So first. An apology for not writing more often. Work has been a lot here, and at the moment I am really just procrastinating from writing my paper about how Globalization has affected the Sex Trade and Human Trafficking, which I am actually super excited about. I also had my presentation on my internship today which added to everything to work on. However, from this past Wednesday till Sunday I had some epic adventures at Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. These are both costal cities of Namibia, and the coolest part of it is this is where Desert meets Ocean. It is one of two places in the world that this occurs, and I am pretty sure that the other place is in South America somewhere. Anyway, on wednesday morning I skipped my internship so that I could pack and leave Windhoek and we left around 1pm and hit the road. First epic moment was seeing giraffes out of the window of our kombi, which is a bus here, that is basically like a VW van, which of course I am in love with. So that was awesome and we basically watched as the mountains of Windhoek slowly disappeared and then all the trees, and bushes, and then finally it became desert. Then we were able to see the ocean as well. It was such an amazing sensation to be able to see huge Sand Dunes of the Namib Desert and the Ocean at the same time.
So we got there Wednesday night and had the first awesome experience with our hostel. The best part of it is that is was legit only a 4 minute walk from the ocean, so clearly the perfect location. Except they did our rooms all different from what we expected so it was just a scramble for beds. But the best part is that my door was broken. We were constantly crawling in and out of the window all trip to get in and out of the room, making the whole trip much more of an adventure.We ended up having dinner at a lighthouse that night and it was so gourmet and delicious and amazing to be right on the ocean. Also, something that I was not really prepared for. Everyone told me that Swakop was cold, and I was like oh silly Africans I know cold, I can handle that. Woah. It was sooo cold. I had pants on and a hoodie all the time. I even slept in a hoodie. Which was also good because sand was EVERYWHERE. When I left I found sand still in my belly-button. It was probably the most sandiest I have ever been just because of everything that we did. Which I should probably get into.
So Thursday morning we wake up and have home made bfast made for us at the hostel and then left to talk to the Mayor. It was really interesting to hear about the role that their government plays in the regional government. We then headed out to see all of the rest of Swakopmund including the informal settlements of the area. We had lunch on our own and i went to this awesome place called village cafe, and I really hope that someday I will get back there. After that we went to the Mondesa Youth Trust where they take the best of each class and help them excel even more. It was weird to think about because I am working with the kids who really need the help, not trying to help excel those who are already in a position that are better off than others. I however only feel that way because of the internship that I have. Then after that we went to the Rossing Foundation. This is a community system that allows people in the community to benefit from learning materials that our provided at this center. One of the main focuses is their math learning system, which they provide for children through a computer program. It is also important to mention that these facilities are also available for the teachers so that they can implement the methods from the program in their own classrooms. The other big program that they have running is their library, which is open to everyone in the public, not just the people registered for the math class. The people attending the library are even allowed to check out books to read on their own in their free time. So that was neat to see, and then we were free and I had awesome adventures and I got a patch of the Namibian flag for my backpack! So I can start sewing on all the things I have for it. Really just the Nam Patch and my Peace Patch, so it should be awesome.
Then Friday we went to Walvis Bay and met with people who talked to us about EPZs, Export Processing Zones. It is really interesting because in Namibia people can trade here without paying any tax at all. And it is apparently prosperous for the country because it creates jobs for Namibians when countries come to establish their own factories. We went to a German factory that works on making parts of many European cars. It was interesting and I am still establishing how I really feel about the EPZs because while they do crete jobs I think that it would be best for Namibians to be employed by people who are not really exploiting their work. It has been said that if you give a man a fish he isnt hungry for one day but if you teach him how to fish he wont be hungry his whole life. And I think that these people are just being given a job and not really being taught everything that they should be taught. However after that we went to Dune 7. It was amazing. It was a huge sand dune that we were just able to climb and it was wonderful. We ran down it and it was so much fun. Many pictures were taken but still nothing will be able to justify the view that we had on the sand dune. And the more amazing part was 40 minutes after we left the dunes we all ran into the ocean, which was freezing. It was so neat to see the difference from the sand dune to the ocean. It was such an amazing experience.
