'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again

So the last couple of weeks spent in Windhoek have been full of home work and assignments, but of course you have to celebrate your last little bit of time anywhere in the world and we are doin’ it up in style!

Last Thursday we went out to NICE, Namibia Institute for Culinay Education, a fancy schmancy restaurant. Since, it’s towards the end of the trip and I’m a bit broke I only got desert but it was delicious! I got profiteroles which were like eating a chocolate ice cream dream! Then we went to a bar called Dylan’s for karaoke! We had the most fun here, despite the slightly racist Afrikaaner vibe you can catch from the place. We sang Lady Marmalade, Benny and the Jets and so many more! We sang pretty much everyone else’s song too!

This past week has been our last week of classes and I’ve been excited and nervous to see them wrap up. This Friday was the last class I will ever have as a junior! It’s so exciting to enter senior year but nauseatingly scary to think about graduating and entering the ‘real world’!

On Wednesday for religion class we met up with Selma Sheavali who is a representative of the Council of Churches in Namibia. She showed us the office and the Diakonia in the City organization that funds and created some of the projects we saw that day. Then we journeyed into the informal settlements to see the two pre-schools that DIC helped create. The children there were very excited to see Selma, and sang “Grandma!” as she approached, which is a sign of respect and affection. They were so cute and sang for us! At the schools there is also a staff present that bakes bread and sells it in the informal settlements, where they cannot easily find bread otherwise. This project came out of community villages, which is what DIC set up with community members to identify their own needs and look at sustainable ways to meet them. The bread sales currently employ Namibians and sustain the school, which is crucial since the unemployment rate is between 30 and 50% here. Many of the DIC staff members studied community development in Dubuque, Iowa. After hearing the staff talk about the program and seeing the work done in the informal settlements I am very interested in this program for grad school, years down the line. I plan on making money! ; ) (Sarcasm, in case you didn’t get it.)

Thursday, we got let out of class early and ran off to the Namibian Art Museum. It was great to see Namibian art! There was a wide array of mediums from tapestry to etching to paintings to pottery and clay work. It was also very exciting because all of the work was done by Namibians and some was done by Namibian art students from Katutura. We were also allowed to buy this art, right off the walls! I bought TWO tapestries for under N$200! Normally I don’t talk cash but I want to explain to you, reader, that this was quite a steal. Most tapestries range from N$400-700 for just one! These two may have been my favorite buys for the whole trip! They are SO beautiful!

Anyway then we came back home for lunch just to jump in a cab to Northern Industrial to go on a tour of Namibia Breweries Limited. The brewery brews Tafel Lager, Windhoek Draught, Lager and Special, Club Shandy and Heineken, and only the last beer is not a Namibian beer! It was fun to see how the hops and barley was processed, stored, bottled and distributed. The brewery was founded 90 years ago, and is celebrating 90 years of brewing Namibian beer and 20 years of Namibian independence! At the end of the tour we got to have one on the brewery. I had a Club Shandy, which is a mix of beer and lemonade. I love sweet drinks!

That evening I went to the last Management Committee meeting for my internship at Friendly Haven. They said goodbye to me and thanked me for my good work ethic and cheerful and positive attitude. It meant so much to me as they all gave their input on my work and said their goodbyes. They wished me well and were so supportive of my future. I hope to see Friendly Haven be a sustainable shelter for women within the next couple of years, as it is their biggest and most important goal. My experience there has been an invaluable one and I hope to learn even more in the future, especially this summer at my internship in downtown Indianapolis with College Mentors for Kids.

Our last day of class, Friday, we went to Habitat Research and Development Centre, which is a government project that researches alternative sources of energy and waste removal. This centre was very innovative. Almost everything they used to build the architectural wonder was recycled materials such as tyres (as they spell it here), scrap metals, plastic, bags of soil, hay and styrofoam covered in plaster and even used fire extinguishers! They experimented with a lot of different building materials. They also use toilets that dry out the waste and only then need to e removed every 5 to 6 years. A fan that the wind blows eliminates the smell. It is truly ingenious! They use solar panels for all their energy needs and export energy to the municipality. They also have solar cookers that they sell in the north and a biogas project that collects human excrement and turns it into methane gas that people can cook with. The challenge of the biogas project is that it requires more waste than a single family can produce. Other challenges are that solar panels and energy is very expensive at first, and becomes economically viable after fifteen years which is difficult for Namibians to afford but is by far the most efficient ways to provide energy in sunny Namibia. They also lack funding for a lot of things because the government believes it should be sustainable after time and it decreases its funding each year.

We finished our class there. During reflection a lot was brought up. Namibia is very interesting and complex, in ways I never could have known before coming here. I’m sure I have so much more to learn, even though my time is up. I’ve also come to understand development on a deeper and more complex level. It’s a very challenging thing and every project, initiative or campaign must be questioned and carefully examined.

On a lighter note, that night we were invited by Imam Shafi, the imam at the Islamic Cultural Centre, to a Muslim dinner. The Imam and his colleagues were very hospitable. We ate delicious Muslim food and questioned the Imam about issues in the Islamic world, the Islamic Center, and Islam in Namibia. The imam was a very dynamic, charismatic and fun-loving leader. I learned quite about Islam that night.

I feel so many different emotions related to the rest of my time here and the adventure that presents itself in front of me when I come home. I’m so excited to come home and see the faces of those I love so much! Excited to start a new adventure, with a new internship and my last summer as an undergraduate in college. Scared to begin senior year and the “real” world. Sad to leave behind this beautiful country I have come to know, like the back of my hand, and the people that made this trip worthwhile. Poised on the tip of the edge, ready for the next adventure to start.

Trip to the South 2.0

Our trip to the south 2.0 was focused on environmentally sustainable development. We first drove to a lodge by Hardap Dam in Mariental. We set up camp and had a delicious meal by the fire. The next morning we had class outside in the hot morning sun. Southern Namibia is very hot! By 10 a.m. you are burning up! On our way into Mariental we stopped to see Hardap Dam which was beautiful!

One thing I will miss so much about this country is the beautiful scenery. The nature here is so extreme, varying and breath-taking. The dam water was a solid bright green and on the other side of the dam pelicans lazed about, on slightly clearer water. The most beautiful aspects of southern Namibia are the mountains. Browns and golds that jut out of the rocky land.

Next we went to Brukkaros Community Campsite and set up camp in the blazing hot sun of the afternoon! Then we listened to Petrus Fleermuys talk to us about Berseba, the small town that ran the campsite. It is a very small town that is looking to use Brukkaros Mountain to increase tourism to the campsite.

That evening at the campsite we explored the beautiful rocky terrain. Andy and I walked through a dry river bed. The stones were smooth and terra-cotta colored. It got so deep you might think the river bed could swallow you whole, at certain points. It was amazing! We walked back as the sun set, which is one of the most beautiful things to witness in Namibia.

For dinner Friday night we had mac’n cheese, spinach feta cranberry salad and for desert banana boats, which are DELICIOUS!

The next morning we woke up early to explore the mountain. The walk up was tough but so worth it! The scenery was incredible. Although it was slightly dangerous I was proud of how far I got up the mountain, which was not all the way. The natural scenery of the south is ineffable.

We came back down the mountain, struck our camp and met up with a youth group in Berseba to plant trees at the camp site. The kids were very talented and kind high school students. They sang many songs for us and sounded fantastic! They could harmonize like no one’s business! It was an incredible time!

Then we went to their school where we had lunch together, after a musical exchange! After lunch we left our friends in Berseba for the last leg of our trip in Mariental.

We arrived at Gondwana Kalahari Anib Lodge and set up camp, again! That night for dinner we ate chili buy the boat load, along with fruit and cheese as an appetizer and s’mores for desert! There are some excellent chefs amongst our bunch!

The next morning, Sunday, April 11, a representative of from the lodge came to talk to us about the lodge. He said that the lodge was part of a bigger enterprise that has several lodges all over Namibia. Their philosophy is based on the African pot that has three legs. One leg stands for financial viability, another for community involvement and responsibility and a third for environmental responsibility. He said that the company looks at all three of these aspects and look to enrich Namibia. He presented a strong argument for his company and made our eyes light up with love for the tourism industry and the Namibian life.

