some pics

Secret Astronomy Stuff

Hi friends ☺ Before I begin, I should probably explain the title of this post. I talked to my sis the other day and she told me that in our mom’s basement, she happened upon an old folder of my entitled “Secret Astronomy Stuff”. Apparently the insides had nothing to do with astronomy, but I’m pretty sure they did at one point or another. Not really sure why it had to be secret, but yes, I was a nerdy child. I bring this up because I have been rekindling my romance with astronomy since being in Namibia. It’s not so secret anymore, but the sky and stars are some of my favorite things here. I’ve recently been trying to (not so secretly) study some of the southern hemisphere constellations. I am going camping this weekend and can hopefully try out of hand at identifying them. Ok, enough secret astronomy stuff. Let me update you on the haps:

Things are going really well. Things are really hard sometimes (especially with the teaching), but I just sort of accept it and am able to move on. The language barrier thing is becoming more and more apparent and is therefore inspiring me to learn more and more Oshindonga. There are also little semantic differences that really seemed to come up in the past week. Here is an example: On Friday, I planned an activity for my math class that I thought was going to be really freaking cool. I spent lots of time trying to make it user friendly (or so I thought) and really put my modification skills to work. Basically there were six different stations where the learners needed to complete different activities. Two of the stations that I thought were the most fun involved decks of cards. At each station, I had written very clear, numbered directions on index cards. At one of the card stations, the second direction was to “draw 5 cards.” As I am making the rounds, checking on each group, I notice that the group working at the card station is way behind. Upon further inspection I see that they had actually drawn pictures of five cards in their notebooks. With rulers. And very accurate details. I will now and forever say “take five cards”. Little things like that can frustrate you when there is limited time and lots of your own time and energy has been put into something that fails. Luckily, I have been able to see the humor in this and so have my learners. There are other times where I get downright pissed, but that happened all the time teaching in the states. Sometimes I have to remind myself that teaching is hard everywhere, not just here.

Computer class is still a struggle for me. I completely understand the importance of getting these kids on the computers, I just feel like I really have to force myself to get into it. I really would rather be teaching a core subject, but am working on changing my outlook. We had many power outages this week that complicated my classes a bit. There are three different fuse boxes associated with the computer lab, so much of the time, I am running around between the three to try and get my class back on schedule. I am a little intimidated by the fact that I am like the IT person for the entire school…there are computers just not working and my limited knowledge and turning on and off skills are not going to fix them. If anyone has any spyware programs or knows of any that I could easily get my hands on, that would be greatly appreciated ☺ Also, while I am soliciting, if anyone has any old iPods or MP3 players that you are looking to get rid of, that would be awesome. Along with the cameras, I am hoping to have some kind of listening stations in the library. Let me know if you think you have anything and I would be more than happy to help with the shipping costs.

The library is still running smoothly. I am enjoying having my library helpers around…they teach me lots of new words and phrases and I teach them about America. Lots of kids from my math class are also coming in for extra help which I really love. The kids never ask questions in class…it’s just how it goes here. Because of that, it is really wonderful to have some smaller group time with some of them. I really love that class…they are pretty spectacular.

Another story… I was running this evening (yes, I sometimes trade in my evening walk for a run if I am feeling ambitious) and ended up being followed by like 3 or 4 kids. I really felt like Forrest Gump. Then one of them caught up to me and asked if I was being chased by a robber. Running is not a very common activity in these parts, so people often question my sanity or safety when they see me jogging. I assured the kids that I was just fine and went on my way ☺

Ok, so here is the plan for the evening…I am going to set my alarm to wake up at 1am so I can load some pictures. I will put lots on facebook and some on here. I have been wanting to do this for a while and have been putting it off. Wednesdays are my suckiest day of the week anyway, so I figure a little less sleep won’t really hurt! I won’t probably caption any of them tonight, so hopefully they make some sense.

Hope those of you in the Chi are surviving the Snowtorious B.I.G.! Talk soon,

~h

lists

Hey ya’ll. Can you believe it is February already? This whole being sunburned and wearing sandals everyday thing really messes with my monthly concept. Everything continues to go well…crazy, but good. I thought for this post I would write some lists I have been making ever since coming here. Here it goes:

Things I love:

*sunsets

*star gazing

*donkey sounds (oddly enough)

*the slow pace of life

*the learners

*soccer games

*meeting new people

*weekends

*teaching math

*the generosity of people here

*random outings where I literally don’t know where I am being taken

*wearing skirts everyday

*hand washing (it’s really therapeutic)

*hanging out with other volunteers

*feeling literally like I am in the middle of nowhere (but knowing how I can get out J )

*sleeping under a mosquito net (it really is my safety net…and I kind of feel like royalty)

*speaking a small amount of Oshindonga and surprising people since I don’t look like I should be speaking it

*solitude

*learning how to cook new foods

*reading by candlelight

*my FAN!!

