I was going to write about a few sites I've seen but they pale in comparison to the dinner I had last week in Jerusalem. Friday night marks Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) in Israel. It lasts from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Shabbat is taken quite seriously here. I'm travelling with a Jewish Peace Corps friend and she got us invited to Shabbat dinner. The wife of the family, Gallia picked us up from our hostel at 3:30pm. they don't drive during Shabbat so she had to come early. Her son-in-law drove us to their home on the other side of town. On the way she pointed out some interesting points in town. She showed us the house where her husband Roni grew up. Two buildings away she pointed out pock marks left over from the 6-day war in 1967. Her husband was just a boy then but he remembers running with his family to the old city for protection. When we arrived at their apartment about 4pm, all the lights were already on. They do not flip switches or press buttons during Shabbat. We were given the task of tearing toilet paper neatly into strips. They do not tear things on Shabbat. Also, most of the dinner was prepared ahead of time because they don't cook on Shabbat. I know it sounds like a lot of rules. To me they seem trivial, but to them it's quite important.

The men and young boys of the family went to Synagogue to pray when Shabbat began. When they returned we sat down to dinner. There were 13 of us crowded around two tables. One of the sons poured wine into a brass cup for his father. There were two fathers in the house actually. Traditions states they should bless their children every shabbat. I watched as the younger father put his hands above his daughter's head and began to pray. I think he avoided touching her head because she was busy eating and he didn't want to disturb her. The older father took his children one by one pressing their heads against his. He prayed and finished by kissing them on the forehead. He then took his place at the head of the table and prayed over the wine, pouring a small amount for each guest at the table. Next, he blessed the bread and broke a piece off to eat. Then he offered a piece to his wife before sharing it with the rest of the table. The dinner was a feast. We had green salad, roasted red peppers, hummus, cucumber salad, chicken noodle soup, mashed potatoes, baked chicken, rice pilaf and probably something else I forgot. For dessert we had apple pie, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and mint tea made from fresh mint leaves. Oh, and they sang songs of praise in Hebrew before and after the dinner. The only reason they spoke english the rest of the night was for us.

It was powerful to be in that house. I feel like we saw what it was really like to live in the Jewish faith. We experienced first hand their traditions and kinship, and they welcomed us just like family. I was particularly impressed with the father, Roni. I think he is the type of father I would like to be. His children mean so much to him. That was made evident from the gestures and many stories that were shared at the table. By the time we left I felt such a strong admiration for them I almost cried.

Here are some pictures. The first is from Egypt at Karnak Temple. The second is at the top of Mount Sinai.

I'm still alive and still enjoying being on vacation... going on a month and no desire to quit. We have been in Tanzania about 5 days now. We spent Christmas hiking up a mountain in the rain forest. It was my first experience in a rain forest. It was beautiful... sorry no pics for that one. Were in Zanzibar now getting ready to celebrate New Year's. We're staying in a place called Stone Town. It's a crazy cool place. It's a town of tall stone buildings with mazes of narrow streets in between. We've been busy dodging cars and vespas the last couple days... oh and getting lost on the way to our hostel. It's really freakin hot here but swimming in the ocean combats that nicely. Speaking of water sports, here are a couple of pictures from Malawi. The first is of me rowing a dhow. These boats are very difficult to balance. We all flipped over in it many times but eventually I got the hang of it and successfully rowed to the other side of the bay. My Father would be proud... especially since he taught me how to canoe. The second picture is also from Malawi. We went cliff jumping there. It was great fun. Catch you next year. Peace.

News Flash: My Peace Corps Service ended 3-Dec. My world tour began 4-Dec.

I left Namibia on Friday 4-December. It was sad, exciting, nerve-racking and lots of other stuff. I'm now in beautiful Mozambique... although it took three days on a bus to get here. Honestly the bus ride didn't bother me. I met some interesting people, got to spend eight hours in a place called Vryburg thanks to a broken-down bus, and my body only hurt half the time. But seriously, It went by like nothing. I think it's because of the pacienca (patience in Portuguese) of the people. We never really knew when our new bus would arrive but 66 people just waited. I never heard anybody raise their voice or get really upset. It really helps when the people around you are relaxed. I feel like that would have been a very difficult situation in Western culture. I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa at 4am. This was actually convenient for me because my next bus left for Maputo, Mozambique at 8am. I slept a little at the bus station and then we were off.

I've been in Mozambique for less than 24 hours but I like it already. Maputo is the capital. It's where I will be for the next couple days before I go up the coast to a nice beach town called Tofo. The country language is Portuguese. Many people

speak hardly any english. That's been tough but I learned the greetings and how to point at stuff so I'm OK. Also I'm couch surfing via the couchsurfing.com website. It's great! I'm staying with a nice Portuguese family. Here's a quick photo... I think I'm still on this street actually. I better get back to exploring. My plan is to enjoy some Mozambiquan seafood, museums and street markets. From here I will meet my friends in Malawi, then travel to Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Israel, the UK, Italy... and maybe more if I'm not broke. Tudo Bem, Chao!

September was the busiest month I’ve had since Peace Corps training two years ago. Here are the highlights:

Close of Service Conference: Peace Corps had us in Windhoek for four days to prepare us for the end of our service. It was mostly paperwork and logistical crap but there were a few sentimental moments too... although they won't compare to saying goodbye to my Namibian family and friends.

AIDS Club Workshop: I helped facilitate a 2-day workshop for 13-16 year-old kids from around Oshikoto Region. These kids were chosen to head up AIDS Clubs at their schools. These clubs are designed to inform young people about the dangers of HIV/AIDS... of course... but also to learn leadership skills and have some fun (fun pictured). Many of the kids came from villages and had difficulty with English, especially our American accents,

but we facilitated alongside multi-lingual Namibians so it worked out fine.

Tsumeb Family Support Centre (TFSC) Spring Walk: TFSC is the new name for the centre where I work. We merged with The Women and Child Centre to form our new organisation. We’re having considerable financial difficulties so we decided to raise money through this event. We walked about 5kms with a police escort. We then had refreshments and games for the kids in the park afterwards. The pony rides, tug-of-war and sack races were a hit. We managed to raise a little money and had a good time.

Support Group Sewing Continues: Our support group has really kicked it into gear. I’m handing over all the responsibility to them step by step. They now have group positions, responsibilities, keys and soon control of the bank account. In Octoberthey will show off their dresses at the biggest party of the year, Tsumeb Copper Festival. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Male Engagement Workshop: This one took up most of my time in September. I basically organised it on my own. Male Engagement is a program addressing gender norms, gender inequality and how they relate to community problems like violence, alcohol abuse and HIV. I really like this material and I love the discussions we get from it. When you boil it down what we’re really talking about is how men’s behaviour toward women is often the root of our community problems. I think the format it’s presented in allows men and women to be honest about what’s going on without disrespecting each other. We had 15 attendees (pictured) from different government ministries, religious organisations and the Namibian Police. They came with a range of conservative and liberal views, but I think we managed to pull off a pretty constructive two days.

