Jet Lag's a Teef.

Though I'm back in the United States, I feel like I should write at least one more post. I tried to think of a way to say everything I feel while I was on the planes home, but (as usual) I couldn't think anything. I wanted to wrap up my stay in Namibia, to write something that provided both you and me with closure. I took my dog on a run this morning, thinking maybe it would clear my head or at least provide a little clarity with this issue, but it only showed me that: A. Wilson loves to jump on people, and B. I'm out of shape.

I thought of making a list of things I've learned, of changes I've noticed since being home. To make that list would take time and energy I do not have at the present time, and I don't think I really want to. I've made a mental list, which is much more beneficial, I think. Every time I notice a change, I think 'Add it to the list.' I'm thankful that I have become more aware of my feelings and present state of mind, because it allows me to recognize changes in myself a bit better. I apologize for the horrible structure of that sentence.

The thing about a 'closure' post is just that: it's closed. For almost the entire time I was in Berseba, I wanted to be done. 'Just let me get sick enough so they send me home,' I'd pray on the really bad days. There were, of course, astoundingly good experiences as well, but I clearly was not making any plans to move to Namibia permanently. Now that I'm back (I have ridiculously good timing), I don't want this weird chapter in my life to be closed. Much of that has to do with missing the kids and friends I met while there, but I would very much like to return one day, not only to Namibia but to other countries on that continent as well. I'm glad I titled this blog 'Alivia in Africa;' hopefully my future travels will be documented alongside my Namibian adventure.

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I'm really struggling with finding an appropriate way to thank all of you. Even if this is the first post you read on this blog, I appreciate it. Only I can truly know the severity of the loneliness I felt in Berseba, since no words of mine can quite put that into perspective, and believe me when I say that you saved my life. Your emails, comments and text messages filled me with a little strength every day, and I'm sorry I can't think of a better way to explain how grateful I am.

August 7th- 9th 2009

On Thursday we had the morning to shop before we had to sit through sessions. Blair, Melissa and I went to the Windhoek Craft Center and tried to find last-minute gifts for our friends and family. We spent a few hours in there—it was HUGE. They also had a really cute café, which is where we had lunch. It was one of the best meals I’ve had in Namibia.


The sessions in the afternoon were really, really boring. I can usually think of something interesting to talk about or at least see some positive in the activities, but I was soooo bored. I think it was mostly due to the repetitive activities we had to sit through that were held at both Mid-Service and Orientation. Blah.

We had a little time to kill after sessions so I started packing. I hate packing.

We went out to eat at an Indian restaurant in Windhoek called Taal. It was delicious! I was really nervous because I’m a big baby when it comes to anything remotely spicy (I can’t even swallow certain kinds of Doritos for goodness sake), but I had something something something, and it was really tasty. I took a picture of the menu, so I’ll figure out exactly what it was later. Everyone was in a really good mood and taking lots of silly pictures, so it was a delightful evening.

I’ve been waking up at 4 every since we came back from our road trip and Saturday was no exception. I tried to go back to sleep, but I gave up and took a shower instead, haha. Leaving Namibia was so surreal…I was really sad when I left Berseba, but it hadn’t sunk in that I was leaving when we said goodbye and loaded the bus.

Blair and I did more shopping in the airport in SA…and I think the exchange rate is a lot less than we thought it would be. I didn’t think the airport could do that, but t was 6:1 in the restaurant, when it’s normally 8:1. I’m scared to see what it charged on my debit card: (

Right now we’re all waiting for our thirteen hour flight to JFK in the Dubai airport. I’m exhausted and couldn’t fall asleep on the last flight. Hopefully I have more luck on this one.

August 3rd-August 6th

On Monday we got up early and drove to Swakopmund. It was so cute! Touristy, but cute. We found this little coffee shop (the first coffee shop I’ve seen in the country)/bookstore and I got some things for my grandparents. They had a lot of stores with handmade African things as well, so I tried to get some cool things for my family. After Swakopmund we went back to the campsite and then tried to find a beach area. We found a little place close by, laid on our sleeping bags and read for a little while. It was pretty funny because cars kept driving through and slowing down when they got close to us. We all had on our shorts and a few girls brought their bathing suits, so I guess we were a sight. One man was walking by as Carrie was talking to her boyfriend, Juan, on the phone. She speaks Spanish when she’s talking to him, and I think the man heard her because we looked up as he was passing and he said “Hola,” hahaha. We weren’t expecting that, so we all said “Hello” back; he must’ve been so confused. For dinner, Carrie made us toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches. That’s my new favorite food, by the way. Delicious.

On Tuesday had to get to Outjo, which is about 400 km away from Walvis Bay. We saw a lot of people on the side of the road, trying to sell things. Most of them were women trying to sell handmade dolls. We finally got to Outjo, where he stopped to get gas and ask for directions to the caravan park. We found a place that had a nice area to park and also a pool and a restaurant. It was nice to just sit and not have to drive, read a map or do anything, really. I got to talk to my mum, too, while I was sitting by the pool. It was pretty relaxing, except the pool was surrounded by trees that seemed to attract a zillion noisy birds, haha.

Wednesday was another early day, since we had to get to Etosha early enough to see the animals. We packed up and drove to the park around 4:30 AM. The first thing we saw were zebras: ) They’re so cute up close; I think they were crossing the road when we first saw them. Throughout the day we saw hundreds, so they weren’t so exciting after awhile. After a little bit we came upon some ELEPHANTS! They were close to the car as well. I got a video and some good pictures (which I will most definitely post!). I love elephants. They’re much more wrinkly than I thought, but that only made them cuter. There were two on the left side of the car and one on the right; the one closest to the car on the left was smaller than I imagined, so I think that one might’ve been a baby. : ) !