*watching the new Indian soap opera with my roommates

*taking walks

*speaking Namlish with the little learners

*wine and coca cola (mixed of course)

*random cattle in my backyard

Things I miss:

*couches (no one has a comfortable place to sit)

*garbage cans (Namibia is literally one big dumpster)

*close friends and family (duh)

*being able to call these aforementioned close friends and family whenever I want

*coffee shops

*taking baths

*being understood and able to use sarcasm successfully

*things being done in an organized, timely manner (I’m getting more used to this in some respects)

*blending in (being the center of attention takes some getting used to)

Things that make me laugh:

*random cattle in my backyard

*random calls from people who got your phone number from someone who got it from someone else

*asking to “please help” a learner something when they really just want to borrow something

*my sunburn that looks like I am wearing red sports socks

*language barriers that just can’t be figured out

*being proposed to several times in one night

*getting asked if I know Eminem and R Kelly (I only say I know Kells)

*sitting in the backseat of a taxi with 5 other people

*remembering that I am in the middle of nowhere when I look around and all I see is cattle and sand and grass for miles

*when I try to carry too many groceries in my backpack and am honestly unable to get myself home on my own

*when the cat (who I HATE) hisses at dogs to get them out of our yard…like his skinny ass owns the place

*waking up to an actual rooster call

I’m sure I will add to these over the year, but I thought that was a start J

Hope you are all enjoying yourselves and not getting too buried in this snow storm that I hear is hitting the Midwest. I’ll put on some extra sun screen for you!

~h

Week 2

Here I am in week 2 of teaching and almost one month of being in Namibia. To be honest, it is difficult for me to remember not being here. Even being in Windhoek seems like ages ago. As I took my usual evening walk today, through the oshanas and herds of goats and donkeys, I couldn’t help but laugh at how crazy and awesome it is that I am here. I know that sounds cheesy, like I am trying to have a forced “Africa” moment, but it was truly genuine. I’ve always loved solitude but I don’t think I ever really knew solitude until I came here. There’s something incredibly freeing about walking around your neighborhood and greeting everyone you see (since it is only about 4 people) and strolling at the same pace as the giant bulls and donkeys. I’m not going to say it has been all butterflies and roses, but something about the positive moments here outweighs the negatives by like a million. The brilliant sunset can often wash away the frustrations of an unorganized school day.

Ok, here are some more updates on the past week. Teaching has been going well. I must say, it has been hard to let go of some of my Type A, anal, teacher tendencies, but I think overall it is good for me. Having teaching experience has been my savior here, but it also makes you think about all the resources you used to have at your disposal and how they are absolutely not present here. I understand that resources do not equal a perfect education, but they sure do make it a little easier. I think I mentioned this before, but my teaching periods are only 40 minutes. With the rate that I have to speak and the variability in the schedule, it is hard to get much accomplished. I have had to adapt and be more flexible in my planning, while also upholding my basic teaching values (being prepared, being fun, etc). I am sure at the end of this, I will be a much different, and hopefully better, teacher.

I am teaching everyone in the school computers. This is not really my idea of a good time. I am also teaching math (which I LOVE) and wish I had more of those classes! Since I do not (and I am attempting to take the word “wish” out of my vocabulary), I have decided to put my energy into making my computer class fun for both me and the learners. I knew I wanted to teach some of the older students through projects instead of just basic keyboarding/vocabulary skills/etc. I knew that I would not enjoy teaching that and that my distaste for the class would shine through in my teaching. In order to prevent that, I decided to start the year off with a music project I am calling Heart Songs. Most of the kids are really into music (as you all know I am), so I am having them do varying levels of projects on the computer based on their favorite song; a song that touches their soul. Some will be using pictures to create a slideshow to the song, others will be creating a document with their favorite lyrics, and others will be creating pictures that represent the feelings they have when they hear the song. The kids are already pretty into it and so am I. I am just realizing that projects like this take so much more time than they would at home. The cool thing is, projects like these encompass so many skills and allow the kids to practice them in an interesting way. Overall, I am feeling much better about my ICT class and where it is headed.

As I said before, teaching math is awesome. It is definitely my favorite subject to teach. I am teaching grade 7 and they really are awesome. Whenever I call on one of them to answer a question, they stand up to address me and the entire class. It is really adorable. They also stand when I walk into the class and say “Good Morning Miss, how are you?” I never got that kind of treatment in the states J I feel really good about the prep work I did for that class. I put some routines and incentives into place right away and the kids are already really into them. It is definitely my favorite class of the day!