I couldn’t have done it without my good friend Udi (pictured). I tend to stress out about small details, but that’s hard to do when Udi’s just smiling and enjoying the whole thing. I owe him a lot.

Last weekend I attended an Owambo wedding. Their culture is the one I've grown closest to here in Namibia. I live near Owamboland, just north of Tsumeb, so naturally I have met more of them. My family in Tsumeb is Owambo. I have many Oshiwambo speaking friends. My girlfriend is Owambo and the bride in the wedding is her cousin. The wedding was fine, but I must admit my favourite part was the slaughtering of three cows. I've never seen it done before. It took 4-5 guys a couple of hours on each cow. Here are some pictures.

It’s the ghetto (location), but the view is beautiful. I was in the big capital of Windhoek last weekend with friends. We went to a family member’s house for dinner. At first we regretted the decision because it was difficult to find. We had to wait 30 minutes while two little girls from the house came to fetch us at a crossroads. They led us through a myriad of hills and dirt roads that had us constantly asking, “are we there yet?” When we did arrive my out-of-shape friend thought she would faint. We gave her a beer and then she was fine. The house was small and simple as most homes in the location are. The beauty of it was we were on the very outskirts of the city, up on a hill… in the ghetto. In America it would be prime suburb real estate; great mountain views, beautiful sunsets and away from the noise of the city. I watched one of those sunsets while the two little girls from the house jumped rope and played paddy cake. Their jump rope is made of plastic bags. They just tie them together until it’s long enough. Kids even make soccer balls out of plastic bags. I also noticed a creative soccer goal the other day. They strung together a bunch of aluminum cans and tied it to the top of two posts… and we think we know how to recycle.

The sitting room was crammed with two couches, two chairs and a coffee table. There was just enough room for the seven of us to eat dinner together. The ladies placed the different dishes around the table. It’s a good thing we didn’t use plates because there wouldn’t have been room. The dishes were pap (porridge), ekaka (traditional spinach), soup, pork steaks and fish (one giant Angel Fish stuffed with sliced tomato, onion and seasonings…yum!). Everything was really good, especially the atmosphere. It’s not that often I get to enjoy a traditional meal, in the traditional manner, sitting together and sharing. It still gives me a special feeling doing this. I feel accepted. I don’t feel like an outsider. Even after two years I still clearly recognize that I am an outsider. When moments like this occur, I cherish them.

I don’t usually enjoy going to Windhoek, but this time was different. I wish I had a few pictures for you but taking them would’ve been silly. It would’ve changed the atmosphere, and I would've felt like an outsider.

Wow it's been a while, neh? I'm still chugging along. I just finished another vacation with my Dad and his wife, Kim. It was nice but unfortunately they both got sick and we had to trim some things off our trip. I sure am lucky to get all this free time to roam around Namibia, and other countries. Sometimes I forget I have a job. Speaking of which... Our support group is still going pretty strong. The ladies are finishing up their sewing classes and soon will be making there own dresses and other clothing. I'm in the process of buying the necessary materials now. We have to spend the rest of our grant money before the end of July. I hope to post a blog in the next couple months showing what we've produced and maybe even sold. Wish us luck.

Sorry I don't have more. I'll get some pictures up soon. I promise.

I spent the last couple days working with the Ministry of Health on what I think is called a ‘Youth Mobilisation Campaign.’ I’m not really sure why it’s called that. We’re going around to several of the churches here in Tsumeb and discussing HIV, STIs, Alcohol & Drugs and Teen Pregnancy with young people getting ready to be confirmed. I really enjoy the 30 minutes I get to spend talking to the kids. The rest of the process I could do without. It starts with poor planning. The Ministry came to Meameno Centre a couple months ago asking for help. That part impressed me. That’s way ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, they didn’t really have a plan. Sure they have an outline of what the government wants them to cover and a budget for a snack (without this I’m not sure anyone would show up). The lady in charge asked us to present HIV, Alcohol & Drugs. She got a nurse to do Teen Pregnancy. She herself managed to cover STIs. She did this by taking a pamphlet on STIs and reading it word for word at our presentations. If I had to take it away from her and ask her about symptoms of STIs I’m afraid what her answer might be. On top of that, when she tried to offer her own additional information it was often false. This lady works for the Ministry of Health at a regional level. The nurse was better at being interactive but her English level is low. The kids had a hard time understanding her. We showed up to both sessions late which didn’t bother me nearly as much as the fact our leader had to list off excuses for why we were late... most of which were lies. At the end of Friday’s session we ended up short about 10 sandwiches. Some of the ten who didn’t get to eat were the boys who who were busy reorganising all the desks and chairs before they got into line. Who says extra effort pays off?

This probably sounds pretty bad neh? I think I made it sound worse than it is. I was just laughing as I re-read it. I just wanted to give you a picture of some of the difficulties here. Don’t feel sorry for me. This stuff doesn’t really get to me. The fact is Namibia is a very young country and things like this are happening everyday. I think they’re working pretty hard at trying to make it better. The lady who I put so much blame on here is not a bad person. She grew up in the Apartheid era. She was taught a lower level of education specifically for blacks, and she had to learn it all in Afrikaans, not English. Now she holds a great job. She’s kind and seems to really care about these kids’ future. Working with her makes me feel relaxed and needed. I like feeling that way.

Here’s some pictures of me and my sis. She was here for two weeks in May. We did a lot. We went to Victoria Falls/Zambia and Chobe Game Park/Botswana (pictured). We hitchhiked (pictured) a lot of it. It may have been the best time we ever had together.

Travelled to Africa... almost learned a second language... gained a new family... challenged my beliefs... read a lot of books... quit yoga... quit running... walk a lot, at a slower pace... made new friends... broke my caffeine addiction... learned to deal better with depression and loneliness... ate new food, like worms and goat face... found some romance... grew my hair out... feel it’s too hot about 320 days of the year... started sleeping on a box spring... got terrible diarrhoea... became an expert texter... hitchhiked through Namibia... was robbed... became closer with people back home... helped support people living with HIV/AIDS... decided I want to be a counsellor... learned British English... swam in the Indian Ocean... spent New Year’s Eve in Capetown... wish I would’ve accomplished more... gained serious appreciation for music... learned how to make tortillas... really miss Mexican Food... drove on the other side of the road... almost hit a giraffe... stayed on a traditional homestead... learned about stars in the Southern Hemisphere... crossed the Tropic of Capricorn... climbed a sand dune with my mom... became a master of making lemonade... enjoyed working with teenagers... have seen a lot of American influence here... won a gold medal playing basketball... met the Namibian Chess Champion... kinda feel like I’m in college again... stopped bathing daily...love saying hello...

And I still got 7 months to go!