Later we reflected on our whole trip and I thought about, and discussed, privilege. The man from the lodge ran a private company and was a white Namibian which undoubtedly made him very privileged. Upon comparing the community-run campsite with the lodge, these two were night and day. The community-run campsite offered us a latrine and a couple of patches of shade while the lodge offered soft sand, fully functional bathrooms with showers, a kitchen, stoves and a fire pit. Development is not always what it seems and the lodge company’s efforts are not always socially responsible, especially when it comes into conflict with being economically viable. It’s also crucial to examine where the money comes from, how it can be used and how it is inevitably linked back to apartheid and post-apartheid white privilege.

After reflection and lunch we went into the city to talk to Catherine Boois, who works at the Mariental Municipality. She spoke to us about the challenges the city faces, as it sometimes floods (which is hard to imagine in the dry south!) and their attempts at increasing cultural tourism as people stop going to and from South Africa and Windhoek.

We arrived at our home in Windhoek in the afternoon. I lamented over this being our last trip CGE would take us on before Cape Town which is our last stop on our journey home. Although it is our last CGE trip in Namibia I am squeezing in a third and final trip to the south with my sister Britt!

A Weekend Adventure in Fish River Canyon and Sossusvlei

So to celebrate Easter in style we decided to take a trip to the south to see Fish River Canyon and Sossusvlei and the world famous dunes and mountains there. We hopped in a van we rented from CGE, or more like squeezed as it was very tight.

The drive down was very long, but so beautiful. We saw mountains and rock outcroppings that brought me to a reflective state. It was so beautiful and amazing, it makes it hard for me to believe, writing now, that we will have to leave this incredible country. We also got to watch the sunset in this beautiful natural setting. Unfortunately this also meant night driving, which I came to find out it one of the most dangerous things a traveler can do in Africa.

In the south it is completely pitch black dark. Because of this the night obviously brings with it cooler temperatures. With these lower temperatures comes animals. They are not active during the day because it is too hot. Days in southern Namibia are very hot so the animals wait until night to come out. We hit and killed an impala! The van managed to be fine, with no damage. We saw a lot of animals. The scariest was a gemsbok. To hit a gemsbok would mean certain death for those sitting up front. It was very scary. Somehow though, we managed to make it safely to Ai-Aii. This campsite and national park was pretty nice, with a bar and restaurant, and taps to fill up on water.

The next morning we headed out for Fish River Canyon. Once we arrived we got to see the depth and breadth of this amazing canyon! It is the second largest canyon in the world! There was a small amount of water at the bottom! It was so beautiful!

Then we were off again for another long day in the van and a dangerous bout of night-driving. We arrived in one piece, without having hit any animals! We camped outside the national park that held Dune 45 and other dunes. In the morning we got up and headed for Dune 45. This dune was amazing! I absolutely loved it! It differed from Dune 7 in that the sand was ed and there were many more dunes and mountains surrounding the area. We climbed it in the morning and celebrated Easter atop a famous Namibian dune!

We got back into the van and drove home! Although there had been many challenges to our long weekend it ended up being one that was well worth the trouble. The sheer beauty this country encompasses never ceases to amaze me.

Passover in Namibia: Who Knew?

Wednesday, March 31st I celebrated Passover in Namibia! I was feeling a bit blue not celebrating with my family when the opportunity arose to celebrate here! A few other CGE students and I went to the only synagogue in Namibia, which just so happens to be a ten minute walk from our house! It still amazes me that this synagogue exists considering more than 95% of the Namibian population is Christian.

Although the temple is orthodox and my family is reform I had a wonderful time. We had a service. The men and women were separated, which was new for me. The service was done entirely in Hebrew, so I couldn’t get too much from it. We met a nice Israeli couple that were in Namibia studying biology. They helped us navigate through the service and dinner. There was also a rabbi from Pennsylvania there. He must have sensed our relative inexperience and walked us through the dinner.

It was so nice to read the Haggadah under the Namibian night sky! I was reminded of my family and the time we spent together every year at Passover. I also learned some new things about Passover which I Had not known before.

Most of all, the food made me so happy! I got to have all the good Jewish food, such as matzoh and gifilte fish! It made me so glad to celebrate this important holiday. It was a night to remember!

Also did you know that the first grave of a European in Namibia, is in Swakopmund, of a Jewish lady who was stolen by Europeans and forced into prostitution. Late she became the Madame of the brothel!

Spring Break on the Skeleton Coast

Upon our arrival to our home in Windhoek West we all collapsed with exhaustion, after making a mad dash to the washing machine to wash our deplorably dirty clothes. As hectic as our night was I was so excited to begin our adventure on the coast.

We headed out for Swakopmund early in the morning on Saturday March 20th. Although our bus stopped on the side of the road for no apparent reason, we arrived safely, though somewhat late. We rented a car from a nice couple who own a 4x4 car rental and dealership. Got groceries for the trip, a quick lunch and then we were off!

It took some getting used to but Anna proved to be a pro on our first day of driving, especially since it was her first time driving on the right side of the road! The drive was a long but exciting one. We got to see a preview of what we would see once inside the park of the beautiful sand dunes that stretched for miles on one side of us and the Southern Atlantic Ocean on the other side. We also saw a big shipwreck of a boat called the Zela, before getting to Mile 108. Finally we arrived at our campsite, Mile 108 outside of the park, just in time to see the amazing sunset over the ocean. Then we set up camp and ate a delicious stir fry meal cooked over an open fire. It is very cold and windy, so Anna and I huddled by the fire and had a moonlit chat. Then we went to bed and the sound of the ocean lulled me to sleep. I have never slept so soundly while camping!

We got up early enough to watch the sunrise over the sand dunes, which was beautiful. We set out early the next morning for the Skeleton Coast National Park. We arrived and spent a day in the park driving up from the entrance to Terrace Bay, which is the farthest point north that one can drive. After that you can only fly!

Words cannot even begin to describe the beauty, eeriness and vast expanse that is the Skeleton Coast. But I can make an attempt anyway!

Before we entered we had to buy a permit at the office which was full of animal bones! Then we took a picture in front of the gate which had a skull and cross bones on it, quite fitting for the rest of the park! Once we entered we passed through a river delta. You might assume that there was a lot of water, what with it being a river delta and all, but there was no water, only a lot of strange-looking low-lying green plants. We drove for more or less three hours, one way, and saw one shipwreck and many beautiful natural sights.

We drove past another river delta. They seemed to be the only places where life could be sustained. And we did see life as Springbok jumped by us!

We saw a lagoon that supported a flock of birds. They lived on it despite its close proximity to the ocean! It was green and beautiful. I also spotted some interesting animal tracks, possibly a sand lions?

We spotted a lone gemsbok, herds of springbok and birds. At one point we found the carcass of an animal and large tracks in the sand. We thought we might have been close to a brush up against a sand lion. Although we didn’t see any rhinos, lions and elephants live up there, as well.

We drove past the Salt Plains which were eerie and white. The wind blew the salt and sand giving it a silent beauty and awe.

There were small clumps of vegetation clinging to the sand for defense against the harsh wind. These little clumps were so odd looking they could have walked right out of Dr. Suess’ works!

There were large rocks and small sand dunes that reminded me of elephants. Lumpy elephants lying in the sand.

The large sand dunes to the east were so beautiful. And the ocean to the west took on calm blues and greens and angry whites and grays.

We stopped to visit an abandoned oil rig. This was by far the eeriest site on the coast. Remnants of civilization, daily chipped away by the strong sandy wind.

Amidst all this it must be noted that the weather grew progressively angrier and angrier. The wind became colder and more intense as we traveled further north.

I tried to imagine what it might be like to live out there, or even work. It must be a demanding, lonely, simple and isolated life. So few people are up there. We might have been the only group of people not fishing! Another strange thing we encountered outside of the park were small tables that stretched for at least a half mile, along the road. We finally stopped to investigate and found chunks of pink salt rocks, signs with prices for the small and medium sizes and jars in which to pay for the sand. We bought some and marveled at how someone could live out here and sell salt on the honor basis!

No words or photos can fully describe the experience that is the Skeleton Coast. The trip was surreal. Much like being underwater you feel like you’ve left planet Earth for a new strange and beautiful planet.

At Terrace Bay we encountered civilization again! After so long of the four of us in our little bubble this was indeed a little strange. It’s a small outcropping for fishermen. On our way back down we saw the shipwreck Wilson, just outside of the park and sang songs all the way home.

One of the things I’m proudest to say about my spring break 2010 was that I learned how to drive stick shift! It was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be and the park is a perfect place to learn since there is no one, or nothing to hit!

