Pete in Namibia

Ombili

2006-11-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

Which means sorry in Oshiwambo. Sorry for not posting in the past two months. Things have been even busier than usual lately, especially with grad school applications being due soon (though I am almost done now- woo hoo!). Also my school had no electricity for the past four months (but its back on now- woo hoo again!) so I've had limited internet access.
Now I am in my last week and things are winding down. Teaching is over and all thats left is a few exams, packing up my house, and saying goodbye. I'm very sad, and getting sadder by the minute, but I'm also excited for what is coming up- a road trip through South Africa, seeing all my loved ones at home, snowboarding in Colorado, a trip to SoCal, finding som work in Atlanta, and finally grad school.
Meanwhile I"ll work on putting some photos of the last few months up, and I'm sure I'll write posts on our trip through South Africa. Thanks everyone for reading the blog and who knows, maybe I'll keep it going in the states

2006-10-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

Wildebeest in the setting sun

Zebras at a waterhole

Nicola, Sinead and me beside a large termite mound

With Sinead's dad in one of my classes

September

2006-09-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

Sinead's dad and sister came out for a lightning visit (5 days). We took them to Etosha which was lovely, and then they came and visited classes at both of our schools. It was great to see them and made both of us homesick. Here is one of our prime sitings at Etosha, an elephant at sunset.
Giraffes at a water hole- we saw many more animals hanging around like this than we did earlier in the year.

A pretty sight- this guy needs a beard trim more than I do.
The dog at Sinead's mission just had puppies. We wanted one, but decided it would be too crazy.

We've been back at school for a month now, and time is really flying away. I only have one week left with my tenth grade classes, and two days of that will be half days because we are celebrating both Namibian Child Day and International Teachers Day next week. I like holidays, but this is overkill. I hope they are ready, but I know most of them are not, so I will just have to cross my fingers and hope they get lucky. I am not so worried about English, but Maths is most likely going to be a disaster. About a week ago I asked my maths class to raise their hands if they cared about passing the maths exam. About a third of the hands went up. One girl said "Sir, I do care about English". I think the problem is that they know they only need to pass a certain number of subjects to get in to grade 11, so they are only working in the subjects they think they can pass. That is smart in some ways, but maths is needed for most good careers, so this way they are really limiting their options.

The electricity is out at my school, so I can't use the internet very often. When I do it is a mad two hour sprint trying to send e-mails and sort out grad school applications in Oshakati on a slow computer, so that is why the blog is a little crummy right now.

Epic Journey Part 1

2006-09-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

Epic Journey Part 2

2006-09-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

2006-08-13T05:15:00.000-07:00

Sinead in the village. Doesn't she look great?

The other day we went out for a walk around my village around sunset. As we rounded a corner we heard the sound of drumming. We followed the sound and found a large group of girls (and a few boys) drumming and dancing. It was really fun to watch, and Sinead even clapped along with the rhythms, but that was beyond me. I did take a few movies with my camera though. They look funny since there is no sound and it seems disjointed, but they are still fun to watch. I wish I could post them here.
Some of the dances were really amazing, full of crazy jumping and hip movements. Sinead and I tried to do a few of them after we went home- she succeeded much better than I did.
A few of Sinead's student's asked me to help them with chemistry- I don't know much chemistry, but I think I helped them out a little bit.

Exam Tedium

2006-08-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of exams again here at Oluvango, but instead of madness it is just kind of boring. That is because instead of being packed into one week the exams have been spread out over almost four. This is much too long, since there are only nine exams, and on many days the learners don't have one, but teachers are not allowed to teach (and the learners wouldn't listen anyway, especially in the classes where the exam has already been taken) so most of the time everyone is just sitting around studying (occasionally) or killing time (much more often). Most learners don't come to school on the days when they don't have exams, and I can't really blame them. The whole thing is a huge waste of time, especially for the learners, who are missing out on a few weeks of instruction that could really help them out. I have to admit, though, that I don't mind that much, because instead of teaching all I have to do is supervise classes and mark exams, which is much easier (if also less interesting) than teaching. All in all, though, I think I would have been happier if they had shaved off one week.

Things aren't all boring here though. Last weekend we went to an Oshikuuki (cake) party in honor of the retirement of the mother of one of Sinead's colleagues, Ms. Okongo. It was a long affair, with lots of speeches in Oshiwambo, but it also turned out to be a lot of fun. We were able to see Ms. Okongo's whole family together, and they are a really nice group of people. Her mother has 11 brothers and sisters, most of whom were there, and they all lined up in order of age and sang a song. Her mother, who is in her mid-nineties, was also there, and looked in fabulous shape. She was standing for a good bit of the party and even sang and danced a little. True to its name the party included an American supermarket style cake, on which they fit an amazing 60 candles, but they also served up some great goat and potato salad, which I was very happy about. I really love traditional food when I have the chance to eat it.

Another, sadder cultural event came last week when the grandfather of my principal died. He was the headman (kind of like a chief) of my village, so he was a very important figure. All of the teachers at my school, as well as Sinead and I, went over the next day for what is called a compassionate visit. We went into the family compound and shook hands with everyone present, which took quite a while. Then we sat in a circle and sang hymns in Oshiwambo for about thirty minutes. After this our group from the school was invited to another part of the compound where we were offered beer, soft drinks, goat meat, and oshifema (millet porridge). I thought it was strange that after someone died the family would feed everyone who visited. A colleauge told me the next day that this was part of the tradition of Owambo hospitality, but now that the death rate is so high it is causing problems because families are running out of money for things like the coffin or supporting orphans. The death rate is rising because of the AIDS epidemic. The headman was a very old man, which is a rarity these days. Most funerals are for young or middle aged people unfortunately.

A Big Party

2006-07-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Kids singing....
and traditional dancing (I think I could be good at this stuff when I turn 60)

This weekend we went to the inauguration of Mupewa Primary School, where another World Teach volunteer works. All in all it was a long day in the sun with lots of speeches, but the entertainment was great. The school's choir sang wonderfully, and the real highlight was the Iita Kadha Cultural Group, made up of about ten elderly men and women, all of whom wore pink skirts, who did some wild dancing. It involved blowing whistles and complicated moves where they would kneel down and then twirl around with their feet entertwined. This kind of thing makes me realize that there is a lot of culture here that I am missing out on.

Dinner and a Soccer Game

2006-07-08T01:24:00.000-07:00

Its been a week just like any other here in Oluvango, but two events have made it a little more exciting.

The first was having dinner at my principal's house. We had been planning this for a long time, and it finally worked out. The plan was that we would show my principal and his wife how to make pizza, while they would make traditional Owambo food for us. The only problem is Sinead and I don't really know how to make good pizza, so we had to fake it. We bought some pre-made bases at the supermarket and then put various things on top. The only cheeze we could find was gouda.