We saw a lot of springbok throughout the day, too. They were everywhere. We also saw a lot of giraffes, but we were only close enough to get some good pictures a couple times. During the day we saw some warthogs and wildebeest—they were the ugliest things I’ve ever seen. Ooh my goodness.

We were very, very lucky yesterday—we saw FIVE lions! Lions usually only come out in the early morning and late at night. We didn’t see them in the morning and the park closes at sunset, so we thought we were out of luck as the day went on. There were four or five cars and buses parked in one spot, so we drove over to see what they were looking at. There were two male lions on the left of us and a female on the right. I’ve never been a huge fan of lions, but they were gorgeous. Lions are a lot bigger than I thought! They started walking away from us so we got to see how majestically they move. One of the males looked old and was limping; that was sad :( Later on in the afternoon we saw another male and female.

Jess really wanted to see a rhinoceros, which we saw, but it was very far away. I got a pretty good picture before he moved out of sight. I think that was all we saw, except for some really big birds (Carrie thinks they might be roadrunners) and a few smaller ones that look like Zazu from The Lion King. Oh! We also listened to songs from The Lion King while were driving along, which was really nice. After those ran out, Melissa played her Disney soundtrack. It was a really nice day. Oh, I forgot, we did see one turtle at a watering hole. He was cute.

We drove to a point on the map called ‘Etosha Lookout Point,’ which seemed like a place we could go to see a lot of area from a high place. We got there, and I’m not kidding, there was nothing. Nothing. If you’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean 3, (where Captain Jack Sparrow is at the end of the world) it was exactly like that. We took a bunch of pictures, so you’ll be able to see. It was the strangest thing. While we were driving to Tsumeb later in the day, I read about it in the brochures we got. Apparently it turns into a sort of swampy marshland during the rainy season but is a saline desert for the rest of the year. The sand was very strange; it felt like there was water underneath when walking on it.

We stayed in Tsumeb last night, since staying in the park would’ve been way too expensive. It was a cute little backpackers on the edge of town. We made toasties again and played Uno. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip—everyone was in a laughing mood and we kept cracking up. I think that’s the second or third time I’ve ever played Uno and now I want to play it all the time.

I think we’re all used to getting up early, because today we didn’t need to leave until 10 and we were all ready to go at 8:45. Right now I’m in the car as we drive back to Windhoek for our End of Service (and Carrie’s Mid-Service, since she’s a semester-long volunteer). Tomorrow we have sessions (probably repeat sessions of what we’ve already done, just like Mid Service…boring.) and then we fly out of Windhoek at 11:35AM on Saturday!

My lack of blogs and pictures and everything has been due to lack of time, as I’ve said, but also to computer problems. My computer has decided to shut off, not charge, not save, disconnect from the internet and not turn on at random. Sorry : ( I was also the only one with a computer on the road trip, so everyone has been passing it around (this makes it very hard to write entries). I love that all of you take the time to read this, and I appreciate your patience with me!

Update

I'm going to try to write in the car tomorrow and post some pictures on Facebook right now!! Sorry for the delays :( It's much harder than I thought to blog while camping!

July 31st—August 2, 2009

Oh my goodness, I’m sorry I haven’t written in so long! This probably isn’t going to be a very long post, either, since I’m wicked tired. : ( Anyway, Thursday was the braii…that was actually fun! Mr. !Nanib was in Keetmans and couldn’t make it back in time. Mr. Goieieman had been at a conference for the week, and I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to either of them. Ibrensia and the cleaners made dough for the braii bread (SO yummy!) and a few of the teachers from school made a potato salad. Geraldine and Rosalia helped clean up before everyone got to the house, so they got to stay and enjoy the party. I actually had a lot of fun…one of the teachers brought his stereo over and we danced a whole bunch (don’t worry, there are lots of videos). They also said grace before we ate, but it was like an Alivia-centered grade, haha. Anyway, it made me cry and I have it all on video as well. I went to bed really late, which I think was good because I would’ve had a difficult time falling asleep otherwise.

Friday morning started off a little shaky. I dumped my oatmeal down my sweatpants (one of two pairs) and then couldn’t find anything that I had packed. Ibrensia and I dragged my two bags half-way to school before Mr. Omalu saw us and pulled over to help. We decided we’d walk together on my last day, so we loaded my bags into his car. I had rearranged the schedules so I could teach my last two classes before the kombi arrived at 9…but it ended up getting to school at 8. I had to run around and say goodbye, which was extremely sad and a little unsettling. I hugged all of the teachers that were close to me and then said goodbye to the kids (they almost tore my limbs off a few times).