They began on Tuesday at 8h30. Five ladies from our support group are learning to sew. It makes me very happy. It's so tangible. They are there sewing three days a week now. It's a skill they don't have, and one they would otherwise have to pay for to obtain. It's also one that could earn them a living if they get good at it. We always talk about trying to make sustainable contributions as volunteers. Finally I think I'm part of something that truly qualifies. The instructor says they are

learning fast. Right now they are only practising lines on copy paper but in a few months we hope they can begin making their own dresses.

I also got to go out to one of my favourite communities this week, Ondundu. I think I've mentioned it before. It's about 2km outside of Tsumeb. It's a pretty walk and the people there always greet me warmly. My colleague Jacob and I gave some basic HIV education to grade 5, 6 & 7 at the primary school there. The students were much better behaved then the last time I was there. It helps having a Namibian adult in the room with them... unfortunately it's their fear that keeps

them in line, but that's a topic for a whole other blog. Anyway, we got to speak to about 100 students on topics like HIV transmission and ways it is not transmitted; how to treat someone living with HIV/AIDS; and what HIV does in the body.

It felt like a very productive week, even though I only worked 3 1/2 days. The month is flying by, just like the year, which begs the question... what will I do next year? I'll let you know when I figure that out. Ta ta for now.

I have lived nothing short of a privileged life. I come from a loving family. I was given a free education. I was riding a bike - that was mine - by the time I was 6 years old. I was driving a car - that I owned - by the time I was 17. I was given the right to vote, and the opportunity to work and earn a living. My country allows me to live where I want and basically do what I want to do. In my 32 years I’ve never known anything but freedom.

Nelson Mandela spent the first 72 years of his life without many of the basic freedoms I know… and he spent most of that time trying to get them, not only for himself, but for everyone in South Africa. His speeches and writings inspired millions to stand up against the European government and its system of apartheid. By 1964 the ruling white party realised the only way to thwart the African National Congress (ANC) movement for equality was to throw as many of them into jail as possible... and that’s where Mandela stayed for the next 27 years. Nelson Mandela was a moving speaker and an even better writer from what I can tell. I just finished a book called ‘Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is My Life’. It’s a collection of his speeches and writings. I was astonished by his command of the English language. It’s no wonder so many people rallied around him. At the age of 34, after graduating with a law degree, he became Deputy President of the ANC. The ANC fought against the apartheid government, mostly through non-violent protest, until South Africa finally gained its freedom in 1994. Nelson Mandela was accused of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964. Imagine being told you would spend the rest of your life behind bars because you sought equality among people. Mandela was a major threat to the ruling racist government. That’s essentially what it boils down to and why he was imprisoned. He was released in 1990, and eventually became the free country’s first president. The thing I suppose I’m most impressed with is his composure, and ability to suppress his anger. Those who were close to him in prison say you didn’t see him get angry, or rant about the wrongs done to him. He just kept talking and planning over what their next move should be. And after 27 years in prison for committing no real crime he wanted no revenge. He didn’t want the leaders of the former government rounded up and jailed. He just wanted a new beginning. This is a man who suffered for the betterment of his people and sought no recognition. He sought only justice and peace.

What is suffering? What does it feel like? Will someone of my background ever really know? I want to understand what people who suffer go through. What was it like to be a Jew in Germany during World War II? What was it like to be hunted by your own countrymen in a genocidal war like that of Rwanda? What’s it like to be stripped of basic human rights based on the colour of your skin? Part of me feels like I’ve missed something by not suffering. I think we learn a great deal through our most painful times. If I had suffered I think I would have more wisdom, more passion, and more empathy. I guess I feel I would have more to offer had I suffered.

Last weekend was one of my best experiences to date in Namibia. I spent the weekend in Owamboland, about 2 hours north of Tsumeb. I stayed in a village just outside Ondangwa with a friend. By the end of the weekend I didn't want to leave.

The trip began a little ominously as we sat in the back of a taxi watching modest homes being taken over by flood waters. This is the second straight year Northern Namibia has experienced dangerous flooding. Many people have had to vacate their homes leaving furniture and other ruined valuables. Even a few Peace Corps volunteers were evacuated for precautionary measures. The village I stayed in, while impacted by the flood, did not pose any real danger. Still, to reach the homestead where I stayed we did have to cross an oshana with water at a depth of about 2 feet. Oshanas are like small valleys where the water collects. The water surrounded the property, taking over a piece of the farmland where healthy mahangu (like millet) had been growing. You can see the water and the mahangu field in this picture, as well as my friend Aune. She is one of nine living on the homestead. The family consists of Meme, Tate, children, grandchildren and cousins... a normal mix for a village family in the Owambo culture.

After crossing the oshana we arrived at the homestead and I was soon greeted by the Meme, a super kind woman... I don't speak her language, but sometimes you can just tell. Then I met Tate. He does speak some english. In fact he speaks a lot of it, broken but spirited. I managed to understand him most of the time. He would probably say the same about me. Then I quickly met some cousins who came flying in holding the fresh fish they just caught in the flood waters. We ate them the next day, although I had only a small piece of fish for worry it could make me sick. Luckily that didn't happen. As evening set in that Friday night I remembered I'd be spending the weekend with a million friendly mosquitoes and without electricity. I also remembered there was no toilet or shower. Imagine that, I got to spend one weekend roughing it like a real Peace Corps Volunteer. The only real problem were the mosquitoes... thank God for a mosquito net. I don't know how I could've slept without one.

On Saturday I got to work in the field hoeing down weeds. Then I got to pound

Mahangu, as shown in the second picture. This is the process of turning the mahangu seeds into flour. This is traditionally a woman's job but they allowed me to give it a try. I wasn't very good at it. The girls proved to be much more efficient. After a little work I helped prepare lunch. This is also usually a woman's task but they understood I was one of those crazy new age Americans and humoured me. In the afternoon the girls were back to pounding the mahangu. They had to make a batch of extra fine flour to prepare a special sweet bread called Oshikwida (sp?). I spent a couple of hours just watching them pound. I was completely entertained. It's amazing how much work they put into pounding. As the sun was going down I grabbed a bucket and filled it with water to bathe. It was one of the best baths I've ever taken. The mens' bathing area was at the corner of the homestead looking west. I peered out over the mahangu fields and palm trees watching the sun come down... while bathing. When's the last time you can say you did that?

On Sunday we went to their church. It's about a 30 minute walk from the homestead. I knew we'd have to cross the oshana again. How was I going to wear church appropriate attire and do that? Well I carried most of it. I walked across in my dress shirt, shorts and sandals. The ladies had to hike up their dresses. Really it was fun. If I had to do it every weekend it would probably grow tiresome. The service was all in Oshiwambo... except when the pastor spoke english to personally greet me in front of the congregation. That was really nice. The whole thing was enjoyable. I just kind of sat in my own world appreciating all the joys the Lord had given me that weekend. I was supposed to leave right after church but I didn't want to. I stuck around for

lunch, a couple more conversations with Tate, and some time under the shade tree. When I finally reached Tsumeb it was already dusk, but I'm pretty sure people could still see me smiling as I walked to the house. Some experiences just leave you giddy inside. I can't wait to go back.

