I will give you a quick run down of what I did over holiday 2 because it was hilarious and actually very educational. It was completely different than my first vacation which was luxurious; this trip I camped and slept outside. The last day of school was report card day. Except this was no normal report card day; I was traumatized. I ended up having to act as a homeroom teacher to a grade 9 class because their teacher left at the the beginning of the term and no one replaced him. I had to do all of the calculations and create all the report cards, which was fine. The horrible part is on the last day we had assembly to hand out the report cards. I had to announce the top five learners in the class and the BOTTOM five learners of the class. They forced the bottom five learners to walk in front of the entire student population and all of the teachers to come get their report cards. If they did not come fast enough, the teachers continually repeated their name until they came to the front. Being a homeroom teacher, I was horrified because I had to announce the names in my class. They think that humiliation will teach the learners that they need to study harder. Which may be true, but is damaging. And then on top of it, the bottom five learners from each class get kicked out of the hostel.
Then vacation began. I spent the weekend with Bernie and Bret and our friend from the south Samiyah. On Monday we picked up a rental car and headed out to Opuwo. I loved it there. It was so beautiful and so culturally diverse. I honestly forgot I was in Namibia. I wont bore anyone with the details of each tribes that live there. But long story short when the Afrikaaner people (the whites) and the Germans arrived in Namibia they moved majority of the tribes native to Namibia above the red line (which is where I live). It basically is a racial divider. I live among the Oshiwambo people who are a Bantu tribe (meaning that they migrated from the North, more than likely Angola). In Opuwo, there are four main tribes the Himba, the Themba (sp?), the Herero, and the Damara. Most of these groups migrated from South Africa at one point and the Himba are native to Namibia. All in all, this area has become a safe haven for the traditional tribes of Namibia. People are free to dress (or not dress lol) as they please. Some people have adapted to modern ways and no longer where the traditional clothes, though. It felt like I took a trip back to traditional Africa with huts and naked people included. lol.
When we arrived we stop at a Country Lodge Hotel for a sundowner which is pretty much targeted for white tourists. It was gorgeous, so luxurious. It had a pool overlooking the mountains. It was great. We proceeded to go to a local bar to mingle with the locals which is where we met our Himba friends...visit my profile picture on facebook. It was so cool!! They wear paint made of ochre butter and herbs all over their bodies to protect their skin from the sun. The paint has a distinct smell and turns their skin a shade of burnt red. It is very hard to get out of clothes. They painted my face and arms. They grabbed the boys' butts and the girls' boobs. We taught them how to take pictures. They stole our beers and even got a little tipsy. They were a hoot. They wear a ton of different jewelry and each piece symbolically means something i.e. you take a necklace off when your father dies or you add a different necklace when your mother dies. We spent a day there and then moved onto Epupa Falls.
Epupa Falls is a waterfall that starts in the Angolan mountains and then eventually flows out into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is the border between Namibia and Angola. This was gorgeous and very scary. It was huge. One misstep and you could easily be dead. One day we went rafting down the river. I made it to ANGOLA! Part of the rafting trip was stopping on an island in Angola. I was pretty pumped about that. We saw two crocodiles in the river. That was a bit freaky. One was one four meters long and the other was two meters long. I don't know how to convert that but they were huge! Our instructor even got scared by one of them because as soon as we passed, the crocodile slid right into the water meaning that was easily only a few feet away. Apparently you have to make noise on the water to scare them away so the instructor slapped paddles against the boat to scare him. I paddled a little bit faster to get away from that creature.
I actually got to eat in one or two restaurants which was such a treat because there is only one in town. I was supposed to attend a wedding, but at last minute it got moved to the day before. Wedding dates change often, so I wasn't able to make it. It is wedding season though so I am sure I will make it to one before I leave.
I am leaving tomorrow for a last trip to Swakopmund and then on to Windhoek for our End of Service...so crazy!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Beatin' the heat (or at least attempting to)
With two weeks left in term, it seems that everyone is a bit restless. I do not know if it is because it is nearing the end of the school year or the heat is getting to everyone’s heads, but this is what has been happening...
~ The teachers seem to have given up on teaching. Day after day, the kids sit alone in their classrooms while the teachers chat in the staffroom or are nowhere to be found.
~ Theft is on the rise. I have now had a watch, a dictionary, and a pair of earrings gone missing. The learners have been stealing each other’s things from the hostels when all year they have been relatively respectful.
~ A few of our girls have “fallen pregnant” by the construction workers in Okalongo. It is devastating to hear of the numerous pregnancies.
~ Learners have given up on school. If they are not rowdy in class, they are sleeping with their heads on their desks. None of them do their homework anymore. This results in me threatening or bribing them. Sometimes they are almost too much to handle.
~ This is probably a crazy assumption, but I think the heat also affects the internet. My internet has become mad unstable! It uses my credit like a mofo.
~ The heat in the afternoon is almost unbearable. I take at least two freezing cold showers a day. If I do not take one right before bed, I won’t fall asleep. Even with the cold showers and the fan blaring, it is hard to sleep at night. On top of it, the mosquitos have returned and they are just straight up annoying.
~ The kids have been plotting revenge against the school. (This is mostly the Grade 12’s and it is their form of a high school prank.) They made a plan to steal the hostel bell and to then throw it in one of the oshanas (a big lake). I thought this was hilarious, but my school did not. They have also been hopping the school fence to sneak out to the shebeens.