The kombi was packed full of people. I let a few little girls next to me listen to my iPod until we got to Keetmans, they really liked that. I think I put Michael Jackson and the Pussycat Dolls on for them, haha. When I got to Keetmans, I met the other girls at the hotel pool where we planned on waiting for the private kombi we’d arranged to drive us to Windhoek. He was late, so we moved our stuff to the lobby and called him. I think the text we got back was something like “I’m sending someone now.” We didn’t know what that meant, since we were supposed to be the only ones in Michael’s kombi. The minibus finally pulled up…and it was full of people. The trailer that we were supposed to have was a wagon. We were all a little annoyed. We found out later that Michael had arranged for someone else to take us since he was tired. It was uncomfortable, but a fun ride just the same. I sat next to a really nice teacher from Keetmans, and the man in the passenger seat was sooo excited about almost everything happening around him, haha. He asked us what country we were from, and when we answered ‘The United States’ he said ‘The United Nations?’ Yes. That country. Haha

We finally got to Windhoek around 8:30 and the driver dropped us off at the hostel, which was nice. I made reservations a few weeks ago. Apparently they over-booked and we didn’t have a room. Three of us stayed in the owner’s guest bedroom (we’re guessing that’s what it was), and Blair and I stayed with our Assistant Director, Kelly Jo, who is staying at the hostel until WT finds her an apartment. We ended up ordering some really yummy vegetarian pizza, which was lovely at the end of our long day.

We planned on leaving early Saturday morning so we could go grocery shopping before driving the long way to Soussuslevi. We checked out (no discount…even though three of us didn’t have our own bed) and got the magic camping truck : ) It was so shiny and we were all excited to finally be off. After getting some yummy food (how do all five of us eat exactly the same things? It’s delightful.), we set off. The truck is massive, so it took us a little while to get used to it. Blair did a very nice job driving.

We had to make it to the camping site/park before sunset to get a site, and we did. The woman at the desk was not happy to see us, and wasn’t very apologetic as she told us that we had to stay in the ‘overflow’ section… for the same price. Oh well.

We set up camp behind the pool area (next to an empty campsite, which was never filled) and had a sort-of ‘dinner.’ In order to see the sunrise on the dunes, we decided to go to bed early. It was really warm in the tent I shared with Melissa, so I didn’t think I needed my sweatshirt or socks. I woke up three times during the night and thought I was going to die of frostbite. The. Desert. Is. Cold. At. Night. Woo!

The gates to the park opened at 5:30, so this morning we woke up at four and put away everything in the dark. This doesn’t seem so bad, but it was freezing and the tents are actually really poorly designed (i.e. nearly impossible to put away).We did it, though, and were the first ones in line for the park! We were going to drive to Dune 45, walk up and see the sunrise. The sun was rising as we were driving, though, so when we got to the dune, we jumped out of the car with about twenty other people right behind us and started sprinting up the dune.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen a dune or tried to climb one, but they’re big. Really big. Sprinting up a quarter of the way in the ridiculous cold/wind when you have asthma is a very bad idea. Melissa and I were ahead of everyone until three-quarters of the way up and then we died. I don’t think I‘ve ever felt so sick all over my body. I thought my lungs were going to collapse, my legs fall off and my organs drop out of me. Melissa was feeling sick as well, so we walked back down to the car and took some medicine.

I got to experience driving today, which was a little terrifying. Only three out of the five of us can drive a stick, so I felt bad not doing my part. The roads are sandy and gravely, which makes fish-tailing and things like that really easy. Also, driving on the left side of the road with the stick on the left is weird. But I did it! And we made it to Wavis Bay in good time. The woman at the caravan park, which is where we’re staying for the next two nights, is lovely. She reminds me of my grandmothers. We have a fire pit and it’s nicely fenced in and we’re very close to the bathrooms. Today we had a chance to sit out in the sun and relax for a bit. Blair had leftover food from her site, so we made some Indian curry with rice and veggies. It was delicious! She also taught us how to make banana boats (roasted bananas with chocolate stuffed inside). It’s really nice that we have a fire now, since we can make tea and soup and get warm at night. Tomorrow I think we’re driving up to Swakopmoud and then coming back to find a beach! I think there are flamingos here as well, so hopefully we get to see those. Hope everyone is doing well! I’ll try to be better about writing this week : )

P.S. Sorry for the short, non-descriptive, distracted-sounding, incorrectly spelled post. I am, again, very tired and trying to write quickly tonight! I might get some time tomorrow to write in more detail

July 30, 2009

Yesterday Rosalia, Geraldine and I went to check on my dress. It was almost done…but it was huge! I think it will be all fixed by tonight, though. The girls thought it was hilarious when I was trying on my dress; I’m glad it made them laugh, haha. After that we went back home, organized more of my stuff and finally woke Ibrensia up. I’ve never heard of anyone sleeping so much! Anyway, I took a bath and then watched TV with them for a while before going to bed. It was the last night of Camilla, which is a Spanish soap opera dubbed in English. Why it’s not in Afrikaans or Nama, I don’t know. The acting and dubbed voices are horrible. It’s like the person reading the lines is really distracted and sometimes forgets to say their line or doesn’t understand the emotion behind what they’re saying. It’s everyone’s favorite show! I suppose it’s entertaining to watch, at least.

I’m worried about the braai…I’d much rather spend my last night hanging out with Ibrensia and the girls. I hope the teachers don’t stick to their habit of asking me what I’m leaving behind. No, you cannot have my computer. No, you cannot have my cell phone. No, you cannot have my iPod. Good Lord. I usually say something along the lines of “but then I won’t have a(n) insert item here!” Their favorite response is “But you can buy another one. Or your rich boyfriend in America can buy you another one.” That’s not insulting at all. OOOOhhhhhhhh well.

Today I have three classes. Tomorrow I have two, but, like I said, they’re both after 9:00. I think I can convince the teachers to switch with me, though. That way I can take the kombi from school instead of relying on someone else to get me to Keetmans before three. I’m pretty sure I’ll get there if I leave by 9. I think.