Saturday was our free day. Originally I was going to do sea kayaking with seals and dolphins. But I wasnt able to do that, so instead I found something AWESOME! A few friends of mine and I went SANDBOARDING! Yea it is like snowboarding but on SAND! It was so super awesome and a ton of fun. I will have to get some pictures up soon. But after we just had an awesomely relaxing day and I was able to get some of my work done before going out one last time saturday night. There was an awesome German-ish club that was a ton of fun. So we went there and then fell asleep and left early sunday morning to come back to Windhoek when it was just back to work.
While it was a great week I am excited to get a lot of work out of the way this week and...START MALARIA MEDICATION! because I leave for my rural home-stay in a week. There will be more to come on that the more I learn about it. And hilariously enough I already have a suspicious looking bug bite on my leg. But then again I had a suspicious bug bite on my leg this summer too so it is honestly nothing to worry about. But on that note I am going to go back to researching Sex in Namibia.
Again I hope all is well at home!
<3
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Learning How to Teach
So, the best way to start this one is think is to share an article that we read in Political Science today:
How To Raise A Superhero
I have discovered that children respond to how they are treated. If a child lives with criticism it learns to condemn. If they live with hostility, they learn to fight. If they live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. And if they live with jealousy, they learn to feel guilty. In a scientific experiment, a teacher was told that half of her pupils were exceptional, while others were just average. A year later, the pupils she was told were superior had improved beyond those she had told were only average. What's interesting is that all her pupils had the same intellect. The two groups were different only in the teacher's mind and how she treated them. The results were inevitable. Those she thought were exceptional became exceptional and those she thought were average became average. If a child lives with encouragement it acquires self-confidence. If a child lives with tolerance, it learns to be patient. If they live with praise, they learn to appreciate. If they live with approval, they learn to to like themselves. And if they live with recognition, they learn to be goal-oriented. Raising children is like pouring concrete to a foundation. A solid base must be well-prepared before anything else is done. Then, when the concrete is poured in it must be shaped before it sets because once it settles, the only way to change it is to remove what has already been formed.
by Revernd Jentile in the Sunday Soul 26.09.10
Ok, so i figured that this would be really nice to start with because for the past few days I have been very focused on my internship. Today I had to give a short presentation on it for my class, just because it is part of our curriculum. So basically here is the presentation that I gave so that not only my class clearly understands what I am doing, but all of you can understand as well.
First the name of my organization is Hope Initiatives Namibia, which is a part of Hope Initiatives Southern Africa. Therefore we share the same mission statement which is:
Hopes Initiatives Southern Africa (HISA) will improve the living standard of vulnerable children and their care givers living in informal settlements through:
provision of basic needs, education, health and nutrition and HIV and AIDS intervention
capacity building
Psycho-Social support
Strategic Partnerships and Networks
Micro Enterprise – Income generating activities to assist vulnerable children with financial support whenever necessary
Household food security and support to sustainable livelihoods (gardening)
This is interesting to know so that the we can hold the programs that we do to a certain goal. However we also addressed the history of my program. So, the history starts with Patricia and her husband John, who decided they wanted to start helping children in the informal settlements. They used to gather children up under a tree and teach them. Once many kids started coming they had a tent that they used. Then they were able to start renting a house and recently, around last december they moved into their own building, which is where we are now located today. We get funding from ANSA which is an American program that funds our Health and Nutrition portion of our mission. They give us money for food, and gas to transport the food, and to bring in a specialist to plant fruit trees, etc. The other main donor is Terre Deshommes Italy who gives us money for things through education such as books and salaries for teachers and also scholarships that we give our kids so that they can enter into main stream schools as well.
