Six months later and I'm still alive. I've made it past my one year mark and am officially half way done! I can't believe how fast the first year has flown by. I remember being told during training that the first year will fly by but the second year will vanish into thin air... I'm not ready for it to be over but I am ready to start my life and see my family and friends.
I still have no clue what starting my life means but I do know that I have amazing people who I miss dearly waiting for me back home.
The one year mark has come with unexpected home sickness and heartache but has been filled with great love from friends made here and from back home. I have learned a lot of about myself and what I want in some aspects of my life by living here... but I still have no clue what I want to be when I grow up.
Let me recap the past six months for you.
- Visited Victoria Falls with some friends for the May holiday.
- Had my heart broken by a few boys.
- Fell in love with the smiling children of Ondangwa.
- Hosted a Day of the African Child Fundraising event and helped raise over N$246,000 for Oonte OVC Org.
- Helped put on an entrepreneurship quiz and an entrepreneurship day for the learners.
- Found a great church that is spoken in English with some amazing people and new friends.
- I have discovered how rare true and loyal friends can really be.
- I have learned how to be happily single again. I get a LOT of male attention here... most is harmless friends that like me that I brush off... not always so subtley. :)
I still can't believe that I live in Africa! I feel like this is only stuff people write about in books or movies... but its not, I am living the dream.
Everyone here keeps asking me what I see myself doing after my service, whether it is marrying and staying in Namibia or moving back home... all I can say is that one year is a long time and anything can happen. I'm not gonna say that I am gonna stay here forever but I'm also not gonna say that I can't envision myself living here for a longer extended period... I actually can (but in better conditions).
I am truly blessed and praise God for his direction and pray for strength and courage to finish my service in a faith filled manner.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
These shoes were made for walking... and walking... and walking...
These are my first pair of TOMS shoes I got about two years ago at a Style Your Sole event to raise funds for my trip to Uganda with my church.
These shoes have taken me many places.
All over southern California,
All over Uganda,
They have even gone down the American River in Northern California on multiple white water rafting trips.
Now they take me all around Namibia,
Or in todays case on my walk to work.
I love these shoes.
TOMS shoes are not only comfortable but they are a great organization that donates a pair of shoes to a child in need everytime you purchase a pair. Its a one for one concept.
I wonder what it would take to get them to donate to the OVCs here in Northern Namibia? Most of the children walk around barefoot or in some type of 'China Shop' flip flops.
Shoes are very important here. Earlier this year I learned just how important. I got a parasite in my foot in the form of a worm because I was walking around barefoot in the sand.
My learners look at my shoes funny every time I wear a pair of TOMS because they think they look like slippers... they just don't understand why I wear them.
I know this is kind of a random post, but I am random, what more would you expect from me. :)
Aside from my TOMS shout out, I am doing well.
School is going great. The learners are taking their term one exams this month and we get the month of May off. I plan to travel a little and work at my OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children Org- Oonte OVC Org).
Easter weekend was great. I got a four day weekend and visited Ruacana Falls about 3 hours NW of here. It was gorgeous but the 500 stairs to the bottom really sucked when we had to climb back to the top of the falls back to the bakki. Anyone that knew me during my college waterpolo years knows what happens to me when you mix in lots and lots of stairs... it isn't pretty. :)
Life is amazing and I feel very blessed to be here.
I'm happy. :)
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter Adventures
Happy Easter!!!
So this weekend was an adventurous one. I had good Friday off work so a few friends and I journeyed about 300k north/west almost to Angola to Ruacana falls. It's a beautiful giant waterfall that flows on the Zambezi river... and its the biggest waterfall I have every seen... I haven't seen many. It was beautiful... except for the 450+ slippery stairs you had to walk to get to the bottom of the falls and then you had to climb them to get back up to the road/cars. It was straight up and so tiring... Anyone that ever played polo with me in college knows what happens when I run stairs... lets just say my stomach doesn't like them! :) That night we camped along side the river at a campground called Hippo Pools, they don't have hippos but they do have crocodiles. Rick, my fellow volunteer/friend that lives in town near me, had never been camping and the collective group of us were not very prepared. We arrived with two hammocks and a tent. The town we were dropped off in had no grocery store so we bought cans of beans, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter from the gas station to eat for dinner and breakfast. We arrived at the campsite after climbing the waterfall and set up our tents then we went in search of firewood, or in our case twigs that Rick set up into a fire-less stack of firewood. hahahaha. We had no matches. Thankfully there was a nice Afrikaner family staying nearby that gave us some matches and fire starters. We sat around the fire and had a great time. The next day we started our journey back home. We started walking what we thought wouldn't be too tough of a walk back to the falls... wrong... it was uphill at about a 30-40% incline and was killer... thankfully I flagged down a truck driving towards the falls and a nice man drove us to the falls and to town. It was a short weekend trip but it was a great one. I also got to see a few friends I haven't seen in a while which was super nice.
Today I arrived back home to my own bed... there really isn't anything that feels more like home then your own bed. :)
I got home and started uploading some pictures from my trip and then started going through my old pictures. I found a copy of a video all of my friends and family made for me right before I left for Namibia... watching the video made me realize how truly blessed I am! I live in a beautiful country and have amazing people here and back home who love and support me. This wasn't my traditional Easter holiday of egg hunting, church, and tons of food spent at home with my family, but it was a great one filled with gratitude for my God who died for me and loves me and has blessed me with sooooo much in life. I am eternally grateful! I pray that all of my family and friends are happy and healthy. I know I am. :)
So this weekend was an adventurous one. I had good Friday off work so a few friends and I journeyed about 300k north/west almost to Angola to Ruacana falls. It's a beautiful giant waterfall that flows on the Zambezi river... and its the biggest waterfall I have every seen... I haven't seen many. It was beautiful... except for the 450+ slippery stairs you had to walk to get to the bottom of the falls and then you had to climb them to get back up to the road/cars. It was straight up and so tiring... Anyone that ever played polo with me in college knows what happens when I run stairs... lets just say my stomach doesn't like them! :) That night we camped along side the river at a campground called Hippo Pools, they don't have hippos but they do have crocodiles. Rick, my fellow volunteer/friend that lives in town near me, had never been camping and the collective group of us were not very prepared. We arrived with two hammocks and a tent. The town we were dropped off in had no grocery store so we bought cans of beans, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter from the gas station to eat for dinner and breakfast. We arrived at the campsite after climbing the waterfall and set up our tents then we went in search of firewood, or in our case twigs that Rick set up into a fire-less stack of firewood. hahahaha. We had no matches. Thankfully there was a nice Afrikaner family staying nearby that gave us some matches and fire starters. We sat around the fire and had a great time. The next day we started our journey back home. We started walking what we thought wouldn't be too tough of a walk back to the falls... wrong... it was uphill at about a 30-40% incline and was killer... thankfully I flagged down a truck driving towards the falls and a nice man drove us to the falls and to town. It was a short weekend trip but it was a great one. I also got to see a few friends I haven't seen in a while which was super nice.
Today I arrived back home to my own bed... there really isn't anything that feels more like home then your own bed. :)
I got home and started uploading some pictures from my trip and then started going through my old pictures. I found a copy of a video all of my friends and family made for me right before I left for Namibia... watching the video made me realize how truly blessed I am! I live in a beautiful country and have amazing people here and back home who love and support me. This wasn't my traditional Easter holiday of egg hunting, church, and tons of food spent at home with my family, but it was a great one filled with gratitude for my God who died for me and loves me and has blessed me with sooooo much in life. I am eternally grateful! I pray that all of my family and friends are happy and healthy. I know I am. :)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
If your a bird, I'm a bird!
Today I am flying home back to Namibia from a well spent week filled with lots of food, love, and memories made back in the states. It was a whirlwind of a trip but was sooo worth it! I saw a lot of people and witnessed the marriage of Alison and Sean. A lot of people have asked me how I am liking Namibia... let me put it this way, I miss my family and friends dearly but as soon as I set foot in Johannesburg I felt homesick... for Nam. I think some of it has to do with how developed the airport was and how many people are there hustling around... it just really made me really overwhelmed and miss my home. Today I have spent over 24 hours traveling/in the air and still am not in my new home country. I am merely hours away and am so excited but nervous for the rush of emotions I most likely will be hit with. Being a Peace Corps volunteer is an amazing opportunity but is emotionally draining at times. I feel like I was made for this job... I might not feel like I have done much yet but the fact that I love what I do and the people I meet means something, right? Enough for now. I just wanted to check in and say how great my visit back home to the States was.
Happy Namibian Independence Day! 22 years strong!
Happy Namibian Independence Day! 22 years strong!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Glass half full...
So life lately hasn't been that great for me... for a few personal reasons. But... I am choosing to change my view on how things are going and be grateful.
I LIVE in Africa. How many people do you know that have actually lived in Africa? Let alone anywhere outside of the US? At least one... me!
There are these beautiful sunflowers they grew at my OVC. They are seriously the most beautiful sight... I'll post pictures soon to prove how gorgeous they are!
The toddler aged kids here are so precious. At least one if not 12 run out and greet me with a big hug when I arrive to work at my OVC. How can that not make my days start off great?
I met the US Ambassador and PEPFAR Coordinator this week at my OVC. They are like celebrities here in Namibia. They were very nice and loved Oonte OVC. Why wouldn't they? It's a blessing to get to work here!
I do know something about business and have something to offer my learners (students). Most of the grade 10 learners passed their first exam with flying colors! That is huge here! :) I also started a tuck shop (snack bar type store the learners will eventually run). I am excited to teach some of our top learners some skills in depth and help them put those skills to practice.
-Funny story. I opened our tuck shop last Friday for break and I think more learners came by to watch me or look at me then to buy stuff. It's funny because I stand in front of them all in class and they still can't get enough of looking at me. I just laugh and greet them.
Namibia has been pretty good on my self esteem. I have been told by many people how amazing I am. :) There have even been many proposals and professions of love! hahaha. That too makes me laugh out loud!
There is usually a lightning and thunder storm daily and they are amazing! It’s like a free ticket to Mother Nature’s own light show and is so pretty.
I have made some amazing friends. One of my best friends here happens to be a 41 year old man (a fellow PVC)... when you meet the two of us individually you'd never guess we'd hang out... but together we rag and tease each other to know end. It's pretty hilarious. There are some other PCV's who help keep me sane and love me for me. They are all amazing! They come to town often and hang out with us... people don't really go to the village to hang out, so I consider myself super lucky.
The locals are amazing as well. Everyone I work with is so sweet and friendly and they answer all my crazy questions. I am lucky to work with these people. Some of the other volunteers tell stories of conflicts and lazy co-workers and it just makes me so grateful for everyone around me.
I live in a "village" in town. I live a 20 minute walk (2-3 km) to the road which is town. My volunteer friends tell me my house is not in a village because it is so close to town and most everyone speaks English. It's true, I am so lucky. I live in a newer house with my Meme and Tate (mom and dad) that has a bathroom with a flushing toilet and a shower and the whole house has electricity.