~ My colleagues tell me that I have been “missing” these last few weeks, because after school I seek refuge from the heat in my house. The heat literally makes it hard for me to breath. I hate teaching in the afternoons because it really diminishes one’s energy.
~ On top of it all, we lose power at least once a day. A few weeks ago we also lost water. It was so bad we almost had to send the kids home, but thankfully after 3 days it came back.
~ The learners keep frozen water bottles in my freezer or come over to ask for cold cloths to put on their bodies. They have lived here all their lives and they still can’t deal with this weather!
Whoever said Africa is hot as balls, understated the truth!
~ The teachers seem to have given up on teaching. Day after day, the kids sit alone in their classrooms while the teachers chat in the staffroom or are nowhere to be found.
~ Theft is on the rise. I have now had a watch, a dictionary, and a pair of earrings gone missing. The learners have been stealing each other’s things from the hostels when all year they have been relatively respectful.
~ A few of our girls have “fallen pregnant” by the construction workers in Okalongo. It is devastating to hear of the numerous pregnancies.
~ Learners have given up on school. If they are not rowdy in class, they are sleeping with their heads on their desks. None of them do their homework anymore. This results in me threatening or bribing them. Sometimes they are almost too much to handle.
~ This is probably a crazy assumption, but I think the heat also affects the internet. My internet has become mad unstable! It uses my credit like a mofo.
~ The heat in the afternoon is almost unbearable. I take at least two freezing cold showers a day. If I do not take one right before bed, I won’t fall asleep. Even with the cold showers and the fan blaring, it is hard to sleep at night. On top of it, the mosquitos have returned and they are just straight up annoying.
~ The kids have been plotting revenge against the school. (This is mostly the Grade 12’s and it is their form of a high school prank.) They made a plan to steal the hostel bell and to then throw it in one of the oshanas (a big lake). I thought this was hilarious, but my school did not. They have also been hopping the school fence to sneak out to the shebeens.
~ My colleagues tell me that I have been “missing” these last few weeks, because after school I seek refuge from the heat in my house. The heat literally makes it hard for me to breath. I hate teaching in the afternoons because it really diminishes one’s energy.
~ On top of it all, we lose power at least once a day. A few weeks ago we also lost water. It was so bad we almost had to send the kids home, but thankfully after 3 days it came back.
~ The learners keep frozen water bottles in my freezer or come over to ask for cold cloths to put on their bodies. They have lived here all their lives and they still can’t deal with this weather!
Whoever said Africa is hot as balls, understated the truth!
The First Goodbyes
As my days in Namibia are dwindling down, I have been reflecting alot on my experience here. My blog has nothing to show for the aspirations I had for it. Since I am reaching the end of my time here, I think it will be okay to reveal the truth. Back in term 1, someone from the Ministry of Education found my blog through the internet, through facebook? I am not exactly sure. The first time I met him, he immediately said, “So you are the one who has been complaining” even before exchanging names. I said, “Excuse me?” He then told my Principal about what he had found on the internet and it was strongly suggested that I stop writing my blog or censor it. I asked what in the world I had been complaining about and the answer I received was “curtains.” If you go through my blog the only post that mentions curtains is the first post and I was not necessarily complaining about it, just stating that kids were looking in through my windows. I think writing about it was justified because it was a violation of privacy especially since it was my first week here. Well long story short, that is why I took a hiatus. I was afraid I was going to be fired or something; the Inspector was not all too nice to me. Ironically, in the end, I found out that it was not my blog whom he was referring to but had mistaken it for another volunteer’s in my region. I know in a few years I will probably regret not writing as often as I should have, but no worries I did keep a journal. Soon enough, I will be able to share all of these stories with you in person and will not have to censor at all ;)
At the end of the week, I will have to say my first goodbyes. The Grade 10’s and 12’s will be finished with their exams and will leave school for holiday. Although, I did not teach the Grade 12’s and only taught the 10’s BIS, I am going to miss them. They annoy me most of the time, but I am going to miss the constant questions, the constant favors, and the constant language barriers lol. They really are silly, good-hearted group of kids. They have started asking me for their “unforgettables” a.k.a. things of mine they want. Many of them have already claimed personal items of mine like water bottles, earrings, or photos hanging on my wall. (P.S. I am not in most of the photos on my wall. They are mostly of family and friends sans Bridget, but they do not care they just want photos of Americans. Their fascination with pictures amazes me. Although they have never met you, they will hang that picture proudly on their walls for years to come and tell people that they once knew an American.) I hope, pray, and wish that these kids will pass their exams and continue onto UNam or Polytechnic, but sadly most of them will not. I blame this largely on the education system here.
My colleagues and learners alike have started laying the guilt on thick. They take many approaches to this guilt trip. Some of them like to act sad like they are going to cry and tell me they love me and I can not go because they will miss me too much. Others inform me that my contract is for 2 years, not for one. My learners like to tell me they will fail next year if I do not stay and that everything I have taught them will be lost. They like to tell me that no one in my country will miss me and I have nothing to go back for. Some plot ways to get on the plane with me. This is mostly my colleagues and men in the community who claim they are going to marry me or hide in my suitcases.
I hate goodbyes ;(....
