Tonight after dinner, my host mom said, “You may now excuse yourself to your room”. I feel like I should be socializing, but for my first night, it’s nice to be able to close the door and have time to myself.

This past week has been so busy. It’s information overload! But it’s also been very nice. I can already feel the network of people I can lean on when I start missing life in the US. Right now, I’m not homesick – not to say I don’t miss people, I’m just doing okay with it all right now. Really, I haven’t had much time to think about being so far away from everyone. I’m ready to have a more reliable source of internet – I think that’s what has been the thing to adjust to the most so far. I’m able to get on the computers at the training center, but they are so slow that it takes 10 min. to send one email.

I feel like I might end up repeating myself a lot on this blog. I’m not going back to re-read entries, and I just type what comes to my head at the time. I’m trying to always write the date of when I write the post because I’m not able to upload the same day/night I write.

Meant to be?

(typed August 24, 2010)

Today we found out what the language we will be learning. We were given a piece of paper with an animal written on it and we had to make the sound of the animal to match up with our other group and our trainer. I was a snake which meant that I will be learning Afrikaans. My first thought on language was that I would like to learn a Bantu language, but I think Afrikaans will be very beneficial for traveling along the country. A lot of people have a better idea of where their permanent site will be now based on their language, but with Afrikaans, it only narrows it down that it will be central or south, which is still very broad.

Tonight we met with a member of our host family (we move in tomorrow night). We played another matching game to find out family. My piece of the puzzle was the upper part of what looked to me like a longhorn. I don’t remember now the name of the animal, but to me, it was a longhorn. My host mom is Tine (pronounced Tina) and she seems very nice. We were sitting on the same row very close to each other, so it was easy to find the match. I will be the third trainee that she has hosted. She lives with her husband and grandson who is 17. I’ll know more about the actual residence once I move in tomorrow night. After our time of meeting was over, she gave me a candy “Tex”. How appropriate – the girl from Texas has the longhorn to match with the host family and gets a candy named “Tex”. It made me think – this is really meant to be.

Hakuna Matata

(this post was written on August 21, 2010)

Today started with more African songs in the morning before our session. I started to tear up some during the songs. It really makes me happy to hear the beauty of the trainers voices combining to sing together. And we, the trainees, attempt to sing along as well. I really wish I had the music in front of me and not just the words. Once I have a more reliable source of internet, I’m going to see if I can find the music online. I also need to try to record them singing on my camera.

Our session today was about our upcoming homestay. We talked about what the responsibilities of the host family and us. I’m a little nervous about moving in with a family, but also so excited. I want to learn the way of life of Namibians. I still feel very sheltered staying at the training facility, but also grateful to be slowly stepping into living in Africa. Talking with the current PCVs, it sounds like you do really form bonds with your host family and continue to communicate with them throughout your time here. It will be nice to extent the people who I can contact while I’m here; now I have the PC staff, other PCV, and a host family.

After lunch we left to go to the site where the all peoples of the Herero group come to Okahandja in celebration of the heros who fought against the Germans in the early 1900’s. There are three different groups – the red, green and white. The different colors represent the region of the country where they are from. I need to do a little more research to write more about the ceremony and celebration. Angelica, one of our language trainers, gave us our tour of the celebration grounds. Tomorrow they march from the grounds to the cemetery where the chiefs are buried. It was great to get out of the training center and encounter more Namibians. Our group of 40ish Americans definitely stood out, so we had a lot of stares. The children were very interested in us and followed us around while our guide took us around and explained things to us. I noticed that the children are very affectionate with each other; little girls holding hands together or laying their head on each other’s shoulders. The children loved having their picture taken. I had a young girl ask for her picture to be taken with her friend and I asked if I could join them in the photo. Five others joined the picture too. They loved being able to see themselves on the screen afterwards!

Tonight a group of trainees organized a movie night. We watched “The Lion King”. It’s really nice that there are different people who enjoy organizing group events. I’m looking forward to having people plan out trips. Before the movie our PCVL Katie showed us some pictures from her first two years. The pictures included her housing, some traditional hut homes, classroom pictures, and a lot of travel pictures. It really amazes me how much traveling volunteers are able to do. I hope to do a LOT! I do think I need to invest in a travel backpack (might have mentioned that in another post) and some camping supplies. But I’ll figure it all out when I need to. I’m trying not to be too overwhelmed with things, which can be challenging because I’m on information overload right now.

Tomorrow we have the whole day off from sessions. The celebration in town continues tomorrow and I hope to be able to see more.

AFRICA!

(this post was written on August 19, 2010)

I’m in Africa! After a full day of traveling (2.5 hr bus ride, 5 hr wait at airport, 15.5 hr plane ride, 3 hr layover, 2.5 hr plane ride, 1 hr bus ride) we all arrived at our training site. Traveling from the airport, the land reminded me of West Texas, so I didn’t feel so far from home. In fact, so far we have been very sheltered and it feels more like I’m at camp than in Africa! There are 44 trainees in my group (which is group 32) and everyone is very nice and it’s been fun getting to know each person. Most of our group is with education and there are 6 math teachers total. We were given some information about the different sites that are available and were able to say which would be our pick for first, second, etc. It’s nice to feel like I have some say in where I will live for the next two years, but it’s still up to our APCD (Associate Peace Corps Directors). All the staff with the Peace Corps has been extremely nice and helpful. They really make you feel that they are looking out for your best interest and of course our health and safety is their number one priority.