The programs that we have in Namibia are:
Health and Nutrition- Feeding and food provision, gardens, bakery, psychosocial support, HIV/AIDS
Education- Bridging School, Scholarships, Play grounds, After School Programs
Care Givers and Adult Support Groups- Adult Education, Micro Enterprise, Income Generating Activities
These are the three things addressed. And my specific part is seen in the Bridging School, the Library, the After School Groups, and also just everyday activities. So basically to get a better understanding it will be best to give an example of my day at HISA. So I get dropped off by Passat our driver and head to my classroom. This is usually after the children have already received their breakfast for the day. There my co-teacher usually just looks at me and says, well why dont you teach today. So I usually try to just come up with something random that is usually what they are also working on. Once I taught them math but I usually focus on English. The best one that I had was breaking them up to their reading levels, because there are kids ages 7-13 in my class, and gave them a book and had them read it with each other. Another important background fact. These children have never been to school, they are here to learn and to be able to get into another real school with the help of a scholarship provided by us. So we are not only teaching them academic basics but also basic social skills as well. So then these kids get a break around 10-10:30 and then all of the staff gets together and we all have tea and talk about life, which is always interesting and I learn so much form them all. Then we teach again until 12. At 12 they all get in line to wash their hands to receive lunch. After they eat they leave and the staff eats lunch around 1 and has a break until around 2. That is when the "main-stream" kids come in. These are children living in the informal settlement who come to us for their lunch. A lot of these children are slightly malnourished, but still bouncy and usually very excited to be there. We usually give out a ton of food, to maybe about 150 kids at this time, and recently we have been running out of food so we will see what happens. Sometimes we also get kids so young and weak that they cant feed themselves. This is important to look out for because other people will eat their food. So about a week ago a small boy, about 2-3 years old wouldnt stop crying so i sat down and started to feed him, airplane style if you will. And as soon as I sat down he curled up on my lap and stayed there until he was finished eating. It was very clear that all he needed was some TLC. Then after all these children leave we have a time for the youth to hang out for a little bit. Recently we have been reading books and just hanging out. Then at 3:30-4:00 I hop into the back of a pick-up truck and ride to the place where I get a taxi home. Yes, I am riding in the back of a pick-up, which is probably one of the most fun experiences of the day lol. But at the end of the day I go home dirty from all of the dust and food and exhausted physically and emotionally from everything that goes on. However it is also so rewarding that I wouldnt have it any other way. On monday I was teaching every student because the classroom i am in is in the process of being expanded, i hope, because we have way too many children. So after one other teacher used very harsh methods to teach I took over. It was a very interesting switch. While she was making kids stand up for not knowing anything and basically embarrassing I instead focused on what they had learned. I did it in a much more positive aspect and the children clearly responded better to learning this way. Also after class one of the volunteers came up to me and told me that he loved the way I taught the kids. It was just really awesome and I love spending my Mondays and WEdnesdays at this organization. At the moment I am now looking up some plays so that tomorrow I can have them preform them. Hopefully this will not only help them practice their english but boost their confidence a little as well. I guess we will have to see.
I hope all is well at home and I will work on keeping things more updated.
<3
How To Raise A Superhero
I have discovered that children respond to how they are treated. If a child lives with criticism it learns to condemn. If they live with hostility, they learn to fight. If they live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. And if they live with jealousy, they learn to feel guilty. In a scientific experiment, a teacher was told that half of her pupils were exceptional, while others were just average. A year later, the pupils she was told were superior had improved beyond those she had told were only average. What's interesting is that all her pupils had the same intellect. The two groups were different only in the teacher's mind and how she treated them. The results were inevitable. Those she thought were exceptional became exceptional and those she thought were average became average. If a child lives with encouragement it acquires self-confidence. If a child lives with tolerance, it learns to be patient. If they live with praise, they learn to appreciate. If they live with approval, they learn to to like themselves. And if they live with recognition, they learn to be goal-oriented. Raising children is like pouring concrete to a foundation. A solid base must be well-prepared before anything else is done. Then, when the concrete is poured in it must be shaped before it sets because once it settles, the only way to change it is to remove what has already been formed.
by Revernd Jentile in the Sunday Soul 26.09.10
Ok, so i figured that this would be really nice to start with because for the past few days I have been very focused on my internship. Today I had to give a short presentation on it for my class, just because it is part of our curriculum. So basically here is the presentation that I gave so that not only my class clearly understands what I am doing, but all of you can understand as well.