Other than that, kids are still coming to the library door and staring or saying hello and then just standing there. I am trying to be more ok with this, but it is definitely going to take some getting used to. I am sad to report that I have not seen the chicken since Sunday…not quite sure what happened there. I was hoping to have a nice braii on Saturday with some traditional Ovambo chicken that I slaughtered myself. Maybe he is just up a tree…he does enjoy a good tree climb. I will keep you posted.

One last thing…some people have been asking me what kind of supplies they could send over here. Really, anything would help. The one thing I will ask is if anyone has an old digital camera with the computer cable that they are willing to give up. I am hoping to use pictures a lot in my computer class, but it is extremely difficult with only my camera and 300 learners. If you think you have an old one to spare, contact me and we can see about getting it to my mom or sister to send to me!

Thanks again for all the messages, you guys are the bomb.

~h

back to school, back to school

Hi loved ones! First of all, I want to thank everyone who sent me messages/calls after my last post. The last few days have been nuts and definitely the hardest of my life. All of the kind words and check-ins have made it much more bearable. Ok, let me fill you in on the past few days:

I didn’t really go into detail about my place, so here it goes: I have a lovely room with a huge desk, a twin bed, and a nice closet. Thanks to Rachel (the past volunteer), it already felt pretty homey when I got here. I have a beautiful, blue mosquito net that kind of makes me feel like I am in a princess bed. I think I mentioned this before, but there are two cats here. They are very cute, but very hungry and I hardly have food for myself, let alone two cats. Oh yeah, and there’s a chicken. Did I tell you about the chicken? I thought he had wandered into our backyard (and our kitchen) and thought it was nice so he stayed. Little did I know, Rachel apparently left him for me (thanks Rachel) as a gift. The stipulation is that I have to slaughter him myself; no consultation from my roommates. I understand that I eat meat and I know where it comes from, but the idea of me chasing around this chicken is just too much. I have already chased him out of our kitchen several times, and let me tell you, that guy is quick. If I could have some assistance, I would be more than happy to have some real free range chicken. I have three roommates who are all very nice and work at the school as well. The school is just across the sand road from my house.

There has been lots and lots of rain the north. It is normal to find lots of flooding this time of year. My area is not necessarily flooded, but there are many oshanas (areas that fill up during the rainy season) around. Given that the road is sand, it is quite a messy walk to work. The school consists of several buildings all positioned inside a fence. The buildings are extremely run down. Most windows are broken, there are cracks in the concrete, broken doors, etc. Many desks are falling apart and chairs are in pieces. I would love to be able to use some fundraising money to get some new tables and chairs. One area that is not really that run down is the area that I am in: the library. Rachel did an AMAZING job setting up a school library/ computer lab. My desk is there and that is where I will teach all of my ICT (technology) classes. There are lots of different books (if anyone would like to send more, please do!) and some great resources for learners and teachers. I have been doing my planning in the library with some windows open. Learners will literally peek their heads in, stare at me, then run off laughing. Several have knocked and come in to introduce themselves. They have been extremely polite, but many don’t really say much past hello. I work my butt off trying to make conversation, but I think they just sort of want to check me out and just be around me. Speaking of being around me, I made a baby cry at my first staff meeting. My coworker has an adorable daughter who seemed very interested in me at first, then burst into tears when her mother tried to introduce me. I must have looked like an alien. A super white, curly haired alien. I had never made someone cry just by looking at them…let’s hope this was the first and last time.

So school is pretty unorganized this during the first week (like most schools) so I am looking forward to getting into more of a routine and schedule. I have so many ideas and am excited to put them into action. I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed with the amount of classes I have, but I know I just need to get started and get into the groove.

I haven’t had too much time to explore Ogongo since I have been busily preparing for classes and then extremely exhausted at night. I did, however, get to go to the nearest big town, Oshakati, yesterday. I went with a coworker to file some paperwork I needed in order to start working. The main way to get around here is hiking (hitch hiking) or taxis. We eventually caught a ride (once we were dropped off at the tar road) and made our way to Oshakati. Surprisingly, I ran into 3 other volunteers from WorldTeach at the office I was going to. It was really really nice to see them. Once our business was done, we went to the huge lot of taxis waiting to take people. This experience was overwhelming…the taxi drivers literally fight over you, wishing to fill their cars so they can take off. It is not like in the states…the taxis must fill (or overfill in some cases) before they will take off. After we selected a taxi, we waited a good 45 minutes to fill up and get back on the road. All in all, I was happy I wasn’t alone for my first Oshakati experience. I think I am going to meet up with some friends this weekend, so I will give it a shot on my own.

Ok, I must make some dinner and get myself to bed. Please keep the emails/messages coming and I promise I will get on the responses tomorrow!