I’m going to try to keep blogging throughout the road trip, along with pictures. I’ve been putting most of the pictures on Facebook, which is the fastest way to do so. I’ll attempt to put more on the blog, however, since I know some of you don’t have Facebook/aren’t friends with me. Any last minute suggestions for my road trip?! This is our grocery list so far:

Granola
Bananas
Bread
Apples
Oranges
Water
Savannah light (Alcoholic cider that is de-licious)
Wine
Champagne
Peanut butter
Jelly
Oatmeal
Chocolate
Cheese
Milk
Chips
Coke Light (=Diet Coke. I should write ‘>Diet Coke,’ since it tastes a whole lot better, we’ve decided.)

July 26th-29th, 2009

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY, MUMMA & DADDY!
Love you, can’t wait to see you in a week and a half!
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On Sunday I tried to sleep in as long as possible, but it’s not easy with combination of thin curtains and bright sunlight, roosters and learners texting my phone continuously. I finally decided to just get up. I didn’t do much on Sunday, I think Geraldine, Rosalia and I watched Happy Feet. I was trying to distract Rosalia as much as possible; her grandmother had passed away Saturday night. I knew she had been sick for a long time, but I was still heartbroken for Rosalia. Her grandmother raised her after her parents died, and I think they were very close.
Mr.! Nanib was supposed to come back Sunday evening, but he didn’t show up. I texted him around 7:30 to see if I should lock the door or not. He told me (forty-five minutes after my third text) to lock it and that he was coming home late. I didn’t know what he meant by ‘late,’ and I wasn’t about to get up in the middle of the night to unlock the door, so I left it unlocked. Don’t worry, the lock on my bedroom door is newer than that on the front door, so I was pretty safe. Plus if he had shown up, he would’ve locked the door behind him. He didn’t come home, I discovered Monday morning, and I walked to school myself. I’m not complaining—he really does bother me; I’m very uncomfortable around him and try to keep my distance. I don’t think I’d mind the (however joking it may be) sexual harassment so much if I thought he was a good person otherwise. He came into the house yesterday afternoon (after skipping the extra lessons he was supposed to be teaching) and said “Olivia! Where is the tea, man?” I’ve stopped pretending to be sorry and said “I don’t know, Mr. Nanib, where is it” If he wants tea, he can ask nicely or make it himself. I thought about how bad his English is, and that maybe I’m mistaking his language barrier for rudeness…but I don’t think so. Anyway, enough energy wasted writing about him—two days and I’ll be done with it!

That said, my emotions are on a constant see-saw; every time a learner smiles at me or bounces up and says “Hello, Miss! How is Miss today?!” I get sick to my stomach; I don’t want to leave these kids. I’ve thought this from the beginning, but it’s holding more truth now—if Berseba was turned upside down and (almost) emptied of adults, I’d consider moving here permanently. The negativity and lack of motivation does not come from the students. On the contrary, much of my happiness in Berseba has been the result of an interaction with a child or learner. The adults grumble about “getting out of Berseba,” but the kids run around laughing and playing with rocks and bent wires. If only they didn’t have to grow up so quickly, this village might not be as bad off as all the adults make it seem.

On Monday, like I said, I came to school alone. A few hours later, Mrs. Mathys came and asked for the house key. Apparently Mr. !Nanib’s transport had broken down and they had slept “in the bush.” The rest of the day moved pretty quickly; I prepared my lessons for the teacher’s training and walked back to school myself. Only Mrs. Isaacs showed up for her lesson (a picture of us is on Facebook), but I’ve stopped stressing about the teacher’s attendance. If they want to learn, they can come. If not, I don’t really want them there anyway. Having only one “learner” made the lesson much more beneficial as well. Instead of lecturing and using the Admin’s monitor like I usually do, I suggested she sit next to me as I taught her the rest of the basics of Excel and an introduction to Power Point. She really enjoyed it, I think.

Ibrensia got back Monday night, along with all of the things she had bought with her recently acquired paycheck. Have I mentioned how Namibians spend money? I make the generalization because, to be truthful, it’s how (almost) everyone works. Everyone is paid at the end of the month. When you are paid, you spend your paycheck. It’s almost unheard of to keep a fraction of the check in a savings account, or any account at all. The ATMs and banks are crowded beyond belief over the weekend following payday. Anyway, Ibrensia brought back a heater, over ten bags of food, two large suitcases, curtains and an expensive-looking bedspread. It seemed a little ridiculous, but I don’t feel so bad about not having any good gift for her! The heater makes me nervous, since I’m already paying extra for electricity…but it hasn’t proved to be too expensive (but it also hasn’t been too cold) in the past few days.

Yesterday I did almost the same thing as Monday: read for close to six hours during school, went home and had lunch, then returned to school for the teachers’ computer lessons. I planned on having two, maybe more, but only one showed up. Test papers were due last week, so I’m assuming all of the teachers are busy finishing those this week.

Oh, I also had FOUR fat cakes yesterday. Four. Nanib attempted, and succeeded, in making some…and I hadn’t really eaten all day. I cannot return from Africa heavier. I just won’t allow it! You should taste these evil things, though. Holy. Moly.