First the name of my organization is Hope Initiatives Namibia, which is a part of Hope Initiatives Southern Africa. Therefore we share the same mission statement which is:
Hopes Initiatives Southern Africa (HISA) will improve the living standard of vulnerable children and their care givers living in informal settlements through:
provision of basic needs, education, health and nutrition and HIV and AIDS intervention
capacity building
Psycho-Social support
Strategic Partnerships and Networks
Micro Enterprise – Income generating activities to assist vulnerable children with financial support whenever necessary
Household food security and support to sustainable livelihoods (gardening)
This is interesting to know so that the we can hold the programs that we do to a certain goal. However we also addressed the history of my program. So, the history starts with Patricia and her husband John, who decided they wanted to start helping children in the informal settlements. They used to gather children up under a tree and teach them. Once many kids started coming they had a tent that they used. Then they were able to start renting a house and recently, around last december they moved into their own building, which is where we are now located today. We get funding from ANSA which is an American program that funds our Health and Nutrition portion of our mission. They give us money for food, and gas to transport the food, and to bring in a specialist to plant fruit trees, etc. The other main donor is Terre Deshommes Italy who gives us money for things through education such as books and salaries for teachers and also scholarships that we give our kids so that they can enter into main stream schools as well.
The programs that we have in Namibia are:
Health and Nutrition- Feeding and food provision, gardens, bakery, psychosocial support, HIV/AIDS
Education- Bridging School, Scholarships, Play grounds, After School Programs
Care Givers and Adult Support Groups- Adult Education, Micro Enterprise, Income Generating Activities
These are the three things addressed. And my specific part is seen in the Bridging School, the Library, the After School Groups, and also just everyday activities. So basically to get a better understanding it will be best to give an example of my day at HISA. So I get dropped off by Passat our driver and head to my classroom. This is usually after the children have already received their breakfast for the day. There my co-teacher usually just looks at me and says, well why dont you teach today. So I usually try to just come up with something random that is usually what they are also working on. Once I taught them math but I usually focus on English. The best one that I had was breaking them up to their reading levels, because there are kids ages 7-13 in my class, and gave them a book and had them read it with each other. Another important background fact. These children have never been to school, they are here to learn and to be able to get into another real school with the help of a scholarship provided by us. So we are not only teaching them academic basics but also basic social skills as well. So then these kids get a break around 10-10:30 and then all of the staff gets together and we all have tea and talk about life, which is always interesting and I learn so much form them all. Then we teach again until 12. At 12 they all get in line to wash their hands to receive lunch. After they eat they leave and the staff eats lunch around 1 and has a break until around 2. That is when the "main-stream" kids come in. These are children living in the informal settlement who come to us for their lunch. A lot of these children are slightly malnourished, but still bouncy and usually very excited to be there. We usually give out a ton of food, to maybe about 150 kids at this time, and recently we have been running out of food so we will see what happens. Sometimes we also get kids so young and weak that they cant feed themselves. This is important to look out for because other people will eat their food. So about a week ago a small boy, about 2-3 years old wouldnt stop crying so i sat down and started to feed him, airplane style if you will. And as soon as I sat down he curled up on my lap and stayed there until he was finished eating. It was very clear that all he needed was some TLC. Then after all these children leave we have a time for the youth to hang out for a little bit. Recently we have been reading books and just hanging out. Then at 3:30-4:00 I hop into the back of a pick-up truck and ride to the place where I get a taxi home. Yes, I am riding in the back of a pick-up, which is probably one of the most fun experiences of the day lol. But at the end of the day I go home dirty from all of the dust and food and exhausted physically and emotionally from everything that goes on. However it is also so rewarding that I wouldnt have it any other way. On monday I was teaching every student because the classroom i am in is in the process of being expanded, i hope, because we have way too many children. So after one other teacher used very harsh methods to teach I took over. It was a very interesting switch. While she was making kids stand up for not knowing anything and basically embarrassing I instead focused on what they had learned. I did it in a much more positive aspect and the children clearly responded better to learning this way. Also after class one of the volunteers came up to me and told me that he loved the way I taught the kids. It was just really awesome and I love spending my Mondays and WEdnesdays at this organization. At the moment I am now looking up some plays so that tomorrow I can have them preform them. Hopefully this will not only help them practice their english but boost their confidence a little as well. I guess we will have to see.
I hope all is well at home and I will work on keeping things more updated.
<3
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A Change of Pace
As many of you last read I was staying in a family in the colored section of Windhoek known as Kohmasdal. Unfortunately things there did not work out because of many factors, so halfway through the home stay time I moved to a new family. I am presently living in Katatura, literally meaning the place where you don’t want to live. This is because this is the black section of Windhoek where many people were forced to relocate to. A good story to explain the situation in Katatura is the experience I see everyday. Anytime I get in a taxi to come home the taxi drivers are like Katatura? You are going to Katatura? And I say yes I am. Then usually at least one person in the taxi will ask what I am doing there and I reply “staying” and they give me a shocked look. And I say that I enjoy it here, because I do. It is great to see how shocked people are when I am happy to be here. Another thing is the guys, who probably rarely see a white girl over here have very often welcomed me to Namibia usually by shouting that phrase at me any chance that they get.