Upon our arrival to Mile 108 we found our tent on its side with rocks on it. It seems the wind had blown it over and other campers had brought it back and weighed it down with rocks. Since the earth was too hard we ended up tying the tent to 2 poles and the back of the truck! It was pretty funny looking!

The next morning March 22nd, we got up very early and drove to Dune 7. We had breakfast at the bottom of the dune and then climbed it. Climbing the dune in the morning was amazing! There was no sand blowing in the wind yet and it was cool. Anna and I sat upon the top of the ever changing Dune 7 and talked about life. How relaxing!
Then we drove into Swakopmund and grabbed lunch before saying goodbye to Nick, who had to go back to work the next day. Then we checked in at Desert Sky Lodge (if anyone is in Swakopmund I absolutely recommend this place, cheap and VERY nice!). Anna and I explored the city and then came back and we all ate a home cooked dinner.

Anna and I met up with three other girls from CGE spending their spring break in Swakopmund and we saw “An Education”, which I also recommend.

March 23rd we met a friend of Jenna’s who lives in Swakopmund and is from the U.S. Marcia, is such a great lady and we had the best time at Village Café! It is always interesting to hear an Americans perspective on living and working in Namibia. These breakfasts with Marcia became a tradition for the rest of our time in Swakopmund.

We shopped and bummed out on the beach, which was relaxing and fun. We had dinner at the Grapevine which was heavenly!

Then we jumped back on a bus to Windhoek and relaxed there, until spring break was over and it was time to get back to the grind.

Etosha: The Heart of Sub-Saharan African Wildlife

Upon leaving Opuwo and the Himba we set off for Namibia’s largest national park, Etosha! Within five minutes of entering the park we saw zebras and ostriches! We went on two afternoon game drives and a morning game drive during our time in Etosha. It was amazing! We saw so many giraffes! And often they were very close to the road or to our van even! We saw many many zebras and their calves. We saw some birds, like the Lorrie bird, which we were informed by our tour guide is a “go away” bird. It is black and blue. We saw many springbok, gemsbok and blue wildebeest! It’s fun to watch the springbok jump away, you can understand the origin of their name! We also saw jackals and hyenas! We also saw oryx, kudu and a small fox type of animal.

It was so incredible! In something that resembled a zoo we saw snakes, including the cobra, the python and the Black Mamba snake. All are highly poisonous and indigenous to Etosha.

Words cannot describe how incredible this experience was! For me it was the highlight of the north and one of my favorite national parks, out of all the ones I have seen here in Namibia.

We stayed at bungalows and ate our meals there. Our first night we had dinner at a lodge in Etosha, called Namutoni. It was one of the most delicious buffets I have ever eaten at! Namutoni is a nice lodge that reminds me of a castle in the middle of this African wonderland. It’s big, with white walls and a great look out to catch the sunset or animals visiting the water hole. Also there are many of these small mongooses that just run around outside of the entrance. They are very cute and remind me of squirrels.

The highlight of Etosha was when we got to see a rhinoceros! It was so amazing! And I’m proud to say that I was the first one to spot him!

Sadly we couldn’t spend more time in Etosha and we headed back to Windhoek for spring break. With the departure from Etosha I began a new adventure to another national park, called Skeleton Coast Park. To be continued…

Two days in Opuwo

We arrived in Opuwo in the afternoon. We stayed at a nice hotel and got to shower! Which I was a bit excited about, I must admit! We had a delicious dinner at our hotel by the pool.

Monday, March 15th we visited a Mobile School. These are government schools that migrate with the people that migrate for cattle and such. They teach their kids in schools underneath the shade of a tree and in a big tent. The teachers live in tents. Many of the kids have no school supplies and write on a broken table on the floor, or on their knees under the tree. It’s a very interesting concept, a school that travels with its students! Most of the students are Himba and some are Demba, indigenous groups in the region.

Then we left for our camp site which was on the Himba’s land. The Himba are indigenous people who have kept their traditional ways. They showed us how they live. Cattle are an essential part of their lives, as well as the family. All that the Himba women wear symbolizes things about their families, like how old they are, how many children they have, and whether or not their father is alive. They also have a Holy Fire which the man must always tend to. It’s very sacred and all important events happen at the fire. No woman is allowed to touch it, unless she has not come of age, which is when she menstruates. The Himba women use okra and cow butter to spread on their skin to protect them from the sun. It gives them a reddish hue. They also braid their hair and then put clay over it to keep them cool. At the end of our presentation the women made a large circle and sold tourist goods to us. It was very intense as the women competed quite energetically to sell their goods. It was fun but pretty high pressure to buy!

That night we camped out under the stars. Unfortunately we did so with the donkeys, cows and dogs who were quite noisy, all night long.

The next morning Tuesday, March 16 we listened to representatives of Medicos del Mundo talk about their work in Namibia. They mostly focus on HIV/AIDS, but also tuberculosis and other diseases in the country. Then we visited the Red Cross and spoke to a Peace Corp volunteer who worked there. He ran a project that partnered with BEN, Bicycle Empowerment Network, which provides people with transportation. His honesty was greatly appreciated and he seemed to be doing good work in Opuwo.

Then Maggie, Kristin, Kate and I went back to the mobile school we had visited and gave the school balls and jump ropes to play with. We had SO much fun! We played soccer, hand ball, volley ball and danced and sang.

We returned to our camp site exhausted from our afternoon with the children in the hot sun. That night, around our fire we told scary ghost stories! It was so fun!

The next morning we packed up and headed off to Etosha National Park!

Rural Homestay

Blog entry: Rural Homestay

Three weeks ago, which feels simultaneously like yesterday and years ago, the CGE group and I departed for Outapi, a city in the northern region of Ombalantu. Here we would spend the next six days with families. The long drive up gave us all a chance to reflect on our time here, get ready for our last and most challenging homestay and brush up on the Oshivambo we had learned.

Upon our arrival I was nervous to meet my parents in the north. After the parents finished their meeting I met Secilia Hongo, my mother. She is a short but powerful woman. On our walk home I met Irjya, my sister. She is twenty-three and has a baby named Eddie. She carried my suitcase on her head while Meme Secilia carried a big box of food. Along our way they found a caterpillar and asked if I wanted to eat it! I was pretty overwhelmed by it, and didn’t but there’s more to come on that later!

We passed a gate that led to their farm. In the middle of their crops was a wall made of large branches which makes up their home. Kuku, grandma, Ulla Kamati was singing and clapping when I arrived. We sat down outside her house made of tin and I met everyone else! Ronny, or Nongola, is nine years old, Lusa, is three, Sam is one and a half and then little Eddie is only seven months old. They were all very excited to have me come, as was I, though maybe I was a bit more nervous too. I also drank a traditional drink which was very strong, milky looking but tasting similar to wine. Then I got settled in and Meme Secilia, all women in Ovambo culture are called Meme and men Tate, had to go back to her Coka shop and would return later. Irjya and Kuku cooked oshithima, which is traditional food and a lot like porridge, and a spinach dish that you dip the porridge into. We ate under the stars sitting on the sandy ground. We ate by starlight and moonlight as the house has no electricity, which is so relaxing and beautiful.

The house is a compilation of things. There are thirteen to fifteen huts, it’s difficult to count since the place winds around a bit, Kuku stays in a tin house and there is one cement house with two rooms. One is Meme Secilia’s and the other is where I stayed. The latrine is out in the field, by where the pigs live. There are two cute little pigs! Then there are many chickens, dogs and they also own goats. The place everyone gathers at is the kitchen area.

The next morning, Tuesday March 10, the other CGE students and I were whisked off to listen to speakers. We met the governor Sackey Kayone, who only met with us briefly. Then we visited Reverend Kashime who talked to us about issues of the church in Northern Namibia. He spoke about how the church helped the liberation struggle for independence. One contemporary issue the church has, which I was unaware of, is the increase in suicide in Namibia.

After that we went back to our families. The walk back to my home is thirty to forty-five minutes away from the road but it is a peaceful walk. There are many cows, goats and donkeys around. It’s very green in the north, as well. That night we ate rice and macaroni under the stars again. Meme Secilia brought fish home.

The next morning a bunch of school children walked with Ronny and I to the road, and the children continued to school. We visited Ongulumbashe where the liberation struggle had its first armed conflict. We listened to a member of SWAPO who had been a fighter when the first attack from South Africa began.