I go home to visit my family and friends in a little less than two weeks! I am so excited and am so blessed to get to witness the marriage of two amazing friends! Thank you, Linda. Your gift of bringing me home for Al's wedding is one of the best gifts ever!
I get to Skype with my family and friends fairly often helping me to not get homesick.
As far as the personal things... life goes on. We learn from our trials and tribulations and I am grateful for them because they will make me into a stronger better person. I am just so thankful for the blessings God has showered me with.
Love you all!
On a side note... I wish these flies would drown in my half full glass... they are so annoying and relentless! :)
I LIVE in Africa. How many people do you know that have actually lived in Africa? Let alone anywhere outside of the US? At least one... me!
There are these beautiful sunflowers they grew at my OVC. They are seriously the most beautiful sight... I'll post pictures soon to prove how gorgeous they are!
The toddler aged kids here are so precious. At least one if not 12 run out and greet me with a big hug when I arrive to work at my OVC. How can that not make my days start off great?
I met the US Ambassador and PEPFAR Coordinator this week at my OVC. They are like celebrities here in Namibia. They were very nice and loved Oonte OVC. Why wouldn't they? It's a blessing to get to work here!
I do know something about business and have something to offer my learners (students). Most of the grade 10 learners passed their first exam with flying colors! That is huge here! :) I also started a tuck shop (snack bar type store the learners will eventually run). I am excited to teach some of our top learners some skills in depth and help them put those skills to practice.
-Funny story. I opened our tuck shop last Friday for break and I think more learners came by to watch me or look at me then to buy stuff. It's funny because I stand in front of them all in class and they still can't get enough of looking at me. I just laugh and greet them.
Namibia has been pretty good on my self esteem. I have been told by many people how amazing I am. :) There have even been many proposals and professions of love! hahaha. That too makes me laugh out loud!
There is usually a lightning and thunder storm daily and they are amazing! It’s like a free ticket to Mother Nature’s own light show and is so pretty.
I have made some amazing friends. One of my best friends here happens to be a 41 year old man (a fellow PVC)... when you meet the two of us individually you'd never guess we'd hang out... but together we rag and tease each other to know end. It's pretty hilarious. There are some other PCV's who help keep me sane and love me for me. They are all amazing! They come to town often and hang out with us... people don't really go to the village to hang out, so I consider myself super lucky.
The locals are amazing as well. Everyone I work with is so sweet and friendly and they answer all my crazy questions. I am lucky to work with these people. Some of the other volunteers tell stories of conflicts and lazy co-workers and it just makes me so grateful for everyone around me.
I live in a "village" in town. I live a 20 minute walk (2-3 km) to the road which is town. My volunteer friends tell me my house is not in a village because it is so close to town and most everyone speaks English. It's true, I am so lucky. I live in a newer house with my Meme and Tate (mom and dad) that has a bathroom with a flushing toilet and a shower and the whole house has electricity.
I go home to visit my family and friends in a little less than two weeks! I am so excited and am so blessed to get to witness the marriage of two amazing friends! Thank you, Linda. Your gift of bringing me home for Al's wedding is one of the best gifts ever!
I get to Skype with my family and friends fairly often helping me to not get homesick.
As far as the personal things... life goes on. We learn from our trials and tribulations and I am grateful for them because they will make me into a stronger better person. I am just so thankful for the blessings God has showered me with.
Love you all!
On a side note... I wish these flies would drown in my half full glass... they are so annoying and relentless! :)
Packing list ideas for future Nam PCV's.
Ok, so i have seen many people post packing lists for coming to Namibia but most of the lists were written by guys. Though they were somewhat helpful... I'm a girl and items are considerably different in some departments.
*also keep in mind that this is Namibia and mostly desert... its hot so choose breathable clothes and easy to wash stuff.
Electronics:
Bags:
- OGIO duffel with rollers looking thing... its huge but held the majority of my stuff... its sturdy as well. :) We were worried about it being too big for the airlines but they never said a word.
- Hiking backpack from REI- I suggest going in and being fitted... I went in and they ordered me a metro pack without sizing me and its great for a short person... I'm not short. The good thing is it has a smaller backpack that attaches too it so I had an extra bag to store stuff. :)
- OGIO backpack that held and protected all my electronics. (It was my carry-on)
Clothing Items:
- Dress pants-2 (I brought 2 pair and my mom sent me a 3rd)
- Skirts-3 (remember it gets hot and kinda humid so light weight stuff is nice, darker colors makes for multiple wears, we have to hand wash everything!)
- Dress shirts- 8 (I brought some shirts I am able to dress up or dress down)
- Leggings- 2 (love them!!)
- Dresses- 4 (I was also sent two more by my mom... I actually wear them a lot. Plus bring one or something nice for swearing in)
- Jeans- 2 (one pair cropped and one pair long... its hot in the north and i haven't worn the long pants often)
- Casual pants/cargos- 2 (They dry much faster and are cooler but sadly mine are worn out and must be retired... they were older when I got here and the hand washing was a bit much on them)
- Tshirts-10 (I'm guessing that's how many I brought)
- Tank Tops- 6 (I layer shirts... but wear them a LOT)
- Long sleeve shirts- 2
- Underwear- a lot!!!! (hahaha... My mom has an obsession with giving underwear with every gift... so I have a ton!)
- Bras- 8 (I brought a ton of bras because they are not of very good quality here... plus 3 sports bras)
- Flip Flops- 3 pair (I'm a California girl and live in them. I've worn through one pair of rainbow's already. Bring a pair of plastic cheap ones, you'll want them for when you do laundry, shower, or things that you don't mind them getting dirty or wet.)
- Chacos-1 (I bought these and have maybe worn them 6 times since I've been here. They are comfortable but I'm not a big fan myself... I'm a die hard flip flop wearer I guess.)
- Toms- 3 pair (I love Toms and what the org does. I wear my black toms with my skirts and stuff. They are holding up pretty well here... except for rainy season and walking through puddles and mud... no traction or water protection. Though some learners will stare at your feet or ask why you are wearing slippers.)
- Dress shoes- 1 pair (I'd suggest more then one pair. I brought a pair of old flats and have feet bigger then a size 10 so I can't really buy many more here... they are hard to find. I'd suggest multiple pairs if you have bigger feet. Dressy sandals are great as well)
- Tennis shoes- 1 pair (I've worn them a few times but not much. Its too hot in the north for me to wear shoes)
- Gloves (1pair) and Scarves (2)- I live in the north and it has yet to get cold enough for either of these but they didn't take up much space.
- Cardigans- 4 (During PST they didn't like us to wear sleeveless dresses or tops at all so I wore a cardigan with most of my outfits)
- Sweaters- 2 (I've worn them a few times when not in the north)
- Heavy(warmer) sweater/jacket- 1 (I haven't worn it... we'll see if I do in the winter)
- Socks- 6? (two pair of crazy thick socks- I have worn them on the three cold nights we've had. :) 4 pair of ankle socks)
- Hats- 4 (1 hat, 1 beanie, 2 cute lightweight beanies for days I need to cover my dirty hair... the HAT is a must... I've worn it and it saves me from the crazy powerful sun)
- Windbreaker- 1 (haven't worn it yet)
- Flannel PJ bottoms- 2 pair (I have worn them a few times)
- Running/PJ shorts- 3 pair (I live in them when home)
Electronics:
- 1 Netbook (its lite and portable)
- 1 External hard drive (500gb) (I was stressing because I don't know how to download movies to it or steal from the Internet... but everyone else in PST had a butt load of movies and TV shows... We share, because sharing is caring. :))
- 1 External DVD/CD player/burner (I have a netbook without the CD drive... this way I can watch movies my family has sent me)
- IPod- (I love it!!! I have speakers to hook it up to or I walk through my village to work or to town listening to it... It makes me happy.)
- Digital Camera (with an extra memory card)
- Nook Book- Love it...I have access to WiFi occasionally but I have trouble updating or downloading new stuff at times. Maybe check out kindles ability to upload via plugging it into your own computer.
- Flash drives- I brought one and more sent to me... You'll want a few.
- 3 headlamps (I have used maybe one but I am happy to have them... I don't like the dark)
- 1 small(tiny) maglight flashlight (My family calls it my torch... I have used it when the power goes out during storms or when we are trying to kill a snake on the homestead at night)
- Journals- like 5... I'm not a journaler so I have yet to make it half way through one :)
- Pens- I brought a handful and maybe have 5 now... They walk away all the time... I suggest having family send you promotional pens when they send you stuff... that's what i am doing.
- Envelopes and paper- I brought maybe 20 and still have some stashed.
- Meds (bring the stuff you absolutely have to take... but all the over the counter stuff like pepto and stuff.. they will give you within a few days. I'm running out of ibuprofen so I'd recommend bringing a decent sized bottle. I have a ton of the other stuff that I haven't even touched)
- Deodorant- Bring alot and ask people to send you some. (The stuff they have here is anti perspirant... the stuff at home is that plus deodorant)
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes- 2 each (you can get these easily here)
- Feminine Hygiene products- I use the Diva cup and have a few of their pads and am very grateful that I bought it... saves a ton on money and is pretty convenient. They sell OB tampons here and some pads but they are crazy expensive.
- Makeup- I didn't bring much and actually had my sister send me some more mascara and eyeliner. I sweat so much here that I don't even bother with powder or cover up or anything.
- Sunblock- I brought Neutrogena faces and LOVE it! Peace Corps will give you quite a bit as well and will give more on request... but bring face sunblock if you break out easily... the stuff we get is super thick.
- Hand Sanitizer- 5 mini bottles (I have maybe used one bottle. I live and work where there is running water and I have soap.)
- Fingernail clippers- 2 pairs (Bring them!)
- Tweezers- 2 (never know when you'll need them.. either to get a thorn out of your foot or pluck your insanely bushy eyebrows)
- CHAPSTICK!!!- 5 tubes? (I'd die without chapstick... I'm a little addicted. My mom sends me tubes of burts bees every care package. It gets hot and dry.)
- Umbrella- I brought a compact one and carry it daily... you never know when it'll begin pouring. I also got a free MTC one here and its huge and sturdy. :)
- Mosquito repellent- I brought a can and have used it a few times. When I go out I usually borrow some... so it is a good thing to have. Mosquito bites on your feet and ankles are the WORST!!!
- Lotion- I didn't really use it back home in Cali but when I got here my skin was crazy dry so I bought some. Its pretty good stuff
- Gifts for your host fam- I really didn't bring anything for my fam because my mom was mailing me stuff... It didn't get here in time so I ended up printing and framing a picture of my mom and sisters for my fam.
- Shampoo and Conditioner- you can get it here but I recommend bringing some good conditioner... my hair got crazy dry and falls out like no other.
- Curl cream- If you have curly hair bring lots of the product you plan to use. I don't use much but have run out of the two bottles I brought and I have yet to find anything other then gel.
- Hair ties/bobbi pins- bring plenty... they disappear sometimes.