So anyway, I moved into a wonderful family in a section of Katatura. I am staying with a family where both of the parents are teachers, and there are four children living here as well: A girl in 8th grade, a boy in 6th grade, and an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. They always add a lot of excitement to my days here. There is also another friend of the family’s living here at the moment and I have the pleasure of sharing a taxi with her in the morning on my way back to classes. Life here has been wonderful. The children all go to school, which starts at 7 am here so my mornings are very early, usually with the kids out of bed at 5:30 and me finally out of bed around 6:07. The parents drive the kids to school and then I catch a cab into town around 7 am. This allows for me to get most of my homework done before classes start, which is nice so that I can spend more time with my family. My family is descendent of the Herero tribe, which were usually cattle herders and they are always so surprised by the fact that I do not eat meat, sometimes I think they think there is something wrong with me, but still they have been wonderful and accommodating to me here. We all eat meals together usually and then I will play with the kids and then do some homework once they go to sleep around 8. My younger brother, who wants to be a soccer player, is helping me practice my horrible soccer skills. The older brother, who is quieter, is now breaking out of his shell and we talk about his ambitions to be a vet, which he just knows as animal doctor. The older girl would like to be an accountant, but also dreams of studying in America someday. The young girl is just a laughing bundle of joy who rarely stops talking, even as we are trying to go to sleep. I am lucky enough to share a room with the two girls so we can quietly whisper some more when we are sleeping so I can learn more about them. Also my parents here are pretty awesome. They include me in all that they do and also answer all of my questions from how to take a shower and how to speak their language. (answers: we boil the water in the pot and then use that as water for our showers, which I like to call bucket showers, and I really am still working on the whole speaking Oshiherero thing…)
One of the many things that my family has talked to me about is politics. On Rosh Hashanah I visited a place called Alte Feste. It is an old German fort here and I was not sure what it was used for, but we learned that it was the location of genocide. When the German’s colonized Namibia they decided to wipe out the entire tribe of the Herero. It was Germany’s first genocide and they were never held responsible for it. The Herero people never got any reconciliation for the crimes committed against their people, which is something very hard to understand. When talking ot my family about it they told me that not only is it the problem of the German government providing reconciliation, but also of the Namibian government is not letting the Herero’s get it. This is because the government wants to spread the money out evenly and not just give it to the Herero people. It was something that helped me understand a lot more about the government here and it was very eye opening.
One last thing that happened recently was the epicness of Rosh Hashanah. I spent the days at the temple, which my host family so willingly drove me to and from for all the services. I also had dinner at the temple for both nights. It was neat to be a part of the huge community there and so it will be nice to have them to go to. However, the most at home here I feel is with my host family because of the ease that occurs when I am here. I can just come home at night and hang out and go to sleep. The best way to explain how at home I am here is by sharing one of the best nights here. So on Saturday it was decided that I would be cooking dinner. I made pasta with a mushroom and pea sauce, just something simple I whipped up. Unfortunately the pasta was a little overdone, but everyone claimed to like it. It was also weird for them to have a meal without any meat, so I don’t think I will be cooking again very soon. However, the best part is that while eating dinner the adults watched Twilight. Around the kissing scene the woman living here yelled “AYE! HE IS GOING TO EAT HER!” and went to bed. At every fighting scene my host father covered his face and then finally at the most dramatic scene said that he couldn’t take it any more and went to bed. But my host mom and I stuck it out and now she can’t wait to see New Moon. Yesterday when I came home with a pretty bad sunburn and I was down she suggested going out to get it, clearly exactly what I needed at that point. Unfortunately I was so worn out from all the work at my internship that I ended up just passing out, which is also nice here.
But that is about it for now. I am still at my host family because I was able to extend my stay until Friday morning so I am making the best of the time that I have with them. It is unfortunate that I only have time in the evening to spend with them, but still I will take anything that I can get. Also, I am sure to be visiting them for the rest of my time here this semester.