After that we visited Uukwaluudhi which is the King Shikongo Taapopi’s home. We went through the traditional home which had many levels where guests would meet headsman before the king. Finally we met the king who welcomed us. He told us about a community center that they were making that would help the elderly and orphans and vulnerable children as well as house community events such as weddings and parties. Then young men and women dressed in traditional clothes did two wonderful and high energy dances for us which I loved! They moved their feet to a very fast drum beat which impressed me so much.

That night with my family, before dinner Ronny, Lusa, Sam and I drew in the sand. I helped Ronny with his English alphabet. Then I taught them songs like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and other similar songs. We also danced the chicken dance and ran around saying “ I am running!” or jumping or shaking. It was so much fun. Ronny already knew “Bingo”. The kids loved “Head, Shoulders,” and “Old McDonald” the most. Ronny’s favorite animal to sound out is the donkey!

The next morning, Thursday, March 11, Meme Secilia loaned me a traditional outfit to wear. I was so excited! It consisted of a bright pink, red and black loose shirt and skirt, with a bandana to match! It was bright and colorful I loved it! I wore that when we went to Etunda Irrigation which is a government run project that irrigates crops for farmers. They also subsidize loans given to the farmers for fertilizer, labor, machinery and more. They produce bananas, corn, sorghum, spinach and cabbage there. It was very interesting. Then we visited the Bao bao tree which is famous in that region. The tree was huge and inside was a small church. In the past the tree was used for all kinds of things including shelter from violence during colonialism and South African rule, a meeting place, and a small church. It was very beautiful. An icon of Namibia, Africa and our stay.

I met Meme Secilia’s other son Joel, who goes to school in Ongulumbashe. He is a very well-educated thirteen year old who is very nice. We talked about education and Ovambo culture. He taught me a lot. He has been promised that if he passes grade 12 his education at a college in Germany will be paid for. I hope he keeps studying and working hard. Joel has a lot of potential.

Then Meme Secilia and I went to the grocery store which was a bit awkward because so many people were very excited to see me. It was overwhelming how many people greeted me and took pictures of me on their phones. But I survived and made it back home. For dinner we had beans. There was more but I couldn’t eat it because I got sick with a stomach bug. I felt so bad to not be able to eat more because it made Meme Secilia and Irjya so happy when I ate a lot.

Friday morning we went to Oshikango, a border town with Angola. This really sparked my interest. It was so strange, I felt like we had left Namibia. At the border there are dozens of Angolans trying to get into Namibia in order to buy goods and sell them in Angola for a much higher price because Angola uses the U.S. dollar. There was so much hustle bustle which is so different from the calm little Outapi we know, or most places in Namibia for that matter. Oshikango faces many issues due to globalization such as crime, prostitution, cocaine trafficking from Brazil to Angola to Namibia, the growing population of Portuguese speakers to name a few.

Then we went to Ponhofi Secondary School which is a public school, to talk with the students there. Unfortunately my stomach bug did not allow me to experience much of Ponhofi other than the delicious lunch we had there, which I also couldn’t eat much of.

That night at home as I started to feel better I ate more again. I ate fried caterpillars! They are so delicious, they remind me of popcorn. We also had chicken.

Saturday morning with my family, we worked in the field making the nut plants strong by putting dirt up around them and on top of them. Then we got ready for the farewell party. They strapped Sam to my back and we were off. Lusa and I walked hand in hand in our matching traditional outfits to the party. There we got ready for the party by peeling carrots with forks, which is not so easy. Then the festivities got underway. There were many heart warming presentations. One of the fathers talked about our time here, then a student from the CGE group did. Also many of the students sang songs with their families or danced which was so great! Then we ate delicious food!

We made it home after a long day and had a final meal under the stars together. We were all very sad that it was my last night. In the morning we took a bunch of pictures which I promised to send to them. Irjya and Eddie walked me to the road. It was so sad to say goodbye and when we passed my mom’s Coka shop I could hardly bear leaving. Despite the sadness of saying goodbye I was excited and ready for what new things our trip to the north had to offer.

Are you ready for this??

So this post serves a couple of different functions. First off it branches the amazing four days in Swakopmund with the rest of my life in Windhoek and it details how I won’t be around much in the month of March as we have quite a full schedule. I figure if I put all this in writing before my post I can live up to those expectations.

So when we got back from Swakopmund everyone made a mad dash for the washing machine (we only have one). Let me tell you Swakop is wet and salty and you feel it!

Then we had a regular week in Windhoek. I went to classes and my internship. In internship class we spoke to a speaker from World Teach about the program and about resume writing. In religion class we spoke to Reverend Thys of the Dutch Reform Church. This was a very interesting session in religion class as he talked about the history of the DRC in Namibia and contemporary issues. In history class we had two speakers. One we went to UNAM for and he spoke to us about apartheid history. This was really interesting because he gave the history from an Afrikaner perspective which we often do not receive in class. Then we also had a speaker talk to us about racism in the U.S. In development class we went to USAID and heard about what they are doing in Namibia and globally.

Friday we ate s’mores and got excited for the North!

Saturday night we went out to see Alice in Wonderland which was very cute and creative. Then we went to Primi, a bar and Chez Ntemba a club, where we danced the night away. I was so glad to go out with my new friend from work, Olga! She is a great girl and a UNAM student.

She invited me to UNAM yesterday to help judge the preliminary round of Miss UNAM first year! It was SO fun. We got to see first year UNAM students in bikinis and cocktail dresses and ask them questions about themselves. It was SO much fun. I also got a chance to get more familiar with UNAM which was nice. Olga is an intern at Friendly Haven too. She is studying to become a social worker and is an awesome girl!

So that’s my life in Windhoek, as it is currently.

Today I am preparing for the north as we leave tomorrow, very early. In the north we will be on an insane adventure! We start off making our way to our rural homestay families. My family is one of 7 people. Three girls and three boys, but two of the girls are older. I am so excited for the homestay! I can’t wait to meet them. I know that it presents itself with some challenges but I hope I am prepared for them, or at least as much I can be. For example, six days of no showers or bathing, no toilets and maybe no running water or electricity. I can handle it though. During the day at our homestays we are going to go to various speakers around the area. Then after six days we leave for Opuwo, another village in the north, and spend sometime there. Finally we make our way to Etosha National Park which is going to be amazing! We are going to get to see animals there. I am SO excited!

After all that adventure in the North we drive back south to Windhoek and there is where we start our spring break! Jenna and I and two of her co-workers are going to Skeleton Coast Park which will be amazing! We will spend two days there and then go to Swakopmund for the rest of the week. I’ll get back to Windhoek on Thursday, March 25th or Friday, March 26th! Then there is only one more month before my sister Britt comes to visit me!

Anyway that will explain why there will be no more posts for about three weeks, but I will have so much to report on when I get back! Wish me luck!

P.S. Check out Skeleton Coast at http://www.namibian.org/travel/namibia/skeleton.htm !

Some of the best four days of my life!

Some of the best four days of my life!!

We left for Swakopmund, mid week! We were all pretty psyched about the trip. For me, it was at the very least a welcome escape from the house which I tire from. I love to travel and I could hardly wait to go! We loaded up the van last Wednesday and headed out for Swakop!

The drive was three to four hours! When we got there we split up into groups to live in which of the guest houses for the next three days. Then we were off to the beach which was beautiful. Our first glance at the Atlantic from Namibia was at night. The waves roared! They were very intense! It was so beautiful, it brought a contemplative mood over me.

Then we went to the Lighthouse for dinner. It was so delicious and everyone had been starving so we ate quite a bit.

The next day was full of speakers in Swakopmund. We went to the Rossing Mine which mines uranium. It was really interesting and beautiful. It also had its own precautions and safety measures, like wearing a seat belt, which is not common practice in most of Namibia.

In the afternoon we went grocery shopping. Then Jenna and I stayed in, made our own dinner and watched Shakespeare in Love. Then it was off to the beach again. The beach is so beautiful at night but at that point I was very cold and salty from the air and the waves and was looking forward to a chance to see the beach in the day.

The next day we went to Walvis Bay (often pronounced wall-fish bay here). We saw a lot of interesting things like Namport, a trading port and the Export Processing Zone which allows foreign companies to process Namibian resources here and then export them all over the world. Then we drove back to Swakopmund. Kate and I had dinner at Spurs, which sort of reminds me of TGIF except with a Native American theme which is interesting!

Saturday was our free day and a group of us went sea kayaking. This was y far my favorite activity in Swakopmund and my favorite day on this trip, hands down!! We drove out from Swakopmund with Leon and Craig, our guides, to Walvis Bay. We got to see seal colonies! They were mostly mamas and babies! They were so loud they barked and made a sound like a goat!

