ngapi nawa?

well, well, well, [hold on a sec while i remove some clumps of dirt from my hands--i promise I'm showering regularly!] So keeping a blog has become much more difficult than I could have imagined.  No, its certainly not for lack of internet because unlike most of my counterparts around the world, I have a portable modem, NBD. And no, its not because I don't have a lot to say--cause I certainly do.  Rather, its challenging enough to process every experience I encounter and people I meet and now I have to articulate it all.  Well, here it goes!

It seems like it was months ago (I think the consensus around here is 6) that I led a group of eager pcvs to Jims Steaks for one last American indulgence and yet its only been 2 weeks.  

So if you were wondering, I am currently sitting in my host family's house  and watching a rereun of the VMA's with my host bro! I moved in several days ago and soon after, my [host] mother was admitted to the hospital for an emergency c-section! IT'S A GIRL and her name is Gabriella--looks liked my nieces name afterall! they are both healthy yet still in the hospital and that leads me to my first "That's so Namibia!" moment--I was sitting on the couch the other night (alone) with the door open hoping that the dogs would finally stop harassing me (I ran out of apples to throw their way) and soon after the sun set, I  glanced at the open door--the dogs were nowhere to be found--and there stood an unrecognizable man.  So what do you do when a stranger is quietly standing by your door when you're home alone in a foreign country? Well, what anyone would do, of course--let him in! Well, it turns out that it was my suga mama's [host] father (explanation will come shortly!) and so we chatted and within a few minutes he demanded my company at dinner at his house and so I went! The sense of community is so strong here--no one ought to be alone and no one ought to be without an adequate meal--again, so Namibian, we Americans could learn a few things!  

Ok so I casually mentioned that I have a suga mama and while it appeared to be a nonchalant mention, it truly is a big deal.  ( I mean c'mon I'm a volunteer!) Let me use her name, its Alice, and she is our lone retiree thats serving with Group 34 (mad props to her btw) and it began one night--like most things do--as a joke but like many jokes, it quickly escalated.  [the peace corps rumor mill is one of the fastest traveling things I have yet to encounter and just imagine what its like when im done with it!] So anyway, ever since Alice made that offer…well, let's just say things have been coming together…We're neighbors in our homestead communities, were learning the same language and will be placed in the same region (along with 5 others!)

Oh speaking of, I suppose I should let you in on a little known secret--I am learning Rukwangali (a Bantu language) and I will be placed in the Kavango region, in northeast Namibia. (quite close to Botswana where some girl named Supriya or something is also serving!) Kavango is one of the more densely populated areas of the country and certainly a far cry from its desert and dry neighbor in the south.  Kavango is ridden with forests, wildlife, and its namesake river!  The Peace Corps medical team has been briefing us on relevant health issues that we may face--here's what us 7 in particular have to watch out for: wild hippos raiding poorly built homes, schisto (a parasite that invades your skin and grows a family of millions inside your body!), rabid animals roaming freely, and rampant floods in during the rainy season.  So clearly I'll be stocking up on EmergenC.  

Wanna see an example Rukwangali greeting? (you don't really have a choice so just say yes..)  

A: ngapi nawa?

B: ii

A: ee

B: awo?

A: ii

B: nawa

A: nawa

tell me you don't love this!

oh and i think i ought to mention, I made a new Peace Corps family! NAM 34!!  I think that one apprehension I had when I committed to peace corps was a fear that I wouldn't have the strong support and deep bonds with people that is so necessary to have a truly meaningful experience.  Well, I found just that. Its crazy how people can connect so much in so little time (though my fellow alt breakers will certainly identify with this sentiment!) Something, perhaps  close to fate, brought the corps four together (catchy huh?!) Knowing that I will share this experience with Renee, Vegas (the nickname stuck!), and Laine makes me that much more eager for this to all unfold. Oh and I cant forget Science, yes that nickname has stuck too! But despite how cliquey we may (or may not be) I think that our group is uniquely connected and I am so proud to be a member of Nam 34.

Well, you must be asking what are some things you guys do as a group?! As a preface, we begin each day of training dancing to and singing along to classic Namibian songs (tule pela!) and that got us thinking….FLASH MOB obviously.  So Shaun, Anupa, Laine, Nora, and I choreographed a dance to "I just cant wait to be king" and (after teaching our peers) we performed it (spontaneously--or so they thought!) in front of our Namibian trainers.  As our hips gyrated and hands flew in the air, we were stared at and most likely judged.  But despite any judgment they made, they decided they liked it! So what began as a joke and turned into a full on show,  is now known as a traditional American song and dance. We have had a difficult time explaining that our one night choreography to "I just cant wait to be king" is not an American tradition but regardless were just gonna go with it and just perform it with no questions asked. sidetone: Namibians LOVE dancing and thus I have fit in quite well thus far (aside from the stares and laughs that ensue when Namibs see Americans tear up the dance floor!)

Ok so some of you may be wondering what the education situation is like in Namibia.  Well, let me give you a little glimpse (many more to come in the next 2 years).  My host brother in law (I'm a little lost with the terminology and the extended family complicates things, so forgive me!) is currently in tenth grade and this grade is absolutely crucial.  Learners must take a national exam upon completion of the tenth grade and those who do not pass (which statistics show that nearly 38% don't) are forced out of the education system with little chance of completing their secondary school degree.  Thus creates the at-out-school-youth problem which plagues Namibia, combined with 53% unemployment, and excessive drinking.  This cyclical problem has roots that are quite deep that even go back to the education system under apartheid in which it systematically kept black students at an "inferior" level to ensure white supremacy.  Additionally, the disparity in wealth is tremendous--as we drove through Windhoek (the capital) you could see homes that could pass for Southern California soon after you passed homes built with corrugated iron slabs with no access to sanitation, clean water, or disposal of waste. Namibia is the most unequal society in the world--the disparity between rich and poor is astonishing.  Things are slowly changing.  And as things slowly change, I hope that my host bro (Diwan--prnounced Divan--Afrikaans btw) can pass and I will do all I can to see that that happens.  

for those of you who have the $$ to afford it (or if you just miss me) give me a call on my new Namib phone: 264 081 758 1726

Anyway, as I embark on this adventure I think about you all the whole time (especially one little egyptian princess)! 

peace and love