This last picture is of one of the many huts as well as some of the squash growing on the homestead walls. While mahangu is their main crop they also have mango trees, guava trees, and pumpkins growing on the premises. In the corrals they had about 20 goats, maybe 10 chickens and 4 donkeys for plowing.

Well our support group is under way. We had seven attendees for the first meeting, all ladies. They don't speak any English. In fact, they are all Oshiwambo speaking. It's nice to have counterparts who speak the language. I went through the agenda in English while my counterparts translated. It's a funny feeling speaking to a group when you know they don't understand you. I had to do it so my colleagues had something to translate, but I felt really awkward. It's like speaking just to hear yourself talk. Anyway the first meeting went well. We discussed our plans for the group and requested feedback from them. We are still waiting for our sewing equipment and materials to come in and there isn't much work to be done on the garden right now. One of the ladies suggested we start with a bead project where we can make different types of jewelry from beads. That should be underway in the next couple weeks.

I just returned to Tsumeb yesterday. I spent last week in Okahandja with another new group of volunteers. It was myself and two other current volunteers there to answer questions, and my lord did they have them! I felt like a search engine being surfed all day. It was tiring, but also rewarding. I hope I gave them a good picture of Peace Corps Namibia. I guess that's all I have to say. I promise a more interesting blog next time. I'm reading a book on Nelson Mandela, one of my heroes, and would like to write something about him. Ta ta for now.

Tomorrow is a big day. It's our first support group meeting. We announced it on the radio, posted flyers, handed out invitations, called people... if they don't show up it will be quite the disappointment. I think we'll get some turnout. We're not so much worried about quantity as we are quality. If five people come who are really interested in learning to sew, or help garden, I'll be ecstatic! We found a sewing teacher and even convinced the government to pay her from their annual HIV/AIDS action plan budget. It wasn't so hard considering the end of their fiscal year is March and they haven't even spent half their budget. We've ordered the sewing machines and some additional gardening equipment. On Friday, Jacob (Red Cross Volunteer-lives at Meameno Centre) and I planted carrots and red beets. Over the weekend the neighbor dog crapped on them. I guess that tells you what he thinks of our gardening abilities. It's also a good reminder that we must get our fence repaired. Anyway, wish us luck.

On another topic, the Tsumeb Women & Child Abuse Centre is looking at merging with us at Meameno. My Tate and Honourable Councillor Mr. Tobias suggested the idea to them last year. The reason for the merge is 1) We have no money and 2) They have no building. They are currently renting a space just down the road from us. Basically, if they agree to pay the utilities and make improvements on the grounds then we're going to invite them to move in. I'm excited to work together with them, but I am worried about our lack of space. It's going to be difficult to run both our programs out of the current building. They are drawing up plans now to build an additional building at the back of the premises. I don't foresee that being finished anytime soon meaning we'll be packed in like sardines for a while. We'll make the best of it. The Cape Town pictures I promised...

I'm back in Tsumeb. Last week was my first week back to work. Anybody else get 6 weeks vacation this holiday season? I love Peace Corps :-) Going home was wonderful. Seeing friends and family was priceless, and all the snow and good food... it was great. But being back here is maybe just as good. I've really become comfortable here.

So the big goal for this year is our support group for HIV infected and affected people. The big goal is getting people to show up. Really, that's what I want. God just send some people through our front door. I think we can handle it from there. I hope so anyway. I'm beginning to question my colleagues commitment to this project. I guess I can't blame them. They are hardly being paid for their work. Anyway, we'll be buying our sewing and gardening materials in the next couple weeks with the grant money we received from the American Embassy. Wish us luck. Oh, and we don't have anybody that knows how to sew which I think is a key ingredient to a sewing project. I'm praying we find somebody.

Sorry I can't seem to load pictures. I promise some next time from our trip to Capetown. It was a blast!

Hello Everyone. I am bringing home a little taste of Namibia.

These are Makalani nuts. They come from the local palm trees. They are small, like large marble size... mostly used as key chains. Artists carve beautiful images on them. The ones I'm bringing home all say Namibia on them as well. I'm selling them on behalf of another Peace Corps Volunteer trying to raise money to make improvements to her school classrooms in Namibia. If you are interested they are $8 each. I will have plenty available. They are only costing her $1-$2 each so $6-$7 goes directly to the improvement fund for each one. I know that doesn't sound like much but you would be surprised what we can do with that over here. Let me know if you're interested and I'll try to get them to you while I'm home. E-mail or comment here. Thanks!

I know. It's been a long time since the last post. Life has been great here in Namibia. I experienced Copper Festival right here in Tsumeb... wait til you hear what I won. I got to greet 20 new Peace Corps Volunteers at the airport and spend a weekend with them. And the best news, the rain has returned and the garden is still kicking.

Every year the Copper Festival is held at the end of October in Tsumeb, my hometown. The town was built on copper mining and it's the biggest party of the year here. It reminded me of the festivals in Wheeler Park, only four times bigger. We have a big beautiful park here in Tsumeb called United Nations Park. The whole festival was there. Most of the festival is just people sitting, talking, eating and drinking heavily. I guess that's what most festivals are though, neh? Anyway, I was invited to play basketball in the Copper Games the previous weekend. Our team won the Gold Medal! I was so thrilled to be part of the team. They are a talented group of players and they really made me feel welcome, even though I only scored one basket the entire tournament. One of the guys said, "You're not a full player, but you got a lot of heart." I was touched. The next weekend at Copper Festival we were awarded our medals. Here's a picture of our team plus some additional guys... people always jump into pictures randomly here.

On November 7th I was at Hosea Kutako International Airport to greet 20 new Peace Corps Volunteers. Just look at these poor suckers... deer in headlights. We were only three volunteers to greet the new group. I was honoured to be invited. Two of us got to spend the whole weekend with them as part of Volunteer Support Network (I joined that back in April). They had lots of questions and we had lots of funny stories for them. On Saturday we took them hiking up the mountain in Okahandja, just like the last group did for us. We're such a fraternity. I hope they feel welcomed.

The rain is back. It was six months since I'd seen a drop. Jesse (brother), Udi (friend) and I ran around barefoot in the rain yelling like school boys. It's been good for the garden too. It seems like when we water the garden the plants kind of shrug their shoulders. When it rains, they stand up and sing praise to the heavens. I guess that's similar to the way we reacted running around in it. Here's some of our squash. It's been hard to sell them. Nobody knows what squash is until they see it... and ours aren't all that attractive. Oh well. I bought some and I think they tasted great.

This is probably my last post until January. I'm going home for Christmas in a few weeks. I can't wait!

