fresh out of the best weekend of my life, literally. i cannot recount on here how many times i simply threw my head back and laughed in overwhelming joy at how wonderful life can be.
after the long haul out there through nothing but desert, seeing the ocean was a fantastic of scenery. it is SO BIG and i could totally see brazil far on the other end. we ate dinner at a fancy pub on the ocean called "the lighthouse" and the food was amazing, capped off with a too chocolatey slice of delicious cake. i couldn't wait to get into that ocean water... so...
yup. we went skinny dipping. at 10 pm at night. hello atlantic, now that we're personal, lets be friends?
i can't believe i actually did that.
thursday was filled with even more adventures. the man in charge of the program here, urbanus dax, a pleasantly plump man who would make a great grandpa, actually has an elementary school named after him on the coast. we visited the school and heard about his work there in the 1990s. urb sure gets around. then we ventured to the world's largest uranium mine! to me, it looked just about the same as the rock quarry on i94, but i guess this was cooler. nuclear war is cool. or something.
we had a tour of swakop, through the black townships and to the ocean :) looks a little different during the day! we saw the hospital where angelina jolie adopted her namibia children. i did some shopping in the cute downtown shops and then we had a picnic on the beach, complete with cheese, crackers, salmon, and cheap wine. the sunset was absolutely phenomenal. we ended the night with a bonfire on the beach.
friday we traveled to walvis bay, the main port of namibia's coast, about 30 km south of swakopmund. we visited the municipality and heard some speakers talk about infrastructure, city planning, and environmental concerns. i really liked the building we were in because everything is themed around the ocean! lots of anchors and the like. we actually got to go to the harbor where all of the international ships come in. it was SO cool! i've never seen such big sea vessels. i felt like i was playing battleship when i looked out in the horizon. b12?
then we tackled dune 7, a popular attraction for silly tourists like myself. it was basically a giant sand dune, part of God's infinite sandbox. it made the dunes of lake michigan look like sand castles. after struggling to get to the top, i could hardly believe my eyes! there was sand everywhere! i really felt like i was starring in a real life version of aladdin, i thought for sure the cave of wonders was going to pop up in any second! we climbed all over the dunes, but my favorite part was the run down. you go so fast and can't help it! then you trip and fall and roll around and think its hilarious.
saturday will live in infamy. we woke up early to be picked up by leon, a native afrikaner namibian who was taken me and 7 of my friends to kayak in the ocean at a seal colony! we drove all the way out to "pelican point," which basically consisted of nothing but sand with water on both sides, it was so deserted. then we saw them - the SEALS. in the hundreds! so many seals! it is actually a safe haven for them because the water is too murky for sharks to see them - they have no natural enemies except death itself. we put on our water clothes and water shoes and pushed off shore. the uss happy feet, with captain megan lee and first mate rachel dahlgren was in action. the seals were everywhere, and so friendly and playful. they would come right up to us and bite on our paddles, look at us in the face and then splash water at us. they would jump and dive over the bow of our kayak and underneath it.
and it only got better!
we kayaked out into the deep waters (when was this a good idea? surrounded by nothing but the ocean in an 8 foot boat.. awesome) and then...... DOLPHINS JUMPED OUT OF THE WATER!!! ahh! dolphins!! freakin dolphins. i cannot explain my excitement at this. they were so beautiful. if we paddled fast enough, the dolphins would come up and swim in our wake, and RACE US! and win, because well, rach and i suck, but still! they were so cute! they would zigzag beneath our boat and then leap out of the water. i could not believe our amazing luck at seeing such graceful and beautiful creatures!
we also saw jellyfish as round as santa's belly. i called them my squishy. they were... awesome. and we saw pelicans! and jackals. i didn't like the jackals much though. they are lonely scavengers.
as if the day couldn't already be so freakin fabulous, i came back to the house and instantly left to ride a camel! it was hilarious. before we hopped on, the lady in charge wrapped our heads with traditional "egyptian" headgear. i looked pretty sweet. the camels were so amusing, very big and smelly. we strolled out into the desert and i felt like a real live vagabond, save for the man walking alongside us holding a leadrope.
that night i ate fish and chips in honor of my newfound love for the coast.
i am so thankful and blessed to have had such a glorious experience.
photographs:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001146&l=40ca3&id=1166100002
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
we're a group of 24 students ....