At the end of the week, I will have to say my first goodbyes. The Grade 10’s and 12’s will be finished with their exams and will leave school for holiday. Although, I did not teach the Grade 12’s and only taught the 10’s BIS, I am going to miss them. They annoy me most of the time, but I am going to miss the constant questions, the constant favors, and the constant language barriers lol. They really are silly, good-hearted group of kids. They have started asking me for their “unforgettables” a.k.a. things of mine they want. Many of them have already claimed personal items of mine like water bottles, earrings, or photos hanging on my wall. (P.S. I am not in most of the photos on my wall. They are mostly of family and friends sans Bridget, but they do not care they just want photos of Americans. Their fascination with pictures amazes me. Although they have never met you, they will hang that picture proudly on their walls for years to come and tell people that they once knew an American.) I hope, pray, and wish that these kids will pass their exams and continue onto UNam or Polytechnic, but sadly most of them will not. I blame this largely on the education system here.
My colleagues and learners alike have started laying the guilt on thick. They take many approaches to this guilt trip. Some of them like to act sad like they are going to cry and tell me they love me and I can not go because they will miss me too much. Others inform me that my contract is for 2 years, not for one. My learners like to tell me they will fail next year if I do not stay and that everything I have taught them will be lost. They like to tell me that no one in my country will miss me and I have nothing to go back for. Some plot ways to get on the plane with me. This is mostly my colleagues and men in the community who claim they are going to marry me or hide in my suitcases.
I hate goodbyes ;(....
Monday, September 19, 2011
Random Updates!
I was put on a “chicken committee” meaning I got to collect chickens from learners when they returned to school. I had to chop the bottom of the chickens’ wings and tails off with a machete to restrict their flight. I will eventually get to slaughter and de-feather the chickens later this month in preparation of our school bazaar. Apologizes to my vegetarian friends.
I had a roommate for two short months: another American, her name was Zoe. It was extremely comforting to have someone else in the house with me and it was nice her name is harder for the Namibians to pronounce than my own lol.
I gained weight from the fatty goat meat I’ve been eating.
I have learned to make my own bread! An exciting feat.
I had a combined birthday party with 3 other volunteers. An admirer put a $N1,000 bar tab down for me. We had matching birthday shirts made for us. My volunteer friends are now Okalongo celebrities.
I have started a scholarship competition amongst the grade 8, 9, and 11. There will be two winners and their tuitions will be paid in full for next year.
I have started a photography business for the learners, which they love. They even have costume changes in between takes.
I had a few driving lessons (manual and on the other side of the road) eek!
Zoe and I cooked the learners tacos(!) and pizza and they surprisingly loved both (next meal will be chinese food). Coming from a village where lettuce is considered “city” food, tacos was a huge success.
Since Zoe has left, the learners visit me daily because they are afraid that I am lonely. It’s adorable.
I taught a few learners how to play Uno and Kemps, so fun.
I have a gang of small children that visit me multiple times a day looking for ice (popsicles) and schweets (suckers). They can not speak very much English and I can not speak very much Oshiwambo but we are the best of friends.
I was counted in the Namibia 2011 census!
I chaperoned a debate competition (very educational)
I was voted as one of the “Coolest Teachers at Haudano” noted in the Haudano newspaper
I was a guest judge at the Miss Haudano beauty pageant
I had a roommate for two short months: another American, her name was Zoe. It was extremely comforting to have someone else in the house with me and it was nice her name is harder for the Namibians to pronounce than my own lol.
I gained weight from the fatty goat meat I’ve been eating.
I have learned to make my own bread! An exciting feat.
I had a combined birthday party with 3 other volunteers. An admirer put a $N1,000 bar tab down for me. We had matching birthday shirts made for us. My volunteer friends are now Okalongo celebrities.
I have started a scholarship competition amongst the grade 8, 9, and 11. There will be two winners and their tuitions will be paid in full for next year.
I have started a photography business for the learners, which they love. They even have costume changes in between takes.
I had a few driving lessons (manual and on the other side of the road) eek!
Zoe and I cooked the learners tacos(!) and pizza and they surprisingly loved both (next meal will be chinese food). Coming from a village where lettuce is considered “city” food, tacos was a huge success.
Since Zoe has left, the learners visit me daily because they are afraid that I am lonely. It’s adorable.
I taught a few learners how to play Uno and Kemps, so fun.
I have a gang of small children that visit me multiple times a day looking for ice (popsicles) and schweets (suckers). They can not speak very much English and I can not speak very much Oshiwambo but we are the best of friends.
I was counted in the Namibia 2011 census!
I chaperoned a debate competition (very educational)
I was voted as one of the “Coolest Teachers at Haudano” noted in the Haudano newspaper
I was a guest judge at the Miss Haudano beauty pageant
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Term 3
The blog is back for term 3! I wanted to share some photos with you:
From the left: Himba woman, me (I am now considered an Oshiwambo woman), and a Herero woman in Opuwo
Two of my little friends here; they visit me daily for "schweets" and "ice" aka popsicles
The beautiful Epupa waterfall on holiday #2
Me horseback riding in Lesotho, the Mountain Kingdom
With a Basotho man in Lesotho
Paragliding off Table Mountain in Cape Town, so gorgeous!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Mid Service Reflection: Improvisation
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.
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.
"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.”