Then we got on the water. Lauren, my partner in the kayak, and I went out with the group. We first went to deep water to try to find dolphins which we didn’t end up seeing. Then we came further in to play with the seals. Seals are some of the best animals ever!! Their bodies jumping around in the water shimmer in the sun and their playful attitude is made apparent when they peek their heads out of the water to check you out. It was so amazing. The faster Lauren and I went the faster they would swim along side us! It was so amazing! They would jump right next to our kayak. Also one bit Lauren’s paddle! It was SO amazing! The air was clear and salty and the water splashed me which helped keep me cool! It was the best tourist experience I have had here in Namibia so far!

Unfortunately we had to come back in eventually. We had sandwiches and explored a little. Some people found a dead baby seal. Many people found seal bones. It was so beautiful.

The ride back we were all exhausted! Then, back in Swakopmund, we finally got to go to the beach during the day! It was marvelous! We also did yoga on the beach taught by our very own development teacher, Linda Raven. It was so fun but my body was exhausted. Also the ocean is very rough and you have to be a very strong swimmer to make it! It roughed me up a bit!

As amazing as this day was, the night was just as fun. My roomies and I went to Napolitana, an Italian restaurant for dinner. Then Morgan, Holland and I went out to Rafter Action Pub, which was very fun. Then we went dancing! It was so fun, even when we got lost on our way back home!

And so concludes my adventures in Swakopmund… or does it? I am going to spend from March 22nd to 26th in Swakopmund for spring break!

The Geseibs

As soon as we got settled CGE scooped us up and took us outside of our comfort zones again! This time they were taking us all over Windhoek for our Urban Homestays. They lasted 10 days in which we live with a family. Most of us were placed in homes in Katutura or Khomasdal. My family is Trudy and Sam Geseib and their four week old baby Tandago. I was so excited to learn about my family!

Then the final day came where we left our Windhoek west home or a new one. Sam came to pick me up at the house. I liked him immediately but was still a little shy. We drove back to their home in Katutura. There I met many family members along with Trudy, little Tandago and Petrine their niece. I later met Mercelline their other niece and Obas, their nephew. The three young people, all my age, are staying with Sam and Trudy to go to school at UNAM, University of Namibia, and a new banking school that just opened.

It was very different for me to go from the CGE house to a structured family again. I helped cook and wash dishes almost everyday. This reminded me of home. It was so nice to have a family feel again. Also Sam and I hit it off and talked about a lot of issues concerning the world and Namibia. Sam is my go-to-guy! Whenever I have questions from class, he’s who I go to for a new perspective, a lot like my dad at home.

The first weekend I was there on Sunday we went to their farm outside of the city. It was so incredibly beautiful there! They are growing fruits and veggies and have cattle, goats, pigs and chickens! It was so nice to see the piggies! We had lunch there and just sat and marveled at nature for a long time. It was so peaceful and serene. It was also really interesting to talk to Sam about how they managed to obtain the land and keep up the farm. It’s a very complicated process to run the farm as they do, especially because they both live and work in Windhoek. Right now they have finished drilling a hole for water and all they have left to do is build a pump for the well and they will have their own source of water there. Currently they use their neighbor’s pump and pay him for it. To show you how dynamic and strong Trudy is, two weeks after Tandago was born she was on the phone getting people to come out and start drilling the well!

On our way back Sam and I talked at length about issues such as unemployment, government, HIV/AIDS and history on the drive back. Also we almost hit a warthog and her babies! They are the equivalent to our deer on the road. I was excited because I had never seen them wild before! The babies were so cute!

Then Sam left for Sweden for work which was a bummer. The week was good, I took classes and had some afternoons in the CGE house. The next weekend Petrine, Mercelline, Obas, Desmond (another cousin) and I all went to the movies at Maerwa Mall. The boys saw Twilight, which I think is pretty funny, and we saw Valentine’s Day. After that we hung out for a bit there. Then we went to the pool but we were quickly rained out.

On my last day of my homestay Mercelline and Petrine braided my hair! It was fun! It actually didn’t even hurt until hours later. My homestay was so wonderful and I love the Geseibs so much. They are my family in Namibia and that comforts me greatly.

Also a week later I turned twenty one! Trudy and Sam held a braai for my birthday. It was the highlight of my week. They made it so special for me. All of our family was there and some of my CGE friends came! We had such a wonderful time. The food was brilliant, as usual (thanks Obas, master grillers!). Some people made toasts to me and the one that touched me the most was the one from my dad Sam. He talked about how my parents in the U.S. must envy Trudy and him for being allowed this time with me. He talked about the time I had spent at the house and how we all learned so much from each other. Finally he talked about how I was a woman in the world and a part of their family. I love Trudy and Sam and all of their family so much. When I think about my life in Namibia they are a huge part of it and they probably mean the most to me out of everyone I know here. I know that I always have a place, a home and a family here.

Thank you Trudy and Sam for everything you have showed me and given me. I love you guys.

Windhoek: The Beginning

When I first stepped off of the plane in Windhoek I was stunned by heat and the intensity of the sun. Johannesburg had been a lot rainier, colder and cloudier than Namibia. Namibia was refreshing and warm and so green. After we finally got through the long customs line with our student visas in hand we drove to town. This drive amazed me as there was so much foliage and the mountains were so very beautiful! As we got closer to civilization, Kristin, the CGE intern, started telling me about all the fun places to go in Windhoek!

            Then we finally arrived at our home in Windhoek West, a neighborhood. It was so exciting to finally get to Windhoek and what we would call home for the next three months! I quickly moved in and got settled!

            In the coming days we did a myriad of things, such as start class and our internship. We also did team building in a park called Elisenheim, which is German for Elise’s home. This was a very fun day. We were assigned to make road maps of our lives and present them to everyone so we could all get to know each other better. This was an intense day. For many, sharing was difficult and I must admit that it was hard for me to hear people in our group struggle. It also brought up issues in my life which I had not originally thought of presenting. After the sessions a group of us climbed a big mountain. It was so difficult to do, especially when we ran out of path but it was also probably one of the most incredible things I have done on this journey. Climbing that mountain told me “Sam, you made it. It was a long and hard journey to get to this point in your life, but you did it! You made it!” Climbing that mountain is something that I will keep with me forever.

            We settled into our home and our way of life with classes and hanging out by the swimming pool on free afternoons. I am taking an internship at Friendly Haven, a shelter for women and children who have been domestically abused, the internship class, a religion class that focuses on Christianity in Namibia and Southern Africa, a history class which compares the U.S. and Southern Africa and finally a development class. These classes and my internship have presented various challenges to me so far in this trip and I have learned a lot through them. Another way in which these classes have really deepened my understanding of Southern Africa, the U.S. and the world is that we go to listen to speakers everyday. We are very fortunate in that we get to go listen to speakers from the National Planning Committee and other important officials such as, representatives of USAID and World Teach to name a few. We also have listened to a traditional healer and two church representatives which is probably the highlights for me as I am very interested in the role of religion in Namibia.

 

 The weather here is almost always sunny and warm, though it is the rainy season so occasionally it rains. Namibia is a dry country so I don’t think they plan on the rain a lot. For me this was quite evident as you could watch the sheets of water roll down the streets with no gutters to go to. It was a beautiful sight.

 

Oh by the way, the malls here are almost just as big as the ones in Johannesburg and you can smoke in them, bank in them and buy your groceries in them!

Pretoria!

After our home stay in Soweto we left for Pretoria. We drove through Alexandria and Sandton. Alexandria, is a black township, facing a lot of struggle. The poverty was immense and overwhelming. Just minutes away was Sandton, an upper class and historically white suburb, which was very nice. The disparity between poverty and wealth is astounding and I have only seen as clearly in Quito, Ecuador. 

Then we continued our drive to Pretoria. At Pretoria we settled in and spent the afternoon relaxing. We had a braai for dinner, which I unfortunately could not enjoy because I was still recovering from being sick. 

The next morning we went to the Voortrekker Monument. It was a massive building! The view of Pretoria from the monument was amazing. It was also full of information about how the Dutch immigrated to the interior to escape the British power in the cape. It was very informative. It was also sad to see how the relations between the Dutch and the Africans deteriorated. An interesting fact about the monument is that it is visible from Parliament because it served as a reminder for Afrikaaners when they governed to remember the sacrifices of their ancestors. 