we had our first "other americans in namibia" encounter- meet ben and adam, graduates of the university of georgia who now lead a life of travel and documentary making all over southern africa. um hi? they generally come through windhoek for about a week every month so i'm looking forward to seeing them pretty regularly. it is surprisingly refreshing to meet people with similar senses of humor! everywhere else in the world hasn't quite caught on to the beauty of sarcasm.
besides them oftentimes creeping around the house, it has been a fairly uneventful couple of days. friday night we went out to eat at "joe's beerhouse," a *TOURIST MUST.* it was a restaurant set in the outdoors, very cabana-like, with a stream full of koi running through the middle and gravel for a floor. it was absolutely covered in jagermeister bottles, obviously some german owns the place. they even used the bottles as candlestick holders, which brings me to my next point- CLASS. haha. it was actually a pretty cool atmosphere, next time i go i am getting a sampler kabob with crocodile, kudu, oryx, gemsbok, and zebra meat! and then i'll probably vomit, and/or break out in a rash, whatevz.
we went DANCING on friday night- it was long overdue. there is nothing like going out with your friends and leaving your cares at the door. dancing here is alot different then dancing back home- i am convinced that namibians have an extra bone or are missing a bone because their legs and hips shake like no other, all the time! clubs crack me up really, all the lights and lasers and smoke. i think i want my house to have a club room someday (complete with bouncing floors).
saturday we had an "international picnic" with some finnish students and namibian students. it was set up by Taura, who I had heard so much about from Kim Haugen and Bret Hassler- it was nice to finally meet her! I have never met a young woman with such a unique and free spirit who wants nothing more to glorify God in all that she does. Her heart is about the size of Namibia! I am looking forward to spending more time with her this semester.
we had a silly pool day and played marco polo and did chicken fights. everyone came out with ambitions to read and be productive poolside but were suckered in, mwahaha. wasn't even mad. there's that good feeling about just jumping in thats hard to find elsewhere! we also ate ice cream out of the tub and had a bonfire with smores. let it be known, this place has the most wonderful assortment of marshmallows- including banana flavored. its true. it was definitely one of those days that you wished could go on forever.
i got to talk to my dad on the phone and wish him a happy birthday! it was so good to hear from him. he is having an okay time at the academy, and my brother is joining him this week. i guess june and carla have a shopping date in the meantime (i am so jealous!)
the highlight of my weekend was when we went to a place called "the funky lab" and the music video for "the boy is mine" by brandy came on. talk about a quality throw back.
this week should be a peach because we only have class til wednesday then we are traveling to the western coast, in swakopmund and walvis bay. i am excited to put my feet in the atlantic (since i have never!) and kayak with SEALS. fosho.
besides them oftentimes creeping around the house, it has been a fairly uneventful couple of days. friday night we went out to eat at "joe's beerhouse," a *TOURIST MUST.* it was a restaurant set in the outdoors, very cabana-like, with a stream full of koi running through the middle and gravel for a floor. it was absolutely covered in jagermeister bottles, obviously some german owns the place. they even used the bottles as candlestick holders, which brings me to my next point- CLASS. haha. it was actually a pretty cool atmosphere, next time i go i am getting a sampler kabob with crocodile, kudu, oryx, gemsbok, and zebra meat! and then i'll probably vomit, and/or break out in a rash, whatevz.
we went DANCING on friday night- it was long overdue. there is nothing like going out with your friends and leaving your cares at the door. dancing here is alot different then dancing back home- i am convinced that namibians have an extra bone or are missing a bone because their legs and hips shake like no other, all the time! clubs crack me up really, all the lights and lasers and smoke. i think i want my house to have a club room someday (complete with bouncing floors).
saturday we had an "international picnic" with some finnish students and namibian students. it was set up by Taura, who I had heard so much about from Kim Haugen and Bret Hassler- it was nice to finally meet her! I have never met a young woman with such a unique and free spirit who wants nothing more to glorify God in all that she does. Her heart is about the size of Namibia! I am looking forward to spending more time with her this semester.
we had a silly pool day and played marco polo and did chicken fights. everyone came out with ambitions to read and be productive poolside but were suckered in, mwahaha. wasn't even mad. there's that good feeling about just jumping in thats hard to find elsewhere! we also ate ice cream out of the tub and had a bonfire with smores. let it be known, this place has the most wonderful assortment of marshmallows- including banana flavored. its true. it was definitely one of those days that you wished could go on forever.