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Chinatown, Namibia
When I came to Namibia, I had no idea that the Chinese would follow me here. After spending 2 months in China and having a surrogate Chinese brother at home, I thought I would get a break from it all when I came to Africa. Boy, was I wrong. The Chinese are everywhere. In my opinion, the Chinese are the new-age Colonialists in Africa. They have their hands in everything. Each town and little village in northern Namibia has stores called simply, “China shops.” One can buy any random item you can think of in these stores. Many products sold in Namibia are Chinese-made including cell phones and the majority of electronics. The Namibians hire outside Chinese construction companies to come in and build these extravagant, aesthetically pleasing buildings instead of hiring Namibian companies. One Chinese construction company is building a health center directly outside the gates of my school. I have asked many people in Okalongo what they think about Chinese people being in Namibia. The answers are hilarious. Their favorite story to tell is about the missing cats. Before I came to Okalongo, there was apparently a large number of cats that lived on Haudano’s campus. Since the arrival of the Chinese, the large cat population has diminished. My colleagues attribute this to the construction workers at the health center. Close to our school is also a dirty river where people are not allowed to do any sort of activity like swimming, bathing, fishing, etc because the sanitary conditions are not the best. According to the people in Okalongo, this is where the Chinese go fishing. As the story goes, the Namibian Ministry of Health continues to tell the Chinese that this is not permitted. Instead, the Chinese just move up the river a bit until they get caught again. When these stories are told and I have heard them from about seven different people, the story teller cracks up. They can not keep it together. Whenever I tell people I spent two months in China, their first question is, “Is it true they eat cats and snakes?” In Namibia, snakes are seen as humans’ enemies. When you see a snake here, you immediately kill it, no questions asked. They can not fathom the idea that people could eat such evil creatures. The activities of the Chinese in town are part of the daily gossip in Okalongo. The stories and the gossip are often not told without mimicking them. The Namibians immediately put their hands to their eyes and pull out the corners to make the eyes squint. This is accompanied by the attempt to speak Chinese as they hear it, “Ching ching chong.” Many people I ask though have never actually spoken to a Chinese person. From what I have seen so far, there is not much interaction between Namibians and the Chinese on the local level. The Namibians perceptions of the Chinese is entertaining to hear, but fascinating to think about.
For Bernie’s birthday, we hiked to Oshikango, a border town to Angola. We had the intention of taking the day trip to Oshikango in seek of the said “best Chinese restaurant in Namibia.” Restaurants in the North are scarce and being waited on is quite the treat here. What we did not anticipate was finding ourselves in the literal recreation of China. We got dropped off at a place called Dragon City (aka Little China). It was surreal. We walked through these guarded gates and I felt like I was on the set of a movie. Everything and everyone was Chinese. It was like a little gated Chinese community in Namibia. We found the restaurant and I think both of our jaws dropped. With the decor, the arrangement, and the smell of the restaurant, you could have fooled me I thought I was back in China. We ordered fried rice and steamed dumplings. The Namibian waitress I think was impressed and confused at the same time when we told her we did not need utensils, but could use the chop sticks instead. The owners of the restaurant did not speak English and the waitress could not speak Chinese and I could not figure out how they were communicating. At one point the waitress had to ask us how to describe chicken fried rice because the owners did not understand the English on the menu. I walked out of there in awe. It was the epitome of a multicultural experience. I ask myself: what are the intentions of the Chinese living in Namibia? I have heard the Namibians’ views on it, but have yet to hear the Chinese side. They are two unlikely, vastly different cultures living and working in the same country. The Namibians do not seem to take a great interest in the Chinese, yet their products dominate the stores throughout the country. The Namibian government hires outside Chinese workers instead of hiring within. It seems like a complex relationship that I intend to question further.
For Bernie’s birthday, we hiked to Oshikango, a border town to Angola. We had the intention of taking the day trip to Oshikango in seek of the said “best Chinese restaurant in Namibia.” Restaurants in the North are scarce and being waited on is quite the treat here. What we did not anticipate was finding ourselves in the literal recreation of China. We got dropped off at a place called Dragon City (aka Little China). It was surreal. We walked through these guarded gates and I felt like I was on the set of a movie. Everything and everyone was Chinese. It was like a little gated Chinese community in Namibia. We found the restaurant and I think both of our jaws dropped. With the decor, the arrangement, and the smell of the restaurant, you could have fooled me I thought I was back in China. We ordered fried rice and steamed dumplings. The Namibian waitress I think was impressed and confused at the same time when we told her we did not need utensils, but could use the chop sticks instead. The owners of the restaurant did not speak English and the waitress could not speak Chinese and I could not figure out how they were communicating. At one point the waitress had to ask us how to describe chicken fried rice because the owners did not understand the English on the menu. I walked out of there in awe. It was the epitome of a multicultural experience. I ask myself: what are the intentions of the Chinese living in Namibia? I have heard the Namibians’ views on it, but have yet to hear the Chinese side. They are two unlikely, vastly different cultures living and working in the same country. The Namibians do not seem to take a great interest in the Chinese, yet their products dominate the stores throughout the country. The Namibian government hires outside Chinese workers instead of hiring within. It seems like a complex relationship that I intend to question further.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Typical Day in Okalongo
I want to apologize ahead of time for the multiple posts I will soon be posting. I have had terrible internet service and the posts have just been building up. Many people have asked what my typical day is like so I am going to describe my day to day schedule in Okalongo.
4:30 AM - The first alarm goes off for the learners. As I described before, the bell is very obnoxious and I often jump out of my bed upon hearing it.