Then we visited the U.S. embassy and after lengthy security measures managed to get through and speak to an international diplomat. He was from the U.S. and spoke to us about the role of the U.S. and China in South Africa. It was very interesting. America still has a wide influence culturally and economically despite the  growing influence of communism and China in South Africa.

Then we visited the Parliament and the Parliament Gardens which were very beautiful! It was also very hot! But it was well worth seeing in all its beauty and green earth.

Then we relaxed that night. The next morning we left bright and early for Johannesburg. In Johannesburg we got an a flight to Namibia. Probably one of the most exciting flights of my life!

Soweto Home Stay

So I'm back for another marvelous post! 

I'm picking up where I left off in Johannesburg, where we were getting dropped off in Soweto for our weekend home stays! Nathalie and I were dropped off in Soweto, short for South West Township. We met Elsie Mazazana, our home stay mother. She met us with open arms and a warm heart. She also had her grandson with her. He is a cute little two year old!

We entered her home and met Nkunkla her sixteen year old. She was very nice. Later Ndooro, Elsie's eldest daughter, 25, came home from work. We spent the night talking to them about many things including music, pop culture, school and people and places in the U.S. and Johannesburg. For dinner we had hot dogs with butter in our buns! It was yummy!

The next day, Saturday, we started relatively late. For breakfast, we had fat cake which is like an African donut. They are very yummy! We put bologna inside and then atchar. Atchar is a spicy spread made of vegetables. Then the five of us piled into the car and went to visit Elsie's mother and brothers, a few blocks away. Elsie's mom was quite nice. Elsie's sister Sybil also came to visit and we met up with Morgan and Lauren, two other girls in the CGE program, at the house.

After visiting the family we went to Nelson Mandela's house in Soweto. It was very informative and enlightened me a lot on Winnie Mandela's life while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robin's Island. The house was originally made for miners. It consisted of a bedroom, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and pantry. The South African police used to shoot at the house and petrol bomb it to kill Winnie and her children. Eventually she had a wall built between the kitchen and dining room in order to protect her children who slept in the kitchen while she slept in the pantry with a rifle. Eventually Winnie was arrested and later released. Then when Nelson was released the house was restored to it's historic way before Winnie had changed parts of it. Nelson Mandela lived there but only for a little while due to his popularity and high profile. He moved to a more private place.

After that we ran some errands for dinner. Then while Elsie made dinner Nkunkla, Ndooro, Nathalie and I watched 2012. Then we had dinner which was stump and boerwars rolls. Stump is sort of like mashed corn and the boerwars are sausage. It was VERY yummy!

After that we watched a movie based on a true story about a man in South Africa from Mozambique who fought against apartheid, called To Catch a Fire. It was a very intense movie. After that Elsie got to talking to us about a wide range of issues in South Africa. She spoke about what it was like to grow up during the fall of the apartheid. She was in her early teens during the nd of apartheid. Elsie said it was considered cool to fight against apartheid. She said had she been older and known more about apartheid she would have gone into exile and trained to fight against the apartheid like many others did in the Spear of Nations, the militant leg of the ANC. She also spoke about the terrible conditions that many immigrants in South Africa live in. She spoke of the racism that is still a part of South African society. Elsie said that racism is quite evident at work and many who use Afrikaans are viewed as snubbing others by refusing to speak in English. It's also important to understand how Afrikaans is viewed as the language of the oppressors in South Africa. Elsie also talked to us about her family, it's structure and much more. She talked to us about the complex nature of  marriage and engagement. Her son is engaged and working to pay the lobola, which is a bride price. It is also very complicated if a child is born out of wedlock. It was exciting to talk to Elsie about such serious issues!! I feel I learned a lot about South Africa, and in a more personal and tangible way than through all of the speakers we had heard before that. 

The next morning, Sunday, we prepared for church. Sadly, both Nathalie and I both got sick and had to leave church early. We returned to the house and were sick all day. It was pretty bad. around 4:30 p.m. we emerged from our room and hung out with the family. After some time the five of us left for a shebeen in Diepkloof. This shebeen is owned by Elsie's husband. A shebeen is like a tavern and a bar. It was very fun. We danced to the music and played pool. We enjoyed ourselves a lot! 

Then we went home and went to sleep. The next morning we said goodbye to Nkunkla and Ndooro before they left for school. Then we said goodbye to Elsie! It was so sad to leave her. She took great care of us and I love them all!!

The next item on the blog agenda is Pretoria, where we went to right after our home stays! Keep your eyes open for more!

My Johannesburg Experience!

Blog Entry Tuesday Jan 19

 

The next morning we awoke bright and early to go to a semi-private school called St. Martin’s. At the school we broke into groups of four and were escorted from class to class by student leaders. My class visited grades 8 through 12. I must say that at this point it was quite a highlight for us to be able to interact with South African people, especially students. We went to each class without knowing what to expect. Once we got there we were introduced and dispersed to different groups to talk to the students. Each student group I was with was different. Some were shyer than others but they all seemed interested in getting to know us. We were asked many questions like “What celebrities have you met?”  “When was the white house built?” “Who is your favorite artist/celebrity?” and one group even got a request to sing our national anthem after the kids sang theirs. The classrooms were very full of kids and it could get loud quickly. We only met a few teachers, all male, but they all seemed very nice. There was a long outdoor hallway that you could follow to get to your class. It was narrow, parts overgrown with grass, an broken glass littered other parts. Kate and I were shown their grounds they had to play on. It was completely overgrown with plants so no students could use it to play on. Despite some of these conditions students seemed to have an indomitable will to learn and exceed these conditions. Another interesting fact that some of the students in our group noticed was the varying level of socio-economic class. All the students in South Africa are required to wear uniforms. But there may have been some very poor and rich students there. One South African student was playing a PSP while maybe another was struggling to afford lunch. These inequalities were something not easily noticed but after some time and observation we began to see them.

 

After our morning excursion we returned to the St. Peter’s Place. In the afternoon two speakers came to speak to us. More on that later. For dinner we went to this famous bed and breakfast called Robbie’s Place in Soweto. Bed and breakfast and restaurants are common businesses that people in Soweto often base out of their homes. The food there was delicious and all South African!!! I must say that I am quite pleased with the diet here in Southern African. Popular dishes include pop, which is sort of like oatmeal and corn, atchar which is somewhat spicy and used as a spread, stump, maize meal, fat cake which is sort of the equivalent to a donut here, and boerwars (a personal favorite given it’s name) which is similar to a Polish sausage. It was also the first time I had ever tried a Windhoek Lager. Although I am certainly no expert it was a tasty drink!

 

Wednesday, January 20

 

Then next morning Wednesday, January 20^th we visited the apartheid museum in the morning. The apartheid museum is an intense place. I recommend that anyone in Johannesburg go to this museum. I also recommend that you devote at least 4 to 5 hours to it. We unfortunately only had two. So upon buying your ticket you are given a card that says that you are either white or non-white. I was given a non-white card. We entered the museum based on those cards and were submerged into apartheid as we entered with bars all around us. It was a very intense time for me. The museum is so large. First we learned about South Africa in its very early years with the various tribes, then the British and the Dutch, later to be known as the Afrikaners. Then we learned about colonialism and the discovery of gold and other minerals in the earth. South Africa began as a culturally and racially diverse place as many came to the region for its resources and a shot at a better life. From 1948 to 1994 apartheid or racial segregation took place in all of South Africa. The legacy of apartheid was a painful one. The museum excellently displayed the life of Nelson Mandela, his role in South Africa and much more about him. It also artfully and seriously portrayed the social effects of South Africa. Personally, I struggled as I saw the nooses that symbolized those killed under apartheid and the solitary confinement that prisoners were subject to at any time. The experience held much meaning for me and continues to help me grow in my understanding of the places I am blessed and privileged to go to, such as Johannesburg and Windhoek.

 

That afternoon we returned to St. Peter’s to listen to another speaker.

 

After the speaker and dinner we went to the Market Theatre in downtown Johannesburg, known as New Town. The show we went to see featured music from various groups of people who migrated to Johannesburg and all over South Africa, since the early 1900s. Even though I couldn’t understand all of the lyrics of all of the songs it was amazing to hear all of thee wonderful singers! Five different languages were sung in the show that night! Hugh Masekela and female lead were incredible and we are so lucky to have seen them perform live! The music was intense and varied from mournful and slow, sensual, and upbeat and lively. It also taught the audience a lot about the transient nature of being an immigrant in Africa, separated from your family and community and the loss that so many feel from that. The show was our concluding piece for the night. I went to bed with the influences of African music streaming through my dreams!

