its sabona!

day 5 of namibia and i can already say i feel at home : ) we've had quite a few adventures over the past couple of days. on thursday, we went on a tour of the city. we visited a few graveyards, learned about palm trees, and discovered a history as young and alive as south africa's. i tried a fried worm (blech. tasted like the butt of a tree). we also tried fatcakes, which is basically a ball of that delicious greasy elephant ear dough... an all natural energy drink with sorghum in it... and fresh steak! as in, every morning, the market people collect some cows, kill them, and serve them throughout the day. they were butchering the pieces of meat right in the middle of all the market hustle and bustle, and of course there were flies everywhere... but- the meat tasted super good!

i also got a phone call at the house from my parents! it was so good to hear from them. i miss them everyday and wish they could come travel with me!! of course it was very difficult to hear the news about my grandfather... i have kind of been a mess all week over it. but, the people of my group were very caring and understanding, they gave me a card and some flowers... i just wish more than anything i could've been home to be with my family. i wanted to give everyone a hug, and just be there. it is so hard to think about... regardless, i was so pleased to talk to my june and dad, and look forward to our next phone conversation!

friday during the day we went on a "quest" of sorts through katatura -- the poorer township of windhoek. it was really interesting- i saw people kill a chicken! and pluck its feathers! and i then wanted to vom, obvi. haha. it was sad/gross/etc. and the chickens literally do move without their heads attached. what is that about? freaks. we also saw a live music group that had percussion instruments strapped to their ankles, so they would stomp around and make beats. it was awesome. we had a meeting regarding our first day at our internships... yikes- they start monday! i think i am ready. i am a little apprehensive but i am sure it will go well.

friday night nearly everyone in the group went up the street to our "local bar hangout" - the cardboard box. its actually a backpacker's hostel so there are a lot of travelin joe's walking around. it was nice to have some free, fun time with the group instead of the always "academic" learning things. we talked to a few of the people about their travels and their lives sound so exotic and adventurous. hi?

saturday i woke up early and went on a big hike up a mountain! it turned out to be quite the adventure. the mountain looked a lot closer than it actually was when we set out. but we were determined! we were off the "beaten path" to put it nicely- aka no trails whatsoever, we just walked through the brush and dry grasses and thorn bushes. it was so worth it though. we saw no animals, but we did see lots of different animal poops. it was so cool to be in the middle of the african wilderness! and the view from the mountain was phenomenal. as much fun as the hike there was, it was a lot more difficult to get back. we didn't really have a focal point/destination like the mountain on the way there... needless to say, we took the "scenic route," and eventually (after a few failed hitchhiking attempts) took a taxi home. hehe!

we met with students from the university of namibia, and had some awesome conversations about life in namibia and how it differs from life in america. it is amazing to learn their stereotypes of life in america - all glamour and glitter and ritz and famous people, new york and l.a. and all that jazz. yes, that is our country as a whole- i mean what? thats just nonsense... but i guess it is what our media portrays to the rest of the world. we talked alot about religion in africa, the aids / hiv epidemic, homosexuality, student life, etc. it was very interesting!

sunday we shopped around town and had a picnic in the parliament gardens. i saw naked, traditional african people covered from head to toe in red mud, and they tried selling me stuff, but i couldn't focus on their products, i was so weirded out haha. i handwashed my laundry and for some reason kept getting electricuted by the faucet- it was so weird! we have a very busy week ahead of us - starting our internships, classes, even our urban homestay. its a little overwhelming, but i'm sure once we get into the swing of things, it will all be fine and dandy. can't wait for what this week has in store!