The American Embassy finally called. They awarded us US$3400. I think we can do a lot with that here. If you don't recall, this was the grant we wrote back in May. I'm not as excited as I thought I would be. For one thing, the Embassy told me I'd hear something by the end of June. I tried repeatedly to contact them in July and August. I got only one response from a lady who said she couldn't tell me anything. I basically gave up on them. This money is to go toward sewing and gardening projects for our HIV support group. The support group is non-existent at the moment. I really hope we can get people interested. Pray for us. Also, the Male Engagement workshop went well. My colleague, and friend, Udi and I will have an opportunity to share the info with some local SWAPO government leaders here in Tsumeb. I'm looking forward to the challenge. I think we will be speaking to some very conservative, traditional men. We will be presenting them with ideas about gender equality, and asking them how they think we can 'get outside the box' with local gender norms (i.e. Men don't cook or clean, women's sexual rights inside marriage). It should be interesting. That's all for now.

I’m back in Tsumeb after yet another detour. I spent the last two weeks in Windhoek for physio-therapy (British English). Nothing is really wrong with me. I just have some irritation in my right leg that I thought I’d get checked out. Why not? I have full medical coverage. I didn’t learn much. They say I have a bit of an abnormal separation in my lower spine. It’s something I was born with and it may be causing the problem. They recommended physio-therapy which is why I had to spend so much time in Windhoek. I’m doing stretches and exercises now that are supposed to help. The truth is I probably should’ve listened to my Mom last year when she evaluated me. She’s also a physical therapist and basically gave me the same plan.

I got a nice surprise when I got home. The squash plants are thriving! They were coming around before I left, but now they’re really kicking. Were they happy I was gone? Maybe my bad attitude was stunting their growth... could be a lesson to all of us who are parenting young species. We also started seeds in our planters a couple weeks ago. We planted green peppers, cabbage, spinach and tomatoes. Hopefully we’ll have something to put into the ground in a few more weeks. The ‘My Future is My Choice’ kids promised to help me with it. Here's a picture of them.

I’m looking forward to a Male Engagement Training next week. I’ll be going to Otjiwarango (2 hours south of Tsumeb) to be trained to give Male Engagement Workshops in Tsumeb. A Namibian colleague from Tsumeb will join me and help facilitate the workshops back here. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I promised I’d report on the community meeting and self-defence classes. I didn’t plan on being all that excited to do it. We held a community meeting on Saturday morning at Omatara (Oshiwambo word meaning open market). Community meetings in Tsumeb are notorious for poor turnouts, but this one was well attended. It helped that Omatara is naturally a busy place but we thought getting their attention and cooperation was going to be a heavy task. We requested ahead of time that all shops close during our meeting. They didn’t seem all that willing to do so but when Councillor Tobias went around with a megaphone they complied. Then about 250 of them pulled up benches and listened attentively throughout the meeting. We had a speaker from the Ministry of Health, and a demonstration by TCE (Total Control of the Epidemic) but the highlight was definitely Tate Luanda Ndemweda’s speech. He is an HIV positive man living in Oshivelo, about an hour north of Tsumeb. We invited him to speak at our meeting because we are having a difficult time finding anyone in Tsumeb willing to speak out publicly about their HIV status. Word got out that we would have an HIV positive speaker. That may have also helped with the turnout. When Tate Ndemweda finished he was given a large round of applause and words of encouragement. A couple shop owners even gave him bags of tomatoes and onions. We also held self-defence classes at Meameno Centre over the weekend. My friend, and fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Paddy, taught the classes along with his partner Brooke. The two of them are trained in Karate and Tae Kwon Do. The classes were only for girls. We had 12 who completed the all three classes and received certificates. I was really impressed with the teachers and the girls. Paddy and Brooke spent a lot of one-on-one time making sure the girls learned all the techniques. I was amazed at what they were able to do after just three days. It was fun to see some of the really shy ones perform with so much energy. It seems so many young girls in Namibia have a hard time standing up for themselves and defending their rights. I think these classes gave them a real boost. I want to send special thanks to Paddy and Brooke who brought these classes to girls all over Namibia. I know I complain a lot about being ineffective and not getting things done. Most of the time that’s how I feel. So believe me when I say this: I played a big part in making these events a success, and I’m proud of it.

I suppose I’m due for a work update. I’ve been avoiding this a little due to the lack of production on my end. At least I have excuses. In May, June and July I was gone from Tsumeb for about 10-15 days per month. So I didn’t get a lot done. I shouldn’t have many reasons to leave site in the next few months, and I hope they are much more productive.

I just finished my first ‘My Future is My Choice’ course with students at Tsumeb Secondary School. 13 kids graduated. Next month they’ll be presented their certificates in front of the whole school. I think the kids enjoyed it, and I know I did. I feel like I could be a pretty good teacher. I think the best part of the class had to be the question box. Some of the students were pretty shy, understandable for their age, but they made good use of the question box. I had to refer to my smarter Peace Corps colleagues quite a few times. Many of them actually studied medicine or health. So not only did they learn a lot, so did I. The plan is for me to conduct one course each school term. I’m already looking forward to starting my next class in September.

You may recall I started a compost pile back in March for the new garden to be planted in the spring. We were able to get two good size compost piles going thanks to the help of a local grocery store who provided us their rotting fruits and veggies. It took a while for the decomposition to get moving, but both piles look pretty healthy now. In fact, the rotten squash liked their new home so well they decided to sprout like wildfire. I spent last Saturday transplanting the new squash plants to our garden… our garden that didn’t exist. So I had to prepare the soil. Anybody ever heard of the double digging method? It’s supposed to loosen the soil down to 24 inches. It was pretty painful, but I promise you that soil is loose! I transplanted about 20 squash plants. Unfortunately they may all be dead. Did I mention I’ve never gardened before? I couldn’t keep the root balls together. The compost soil was so loose, the dirt just fell off the roots. I had Jesse come and look at it. He thinks since the compost piles were covered the squash plants got used to a warmer temperature and suffered major shock in the garden. Why didn’t I recruit him to help me? I’ve still got some more squash plants to transplant. I’m going to keep that compost pile uncovered for about a week before I move them. If anybody has suggestions please send me comments. Oh, I forgot about the mango seeds we planted. None of them sprouted. We’re going to try papaya now. Jacob assures me these will work.

I’m helping organize a community meeting and a self-defence class this month. I’ll let you know how it goes. Ta Ta.