- Bear Grylls Tool- its like a leatherman/Swiss army knife but cooler because Bear Grylls designed it... and lets face it Bear Grylls knows survival and is HOT :)
- Bear Grylls ultimate survivor kit- my brother decided he'd rather me be safe then sorry... there is like a snare and flint and stuff in it... hahaha... I have used the small knife though and LOVE IT!
- Razors- I bought a pack of 12 disposables and have maybe used 4... It gets tiring shaving while taking cold showers... or some bucket bathe. The razors here are super expensive.
- Sheets!- I brought one and am planning on getting some more from home. I'd suggest bringing full size flat sheets... the sheets here are not very good.
- Ziplocks- I have used a few but not too many.
- Nail polish and remover- My feet may be constantly dirty but my toes always look cute. :) Its the little things. Plus I painted my host sisters toes and they LOVED it!
- Purse/bag- I suggest something that doesn't look expensive. I brought a hobo style fabric bag I had made for me in Uganda. The nicer your stuff looks the more likely of being mugged... or so I hear. :)
- Bathing suit- 2 (we (Namibia) are on the coast! Plus there are lodges or homes with pools scattered all over Namibia.)
- Bandannas- 2 (I haven't used them... but maybe I will someday)
- Towel- I brought a towel and washcloth... you can get both here but they can cost a pretty Namibian penny. We have these shetange's that are a strip of fabric that some people use... i prefer a towel. I'd bring a few washcloths... they come in handy when bucket bathing and also when washing dishes.
- Nalgene bottles!!!! I live out of my nalgenes... they last forever! Other bottles work too but so far my nalgene is winning. I also have a Columbia aluminum bottle that works well.
- Sleeping bag. Go for something light and compact... you'll definitely use it!!!
- Sewing kit... I have had to mend quite a few things.
- Scissors- you never know when you'll need them. I've used mine.
- Bottle opener key chain- I didn't bring one and hate asking people to open my coke with their teeth... makes me cringe.
- Glasses/sunglasses- I brought two pairs of glasses and three pairs of sunglasses. You can get cheap sunglasses here from the China shops but I like my stuff from home. :) Its seriously bright here.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Heart Day!
Happy Valentines Day to all back home!
Things are still going pretty well here. I love it really.
School is doing well, I'm working with my counterpart on teaching entrepreneurship and starting a tuck shop (basically a snack shop for the learners to run).
My OVC is a little uneventful at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I love it there but there isn't much to do right now. We had a meeting with a German Org last week and hopefully they are going to help us find some funding or a partnership to improve and expand our garden and farming projects. I love it when I walk to work because every time I arrive I am greeting by about 20 preschool children who run up to me calling out 'shilumbu' meaning white person and they all wait for a hug from me. I love kids! :)
Weather. It is supposed to be the rainy season right now but if it is, this is the driest rainy season I have ever seen! Last year there were record rains and lots of flooding... it looks like we might have a dry season instead... who knows. It has been pretty hot here but bearable.
I get to go home for a week long visit in one month and I am so excited! I can't wait to see my family and friends! I am actually coming home to attend Alison and Sean's wedding... I can't wait! :)
I know this blog post is pretty boring but its better then nothing right?
I remember when I was applying for the Peace Corps I would read current volunteers blogs and was always so frustrated when people didn't update their blogs often. Well, being on the other side of the spectrum now I can say that life just doesn't seem exciting enough to write home about. I know its crazy awesome and unreal to say that I LIVE in Africa... but I have grown accustomed to living here.
My life consists of walking crazy distances to get places, that's normal for me now.
I pick up bugs that are crawling on me with my fingers, rather then freak out and swat them away.
I wash my hair every other day... that would very very very rarely happen back in the states.
Sand in my food is normal. When I went to Uganda I would get an occasional pebble and would lose my appetite... now I just pick it out if its too big to chew. :)
I wash all of my clothes by hand and it takes close to 3 hours to wash it all... that's not including dry time.
I eat a TON of peanut butter sandwiches... its kind of a staple food for me.
I have great boobs! hahahaha.... sorry if that's TMI but I have been told a lot lately how great my boobs really are.
I drink water from the bathroom sink like nobody's business... It's really quite tasty.
It's not weird for a car/truck/bakki/complete stranger to pull over and offer me a ride to wherever I am walking to... It actually makes my day. :)
I am often approached by children who constantly tell me 'give me one dollar' which I reply with 'you give ME one dollar!'
I read an insane amount... Thank goodness for my nook and the crazy awesome library at our local PC office. I've read about 25 books since I landed in Namibia. (seriously, the list is on the right side of this blog!)
The sunsets here are unreal! They are so beautiful that it amazes me!
I love it here, I truly do!
I thank God for sending me here!
Things are still going pretty well here. I love it really.
School is doing well, I'm working with my counterpart on teaching entrepreneurship and starting a tuck shop (basically a snack shop for the learners to run).
My OVC is a little uneventful at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I love it there but there isn't much to do right now. We had a meeting with a German Org last week and hopefully they are going to help us find some funding or a partnership to improve and expand our garden and farming projects. I love it when I walk to work because every time I arrive I am greeting by about 20 preschool children who run up to me calling out 'shilumbu' meaning white person and they all wait for a hug from me. I love kids! :)
Weather. It is supposed to be the rainy season right now but if it is, this is the driest rainy season I have ever seen! Last year there were record rains and lots of flooding... it looks like we might have a dry season instead... who knows. It has been pretty hot here but bearable.
I get to go home for a week long visit in one month and I am so excited! I can't wait to see my family and friends! I am actually coming home to attend Alison and Sean's wedding... I can't wait! :)
I know this blog post is pretty boring but its better then nothing right?
I remember when I was applying for the Peace Corps I would read current volunteers blogs and was always so frustrated when people didn't update their blogs often. Well, being on the other side of the spectrum now I can say that life just doesn't seem exciting enough to write home about. I know its crazy awesome and unreal to say that I LIVE in Africa... but I have grown accustomed to living here.
My life consists of walking crazy distances to get places, that's normal for me now.
I pick up bugs that are crawling on me with my fingers, rather then freak out and swat them away.
I wash my hair every other day... that would very very very rarely happen back in the states.
Sand in my food is normal. When I went to Uganda I would get an occasional pebble and would lose my appetite... now I just pick it out if its too big to chew. :)
I wash all of my clothes by hand and it takes close to 3 hours to wash it all... that's not including dry time.
I eat a TON of peanut butter sandwiches... its kind of a staple food for me.
I have great boobs! hahahaha.... sorry if that's TMI but I have been told a lot lately how great my boobs really are.
I drink water from the bathroom sink like nobody's business... It's really quite tasty.
It's not weird for a car/truck/bakki/complete stranger to pull over and offer me a ride to wherever I am walking to... It actually makes my day. :)
I am often approached by children who constantly tell me 'give me one dollar' which I reply with 'you give ME one dollar!'
I read an insane amount... Thank goodness for my nook and the crazy awesome library at our local PC office. I've read about 25 books since I landed in Namibia. (seriously, the list is on the right side of this blog!)
The sunsets here are unreal! They are so beautiful that it amazes me!
I love it here, I truly do!
I thank God for sending me here!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
walk, walk, walk, walk...
In America we have some crazy stuff, but in Namibia there's even crazier stuff. :)
These are a few of the random things that I always think of while walking around and want to share with you all but can never think of once I'm actually in front of the computer.
Frogs. Did you know frogs hibernate? I didn't. So we have what is called a rainy season. This rainy season can begin as early as December and go until as late as May. Rainy season pretty much means flood season. It rained a little in December and then it stopped and dried up, but with that first rain I began to notice frog cakes everywhere... that is the nice way of saying flat, ran over, dead frogs. :) I asked my friend why I didn't notice them before and he said they hibernate under ground and once the rains come they are EVERYWHERE! He wasn't joking, they are EVERYWHERE! Quite often I find my self singing the little green frog song as I walk through my village and notice all the little tiny frogs EVERYWHERE. One morning I was walking and saw a guy carrying a string with about 25 big frogs on it... They actually looked like the singing frog guy from WB (I know, old school).
Prickly branches. All the trees and bushes here have these insane spikes all over them! They are on everything and when you step on them they really hurt! Trust me, I know from experience. I think its so weird how everything has these thorny long spikes and still the goats and cows gnaw away at they branches eating the leaves. So weird.
Russian Hawks. So one day I was hanging out at my friend Daryl's house when he yelled for me to hurry and run outside. He pointed up at the sky and there flying above us were hundreds of these hawk like birds flying all over the place. It was seriously cool and creepy at the same time. He explained to me that every year around this time these hawks migrate from Russia or somewhere around there to Namibia. I thought it was pretty interesting. Then last week, I was sitting in my room reading when I looked out the window and saw the very same Russian hawks swarming around my house and in the fields surrounding my homestead. It was crazy! I wanted to go outside but couldn't help but think of the movie 'the birds' and freaked out a little. :)
Flies. Holy cow. They are always here but with the rain they have gotten worse and multiplied like no other. When I walk to town I walk for about 20 minutes or about 2 km through my village. I start at my house and as soon as I leave the homestead a fly decides to join me on my walk and fly circles around me occasionally flying into my face but then continues to fly circles around me the whole 2km!!! It's really annoying but kind of funny at the same time. Do they get dizzy? We'll never know.
Cows. Most Namibian people judge their wealth by the amount of cattle they own. My family has about 20-30, we also have three baby cows that are super cute... but they have to stay on our homestead during the day because they are too little to go grazing with all the big kids because they might wander off or get lost. Toward the end of the day the babies really miss their mom so they start mooing and then the moms come and start mooing back. If there are people outside the mom will even growl at them... I didn't know cows growled, I do now. So walking around the village, usually toward town, there are cows everywhere. They stare you down when you walk by and I can't help but wonder if a person has even been attacked by a cow just from walking by? I should google it. Anyway, with lots of cows comes lots of cow poop. I used to not mind it so much because it gets so hot here the poop dries up and wont stick to your foot. With rainy season here, it doesn't dry out as fast or it stays very very wet... it makes walking around that much harder, I now have to watch every step I take and hope not to slip in cow poo.
I have more random facts for you all but I will save those for another day.... maybe a rainy day... since the rainy season is officially here!
School has started and the first two weeks were dreadfully boring, but today I got to team teach with my counterpart. I helped her teach 8 classes of Entrepreneurship and it was actually fun! The kids get involved and actually like to participate, it was awesome. I am loving it here more and more every day. I really am enjoying myself and learning a lot about others as well as myself.
I miss you and love you all dearly! (that was to my family and friends...)
So, to the strangers out there who might happen to stumble upon my blog, thanks for reading! :) Peace out!
These are a few of the random things that I always think of while walking around and want to share with you all but can never think of once I'm actually in front of the computer.
