I had to do a mid service reflection and I thought I would share it with everyone. As mid service approaches I have reflected on the first months I have spent in Namibia. The first word that comes to mind is improvisation. I have mastered the true definition of this word in verb, noun, and adjective form. Improvisation is a creation written or spoken composed extemporaneously or without prior preparation. Key phrase in this definition is “without prior preparation.” Other volunteers who have visited my house know that this is the motto of my household and my life in Namibia. A couple of circumstances come to mind when I think of the improvisation I have done in the past months. Day one at my school: my first time meeting fellow colleagues and future learners. My principal decides I should make a speech in front of the entire school. Now, this was no informal introduction where I tell them my name and where I am from. He wanted a full length introduction about my past, my present, and my future. I do the best I can and try to speak slowly pronouncing every word of my English. Fail. After I stopped speaking there was dead silence and then simultaneously, the entire school: learners, workers, and colleagues alike roared with laughter. One small learner even stood on top of his bench and clapped for me. I was mortified.
When your school tells you that you are going to be the judge for a beauty pageant hours before the event... what do you do? Improvise. I had no idea what I was doing. I had never seen a live beauty pageant, let alone judged one. When your school tells you that you will be speaking at the parents meeting the morning of when no one understands English... what do you do? Improvise. I used the little Oshindonga I knew to introduce myself and then winged it from there. What do you do when your school tells you that you will be presenting at a staff meeting the minute before... Improvise. My school has thrown me a lot of curveballs, but I have learned to just deal with it. Every day in Namibia is a surprise. Not a day goes by that I do not learn something new.
Even if I plan everything out minute by minute in the classroom something always throws the plan off and results in improvisation. Many times, I have been pulled out of class for meetings or to do an errand for another teacher. I have to be quick on my feet to come up with an activity for the learners to do while I am gone. Other times, learners do not grasp the topic at hand and I have to think of a new way to get the point across. I do not have many teaching resources which forces me to be creative in my teaching styles. There are not enough books for every learner and they are not allowed to take them out of the classroom so I have to think of different ways of giving them homework and learning the lesson in groups.
Not only do I improvise in the classroom, I improvise in my house. I live alone so I have been slowly building up my household belongings and utensils. My first week at school I did not have any pans so when I had to cook things in my oven, I used the tops of pots as baking pans. I did not have a spatula so I made my own. I got a piece of cardboard, wrapped foil around it, and stuck a pencil in it. It worked for a while, but not very well. I had to make an indoor clothesline because the line in my backyard only holds about five shirts and two pants. I did not have any string though. I took a piece of ethernet cord left lying around my house, tied one end to a window, and the other end to my closet door. I have formed a bedside table from the packages I have received from home. Cooking has also proved to be a great arena to use improvisation. Namibia does not have many familiar spices so when making food, one improvises with ingredients he or she can find. That is one of the many lessons Namibia has taught me: to be resourceful.
Through all of this, I have learned that my life in Namibia is never going to be planned, not even close to being planned. Life is spontaneous and chaotic. Things happen and plans change. Namibia has taught me to deal with the cards I have been dealt. If all else fails, improvise.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
"The Cultural Adjustment Phase"
An important part of the first few months here is cultural adjustment. I have to be open and respectful of the Namibian culture. I am not one to judge; I am here to be immersed in the Namibian lifestyle completely. As a volunteer and an outsider, I have to be conscious of how I am perceived by the people around me whether it is in the community, my learners, or my colleagues. This cultural adjustment has proven to be a two-way street though. These first few months in Namibia have been a mixing and exchanging of two cultures. I learn about the Namibian ways and the people I have met have begun to learn some of my American ways or in some cases my Irish ways. In this post, I would like to fill you in on some of the things I have learned about the Namibian culture and what I have taught the Namibians.