Yesterday was a good day for me. For others it was not. My brother Jesse had to attend a memorial service for three of his fellow students at Otjikoto Secondary School. They were killed in a motor vehicle accident one week ago. Two of them were girls in grade 9. The other was a boy in grade 12. He was a friend to Jesse. 22 other students were fortunate enough to survive the accident, although some were seriously injured. I don't know all the details of the accident. I know the kids were in the back of a large open-bed truck. They were headed to their village, Ombili. The truck was hired by their families to bring them home for the weekend. Apparently, the back tire(s) blew and the driver lost control. The vehicle went off the road. It rolled many times throwing the children from the back. The memorial service was the fourth in Tsumeb this year to involve the death of school children. Yesterday was a good day for me. I had good conversations, ran into people I hadn't seen in a while. My day finished with a nice dinner with Tate and Jesse at Makalani Hotel. Jesse, who was emotionally exhausted, was talking to us with his eyes closed by the end of the meal. He left early this morning for another day of mourning in Ombili. My friend and colleague, Jacob, also had a very difficult day. He travelled up to Owamboland upon hearing news that his son was very sick. The 1 ½ year old baby remains in the hospital. It must have hit Jacob very hard when he arrived there. He sent me a message, “I don't know what to do. He's very sick.” I'm afraid his son could die, but I pray he gets better news. Yesterday the weather was perfect, I had a good day at work. I went home to a decent book and a warm bed. I don't know how to comfort my brother or my friend. Illness and death interrupt life all to often here. And every time it does I just feel like an outsider trying to understand.

I have a problem with the phrase, "Things always happen for a reason." I disagree. I think sometimes things just happen. I don't know that Pastor Roger agrees with me, but I'm going to quote him anyway. "Sometimes evil just breaks in." I think sometimes, it's not part of God's plan.

Life is good. My Mom is loving Namibia. I don't have much else to report. I'll put something together later in the month to let you know how work is progressing for me. Here's a couple images. One is from the Copper Theatre Group. They are a Tsumeb theatre group. Almost all of my friends are part of this group. My Mom and I are going to see them perform tonight. The other picture is from Opawa Junior Secondary School (grades 1-10). I got to speak to them back in February.

Hello everyone. I don't have much to say today, but I thought I could send some pictures of Tsumeb. It's taken me a while to collect these because I hate taking pictures in the town I live. I feel like such a tourist. I took a couple of these shots blind. I just raised the camera out of my bag for a couple seconds and snapped shots. I know it sounds pretty silly but that's me. This will give you some idea what the town looks like. The last picture is from an event last night at Otjikoto Secondary School (the one my brother goes to). It was alright. I'm getting a little fed up with 'African Time'. The event was supposed to start at 6pm. It didn't actually start til around 8pm. Some of the performers were incredible dancers. I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying so I won't judge their musical talent.

My Mom will be here 1 week!!! We're going to have a fabulous time. I'm taking her to Swakopmund (the coast), Etosha Game Park, Tsumeb and maybe Botswana. I have a hard time imagining her here. I feel quite removed from my life in the states. It's like the two worlds will finally collide when she arrives on Saturday.

I just spent 10 days in Ongwediva for My Future is My Choice training. It was an interesting experience. Life is different 'in the North', as they say. The population is almost entirely Owambo. The major towns are nothing like Tsumeb. Tsumeb reminds me a little of small-town America. The northern towns are just a corridor of old buildings all stacked against each other along the highway. Also, the North is like a giant beach. There's sand everywhere. Walking on the foot paths is a lot of work. The ground just gives way. Then I tried walking in it after a few beers, even tougher. I attended the training with 21 other people, all Owambo. They welcomed me to the group like anybody else. That has been my experience with almost all the activities I'm involved with. The Namibian people are warm-hearted. The problem comes when we try to communicate. Sometimes people in Tsumeb have a difficult time with my 'American English', but usually they understand me. It's a pretty diverse town and people speak a lot of English there. In the North they don't speak much English. They don't have to because almost everyone speaks Oshiwambo. On the other hand, the youth are trying to learn English to increase their job opportunities. It was really frustrating because I wanted to get to know some of the people better, but the language barrier just kept that from happening. Still, we had a good time together. I'd be interested to hear comments from any of you on a similar experience. I'm excited to start teaching My Future is My Choice. It's an after-school program for 15-18 year olds. The material covers HIV, reproductive health, drugs and alcohol, communication, decision making, values... so much stuff! And, I hear most students enjoy the program. It's highly interactive with games, dramas and teamwork. I may be able to start the program as early as next week with my assigned school, Tsumeb Senior Secondary. Wish me luck.

Last week I spent one afternoon moving dirt around, yet it felt like one of the most substantial things I’ve done since being here. A group from Norway has spent a month here in Tsumeb rebuilding a kindergarten. Tate, Jesse and I joined them for a day’s worth of work. It really is satisfying to know you’re working on something your community needs, even if it’s just for a day. The group we worked with is part of a reality TV show back in Norway. Crazy huh? They have to complete tasks like these in order to continue getting funding for more international projects.

How am I doing? Ek kan nie klan nie (I can’t complain). My Afrikaans skills are still below average, but I can get by in conversation. It’s funny I recognize most of the words people say to me, but I still don’t quite get the meaning. I try to just go with what I think they said. I don’t speak it that much. My brother Jesse gets me speaking it every once in a while just to make sure I don’t completely lose the language. What else? When I first got here I was running and doing yoga, but I quit. I don’t know why but I have no desire for either one. I walk a lot and play basketball. I get so sore after basketball it takes me days to recover. I’m meeting more people but I’m still pretty anti-social after working hours. I read a lot, do crosswords, and now I’m addicted to Solitaire. I never liked that stupid game but now I’m hooked. I’m even keeping track of my winning percentage. I win about 1 in every 20 tries. You’d think that would be enough for me to give it up. I’ll be spending the next two weeks in Ongwediva. It’s the real ‘North’ of the country in the heart of Owamboland. I’m getting trained on a life skills program for secondary school students. I’ll probably write my next blog on that. Peace.

This is Justine. She’s 10. I bet this picture could get her a million dollars if I told the world she needed it. I met her in Windhoek last week during Peace Corps Reconnect. Our Country Health Director, Lejeune Lockett (my boss), has developed a youth centre there in Windhoek. It’s called Young Achievers. Justine is a member of the group. She was carrying around this globe and looking adorable; probably not something she has to work at. I asked her if she could show me Namibia on the globe. No problem. Then I asked her where she wanted to visit. She said, “Canada.”

I asked why. “Because it’s peaceful there,” she said. I couldn’t argue.

I’ve returned to Tsumeb after a week at some posh resort outside Windhoek. Peace Corps Reconnect is a week where all the volunteers come back together, discuss our Namibian lives, and take hot showers. The hot showers were the best part. Spending a week in 8-5 sessions just wasn’t what I wanted to do. I did get some useful information though. I learned about a few grants we can apply for. I’m now in the process of writing one for our HIV/AIDS Support Group. The American Embassy has a lot of money to give toward HIV/AIDS projects (Thank you PEPFAR). The support group is designed to give emotional support to people living with HIV/AIDS, but it’s more than that. People are out of work. They want something to do, and they want something to eat. If all goes well our support group will provide gardening activities, sewing projects and other income-generation projects. Our centre has attempted to get this group going but has run into many hurdles. We had about 15 people register for the group last year, but most did not attended subsequent meetings. They started a sewing project but our sewing machines and materials were stolen. There are now burglar bars and a barbed-wire fence to discourage break-ins. I think if we get some funding and some food we could have ourselves a successful support group. Stigma will be an on-going problem. HIV+ people really don’t want anyone to know their status. We think some fear being judged just by entering our centre where ‘HIV/AIDS Support Centre’ is painted on the exterior. Wish us luck.