I also tried to organize a little, separating things into two piles: things I’m taking and things I’m leaving. I thought I had a lot more to give away, but it doesn’t seem like I do. It’s not that I’m taking much back, it’s just that I didn’t have all that much to begin with. I plan on leaving my blankets, pillow, school supplies, few American dollars, toiletries and over half of my clothes here. I think I’m going to give special things to Rosalia, Geraldine and Ibrensia, but I’m probably going to leave the rest in my room for kids to just take. Maybe I’ll bring it to school on Friday and hand it out, but I haven’t decided. I’m worried about Friday, too. I’m supposed to be getting to Keetmans no later than 3, but I don’t trust Nanib’s transport whatsoever after his unexpected camping trip on Sunday night. I asked Mr. Omalu if he was traveling to Keetmans and he said he wasn’t sure, but that he would probably know by Thursday. I hate waiting until the last minute!! There is a kombi that leaves for Keetmans at 9 am on Friday morning, but that would mean missing my classes. Last week I didn’t have my two afternoon classes due to their exams, so I don’t want to miss these if I can help it. Cross your fingers and/or hold your thumbs for me so Mr. Omalu decided to travel!

Tomorrow is my “going away” braai…I don’t know how I feel about that. The kids aren’t invited, and like I said, they’re the ones I care the most about. I’m not looking forward to hours of awkward conversations, where people ask me a question in English every so often to try to include me, but then return to speaking furiously fast Nama as quickly as possible.

This afternoon Ibrensia and I are supposed to go check on the woman that is—allegedly—making my traditional Nama dress. I haven’t heard anything from her or Mrs. Mathys, who gave her my fabric. Again, cross your fingers/hold your thumbs!

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting to sleep? I’ve tried everything: my anxiety medication, Advil PM, counting, saying my prayers over and over…it’s taking me longer and longer to get to sleep (last night was a record). I know it’s due to excitement and worrying, which probably means there is nothing to be done and I have to come to terms with just being tired. Oh well. : ) Hope everyone is having a good week—and I hope my family in Bar Harbor is getting some sun!

Some More Nothing:

I know, I know, I need to write! I promise I'll get to it tomorrow! :( If it counts for anything, nothing exciting has happened! Until tomorrow, xoxo <3

New Pictures

There are some new pictures on Facebook!

July 25, 2009

So the internet didn’t work last night (or for most of today) :( sorry! I’m not sure if it was the connection or what, but hopefully tonight it will work and I can post some pictures. Rosalia texted me (read: woke me up) early this morning, so I got up and washed my clothes. That’s the last time I’ll have to hand wash!!! …Until I go to another under-developed nation, I guess, haha. My cough has gotten worse, so I think I’m going to try to go back to bed.

July 23-24 2009

Yesterday’s A&C/CM classes went MUCH better than Wednesday’s. The classes were a lot smaller, which helped tremendously. I decided that stretching wasn’t as important as talking about the nine transition words, so we spent more time on that. They also sang a song at the beginning of class, which helped the focus. It’s my new favorite song and I asked Martha to write it down so I could remember to video them next week.

Ibrensia was really angry yesterday after school; apparently she asked for a day off (so that she could go home) and the principal and HOD both laughed and said no. It annoyed me too, since teachers don’t usually ask for time off (they just don’t show up) and no one bats an eyelash. We stayed after school to type up her exam papers that are due today; I typed and she vented. I think it helped. Her sister also called (she works in the regional office in Keetmans) and informed her that her contract says she is entitled to three off days per every month she works. I think this improved her mood a little, but it was also more frustrating because the principal and HOD blatantly ignored her contract.

Anyway, after school I tried cheering her up (read: I brought her candy and made tea) and we watched a little TV. Mrs. Mathys stopped in, too. She brought a Nama dress for me to try on so I could be fit accordingly. That was nice; she brought Jasmine along too (her youngest daughter that I’ve decided I love. She has someone peel her orange for her everyday and then she licks it. Licks it. Why? I don’t know. I did teach her how to section it and eat it today).

I forgot to write that on Wednesday night Ibrensia and I visited the hostel during study hours. It was nice; all of the kids were in their “normal” clothes, some of them had hair rollers in, and they seemed a lot more relaxed. I felt kind f awkward, since we just kind of walked around and said ‘Hi,’ but then I helped one group of girls with their math homework. That was fun; they got really excited when they started to understand: ) I think I’m going to stop over a few more times before I leave.

Today I was supposed to have two more Arts & Culture classes, but I only taught one since the grade 10s are writing a test or something (Writing a test means to take the test).

I’m getting so much reading done, now that I’m not afraid to read quickly and run out of books! I finished HP1 (three times), Life of Pi and Chapel by the River. I’m almost finished with HP4 and the entire Chronicles of Narnia! Then I have four or five others to choose from!

I’m going to be all by myself this weekend…Ibrensia decided to go home and Mr. !Nanib always goes to Keetmans. I’m not too worried; I bought $20 worth of electricity so I’ll at least have hot water. I think I’d be more nervous if only Ibrensia was leaving. Don’t tell anyone…but she’s planning on coming back on Tuesday! Maybe Mr. !Nanib will have his new bakkie by then, though, and I won’t have to walk to school by myself.