Frogs. Did you know frogs hibernate? I didn't. So we have what is called a rainy season. This rainy season can begin as early as December and go until as late as May. Rainy season pretty much means flood season. It rained a little in December and then it stopped and dried up, but with that first rain I began to notice frog cakes everywhere... that is the nice way of saying flat, ran over, dead frogs. :) I asked my friend why I didn't notice them before and he said they hibernate under ground and once the rains come they are EVERYWHERE! He wasn't joking, they are EVERYWHERE! Quite often I find my self singing the little green frog song as I walk through my village and notice all the little tiny frogs EVERYWHERE. One morning I was walking and saw a guy carrying a string with about 25 big frogs on it... They actually looked like the singing frog guy from WB (I know, old school).
Prickly branches. All the trees and bushes here have these insane spikes all over them! They are on everything and when you step on them they really hurt! Trust me, I know from experience. I think its so weird how everything has these thorny long spikes and still the goats and cows gnaw away at they branches eating the leaves. So weird.
Russian Hawks. So one day I was hanging out at my friend Daryl's house when he yelled for me to hurry and run outside. He pointed up at the sky and there flying above us were hundreds of these hawk like birds flying all over the place. It was seriously cool and creepy at the same time. He explained to me that every year around this time these hawks migrate from Russia or somewhere around there to Namibia. I thought it was pretty interesting. Then last week, I was sitting in my room reading when I looked out the window and saw the very same Russian hawks swarming around my house and in the fields surrounding my homestead. It was crazy! I wanted to go outside but couldn't help but think of the movie 'the birds' and freaked out a little. :)
Flies. Holy cow. They are always here but with the rain they have gotten worse and multiplied like no other. When I walk to town I walk for about 20 minutes or about 2 km through my village. I start at my house and as soon as I leave the homestead a fly decides to join me on my walk and fly circles around me occasionally flying into my face but then continues to fly circles around me the whole 2km!!! It's really annoying but kind of funny at the same time. Do they get dizzy? We'll never know.
Cows. Most Namibian people judge their wealth by the amount of cattle they own. My family has about 20-30, we also have three baby cows that are super cute... but they have to stay on our homestead during the day because they are too little to go grazing with all the big kids because they might wander off or get lost. Toward the end of the day the babies really miss their mom so they start mooing and then the moms come and start mooing back. If there are people outside the mom will even growl at them... I didn't know cows growled, I do now. So walking around the village, usually toward town, there are cows everywhere. They stare you down when you walk by and I can't help but wonder if a person has even been attacked by a cow just from walking by? I should google it. Anyway, with lots of cows comes lots of cow poop. I used to not mind it so much because it gets so hot here the poop dries up and wont stick to your foot. With rainy season here, it doesn't dry out as fast or it stays very very wet... it makes walking around that much harder, I now have to watch every step I take and hope not to slip in cow poo.
I have more random facts for you all but I will save those for another day.... maybe a rainy day... since the rainy season is officially here!
School has started and the first two weeks were dreadfully boring, but today I got to team teach with my counterpart. I helped her teach 8 classes of Entrepreneurship and it was actually fun! The kids get involved and actually like to participate, it was awesome. I am loving it here more and more every day. I really am enjoying myself and learning a lot about others as well as myself.
I miss you and love you all dearly! (that was to my family and friends...)
So, to the strangers out there who might happen to stumble upon my blog, thanks for reading! :) Peace out!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Happy Nam-olidays!
Oh my goodness, where to start?
First, let me start by saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This holiday season did not feel like a holiday season one bit, but it was still spent with great friends. I spent both holidays at "the rest camp" with Rick and some of our Afrikaaner friends. They had private parties and we were invited. :) Christmas was more of a birthday party for one of the owners and his twin brother and new years eve was... well, new years eve. :)
I spent the days in between lounging around at my friends house watching TV and sleeping in an air conditioned room... I am truly spoiled. :) Plus, he cooked for me.
Now, for the true Peace Corps travel experience.
This past Tuesday my friend, Rick, and I traveled from Ondangwa to Rundu. Rundu is about 6-7 hours away and is located in the North East part of Namibia. You must travel south from Ondangwa for about 2.5 hours and then north east for about 3.5-4 hours. With my being a lady, we were able to travel the entire way free... well, mostly free. We hitch-hiked and were picked up by some very nice people. Our last ride was in a flat bed tow truck and the guy let us only pay $20 each instead of $100+ he charged the other passengers. We arrived around 6:30pm to find our friend Gio's, who was supposed to come pick us up, phone had turned off and we didn't know where he lived. Luckily our friend Alice had arrived in town that afternoon and came and got us before the sun went down. Phew. That night we hung out at Gio's house and ate burgers they made us for dinner. The following day we decided to venture around town and stop in to see one of Gio's new friends about taking us on a sunset river cruise. We arranged for the cruise and all was set for that evening, we were even invited to stop by early to swim in their pool before the cruise.
Fast forward to 6pm when we are heading over to the river lodge for our cruise. The owner/friend gave us directions via a map he drew telling us where to go. Gio's taxi driver friend and neighbor both drove all of us to the river lodge/rest camp to go on this cruise. Well somehow we got lost. We made a lot of wrong turns and were off roading through the Rundu bush. Imagine an OLD tiny car driving through tons of weeds and grass on the faintest "road" aka tire tracks. Well, it got to the point where the driver said he knew where we were trying to go but there were these big 'puddles' we couldn't drive through. So we decided to foot it (walk there). We started walking through the first puddle... it went about mid calf. We walked through a couple more 'puddles' some of which went to our knees and were so murky and slimy is was disgusting but we kept walking because we were told that we were very close. Mind you, our driver had never been there, he was just assuming. Arg. After about half an hour of footing it through they ponds/puddles we climbed a fence because Gio swore this was his friends property, little did we know it was not and we were trespassing on someone elses land. Oh goodness. Thankfully the owners were very friendly and told us to keep walking about 200m down the road. We walked a little ways more and decided to try another property. The lady at this property told us to keep walking another 200m to the right house. We had lost sight of our car long ago, the sun was setting, we had no clue where we were going, the landscape was similar to a jungle/plain (if that makes sense), we were LOST. We stopped at another property and discovered our destination was next door. We arrived as the sun set and were lucky enough to see the beautiful sky as the sun set reflect off of the Kavango River, it was absolutely beautiful! Afterwards we decided to have a few beers with the owner at his bar, a few turned into a handful and around midnight our taxi driver friend told us he must get home. The owner was nice enough to have someone drive us to our car since it was so far away. What an adventure, right?
It's not even the end of our night/adventure. We started driving to find our car and we are in the bush so there is no light other then the car headlights and what little light the moon was providing us. We drove down a road the taxi driver thought was the right way. Wrong. We drove around for a good 20 minutes when the driver suggested we all just stay the night at the rest camp and he will help us find our car the next morning. All of us volunteers were a little tipsy and super giggly... well, I was super giggly, whats new? :) It was around then that our taxi driver, who is now sitting outside the window spots the reflection of our license plates!!! It was like finding a needle in a hay stack, but we found it. We found our way to the main road eventually and headed back to Gio's house. It was a night for the books for sure.
The next morning we headed back toward Ondangwa with Ryan and Gio to come see our neck of the woods. It took us a while to get a hike out of Rundu but we were all persistent and got our free hike. All four of us crammed into a tiny space in the back of a truck... I would guess that it was approximately 4x4 ft. We all fit and road in the most awkward positions at time but were good sports about it. It was nice traveling with these guys because no one complained once as we travelled. Except for Gio... He almost had an accident in the back and we had to flag down the drivers as fast as we could to pull over... we had a GREAT laugh at Gio's expense. We arrived home safely that afternoon. Hiking with three guys is challenging, I like to wait and work my charm for a free hike, the boys just wanted to get home... meaning we paid. It was a fun trip and I have truly enjoyed my month off for the Holidays. Tomorrow I start work and am not that excited about it but know I have to start eventually. I must admit I am a little nervous but all will be fine, I just need to find my feet. :)
Love you all! Happy New Year!
First, let me start by saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This holiday season did not feel like a holiday season one bit, but it was still spent with great friends. I spent both holidays at "the rest camp" with Rick and some of our Afrikaaner friends. They had private parties and we were invited. :) Christmas was more of a birthday party for one of the owners and his twin brother and new years eve was... well, new years eve. :)
I spent the days in between lounging around at my friends house watching TV and sleeping in an air conditioned room... I am truly spoiled. :) Plus, he cooked for me.
Now, for the true Peace Corps travel experience.
This past Tuesday my friend, Rick, and I traveled from Ondangwa to Rundu. Rundu is about 6-7 hours away and is located in the North East part of Namibia. You must travel south from Ondangwa for about 2.5 hours and then north east for about 3.5-4 hours. With my being a lady, we were able to travel the entire way free... well, mostly free. We hitch-hiked and were picked up by some very nice people. Our last ride was in a flat bed tow truck and the guy let us only pay $20 each instead of $100+ he charged the other passengers. We arrived around 6:30pm to find our friend Gio's, who was supposed to come pick us up, phone had turned off and we didn't know where he lived. Luckily our friend Alice had arrived in town that afternoon and came and got us before the sun went down. Phew. That night we hung out at Gio's house and ate burgers they made us for dinner. The following day we decided to venture around town and stop in to see one of Gio's new friends about taking us on a sunset river cruise. We arranged for the cruise and all was set for that evening, we were even invited to stop by early to swim in their pool before the cruise.
Fast forward to 6pm when we are heading over to the river lodge for our cruise. The owner/friend gave us directions via a map he drew telling us where to go. Gio's taxi driver friend and neighbor both drove all of us to the river lodge/rest camp to go on this cruise. Well somehow we got lost. We made a lot of wrong turns and were off roading through the Rundu bush. Imagine an OLD tiny car driving through tons of weeds and grass on the faintest "road" aka tire tracks. Well, it got to the point where the driver said he knew where we were trying to go but there were these big 'puddles' we couldn't drive through. So we decided to foot it (walk there). We started walking through the first puddle... it went about mid calf. We walked through a couple more 'puddles' some of which went to our knees and were so murky and slimy is was disgusting but we kept walking because we were told that we were very close. Mind you, our driver had never been there, he was just assuming. Arg. After about half an hour of footing it through they ponds/puddles we climbed a fence because Gio swore this was his friends property, little did we know it was not and we were trespassing on someone elses land. Oh goodness. Thankfully the owners were very friendly and told us to keep walking about 200m down the road. We walked a little ways more and decided to try another property. The lady at this property told us to keep walking another 200m to the right house. We had lost sight of our car long ago, the sun was setting, we had no clue where we were going, the landscape was similar to a jungle/plain (if that makes sense), we were LOST. We stopped at another property and discovered our destination was next door. We arrived as the sun set and were lucky enough to see the beautiful sky as the sun set reflect off of the Kavango River, it was absolutely beautiful! Afterwards we decided to have a few beers with the owner at his bar, a few turned into a handful and around midnight our taxi driver friend told us he must get home. The owner was nice enough to have someone drive us to our car since it was so far away. What an adventure, right?
