Dreams of Cold Water...Up in Smoke

For four months now, I’ve lived without a fridge. That means no cold water, no leftovers, no milk, no meat and no ice cream. Given this, I was pretty excited when a beautiful new gas fridge showed up at my house a week ago. In celebration, I even went to the grocery store and bought a box of (long life) milk and a box of Kellogg’s bran flakes (though I didn’t notice until I started snacking on them that they expired last month – always, ALWAYS check the expiration date before you buy food in Nam).

Having never even lit a gas stove before coming to Nam, I didn’t feel qualified to connect the fridge myself so I put off the set up for nearly a week because there never an older, adult male around to do it (just me, the memes and the kids). Finally, under pressure to report back to the ministry about whether it was working or not, I asked my 18 year-old brother to set it up last night. As he worked with another younger boy to connect it to the gas and get it lit, I tidied up the kitchen, fetched water, brought some dirty dishes from my room and generally watched from the sidelines. After it was going, I checked a few times to see if it was feeling cooler (it wasn’t) and decided I’d have to be patient and wait til morning to reach a real conclusion.

Due to the fact that there’s no electricity (therefore not a lot to do after the sun sets) and I’m one of those people that NEEDS at least eight hours of sleep to function properly, I usually head to bed around 9 or 9:30, read for a bit and then fall asleep. As I was reading in my bed around 9:30, I heard a bit of commotion and the word “omeya” (water) outside but I didn’t think anything of it – there’s often commotions happening outside my window. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door and the message, “Miss, you must come see this.” I walked outside to find the fridge on fire.

Eventually, the burning fridge was dragged outside, tipped on its side and sand used to extinguish the fire. Thankfully, the only other damage was a scorch mark or two on the painted cement-block wall. After the flames had ceased, we spent a time standing around marvelling in disbelief (at least I was) and investigating the charred backside to figure out what had caused the fire. As most everything was said in Oshiwambo, I’m still not exactly sure what started the blaze, but from what I gathered, I think the hose connecting the gas tank and the fridge had been too close to the heating element and had melted.

Having had nothing to do with the set up, I did not have to endure the horrible pangs of guilt that I doubtlessly would’ve felt had I been the one who put it together. Instead I stood there in disbelief, alternating between feelings of amusement and amazement. Obviously, it is worthless to become upset over something that is completely out of your control. The excitement over and the damage already done, I decided to go to bed.

Apparently, however, my acceptance of the situation was only conscious, not subconscious. That night I slept horribly! A few hours after falling asleep, I awoke to find myself at the end of my bed, sitting on my mosquito net (luckily I did not pull it out of the ceiling), putting on my flip flops and attempting to unlock my door (now I realize that locking the door is more of a precautionary measure to protect me from myself than to protect me from others). After the sleep walking incident, I tossed and turned to bad dreams, including a bad substitute teaching incident and my computer being stolen.

What will become of the fridge situation, I’m really not sure. Obviously, it will be returned to the ministry because it won’t function anymore, at least not safely – and we don’t need ANOTHER fire! I’m not sure how kindly the ministry will look upon me after I destroyed their brand new fridge. I’d be shocked if they willingly offered up another one. A nearby volunteer has offered me her unused electric fridge, but we have to go through the ministry to get approval for that.

Perhaps I was just not meant to have cold water or perishable food in Namibia. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise...After all, how many people can say they lived two years without a fridge?

Celebrating Six Months....

The 18^th of February marked the 6 month anniversary of my arrival in Namibia so I decided it was a good time to stop and reflect. The first thing I thought of was how different my life is today than it was just six months ago. I have very fond memories of my 4.5 years in Stevens Point and for some reason the memory of late-night trips to County Market and Walmart popped into my mind. That was always my favourite – doing my grocery shopping in peace and quiet at 11 PM on a Saturday when the isles were deserted. Some of you might recall how I could spend hours at the grocery store, wandering the isles, walking back and forth across the store to collect ingredients I’d forgotten or suddenly realized I wanted. This mini-daydream also reminded me that sometimes I’d drive from my apartment to the grocery store which was just a five minute walk away (but, in my defence, I did walk sometimes and I also often rode my bike). Still, I don’t think I realized how lucky I was at the time. Now I walk 20 minutes just to get to school or to the road to find a ride into town. I’d also hop in my car when I wanted to go to Walmart or if I needed to get to the YMCA and it was raining. Which brings me to another topic – things I miss. With that introduction, I’d like to present to you my “Most-Missed List” (just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?)

Preface: Obviously, the thing I miss the most is all of you – my friends and family – but I think that goes without saying so I’m not including it on the list.

4. My car – after a particularly rough day with grade 6 a few weeks ago, I was sitting in my office at school trying to reflect on the lesson and understand where things had gone wrong. For some reason, however, I just couldn’t find the motivation and concentration necessary to do the reflection. I tried to think of how I could get the job done and I realized that, in America, I did most of my reflecting in my car on the drive to/from work or school. At that moment, I really wanted to hop in my car and go for a drive so I could figure things out. I never realized that a drive has three elements necessary for a good reflection – solitude, beautiful scenery and good music. And cars also offer another wonderful benefit: independence – you can go wherever you want whenever you want. Craving ice cream? Coldstone’s not far away. Had a morning that’s dragged on? Starbucks at lunch. Feeling bored? Why not road trip to Florida!