First of all, thanks to my generous aunts, I have received many packages including various types of American candy that my colleagues have now fallen in love with. Here, they call them sweets, but the word “candy” has caught on. There have actually been a couple of arguments in the staff room when a colleague sees I have given someone a sucker and not them. Last week, I gave a demonstration on how to eat FunDip. My learners also appreciate the cookies or biscuits as they are referred to here. I have decided that the Namibians have a different taste bud for sweetness. They think the cookies are “too sweet” and some candies that I think are not sweet at all are too sweet to even to eat. They are not big fans of Starburst because they feel like it coats the throat with sugar. I have started the “what’s up?” trend. When I first greeted people like that they had no idea what I was talking about. Now a few colleagues respond correctly but I still get a lot of “goods.” Some people even say “What’s up?” before I even greet them. A couple of weeks ago, we had a going away party for two colleagues who were leaving the school. It was fun. There was a lot of dancing and then I was pressured to show them an “american dance.” It was the week before St. Patrick’s Day so I told them I would show them an Irish dance. I did a jig for them and they rolled on the floor in laughter. After I was finished, they all mimicked me and tried to copy the dance. To this day, colleagues randomly bust out their imitation of the dance in the staffroom and it brings on howls of laughter. One day on the way to a conference, I experienced a surreal “wow, I’m in Namibia moment.” I was sitting next to the oldest Meme at Haudano in the school bus. I was teaching her how to place solitaire on the iPhone. By the time we arrived at the conference, she had figured the iPhone out and walked around showing off to people. It was a weird moment for me realizing not only the generational difference between the two of us, but also the cultural one. As Americans, we are so focused on technology that we often forget the simplicity of things.
I have also learned a lot about the Namibian superstitions or cultural beliefs. My favorite one I think is about my hair. I was told once that my curly, red hair is equivalent to someone being born with a full mouth of teeth. Meaning that that is how rare my hair is here. If I was born in Namibia with my hair, I would be a queen. One day I was walking with a friend and I was whistling. My friend turned to me and asked me if I knew what that meant in Namibian culture. I said no and asked why. She said in Namibia women are not allowed to whistle. I asked why again. She said because if a woman whistles that means she wants all of her brothers to die so that she can be the man of the household. I have never whistled in public again. They also have many beliefs about animals. I have seen two really cool looking chameleons. They have these crazy feet that change directions when they climb up trees and these eyes that seem like they can move 360 degrees. The first time I saw one I was with three other volunteers and we were really excited about it. We told one of the locals about it and he said in Namibian culture chameleons are not liked. The Namibians do not trust them because they are deceitful animals and can change colors. They change their appearance and deceive people so they can not be trusted. Another animal they despise is snakes. I agree with this one. Snakes are evil creatures and are humans enemies so they must be killed. I was at a shebeen (a bar) once with 2 friends. I saw a small, black snake and did not think anything of it. After a while I pointed it out and said look there’s a snake. I had the entire bar up in arms. Everyone jumped out of their chairs and shouted “where?” One of my friends took a plastic chair and immediately killed it. I found out afterwards that it was in fact poisonous. They also have cultural beliefs about pigs and I have to be honest I do not completely understand this one. Apparently pigs here are sacred. Even though they are smelly and dirty animals, they are very respected. It is said if you have sex in front of a pig, all of your pigs die? I still need to ask more questions about that one.
Another fascinating belief is feet. The first few weeks I was here, I would get compliments on my feet. I did not understand at all so I would be polite and say thank you. I got some many comments that I finally asked why people were complimenting on my feet. I was told that when people compliment me on my feet, they are hitting on me. In a way, they are telling me they want me to be their wife. In pre-colonial Namibia, one way to pick a wife was by her feet. By looking at a woman’s feet, a man would be able to tell what kind of wife a woman was going to be and what kind of profit the man would have. The feet are connected to the success of the couple’s cattle. After learning this I had a friend analyze my feet and why I would be a good wife in traditional Namibia. A woman needed to have small feet which I have. I was told my feet were a good size. I also have a space between my big toe and my second toe. This is unique and a very wifely characteristic to have. The space represents the pastures meaning that the family would have a lot of land for the cows to graze. My feet are not ugly and in proportion meaning that I would be able to deal with the pressures of the family. I was cracking up. It is funny, but it is the culture and I am grateful for the knowledge I have gained.
