I have spent the last 3 weeks back in my village after the AllVolunteer and Reconnect conferences in Windhoek. I returned to my site with Russell, a fellow volunteer and we planned to spend the Xmas holidays together. He will be stationed to a new site so in the meantime, I invited him to stay with me. Our sites are similar, in the South, dry, arid land surrounded by mostly Nama people. His site is about an hour from mine. He was having serious issues at his school so PC decided to move him...but of course, nothing would happen till AFTER the Dec school break. So we had an invitation to spend a few days at Xmas with a Namibian family in Rehoboth. They were not your typical Namibian family, father Pakistani, mother Namibian but converted Muslim and their college-age daughter. Their other daughter had just left to go study in the US so they LOVED Americans and wanted to offer hospitality as many Americans had assisted their daughter. As Muslims dont celebrate Xmas, we just hung out with them and were given a tour of the town. Rehoboth is a mostly Basters community meaning mixed races and whites who speak Afrikaans. There are many Nama people too but they mostly live in the 'locations', ie the poorer communities in shacks with little electricity or running water. Rehoboth is quite big, 30,000 people and our friends are respected people of the community as they used to run a restaurant and they have a thriving transport business. (Transporting people roundtrip from Windhoek down to Keetmanshoop daily. Our host father has 4 vehicles and 5 drivers who work for him.) It was a nice time...we learned a lot, ate a lot...spicy curry food! and gained insight into how foreigners integrate in Namibia.
I regret to say that I didnt take any photos...even during Xmas....
I am now on my own...Russell has moved on and I am trying to get geared up and motivated for the school year that will commence next week. Oh JOY!! Everyone should return and the school compound will be vibrant once again! I have been trying to find innovative ways to keep cool as temperatures have reached 40-42 degrees!! (Wrapped a bandana around head and stuck some ice cubes inside...let the coolness slowly melt down and get me all wet!) My morning entertainment consists of watching my African cat catch birds near the small water pipes leaking in front of my flat. She's very agile and catches at least 2 birds every morning! African cats are built differently than Western cats...much more lean, long forearms and tiny hips...she looks like a cheetah, but without the spots! She catches them, chomps down and eats them whole right there! Feathers go flying and blow into my place. It is pure entertainment as I drink my second cup of coffee.
My next post will chart my progress on my primary projects...the school library and school newsletter. We need to set up 'committees' to get things going. Namibians like to set up committees but many dislike being on them and taking responsibility...too much work and bother! I intend to convince them that it is just a planning group...'committee' sounds too pompous!
Stay tuned...!
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