Overall it went pretty well- I started out helping, but then at some point I left the kitchen, and before I knew it I was handed a beer and it was implied that I shouldn't go back to the kitchen. So Sinead and my principal's wife Frieda did most of the cooking. I tried to protest a little, but I'm afraid not too much. Apparently gender roles are still very strong here.

The first course was traditional Owambo chicken and oshifema (millet porridge), which is eaten communally out of a big bowl (Sinead had potato salad). It was delicious, and really filling, so by the the time the pizza was ready no one had much room for it. Our hosts were really nice though, eating a big slice each and complimenting it nicely. It did turn out pretty well, much better than a trial run Sinead and I had done a few days earlier (where we had put too much sauce on and it became a kind of pizza soup).

After that they suggested that we watch the video of their wedding, and I think we both felt special that they wanted to share it with us. Owambo weddings are long affairs, with celebrations at both the houses of the parents of both bride and groom, and sometimes at the houses of uncle's and aunts too. We couldn't understand anything, but with all the spontaneous singing and dancing it looked better than any party I had ever been to. I really hope I can go to a wedding before I go- the problem is that they are always during the school holidays, when we are planning to go traveling.

The other big event was a girl's soccer game between Sinead's school and my school. This had potential to inject some tension into our relationship, so I'm glad the result was a draw. Both sides played really well, and I took some nice action photos which I'm hoping to get on the blog soon. Sinead has been doing a great job of starting and coaching the girls team at her school. In fact, she inspired the team at my school because it was her asking me to find some girls to play against her team that led to my principal asking another teacher to start a team. A lot of the boys at my school thought girl's soccer was a big joke, but I think now that they have seen them play they have more respect.

So that is a little update on what is going on here. Teaching is going well, I'm just nervous about the upcoming exams and also about the final exam for grade 10. I really would like a lot of my learners to pass and I'm not sure if that is going to happen.

Epupa Falls

2006-07-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

The Zebra Mountains (notice the stripes)

Epupa Falls

A Himba woman and her baby (it cost N$13,00 to take this photo, which is actually relatively cheap)
Sinead in the morning sun
Swimming in the pools next to the falls.

We have just returned from a quick trip to Epupa Falls, which all the guidebooks say you need 4wd for, but we did it in our little VW Chico (with only one flat tire). It was a lot of driving but a great trip overall- the falls were spectacular, and the campsite was right next to them (i.e. I could have reached out of the tent and put my hand in the water). At the campsite, which was very crowded, we met lots of nice South Africans, some of whom fixed our flat tire and some of whom invited us to braai (barbecue) with them. It turns out that Afrikaners are incredibly generous people. We also saw a lot of Kaokoland, as the northwest corner of Namibia is called- it is a fairly undeveloped region, even by Namibian standards, but it is also strikingly beautiful. The people there are the Himba, who still wear very traditional clothes (and not much of them) and live a semi-nomadic lifestyle. They often charge tourists (including us) money to take photos of them. Sinead also bought a traditional Himba marriage necklace.

Overall it was a great trip, and we are starting to feel like we have really seen a lot of Namibia.

Photos of African Child Day

2006-06-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the celebration for African Child Day:
A seventh grader reading a poem

Two sixth graders reading a poem

5th graders singing a song

The rest are from a short dramatisation of the Soweto Uprising performed by learners from 2 tenth grade classes. The ones with the sticks on their backs are soldiers, and the rest are teachers and students.
The arrival of the army.
Students telling a teacher they don't want to speak Afrikaans in school any more.

The soldiers firing on the students.

The Day of the African Child

2006-06-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

So last Friday there was a wonderful event at my school celebrating the Day of the African Child. This day commemorates the Soweto Uprising in South Africa, when students protested the teaching of Afrikaans in schools and the terrible education system in general, and were attacked by the Army, who killed many students. It has been turned into a day to celebrate African Children in general, and to remind adults that they should not be mistreated or abused.

I know we have a Children's Day in the states, but no one really takes it seriously, so I wasn't sure what to make of this one. On Wednesday a group of my tenth graders seemed very happy, so I asked them why. The reply was "Because Friday is our day" and I thought, for people who don't have a lot in life it must be really nice to have a whole day devoted to you and for people to take that seriously.

On Friday classes ended at noon, and then we had a big assembly where the principal explained the history of the day (in Oshiwambo, so my introduction is based on just a short translation), and then learners from each class got up and performed a play, or read a poem, or sang a song. The tenth graders dramatised the events of the Soweto uprising, and I thought my normally shy students did a great job of acting it out. The poems were also great- one from a seventh grader asked a lot of pointed questions about why the government was not doing more about child abuse. I was very impressed since my seventh grade classes are usually too shy to talk to me.

It was also a lot of fun to see the lower primary learners (grades 1-4) who I don't usually see because they are at another building about 200 meters away. A lot of them were very excited to see me because they haven't seen many (or any) white people before. The principal brought one girl to see me because she was afraid. I shook her hand, and I think after that all of her classmates thought she was really special. The younger learners were especially enthusiastic and sang their songs very loudly. One class of 3rd graders sang "If You're Happy and You Know It"- overall they could sing in English well, though I don't know if they knew what they were singing.

The principal said at the beginning of the day that on this day his big stick was only for decoration and that he wouldn't touch any learners with it. It's kind of sad that it takes a special day to stop teacher's hitting learners, but corporal punishment is very deeply ingrained here. At another volunteer's school they told the learners that it was their fault they were beaten was because their bad behavior was inviting punishment. Everyone knows it is illegal to beat learners, but at the same time everyone believes it is the only way to control them. Its a sad state of affairs, but at least they have a day where they are talking about treating kids right.

2006-06-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Morning assembly, where we raise the flags, sing the national anthem, and often the principal berates the learners for something or other (or congratulates them, or tells them about money they need to pay for something).

Class debates, Namibian style the kids never make eye contact and only say one or two sentences. I have slowly been able to get them to realize that they need to talk about the other sides arguments instead of their own, but it has been a struggle. But they are trying hard, and its interesting to hear what they have to say. I think I'm doing a lot more class participation than they are used to.

Wild Beasts

2006-06-07T02:46:00.000-07:00

A visit from the family

2006-06-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ahhh,

I'm writing this feeling blue because my parents and brother just left after ten wonderful days (my sister and uncle left last Wednesday, but it is all sinking in now) . I had forgotten how nice it is to spend time with my family and now its another 7 months until I see them again. But that is the nature of this year.

We started our time together in Etosha, where we saw many more animals, including mating lions, a family of rhinos, a leopard and an elephant (my family saw 22 elephants on the last day, but Sinead and I left early to go shopping- doh). We also spent some good time looking at the stars, since my Dad had brought me a southern hemisphere star book and was really excited about using his new binoculars to find nebulas and look at Jupiter.