The staple of Namibian food is mahangu. It is a grain that is made into both food and drink. One food I love is porridge although until recently I did not know the history of it. There are different types of porridge but the primary type of porridge I eat here is mahangu porridge. It is known as pearl millet in the English language. One pounds it in order to make it. It is kind of grainy and at times you feel like you are eating sand. I recently found out that it is in fact sand that I am eating. Mahangu porridge is pounded on a floor covered with termite mounds. This knowledge does not phase me. I still enjoy eating it. The consistency is kind of like mashed potatoes. You do not use utensils. You form it into small balls using your right hand (it is not proper to use both hands). You then dip it into soap (gravy) and eat. The soap and the porridge are my favorite, but you are supposed to eat it with some type of meat, chicken, or fish. Mopani worms are another traditionally Namibian food. I have not tried this and have no interest in eating them. They are basically caterpillars. People love them. They sell them on the streets and can be bought live. I held one once and can not imagine eating them. I have had some of the traditional Namibian drinks. I enjoy oshikundu which is basically a moonshine. It is made with marula juice and then fermented until it is alcoholic. One can drink it as a juice or as an alcoholic beverage. You actually do not what kind you are drinking until after 3 classes. I like it, but I can only drink one glass. It is very vinegary. Another alcoholic drink is Amarula which is made from marula fruit into a creamy liquor that tastes like Kaluha to me.
I am sure I will learn much more as the months go on, but I wanted to fill you in on some of the things I have learned thus far. It is the beginning of our first holiday. Tomorrow, I will be traveling to Windhoek for our midservice training and then will be traveling to South Africa with four friends for the holiday. After South Africa two friends and I will be continuing on to Lesotho, a little country inside South Africa. I will be back in a month and will update you all upon my return :)
First of all, thanks to my generous aunts, I have received many packages including various types of American candy that my colleagues have now fallen in love with. Here, they call them sweets, but the word “candy” has caught on. There have actually been a couple of arguments in the staff room when a colleague sees I have given someone a sucker and not them. Last week, I gave a demonstration on how to eat FunDip. My learners also appreciate the cookies or biscuits as they are referred to here. I have decided that the Namibians have a different taste bud for sweetness. They think the cookies are “too sweet” and some candies that I think are not sweet at all are too sweet to even to eat. They are not big fans of Starburst because they feel like it coats the throat with sugar. I have started the “what’s up?” trend. When I first greeted people like that they had no idea what I was talking about. Now a few colleagues respond correctly but I still get a lot of “goods.” Some people even say “What’s up?” before I even greet them. A couple of weeks ago, we had a going away party for two colleagues who were leaving the school. It was fun. There was a lot of dancing and then I was pressured to show them an “american dance.” It was the week before St. Patrick’s Day so I told them I would show them an Irish dance. I did a jig for them and they rolled on the floor in laughter. After I was finished, they all mimicked me and tried to copy the dance. To this day, colleagues randomly bust out their imitation of the dance in the staffroom and it brings on howls of laughter. One day on the way to a conference, I experienced a surreal “wow, I’m in Namibia moment.” I was sitting next to the oldest Meme at Haudano in the school bus. I was teaching her how to place solitaire on the iPhone. By the time we arrived at the conference, she had figured the iPhone out and walked around showing off to people. It was a weird moment for me realizing not only the generational difference between the two of us, but also the cultural one. As Americans, we are so focused on technology that we often forget the simplicity of things.
I have also learned a lot about the Namibian superstitions or cultural beliefs. My favorite one I think is about my hair. I was told once that my curly, red hair is equivalent to someone being born with a full mouth of teeth. Meaning that that is how rare my hair is here. If I was born in Namibia with my hair, I would be a queen. One day I was walking with a friend and I was whistling. My friend turned to me and asked me if I knew what that meant in Namibian culture. I said no and asked why. She said in Namibia women are not allowed to whistle. I asked why again. She said because if a woman whistles that means she wants all of her brothers to die so that she can be the man of the household. I have never whistled in public again. They also have many beliefs about animals. I have seen two really cool looking chameleons. They have these crazy feet that change directions when they climb up trees and these eyes that seem like they can move 360 degrees. The first time I saw one I was with three other volunteers and we were really excited about it. We told one of the locals about it and he said in Namibian culture chameleons are not liked. The Namibians do not trust them because they are deceitful animals and can change colors. They change their appearance and deceive people so they can not be trusted. Another animal they despise is snakes. I agree with this one. Snakes are evil creatures and are humans enemies so they must be killed. I was at a shebeen (a bar) once with 2 friends. I saw a small, black snake and did not think anything of it. After a while I pointed it out and said look there’s a snake. I had the entire bar up in arms. Everyone jumped out of their chairs and shouted “where?” One of my friends took a plastic chair and immediately killed it. I found out afterwards that it was in fact poisonous. They also have cultural beliefs about pigs and I have to be honest I do not completely understand this one. Apparently pigs here are sacred. Even though they are smelly and dirty animals, they are very respected. It is said if you have sex in front of a pig, all of your pigs die? I still need to ask more questions about that one.