In other news, ONLY SEVEN DAYS (THAT’S 1 WEEK!!) UNTIL ROAD TRIP: AFRICA! That means only a little over TWO WEEKS until I go home!!! I was wondering what y’all (‘y’all’ implies that I think I have many readers…when there are, most probably, four. It also implies I’ve adopted a Southern accent, which is also false. Sorry.) will read after I get home…and then I remembered I have a semi-normal, semi-nonNamibian blog, at AliviaThinksThis:! Another link is to your right. I haven’t updated it in a very long time (I think probably day before I left), so it’s not extremely interesting. I also didn’t update it very much even when it was my primary blog, so I’m a little hesitant to even advertise it further. How about this: if you find it boring, annoying or otherwise uninteresting … don’t tell me ;)

Anyway, I hope everyone has fun plans for the weekend! I’m pretty sure I’m getting sick (cough, body aches, cold chills and a headache…that isn’t the Swine Flu, is it??), so I’m planning on sleeping for most of it. I ask God to send some Namibian sun to Bar Harbor at least once a day; hopefully it helps, lovely family! I wish I could go with you…but luckily I’ll be able to see you all at Rachel’s party. I’m very excited for that : ) I’ll be online at 8PM home time tonight (AIM—‘changement vie’ or Skype—‘alivia cram’ is the easiest way to chat), hopefully updating with pictures. Xoxo

P.S. I’m having a small dilemma you may be able to help me with: I don’t know how to give my things away—fairly—when I leave. I have lots of items (almost all of my clothes, bedding, school supplies, pictures, food and miscellaneous things), but not nearly enough to hand around to everyone. Any ideas?!

July 22, 2009

So I got a text from Mr. Omalu yesterday, saying there was no more gas in Berseba. What?! SO he called the kombi driver for me and made sure I had a spot. It was really nice of him. I did have to wait an hour or so in the kombi in the sketchy lot in the middle of town, but oh well. I had to keep the window closed, too, since every man or ‘small boy’ (teenager that is not yet married, basically) that walked by would make a comment or try to start a conversation. I didn’t mind the first few times, but it seemed like the comments and questions got worse with every guy. “Miss, you live in Berseba, I will come to see you.” “Miss, I must come and live with you miss!” “I was stabbed yesterday miss, I need money for a doctor. I’ll show you; give me money. I know you have money, give it to me.” “This is Africa. We share here. Not America. I’M TALKING TO YOU!” “Give me your number, miss.” These were repeated in various arrangements, all very aggravating after three days of being stranded. The last man was so rude I shut the window in his face. Gross.

I finally got back (just before the sun set!) and unpacked. I talked to my mum, Auntie Lecia and Ryan for a little while, that was nice. I got into bed around 6:45…embarrassing.

This morning it was actually fairly warm; apparently it’s been warm here and they think the coldest weather has passed. Finally! I might get to wear some of the things I brought instead of wearing the same pair of dress pants two or three times a week! I planned out my next two weeks of A&C classes and then typed some tests for Ibrensia during my break. I brought my camera to school today, too, so I could film my classes and also take some pictures of the school. Hope everyone is having a good Wednesday! Nine days until my road trip!
Speaking of my road trip, Blair and I are going to start making a grocery list. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’ve never been on a road trip!

*

I just taught my first Creative Movement class. There are a lot of obstacles put forth by the fact that I’m teaching grades 8-10 in a classroom environment. They can’t really get on the floor (it’s dirty and they have uniforms, some with skirts), it’s a tiny space, there’s only 40 minutes of class, there are 20+ kids, and I have to spend a lot of time explaining things because of the language barrier. All things considered, I think the class went well. They’re so used to regurgitating everything they’re told or shown, so hopefully this breaks them of that habit, if only for my class. A few tried to be really creative, which was refreshing, but most just stared at me and waited for me to do it so they could copy. They really liked the warm up we did, which was just isolating different body parts and some simple stretches. I basically only do it to get them focused. Anyway, hopefully this class helped me work out the major problems for tomorrow.

July 21st 2009

SO I’m still in Keetmans. Last night was very stressful. I wrote the entry below, read for awhile (thank goodness for the other volunteers and their books. If I didn’t have anything to read, I’d lose my mind) and went to sit in the lobby, since it was getting close to the time Mr. Goeieman said he’d be leaving Keetmans—5:30. This made me nervous, since it gets dark at 5:30, but I was tired of being in limbo. If I can think back to some of the most stressful times in my life, track meets would definitely be top three. I’d work myself up and get sick and just be a mess. Sitting here, not knowing when I get to leave or whether or not my bag is safe behind the desk or if I should go to the ATM to get more money in case I have to pay someone a lot of money to bring me back tops track meets. I’ve been carrying my bags around with me, since there’s a very good chance they’d get taken if I didn’t, but things like walking to the bathroom across the hotel’s huge lawn is really annoying with all of my bags. Anyway, last night my text messages went something like this:

‘Hello Mr Goeieman, do you know what time you’ll be getting here?’

‘Can U trvl?’

‘Travel to where, sir?’

‘Bc its dark’

‘Oh, I think it will be fine so long as we leave fairly soon.’

Twenty minutes later…After a few texts between other volunteers (asking for advice) and to Ibrensia/other teachers (asking for help, to which they did not answer)…

‘Sorry to keep SMSing, but will you be getting here soon? Is there someone coming into Keetmans during the day tomorrow that could drive me?’

‘If u I will check for u’ (Translation: I’ll check)

Ten minutes later…

‘Mr Goeieman, does the kombi that drove me back from my conference go to Berseba tomorrow?’