From Etosha we headed back to Outapi, and I got to stay in the luxury Outapi Town Lodge instead of my humble abode. It was really nice to have a toilet and a hot shower every morning. Everyone took turns coming and talking to my classes, which was a huge hit. One class was really upset because they never got a good chance to talk to my family. I had some of my classes prepare questions for them, and although I'm not sure how much the kids learned from it, I think everyone had fun and at the end of most of the classes we took turns singing.

At the end of the week we headed off to the Kunene River Lodge, which is very close to us, but the road is very rough so it took quite a while to get there. The lodge is an idyllic spot, stuck among huge trees on the banks of a pretty big river by Namibian standards. On Saturday we went rafting down the biggest rapids I've ever done- my Dad and I were the only ones without a guide, and we did pretty well despite not really knowing what we were doing. Then today we had to say goodbye and its off to another week of teaching. It will be really good to see them again in December

Back at School

2006-05-21T04:45:00.000-07:00

So the long vacation has come to an end, and both Sinead and I are back to teaching. Its been tough getting back into the groove. I thought that my students, if not excited to see me, would at least be at the same level of comfortability with me that they were before I left. Instead they were as sullen and quiet as on the first day of school. I also forgot how tiring teaching was. Even without doing my afternoon computer classes I've been exhausted every day this week.

But on the other hand it does feel nice to get back to my flat and my village and see familiar faces. My principal has been very welcoming, bringing Sinead and I groundnuts and pumpkins (though this may be to make up for the fact that we haven't had water since we have been back). Sinead also has a new flat, which she shares with a Belgian volunteer, which is very luxurious compared to my place (it has hot water and a TV). Unfortunately since it is on the mission I can't spend so much time there (the nuns object to Sinead having a boyfriend apparently).

Next week we have a four day weekend, and my parents, sister, brother, and uncle are coming (which I'm very excited about) so really I am easing into the second term slowly. We are meeting my family in Etosha, where hopefully there will be even more wildlife as it is dryer now. Then they are coming up here to our sites for a week. Finally we are going to a lodge on the Kunene River before they head off to see more of Namibia.

River Trip photos

2006-05-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

These are a bit out of order, but our canoe trip down the Orange River was definitely a highlight of the vacation. The river was flowing quickly so we didn't have a lot of paddling to do, and there were lots of birds, a few monkeys, and many amazing rocks to look at. A couple of times we hit big rapids that we thought were going to tip the boat, but we never actually capsized. We went with two guides from Northern Namibia who didn't speak so much English, but were excellent at keeping us all in good spirits and catching a few fish. Overall a great experience, we are hoping to do more river trips in the states or elsewhere.

Twyfelfontein petroglyphs

2006-05-21T03:19:00.000-07:00

The last stop on our trip was to see rock art at Twyfelfontein (Afrikaans for doubtful spring), which is suppoused to be one of the most extensive sites in Southern Africa. There were pictures of all kinds of animals, and some kinds of maps of springs. There were even some pictures of seals and penguins, supposedly from when the people living here went to the coast to find salt. The art has been dated at more or less 5000 years. I was very impressed.

Fish River Canyon and Sossusvlei

2006-05-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

Fish River Canyon

Ostrich on the Namib plains

Sinead busy writing a song

Flowers at Sesriem

Deadvlei

2006-04-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

After a swim in the Indian Ocean

Sinead with a couple of African penguins

In a prison cell (2m x 2m) on Robben Island

View of Table Mountain

Table Mountain and Kirstenbosch

2006-04-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

View from the Cable Car
A hairy baboon on Table Mountain (extremely rare sighting)
Silvertree
Guinea Fowl
Camphor trees (from China and Japan, but still beautiful)

Another beautiful Cape Town day Sinead and I rode the cable car up Table Mountain. We would have climbed it, but we weren't feeling so hard core that day (we might still do it later). Once we were up there we walked through some beautiful gorges and took in views of the whole peninsula. Later that day we went to the Kirstenbosch botanic gardens, which are most likely the best botanic gardens in the world, because instead of just being a stuffy collection of plants there are great trails through thick bush and woods and you can pretty much go whereever you want, including all the way up Table Mountain. Sinead and I especially liked the native plants like the silver tree, the waboom, and the forest fig (an enormous tree with beautiful bark). The Cape has this unique flora called fynbos that is found nowhere else on Earth, and it is fascinating to look at some of the crazy shapes and colors of this stuff. Unfortunately exotic species are a big problem here, but the garden does a great job of preserving and exhibiting native South African plants

Wine tasting in Franschoek

2006-04-22T02:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we went on a tour of wine country with Sinead's parents. I'm not really high class enough for this kind of thing- I didn't know that you are supposed to spit out the wine, and I wore a bright yellow t-shirt to a fancy restaurant, but it was a great time and the scenery was lovely. It makes me feel like I'm back in California, except all the place names are Afrikaans instead of Spanish.

Cape Town

2006-04-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Goodbye to Owamboland.

Flowers at the Cape of Good Hope- the plant life here is incredibly diverse.

Baboons- if you let them in your car they will poop all over it. We saw one get in some tourists' car, but fortunately the chased it out quickly enough

One of the nice parts of Cape Town.

We are enjoying a lovely visit with Sinead's parents in Cape Town, site seeing, eating good food, drinking fine wine, watching movies, diving with sharks (not yet, but maybe soon)- its about as different as it gets from Oluvango.

School is out

2006-04-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

So the first term has actually ended. The exams are over, the learners have seen their (unfortunately mostly dissapointing results), and Sinead and I are about to take off for South Africa. I have to say I'm very excited for this break, but strangely enough I aslo feel like I'm going to miss teaching and my learners for the next month. Maybe I'm being silly, but this place has really started to have a hold on me. But all that aside, I think both of us sorely need a vacation, as exams have been especially taxing.

Every day last week I had to invigilate (a crazy word, I thought it was a Namibian invention, but apparently its used in Ireland as well) two tests for 1 hour and 20 minutes. At first I thought this would be a chance to catch up on grading, but then I found out that learners had been cheating under my watch, so I had to give that up. So instead I just sat there, hot and bored, watching anxious teenagers take tests. I would get up every five minutes to walk around the class, but I never saw any evidence of cheating, so they are probably too clever for me. We were supposed to teach during the periods when there weren't tests, but my learners all wanted to study, so I made a compromise that I would teach the first half of the period and they could study for the second half.

Their studying was not so effective, as most of them did not get the marks they had hoped for. After the English test several girls came up to me and complained that "the test was soooo incredibly difficult Mr. Douglas". But it turned out that English wasn't as bad as maths, where the highest grades were Ds (which here is 50 -60 %). The tests were hard, but they were pulled directly from the end of the year exams that learners have to pass in order to be promoted, so they'll have to rise to the challenge at some point. I'm going to focus much more on teaching to the test next term, but I'm worried that at this point, and even before I got here, it is too little too late for many of them.