It's not even the end of our night/adventure. We started driving to find our car and we are in the bush so there is no light other then the car headlights and what little light the moon was providing us. We drove down a road the taxi driver thought was the right way. Wrong. We drove around for a good 20 minutes when the driver suggested we all just stay the night at the rest camp and he will help us find our car the next morning. All of us volunteers were a little tipsy and super giggly... well, I was super giggly, whats new? :) It was around then that our taxi driver, who is now sitting outside the window spots the reflection of our license plates!!! It was like finding a needle in a hay stack, but we found it. We found our way to the main road eventually and headed back to Gio's house. It was a night for the books for sure.
The next morning we headed back toward Ondangwa with Ryan and Gio to come see our neck of the woods. It took us a while to get a hike out of Rundu but we were all persistent and got our free hike. All four of us crammed into a tiny space in the back of a truck... I would guess that it was approximately 4x4 ft. We all fit and road in the most awkward positions at time but were good sports about it. It was nice traveling with these guys because no one complained once as we travelled. Except for Gio... He almost had an accident in the back and we had to flag down the drivers as fast as we could to pull over... we had a GREAT laugh at Gio's expense. We arrived home safely that afternoon. Hiking with three guys is challenging, I like to wait and work my charm for a free hike, the boys just wanted to get home... meaning we paid. It was a fun trip and I have truly enjoyed my month off for the Holidays. Tomorrow I start work and am not that excited about it but know I have to start eventually. I must admit I am a little nervous but all will be fine, I just need to find my feet. :)
Love you all! Happy New Year!
Friday, December 23, 2011
I'm still alive
So, I'm still alive and kicking. I've been super busy with work stuff and fun stuff, so I apologize for being such an anti-social blogger. :) I am doing well here in Namibia. School is officially over for the month so I have been on "holiday" for the past three weeks. The first week of December was spent at a conference for Peace Corps called reconnect, it's basically a week of more training in Windhoek to check in with us all to see how the first two months at site have been. From Windhoek I traveled to Swakupmond, a beach town where people from all over the world come to spend the holiday, Angelina Jolie had one of her kids in Swakupmond. :) It was a good holiday at the beach but was too cold to go in the water and I was in a house with 6 twin beds and 21 other people... a little too crowded for my liking. But fun times were had.
Hiking from Windhoek to Swakupmond. I have discovered that dancing while waving down cars is extremely effective. Also, It doesn't hurt to have boobs. :)
The first hike of the day heading back up north toward home.
My first solo free hike. It was in the back of a bakki and this was my view for almost the whole day. Amazing. Fyi- hitch-hiking is not that bad here. It's actually safer then most paid transportation.
This past Sunday I traveled back up north to Ondangwa to spend the holiday with a few friends and near my home. It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all and is so wierd to see everyone posting on facebook about shopping and preparing for the festivities. It makes me a little homesick but I am trying my best to keep busy and enjoy life and my time here in Namibia.
I know this sounds super ridiculous but it's so wierd to me that life is actually moving along back home. Today I woke up to find out my best friend is engaged!!! It is really hard for me missing all of this. I'm very happy for them both but very homesick.
I have made some amazing friends here who are taking extra good care of me and even some local Afrikaaners (white Africans/Namibians) who are treating me like a queen (maybe not exactly like a queen but they are taking care of me).
One of my Afrikaaner friends took me to this awesome tree that has a tiny church inside of it. God's work at its best. Amazing!
I also got mail today. I got an envelope filled with birthday letters from my sister Heidi's first grade class... they were AMAZING!!!
I also got my package from my family with the CUTEST pillow case in it... hahahaha... it is covered in old fashioned pin up style guys decked out in christmas underwear... hahaha... it is the greatest!
I am still doing really well here and am excited for the new year. I will actually start working and am a little nervous to start but know that I will find my feet and will work hard to succeed.
This Christmas is gonna be an emotional one but I am happy to be here and know I will be ok. I hate being so emotional at times but I wouldn't be me if I weren't. :)
I love you all and wish you all the best Christmas holiday and the happiest New Year.
Hiking from Windhoek to Swakupmond. I have discovered that dancing while waving down cars is extremely effective. Also, It doesn't hurt to have boobs. :)
The sunset over the African Atlantic Ocean. B-e-a-utiful.
My first solo free hike. It was in the back of a bakki and this was my view for almost the whole day. Amazing. Fyi- hitch-hiking is not that bad here. It's actually safer then most paid transportation.This past Sunday I traveled back up north to Ondangwa to spend the holiday with a few friends and near my home. It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all and is so wierd to see everyone posting on facebook about shopping and preparing for the festivities. It makes me a little homesick but I am trying my best to keep busy and enjoy life and my time here in Namibia.
I know this sounds super ridiculous but it's so wierd to me that life is actually moving along back home. Today I woke up to find out my best friend is engaged!!! It is really hard for me missing all of this. I'm very happy for them both but very homesick.
I have made some amazing friends here who are taking extra good care of me and even some local Afrikaaners (white Africans/Namibians) who are treating me like a queen (maybe not exactly like a queen but they are taking care of me).
One of my Afrikaaner friends took me to this awesome tree that has a tiny church inside of it. God's work at its best. Amazing!
I also got mail today. I got an envelope filled with birthday letters from my sister Heidi's first grade class... they were AMAZING!!!
I also got my package from my family with the CUTEST pillow case in it... hahahaha... it is covered in old fashioned pin up style guys decked out in christmas underwear... hahaha... it is the greatest!
I am still doing really well here and am excited for the new year. I will actually start working and am a little nervous to start but know that I will find my feet and will work hard to succeed.
This Christmas is gonna be an emotional one but I am happy to be here and know I will be ok. I hate being so emotional at times but I wouldn't be me if I weren't. :)
I love you all and wish you all the best Christmas holiday and the happiest New Year.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Ondi hole...
I LOVE...
Walking around my village or town and white people staring at me because I am living as a local...
Greeting people in their native tongue and the smile that spreads across their faces...
My amazing friends and family here mo(in)America na(and) moNamibia...
Explaining to my colleagues that not all Americans are white and act the same...
When kids come up to me and tell me to give them money, I look at them and tell them to give Me money. They just stare in confusion, I stare at them very serius. Afterwards, I laugh...
Riverside, California...
Namibia. The whole country...
Learning about a new culture while teaching about mine...
Explaining that Americans do have a culture, not just one but many...
That when it is 'balls hot' and humid outside, that means the rain is coming. Sure enough it is here by that afternoon...
No matter how hard I try to speak proper English, Namlish always makes an appearance when speaking to people...
Getting letters and love mailed to me from home... (hint hint ;))...
These are a few of the things that I feel so blessed by and love about my current home and life.
Last Saturday I got to hang out with about 30 others PCV's at a local rest camp to celebrate our new group of volunteers coming to the north/Halloween/and MY birthday and my friend Danny's birthday too. I had an amazing time. There was beer and booze consumed by all but I was always safe and used my head(I promise mom and dad, I was smart but still had fun!). The rest camp we stayed at is owned by some local Afrikaaners (native white people) and one of the groups that was there was a bachelor party. Once they found out it was my birthday lets just say I didn't have to buy any more drinks and drank some interesting stuff. Mostly the night consisted of getting to know my fellow volunteers that I will be serving with over the next two years, it was a lot of fun.
Yesterday, my real birthday, was pretty great as well. I started it out by talking to some of my family at midnight (happy hour is unlimited internet use from midnight-6am for N$10 for a week, awesome deal). I woke up and opened some cards that were sent with me before I left home in August and they were all so sweet! I definitely felt their love from so far away. I was picked up by my OVC supervisor to attend a meeting about partnering with a local organization, when I came outside she sang happy birthday to me. Her daughter, who works with us at the OVC, who also happens to be my first Namibian friend and facebook friend, saw it on facebook and they were so sweet wishing me happy birthday along with many blessings. The day went pretty great, our meeting was very productive and successful. After work my host family all wished me happy birthday.
Some exciting news: there are a few new members of our family that share a birthday week with me. Yesterday I noticed a cow outside of my window mooing like crazy... I looked outside below my window to see her newborn calf walking around inside our gated homestead. My family has cows that they bring into a corral at night and during the day let them out to graze, the baby is too little to be outside all day so we have what I like to call calf daycare on our homestead to ensure his safety (I'm assuming it's a boy, I don't see any utters). So we have a new baby calf and I also stumbled upon 5 new puppies that were born on Monday as well. I love baby animals so it is the best birthday presents ever!!! :)
I apologize for the length of this wordy blog, but i had a lot to say.
I feel very blessed to be here in Namibia learning and sharing my culture. Thank you to everyone that supports me and loves me for simply being my perfectly imperfect self.
Walking around my village or town and white people staring at me because I am living as a local...
Greeting people in their native tongue and the smile that spreads across their faces...
My amazing friends and family here mo(in)America na(and) moNamibia...
Explaining to my colleagues that not all Americans are white and act the same...
When kids come up to me and tell me to give them money, I look at them and tell them to give Me money. They just stare in confusion, I stare at them very serius. Afterwards, I laugh...
Riverside, California...
Namibia. The whole country...
Learning about a new culture while teaching about mine...
Explaining that Americans do have a culture, not just one but many...
That when it is 'balls hot' and humid outside, that means the rain is coming. Sure enough it is here by that afternoon...
No matter how hard I try to speak proper English, Namlish always makes an appearance when speaking to people...
Getting letters and love mailed to me from home... (hint hint ;))...
These are a few of the things that I feel so blessed by and love about my current home and life.
Last Saturday I got to hang out with about 30 others PCV's at a local rest camp to celebrate our new group of volunteers coming to the north/Halloween/and MY birthday and my friend Danny's birthday too. I had an amazing time. There was beer and booze consumed by all but I was always safe and used my head(I promise mom and dad, I was smart but still had fun!). The rest camp we stayed at is owned by some local Afrikaaners (native white people) and one of the groups that was there was a bachelor party. Once they found out it was my birthday lets just say I didn't have to buy any more drinks and drank some interesting stuff. Mostly the night consisted of getting to know my fellow volunteers that I will be serving with over the next two years, it was a lot of fun.
Yesterday, my real birthday, was pretty great as well. I started it out by talking to some of my family at midnight (happy hour is unlimited internet use from midnight-6am for N$10 for a week, awesome deal). I woke up and opened some cards that were sent with me before I left home in August and they were all so sweet! I definitely felt their love from so far away. I was picked up by my OVC supervisor to attend a meeting about partnering with a local organization, when I came outside she sang happy birthday to me. Her daughter, who works with us at the OVC, who also happens to be my first Namibian friend and facebook friend, saw it on facebook and they were so sweet wishing me happy birthday along with many blessings. The day went pretty great, our meeting was very productive and successful. After work my host family all wished me happy birthday.
Some exciting news: there are a few new members of our family that share a birthday week with me. Yesterday I noticed a cow outside of my window mooing like crazy... I looked outside below my window to see her newborn calf walking around inside our gated homestead. My family has cows that they bring into a corral at night and during the day let them out to graze, the baby is too little to be outside all day so we have what I like to call calf daycare on our homestead to ensure his safety (I'm assuming it's a boy, I don't see any utters). So we have a new baby calf and I also stumbled upon 5 new puppies that were born on Monday as well. I love baby animals so it is the best birthday presents ever!!! :)
I apologize for the length of this wordy blog, but i had a lot to say.