3. Coaching gymnastics – I’m not sure what sparks the memories of my coaching days, but I think of my gymnasts often. I miss them dearly and since I haven’t heard from any of them (insert sad face here) I’m not sure how their season is going but I’m sure they’re doing well. I may have been thinking of gymnastics because it was an example of a time when I was able to clearly see (and even measure) my student’s progress. Whether it was a back handspring on beam, proper form on tap swings or a round-off back handspring without a spot it was incredibly rewarding to see the girls learn and master a new skill. And in Namibia, thus far, it’s been difficult to tell how much progress my students have been making in English.

2. The selection of food – returning to the tales of the grocery store, I fondly remember days when my college friend Kristen and I would go to County Market and enjoy a baked good (usually a muffin) at the secret tables upstairs overlooking the produce section while discussing the events of the weekend. While the muffins were delicious, it is the beautiful array of produce that I miss even more. At almost any grocery store in America you can find an incredible selection of fresh produce and, generally, this produce is offered at a fairly reasonable price. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of Namibia. I often find myself craving fruits and vegetables – lettuce, oranges, spinach, pineapples, radishes, bing cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, cherry tomatoes, grapefruit, olives. And don’t even get me started on dairy products!

1. Snow – alright, I know everyone in Wisconsin is probably rolling their eyes in disgust, but I really, REALLY miss the snow. By the time March rolled around I was looking forward to spring as much as the next person, but while the snow was around I really enjoyed it. Sometimes I just close my eyes and remember what it was like – walking down a carless, tree-lined street at night, the stillness and silence surrounding me, the snow crunching under my feet, the peace and solitude of watching the snow gently fall down and feeling like I was walking in a snowglobe. Or ice skating at dusk on the little skating rink Chris had cleared on the lake, just far enough from shore that the sounds of traffic on the highway were absent, gliding on the ice in complete, utter silence.

In the process of reflecting on these past six months, I also realized how much I’ve learned. The long list of things I’ve learned makes me marvel at the human ability to adapt. Things I couldn’t even have fathomed six months ago now seem normal to me. So here’s a little sampling of the new things I’ve learned to do:

- Wash laundry by hand (you’d be AMAZED how much dirt and dye comes out of clothes)

- Wash dishes without a cloth (that’s right, it’s completely possible!)

- Hitchhike (please, don’t panic, this is Namibia, not America – it’s the way people get around here)

- Sow, cultivate and pound mahangu (I can pound for an hour now without getting blisters – quite the improvement!)

- Light a gas oven (not a burner, the oven – at first it was rather scary)

- Collect rainwater (an essential survival skill when water isn’t running at the tap and the water in the oshanas nearby is a mucky grey and quite possibly infected with schisto)

- Live without a refrigerator (although I’m pretty positive my nutrition has suffered)

- Pluck a chicken (and not wince when its head is chopped off – tho I have yet to wield the machete myself or hold the twitching chicken’s body)

All in all, the first six months have been great – a wonderful learning experience, everything I wanted and nothing I expected!

Pounding Mahangu

This is how mahangu (pearl millet) is pounded into flour to make the oshithima.

Chairs & Internet: Say WHAT?

I don’t have a lot to say today, I just really wanted to add some pictures. Things at school are still up and down, especially with grade 6. Some days I feel ready to declare victory while others I feel defeated...but the days continue on. I’ve done some crosswords with the kids and they’re really seemed to like those so I’m going to keep on going with that and hopefully find a few more things that work well.

Some good news: there’s free wireless internet at the library in Outapi! This is wonderful news. The only down side is that the library is only open M-F until 5 PM. This means that if I scoot out of school right away at 2 I can get a solid 2.5 hours in before the library closes. And...our school got 50 new chairs! This is great news! Now almost all of the kids have a place to sit. However, this one has a down side, too. The quality of the chairs is very low so they won’t last long. Some of them are already breaking. But, at least, we have chairs, if only for the moment.

And now...some pictures (they really are worth a thousand words, aren’t they?)

PHOTO: The Oshiwambo traditional spinach, called ombidi. It is a combination of a few different green plants that grow wildly in the area. Reminds me a little of collard greens. Ombidi is eaten with the oshithima instead of meat.

PHOTO: Eembe, berries, that grow on big trees in the homestead. Some might say they are an acquired taste but I've acquired that taste. They can be eaten fresh off the tree or dried and are used to make a drink. The ones on the left have been drying in the sun for a few days, the ones on the right are fairly fresh.

PHOTO: A closer look at the berries. Unfortunately they are 1/2 fruit, 1/2 pit so you really have to work to get the most out of them. But it's worth it.

Some Days...

I’m writing this entry to let you know that although I love Nam, every day isn’t just a walk in the park. Some days are extremely challenging, especially those when I’m not getting anywhere in the classroom (and in grade 6, let me tell you, that happens a lot). On those days, I have to fill my head with positive messages just so I can make it through the school day. It goes something like this...

They’re not ignoring you, they just don’t understand. It’s not a constant undercurrent of chattering, they’re just translating for each other. Don’t worry, they’re just as frustrated as you are. They’re not trying to drive you crazy. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you. They’re not trying to annoy you or be disrespectful, they’re just floundering in a new situation. They’re still young and they’re not sure how to handle themselves when they’re confused or lost. They also don’t understand what you’re going through: that you left your friends and family thousands of miles away and gave up many comforts of home to come here and teach them. They’re adolescents, they haven’t yet developed the ability to empathize with others. They’re not trying to frustrate you so much that you leave, they’re just expressing their own frustration in the only way they know how. They want to understand you and they want to learn, they’re just scared of making mistakes. They’re not used to an environment where learning from your mistakes and others is encouraged and accepted. They have a lot on their plate; maybe they were cultivating in the fields all day yesterday or they didn’t eat anything this morning. You can do this, you are not wasting your time, it will work out.

Every job comes with its challenges and this is certainly no exception.