i got to talk to my dad on the phone and wish him a happy birthday! it was so good to hear from him. he is having an okay time at the academy, and my brother is joining him this week. i guess june and carla have a shopping date in the meantime (i am so jealous!)
the highlight of my weekend was when we went to a place called "the funky lab" and the music video for "the boy is mine" by brandy came on. talk about a quality throw back.
this week should be a peach because we only have class til wednesday then we are traveling to the western coast, in swakopmund and walvis bay. i am excited to put my feet in the atlantic (since i have never!) and kayak with SEALS. fosho.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
eat your heart out AFRICA
turns out i am not diseased. i went to the emergency room wednesday afternoon because all the doctors/dermatologists in the area decided to peace out when i needed them most. womp. but the medicenter was fine. the doctor didn't seem to interested in my (in my opinion) HORRIFIC rash and basically explained it was because i started eating meat again after being a vegetarian for so long.
i am not convinced.
so after a shot in the hiney and some prescription medication, i was on my way to hopefully a rashfree day. at least its not bed bugs, right? or some awkward disease that requires quarantining/deportation/etc. lets look at the bright side kids!
i'll let it be known that my new "lets have fun" policy is already off to a fabulous start. wednesday night rachel, cameron, and i spent a few hours trying to plan small trips for our upcoming free weekends. they are sure to include lots of hiking, wildlife hunting(imean seeking), picture taking, and adventures! there may or may not be snuggling with cheetahs involved, i will keep you posted. ;) then we laid out under the stars in the backyard and wished the windhoek city lights weren't so bright themselves. i am still a firm believer that the stars shine brightest at camp pendalouan, but am told when we do our rural homestay in a few weeks that it will be unbelievable.
history class on thursday was pretty amazing, we got to meet with a man who created the OPO, the Ovambo People's Organization, which played a major role in the liberation movement of natives in Namibia. He was an old man, pretty much baller status, and could honestly tell me what he did on (insert any day ages ago), including the temperature, how much money he spent, and what day it was (and do not worry, he often did tell us). I can hardly remember what I did last Wednesday, let alone the Wednesday of 1994.
Fall break plans are coming along nicely, and it looks as if I will be tackling the great, majestic, "Smoke that Thunders," aka Victoria Falls- one of the 7 wonders of the world. I cannot be more excited!
As for home updates, Dad (aka the birthday boy come Saturday!) is still at the academy and is homesick after 2 weeks of being gone! How cute haha. Mom says her new aerobic classes are kicking her butt and that she's already tired of playing "Mrs. DeWitt" at the Buckley Homestead "Sleepy Hollow" plays. :) Grandma is doing okay, and just had her kitchen repainted! I am excited to see it at Christmas. Cameron and I officially ended things(for now) BUT its okay. And Max lost a whisker (does that constitute a wish?).
Note to self: eating ice cream in zoo park is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and time you enjoy wasting is in fact not time wasted.
God's peace!
i am not convinced.
so after a shot in the hiney and some prescription medication, i was on my way to hopefully a rashfree day. at least its not bed bugs, right? or some awkward disease that requires quarantining/deportation/etc. lets look at the bright side kids!
i'll let it be known that my new "lets have fun" policy is already off to a fabulous start. wednesday night rachel, cameron, and i spent a few hours trying to plan small trips for our upcoming free weekends. they are sure to include lots of hiking, wildlife hunting(imean seeking), picture taking, and adventures! there may or may not be snuggling with cheetahs involved, i will keep you posted. ;) then we laid out under the stars in the backyard and wished the windhoek city lights weren't so bright themselves. i am still a firm believer that the stars shine brightest at camp pendalouan, but am told when we do our rural homestay in a few weeks that it will be unbelievable.
history class on thursday was pretty amazing, we got to meet with a man who created the OPO, the Ovambo People's Organization, which played a major role in the liberation movement of natives in Namibia. He was an old man, pretty much baller status, and could honestly tell me what he did on (insert any day ages ago), including the temperature, how much money he spent, and what day it was (and do not worry, he often did tell us). I can hardly remember what I did last Wednesday, let alone the Wednesday of 1994.
Fall break plans are coming along nicely, and it looks as if I will be tackling the great, majestic, "Smoke that Thunders," aka Victoria Falls- one of the 7 wonders of the world. I cannot be more excited!