This is my friend Gabriel. He is a Damara man living in Tsumeb. He stays at the local old age home. I first met him in December when we were training here. We spent a day with the old folks that month, sang songs and stuff. When I returned in January Gabriel came to Meameno Center to visit me. We have had some good conversations. His English is surprisingly good for a man his age. Most of the older folks here don’t speak English. They grew up learning Afrikaans, as well as their mother tongue.

I told Gabriel we would be planting some fruit tree saplings at the center. We want to sell them to create some income for our HIV/AIDS support group. Well, he showed up the next week with a mango sapling for us. What a kind thing to do. On Saturday, I visited him and others at the old folks home. I brought them a big bag of oranges. Gabriel was happy to see me. It’s really something how the old folks light up when they get visitors. It seems it was like that in the states too. I’m sure many of them still have family that visits from time to time, but I don’t think that’s the same as a friend or even a stranger. I kind of wish I had done it more back home. I bet some of our old folks have great stories to tell. I never really got to talk to my grandpas who were in WWII. They died when I was very young. It would be something to know more about their war stories, or anybody else’s for that matter. I’m becoming more interested in history lately. I guess I’m just saying we should take advantage of the time we have with our elders while they’re still around. I’m making my parents write life stories for me, even though they’re still a couple of spring chickens. They’ve just started and I’ve already learned so much I didn’t know about them! I think they’re enjoying the process too.

If anybody is planning to send me a package soon, here are some ideas:

-Gabriel could use a pair of sneakers size 9-10. Any condition is fine.

-Gabriel is also looking for a pen pal if anybody wants to write him. E-mail me if you’re interested and I can get you his address. Or send it to me and I'll get it to him.

-Things for Meameno Center: markers (any kind), sticky gunk (to hang posters, etc), a dictionary, small dry erase board, pencils and sharpener, pens, clipboard

-Sweet & Salty Nut granola bars, M&Ms, crunch&munch

-Pictures (any)

-Book about gardening (like for dummies cause I aint dun it before)

Please remember these are not dire needs, just ideas. You can send something tomorrow or in 9 months. It’s all good. My address is in the left column. I really appreciate the things you have already sent me. The letters and notes mean the world to me. Any day I get mail is a good day. Thanks a bunch!!!

I finally played basketball last night. The first five minutes were a blast. Then I remembered how much running full court basketball requires. Actually my body reminded me. I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I had to stop running. I pretty much just stayed back and played defense. Eventually, I got a second wind and rejoined the offense. They have an interesting system of play. We play first team to two baskets wins. Then the losing team subs in one or two players from the sidelines. The game never really stops, you just get new players on the court. It probably would’ve been better if I was on the losing team and got to sit out a little. Unfortunately, I was playing with the star of the high school team. The guy never missed, especially from the three-point line. And he was unselfish, passed to us more than he shot. I was impressed. I thought I would be in all kinds of pain today, but I actually feel pretty good. I escaped with just one purple toenail. I got it fighting for a rebound with somebody a little bigger than me, imagine that. He came down with the ball, and I came down with a smashed foot.

Speaking of injuries, I was in a car accident on Friday. I’m totally fine. It was on the way to Windhoek. The car in front of us stopped for some baboons. They stopped in the middle of Namibia’s busiest highway over a blind hill. TOURISTS! Our driver had no time to react and plowed into them. Nobody was badly injured, just scrapes and bruises. Now onto the reason I was headed there…

Back in December I applied for VSN (Volunteer Support Network). It’s a Peace Corps program designed to support volunteers throughout Namibia (Members pictured here). I was invited to join last month, and we had our training in Windhoek last weekend. I’m pretty excited about it. Volunteers experience a wide variety of emotions and if they need somebody to talk to then they can contact VSN. We’re certainly not qualified counsellors, just a resource of peer support. It's a combination of Group 26 and 27 volunteers. I also had to include this picture of a Windhoek coffee shop. Nice decor eh? And the name... Snob Coffee. How appropriate! Mom, we'll definitely have to make a turn at Snob Coffee when you visit in July.

Easter Weekend in Swakop was very nice. The water had to be the warmest ocean water I’ve swam in. My last experience swimming in the Atlantic was on the coast of Maine, you might imagine how cold that was (I’m sure my father remembers). There is certainly something therapeutic about the ocean. The weekend was relaxing, fun and cheap. Would you believe I spent less than $150 U.S. on the whole trip? There were quite a few volunteers that decided to spend the long weekend there. It was really nice to reunite with some of them. Here’s a picture of Nick, Roshn, Milan and I. The four of us were roommates during training. You may be able to see the shipwreck in between us. This ship is beached just south of Swakopmund. The story behind it is a little funny. 30km south of Swakopmund is Walvis Bay. It is Namibia’s major fishing port. Apparently the crew of this ship was elated with the haul of fish they had just brought in. They docked in Walvis Bay and went into town to celebrate. When they went back the boat was gone. TIN (This is Namibia).

While I’m getting along well with other Peace Corps volunteers, I’ve found friendships a little more difficult to come by with Namibians. This is not to say they are unfriendly. It’s quite the contrary, and I get along fine with just about everybody. The issue is I haven’t made the efforts to integrate further into their lives. In Namibian culture people do not invite you to their homes, or into their social lives. It is up to me to make that happen. I’m supposed to just go and visit people when I feel like it. Anyone you visit is supposed to invite you in, give you a cooldrink and maybe something to eat. What an intrusion right? I like the custom but it has been hard to muster up the courage to try it out. It certainly happens at our house. You never know exactly how many people you might be cooking dinner for. We always try to make a little extra. I’ve decided to try a couple easier avenues first. I may join a local theatre group. I went to one of their meetings this week. It would be fun to learn drama the Namibian way. Some of the members are already my regular colleagues, so it’s quite comfortable. I also know a couple guys who play basketball a few nights a week. I told them I’d like to come along. I’m looking forward to playing some hoops. It’s been a while, and I hear these guys are good. I may get laughed at, but I’m learning that’s not such a bad thing. Let’s face it, I stick out here. I talk different. I act different. I do things a different way. Lots of times it makes people laugh. Somehow that makes me feel accepted. I think Namibians just like to laugh. They seem to do it a lot.

Camping at Etosha was great. I didn’t expect to get so close to so many animals. And, I never expected to see lions! They say it’s tough to find them usually. Here are some pictures. Yes, we were this close to them. I have to give photo credit to Nick Boire. He took these ones.

We saw giraffes, zebras, hyenas, mongoose, wildebeest, oryx, jackals and lions. It was the wrong time of year for elephants and rhinos. Oh, and Etosha is the 6th largest game park in the world… I misspoke in the last blog.

