A week of Firsts

So I have officially survived my first week in the village.  So it was my first week here in Ilyateko, my first time to go on a field trip as a teacher, my first time to get lost in the Namibian bush, first time to get crazy dreams from the malaria medicine, my first Namibian sun burn and I attended my first funeral.  Oh it was the second time I ate the gizzards of a chicken, hopefully this doesn’t become a habit, but they’re actually not too bad! 

I would say that one thing I have gained from this is that my standards for comfort are beginning to be redefined.  It began when I first came with my bed, which consists of a wooden frame and a piece of foam for a mattress, a bit more firm that what I am accustomed to in the US.  The week continued to test me as the temperatures have continued to climb as we enter summer here in Namibia.  The highs are now about 40 degrees Celsius and there is no air conditioning.  The mornings are bad, but in the afternoon the school day kind of disintegrates as the classrooms become ovens and are unbearable to stay in.  My standards for comfort were again challenged when we went on a field trip to a fishery and 39 learners were crammed in the beds of 2 little pickup trucks, and I sat in the front with two of my coteachers.  I had thought the way there was uncomfortable because I straddled to the seat in the front, but I learned on the way back that the edge was even more uncomfortable as you were wedged between the wall of the car and another person.  I don’t think I will ever complain about sitting three across in a car that is intended for 3 people to sit in a row again.

The field trip was pretty great.  It was interesting because it further highlighted the differences between American and Namibian learners.  The kids were all so excited to go on the field trip and for the most part did a really good job listening but literally had no questions along the way as we saw the breeding ponds, nursery, and grow out ponds, and then saw the only fish feed factory in Namibia.  When we quizzed them to make sure they understood what was being said they literally regurgitated word for word what the tour guides had said.  This has been interesting in the classroom because I have allowed them to ask me questions about me, the United States, and really anything that comes into their heads, but instead of asking things like do you have a sister, brother, boyfriend, etc, like what the learners and my neighbors in Okahandja would ask they sit in silence staring at me.  I know that they know how to structure basic questions in English, however for one reason or another they chose not to.  In Okahandja they were so curious about everything asking me about my family, about how long it takes to go from the US to Namibia, how much the flight is, if learners in the US wear uniforms too, if we have sand in the US, etc.  I encountered this problem again when I worked with the Grade 10 learners before they took their English Exams.  I would write a sentence on the board with some mistakes and ask if anyone could spot an error.  I literally had to pick people to come up and fix them, when in Okahandja I had the entire class at the blackboard because they were all incredibly eager to write on the blackboard.  I guess in a way these learners are culturally quite different from even those in other parts of Namibia as well. 

The funeral I attended was interesting and I wish I could say more about it, but considering this was the first funeral I’ve ever attended it was a lot to process at once.  It was sad because the man who passed away was only 48 years old, not old by American standards, however the life expectancy is much lower in Namibia.  It began at the homestead, before we moved to the church, then on to the cemetery, and finally back to the house to take the widow home.  We only went for the second day, but it was apparently 2 days long.  This particular funeral was interesting because the man was a colonel in the Navy, so there were about 100 or so uniformed men and women there from the Navy.  It was also interesting because when we took the widow home the family feeds everyone, so there were Styrofoam boxes with goat meat and potatoes and everyone was given either a beer or a cool drink.  It was also overwhelming because nearly the entire service was in Oshindonga and I was the only white person there so there were always at least 5 sets of eyes on me at all times.  Everyone wanted to shake my hand and hear me say the 3 or so words that I know in Oshindonga that include “Good Morning?”, “Really?”, and “My name is Lindsey”.  (I do know more than that but only when people speak at a tortoise’s speed and enunciate every sound).

As I mentioned earlier I did manage to get lost in the bush the other day as well.  It was really only a matter of time before this happened because walking around there isn’t much out here and the markers are trees, but there are lots of little trees that all look the same.  I went for a jog though and was heading back to school when I guess I missed the turn and ended up quite far from school, but luckily some of the learners from the school spotted me and literally grabbed my hand and ran me home.  I was probably 20 minutes out from where I thought that I was.

This week I also planned, or more so agreed to go on my first vacation in Namibia!  Over the Christmas vacation we are going to go camping in Swakopmund!

It’s interesting to me so see how my plans for my return to the US are constantly changing.  With all my spare time I am continuously day-dreaming about where I will go and what I will do when I move back to the United States.  Some days the plan of taking off again for Europe sounds so appealing, others I want to move to the NYC or some other big city in the North, where it’s cool, but then recently I’ve started to want to move somewhere like Vermont and live somewhere quiet and peaceful.  I guess we will see where I am in two years when I get back where I end up because right now it is just too difficult to know what I will want.  Plus I still am clueless as to what I want or will be able to do in two years, but I guess that’s to be expected because I’ve only been gone a couple of months. 

I guess as my first week in the village draws to an end I am getting more comfortable here, however I am still really concerned about transportation.  I don’t quite understand how I will be able to get in and out very easily.  I feel a bit trapped, but I am sure as I learn more about the area I will begin to feel less trapped.