‘Ill chk’

Half an hour later…

‘What time would you be getting here if you were to take me?’ (At this point I didn’t care that it was dark)'

‘Wll tlk 2morrow’

I’m not sure if he left me here or was drinking or what, so I held back my tears until I—yet again—checked into a room. It’s a very good thing the American dollar is worth something here, or else I would be out of luck. Trying not to cry took almost all of the energy I had left, so when I finally got to it was like coming up for air after swimming underwater for miles. I seem to be a sort of whiny, spoiled pansy reading back on how I feel /wrote about driving at night. I have no reservations about it…until it gets dark. First of all, it’s REALLY dark: no street lights. Secondly, the cars here do not have very effective head lights. Thirdly, it’s not uncommon for people to drink and drive. It’s not talked about and I’ve seen people do it on multiple occasions. Lastly, I’d be in the back of a kombi (not so bad) during the most dangerous time to drive (kind of bad), since all of the bigger animals come out at night. The roads to Berseba are ‘gravel,’ meaning rocky, uneven dirt roads. It’s almost certain that, if you hit an animal, your vehicle will be severely damaged…as will you. So I get a tad nervous.

Anyway, I watched Bridget Jones’s Diary and talked to my dad, who always makes me feel better. I talked to my mum and Dan last night online, too, which was really nice. I think I was so stressed yesterday afternoon/last night that I don’t have enough strength this morning to be as so. Hopefully this continues throughout the day. The kombi that took me back from mid-service should be leaving here around 3, so HOPEFULLY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I’ll get transport today. I’m off to check out, once again, and read Narnia…once again. I’m almost finished with the entire series.

*

Just walked to the store to waste time and get a bottle of water. I talked to the receptionists behind the desks for a few minutes; they were really sympathetic (without patronizing me). They also made me feel better because one said “Yes, it is dangerous to travel at night,” (FINALLY a Namibian that agrees with what I’ve been told. Everyone else just shrugs). She also said something like ‘I’m sorry. It’s not your fault! Would you like me to reserve a room for you just in case? We may be full tonight otherwise.”

While I was in the store, Mr. !Nanib called and asked what I was doing. He made some jokes about how I should be back in Berseba because my boyfriend in Keetmans (I don’t know where he came up with this or why he thinks it’s so funny) should give me money to come back. Anyway, he asked if I could give Mr. Omalu money to come and get me. I was confused, since I had resigned to take the kombi that make or may not leave and may when it may or may not be dark—which I told Mr. Goeieman. I told him I had $50, which he repeated. Yes, I have fifty dollars. Last time I drove with Mr. Omalu he wouldn’t take any money, so I didn’t know why it was such a problem now. I called back and said I could come up with $100. I guess they are just trying to get me back before nighttime, which is very comforting. However, when I said I had $100, Mr. !Nanib said “Okay, the school will pay $150 if you pay $100.” That’s wonderful, but I don’t know why it’s $250 dollars to drive an hour and a half? Whatever. Oh, the cleaner just asked if he could half ten dollars because he’s hungry. He was nice about it, but I said I only had enough to get home.

When I got back from the store, the manager came and sat with me. I don’t think I’ve mentioned him before; he’s very nice. He came to help us turn on the heater the first night we were here. Each morning I’ve been stranded here he asks how I slept and asks if I’ve had any luck with transport. Today we chatted for awhile; I found out that his real name is Elmer (Blair and I nicknamed him Wallace, as he looks like the character from Wallace & Gromit), he’s going to visit family and friends in Cape Town for a few weeks and he knows who Hanson is. I think I might marry him.

Now I’m waiting for a call back from Mr. !Nanib or Mr Omalu…wish me luck

July 20th 2009

It’s about 2:15 now. I’m still waiting for Mr. Goeieman to answer my text asking when he will arrive in Keetmans. I suppose this is making the return to Berseba seem like a really nice thing; instead of dreading it like I always do, I just want to be back in my room. I woke up today and took a cold shower (the only downfall of Central Lodge so far—I haven’t had a warm shower yet), had a quick, awkward breakfast (eating alone in a packed dining room makes people stare) and went to the grocery store. I also walked to the ATM later on in the afternoon. I think my blood pressure goes up just thinking about walking around in Keetmans by myself. Luckily I don’t think I’ll have to do it EVER AGAIN! Eleven days until our road trip!!

I got a text from the regional office this morning at 6:30, asking if the computers were fixed. No, they are not and, by the way, I was still sleeping. Rar.

I hope Mum calls me sometime today, it seems like five minutes of talking to family eases my anxiety for a while. I just had a pretty, eighteen dollar strawberry milkshake (with sprinkles!) and some cheese and crackers for lunch. I’m sure it’s my nerves, but every time I eat I feel sick afterwards. I wish a loss of appetite would precede this, but I’m always starving beforehand. Very annoying.

Mr. Goeieman is apparently in Keetmans now; he said he'd let me know when he's ready. Hopefully my milkshake will have digested by that time; a ride in a bakkie with an upset belly is not fun!

Sorry I don’t have anything exciting to post! Keep the comments coming, they're the highlight of my days!! Hope everyone is having a nice Monday!

July 16th –July 19th 2009

Sorry I haven’t written in a few days! Nothing has happened much, though; no good stories. My A&C classes are so excited about starting Creative Movement, which makes me excited too. We read a few brief pages on Dance History, as I said, and the kids paid attention and asked questions about the new words they were learning. I like that we got to read and practice their English. They read the history much better than I thought! The words that stumped them the most were probably ‘Australian Aborigines,’ (Irish) ‘jigs,’ ‘Jerome,’ and ‘choreography.’ One boy read Jerome as ‘Jeromie,’ which was cute. I think after school I watched movies and went to sleep fairly early; I don’t remember doing anything exciting last week.