I feel very blessed to be here in Namibia learning and sharing my culture. Thank you to everyone that supports me and loves me for simply being my perfectly imperfect self.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Keepin it real, Namibian style.
Disclaimer: some of the details mentioned below might gross you out. Don't judge me, I'm living in a third world country in the Peace Corps.
With that said, here are some of the things that I find very different here in Namibia.
Potty Training: Lets just say I have been peed on multiple times in the past month. I had a host cousin that had a baby, he was the cutest 4 month old, but his diapers was a towel. Whenever I would hold him, the pee magically didn't soak into the cloth but soaked my shorts. Children(toddlers) here who are not potty trained just pee whenever. For example: I am standing in church singing when my feet are splattered with a liquid. I look over and my 3 year old niece just peed in my sisters arms, they acted as if it were nothing.
BUGS!!! Bugs here have 9 lives just like cats. I have killed many different bugs, mostly cockroaches, with my shoes and I get them good. But, they tend to come back to life, injured and all they try to crawl around. I hit them again and again. It grosses me out and I squeal just about every time!!!
Mosquito's- I HATE you!!!! I am not one to use the word hate often, its a very strong word and I more often strongly dislike something rather then hate. But these blood thirsty annoyances are on my extremely short HATE list. I can hear them flying around me but can't see them so it makes me paranoid. I have five bites at the moment and they itch so bad!!!!
Wall Spiders- We have these giant spiders that lay flat against the wall and move faster then I ever could. They are found everywhere here and are not really killed often because they eat the enemy, Mosquito's!!! I currently have one chilling on my curtain near my bed, I haven't decided if I will let it stay that close to where I sleep.
Food- I have had traditional fish and regular fish here and they both aren't bad. I kind of like it. Except for the fish heads (eyes and all) and all the bones. Too much work. But seriously, as a new fish eater, I have braved that storm and ventured into new waters. Minus the canned sardines or anchovies. YUCK!!! Too fishy!
Another food no no, is Tripe. I think I dislike it just as much as canned fish. It smells bad and the texture is just to weird for me. I finally had to break down and tell my host fam, I don't like it. It didn't help that we had it every other day, if not every day.
One persons Trash is another kids treasure!!!! I give my trash to my 7 year old cousin and my 3 year old niece to throw away and they carry the bag away and come back to my room with articles of my trash like they are toys.
Did you know that a styrofoam take away container can double as not only a storage devise for more trash but also as a car? A broken mouse is totally a car! Pill packaging is the best to lick! Yup, iron supplement residue must be the new sugar! My trash is pure gold in their eyes. Last week my host cousin had my razor in his mouth, I wanted to vomit. (It was the handle end in his mouth and the cover was over the blade still, thank God!)
Sweat!
Good lord, I feel like Richard Simmons in a work out video at Krispy Kreme. I am constantly sweating. The only nice thing about sweating so much is that when you move the sweaty area is cool in the breeze. :) I have never sweat this much in my entire life! Sorry if that grosses you out, but I'm just keeping it real. It is VERY hot and can get pretty humid. I am excited for the rain but also dreading it. It will flood and will continue to be HOT! That means that it will be miserably humid, good thing I have curly hair! :)
That is all for my randomness... for now. I'll post some more later.
As for me, site is great. I live with a family that has 7 kids, one uncle, one cousin, one niece, and a meme and tate (mom and dad). They are great people and are very close reminding me of my family back home. School is still boring but that is just because the learners are currently preparing for their end of year exams. My OVC is great. I think I am really going to love it here. :)
With that said, here are some of the things that I find very different here in Namibia.
Potty Training: Lets just say I have been peed on multiple times in the past month. I had a host cousin that had a baby, he was the cutest 4 month old, but his diapers was a towel. Whenever I would hold him, the pee magically didn't soak into the cloth but soaked my shorts. Children(toddlers) here who are not potty trained just pee whenever. For example: I am standing in church singing when my feet are splattered with a liquid. I look over and my 3 year old niece just peed in my sisters arms, they acted as if it were nothing.
BUGS!!! Bugs here have 9 lives just like cats. I have killed many different bugs, mostly cockroaches, with my shoes and I get them good. But, they tend to come back to life, injured and all they try to crawl around. I hit them again and again. It grosses me out and I squeal just about every time!!!
Mosquito's- I HATE you!!!! I am not one to use the word hate often, its a very strong word and I more often strongly dislike something rather then hate. But these blood thirsty annoyances are on my extremely short HATE list. I can hear them flying around me but can't see them so it makes me paranoid. I have five bites at the moment and they itch so bad!!!!
Wall Spiders- We have these giant spiders that lay flat against the wall and move faster then I ever could. They are found everywhere here and are not really killed often because they eat the enemy, Mosquito's!!! I currently have one chilling on my curtain near my bed, I haven't decided if I will let it stay that close to where I sleep.
Food- I have had traditional fish and regular fish here and they both aren't bad. I kind of like it. Except for the fish heads (eyes and all) and all the bones. Too much work. But seriously, as a new fish eater, I have braved that storm and ventured into new waters. Minus the canned sardines or anchovies. YUCK!!! Too fishy!
Another food no no, is Tripe. I think I dislike it just as much as canned fish. It smells bad and the texture is just to weird for me. I finally had to break down and tell my host fam, I don't like it. It didn't help that we had it every other day, if not every day.
One persons Trash is another kids treasure!!!! I give my trash to my 7 year old cousin and my 3 year old niece to throw away and they carry the bag away and come back to my room with articles of my trash like they are toys.
Did you know that a styrofoam take away container can double as not only a storage devise for more trash but also as a car? A broken mouse is totally a car! Pill packaging is the best to lick! Yup, iron supplement residue must be the new sugar! My trash is pure gold in their eyes. Last week my host cousin had my razor in his mouth, I wanted to vomit. (It was the handle end in his mouth and the cover was over the blade still, thank God!)
Sweat!
Good lord, I feel like Richard Simmons in a work out video at Krispy Kreme. I am constantly sweating. The only nice thing about sweating so much is that when you move the sweaty area is cool in the breeze. :) I have never sweat this much in my entire life! Sorry if that grosses you out, but I'm just keeping it real. It is VERY hot and can get pretty humid. I am excited for the rain but also dreading it. It will flood and will continue to be HOT! That means that it will be miserably humid, good thing I have curly hair! :)
That is all for my randomness... for now. I'll post some more later.
As for me, site is great. I live with a family that has 7 kids, one uncle, one cousin, one niece, and a meme and tate (mom and dad). They are great people and are very close reminding me of my family back home. School is still boring but that is just because the learners are currently preparing for their end of year exams. My OVC is great. I think I am really going to love it here. :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
I swear...
Well peeps, it's official! I am no longer a trainee but a Namibia Peace Corps Volunteer. We had our swearing in ceremony last Thursday and it was definitely bittersweet. I am so excited to be done with PST but am so sad to have to say goodbye some really great friends (for a few weeks, that is).
I said goodbye to my Okahandja host family and will miss them dearly. I have grown really attached to my host sisters and the neighbor girls. I spent my last week painting their toenails and playing cards with them. I love them!
This is KJudy... my married couple friends KJ and Rudi. They are amazing and I am so sad they do not live closer to me. The wonderful woman in the Damara dress is Kyla, she is amazing as well and will be greatly missed until reconnect in December.
I love you all and will update again soon! Peace out, girls scout!
On our trip up to Owamboland our caravan was lucky enough to drive through part of Etosha National Game Park. Etosha is one of the best safari parks in Africa. These are actual giraffe and zebra at a water hole, I saw them and instantly started singing the circle of life from the lion king. So cool. We saw tons of giraffe, zebra, deer looking creatures (big and small, sorry I don't remember the names), and we also saw two hyenas! AWESOME!
I had more pictures to post but my internet was being crappy so I am now in our local PC office finishing this blog.
Site is amazing. My new host family is awesome. They definitely make me feel at home! :)
Site is amazing. My new host family is awesome. They definitely make me feel at home! :)
School is pretty boring so far but will hopefully pick up. All the learners are preparing for their end of year exams so there isn't really too much to do.
Namibia is amazing and I really love it here. The bugs, not so much. They are huge and don't just die when you smash the crap out of them, they come back to life about three more times before calling it quits. I however am a champ when it comes to flicking them off of me or not freaking out when they are on me. Though the crunch they make when they collide with the bottom of my shoe still grosses me out pretty bad, I squeal and run away after I smash them, then come back for clean up duty. Rainy season is on it way. We have a had a few showers but mostly its just clouds and HEAT!!! I am constantly sweating here. Oh well, I live in Namibia. :)
I love you all and will update again soon! Peace out, girls scout!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Is it?
This is usually how people respond to things here. I reply with "it is!" and it throws them off, I find it fun. :)
So, life is about to change again... crazy fast! I'm pretty nervous and excited, mostly excited.
Training ends pretty much tomorrow. We swear in as official Peace Corps Volunteers on Thursday, woot woot!
As for this last week of training:
We had my final presentation for our small business partners last week and it went really well. I had such a great time working with the most loving women who happened to be my counterparts at my SME (Small/Medium Enterprise).
Yesterday was my last LPI (language proficiency exam) and today I received my results! I passed!!!! You must score an Intermediate Low to pass and not have to retake the LPI in a few months. I received.... drum roll please.... Intermediate Mid!!!! I feel like I have learned quite a bit in just 6 short weeks. I love the feeling of being able to piece together a sentence in Oshindonga, it feels great! My only downfall is my OshiSpangLish. Yup, its totally a language! It's Onshindonga mixed with Spanish and English. It's quite funny when you are making a sentence and you throw in a tango or a por favor. Hahahaha. My language trainer just looks at me funny and then I explain to her what I said in Spanish.
Today (Tuesday the 18th) we will tie up all our lose ends of PST before our swearing in ceremony tomorrow (Thursday)! I can't believe how fast the past two months have flown by. I can't believe I have lived here that long and that short as well. It feels like we have lived in Namibia for 6 months or really forever, I have definitely adapted to PST life. (PST-Pre Service Training.)
I move to site on Friday. :) I am a bag of mixed emotions. I am sad to leave my current host family but am excited to meed my next. I will be living with my next host family for the next two years of my service. I have never met these people and hope I make a great connection with them. I am hoping for either parental figures or people that I will feel at home living with. Pray all goes well.
Here are few of the highlights from my PST
10- My host sisters and I frantically swatting at the monstrous insects flying around my room... HILARIOUS!
9- Kukuri Center where we all stayed for our first week in Namibia. It feels like we were there for so long and that is was light years away, but in reality it was only a week or so and it was only 7 weeks ago.
8- Dr Shit (please excuse my language, but he was awesome) He ran the Habitat Resource Center in Windhoek and was hilarious and innovative. He recycles everything and has the most beautiful facility.