But enough worries and pessimism- I'm sure some of them will surprise me and do better than I hoped (one girl in ninth grade did that on this test, but her grade is so much better than her past performance that I'm pretty sure she cheated somehow). For now it is off to Cape Town and other adventures in South Africa- stay tuned for photos.

2006-04-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

Anyone for mopane worms (fried caterpillars)? I haven't gotten the courage yet.

Exam Madness

2006-04-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

The first term is really coming to an end, and next week we will be having our exams. This is leading to craziness in the staff room because the test schedule was only announced on the Friday before the tests were to begin. Our school has recently acquired a photocopier, but everyone is worried that if it is used too much it will break, so copying tests is strictly off limits. Instead we use a duplication machine, which you use by preparing a stencil (kind of like a carbon copy sheet) and then roll it on this big ink drum. After that you roll papers through and it makes copies. It's actually pretty cool, but you can't do pictures or anything unless you draw it by hand. Also, you either have to write everything out by hand or type it using a typewriter onto the stencil- which makes test preparation really time consuming, especially in English where there is a need for long passages.

Then there is the problem that there is only one typewriter, and everyone here types very slowly. So everyone has been rushing around trying to make sure their tests get ready and it has been generally much more chaotic than usual. Yesterday my principal asked me to type his test, which I resent a little, but at the end of the day it doesn't take me so long, and hopefully he'll return the favor some time.

Another interesting aspect of school here (a diplomatic way to put it) is the meetings. I recently heard on the radio that the two biggest problems in Namibia are making ends meet and making meetings end- I guess that's a common joke, but it seem particularly accurate here. Staff meetings from 2 to 5, where only a couple issues are discussed, are a common occurrence. The major stumbling block to efficient meetings is that the principal really wants to get everyone involved, but no one wants to participate, so after he says anything he waits a long time for feedback. The most contentious issue by far has been the use of the photocopier- the official policy has been somewhat paradoxical, since the principal and head of department are encouraging teachers to use it, but every time someone asks for copies they are told they are making too many. Also the principal and the head of department are the only people allowed to use the copier, presumably because it is too complicated unless you take a training course. Just so anyone doesn't get the wrong impression, both the principal and HOD are great guys- its the way of doing things here that bugs me sometimes, not the people themselves.

Last weekend we had another long weekend, this time with parents and in Oshiwambo. I was looking forward to a long meeting where I didn't understand a word. It was still long but the HOD was really nice and translated everything for me. The meeting was held in a kind of concrete barn, and midway through the meeting it started raining really hard on the tin roof, making it impossible to hear anyone. The parents approved the schools budget (a nice idea, though I don't think they really do much oversight) but the major topic of discussion was about learners going to cuca shops (a local term for bars). Apparently many learners sneak out at night and get drunk, and then have hangovers at school the next day. Also, when they sell fish it is so they can get money to buy beer. Everyone at the meeting was instructed to chase learners out of cuca shops if they see them there, even if the learners insult them, which also seems to be a big problem. I did see some learners watching a soccer game at a cuca shop a few weeks ago, and now I wished I had said something to them. At the same time though, its understandable for them to go there if it is the only place in the village with a TV. It would be great if they could start some kind of community center here, but for now that is wishful thinking.

Meanwhile my water has been off for about three straight weeks now. Twice now it has come back on briefly, I breath a sigh of relief, and then six hours later it is off again. It isn't so bad getting my water from the school tap until I think I'll have running water again, and then I get a little upset when my hopes are dashed. At this point I think it won't matter so much if it isn't fixed by the end of the term, but I really hope when I get back the water is more consistent. The biggest problem is that it is hard to wash myself and really hard to wash my clothes with limited water, so I'm getting smellier by the minute (thankfully I can shower at Sinead's place twice a week)

Etosha and more

2006-03-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

As I hope the pictures below show, Etosha was amazing. We went in the rainy season, which is not supposed to be so good, and still saw lots of animals. We quickly got jaded with zebras, giraffes, wilderbeests, springbok, and other antelopes and drove by them in our search for the more elusive elephants, rhinos, and lions (We saw one rhino that almost charged our car, the rear end of one elephant at a distance, and no lions). Etosha is a beautiful place, centered on a huge ephemeral lakebed/salt pan that still has some water in it this time of year. It is remarkably different from where we are living, and it is cool to see what the landscape would look like without a human influence (though some would say the National Park isn't entirely natural either). It was also great to have a few luxuries, particularly a swimming pool, that we don't have in daily life here. I'm very excited to go back in May, when my parents and brother are coming out, and see how the park looks in drier times (and hopefully see some elephants and lions).

Meanwhile school is going well overall- there are only three weeks left until the end of the term, so it really is the final stretch. After that Sinead and I are heading to South Africa for what we hope will be a really relaxing holiday. I am no longer nervous heading into my classes, which is really nice, and I'm starting to notice some improvement in most of my students, though it is hard to say how much. My tenth graders are starting to get algebra a little more. The one thing that made me nervous this past week was that the principal observed two of my classes- I think they went pretty well, though it is hard to know. I had to scramble to get all my paperwork up to date because he was checking that as well.

These days my only complaints are having no water, which has been out for two weeks now, and the endless rain, which is making the roads really awful. I thought it was bad of me to complain about the rain because this is such a dry country, but someone told me recently that it is too much rain for the crops, so I don't feel bad anymore. They say it hasn't rained this much for 30 years. So that's my life here at the end of the first term- overall I think I'm settling in nicely.

Giraffes

2006-03-23T23:52:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure I am as tall as their legs- I wanted to find out for sure but Sinead wouldn't let me get out of the car.

lots of animals

2006-03-22T23:30:00.001-08:00

They all just blend together!

A gemsbok, which I think might be my favorite antelope.
If you look carefully you can see a rhino in this picture. It was very ornery and tried to charge our little car. I'm sure it would have won if it did.

2006-03-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

Springbok scratching him or herself.
One of the many baby zebras we saw- I think it was the right time of year for babies (one of our friends was very excited about seeing small elephants, but that didn't happen.)
Wilderbeest- (what a beautiful creature- I think they are the inspiration for the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.)

Hooray for long weekends

2006-03-17T03:08:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is Independence Day in Namibia, and this is a wonderful thing. I am very much in need of a break, especially after this week in which I did not have running water, I have begun to worry about whether I am incompetent at teaching mathematics, and our car has been making funny noises due to the terrible conditions of the roads. Now I am off to Etosha where I can forget these worries for a while (and now it seems the water is back on, so maybe that worry is over) and get ready for the final push of the term.

Photos of large animals to come soon.

Insights

2006-03-11T00:34:00.000-08:00

So its been a week just like any other. Sinead and I are staying at home this weekend relaxing, planning lessons, and enjoying each others company. Teaching has become routine, even if it isn't really that much easier. I've discovered how tiring grading can be, and I'm lucky that this weekend I don't have much to do, though next week I'm giving two tests, so my time off will be short.