So anyway, I moved into a wonderful family in a section of Katatura. I am staying with a family where both of the parents are teachers, and there are four children living here as well: A girl in 8th grade, a boy in 6th grade, and an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. They always add a lot of excitement to my days here. There is also another friend of the family’s living here at the moment and I have the pleasure of sharing a taxi with her in the morning on my way back to classes. Life here has been wonderful. The children all go to school, which starts at 7 am here so my mornings are very early, usually with the kids out of bed at 5:30 and me finally out of bed around 6:07. The parents drive the kids to school and then I catch a cab into town around 7 am. This allows for me to get most of my homework done before classes start, which is nice so that I can spend more time with my family. My family is descendent of the Herero tribe, which were usually cattle herders and they are always so surprised by the fact that I do not eat meat, sometimes I think they think there is something wrong with me, but still they have been wonderful and accommodating to me here. We all eat meals together usually and then I will play with the kids and then do some homework once they go to sleep around 8. My younger brother, who wants to be a soccer player, is helping me practice my horrible soccer skills. The older brother, who is quieter, is now breaking out of his shell and we talk about his ambitions to be a vet, which he just knows as animal doctor. The older girl would like to be an accountant, but also dreams of studying in America someday. The young girl is just a laughing bundle of joy who rarely stops talking, even as we are trying to go to sleep. I am lucky enough to share a room with the two girls so we can quietly whisper some more when we are sleeping so I can learn more about them. Also my parents here are pretty awesome. They include me in all that they do and also answer all of my questions from how to take a shower and how to speak their language. (answers: we boil the water in the pot and then use that as water for our showers, which I like to call bucket showers, and I really am still working on the whole speaking Oshiherero thing…)
One of the many things that my family has talked to me about is politics. On Rosh Hashanah I visited a place called Alte Feste. It is an old German fort here and I was not sure what it was used for, but we learned that it was the location of genocide. When the German’s colonized Namibia they decided to wipe out the entire tribe of the Herero. It was Germany’s first genocide and they were never held responsible for it. The Herero people never got any reconciliation for the crimes committed against their people, which is something very hard to understand. When talking ot my family about it they told me that not only is it the problem of the German government providing reconciliation, but also of the Namibian government is not letting the Herero’s get it. This is because the government wants to spread the money out evenly and not just give it to the Herero people. It was something that helped me understand a lot more about the government here and it was very eye opening.
One last thing that happened recently was the epicness of Rosh Hashanah. I spent the days at the temple, which my host family so willingly drove me to and from for all the services. I also had dinner at the temple for both nights. It was neat to be a part of the huge community there and so it will be nice to have them to go to. However, the most at home here I feel is with my host family because of the ease that occurs when I am here. I can just come home at night and hang out and go to sleep. The best way to explain how at home I am here is by sharing one of the best nights here. So on Saturday it was decided that I would be cooking dinner. I made pasta with a mushroom and pea sauce, just something simple I whipped up. Unfortunately the pasta was a little overdone, but everyone claimed to like it. It was also weird for them to have a meal without any meat, so I don’t think I will be cooking again very soon. However, the best part is that while eating dinner the adults watched Twilight. Around the kissing scene the woman living here yelled “AYE! HE IS GOING TO EAT HER!” and went to bed. At every fighting scene my host father covered his face and then finally at the most dramatic scene said that he couldn’t take it any more and went to bed. But my host mom and I stuck it out and now she can’t wait to see New Moon. Yesterday when I came home with a pretty bad sunburn and I was down she suggested going out to get it, clearly exactly what I needed at that point. Unfortunately I was so worn out from all the work at my internship that I ended up just passing out, which is also nice here.
But that is about it for now. I am still at my host family because I was able to extend my stay until Friday morning so I am making the best of the time that I have with them. It is unfortunate that I only have time in the evening to spend with them, but still I will take anything that I can get. Also, I am sure to be visiting them for the rest of my time here this semester.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Making Windhoek Home
This week there has been a lot of talk about feeling at home here in Windhoek. I think it is really easy to feel at home in a house with 23 other americans. It has been called "Little America" by many people here and it is clear why this house has gotten that nickname. I love living in "the White House" but sometimes it does feel a little secluded to the outside Windhoek, which makes it that much more important that we get out and have our home-stays and internships. With that in mind, this has been my goal this week to feel more at home here in this wonderful city.