7- My awesome SEED group. I don't think any PST group has laughed as much as we have. There are only seven of us, but we are an awesome group of seven! We have the best APCD and Tech Trainer, I am sooooo lucky!
6- AMAZING friends. I cannot believe we have only known each other for 8 weeks! It seriously feels like we have known each other forever. We have endured some crazy hilarious moments as well as some crazy weird ones together, the great news is that we have made it!
5- Host family. It is really a great way to learn about a new culture quickly. I have only lived with my host family for about 6 weeks and I have grown to love them.
4- Skype dates with the people I love back home. So blessed to have an awesome family and awesome technology to not only talk to them for free but also to see their faces.
3- A good head on my shoulders. I am so happy to say that I am pretty strong and confident in who I am. That is a great feeling. :) Of course I am still a work in progress but I think I am moving in a pretty great direction.
2- My site visit. I get to work with two amazing supervisors at site and am going to be blessed with all the people and children I get to work with for the next two years. I am so excited.
1- Realizing that this is exactly where I am meant to be at this point in my life! Incredible feeling! I have made it!
I am so close to finishing my training, I can see the finish line. I can happily say, I have survived 8 weeks of emotionally draining and intense training. I have made so many memories and learned so much.
Next step, living as an actual Peace Corps Volunteer!
Cheers to Group 34!
We truly are the exception, not the rule.
Is it? It is.
So, life is about to change again... crazy fast! I'm pretty nervous and excited, mostly excited.
Training ends pretty much tomorrow. We swear in as official Peace Corps Volunteers on Thursday, woot woot!
As for this last week of training:
We had my final presentation for our small business partners last week and it went really well. I had such a great time working with the most loving women who happened to be my counterparts at my SME (Small/Medium Enterprise).
Yesterday was my last LPI (language proficiency exam) and today I received my results! I passed!!!! You must score an Intermediate Low to pass and not have to retake the LPI in a few months. I received.... drum roll please.... Intermediate Mid!!!! I feel like I have learned quite a bit in just 6 short weeks. I love the feeling of being able to piece together a sentence in Oshindonga, it feels great! My only downfall is my OshiSpangLish. Yup, its totally a language! It's Onshindonga mixed with Spanish and English. It's quite funny when you are making a sentence and you throw in a tango or a por favor. Hahahaha. My language trainer just looks at me funny and then I explain to her what I said in Spanish.
Today (Tuesday the 18th) we will tie up all our lose ends of PST before our swearing in ceremony tomorrow (Thursday)! I can't believe how fast the past two months have flown by. I can't believe I have lived here that long and that short as well. It feels like we have lived in Namibia for 6 months or really forever, I have definitely adapted to PST life. (PST-Pre Service Training.)
I move to site on Friday. :) I am a bag of mixed emotions. I am sad to leave my current host family but am excited to meed my next. I will be living with my next host family for the next two years of my service. I have never met these people and hope I make a great connection with them. I am hoping for either parental figures or people that I will feel at home living with. Pray all goes well.
Here are few of the highlights from my PST
10- My host sisters and I frantically swatting at the monstrous insects flying around my room... HILARIOUS!
9- Kukuri Center where we all stayed for our first week in Namibia. It feels like we were there for so long and that is was light years away, but in reality it was only a week or so and it was only 7 weeks ago.
8- Dr Shit (please excuse my language, but he was awesome) He ran the Habitat Resource Center in Windhoek and was hilarious and innovative. He recycles everything and has the most beautiful facility.
7- My awesome SEED group. I don't think any PST group has laughed as much as we have. There are only seven of us, but we are an awesome group of seven! We have the best APCD and Tech Trainer, I am sooooo lucky!
6- AMAZING friends. I cannot believe we have only known each other for 8 weeks! It seriously feels like we have known each other forever. We have endured some crazy hilarious moments as well as some crazy weird ones together, the great news is that we have made it!
5- Host family. It is really a great way to learn about a new culture quickly. I have only lived with my host family for about 6 weeks and I have grown to love them.
4- Skype dates with the people I love back home. So blessed to have an awesome family and awesome technology to not only talk to them for free but also to see their faces.
3- A good head on my shoulders. I am so happy to say that I am pretty strong and confident in who I am. That is a great feeling. :) Of course I am still a work in progress but I think I am moving in a pretty great direction.
2- My site visit. I get to work with two amazing supervisors at site and am going to be blessed with all the people and children I get to work with for the next two years. I am so excited.
1- Realizing that this is exactly where I am meant to be at this point in my life! Incredible feeling! I have made it!
I am so close to finishing my training, I can see the finish line. I can happily say, I have survived 8 weeks of emotionally draining and intense training. I have made so many memories and learned so much.
Next step, living as an actual Peace Corps Volunteer!
Cheers to Group 34!
We truly are the exception, not the rule.
Is it? It is.
Monday, October 10, 2011
"Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad, that i'm not a fool"
Only 9 days more until I am no longer a Peace Corps Trainee and am sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer! Woohoo! Where has the past seven weeks gone? Next week I will move up to Ondangwa and that will be my permanent home for the next two years. Crazy exciting!
Namibia is beautiful, and amazing, and hilarious.
Being a larger white woman makes me the cream of the crop here in Namibia. That is, once people realize I am an American and not an Afrikaner. People here believe that being an American woman who is not skinny is very rich and very beautiful, so I receive quite a bit of attention from the men around town. I usually just ignore them or laugh. I have no doubt that if they were to confront me I will show them my serious side. :) For most people that know me or at least have met me, might find this a little hard to believe. I am a very easy going person who smiles a lot, and giggles a whole lot more. But rest assured, I can be mean and hold my ground when I need to. A local kid, who I have named "Bossy-pants" learned this the hard way. Lets just say he will no longer be threatening my fellow female volunteers to play soccer with him. :)
Housing at site is still a mystery to me. I had a house arranged for me but due to some circumstances I had to be assigned to an alternate home in the same community. Once I know more about that home, I will definitely post pictures and details.
As for mail anyone is wanting to send my way I have a new address to start sending stuff to. :)
Sister Melissa Nicks
c/o Oonte OVC Org
P.O. Box 1022
Ondangwa, Namibia
Africa
Its good to put 'sister' and bible verses on packages because it is less likely to be tampered with. :) Also, on most care packages you are asked to list what is in the box, please don't list valuables... maybe put that you are sending books and magazines or stuff that people wouldn't want to steal as much as valuables. :) The bible verses will be nice to read as well.
This past Sunday I went to church with one of my friends and it was a great sermon. There were maybe about 20 of us in the church and the pastor was nice enough to do the sermon in both Afrikaans and English so we would understand his message. It made me miss Sandals church a ton! My host family here at training doesn't really go to church so I have to find people to take me with them to their churches. The good news is that my supervisors at my permanent site are Christians and are very excited to take me to church every Sunday with them. :) I am excited for the next few weeks but nervous as well.
This next week and a half will be pretty stressful. I have classroom observations and co-teaching for entrepreneurship, a group presentation for our SEED small business partners, and my final LPI (language proficiency exam) on Monday. It's all drawing to a close. It's very bittersweet. I will miss all of my new American friends but look forward to my adventure starting. :)
Namibia is beautiful, and amazing, and hilarious.
Being a larger white woman makes me the cream of the crop here in Namibia. That is, once people realize I am an American and not an Afrikaner. People here believe that being an American woman who is not skinny is very rich and very beautiful, so I receive quite a bit of attention from the men around town. I usually just ignore them or laugh. I have no doubt that if they were to confront me I will show them my serious side. :) For most people that know me or at least have met me, might find this a little hard to believe. I am a very easy going person who smiles a lot, and giggles a whole lot more. But rest assured, I can be mean and hold my ground when I need to. A local kid, who I have named "Bossy-pants" learned this the hard way. Lets just say he will no longer be threatening my fellow female volunteers to play soccer with him. :)
Housing at site is still a mystery to me. I had a house arranged for me but due to some circumstances I had to be assigned to an alternate home in the same community. Once I know more about that home, I will definitely post pictures and details.
As for mail anyone is wanting to send my way I have a new address to start sending stuff to. :)
Sister Melissa Nicks
c/o Oonte OVC Org
P.O. Box 1022
Ondangwa, Namibia
Africa
Its good to put 'sister' and bible verses on packages because it is less likely to be tampered with. :) Also, on most care packages you are asked to list what is in the box, please don't list valuables... maybe put that you are sending books and magazines or stuff that people wouldn't want to steal as much as valuables. :) The bible verses will be nice to read as well.
This past Sunday I went to church with one of my friends and it was a great sermon. There were maybe about 20 of us in the church and the pastor was nice enough to do the sermon in both Afrikaans and English so we would understand his message. It made me miss Sandals church a ton! My host family here at training doesn't really go to church so I have to find people to take me with them to their churches. The good news is that my supervisors at my permanent site are Christians and are very excited to take me to church every Sunday with them. :) I am excited for the next few weeks but nervous as well.
This next week and a half will be pretty stressful. I have classroom observations and co-teaching for entrepreneurship, a group presentation for our SEED small business partners, and my final LPI (language proficiency exam) on Monday. It's all drawing to a close. It's very bittersweet. I will miss all of my new American friends but look forward to my adventure starting. :)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Just call me Tangeeni!
So this past week I traveled from Okahandja to Ondangwa for my site visit. I traveled for about 8 hours for a pretty eventful ride. Here is how our day went:
8am- left in a two combi caravan headed north
845am- pulled off the road to check the tires because the car is driving weird
10ish am- stopped in Otjiverongo at the SuperSpar (what up?!?!)
1230pm-ish- dropped some peeps off in Tsumeb, went to pay an outstanding petrol bill from our supervisors trip down south, had to get petrol at a different station, our card did not work so we had to wait over an hour for them to try again, meanwhile we went into another Spar grocery store to do some prime time shopping for our host families
130pm-ish- finally get to leave Tsumeb
145pm- get pulled over for speeding and I swear they took our driver in their cop car but they didn't
3pm- cross over the red line and officially enter the north
4pm-ish- finally arrive in Ondangwa my new home :)
The beginning of our journey.
Renee, one of my fellow trainees, while we were stuck at the petrol station #2. She was excited about our adventures along with me. Renee will live about 15 mins from me at site. (15 minute drive, that is)
This was the view from my site visit house. It's very sandy up in Ondangwa. The school I will be working at is in the background.
8am- left in a two combi caravan headed north
845am- pulled off the road to check the tires because the car is driving weird
10ish am- stopped in Otjiverongo at the SuperSpar (what up?!?!)