As for home updates, Dad (aka the birthday boy come Saturday!) is still at the academy and is homesick after 2 weeks of being gone! How cute haha. Mom says her new aerobic classes are kicking her butt and that she's already tired of playing "Mrs. DeWitt" at the Buckley Homestead "Sleepy Hollow" plays. :) Grandma is doing okay, and just had her kitchen repainted! I am excited to see it at Christmas. Cameron and I officially ended things(for now) BUT its okay. And Max lost a whisker (does that constitute a wish?).
Note to self: eating ice cream in zoo park is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and time you enjoy wasting is in fact not time wasted.
God's peace!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
its official: womp.
6 reasons why I think Africa hates me
1. An entire bottle of maple syrup I brought from home broke and spilled in my luggage and all over my things
2. My grandfather passed away day 2 namibia
3. My keys magically disappeared/ran away/I can't find them
4. I keep getting electricuted when I take a shower or handwash my laundry.
5. I woke up with a DEATH EYE on friday (thank you dry weather).
6. I am currently dealing with BEDBUGS or chicken pox or AIDS?? or another sort of rash that seems to be spreading all over my body.
Thanks life.
On another note --
it is definitely good to be back home. monday night we had a sing along on the balcony and it was so beautiful out. we sang lots of church songs and also christmas songs. and RENT. and we ate obnoxious amounts of rice krispy treats.
i cannot sleep in my bed due to said possible bugs biting me whilst i slumber. last night i slept on the couch but a few girls dragged their beds to the common room to keep me company. we watched greys anatomy on dvd and did homework and facebooked.
i bought a beaded owl figurine at the market that is YELLOW AND RED and i am putting it in chi omega's chapter room when i come back. :)
adela and i had a "lets show each other pictures of all of our ex bf's" date and it was pretty hilarious.
i think i am just going to go to the doctor because i hate not knowing what this rash is and i want to get rid of it ASAP.
1. An entire bottle of maple syrup I brought from home broke and spilled in my luggage and all over my things
2. My grandfather passed away day 2 namibia
3. My keys magically disappeared/ran away/I can't find them
4. I keep getting electricuted when I take a shower or handwash my laundry.
5. I woke up with a DEATH EYE on friday (thank you dry weather).
6. I am currently dealing with BEDBUGS or chicken pox or AIDS?? or another sort of rash that seems to be spreading all over my body.
Thanks life.
On another note --
it is definitely good to be back home. monday night we had a sing along on the balcony and it was so beautiful out. we sang lots of church songs and also christmas songs. and RENT. and we ate obnoxious amounts of rice krispy treats.
i cannot sleep in my bed due to said possible bugs biting me whilst i slumber. last night i slept on the couch but a few girls dragged their beds to the common room to keep me company. we watched greys anatomy on dvd and did homework and facebooked.
i bought a beaded owl figurine at the market that is YELLOW AND RED and i am putting it in chi omega's chapter room when i come back. :)
adela and i had a "lets show each other pictures of all of our ex bf's" date and it was pretty hilarious.
i think i am just going to go to the doctor because i hate not knowing what this rash is and i want to get rid of it ASAP.
Monday, September 15, 2008
hey blackfoot!
"we have black feet!" < --- i love camp pendalouan.
i've realized blogging is a wonderful hobby, and now pledge to update more often, and not only when i am sitting at my internship, being useless. (tehe)
last week i got to eat pizzzza. mmm glorious pizza. however, it did not compare to when i was in china and ate at pizza hut, that was literally the best pizza i've ever had (especially after 3 weeks of fish heads and chicken feet and eels and live shrimp and the like). we also went and saw a live show at the "warehouse" by the rockets from cape town. it was a group of 5 older gentlemen who covered popular (albeit random) songs, including - selena and........ "time of your life" from dirty dancing. let it be known i was singing every word, despite the stares (not really sure if it was because i was the only white person in the venue or because i am awesome?)
the weekend lead to more adventures. my brother lorenzo and i drove around in his "bucky" (a small truck like automobile) and blasted jordin sparks, "no air" on repeat until we learned all the words... i love taking the long way home, windows down, feet on the dashboard. saturday i went shopping in town with my mom and i bought a winter jacket... before you question/hate, realize that everything for cold seasons is on clearance right now, and i will be able to use it come december! :) it is really quite lovely and reminds me rainy foggy london days. oh to be in london again.