Tuesday was our team building day, which was nice to get to learn about everyone else in this group and all have bonding time. The best part was probably when all of us participated in a three legged race, that ended up with us all tied together. It was fun to all be together and just hang out as a group.
Wednesday again my internship was not open so I stayed home and did some homework, not as much as I probably should have, but then again I also want to do things here as well. We then started with our Urban Home-stay prep. It was then that I learned I would be staying with Sannie (pronounced Sunny) a 60 year old woman who used to work for the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Her god son Bricato who is 22 lives with her as well. I was super excited to get the placement and learn everything. But right after that a group of us headed down to NBC (Namibian Broadcasting Company, i think) and did the most awesome unthinkable thing. So Kristin, the intern here, convinced us all to do this with here with the promise of free yoga. We show up in our awesome yoga attire and meet Mark who is the instructor and we set up in the broadcasting room with and epic rainbow back drop and get ready. We were recorded for the morning Yoga segments that appears Monday-Thursday mornings at 6:50 am on NBC, which is the channel that all Namibians have. Therefore, any namibian could turn their TV on and see a bunch of americans looking awkward and doing Yoga. We also then decided we should do this every week that we are able to. Later that night most of us went out to the Cardboard Box, our usual pick of places to go seeing it is right up the street, to spend one last night out together before our home-stays. It was a blast, and while it will be weird to not spend the night at the same house with everyone it is important to remember that we all still see each other everyday at classes.
Speaking of classes, they finally began Thursday! We had History class, and the subject is comparing Race and Racism in Southern Africa and America. I am super excited for this class. Some of you know that my classes are all four hours long. At first I thought this would be hard seeing that I can never stay focused for anything, but it is different here. We have a speaker, movie, or field trip almost every class. Our first class focused around the idea of what history is and also the history of Namibia. It was awesome and we headed out to our first museum which dealt with the people who are native to Namibia and their life. It was so neat to learn about the San, Herero, Nama, Damara, and all the other native people to Namibia. It is neat to see how things have changed and how now some people, esp the San are being exploited. One of my friends internships is to work with the San so that they know the rights of indigenous people. SO COOL! But while going through the museum I decided I need to re-watch Babies and decide what tribe the baby from Namibia came from. So that is definitely on my list of things to do now. We then went home and packed and sat around starting at 5 pm waiting for our families to pick us up. As most of us had already left Sara, our amazing and wonderful cook, came to find me and told me Sannie called and would be late. She pulled up and picked me up and it was amazing. She loves to talk and tell me anything I ask about. She also makes sure to tell me about anything that I dont ask about either, and is not afraid to tell me to do things on my own. Last night she had me go to the corner store by myself, while she watched by the car as any protective mother would do, as I went to get airtime (minutes for a phone). And then we came home and we talked and talked and talked and ate a little dinner around 9:15. Cato wasnt home for me to meet him, but I look forward to doing that another night. Sannie also speaks Afrikaans and told me that because I speak German it wont be hard for me to learn and that she will teach me. She also wants to take me to Rehoboth, which is a town about an hr from here to meet more of her family. It is so exciting to be living with her because there is always something going on. Last night she put on her favorite CD for me and danced around the living room. It definitely made everything feel a lot more like home. She also drives me to school and picks me up afterwards, because she doesn't want me to have to take a taxi. Living with her is definitely going to be a wonderful experience.
That brings us to Friday, which is today. Today was the start of Development and Social Change class. It was a great class and I cant wait to get more in depth into the subject. We started with all these examples of promotion for social change and help with development. Some of the great ones was the music video to Do They Know Its Christmas? If you know the song great, if not look it up and I am sure you will discover that it is familiar, like it was to me. However I had never read the words before and that was when I realized how terribly phrased that whole song is. One of the best examples is "The greatest gift they will get this year is life, where nothing ever grows, no rain nor rivers flow". Then we saw the Today Show interview with Angelina Jolie on the education system in Namibia. The whole time it was lightened up by the fact that she was pregnant with "Brad's Baby". It was really interesting to see all of this and then start to learn about development and social change. I am extremely excited to see where this class goes as well and to just get used to having all of my classes.
But that is it for now. I am going to try to do my homework now so that later I can spend more time with my host-family. Hope all is well at home!