 

Thursday, January 21

 

Thursday was an adventure of a day. What I have neglected to mention so far in my journaling of Johannesburg is the weather. The weather for our week-long stay was unpredictable to say the least. In the same day it could get pretty cold and rainy but by the afternoon you might be hot and dying for some cloud cover. Because of the unpredictability of the weather and the fact that we are in Southern Africa’s rainy season some of our plans for today were changed. Our chance to go to the Bruma market and to have a walking tour of New Town, downtown Johannesburg, was rained out. We still had the speaker for the day but we had to reschedule our fieldtrips.

 

We spent some of our free time getting prepared for our home stays in Soweto. Our home stays lasted from Friday late afternoon to early Monday morning. To get prepared we were first assigned our families and our partners since the first home stay is one you do with one other CGE student. My partner, Nathalie and I were assigned a woman named Elsi. She has two daughters. Other than this and her occupation as a secretary we knew little about our situation. Also Kristin, Urbanus, Molefi and Moketsi talked to us about what to pack for the weekend, what to expect slightly, and how to behave. It was a bit daunting yet very exciting! I really didn’t know what to expect at all. My biggest concern going into the experience was that I would do something to offend my host family. Besides that I was excited to be with more South Africans and get to know them. Also I really wanted to see what life was like in Soweto, instead of just doing things any tourist could do. So preparation was then finished and had free time for the rest of the night.

 

Friday, January 22

 

Friday morning we were off to see two more speakers. After the speakers we went to the Bruma market, as we had planned to yesterday. Bruma Market is sort of like an outdoor flea market and certainly a tourist spot! It was full of great trinkets from South Africa to buy. I haggled with the shop owners and got a lot of beautiful gifts for myself and my family and friends. I enjoyed getting to know the vendors and haggling with them. We had lunch at the Bruma market. For lunch I had a Boerwars Sausage! The irony of the name pleased me to no end! It was pretty good too! Anyway I certainly wasn’t the only one who was getting deals. Antonio, another CGE student, traded this awesome Beatles shirt he was wearing for some item at the market!

 

After the Bruma market we met up with Molefi who guided through New Town, showing us all the important places. We started outside the Museum of Africa. Then we walked through town and I snapped a million and one pictures like the true tourist that I am. We stopped at the Standard Bank. It was huge and is one of the oldest banks in South Africa. When building the downtown center they found many old mines. One they preserved and you can take an elevator into. It was pretty cool except that everyone was exhausted at that point. After that tour we sadly said goodbye to Molefi who is an awesome guy! I thank Molefi for being such an open and honest representative o his country for us!

 

After the tour we were dropped off at our home stay, but that’s for another entry…

 

A Note on Speakers…

In Johannesburg we received a crazy crash course on all things South African. History, culture, politics, economics, anything South African you name it we learned about (ok well maybe not EVERYTHING, but almost)! So I am going to give you a quick run through chronologically. I may be missing a few details so bear with me.

 

Molefi Mataboge

Pretty much one of the coolest South Africans ever! He spoke to us about common cultural customs and what to expect when with South Africans. He also spoke about important cultural influences in South Africa, such as the philosophy of Ubuntu. Ubuntu means I am human because others are humans. This means that my personal humanity is defined by your personal humanity and everyone else’s. This theme pervades almost all aspect of South African life and community. The people give and give selflessly. They value community above all else and our home stays showed us how much their fellow human, neighbor and community means to them. Molefi accompanied us through many of our events. I also got privileged to talk to him about current politics which is quite fascinating to me!

 

Khulumani Suport Group: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

This group was a quiet but passionate one with an important message. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or TRC, was created after the fall of apartheid to try to equalize the negative effects of apartheid. It is attempting to rectify the human rights abuses of many through the court systems. Khulumani means “Speak out!” This group was set up to give victims of that abuse the venue to talk about what had happened to them and work through the harsh psychological effects of it.

 

Economy of the New South Africa by Dr. Dale McKinley

An outspoken communist American who had been raised in Southern Africa, Dr. Dale McKinley, was quite enlightening. He spoke to us about how after apartheid instead of the government providing basic services, like water, housing and electricity. He spoke about how the government privatized these services. Despite the U.S.S.R. helping the ANC in the liberation struggle when it won power it aligned itself with the U.S. and capitalism. The problem with privatizing these companies is that there is no profit to be made from it when providing it to the poor. As a result all of the deliveries of these are quite flawed. Poor South Africans are given a pre-paid meter on their houses which measures the amount of water consumption on the house. When the poor reach their limit, which is drastically less than what the World Health Organization says a person needs, the meter stops the water from coming. McKinley talked about how this was unconstitutional because all South African citizens have the right to pay off their debt and to be notified before their water is cut off. McKinley was starkly anti-privatization and critical of the South African government but not a pessimist. He was hopeful for change for the young country.

 

Representative of the ANC Youth League

This woman I unfortunately did not get her name, but she is a young South African woman from the ANC Youth League. She was a volunteer, very committed to the party. She spoke about the awareness raising that the ANC Youth League and the campaigning they do for the party. She also spoke about the opposition party Democratic Alliance and some of the challenges South Africa and the ANC face in regards to employing the youth and keeping them HIV/AIDS free.

 

Eddie Makue-South African Council of Churches

This soft-spoken man was passionate about the churches role in South Africa. He explained how the Europeans brought Christianity to South Africa. He said that the Europeans came with the bible and the Africans had the land and now the Africans have the bible and Europeans have the land. The church bumped up against some problems with generational issues as it is increasingly difficult to reach the youth. The church is trying to reach the youth in the streets and be relevant to their lives. He was somewhat critical and simultaneously supportive of the church. He also tried to help those in need suffering from human rights abuses.

 

Ashor Sarupen- Democratic Alliance

This intelligent young man was the head of the research committee for the Democratic Alliance. He spoke about the history of the party and its founder. Helen Suzman, a Jewish South African woman who spoke out against apartheid was one of the founding mothers of the Democratic Alliance. The DA is currently the only opposition party with any influence against the ANC. They have only won the Western Cape in all of the thirteen provinces. The ANC won all the other provinces in the last election in 2009. The party seemed to me socially liberal and economically conservative.

 

Tristen Taylor-Environment, Energy and Climate Issues

This young environmental activist came to speak to us about the damaging effects of certain South African behavior. The mining had devastating effects on the environment and the South African people. Taylor advocated the use of alternative energies, especially solar and wind power. Wind power could potentially make up one fourth of South Africa’s energy needs and is continuing to be advanced. He also spoke against nuclear power and how it was not feasible in South Africa.

 

A note on malls…

We strangely spent a lot of time in malls and Johannesburg and I don’t want to hear anymore about American consumerism because, wow! The malls we visited, Maponya Mall and South Gate, were HUGE! They were so big that grocery stores were attached and people used the carts in the mall! According to my home stay family, these weren't even the biggest malls in Jo’Burg!

 

So there you have it folks! My Jo’Burg experience, not yet my home stay, is all laid out there for you! Eat your heart out folks. Please comment, ask questions, I'd love to talk you about my time!! More to come on my home stay, Pretoria and Windhoek of course!

Ah! Breathe it in folks! I'm in Africa! I can hardly believe I've made it but I have. Apologies on the tardiness of my posts. Ive recently experienced the situation that is the internet in Africa. Lets just say, not so reliable. Anyway now I am in Windhoek, Namibia (actually pronounced Vind-hook, by the locals) at the Center for Global Education, or CGE, house! It has been an amazing trip so far!

First we arrived Sunday evening to Johannesburg, South Africa. The flight was very long. Around 17 or 18 hours. We stopped in Senegal to refuel and but unfortunately never got to leave the plane. The ride was nice though. I got to know people on my trip and got some sleep. Finally we arrived! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was! We had finally made it! We were shuttled in these vans that they call combis in South Africa which they use kind of like taxis and is the main form of public transportation to a hotel/hostel called St. Peter's Place. It used to be a seminary and Archbishop Desmond Tutu studied there! Sharon, the manager was very nice and explained the historic place to us.

My time in Johannesburg was full of education, speakers, tourist sites and getting to know my group! There are 17 of us students on the CGE trip. 13 are girls and 4 boys. It's quite a distribution gender-wise, but Kristin, our intern and saving grace here, says that's quite common. Anyway I'm enjoying getting to know the group though there's always some pressure to get to know everyone and be on your best behavior.