Another fascinating belief is feet. The first few weeks I was here, I would get compliments on my feet. I did not understand at all so I would be polite and say thank you. I got some many comments that I finally asked why people were complimenting on my feet. I was told that when people compliment me on my feet, they are hitting on me. In a way, they are telling me they want me to be their wife. In pre-colonial Namibia, one way to pick a wife was by her feet. By looking at a woman’s feet, a man would be able to tell what kind of wife a woman was going to be and what kind of profit the man would have. The feet are connected to the success of the couple’s cattle. After learning this I had a friend analyze my feet and why I would be a good wife in traditional Namibia. A woman needed to have small feet which I have. I was told my feet were a good size. I also have a space between my big toe and my second toe. This is unique and a very wifely characteristic to have. The space represents the pastures meaning that the family would have a lot of land for the cows to graze. My feet are not ugly and in proportion meaning that I would be able to deal with the pressures of the family. I was cracking up. It is funny, but it is the culture and I am grateful for the knowledge I have gained.
The staple of Namibian food is mahangu. It is a grain that is made into both food and drink. One food I love is porridge although until recently I did not know the history of it. There are different types of porridge but the primary type of porridge I eat here is mahangu porridge. It is known as pearl millet in the English language. One pounds it in order to make it. It is kind of grainy and at times you feel like you are eating sand. I recently found out that it is in fact sand that I am eating. Mahangu porridge is pounded on a floor covered with termite mounds. This knowledge does not phase me. I still enjoy eating it. The consistency is kind of like mashed potatoes. You do not use utensils. You form it into small balls using your right hand (it is not proper to use both hands). You then dip it into soap (gravy) and eat. The soap and the porridge are my favorite, but you are supposed to eat it with some type of meat, chicken, or fish. Mopani worms are another traditionally Namibian food. I have not tried this and have no interest in eating them. They are basically caterpillars. People love them. They sell them on the streets and can be bought live. I held one once and can not imagine eating them. I have had some of the traditional Namibian drinks. I enjoy oshikundu which is basically a moonshine. It is made with marula juice and then fermented until it is alcoholic. One can drink it as a juice or as an alcoholic beverage. You actually do not what kind you are drinking until after 3 classes. I like it, but I can only drink one glass. It is very vinegary. Another alcoholic drink is Amarula which is made from marula fruit into a creamy liquor that tastes like Kaluha to me.
I am sure I will learn much more as the months go on, but I wanted to fill you in on some of the things I have learned thus far. It is the beginning of our first holiday. Tomorrow, I will be traveling to Windhoek for our midservice training and then will be traveling to South Africa with four friends for the holiday. After South Africa two friends and I will be continuing on to Lesotho, a little country inside South Africa. I will be back in a month and will update you all upon my return :)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Rain, Rain Go Away
Term 1 is over!! That means I am roughly 1/3 of the way through the year already. March has turned out to be a very trying and busy month. I apologize for not updating as frequently as I would have liked.