<3
Tuesday was our team building day, which was nice to get to learn about everyone else in this group and all have bonding time. The best part was probably when all of us participated in a three legged race, that ended up with us all tied together. It was fun to all be together and just hang out as a group.
Wednesday again my internship was not open so I stayed home and did some homework, not as much as I probably should have, but then again I also want to do things here as well. We then started with our Urban Home-stay prep. It was then that I learned I would be staying with Sannie (pronounced Sunny) a 60 year old woman who used to work for the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Her god son Bricato who is 22 lives with her as well. I was super excited to get the placement and learn everything. But right after that a group of us headed down to NBC (Namibian Broadcasting Company, i think) and did the most awesome unthinkable thing. So Kristin, the intern here, convinced us all to do this with here with the promise of free yoga. We show up in our awesome yoga attire and meet Mark who is the instructor and we set up in the broadcasting room with and epic rainbow back drop and get ready. We were recorded for the morning Yoga segments that appears Monday-Thursday mornings at 6:50 am on NBC, which is the channel that all Namibians have. Therefore, any namibian could turn their TV on and see a bunch of americans looking awkward and doing Yoga. We also then decided we should do this every week that we are able to. Later that night most of us went out to the Cardboard Box, our usual pick of places to go seeing it is right up the street, to spend one last night out together before our home-stays. It was a blast, and while it will be weird to not spend the night at the same house with everyone it is important to remember that we all still see each other everyday at classes.
Speaking of classes, they finally began Thursday! We had History class, and the subject is comparing Race and Racism in Southern Africa and America. I am super excited for this class. Some of you know that my classes are all four hours long. At first I thought this would be hard seeing that I can never stay focused for anything, but it is different here. We have a speaker, movie, or field trip almost every class. Our first class focused around the idea of what history is and also the history of Namibia. It was awesome and we headed out to our first museum which dealt with the people who are native to Namibia and their life. It was so neat to learn about the San, Herero, Nama, Damara, and all the other native people to Namibia. It is neat to see how things have changed and how now some people, esp the San are being exploited. One of my friends internships is to work with the San so that they know the rights of indigenous people. SO COOL! But while going through the museum I decided I need to re-watch Babies and decide what tribe the baby from Namibia came from. So that is definitely on my list of things to do now. We then went home and packed and sat around starting at 5 pm waiting for our families to pick us up. As most of us had already left Sara, our amazing and wonderful cook, came to find me and told me Sannie called and would be late. She pulled up and picked me up and it was amazing. She loves to talk and tell me anything I ask about. She also makes sure to tell me about anything that I dont ask about either, and is not afraid to tell me to do things on my own. Last night she had me go to the corner store by myself, while she watched by the car as any protective mother would do, as I went to get airtime (minutes for a phone). And then we came home and we talked and talked and talked and ate a little dinner around 9:15. Cato wasnt home for me to meet him, but I look forward to doing that another night. Sannie also speaks Afrikaans and told me that because I speak German it wont be hard for me to learn and that she will teach me. She also wants to take me to Rehoboth, which is a town about an hr from here to meet more of her family. It is so exciting to be living with her because there is always something going on. Last night she put on her favorite CD for me and danced around the living room. It definitely made everything feel a lot more like home. She also drives me to school and picks me up afterwards, because she doesn't want me to have to take a taxi. Living with her is definitely going to be a wonderful experience.
That brings us to Friday, which is today. Today was the start of Development and Social Change class. It was a great class and I cant wait to get more in depth into the subject. We started with all these examples of promotion for social change and help with development. Some of the great ones was the music video to Do They Know Its Christmas? If you know the song great, if not look it up and I am sure you will discover that it is familiar, like it was to me. However I had never read the words before and that was when I realized how terribly phrased that whole song is. One of the best examples is "The greatest gift they will get this year is life, where nothing ever grows, no rain nor rivers flow". Then we saw the Today Show interview with Angelina Jolie on the education system in Namibia. The whole time it was lightened up by the fact that she was pregnant with "Brad's Baby". It was really interesting to see all of this and then start to learn about development and social change. I am extremely excited to see where this class goes as well and to just get used to having all of my classes.
But that is it for now. I am going to try to do my homework now so that later I can spend more time with my host-family. Hope all is well at home!
<3
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