5:30 AM - I roll out of bed.
6:20 AM - I am out the door before the sun rises.
6:30 AM - On Mondays and Fridays, we have a school assembly. The entire school meets outside underneath the flag pole and they sing the national anthem, followed by morning prayer. On Tuesday and Thursday, we have staff meetings.
7:00AM-13:48 PM - Classes are in session. At around 10:00 AM we have a tea break when the teachers chose to eat their breakfasts and the learners go to the cafeteria for tea. I do not have classes the full 7 hours so during my open periods I sit in the staff room. I usually read and then get asked a zillion questions about my Nook or I lesson plan for the next day. This week I was the test subject for the new school camera. I think there is at least 30 pictures of me on that camera by now in all different poses: standing up, sitting down, smiling, pretending to read, etc.
13:48-14:30 PM - Lunch Break. I go home and make myself lunch. Lately, I have been eating these really good samoosas I found.
14:30 PM - I return to the office for afternoon study. Learners are allowed to change out of their uniforms and then they return to the classroom to do their homework. Teachers are supposed to lesson plan and prepare for the next day, but typically everyone sits on the front steps and chats.
16:00 PM - I return home for the day. Learners go back to the classroom at 19:00 after dinner for evening study. I will eventually be on duty for this and have to supervise the classrooms, but for now I am usually not needed after 5. I have newspaper and debate meetings at 19:00 if they decide to have a meeting that day.
Typically after I am done for the day, I walk through Okalongo. The village is situated directly behind the school and it is great place to think. It is very easy to get lost in the windy trails though and provides many great hiding spots for snakes. For these reasons, I only walk that way before dusk. If I need to get groceries, I take a trip into Oshakati which requires getting a hike and usually ends up in an adventure. Colleagues often knock on my door at night asking to look at my American movies. They are all very interested in American movies and television shows and come to ask my opinion on their favorites. If there is a day when I am missing the States, I watch an episode or two of a television show that reminds me of home and I am set. I have already gotten into the routine of village life as they say and start getting ready for bed at 21:00. The schedule revolves around the sun here. People wake up with the sun and go out in the fields. When the sun goes down, many people do not have electricity meaning no light. This does not permit them to do any more work and they instead go to bed early. Hence, village life: the routine my body has gotten used to. That has been my typical day so far in Okalongo, Namibia. I am happy to say I am definitely in the swing of things now :)
4:30 AM - The first alarm goes off for the learners. As I described before, the bell is very obnoxious and I often jump out of my bed upon hearing it.
5:30 AM - I roll out of bed.
6:20 AM - I am out the door before the sun rises.
6:30 AM - On Mondays and Fridays, we have a school assembly. The entire school meets outside underneath the flag pole and they sing the national anthem, followed by morning prayer. On Tuesday and Thursday, we have staff meetings.
7:00AM-13:48 PM - Classes are in session. At around 10:00 AM we have a tea break when the teachers chose to eat their breakfasts and the learners go to the cafeteria for tea. I do not have classes the full 7 hours so during my open periods I sit in the staff room. I usually read and then get asked a zillion questions about my Nook or I lesson plan for the next day. This week I was the test subject for the new school camera. I think there is at least 30 pictures of me on that camera by now in all different poses: standing up, sitting down, smiling, pretending to read, etc.
13:48-14:30 PM - Lunch Break. I go home and make myself lunch. Lately, I have been eating these really good samoosas I found.
14:30 PM - I return to the office for afternoon study. Learners are allowed to change out of their uniforms and then they return to the classroom to do their homework. Teachers are supposed to lesson plan and prepare for the next day, but typically everyone sits on the front steps and chats.
16:00 PM - I return home for the day. Learners go back to the classroom at 19:00 after dinner for evening study. I will eventually be on duty for this and have to supervise the classrooms, but for now I am usually not needed after 5. I have newspaper and debate meetings at 19:00 if they decide to have a meeting that day.
Typically after I am done for the day, I walk through Okalongo. The village is situated directly behind the school and it is great place to think. It is very easy to get lost in the windy trails though and provides many great hiding spots for snakes. For these reasons, I only walk that way before dusk. If I need to get groceries, I take a trip into Oshakati which requires getting a hike and usually ends up in an adventure. Colleagues often knock on my door at night asking to look at my American movies. They are all very interested in American movies and television shows and come to ask my opinion on their favorites. If there is a day when I am missing the States, I watch an episode or two of a television show that reminds me of home and I am set. I have already gotten into the routine of village life as they say and start getting ready for bed at 21:00. The schedule revolves around the sun here. People wake up with the sun and go out in the fields. When the sun goes down, many people do not have electricity meaning no light. This does not permit them to do any more work and they instead go to bed early. Hence, village life: the routine my body has gotten used to. That has been my typical day so far in Okalongo, Namibia. I am happy to say I am definitely in the swing of things now :)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Okalongo
On Sunday morning, at approximately 8 am, I began the journey to my permanent home in Namibia. The ride to the North was extremely entertaining and properly introduced me to “Africa time.” Here, being late is perfectly acceptable. If you are on time, you are a bit weird and if you are early, then you are absurd. Namibians go with the flow and time is no concern to them. That being said, our driver was supposed to arrive at 7, but instead showed up at 8. We began the 10 hour drive when my 2 fellow WorldTeach volunteers and I soon encountered another aspect of Namibian culture: hitchhiking. Hitchhiking is the mode of transportation in Namibia; everyone, old or young, does it to get from point A to point B. Well, our driver picked up 2 hitchhikers along the way. He did not say anything to us. He just pulled over and picked them up. Our driver also had his own agenda. We stopped multiple times and he went school supply shopping for his son while we waited in the scalding van. No big deal, just go with the flow. Our 10 hour ride soon turned into a 13 hour ride. I was supposed to arrive at my site about 5/6 pm before the sun went down. Nope, I arrived at 830/9 pm when it was dark preventing me from checking out my new site.