1230pm-ish- dropped some peeps off in Tsumeb, went to pay an outstanding petrol bill from our supervisors trip down south, had to get petrol at a different station, our card did not work so we had to wait over an hour for them to try again, meanwhile we went into another Spar grocery store to do some prime time shopping for our host families
130pm-ish- finally get to leave Tsumeb
145pm- get pulled over for speeding and I swear they took our driver in their cop car but they didn't
3pm- cross over the red line and officially enter the north
4pm-ish- finally arrive in Ondangwa my new home :)
This is from our journey back to training. It was about a 6 hour combi ride with Rick and Renee. Rick is a fellow SEED volunteer and lives in Ondangwa as well. These two will most likely be the ones that I will see the most. Great peeps. :)
As for my new name. I am working for an OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) organization called Oonte. My supervisor meme Shiimi is one of the most loving warm people I have met in Namibia so far and I love her. She is a Christian and has been praying for my arrival and what I should be called. She chose my new Oshiwambo name to be Tangeeni, meaning praise God for his many blessings. It is pronounced Tan-gay-nee. It is so cute, all the children at the OVC call me by this name and are such amazing children despite their hardships. Many are orphaned due to AIDS/HIV. It is heartbreaking but Meme Shiimi is sharing the love of God with them and they are truly beautiful.
I am doing really well and have made many lasting friendships. Thank you for your many prayers and support. I love you all! :)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Mopani worms, fire extinguishers, and site announcements, oh my!
So I know it has been a while but I still have limited internet access. Please forgive me. :)
Let's start with this last Saturday. It was our cultural cooking day and was quite an event. All of our host families gathered to make us PCT's traditional meals from the different regions of Namibia. There were worms, stomach, smiley's, dried fish, porridge, chickens feet, and many other interesting foods. I, Melissa Nicks, ate a worm!!! It is eaten a lot in O-land (where I will be located after swearing in) and I was told I had to try at least one. Let's just say it may have tasted like chicken but my mind and body were dry heaving... yuck! I ate a piece of a smiley (Goats head), it was pretty tasty. I wasn't brave enough to try the cow's stomach, the texture freaked me out just looking at it. My host mom and sisters came and it was pretty fun. Definitely an experience.
That same afternoon my host sister, host cousin, and few straggler trainees and I took the combi home, It was a very tiring day so we were all ready to go home and take naps and then hang out a little later. Well, everyone got out of the combi in front of me and as I was getting out I hit my hand on something, little did I know, that something was the fire extinguisher!!! The car began to fill with pink smoke/powder! I was trying to turn it off but couldn't breath so I had to back away. Erwin our driver jumped out but forgot to put the car in park so it began to roll back. As he jumped back in to put the car in park one of my friends, Jessica (the smart one), pulled the fire extinguisher out of the combi so she can try to stop it from blowing out fire retardant everywhere. Meanwhile, my little sister and cousin are laughing hysterically, I am across the street apologizing for my clumsiness and giggling a little, and everyone starts laughing hysterically. Long story short, I am not the first person to set off a fire extinguisher in the combi, someone set one off while the doors were closed and everyone had to shower off because they were completely covered in the dust. We all had a great laugh and I think the fire extinguisher needed to be replaced and re-placed somewhere out of my reach.
Site Announcements!!!!
So Yesterday was the day most of us PCT's have been patiently awaiting. I knew I was going to O-Land but didn't know where or if there would be another volunteer near me. Well, we went outside to a string outline of Namibia and papers scattered throughout the outline with schools and locations on them being held down by rocks. I was the first name called by Linda my amazing APCD. Everyone was watching me as I moved over to... Ondongwa! I will be in a major town up north with Rick, one of my fellow SEED volunteers! I am so excited! I have PCV's all around me and am in a great place. I will be working at a junior secondary school training the teachers on how to teach entrepreneurship and will also be working with an organization that works with Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). This job is perfect for me and I have I mentioned how stinkin excited I am? I am on cloud nine.
We meet out supervisors this week and this weekend we travel to a week long site visit. I can't wait. I will live in a three bedroom house on a family compound. So exciting! I'll have to post pictures when I get back from site.
As for now, I am running out of internet time. I send all my love to you all back home.
BTW- Feel free to send me some love in the form of snail mail! :)
Let's start with this last Saturday. It was our cultural cooking day and was quite an event. All of our host families gathered to make us PCT's traditional meals from the different regions of Namibia. There were worms, stomach, smiley's, dried fish, porridge, chickens feet, and many other interesting foods. I, Melissa Nicks, ate a worm!!! It is eaten a lot in O-land (where I will be located after swearing in) and I was told I had to try at least one. Let's just say it may have tasted like chicken but my mind and body were dry heaving... yuck! I ate a piece of a smiley (Goats head), it was pretty tasty. I wasn't brave enough to try the cow's stomach, the texture freaked me out just looking at it. My host mom and sisters came and it was pretty fun. Definitely an experience.
That same afternoon my host sister, host cousin, and few straggler trainees and I took the combi home, It was a very tiring day so we were all ready to go home and take naps and then hang out a little later. Well, everyone got out of the combi in front of me and as I was getting out I hit my hand on something, little did I know, that something was the fire extinguisher!!! The car began to fill with pink smoke/powder! I was trying to turn it off but couldn't breath so I had to back away. Erwin our driver jumped out but forgot to put the car in park so it began to roll back. As he jumped back in to put the car in park one of my friends, Jessica (the smart one), pulled the fire extinguisher out of the combi so she can try to stop it from blowing out fire retardant everywhere. Meanwhile, my little sister and cousin are laughing hysterically, I am across the street apologizing for my clumsiness and giggling a little, and everyone starts laughing hysterically. Long story short, I am not the first person to set off a fire extinguisher in the combi, someone set one off while the doors were closed and everyone had to shower off because they were completely covered in the dust. We all had a great laugh and I think the fire extinguisher needed to be replaced and re-placed somewhere out of my reach.
Site Announcements!!!!
So Yesterday was the day most of us PCT's have been patiently awaiting. I knew I was going to O-Land but didn't know where or if there would be another volunteer near me. Well, we went outside to a string outline of Namibia and papers scattered throughout the outline with schools and locations on them being held down by rocks. I was the first name called by Linda my amazing APCD. Everyone was watching me as I moved over to... Ondongwa! I will be in a major town up north with Rick, one of my fellow SEED volunteers! I am so excited! I have PCV's all around me and am in a great place. I will be working at a junior secondary school training the teachers on how to teach entrepreneurship and will also be working with an organization that works with Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). This job is perfect for me and I have I mentioned how stinkin excited I am? I am on cloud nine.
We meet out supervisors this week and this weekend we travel to a week long site visit. I can't wait. I will live in a three bedroom house on a family compound. So exciting! I'll have to post pictures when I get back from site.
As for now, I am running out of internet time. I send all my love to you all back home.
BTW- Feel free to send me some love in the form of snail mail! :)
Friday, September 16, 2011
melissa.nicks' photostream
melissa.nicks' photostream on Flickr.
Here are some photos from my time in Namibia so far. I am extremely bad at actually taking photos... I will work on taking more. :)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Oshii li ngiini?
That means "Hi, how are you?"
I am doing pretty well here in Namibia.
We are already on week 3 of training! I feel like I have been in country for 3 months rather then three weeks!
I moved in with my host family and have inherited two little sisters- 4 and 10. I also have inherited two dogs and four brand new puppies! :) They were born Sunday.
The food is still pretty good minus the canned fish/sardines. Blech!
I started language training and will be learning Oshindonga. I love it so far. I have an awesome language trainer named Meme Vicky.
The people in my group are pretty awesome.
I have actually had an awesome amount of contact with back home. I ended up buying an internet stick to use the internet on my computer but it gets kind of pricey. I am currently taking advantage of a promotion called happy hour. Its were you pay $10 and you have free internet access from 12am-5am. It's hard on me but perfect for back at home. I got to talk to all of my siblings and my parents within the past few days. My love tank is overflowing!
Sorry for how jumbled this post may seem (It's 2:10am!) :) I am pretty sleepy but wanted to update my blog. I am working on uploading pictures online so people can look at my adventures. I'll let you all know when I get it all up there. As for now you can check out the photos on my facebook that people in my group are posting.
It's crazy how I went from having no readers to having quite a few checking me out. :)
This is a special shout out to Steven V's dad! Hi!!! :) Hope you are doing well. Steven is awesome, you should be proud of him. :)
Ok. I am using too many smiley emoticons. I'm going to take that as a sign that I need sleep.
Hope everyone is doing amazing! I know we are here in Namibia. :)
Peace Out!
PS. I would LOVE to receive some snail mail aka letters
I am doing pretty well here in Namibia.
We are already on week 3 of training! I feel like I have been in country for 3 months rather then three weeks!
I moved in with my host family and have inherited two little sisters- 4 and 10. I also have inherited two dogs and four brand new puppies! :) They were born Sunday.
The food is still pretty good minus the canned fish/sardines. Blech!
I started language training and will be learning Oshindonga. I love it so far. I have an awesome language trainer named Meme Vicky.
The people in my group are pretty awesome.
I have actually had an awesome amount of contact with back home. I ended up buying an internet stick to use the internet on my computer but it gets kind of pricey. I am currently taking advantage of a promotion called happy hour. Its were you pay $10 and you have free internet access from 12am-5am. It's hard on me but perfect for back at home. I got to talk to all of my siblings and my parents within the past few days. My love tank is overflowing!
Sorry for how jumbled this post may seem (It's 2:10am!) :) I am pretty sleepy but wanted to update my blog. I am working on uploading pictures online so people can look at my adventures. I'll let you all know when I get it all up there. As for now you can check out the photos on my facebook that people in my group are posting.
It's crazy how I went from having no readers to having quite a few checking me out. :)
This is a special shout out to Steven V's dad! Hi!!! :) Hope you are doing well. Steven is awesome, you should be proud of him. :)
Ok. I am using too many smiley emoticons. I'm going to take that as a sign that I need sleep.
Hope everyone is doing amazing! I know we are here in Namibia. :)
Peace Out!
PS. I would LOVE to receive some snail mail aka letters
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Update!
I am officially through one week of PST (pre service training)! :)
I found out I will be learning Oshindonga and am pretty excited about it! I had my first lesson today and the vowels and stuff are very similar to spanish.
We learned how to wash laundry and bathe out of a bucket last Saturday, we even had a real demonstration of both!
We also took part in the Herero commemoration celebration. It was pretty awesome! We walked in a parade type walk to the grave sites of the different chiefs and also got to meet a bunch of different people. :)
I'd post pictures but unfortunately I am currently on one bar of internet and the pics wont post. Once I go to visit my permanent site in a few weeks I will determine how the internet access will be and whether or not I will buy an internet stick. Until then, my internet access will be sporadic.
We move in with our host families tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Miss and love you all!
I found out I will be learning Oshindonga and am pretty excited about it! I had my first lesson today and the vowels and stuff are very similar to spanish.
We learned how to wash laundry and bathe out of a bucket last Saturday, we even had a real demonstration of both!
We also took part in the Herero commemoration celebration. It was pretty awesome! We walked in a parade type walk to the grave sites of the different chiefs and also got to meet a bunch of different people. :)
I'd post pictures but unfortunately I am currently on one bar of internet and the pics wont post. Once I go to visit my permanent site in a few weeks I will determine how the internet access will be and whether or not I will buy an internet stick. Until then, my internet access will be sporadic.
We move in with our host families tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Miss and love you all!
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