real world: namibia

another week come and gone in this beautiful country. it was a fairly typical week for me- internship on monday and wednesday, class tuesday, thursday, and friday. up by 7 every morning to get a jog in. every meal consisting of pasta, potatoes, and homemade bread. many dirty dishes lying around the house, conversations about loving edward cullen, and competing for high scores on freerice.com. but there was one glorious difference...

RAIN!

and not just light rain. we had actual thunderstorms. in fact, i think i heard the loudest thunder of my life here. (that means God bowled a clutch strike!)

it was a good week overall, save for the many projects i had due. at the beginning of it, i was feeling very ready to come home and bummed about the month left in windhoek (these thoughts were probably influenced by my looming homework). but now i think it is going entirely too fast. help me!@ go away november.

this week had some wonderful highlights. on wednesday evening, most of the cge group volunteered at a charity fashion event for our friend taura, a local namibian who i have previously mentioned in my blog (think - biggest heart ever!) she, along with her sister, is opening an safehouse for OVC's (orphans and vulnerable children) in her hometown in northern Namibia. she is a very creative and crafty lady so she was holding this event to raise money for the cause by selling her handmade clothes, jewelery, bags, and recycled-wear.

many of the cge students were models. i helped with makeup- just like old times at merrillville high. :) others helped sell products, give out tickets, perform on stage, or manage the refreshments. it was definitely a team effort, and it was alot of fun, and hopefully a significant amount of funds were raised!

and then it was HALLOWEEN!! i of course put on my costume starting at 9 am for class. i decided to dress up as princess lolly from my favorite childhood board game, candyland. it wasn't a very good costume - but on the brightside, it was free, and simple. (i definitely drew inspirations from camp games this summer). i was really excited to see all of the cge students get into it and come in costume to our halloween party. we took pictures, danced around to thriller and the monster mash (and soldier boy), went trick or treating in all of our different rooms, bobbed for apples, and ate delicious (truly) pumpkin bread. it was so very much fun! my favorite costume of the night was probably tommy pickles or pregnant britney spears drinking wine. i also liked wolverine and michael phelps!

i never realized how much i loved halloween til i didn't really have it. i miss autumn!

saturday was a perfect day. i woke up early with rachel and we headed into town to visit the local outdoor markets and craft centers. i am trying to pick out gifts for family and friends - there is just so much to choose from! it was a fun and successful shopping trip though. we even bought matching namibia tshirts with animals on them :) i really love the craft center because it is an initiative to empower women of namibia to utilize their own resources for economic means - so with every product you buy, you also get a picture of the woman who made it, and the story behind her. very cool! it is a little more pricey this way, but i love to support the people.

later in the afternoon, about 6 other students from cge and i went to megameno, the orphanage that our intern volunteers at. we spent the afternoon playing soccer, climbing trees, holding hands, and listening to the kids' stories. it was a very fun but sad afternoon. there are over 40 children in this one orphanage, aged from 1-17. they are all in need of some love and attention, and its hard to give that to so many kids when you are one woman running the orphanage. i am definitely going to spend more time there before the semester is over.

saturday night we went out to eat at a local cameroonian restaurant, and ate traditional african meals out of wooden plates and bowls! it was a very cool experience. i had the kous kous - yum! afterwards, rachel and i decided to make sugar cookies from scratch for everyone. earlier in the week, we had discovered in a drawer cookie cutters in the shapes of hearts, stars, elephants, and hippos! so we had a baking extravaganza- complete with our new matching tshirts and the lion king soundtrack.

the cookies turned out fantastic and it was so fun making them. we even took a plate to the local backpacker's hostel we always go to for the guards, bartenders, and our friends who were hanging out there. it was so funny. we're so awkward.

5 weeks left! the final stretch continues. i can hardly believe it. i wish i was at home in the us for this upcoming week - 1. the elections are tomorrow 2. jennifer leigh halbert's 21st birthday is on FRIDAY 3. chi omega is probation free, finally 4. i want to meet my new dog, lilly!

i sincerely hope you all are having a fantastic day. :)