I am now at my site in Okalongo, Namibia, at Haudano Secondary School. I was under the impression that I was going to have 3 to 4 roommates who would also be Namibian teachers. Upon my arrival, I found out that I would be living by myself. It was a scary realization seeing that I did not have any supplies of my own i.e. no cooking or kitchen supplies. Another surprise was that I was placed at a hostel school meaning that I am living at a boarding school. There are 600 students on campus with about 500 living in the dorms. Bells go off constantly letting them know where they are supposed to be. Two alarms go off in the morning: one at 430 am when the learners wake up and then a final warning bell at 6 am that they are supposed to start heading for their classrooms. These bells make me jump out of my bed every morning. Anyways, so when I arrived their was a team of 10 people doing last minute preparations on my dorm. I did not have a refrigerator or working stove for the first night, but now do. The curtains on my window are not long enough and on the first night I had learners peering their heads through the spaces trying to look at me. My apartment was filled with dust and sand. I am still trying to clean it. It just never seems to be clean. I do have a back porch which I am obsessed with. It is a perfect place to look at the stars at night.
As for Okalongo, the town is pretty big. Every step you take is another shebeen, which is an informal bar. Compared to Hannah and Kaylan’s towns’ (the two volunteers I rode up with), Okalongo is a huge city. There is even a gas station and a restaurant! Haudano Secondary School is a very nice school. We have had some flooding issues with the all of the rain we have been having, but the campus is maintained and well taken care of.
Monday morning, I woke up at 530 am to be at a staff meeting at 615 am. Afterwards we moved to the gymnasium for assembly. The entire school sang the Namibian national anthem and I almost cried it was so beautiful. I have vowed myself to learn it by the end of the term so I can sing along. The Principal had me stand in front of the entire school and introduce myself. The learners all started cheering and whooping. One learner stood up and threw his hands in the air. I introduced myself. There was a small pause and then the entire school busted out laughing. They did not understand a word that I said. Everyone got a good laugh on my account. I could not help but laugh. Then the Principal explained to the school while I was there and kind of scolded them and told them I spoke proper English. He said by the end of the year, they were no longer allowed to speak Namlish and that they were to sound like me. He told them to listen to everything I said and to mimic my speak. I was in awe by the end of assembly. The assembly ended up being 4 hours long. (!) I was given a shock when I found out I would be teaching two periods of gym class. Haha that will be entertaining. The gym teacher came up to me later in the day and asked me to be the netball coach? I got out of that though because I told him I did not know what netball was.
I sat in the teacher’s lounge Monday because Namibian schools are notorious for being disorganized. The class schedules were not figured out and students were in the wrong grade levels completely. Malakia, the school’s Head of Sciences took me into Oshataki, the biggest city near me, to get my tax id. I got a nice and much needed surprise when I saw Bernie at the Ministry of Finance. I had to pick up a lot of supplies in Oshakati because the apartment was completely empty. My apartment looks a little more homey now that I have some of my things unpacked.
Every morning I wake up at 545 am and have a staff meeting at 640 am. Classes start at 7 am and the school is on a rotating 7 day schedule, rather than a 5 day school schedule. Tuesday (yesterday) I was introduced to some of my classes, but by the afternoon I was stuck with one class because the rotation system stopped working. I have not been teaching because we do not get books until next week. I was asked to go to a newspaper/debate meeting after school. I said yes and told the coordinator that I was only going to watch. After the meeting, I was told that I was to attend meetings Monday through Thursday and that I would be a co- coordinator. Therefore, apparently now I am a part of the newspaper and debate team. It is quite unexpected but I have quickly learned to go with the flow.
Today, I have an English department meeting. This seems like a normal statement, but it is not. When you have a department meeting, you must prepare mentally for days. The meeting could be up to 5 hours long because of “Africa time.” People show up late and it rarely starts on time. Teachers tend to not give their opinions directly and will beat around the bush until some one else expresses what they want to. Will let you know how it turns out in the next post.
The hardest part of being here is the nighttime. It gets very quiet and almost lonely at night. I was expecting to have roommates so I have been adjusting to living by myself. Every morning when I walk out my door I immediately feel better. I do not know what is, but being outside is soothing. The air is so fresh and the sunrises are breath- taking. Adjustment is going to be a process, but I am enjoying every minute, the ups and the downs... Peace
I am now at my site in Okalongo, Namibia, at Haudano Secondary School. I was under the impression that I was going to have 3 to 4 roommates who would also be Namibian teachers. Upon my arrival, I found out that I would be living by myself. It was a scary realization seeing that I did not have any supplies of my own i.e. no cooking or kitchen supplies. Another surprise was that I was placed at a hostel school meaning that I am living at a boarding school. There are 600 students on campus with about 500 living in the dorms. Bells go off constantly letting them know where they are supposed to be. Two alarms go off in the morning: one at 430 am when the learners wake up and then a final warning bell at 6 am that they are supposed to start heading for their classrooms. These bells make me jump out of my bed every morning. Anyways, so when I arrived their was a team of 10 people doing last minute preparations on my dorm. I did not have a refrigerator or working stove for the first night, but now do. The curtains on my window are not long enough and on the first night I had learners peering their heads through the spaces trying to look at me. My apartment was filled with dust and sand. I am still trying to clean it. It just never seems to be clean. I do have a back porch which I am obsessed with. It is a perfect place to look at the stars at night.