we went to the market and bought alot of food for supper. we had a big gathering at the house for wedding planning. my older sister, gloria, is tying the knot in october. i really want to go to the wedding, but its during my 3 week fall break with the center. good grief. i wanted to partake in the wedding planning but having the women speak in english all the while was a tall order. so instead, i played with the kids, and watched madagascar. i really love that littlest lemur.
and before i knew it, it was sunday morning, when i had promised my family i would make a traditional american breakfast. i made pancakes and gave them a gift of maple syrup from the deep river park grist mill back in the 'bart. i don't think they really understood the concept, but thats fine. making pancakes from scratch is not so difficult, and i think next time i will experiment with extra goodies (aka chocolate chips, bananas, and peanutbutter).
we went swimming at the pool at my house and the kids had such a fun time. i hope that they come back later this semester. maybe we can have a picnic!!! although it was a little harder to say goodbye to my family than i thought it would be, i am overall glad to be done with my urban homestay. i do plan on keeping in touch with my family and seeing them a few more times before i leave namibia, but its definitely nice to be back with my friends at the center.
we all went out to celebrate our reunion, and to celebrate paul's 21st birthday!! hey-o. my first 21 year old party :) i got to buy him a drink :) we always go to this bar/hostel up the road called the cardboard box... and even though it is very chill and low key, i like it so much, mostly because we get to meet so many interesting people from all over the world midst their travels. they lead such exciting, nomadic lives, i hope i can do the same someday!
love and hugs to my loyal reader(s), if you are out there?
i've realized blogging is a wonderful hobby, and now pledge to update more often, and not only when i am sitting at my internship, being useless. (tehe)
last week i got to eat pizzzza. mmm glorious pizza. however, it did not compare to when i was in china and ate at pizza hut, that was literally the best pizza i've ever had (especially after 3 weeks of fish heads and chicken feet and eels and live shrimp and the like). we also went and saw a live show at the "warehouse" by the rockets from cape town. it was a group of 5 older gentlemen who covered popular (albeit random) songs, including - selena and........ "time of your life" from dirty dancing. let it be known i was singing every word, despite the stares (not really sure if it was because i was the only white person in the venue or because i am awesome?)
the weekend lead to more adventures. my brother lorenzo and i drove around in his "bucky" (a small truck like automobile) and blasted jordin sparks, "no air" on repeat until we learned all the words... i love taking the long way home, windows down, feet on the dashboard. saturday i went shopping in town with my mom and i bought a winter jacket... before you question/hate, realize that everything for cold seasons is on clearance right now, and i will be able to use it come december! :) it is really quite lovely and reminds me rainy foggy london days. oh to be in london again.
we went to the market and bought alot of food for supper. we had a big gathering at the house for wedding planning. my older sister, gloria, is tying the knot in october. i really want to go to the wedding, but its during my 3 week fall break with the center. good grief. i wanted to partake in the wedding planning but having the women speak in english all the while was a tall order. so instead, i played with the kids, and watched madagascar. i really love that littlest lemur.
and before i knew it, it was sunday morning, when i had promised my family i would make a traditional american breakfast. i made pancakes and gave them a gift of maple syrup from the deep river park grist mill back in the 'bart. i don't think they really understood the concept, but thats fine. making pancakes from scratch is not so difficult, and i think next time i will experiment with extra goodies (aka chocolate chips, bananas, and peanutbutter).
we went swimming at the pool at my house and the kids had such a fun time. i hope that they come back later this semester. maybe we can have a picnic!!! although it was a little harder to say goodbye to my family than i thought it would be, i am overall glad to be done with my urban homestay. i do plan on keeping in touch with my family and seeing them a few more times before i leave namibia, but its definitely nice to be back with my friends at the center.
we all went out to celebrate our reunion, and to celebrate paul's 21st birthday!! hey-o. my first 21 year old party :) i got to buy him a drink :) we always go to this bar/hostel up the road called the cardboard box... and even though it is very chill and low key, i like it so much, mostly because we get to meet so many interesting people from all over the world midst their travels. they lead such exciting, nomadic lives, i hope i can do the same someday!
love and hugs to my loyal reader(s), if you are out there?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
walalapo meimei u tatei!