Anyway the next day, or our first full day in Jo'Burg, we went to the Hector Pieterson Museum. This is a museum dedicated to a little boy who died in a student protest. The students were protesting the apartheid government's ruling to force Afrikaans, the language of the oppressor to be taught in the schools. The students organized and did not tell their parents because they feared their parents would stop them. They marched peacefully protesting the use of Afrikaans in the schools. The police set loose a dog on the students and tear gas, the students killed the dog and the police opened fire on the students. Hector Pieterson was the first to be killed. He was only 13 years old. Antoinette Sithole, his older sister came to speak to us about it. She was so brave to speak to us about how her brother was killed. There is a very famous picture of her running after another student who was carrying he little brother. I thanked her for her bravery as a student protesting and surviving the trauma of her brother being killed. The museum was full of information about other student protests that the One that originated out of Soweto inspired. Many people died. The student strikes began in June 1976.

Later we visited the Regina Mundi church. Churches were an integral part of resisting the apartheid government, as blacks were not allowed to organize they did so secretly in churches and if the police came upon them they pretended to be in the middle of a sermon. The police came to the Regina Mundi and demanded that thousands of people leave the church in just a few minutes. There weren't enough doors and people were shot and killed in the church. There are still bullet holes to this day and part of the altar has been chipped off when a police man whoe slammed the butt of his Ak-47 against the altar and chipped it.

These events were quite a lot to take in, along with a quick history of South Africa and some important cultural cues.

Anyway I could be on ALL night if I go at this rate so this is just going to be a teaser until I get caught up! I promise I will keep posting and posting until I'm up-to-date. So keep checking it. The weekend is coming up so I may have more time! Follow my photos on facebook as I post them and you can see so much of what I've mentioned today and the following days. Now I'm out for a low-key night at the Cardboard Box, a bar just down the block from our house.

In Namibia,
Sam

Today is the day!

Forgive my tardiness in posting but I have confronted some technical problems that delayed it. Anyway I am now in Washington D.C. in a hotel by the airport. I spent the night here after having begun my journey all the way back in Indianapolis. I didn't arrive at the hotel until around 2 a.m. and though I slept like a rock I still feel like I could sleep for hours, which I guess is a good thing because in about 7 hours I will be boarding the plane to Johannesburg, South Africa!

Amidst the feelings of fatigue I am also excited and scared! I can hardly believe it's happening! I am en route to South Africa! I find myself barely able to contain it, as I have told everyone I have sat next to on the planes so far! I feel a whole mixture of things. Excitement to be able to have this chance and start this journey. Fear of the unknown. Sadness at leaving behind those that I love. 

I have gone between the three of them quite frequently! It's exhausting! Just kidding, mostly I just keep my eye on the prize, especially while traveling. I know that if I think too much while in the airport I may just randomly breakdown in tears or a fit of excitement. I know this may sound like I'm quite a handful but really I am quite stable!

I've been lucky so far in that I have arrived safely and on time for all of my flights. I realize as I say this that I may somehow be jinxing myself and the most important flight is going to go wrong, but that's just me being a bit anxious.

It's been a little hard on me to travel. I get so lonely when I see people traveling in pairs or groups. Also my check-in bag originally weighed 57 lbs! Imagine my family and I, pulled over to the side taking my luggage apart for the heavy things that can go in my carry-on! Now my check-in bag weighs exactly 50 lbs on the nose! And my carry-on is heavy too! So the weight of rolling those two bags around and my lap top is exhausting me, just thinking about it! Another stupid thing about the airport is that the Internet is readily available to all... who want to fork over the change it costs! Lame! It seems un-American to charge people for the Internet.... although it seems American to want to make a buck!

Airports aside, I'm ready to meet all the students going on this trip with me! I can't wait to meet them and finally have people to travel with. I want to get to know them all since we are going to spend the next four months of our lives together. I wonder how we will all mesh as a group. Also I can't wait to get to South Africa! I feel stuck in the limbo between here and there and I don't much care for it. Sometime I wish we could exist in the far future where travel is so easy, you go to sleep and when you wake up you're there... ah someday!

Well I guess I am out. It's strange to think that the next post on this blog will be coming at you straight from Johannesburg, South Africa! Anyway, to all my loved ones and friends in the U.S. right now I just want to thank you all for your support in getting me to this point, on the edge of the precipice. Your help is invaluable to me and you all are never far from my thoughts. Thank you, again and keep reading! It's bound to only get better!

On her way,

Sam

P.S. I was so nervous when I was packing that I would forget something important but the only thing I can think I forgot so far, was a pen! Who does that? Who forgets a writing utensil, as the schools call them? I guess me! : )

T-5 Days

Since my last post I have been running about, though I wish I could say I have been running about getting ready! I have much to do before I am actually ready, which I hope to accomplish in this week... no I HAVE TO accomplish in this week! I'm leaving for Washington D.C. Friday afternoon so this is my last minute window of time to get my business in order.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to clue you in on what I have been using to procrastinate on! I saw Avatar in IMAX 3D which was awesome! It was very beautiful! But lets not get carried away it was no District 9! Anyway then I had coffee with a friend and spent some quality time with the family.

A lot of the quality time with the family has consisted of watching international movies and I must say it is quite a gamble with some of them. We've watched some of the strangest movies ever! For example we have seen two Japanese films that have totally bombed! We are still searching for the right fit as we're sure SOME Japanese flick out there has got to be good. If you don't believe me the last film we watched a woman literally licked a man's eyeball! It was probably one of the strangest and most disgusting things I've ever seen!

Onto the next...
Eric and I helped a friend move into his house in Bloomington. Then I spent the night there which was quite fun! We played this game called Celebrities and won one and lost one. I'm not the best at trivia, even pop culture trivia, oh well! Go team '07!

Now I'm back home and the two biggest things on the agenda are, say goodbye to more folks and get ready to go! On that note, I'm off to do so. Thanks for reading and wish me luck with getting everything done this week, I'll post updates on my awesome productive nature this coming week!

Saturday is the day!
Sam

T-7 Days: A final romp in the snow!

Today was a nice day! Woke and attempted to be productive. I researched non-profits in Indianapolis as I am searching for a summer internship. What would be ideal is a summer internship that paid and focused on events managing or coordinating. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Then the snow came in HEAVY! A gal pal, Christina, and I had planned to get some coffee that afternoon but we rescheduled for tomorrow due to weather. So instead of keeping warm we celebrated the new snowfall by going sledding!!

Austin, my little brother, Eric, my guy, Grant, his little brother, and I went up north and sledded to our hearts content! It was so much fun! We competed constantly to see who was the best sledder. Needless to say team Ryan whooped team Churchill! It's ok, better luck next time. I know we can't all be as incredible as my brother and me! ; )

After that we got in the car and began the painful process of thawing! Austin and I finished thawing at home over dinner and a couple French films. My mom and I are something of international movie-goers.

now I'm back at Eric's watching....

You'll never guess!

Doug!

Remember Doug?!? From the 90's, our childhoods!! We LOVE it! It's so nostalgic and unique, there's just nothing like it!

7 days 'til Namibia!

Sam

T-8 Days!

I am writing now from my living room in Indianapolis, Indiana 8 days from when I'm departing for my voyage to South Africa and Namibia. I am going to spend a semester abroad there. Three months and three weeks to be exact. I will be taking classes and working at an internship. I will be spending most of my time in Windhoek (pronounced wind-hook) the capitol of Namibia, I will spend my first week in Johannesburg South Africa and my last week in Cape Town, South Africa.

The classes I will be taking are as follows:
Racism and Resistance in Southern Africa and the U.S.
Political and Social Change in Southern Africa
The Development Process- Southern Africa
Religion and Social Change in Southern Africa

The beauty of these classes and this entire program is that it fits so beautifully into one of my majors: International Service. My major is a large part of the reason why I chose to study abroad in Namibia. Telling people where I was studying abroad elicited many different responses!

I'm going to Namibia because I am looking to gain an invaluable experience by studying abroad and working abroad. It's so important to me to see and experience other parts of the world and how people live. Also my internship will be working at the only home for domestically abused women in Windhoek, called Friendly Haven. I hope this will be a challenging and valuable experience.

Ultimately, I'm unsure of what Namibia has to offer me but I'm excited and ready for it! A part of me is scared! I don't quite know what to expect but I'm sure whatever will come of it will be an amazing experience.

Keep up with my posts to see how I'm doing before I leave and what I am up to while in Namibia and South Africa!

Sam