I’ve already taught other trainees Phase 10, and every night we’ve played cards. In fact, the first night in Africa my roommate and I had 15 other people in our small room playing two separate games of Uno. The next day we did ask if we could have the keys to the Common Room so we could have more space. I can really see how your training group becomes your family while you are here.
On site, we have peacocks and dogs and a cat. The cat reminds me of Jezebel because it has long grey hair. I’ll try to upload a picture at some point.
Today everything has seemed to slow down some. We have a TON of information to read, and it can become quite overwhelming. I’m glad to have the weekend to have some down time.

Shots – I’ve had a lot in the past few days. They haven’t been too bad, with only minor skin irritations. We received the Yellow Fever shot in Philadelphia and I still have a red mark on my arm. Then the first night in Namibia we received round one of Rabies and yesterday we got the Meningitis shot. I have a bruise from that one.

Next week we move to our homestay site here in town and will live with that family until October 15 when we move to our permanent site. I’m looking forward to experiencing more of the culture. I think next week we go into the capital Windhoek to open our bank accounts and buy cell phones. I was happy to find out that most sites have cell phone range, and you can have internet access on your cell phone. And it’s cheaper to send emails from your cell phone than to hook up to the internet on your computer. It will be nice to be able to feel more connected to home. It’s crazy, because it really doesn’t feel like I’m so far away.

We have PCVL (Peace Corps Volunteer Leaders) during our training and they are SO helpful. It’s nice to hear from someone that has lived here for 2+ years. One has traveled so much and I hope to be able to feel comfortable to travel around Namibia and other parts of Southern Africa. I have decided I need to invest in a travel backpack. Rolling suitcases are not the easiest to move around with. I’m also looking forward to being able to settle in somewhere. It’s already tiring living out of suitcases, especially since I packed everything a little randomly to meet the weight requirements for our luggage.

Overall, I’m having a really great time so far. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead. In the next week I should find out where my site will be and what language I will be learning. I hope to post more soon – but no worries if I’m not able to communicate much in the first few months. Once I’m more settled in, I’m sure I’ll be posting more regularly.

In Africa

I'm here! Not much time to write at the moment, but I made it safely and am doing great. I will write more when I have time!

Living by Faith

Today I said good bye to my family and I think that might be one of the hardest things I've done. Right now I'm in Philadelphia, so it feels more like a vacation, but I know it will be a long time before I see everyone again. I've already met a lot of the people that I will be traveling and training with and everyone seems very nice. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better, and it's nice to feel like I'm not the only one who doesn't know everything we are getting ourselves into. But I keep going back to the fact that this feels like the right thing for me to be doing. I'm trusting that God has a plan for me, and I'm living by faith in His plan. This is going to be tough, no doubt about it. But I know as long as I listen to myself and trust in myself, I'll be okay.

Bye Austin - See You Soon

The past few days have gone by so quickly and have been very busy. I moved everything out of my house and cleaned it getting it ready for the renter to move in. And I spent as much time as I could with friends. I'm sad to leave my life in Austin, but I know that the friendships will stay with me during my time in Africa. I have amazing friends and I will miss all of you and the time we spend together. But I know that I'm on the right path right now and that gives me a lot of peace. So for now I say good bye to Austin, but I will see you soon!

Jezebel

Jezebel is my cat that I have had for the last five years. Tonight I said goodbye to her as she left to go live with a very good friend of mine, Darylanne. I'm so thankful for Darylanne for volunteering to let Jezebel come to live with her and her family. I know that it might not work out there, but I know that I can trust Darylanne to find Jezebel a wonderful home. I'm sad tonight, but I know Jez is in good hands and after adjusting will be happy.

My first post

I found out just over a week ago that I was officially invited to join the Peace Corps. Exactly a week ago, I received my invitation letter in the mail saying I was invited to go to Namibia to be a math teacher. I knew about the math teaching part, and I knew I was nominated for Africa - but where is Namibia? That was the first question I needed to answer. So of course I googled it immediately and found that it's on the Southwest coast of Africa bordered by Angola, Botswana and South Africa. I still needed more information.

I read a lot the first night and continued to read through out the week. Gathering all the information I could would be the only way to help make my decision. It was a difficult decision because it means that I have to pack away my life here, leave friends and family, and take a huge leap of faith. But I knew that this was the path I needed to take right now. I'm still scared and sad, but excited too. So my journey begins. Right now, it involves a lot of reading and filling out paperwork for the Peace Corps, packing, putting all my affairs in order.

My goal is to continue this blog to keep everyone updated on my life for the next 27 months. I hope that it helps people stay in touch and understand what I'm experiencing. I also hope that it helps me let go - not worry about what others might think as they read, but put out there how I feel and just be me.