I have learned two new languages since I've last posted! One with CLICKS called "damara/nama" and the other is called "Oshivambo." What a busy week we've had! I started my internship last Monday and was honestly disappointed. The organization I am working for is called the "Namibia Housing Action Group" under "Shack Dwellers Federation." As you can maybe deduce from the name, it is a low-income housing / micro credit finance group that helps the impoverished of Namibia to rise from the depths!! They teach the people their own means of daily savings and training so as to start their own private businesses. It is SUCH a cool idea and the people are really benefiting from it. However, I didn't have very much to do on my first day and my supervisor did not really have time to see me. When she did, she informed me of this ginormo project that I am in charge of completing during my time here. It is actually really awesome -- I have to go into the community and meet with people who are now living in homes versus their former shacks and find out about their lives. After collecting all the information I have to make a database of sorts that holds all of their testimonies. As awesome as it is, I am definitely overwhelmed -- there are nearly 300 projects! Over 1/3 of the population of Namibia is considered "extremely poor." I may have the chance to talk to most of the them!
On Tuesday we had a "group retreat" and went to a resort outside of Windhoek. It was in the mountains and very beautiful! They had some game roaming about including monkeys, kudu, horses, and... CATS. YAy! :) The kudu was tame and really quite friendly. It is a type of large deer-ish animal thing. I took lots of pictures :) We did a lot of "group building activities" including... egg on the spoon race! Yes! My team didn't win but it was a valiable effort... We also shared "life stories" with each other, trying to explain our identity in 5-10 minutes. It was really interesting to learn more about the people I am sharing this experience with. Mine of course included when Steven Plucevsky threw a worm on me in Kindergarten and when I beat Dexter Larimore (2006 National Heavyweight champion / OSU football player) in arm wrestling in 3rd grade. Just kidding. Though those seem to be very memorable times in my life.
Juuust kidding... :) I mostly talked about the "bubble" I feel that I lived in before college, and how my eyes have really opened since coming to Valpo. I am now a woman who makes my own opinions, free of the influence of my parents, my friends, and my home church. And I am much happier now. I now realize that my privilege lends me a responsibity to help those who are less fortunate than me, and I am on the road of a humbled servant of God in the world promoting awareness and change.
We started our classes this week, and although they are everyday for four hours, they don't seem to be terribly boring or impossible. I have quite a bit of work on my hands already, and frankly, I just want to hang out in the sun and enjoy my time here, not keep my nose in a book. On the other hand, I love doing well in school, so I am combining the two -- reading by the pool. Ah, the life.
Our second homestays began and I have a pretty B.A. family. They're almost like hippie throwbacks, my brother has dreads and my mom is always wearing tie-dye. Everyone room in their house is a different BRIGHT color, serious hot pink and sunflower yellow. My room is pink :) They are very devout Christians and love to talk about their faith, which is really inspiring! I also have a little brother named Damian who is a hyper little bugger. He is pretty infatuated with me and loves waking me up in the morning by jumping into bed with me... and then poking me til I come alive... Haha. He is a treat. The only downside is they basically won't let me continue my meat-free diet! Bah. On Friday, we had a traditional "braii" (barbeque) and they cooked tons of steak, pork, and sausage... then gave me a heaping plate and watched me eat it. Haha. I really don't mind at all, I knew coming here that being a veggie might pose some problems.. and honestly, the meat here is yummy... and hasn't made me sick... yet. :)
Saturday we went to a 21st birthday party in Rehoboth, a town about 80 km from here. I guess 21 is a big deal here as well because you are "officially" an adult. The party was dolphin themed? And everything was pink and blue... looked like a baby shower to me.
There are many people who live in the house that I am staying in, and it is so much fun! I love playing with the kids, even if they ask me "why I'm not black." Haha. We also have puppies!!!! Who are crazy and fun. And there is a man here who plays guitar and piano.. I am going to go see him play this week. There is also talk of going to a pizza place later and watching pirates of the caribbean 3! Speaking of television, my family watches the most awkward soap opera called "The Woman of My Life." I think its originally in spanish and its dubbed over in English, everyone's names are like "Barnita" and "Pedro." And its super awkward and the acting is ... good... When I meet up with CGE friends at the house, we all talk about what Esperanza did the night before (how could she?!) or how hot Eduardo looked in his button down shirt with the top buttons undone... all the families just love that weird show.