This week I asked my 9th and 10th grade English classes to write and perform role plays about HIV and AIDS. Overall the role plays were all pretty similar and my students are for the most part terrible at public speaking (they like to stand facing the chalk board, with their hands in their mouths, making it impossible to hear them), but there were some interesting moments. In my ninth grade class most students chose to write about a scenario where two friends are trying to convince another friend to stop having unprotected sex. The explanations for why they were having sex were pretty humourous, including "I like sex because in sex you learn more information" and "I will never stop having sex because it is my only hobby in my life". I took these kinds of lines as an indication that many students are unfamiliar with sex, which I hope is true, but it could just be difficulties with English. I was encouraged to see that in every role play the friend decides at the end to stop having sex, though that is probably just because that is what they think I want to hear.

In my tenth grade classes most learners chose to write about a son or daughter telling his or her parents that he or she is HIV positive. In most of these role plays the parents were angry at first, but then calmed down and told their son or daughter that they would support them. Buying nutritional food for people with HIV seemed to be a big deal. In one role play the mother said she would slaughter 3 goats and one dog in order to buy good food for her daughter, which supports a rumour we had heard that dog is a delicacy here. That is probably one I won't try.

On another note, it is beginning to be mopane worm season. Mopane worms are little catepillars that feed on trees around here, and they are another delicacy- I'm a little more inclined to try this, but I can't imagine it will taste very good. I am excited, though, for May, when the mahangu (millet) is harvested, and I'm hoping that there will be some big parties that we could be invited to. Sinead told one of her teachers who lives near me that we could help to harvest, so we'll see.

2006-03-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

Reading on the banks of the Kunene River
Aah, finally some rocks!- A nice limestone cliff at Hippo Pools.

Two landscape shots- First the beautiful scenery as you drive over the plateau and down to the Kunene River Valley. Second, my school flooded after a huge rain (it has since dried out nicely).

Extra photos

2006-03-04T00:33:00.000-08:00

A meme (Oshiwambo for mother or woman) who was carrying firewood near my house. At first we thought she was upset when Sinead took her photo, but then it turned out to be ok.

Enjoying a wet walk at sunset.

The goats really hate the rain, so they crowd under my roof and under the outhouse when its wet, which is really cute. Unfortunately they also poop all over the place, which is not.

Finally a little topography

2006-03-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

Sunset on the beautiful Kunene River (no crocodiles to be seen)

Ruacana Falls without the water- Still a pretty impressive sight.

Hanging out on the Angolan border (its hard to read but the sign says Angola in big red letters).

So we finally went camping last weekend, and it was really nice to get out of the flatness of Owamboland and see some topography. We went with three other volunteers to Hippo Pools, where we saw no hippos, but which is a beautiful camping spot on the banks of the Kunene River, which marks the boundary between Namibia and Angola. As we were driving there we noticed that the termite mounds had changed from their usual white or grey to a beautiful bright red color. Soon after this we stopped at a very happening bar, where there were many himba people (a group in Namibia that still wear traditional outfits and lead a traditional herding lifestyle- the women wear very little clothing and cover their bodies in a red dye called ochre, so they look very distinctive). We had a nice time here, though the Himba people were charging about $10 for a photo, which we thought was too steep. We then continued and a mile down the road came over a small rise and saw mountains. It was spectacular, everyone in the car was so excited, because we haven't seen a decent hill in weeks. We drove over the edge of the huge plateau that makes up most of Namibia and descended into a beautiful and relatively lush valley towards the river.

Camping was a great way to get away from the daily grind of teaching. We didn't do much of anything, except for a quick trip to Ruacana Falls, which is supposed to be spectacular when it is flowing, but it was not flowing. It is still an cool site, with a lot of rock exposed where the falls should be, but also a little disappointing. There we were able to step into Angola and take some photos by a nice sign that told us we had crossed the border. Angola didn't seem much different, except the border post was in poor shape. After spending some time enjoying the sunshine at the falls, we drove to the nearby town of Ruacana in hopes of lunch, but all we found was some hot dogs at the gas station- its hard to find good food in these small Namibian towns. Back at the campsite we ran into a large group of children from Opuwo, the central town of Kaokoland to the southwest, who were swimming. We decided to join them, despite fears of crocodiles and bilharzia. The crocodiles were not a problem, we'll see about the bilharzia. These kids spend a lot of time selling jewelry to tourists, and therefore they can speak a little bit of many different languages. A few of them could speak some French, Spanish, and Italian, in addition to English, Oshiwambo, and Otjiherero.

So those were the highlights of our trip, it was great to get away from school for a while, and we are looking forward to going to Etosha (where the big animals are) in a few weeks.

Wild Weather

2006-02-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

I have been very attuned to the weather since I have been here- I think it is because whether it is hot or cool makes a huge difference in how I feel, and since there is really no weather forecast I am always watching to see if the weather is changing. Tonight there is a huge front of dark storm clouds approaching my little house- it is very impressive and a little intimidating Right now Sinead is away at a three day workshop, and I am without a car, and more than ever I am feeling like I am alone in the middle of nowhere Africa. Earlier this afternoon I went to the nearby "village" to get a drink, but even there there was hardly anyone around. It seems like everyone here justs works really hard and has little time for anything else. So it really feels like its just me out in the middle of the bush (though of course there are actually a lot of people around on their farms). Its actually kind of a nice feeling, especially when I can have a beer and watch the rain come down from my doorstep, but it also makes me appreciate having Sinead here and realize how hard this would be if I was really on my own (or if I didn't have a car).

2006-02-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

Me running with two of my learners on a Sunday night. People here really like running with us.

The church by my house- I have yet to go, but someday I'm sure I will.

ahhh Owamboland

2006-02-17T06:21:00.000-08:00

So another week has come and gone, and life is overall pretty good. Its crazy to think that its been five weeks and the first term is a third over. I've been kind of a homebody lately, mostly hanging out around my house and occasionally going to Outapi to visit Sinead, so my photos are mostly just shots around my house. Hopefully I will have some more exciting shots next week. We were supposed to take a trip to the Kunene river to go camping this weekend, but it was canceled due to rain (which is coming down in buckets, I guess my complaints about the heat worked). So maybe that will be next weekend. Meanwhile I think it will be the usual weekend routine of going to Oshakati (90 km down the road) for groceries and maybe meeting up with other volunteers, and then relaxing at home, taking walks around (we would like to make it to Angola), and planning lessons, which is very time consuming.