As for Okalongo, the town is pretty big. Every step you take is another shebeen, which is an informal bar. Compared to Hannah and Kaylan’s towns’ (the two volunteers I rode up with), Okalongo is a huge city. There is even a gas station and a restaurant! Haudano Secondary School is a very nice school. We have had some flooding issues with the all of the rain we have been having, but the campus is maintained and well taken care of.
Monday morning, I woke up at 530 am to be at a staff meeting at 615 am. Afterwards we moved to the gymnasium for assembly. The entire school sang the Namibian national anthem and I almost cried it was so beautiful. I have vowed myself to learn it by the end of the term so I can sing along. The Principal had me stand in front of the entire school and introduce myself. The learners all started cheering and whooping. One learner stood up and threw his hands in the air. I introduced myself. There was a small pause and then the entire school busted out laughing. They did not understand a word that I said. Everyone got a good laugh on my account. I could not help but laugh. Then the Principal explained to the school while I was there and kind of scolded them and told them I spoke proper English. He said by the end of the year, they were no longer allowed to speak Namlish and that they were to sound like me. He told them to listen to everything I said and to mimic my speak. I was in awe by the end of assembly. The assembly ended up being 4 hours long. (!) I was given a shock when I found out I would be teaching two periods of gym class. Haha that will be entertaining. The gym teacher came up to me later in the day and asked me to be the netball coach? I got out of that though because I told him I did not know what netball was.
I sat in the teacher’s lounge Monday because Namibian schools are notorious for being disorganized. The class schedules were not figured out and students were in the wrong grade levels completely. Malakia, the school’s Head of Sciences took me into Oshataki, the biggest city near me, to get my tax id. I got a nice and much needed surprise when I saw Bernie at the Ministry of Finance. I had to pick up a lot of supplies in Oshakati because the apartment was completely empty. My apartment looks a little more homey now that I have some of my things unpacked.
Every morning I wake up at 545 am and have a staff meeting at 640 am. Classes start at 7 am and the school is on a rotating 7 day schedule, rather than a 5 day school schedule. Tuesday (yesterday) I was introduced to some of my classes, but by the afternoon I was stuck with one class because the rotation system stopped working. I have not been teaching because we do not get books until next week. I was asked to go to a newspaper/debate meeting after school. I said yes and told the coordinator that I was only going to watch. After the meeting, I was told that I was to attend meetings Monday through Thursday and that I would be a co- coordinator. Therefore, apparently now I am a part of the newspaper and debate team. It is quite unexpected but I have quickly learned to go with the flow.
Today, I have an English department meeting. This seems like a normal statement, but it is not. When you have a department meeting, you must prepare mentally for days. The meeting could be up to 5 hours long because of “Africa time.” People show up late and it rarely starts on time. Teachers tend to not give their opinions directly and will beat around the bush until some one else expresses what they want to. Will let you know how it turns out in the next post.
The hardest part of being here is the nighttime. It gets very quiet and almost lonely at night. I was expecting to have roommates so I have been adjusting to living by myself. Every morning when I walk out my door I immediately feel better. I do not know what is, but being outside is soothing. The air is so fresh and the sunrises are breath- taking. Adjustment is going to be a process, but I am enjoying every minute, the ups and the downs... Peace
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Going "Wild"
As per usual, I’ve had a very interesting past couple of days. In my curriculum in college, we always discussed the negatives of safaris in Africa. The first question people ask you when you say you are going to Africa is, “Are you going to see the animals?” In all reality, in the cities and the villages, there are no free roaming animals, at least not the majestic beasts people think of when they think of Africa. Africa, as a continent, is much more than lions, zebras, and elephants. Often times, people visit Africa to go on a safari to see these animals in their natural habitats and are afterwards shown the more regale aspects of the continent like nice hotels, five course meals, and a waitstaff. These tourists never truly see the “real” Africa. That being said, I had mixed feelings about our group trip to Etosha National Park on Sunday. Etosha is a Namibian Game Reserve which houses 114 mammal species among its birds and reptiles. Soon upon our arrival, we saw a group of gigantic giraffes. I do have to admit, seeing the giraffes in the wild, right out your window, is a once in a lifetime feeling. They were extremely tall and their patterns were unreal. We all freaked out when we saw the first giraffe, but soon found out that the giraffes are very commonplace in the park. They were very natural to us by the time of our departure. The next animals we saw were the zebras! I have a soft spot for zebras, so seeing them was really cool. Every depiction of the zebra print I often see is black and white, but really all the zebras I saw were black and a faint gray. They looked even better in person and in packs. When a normal tourist goes to these types of parks, it’s either a hit or a miss to see a lion or an elephant. Well, we must have been a lucky group because we saw both! First, we saw the lion, which honestly I think was my favorite animal to see. He was stalking solo and through my binoculars (yes, Im a dork and brought binoculars) you could see the definition of his muscles. It kind of gave me the chills. Mind you, I should have warned you about this earlier, but these animals are not afraid of humans. All the animals, especially the elephants, are notorious for coming right up to cars. We had to be very quiet and not attract attention to ourselves. In the case of the elephants, they tend to sit on peoples’ cars and crush them. Kind of scary.