On Friday I got a ride to Keetmans in Mr. Omalu’s car; that was lovely! I thought I’d be riding with Mr. Goeieman in his broken-down bakkie, but plans changed last minute. I was actually inside a car, not hanging out of the back breathing in dust and getting sunburned. : ) He was going pretty fast, though (which was scary) and we had to slow down before every ditch in the road…so I did feel a bit motion sick. We stopped at the hostel in Keetmans and picked up his children. It’s a home weekend for the hostels, so everyone has to get out!

After he dropped me off at the hotel, I took a shower and then started washing my clothes in the sink. Melissa, Carrie and Jess were already at the hotel, relaxing and watching movies. Jocie and Kelly Jo were staying at the same hotel (Central Lodge) on their way around making site visits, so we had dinner with them, a year-long volunteer stationed in Keetmans and Blair (once she finally got there). I feel bad for Blair; her transport is always late and has ripped her off a few times. She only has to travel to Keetmans once more, though! Twelve days until our road trip!

We planned to get up early Saturday morning and do yoga with Kelly Jo, but we were all pretty tired. I really love free breakfasts. After eating, we walked around town and got things we needed for our last weeks here. I got my fabric for a Nama dress! I’m going to look like a purple popsicle, though, I think : (

*

I wrote that while I was waiting for my ride this afternoon. I sat near the pool reading until it got too cold, which is basically what we did yesterday. We all read books (everyone brought a few they were finished with, so I have like 6 books to read now!!), chatted about the road trip and tried to relax. Later in the day we took a walk around Keetmans and saw the train station, which was pretty cool. We had a nice dinner, watched Sleeping with the Enemy (one of my favorite movies; I think my mum looks especially like Julia Roberts in this particular movie) and went to bed. Blair showed us pictures of the car we’re renting for our road trip—they’re pretty funny! I think she put some on Facebook if you’re interested.

Anyway, we woke up and had some free breakfast again, then sat in the sun while we waited for our rides. Blair’s came first! I read two books in the Chronicles of Narnia and braided Carrie’s hair while we were waiting; it was a nice afternoon. Mr. Omalu texted me and said he’d be picking me up between 5 and 6. I was nervous about that, since it gets dark around 5, but tried to make the best of it. I talked to my mum and dad and then went inside and had a sandwich and tea. It was around 6:15 when Mr. Omalu texted me and said he had to bring his little girl to the doctor and I was really nervous at that point. I’ve probably said this a million times, but traveling at night isn’t safe. We were told this by our director over and over again; she’s the same director that told us we’d have to hike, so if she says something isn’t safe, I believe her. My nerves were already running kind of high today, so after four hours of waiting by myself, I was close to crying. I probably would have to, if it hadn’t been for my new habit of talking to myself as though I were a child. “It’s okay, love. You’re fine here and you can always stay another night if you find a ride for tomorrow. You’ve done so well today! Don’t worry; I’ll take care of you.” If any of you have read Eat, Pray, Love, Liz Gilbert’s the one that put the idea in my head that this was okay. It really helps too, since it’s usually much easier to calm down someone else as opposed to relieving your own stress.

So I started texting. I texted Jess, Carrie, Melissa and Blair to let them know I was still in the hotel lobby and that I’d let them know what was happening. I texted Ibrensia, Mr. !Nanib and Mr. Goeieman to ask if anyone was coming into Keetmans tomorrow that could give me a ride back to Berseba. I texted Mr. Omalu to see how much longer it would take. Halfway through the last text, he arrived. I felt relieved, but not as much as I expected. After getting into the stuffy, warm car with his two sons and sick daughter, I felt nauseated. As I realized the seatbelt on my side was broken, I had a feeling something horrible was going to happen. Almost at the exact same moment, Mr. Goeieman texted back with ‘Will B in KM tm’ I took this as ‘I will drive you back to Berseba’ and asked Mr. Omalu if he could take me back to the hotel. He was so nice; I felt bad about making him drive back. I hope I didn’t offend him, but I did say “I think you’re a really good driver, but my director told us not to travel at night and I’m actually not feeling well myself…etc.”

I checked to see that they had an available room, signed in, was assigned to room six and finally stopped holding my breath for the first time today. I then had a good cry that is only effective if done alone, washed my face and called my mum. Hoot was on television; I watched that so I wouldn’t have to think for awhile. I’m a little nervous about tomorrow, since my ride isn’t until after one…but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’ll just sit next to the pool again. It sounds awfully spoiled of me to be complaining about sitting next to a pool all day, but, trust me, it isn’t very relaxing.

Twelve days until elephants!

Road Trip Itinerary (by Blair)

Day 1

Sossusvlei (the Red dunes)
Stay at the NWR resort- Dune 45
Watch the sunset

Day 2
Up to watch the sunrise at Dune 45 (get there before the park opens)
Then we drive up to Walvis Bay. Stay at the caravan park.

Day 3
See flamingos just outside Walvis Bay
We can go to Swakopmund …Maybe just stop for some gelato?!?!
Then stop at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve
Then drive on the C35 (BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful)
Stay in Outjo at the Caravan Park

Day 4
ETOSHA!
We can bring a bag lunch and some brewskis and sit by watering holes and see lots of animals coming to get their cool drink! J
So maybe stay in Tsumeb at their Caravan park.

Day 5
Drive back to Windhoek. We can stop at the Cheetah preserve! It is somewhere along the way back!