A Positive Post

2006-02-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

That's right, no more negativity on this blog. Sinead and I are both feeling much better, and the weather is cool to boot. Actually, a lot of people said that the hot weather was responsible for our sickness, which I doubt, but it might have played a part. One of the nun's at Sinead's school told me this is an extreme climate, which I thought was surprising since I figured southern India, where she is from, would be pretty hot too, but I guess Kerala actually has a very mild climate. Now though it has been cloudy and cooler (high 80's) for the past few days and this has helped my spirits soar.

This past weekend was the most relaxing yet. Sinead and I spent most of our time out here at Oluvango, which is very quiet on the weekends. We hardly saw anyone at all, except on Sunday afternoon, when we met and talked to a large group of people heading home from church. We had thought about going, but if people go at 10 AM and leave at 3 PM I'm not sure I'm up for it. We'll see. It was really nice to just hang out and not drive a lot (though we did quickly go to Oshakati for groceries and a car wash), and go for long walks at sunset around the area, which despite its flatness is really pretty. I don't think we've walked as far as Angola yet, but its hard to know since it is so close and the border is not well marked.

This week teaching has seemed much easier. I am getting to know my students, and I am more relaxed when lessons don't go exactly as planned. I can't be sure they are learning any more from me, but at least I'm not wearing myself out as much. That is until my computer class, which I have definitely not figured out how to run effectively. It is a constant barrage of students demanding my attention, and all of them are at different levels. Some can't use the mouse, and others are looking up photos of Beyonce on Google within two minutes of arriving. So I'm not sure how to have cohesive class, but since its only been two days I'm hopeful I'll figure something out.

2006-02-11T02:02:00.000-08:00

Cloudy evening with a big baobab tree- unfortunately it hasn't been like this (cloudy and cool) for about a week, instead its been beautiful blue skies and intense heat.
The Namibian expressway (this is much better than the cows who stand on the road taking up parts of both lanes until you honk at them.)

Kids taking a swim in Odibo- it looks really nice, but all of us volunteers are terrified of bilharzia (snails that attack your reproductive system, very nasty)

AAAAHHH- how sweet. A nice moment at my flat.
Group photo from last week in Odibo- from left to right Loren, Narelle, Laura, Inbal, and me.

So its the weekend, I'm starting to feel better, and life is good (if only it would rain). Sinead and I decided to take it easy this weekend, no big trips, though we still had to come to Oshakati to get food and of course put photos on our blogs. Other than that though its been hanging out at my flat, taking walks and talking to neighbors (in our limited but growing Oshindonga vocabulary), looking at the stars, and cooking nice but simple meals (we are both still feeling a little sensitive). Hopefully this week will be much better for both of us, especially Sinead, who definitely had the worst of the runny tummy as well as food poisoning- she is a real trooper. This week I will be starting computer classes (I hope), which will take up more of my free time, but it will be interesting to see if I can teach the learners some valuable stuff. Unfortunately since there are so few computers the principal decided to have only the 4 best learners in each class take the classes- it seems kind of unfair, but I guess they have to choose between them somehow. I'm hoping to switch who is in the classes after the first term. I'm not sure where to start- I guess with turning on the computer and using the mouse. Beyond that it would be great if they could learn to type, but I know it would be more interesting to start doing stuff with the internet. If anyone has any ideas leave a comment or send an e-mail.

Other than that not much news here- I think once we really start feeling better we will be much more settled and happier living here. I think we are slowly making progress getting to know the teachers at our schools. I've been giving them rides on the way to town, and its nice to get a chance to talk to them outside of school- unfortunately they all live in town while I live 14 km away at school, so its hard to see anyone on the weekends, especially at night. Plus, I think a lot of them go to visit their families in various villages on the weekends.

Feeling a little sick

2006-02-08T01:12:00.000-08:00

I really would like this post to be positive and cheerful, full of the many ways that life in Namibia is wonderful. And actually life here is wonderful, i'm just getting used to it. But this week has been hard so far because both Sinead and I have been feeling sick. We've both been suffering from what Namibians call "Runny Stomach"- a nicely evocative but still euphemistic term- I'll spare you a more detailed description. Lets just say I am not appreciating having an outhouse right now.

However, if this is the worst illness we experience this year (which I'm sure it won't be) we would be incredibly fortunate. I've been surprised at how few mosquitos I've seen so far here, and I think this is making me a little lax about malaria precautions. I'm still taking my prophylactics and sleeping with a net most nights, but I hardly ever put on bug spray, and I've been much less worried about walking around at night when the anopheles mosquitos are most active. Its just hard to constantly vigilant about a disease that doesn't seem to be a big risk, though I have heard about a few recent cases at other schools. I really can't wait for the winter, when it will both be cool and I won't have to worry about getting horribly ill from a mosquito bite.

a party and more

2006-02-04T03:25:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Lolly (sometimes called Lorry) in the mud outside Sineads room.
Traditional (I think) houses that are near the church by my house- I don't think anyone lives in them now, and I'm not sure if they are used for anything.
Me and a cat at our friend Kate's house.
Girls dancing at a farewell party at Sineads school.

Another week of teaching has come and gone, and we are beginning our third weekend here. Despite my negative post below, this week was probably the best in terms of teaching, my learners are starting to get more comfortable with me and vice versa. I’m still disappointed at how poorly many of them are doing on the tests I give them- I would say the tests are too hard, but then one or two students ace them every time. I just need to get used to dealing with a wide range of abilities.

It seems the weather here is following a pattern of rainy for five days, and then sunny and hot for three. Yesterday everything was a huge mud pit and I was cursing the rain, but now it’s so hot I want the storm clouds to come back- I guess I’m hard to please. Fortunately there have been very few mosquitoes lately, despite a whole lot of standing water, so I have something to be thankful for.

Yesterday I crashed a going away party for a former principal at Sinead’s school- it was a long affair, but also really fun to see people here celebrating- the food was really good too, though very meat heavy. I also tried traditional millet beer, which is very interesting and maybe I’ll someday get to like it, but yesterday it kind of made me feel ill. It’s good to start to get plugged in with the community, I think both Sinead and I are going to make a bigger effort to do that in the coming weeks.

So I'm really here for a year

2006-02-01T01:04:00.000-08:00

By now the excitement I felt at being in Namibia, and then again when I first arrived here in Oluvango, has definitely worn off. The sunsets are still beautiful, but I'm used to them. I no longer wave to everyone I pass in the car, or at least I don't wave very enthusiastically. I seem to be running out of the adrenaline that carried me through my first two weeks of teaching. Things are starting to seem normal, or more accurately they are still strange but I'm getting used to the strangeness. These things are always hard to diagnose, but I would say I'm beginning to feel a little of the numbness that comes with culture shock.

But then again there is no reason to be so negative. My classes seem to be going better, I get the sense that my learners are learning from me, even if not every class is a clear success. In English I have them doing a project where pairs write an imaginary interview with a famous person and then present them to the class- my guess is that some of the interviews will be dissapointing, but I am hoping that some will really impress me. I've been giving quite a few tests, and it feels good to have something concrete to begin planning with. And hopefully I will begin doing computer lessons soon, which will take up more of my precious free time, but also hopefully be something I can do for learners that they can't get elsewhere and will make a noticeable difference in their lives. One can only hope.