The next part of the adventure makes me chuckle thinking about... Springboks are a type of deer found in Southern Africa. They are the national animal of South Africa and while I was in South Africa I ate springbok. It was very good and tasty. Well, we witnessed the birth of a baby springbok. We drove past it and our driver Camberona (who is crazy, but in a good way) told us the baby was dead. So we drove away and everyone in the van was upset, because the mother was visibly pushing to get the baby out and we thought it was a defeated effort. Welp Camberona was wrong. We drove around for a bit and when we came back, the baby Springbok was born. Here is the kicker of the story, we watched the entire scene to the soundtrack of “Circle of Life” from the Lion King. If my college professors only saw me now, they would kill me. The entire situation is very stereotypical, but whatever. It was kind of funny, I could not stop laughing. Needless to say mother and baby springbok were alive and healthy. When we drove away after Camberona got impatient, baby springbok was taking it’s first steps of life. Just as we were about to leave the park, we finally saw an elephant!! The best way to follow an elephant trail is to follow the large mounds of dung that are on the paths. We had people sticking their heads out the window to smell it and see if the poo was fresh. We found him in an open field by himself, meaning he must be a male, because males are kicked out of the pack. The animal was indescribably majestic. Elephants are beasts of an animal. I am very happy that I got to see one in the end. Therefore, although I probably disgraced my degree and my college professors, I felt that seeing the animals was a must. Now I’ve gotten it out of my system and do not need to do it again. I do not think I would have gone out of my way to go on a mini safari myself, but it was all part of my orientation experience. I do admit, it was pretty amazing :)
The next part of the adventure makes me chuckle thinking about... Springboks are a type of deer found in Southern Africa. They are the national animal of South Africa and while I was in South Africa I ate springbok. It was very good and tasty. Well, we witnessed the birth of a baby springbok. We drove past it and our driver Camberona (who is crazy, but in a good way) told us the baby was dead. So we drove away and everyone in the van was upset, because the mother was visibly pushing to get the baby out and we thought it was a defeated effort. Welp Camberona was wrong. We drove around for a bit and when we came back, the baby Springbok was born. Here is the kicker of the story, we watched the entire scene to the soundtrack of “Circle of Life” from the Lion King. If my college professors only saw me now, they would kill me. The entire situation is very stereotypical, but whatever. It was kind of funny, I could not stop laughing. Needless to say mother and baby springbok were alive and healthy. When we drove away after Camberona got impatient, baby springbok was taking it’s first steps of life. Just as we were about to leave the park, we finally saw an elephant!! The best way to follow an elephant trail is to follow the large mounds of dung that are on the paths. We had people sticking their heads out the window to smell it and see if the poo was fresh. We found him in an open field by himself, meaning he must be a male, because males are kicked out of the pack. The animal was indescribably majestic. Elephants are beasts of an animal. I am very happy that I got to see one in the end. Therefore, although I probably disgraced my degree and my college professors, I felt that seeing the animals was a must. Now I’ve gotten it out of my system and do not need to do it again. I do not think I would have gone out of my way to go on a mini safari myself, but it was all part of my orientation experience. I do admit, it was pretty amazing :)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tsumeb
Goie More! That means “Good morning” in Afrikaans. I have recently realized that my last blog post got cut off. I apologize. New Years ended up being a great Namibian New Years celebration. We engorged ourselves with three different types of meat and then toasted the new year with South African red wine and champagne. We all had a grand old time. On Monday we left Windhoek for a city north of us called Tsumeb. We have been here ever since and having started our teaching practicums. We have been paired up with another member in the group and we have been team teaching a small number of students. My partner ended up being Bernie (not planned) and we’ve been getting into the rhythm of teaching. I am grateful we got to do these teaching practicums before we were sent to our year long schools, but I’ve been hit with some hard realities. I will be teaching 8th through 12th grade eventually in my village of Okalongo so Bernie and I were given students around this class range. We soon realized that the learners English was extremely behind what we anticipated. A 12th grade boy did not how to do fractions and a 7th grade boy did not know the English alphabet. Many schools have zero to few resources like text books or even chairs and tables. A lot of the students miss weeks of school at time because they have household responsibilities, like herding the cows. School seems to not be a priority in some situations. One of my goals here is to stress the importance of education. All of these situations are going to make teaching here that much more difficult and test my abilities as a teacher. Our last day of teaching reminded me of the rewards of teaching though. We handed out certificates of completion to the students and they all had huge smiles on their faces. Just to see them light up in the classroom when we taught them how to play charades was an awesome feeling. Sidenote: One thing I’ve fallen in love with here is the African sky. The stars are indescribable and like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Because I am in the Southern Hemisphere I see different stars then all of you at home. They are gorgeous and so interesting looking. They literally light up the night sky. I am sure they will be even more amazing when I get to my village and they are not affected by the city lights. Ill check in again soon!
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