Before we left for Namibia, we were warned. We were warned that Namibia would be in the middle of its rainy season. At home, April is our rainy season and as the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” Not in Namibia. Showers here bring nationwide school closings, drownings, and malaria. I have never seen so much rain in my life. Namibia has had its largest rainfall in its recorded history. There are 400 cases of malaria in my region, Omusati, alone. Other volunteers have been on “holiday” for over a month now because the health of the learners were in danger. Their “rain” days are equivalent to our snow days. In some areas, primary school children on their way to school were walking in water over their heads and sadly there were a number of them who drowned. My school, fortunately, is a hostel school so the majority of our learners live on campus. The ones who do not were devastatingly affected. Many houses filled from roof to ceiling with water and were no longer livable. Haudano decided to bring the day learners to live in the hostels. Some rooms were over capacity by 4 people when the rooms already fit 12 people in bunk beds. Haudano is the only school in Okalongo that stayed open after the floods. There were days when I had to stop class because the rain was pounding on the tin roof and my learners could not hear me over the noise. There was a week period when I had a moat around my house. I had to roll up my pants and carry my shoes in my hands in order to walk out my front door. The Omusati Circuit Inspector visited schools in our area to inspect the seriousness of the water and she had to travel around in a motor boat. That is how much water we have gotten. Every other day I did not have power. The internet and cell phone service was often periodically down. It is insane to see what nature can do to this country. Roads and complete villages are completely washed away. People camp in cheap tents bought in China shops along the sides of the roads. There are new lakes or oshanas every couple of miles. The local people have taken advantage of the new abundance of fish that have now shown up in the waters. They stand on the side of the road selling “bubble fish,” a bundle of about 20 fish for 10 Namibian dollars. Everyone swims in the new oshanas to cool themselves down during the heat of the day. I do not swim in them though because there are parasites that burrow in ears and feet. I find irony in the fact that I am too stubborn to use an umbrella. My colleagues enjoy it because they think it’s funny that my hair can withstand the rain. They shelter their hair with wraps and umbrellas because I am told if it gets wet it will smell bad. One good thing about the rain is that the temperature significantly drops. The days it rains, the nights are much cooler and I sleep significantly better. Namibia has reached the end of its rainy season although we do get a random shower here and there. It is exciting to see that Namibia has finally made international news; it does not happen often. All in all, I have finally learned the full extent of what it means that “Namibia is experiencing its rainy season.”
Before we left for Namibia, we were warned. We were warned that Namibia would be in the middle of its rainy season. At home, April is our rainy season and as the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” Not in Namibia. Showers here bring nationwide school closings, drownings, and malaria. I have never seen so much rain in my life. Namibia has had its largest rainfall in its recorded history. There are 400 cases of malaria in my region, Omusati, alone. Other volunteers have been on “holiday” for over a month now because the health of the learners were in danger. Their “rain” days are equivalent to our snow days. In some areas, primary school children on their way to school were walking in water over their heads and sadly there were a number of them who drowned. My school, fortunately, is a hostel school so the majority of our learners live on campus. The ones who do not were devastatingly affected. Many houses filled from roof to ceiling with water and were no longer livable. Haudano decided to bring the day learners to live in the hostels. Some rooms were over capacity by 4 people when the rooms already fit 12 people in bunk beds. Haudano is the only school in Okalongo that stayed open after the floods. There were days when I had to stop class because the rain was pounding on the tin roof and my learners could not hear me over the noise. There was a week period when I had a moat around my house. I had to roll up my pants and carry my shoes in my hands in order to walk out my front door. The Omusati Circuit Inspector visited schools in our area to inspect the seriousness of the water and she had to travel around in a motor boat. That is how much water we have gotten. Every other day I did not have power. The internet and cell phone service was often periodically down. It is insane to see what nature can do to this country. Roads and complete villages are completely washed away. People camp in cheap tents bought in China shops along the sides of the roads. There are new lakes or oshanas every couple of miles. The local people have taken advantage of the new abundance of fish that have now shown up in the waters. They stand on the side of the road selling “bubble fish,” a bundle of about 20 fish for 10 Namibian dollars. Everyone swims in the new oshanas to cool themselves down during the heat of the day. I do not swim in them though because there are parasites that burrow in ears and feet. I find irony in the fact that I am too stubborn to use an umbrella. My colleagues enjoy it because they think it’s funny that my hair can withstand the rain. They shelter their hair with wraps and umbrellas because I am told if it gets wet it will smell bad. One good thing about the rain is that the temperature significantly drops. The days it rains, the nights are much cooler and I sleep significantly better. Namibia has reached the end of its rainy season although we do get a random shower here and there. It is exciting to see that Namibia has finally made international news; it does not happen often. All in all, I have finally learned the full extent of what it means that “Namibia is experiencing its rainy season.”
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