So that is school. Last weekend Sinead and I had a nice visit with another volunteer- Kate Byers- in Okahao, a large village/town about an hour southeast of here. It was really nice to sit there on a Saturday afternoon with a beer and feel a cool breeze flowing and not worry about lesson planning for a while. Not to mention to spend the day with Sinead and not have to leave her at sunset and drive back to my empty flat- the loneliness at night is starting to get to me. This weekend we are doing something similar, visiting two volunteers who are a married couple- Inbal Goldstein and Laura Smock- in their town right on the Angolan border. So far its been nice to get away from Oluvango on the weekends, though I'm also feeling as though I should make more of an effort to get involved in the community here, though I'm not certain what the best way to do that is.

My apologies for the somewhat negative post, but this is just a phase I've got to get through before I can really start enjoying my time here.

More scenes from Oluvango

2006-01-28T00:45:00.000-08:00

So here are some more photos- I've been self-conscious about taking pictures while I'm working, so no photos of my students yet, but I'm sure I'll have some sooner or later.

My outhouse- which really isn't so bad, though there is a huge resident population of mosquitos, which don't really bite me, but are still very annoying. At one point I also had a lizard and some spiders living there.

Sinead with a new friend ( a massive millipede- we ate it for dinner :))
The road to my school, which has since been fixed. My principal says they didn't do a good job though, and so it will probably look like this again after the next big rain. The chico handles big puddles nicely though (It really is a Pepe JR. for those of you who know what that means.)

Namibian sunset near my house (its really nice every night, except this is the time Sinead leaves every day, so its also kind of sad)

The sign at the gate to my school (note the AIDS ABC's sign- its a ubiquitous message here). Most days goats or cows get in to the school grounds to eat the grass, and then the principal drives them out at the end of the day in his pickup. Goats also hang out around my flat when it is raining and leave me lots of little presents- I really love them.

Another week of teaching done

2006-01-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

So its Friday again- this time its not quite as exciting. Teaching went better this week, but I also felt incredibly exhausted, especially at the end of the week. When I'm teaching it's a constant flurry of activity and I'm running on adrenaline, and then I get back to my flat and I can barely do anything. Yesterday I took a two hour nap in the afternoon, and I think I would feel much better if I could do that everyday!

I'm happy that I'm starting to learn my students' names- especially in the classes I have everyday (in the other ones I don't know if I ever will). The names are really interesting here, a lot of them seem German influenced, like Johannes, Fillipus, Germanus, Wilka, Hilka, Gertrud, etc. And then there are some Oshiwambo names that are really hard to pronounce- like Ndahashifera, Ndapanda, or Ndelinao- mostly girls have these names. Also students here all right there surnames first, and sometimes I get confused about which is which. To make things even more complicated, all the girls have short hair, and sometimes I have trouble telling boys and girls apart. The other day I accidentally called a Gerson (a boy's name) Maria, which is pretty embarrassing.

Oh yes, and speaking of Oshiwambo, my principal keeps telling me I need to learn it, but I'm not sure how I will since everyone is supposed to speak English at school, and then after school everyone goes home and I'm left out here by myself (except that Sinead comes to visit me, which is wonderful, but she's no help with the Oshiwambo!) I picked up a new phrase today when I met some parents who didn't speak English, but then I promptly forgot it, so learning the language will definitely be a challenge.

So that's my school life. This weekend I think Sinead and I are going to a VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) party that a friend invited us to, it will be nice to meet some other volunteers, especially ones that have been here for a while. We were thinking of also going to see a big waterfall about 100 km north of here- Ruacana Falls- but we might wait for another weekend. Other than that its just hanging out here in Oluvango, which is nice and peaceful, but also a bit too quiet sometimes, though there is a bar I can hear most nights that I have yet to check out. It's good its quiet though, because both Sinead and I have a lot of correcting to do- teaching is hard work eh.

Week 2- It gets hot

2006-01-24T04:31:00.000-08:00

So at one point I thought last week would never end, but it did, and now I am already in my second week of teaching. The weekend was very nice, Sinead and I went to Oshakati on Friday to go to the internet cafe to put photos on our blogs (you can see them below), and then we had an excellent birthday party for Sinead at our friend Loren's house in Oshikuku (of course these town names mean nothing to most of you.) Then it was back to Oshakati on Saturday for shopping at Game (the Namibian equivalent of Target), Pick-n-Pay (an excellent supermarket), and lunch at Wimpy's (typical fast food, but at least they wait on you). There we had a banana milkshake that was blue, it was really amazing, stay tuned for pictures. Sunday we were busy make teaching plans for the year, which was not so fun, but we also had time to go for a very hot run.

So last week was nice and cool because it had been raining so much, but now the sky is clear and it is nastily hot. I would say Atlanta in August is a good comparison, and you might say oh that's not so bad, but remember there isn't any air conditioning within 90 km. And in September it is suppoused to be even hotter, like in the 100s on a regular basis. So for the time being I don't really mind that I don't get hot water at my house, and doing my laundry by hand is kind of nice because I get all wet. I am looking forward to winter though, when everyone says it is very cold but really it is just pleasant (like 70s during the day, upper 40s to 50s at night).

Teaching is maybe getting better, though I really can't tell. My students are all very well behaved, but they also hate to speak in class, and don't ask questions when they don't understand me. Math is going a little better than English, where I am struggling with years of bad grammar instruction. Students love to say "I used to work" or "I used to pound mahangu" (mahangu is millet, and it is pounded so you can make bread with it), instead of "I worked" or "I pounded mahangu". I'm trying to break them of the habit, but I'm not sure how long it will take. Everyone is getting a little more used to me- I miss how they used to all stand up and say good morning when I walked in, but I'm glad that they stop covering their faces when I ask them to speak in class.

So its getting a bit easier, I'm sure there are many challenges left to come, but I'm beginning to see how I could do this for a year.

Pictures

2006-01-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

Ovamboland Scenery
Neighbors
Photo of my school, with goats

Photo of my humble home (I only get half of it)

And now it begins for real......

2006-01-18T00:58:00.000-08:00

So I am finally at my school teaching- and it is really hard. The teaching practicum in Rehoboth was like fantasyland compared to the real thing. I have 9 classes of about 32 students and at some point I have to learn all of their names. I teach math and English to two classes of 9th and 10th graders every day, and then I teach Basic Information Science (not sure what that is really yet) to 5 classes of 7th and 8th graders one day a week. So far its been overwhelming, and I haven't even started trying to figure out how to plan for the year and incorporate the national syllabi. So far I've been doing introductions, rules, and some basic assesments to see what they need to focus on. Their English needs a lot of work, especially in areas like verb tenses. In math things are maybe a bit better, though I'm still figuring that out.