Love you all,

h

ADDRESS!

please send me things! i have an address!! if you are going to mail actual things (not letters), there are flat rate boxes that will be the least expensive way to get things to me. Know that it will take some time, so let me know if you plan on sending something! K, here it is:

Hannah Wilkinson

c/o Ogongo Combined School

P.O. Box 3056

Oshakati, Namibia

Thanks!

h

and so it begins

I made it. I am sitting on my new bed, in my new house, with my new roommates, in my new city, Ogongo. So much “new”. New can be really exciting, but equally, if not more, overwhelming. I just finished my first day of school and am trying to take deep breaths to help me take in one thing at a time. I know I am supposed to be here, I am just having trouble stifling all of my fears and anxieties. I also know that this will pass with time, but time is too big a concept for me to accept right now. In order to alleviate some of the craziness going through my head, let me tell you about the past few days.

We left Windhoek on Sunday morning around 8:00. We were split by region so I was in a kombi (bus) with just two other girls going to the Omusati region. Throughout orientation, I was thinking that leaving the volunteer bubble would be no sweat. Wrong. Saying goodbye and leaving the comfort of like-minded people was way harder than I anticipated. Obviously we are all here to go outside of our comfort zones, but that is much easier said than done. After a long goodbye, we all parted ways and started the many hour journey north. Here is where it gets interesting.

The driver of our kombi was really nice and was driving very safely (almost too safe), but just fine after our previous kombi experiences. I was starting to perk up a bit and got even more excited when the driver turned music on. Just then, I got word that in another kombi headed north, the driver had gotten a speeding ticket for going 160 kph. I was terrified when our last driver was going 145 kph. You have to understand that the roads are very narrow and people are passing left and right. To be going 160 kph is just plain scary. I was very happy in our slow moving kombi, listening to pleasant music (I have to interject here that a cat just jumped through my window onto my bed with me. Yes, this too is new.) Next, our driver put in a CD since the radio was on commercial. The first song was Michael Jackson’s “Got to be Starting Something”. I really love that song and so do the other girls in the kombi. We showed our enthusiasm and starting singing along. I’m not sure if it was our enthusiasm, or if our driver just really loves the song too, but he put that song on repeat. Not just once. NINE times. NINE. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. That is a lot of “mama say mama sah”. Needless to say, we were dying with laughter and had to put our respective iPods in. Five times was my limit. After the 9^th time, I get another text from another vehicle headed north that says their driver has pulled over to “take a nap”. This is the same driver who got the speeding ticket. Apparently it was siesta time, so he just pulled himself over to rest. Again, my slow moving, music repeating kombi was sounding just fine.

That was until we reached Tsumeb. In Tsumeb, we were gassing up and buying some snacks at the petrol station. When we get back to the vehicle, we find our driver is missing. We don’t see him for about 25 minutes. He literally went across the street to the grocery store and came back with four bags of groceries. He then proceeds to go through the bags and meticulously chose which items he wants with him in the front seat. This takes another good 10 minutes. Meanwhile, we are sweating like crazy in the back of the kombi. This experience is definitely a test of patience. Luckily, things like this make me chuckle, especially when I am with other people. What didn’t make me chuckle was getting moving in Tsumeb, only to stop again and pick up some friend of the driver. There is definitely a language barrier, so we weren’t sure what we were waiting for (for 15 minutes). Luckily she was cool, but we were sort of in the mood to get going. We found out that, even with a nap, we were two hours behind the other kombi heading north! I guess going 160 kph will get you a cushy lead.

Soon after, we crossed the Red Line. It separates the cattle in the north and south. The cattle in the north are completely free range and wandering just about everywhere (except south of the red line). Once you cross it, the terrain and the vibe really changes. It was hotter. There were more people walking around. There were more shabeens (bars). Things were more spread out.

After going a while in the north, our vehicle stops again. Apparently we were picking up another person. The three of us are hoping to get to our sites before dark so we have some kind of idea of where we are, so this time, it was less funny. Once we get the guy, we are really on our way…after we drop off the groceries our driver bought at his house in Oshakati. And after we stop at another gas station.

Long story short, it was quite the process to get to the north. An 11 hour process to be exact. They dropped us off one by one in what was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. You just drop off someone you have become really close with in the middle of nowhere. People say “middle of nowhere” all the time. I really mean it.

I was welcomed in my home by my principal and roommates. I was really hot, tired, and felt crazy. I was showed my room (which is really awesome) and a tour of the house. We have a large sitting room with nothing really in it, a kitchen, three bedrooms, and a bathroom with a separate shower. There are two cats hanging around (as I mentioned before), a chicken in the backyard, and donkeys hanging out between my house and school. I have definitely had several “what am I doing” moments. The worst part was trying to get organized in a new place and get ready to go to school in the morning. Too many things to think about. I want to write about the first day, but I must do it another time…this will already take forever to load!

Ok, hope to talk to you guys soon.

Love you much,

h