I started traveling with my internship to speak with people in shantytowns. I have to have a translator come and help me, which is actually really awkward. I have never dealt with translators before. I initially felt very uncomfortable talking to the people, I felt like they all stared at me grumpily during our conversation. But alas, my discomfort was unjustified - before I left, they asked me to stay and share a "traditional african drink" with them... it had corn in it. 'Nough said. :)
My homestay ends on Sunday and I am happy for it to come to a close. Although I enjoy my family, I really love my CGE house and friends more :) I have been able to talk pretty regularly to my good friends from home so that is exciting, even the ones who are abroad! (I want to go to Europe!!!!) Feel free to drop me an email @ megan.lee@valpo.edu because I would love to hear from you :)
some photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001124&l=84655&id=1166100002
On Tuesday we had a "group retreat" and went to a resort outside of Windhoek. It was in the mountains and very beautiful! They had some game roaming about including monkeys, kudu, horses, and... CATS. YAy! :) The kudu was tame and really quite friendly. It is a type of large deer-ish animal thing. I took lots of pictures :) We did a lot of "group building activities" including... egg on the spoon race! Yes! My team didn't win but it was a valiable effort... We also shared "life stories" with each other, trying to explain our identity in 5-10 minutes. It was really interesting to learn more about the people I am sharing this experience with. Mine of course included when Steven Plucevsky threw a worm on me in Kindergarten and when I beat Dexter Larimore (2006 National Heavyweight champion / OSU football player) in arm wrestling in 3rd grade. Just kidding. Though those seem to be very memorable times in my life.
Juuust kidding... :) I mostly talked about the "bubble" I feel that I lived in before college, and how my eyes have really opened since coming to Valpo. I am now a woman who makes my own opinions, free of the influence of my parents, my friends, and my home church. And I am much happier now. I now realize that my privilege lends me a responsibity to help those who are less fortunate than me, and I am on the road of a humbled servant of God in the world promoting awareness and change.
We started our classes this week, and although they are everyday for four hours, they don't seem to be terribly boring or impossible. I have quite a bit of work on my hands already, and frankly, I just want to hang out in the sun and enjoy my time here, not keep my nose in a book. On the other hand, I love doing well in school, so I am combining the two -- reading by the pool. Ah, the life.
Our second homestays began and I have a pretty B.A. family. They're almost like hippie throwbacks, my brother has dreads and my mom is always wearing tie-dye. Everyone room in their house is a different BRIGHT color, serious hot pink and sunflower yellow. My room is pink :) They are very devout Christians and love to talk about their faith, which is really inspiring! I also have a little brother named Damian who is a hyper little bugger. He is pretty infatuated with me and loves waking me up in the morning by jumping into bed with me... and then poking me til I come alive... Haha. He is a treat. The only downside is they basically won't let me continue my meat-free diet! Bah. On Friday, we had a traditional "braii" (barbeque) and they cooked tons of steak, pork, and sausage... then gave me a heaping plate and watched me eat it. Haha. I really don't mind at all, I knew coming here that being a veggie might pose some problems.. and honestly, the meat here is yummy... and hasn't made me sick... yet. :)
Saturday we went to a 21st birthday party in Rehoboth, a town about 80 km from here. I guess 21 is a big deal here as well because you are "officially" an adult. The party was dolphin themed? And everything was pink and blue... looked like a baby shower to me.
There are many people who live in the house that I am staying in, and it is so much fun! I love playing with the kids, even if they ask me "why I'm not black." Haha. We also have puppies!!!! Who are crazy and fun. And there is a man here who plays guitar and piano.. I am going to go see him play this week. There is also talk of going to a pizza place later and watching pirates of the caribbean 3! Speaking of television, my family watches the most awkward soap opera called "The Woman of My Life." I think its originally in spanish and its dubbed over in English, everyone's names are like "Barnita" and "Pedro." And its super awkward and the acting is ... good... When I meet up with CGE friends at the house, we all talk about what Esperanza did the night before (how could she?!) or how hot Eduardo looked in his button down shirt with the top buttons undone... all the families just love that weird show.
I started traveling with my internship to speak with people in shantytowns. I have to have a translator come and help me, which is actually really awkward. I have never dealt with translators before. I initially felt very uncomfortable talking to the people, I felt like they all stared at me grumpily during our conversation. But alas, my discomfort was unjustified - before I left, they asked me to stay and share a "traditional african drink" with them... it had corn in it. 'Nough said. :)
My homestay ends on Sunday and I am happy for it to come to a close. Although I enjoy my family, I really love my CGE house and friends more :) I have been able to talk pretty regularly to my good friends from home so that is exciting, even the ones who are abroad! (I want to go to Europe!!!!) Feel free to drop me an email @ megan.lee@valpo.edu because I would love to hear from you :)
some photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001124&l=84655&id=1166100002
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