Better Late Than Never

Hello friends! The day is September 2nd, and I have successfully created my blog! Here are some posts I have written in a Word document, and I will try to keep this updated as much as possible (a little difficult without reliable internet, but we must work with what we've got.)

August 22nd, 2015

It seems a little late to beginning to my blog, but better late than never, right? I’m not sure how it is possible that I have been in Namibia for two weeks already…I have made some friendships that I am sure will last at least a lifetime, and I have began learning so much about myself, this country, and the ebbs and flows of human nature. The power of the mind is something divine, is it not?
The first week of this journey felt like a constant dream. The arrival in Namibia was anything but forgettable, for we arrived at the hostel dark on Sunday and were greeted by traditional songs and dances by our trainers (such a treat after a million hours in transit halfway across the world.)
A typical day at the hostel consisted of waking up around 6 am to shower, get ready, and have breakfast by 7:00, then we would walk to the training center and arrive by 7:15 to begin the day. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we sing songs (in languages ranging from Afrikaans, Oshiwambo, and English.) We just started language training, and I am learning Oshikwanyama (spoken in the northern regions of Namibia.) I love it! The language teacher, Rachel, is nothing short of graceful, patient, and encouraging. I am so lucky to have her. Edina o lange Neti, Ohanda dja peni ko Amerika.
Us volunteers (well, trainees) have become increasingly close. Our Peace Corps family bond made the transition from family, friends, and familiarity to one of discovery and dedication very smooth and painless. For this, I am grateful. The hostel was honestly was one the most fun experiences of my life! Room 19 for the win!!! Us PCVs shared every meal together, and in the evenings we would color, read, or play games before and/or after dinner (Cards Against Humanity, UNO, chess, banana-grams, sardines, mafia...you name it.) We also like to exercise together; I led yoga one of the first days, went on a run, and participated in bodyweight circles, plank challenges, and double-dutch.  In our spare time we grab drinks and snacks at Rhinos and the Beergarden (they both have wifi which we bombard like a swarm of hungry bees.)
What has been the most enlightening, you ask? Well, we received a history lesson and watched a film about Namibia’s independence struggle on Friday. How did I not know that Namibia was the site of a massive genocide by the Germans until just recently? How did I not know that Namibia was under colonial rule from South Africa until 1990?! This country has slipped under my radar, but I now know I am supposed to be here. This is lot of work to be done, a lot to be learned, a lot of healing to be had.
We took a group trip to the capital today, Windhoek, and visited some historical sites and graveyards involved with the struggle. “Their blood waters our freedom.” The graveyard was powerful…the grave stones were alive with grief, and the dust from the sand felt like unrested souls inviting us to pay respect to the lives lost for freedom. I saw un-named gravestones numbered up to the 2000’s. The price of freedom is never cheap, never easy, but always necessary; how dare we forget this fact in face of our privilege.
On a lighter note, can we talk about the sky? The morning sky is completely cloudless as the sun lazily begins its course of beating down on every man, woman, and child. The sunset…oh my Buddha the sunset. The perfectly blended blues, pinks, and purples coupled with the round orange sun could ease even the most restless of souls. The starry nights provide a glimpse into the cosmos, and we can even catch the Milky Way (when we are lucky.)
“Be like the moon, no qualities of your own, just reflect the sun.”A lovely piece of advice gifted to me by a friend shortly before my departure. I could write pages and pages (which I have in my journal), but for now, I will close with what I have been listening to as of late. Peace and love, y’all.

Cold War Kids – Evil Friends
Max Frost- Low High Low
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
tUnE-yArDs – Bird-Brains
Snarky Puppy – Family Dinner
MF Doom- Doom Collection
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (self-titled album)
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
D’Angelo – Black Messiah

30/8/15

            Friends! How I miss you so much! So far my “blog” is a Microsoft Word Document, but I can’t wait until I am actually writing to an audience. I hope writing doesn’t become too difficult with the onset of viewers, but I will try to tell the story of my journey to the best of my ability. Something of noteable mention…I turned off the autocorrect and spell check from Word. I realize this is ballsy but seems only appropriate as I begin to delve into my study of Oshikwanyama, a Bantu language in the “Oshiwambo” language family. My teachers and family praise my ability to pick up the language quickly, and for this I am grateful and even more motivated.

            Saturday, yesterday, was cultural cooking day! I can’t even describe the experience of cooking over open fires, preparing food, socializing, and enjoying this activity with my 50 fellow trainees, our teachers and trainers, host families, and children. We slaughtered two goats and ten chickens, I did not participate in the killing (although I forced myself to watch), but I plucked the feathers of a chicken with one of my dear friends, Maggie. During the first goat slaughter, I could not hold back tears, the empath in me took over. Next, I watched the two chickens and began to remind myself about the importance of knowing where your food comes from, taking responsibility for the food (and lives) you consume, and participating in every facet of life. With the help of a few close friends, I changed my mindset from one of sadness and guilt to one of gratitude, acceptance, and participation.

            Three weeks have passed in this beautiful and brave country, and I still feel as if I just got here. I have much anticipation for the trials and frustrations ahead of me, yet these anticipations fuel the adrenaline of the present. Every moment of peace, friendship, and opportunity is felt fully for I do not know if or when it will be my last. Some fears of isolation, paranoia, or fear itself, seem to be reinforced by some of our training that is meant to foment caution and awareness. I can already feel the differences in culture (particularly when it comes to the way males and females interact) and I am receiving it with open arms and eyes.

            Book club, meditation, long walks, staring at the sky; the things that bring me the greatest joy currently. I am still in a housing situation with electricity and running water, and I am curious and excited to see how I will adjust without. We move to the north on Saturday, and I am moving to the “Wambo” region of Namibia and we will be moving in with a new host family. My current host family is beyond amazing and I am so lucky and so grateful to be with them (I’m pretty sure they love me too!) The mother is quite the celebrity in the community, for she began her own cooking/catering/lunchbox business and has some serious talent, she takes orders and brings lunch to our training sometimes too. Nacky, my “brother”, and I go on walks in the evening and chat about life. He is a quintessential example that age is just a number and we are at least a majority a product of our environments (I mean that in a complimentary way.) I did my laundry in with buckets (one for soap/softner and the other for rinsing) and cleaned my room and a little of the house today. Chores are relaxing, I’m down. I cooked two pizzas earlier this week for the family and they loved it. I like the locals, and I make friends with the taxi drivers. I get proposed to a lot (its normal here) and the best one went something like, “But…me and you would make babies that are like coffee with milk. Coffee with milk sweet babies!” HAHAHA. Well, kudos for making me laugh so hard that whiskey came out of my nose.  Due to a shortage of time, I’m over and out.

Currently listening:

Nneka

Bob Marley

Drake

Dave Matthews Band

The Spikedrivers