In other news Sinead and I purchased a car in Windhoek, thanks entirely to her father who put the whole thing together in less than 24 hours. It is a little VW Chico, which is like a golf, and so far it has been excellent. The roads between our schools are pretty bad though, especially in the rainy season, and so I'm a little worried that after a year of driving on them the resell value will be a lot lower than we had hoped. We've already had an offer though, from Sineads principal-apparently people in Namibia really love these little Volkswagons.

So its been a hard week, but it would have been crazy to expect anything else. The weekend is definitely the light at the end of the tunnel for me right now- I'm about halfway there. Saturday is Sinead's birthday and we are going to have a little party with some other volunteers. So that is my first week- hard but not so bad and I can only hope things will get easier.

More photos

2006-01-11T02:23:00.000-08:00

Recess in Rehoboth
Relaxing outside Windhoek

kids enjoying my hair

Rehoboth

2006-01-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

So finally we've been out of windhoek (though now we are back) into the less developed parts of Namibia. We spent the past week in a town called Rehoboth about an hour south of the capital, where we practiced teaching with local students. Rehoboth was founded by Basters (a group of mixed race people that came from South Africa about 150 years ago), but we were primarily teaching to poorer black students who lived in the former location ( an apartheid era term that is similar to township in South Africa). Most of the peole in Rehoboth speak Damara, which is a language involving several click sounds written as !, //, /, and #. I tried to learn some, but mostly failed miserably. I've also learned some Afrikaans, and most imp0rtantly Oshivambo, which is the language I'll be speaking up north. Ongiini (hi- how are you in Oshiwambo)

The teaching went well, Loren Niemi (another volunteer) and I taught writing, math, and HIV/AIDs information. The math seemed to be particularly helpful, students really needed remedial help with things like square roots. It was funny, and a little sad because students said they wanted to learn things like integration and trigonometry, but then we found that they were having trouble with concepts like simplifying square roots, so we spent most of our time on that. I think this will be a common theme while teaching here. We also did a class on Hiv/AIDS, and this was interesting because it seemed like students had already heard most of what we were telling them. Granted we had older students (from 15 to 20), but still it made it clear that there is not a huge absence of AIDS education that is behind the epidemic here. (My class is shown in the first picture above).

Staying with a host family was really enlightening. I and another volunteer (Gavin McCormick) stayed in a house with a mother, two sons (ages 1.5 and 6), a daughter (age 11) a niece (21) and a nephew (25) (the second) picture above is of the family). At first I found it hard to relate with them, but after a few days we had a BBQ, and then the next day Gavin and I played games in the street with the younger kids, and both of these events seemed to help us interact with the family on a more personal level. (The BBQ was amazing- I helped to make hand made rolls that we then cooked over a fire, definitely something I want to bring back with me, beer would have been nice though.) At the end I felt sad to leave, and I was hopeful that my experience with my host family was an indicator that it would be relatively easy to make friends with Namibians.

After our four days in Rehoboth we headed south for two nights at a huge reservoir near the town of Mariental. It was excellent to be in a quiet, resort type setting, though it also felt a little artificial. We did see a lot of baboons (eating garbage) and also some hyraxes (little groundhog like critters that are related to elephants). Now we have been back in Windhoek for 4 days, doing more training. Sineads parents come today for a short visit, and her dad will drive us up north to our schools on friday. I am still very nervous, about starting teaching, but it has been good to have some time to get used to Namibia before really beginning this adventure.

New Years Windhoek style

2006-01-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody!

Actually, New Years in Namibia is pretty much like New Years in the states, we went to a club called Chez Ntemba, danced to a mix of Afropop, reggae, and American hip-hop, and drank some beers and cider ( a big thing here). They didn't do a countdown or anything, and besides a few guys with sparklers, and some people on the street who wanted to shake my hand and tell me happy new year, the actual holiday didn't seem to be a big deal.

On New Years day we went swimming at the municipal pool, which was clean and really cold and set in this beautiful area outside of town in the middle of dry desert hills- it definitely looked like Phoenix. Last night we ate at Joe's Beer House ("The most famous beer house on the African continent"), where I had oryx (so much for vegitarianism. It was excellent.

Today we head south to Rehoboth to practice teaching for a few days, and to stay with host families. Should push me out of my comfort zone a bit more and be really enlightining.

Ah-ha

2005-12-31T04:23:00.000-08:00

I did have this picture, taken from the plane from Johannesburg to Windhoek (by Sinead) available. So that is what Namibia looks like from above- its about as dry and empty as it looks, though we have had a lot of thunderstorms lately. Hopefully I'll have some pictures from the ground on here soon.

First few days in Windhoek

2005-12-31T03:57:00.000-08:00

So Sinead and I have been here for about three days now, and though I'm not sure we are settling in, we are slowly getting more used to Namibia. On arriving I was mostly just amazed by how quiet and beautiful it was at the airport- it really is just landing in the middle of the desert as the airport is 40 km away from the city. It was espcially nice because we landed at sunset, and it was pleasantly warm, and practically no one was at the airport. Windhoek is slightly less quiet, actually its a pretty busy place, but its only about the size of Boise so it still feels pretty low key. We've had three days of orientation now, learning about how to survive and teach in Namibia- its been kind of a whirlwind, but I think I'll really appreciate it when I get up north to my assignment (in Oluvango, near Outapi, which is kind of near Oshakati- look it up on a map). We went to the US embassy and heard lots of scary stories, but so far everyone has seemed really friendly and happy to see Americans here. We went to a traditional restaurant last night and had goats head and sour milk, among other things, it was kind of like Mongolian food (for the few of you who know what that is like).

Sorry there are no photos yet, Namibian internet cafes aren't into USB ports yet, so I'm not sure how I'll get photos onto the blog, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. For anyone who hasn't already, you should check out sinead's blog at www.teaching-in-namibia.blogspot.com- its even better.

Not much else to report- tonight we will hopefully have a fun new year's eve, though it will probably be a little quiet, and then tomorrow we have off from orientation, but I'm not sure how much there will be to do since it is a holiday. In a few days we will go to Rehoboth, which is south of Windhoek, to spend a few days teaching a kind of summer school, and then we'll go relax at a reservoir in the desert somewhere. We head up North in two weeks, and I'm kind of nervous about that (I think Windhoek is a lot more familiar to me than anything up there will be) but I'm hoping for the best.

Peace,

Pete

6 days and counting

2005-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

I just shaved my head in honor of this crazy thing Sinead and I are about to do. She was going to do the same, but decided against it at the last minute. It doesn't seem real that I am going to leave cold Atlanta on Monday (the day after christmas) and end up very shortly in the hot, savannah of Oluvango, Namibia. Maybe it will seem more real when I get there.