It was really nice to spend some time with the volunteers too. I camped with Nick, Ian and Chris. They are the first ones I’ve seen since swear in. I’m headed to Swakopmund this weekend. It’s supposed to be a nice coastal town, pretty touristy though. I’m just looking forward to the beach. We have a 5-day weekend thanks to Easter and Independence Day. Why don’t we get Monday off for Easter in the States? Bummer for you guys.

Upon request, here's my address:

P.O. Box 1770

Tsumeb, Namibia

Doesn't it seem to easy? I'm all the way in Africa and this is my simple stinkin address. Please don't feel the need to send me care packages necessarily, but letters are great!

Quick review… my Tsumeb family is Tate Tobias, Meme Rosina, brother Jesse and sister Tangasia Cassdy Ulla Palla.

Mr. Tobias is the Tsumeb Regional Councillor, a former school teacher and soldier in the country’s fight for independence. The proper way to address him in the business community is ‘honourable councillor’. Sometimes they just call him ‘honourable’, and I think the shoe fits. He has strong morals, carries himself professionally and he’s always smiling and laughing. He supports as much local business as he can. He’ll give anybody in town a lift. People wave him down in the streets, and he stops the car and lets them voice their concerns. He spends almost every Friday night and Saturday as an MC for memorials and funerals of those he barely knows, and he does it because they ask him to. He is also my supervisor as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and it should come as no surprise he always has time to listen to my plans and ideas. Tate’s wife is Meme Rosina. They seem to be linked by a very similar sense of humor. They are both funny people. It only took a few days for Meme to start joking with me, making me feel at home. Unfortunately, she is gone to Windhoek for the year. She’s a nurse for Tsumeb Hospital, and they’ve sent her there to study for an advanced nursing degree. She will return in December. Baby Ulla is with her. We miss them both very much. Jesse is in his last year of school at Otjikoto Secondary. He hopes to become a pilot one day. He does most of the cooking now that Meme is gone, and I’m usually his sidekick in the kitchen. He loves TV, music and his baby sister. He’s a smart kid and we get along great.

Just a quick note: I’m doing pretty well. Lots of opportunities have come up recently, different ways for me to serve the community. Some involve the centre and some don’t. Luckily the Councillor gives me the freedom to involve myself in the community just about any way I’m interested in. I’m excited for next weekend. I’ll be camping with some other volunteers at Etosha National Park. It’s the largest game park in the world! I hope I see some good wildlife. Who knows I might have pictures for you soon. God Bless.

A Namibia Geography Lesson: In Namibia, townships are made up of towns and locations. A reasonable comparison in America would be a city made up of suburbs and ghettos, not exactly the same but close enough. Each township has a town which is usually located very close to downtown shopping, businesses, etc. Each town has locations which are usually further away from the centre of town. You could say it is the opposite of some American cities where the ghettos/inner city neighbourhoods are in the centre of the city and the nicer suburbs spread out from there. Some locations have newer, nicer homes while others may consist of only tin shacks with no electricity.

During Apartheid, Blacks were confined to these locations (most of these locations remain populated only by Blacks). Whites lived in the towns. Schools were segregated. The Black schools had a lower standard of education, and teachers dressed in military uniform and carried guns. At the university level Blacks couldn’t study certain subjects such as medicine. Blacks were not allowed in town after dark. There were separate toilets, separate benches in the parks, and Whites only beaches… and this continued into the 80s. Namibia, then known as South West Africa, didn’t gain Independence until March 21, 1990. I haven’t actually read about the full history of Apartheid here. These are just some of the things I’ve been told.

Here in Tsumeb, most of the locations are in decent shape. The oldest location, called Soweto, is pretty rough. This picture is from Soweto. They only received electricity last year. I don’t think many families have bought ovens yet, as I can smell all the wood fires burning when I go through there. I enjoy the smell, and the neighbourhood. People are always outside and kids play soccer on the dirt roads. The locations are not generally considered dangerous, but after dark is no time for a stranger to be roaming around. The locations are full of shebeens (bars/clubs) and bar fights seem to be pretty common, but during the day the atmosphere is fun and welcoming.

I live in town with the Tobias family now. In December, I stayed in the location. Both areas have their advantages. I enjoyed the liveliness of the location, the soccer fields and greeting people more often. Town life is quieter, which is nice when you’re trying to sleep (The music from the shebeens in the locations seems to go on all night). I live in a bigger, more modern home in town and I’m surrounded by more trees. Here’s a picture of my house. Its now under construction. I'll show new pictures when its completed.

Like Coca-Cola Light for example, no diet soda here. Oh, and Pepsi makes a larger can of soda and calls it the ‘Afri-Can’. Oh the marketing genious, sort of. And, it all tastes different. They don’t use corn syrup here, so the sodas are made with real sugar instead. That’s a plus. And, the flavour of chips is different. Simba is the big brand here, comes from South Africa. They have tomato, cheese & onion, and chutney flavours among others. You can find Doritos here, but none of the flavours we get back home.

I put together a list of local lingo. Some of it comes from British English and Afrikaans. The rest I’m not all that sure.

In America we say.... In Namibia they say

Soda or punch... cool drink

Porridge... pap

Barbecue or grilling... braai

Lunchmeat... polony

Peppered beef jerky... chilli bites

Ground beef... mince

Polish sausage/kielbasas... Russians

sausage links... boerewors

He’s drunk... He’s babbalaas

Right?... Isn’t it?

How’s it going?... Howzit?

You’re welcome... Pleasure

Students... learners

Graduate... matriculate

Co-workers... colleagues

Shuttle or van ... kombi

Pick-up truck... bakkie

Trunk (on a car)... boot

Braids... plaits

Tennis shoes/sneakers... tackies

And my favourite. They say: I’m coming, I’m coming now, or I’m coming now now. If someone says ‘I’m coming’ you know they’re not serious. If they say ‘I’m coming now’ it means probably less than an hour. If they say ‘now, now’ it should be less than 20 minutes.

Here are some pictures from Valentine's Day. We wrapped up condoms and gave them out around town. TCE, Red Cross and Meameno joined together for this effort.

Well, my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer has begun. I started work last Monday, after being afforded a restful 4-day weekend following swear in. My first week was certainly uneventful. I spent it at the centre where I’ll be based (Meameno HIV/AIDS Support Centre). Not a lot happens there right now. My primary job is to change that. The centre just opened in May and most people either don’t know it exists, or what we do there. Once in a while somebody will stop by… A community member wanting to get involved, a police officer sheepishly looking for the free condoms, or young children taking guavas from the trees. With little else to do, I’ve at least gotten to know my counterparts, Zenecia and Mattheu a little better. They are local volunteers. The three of us run the centre, and work under Councillor Tobias and RACOC (Regional Aids Committee).

While I did spend most of the first week staring at my watch, I also had one pretty productive day. On Tuesday, we did some work in the field. In the morning we went out with TCE (Total Control of the Epidemic) members to identify homes with a need for home-based care. RACOC has a budget to facilitate home-based care training so we’re beginning that process. In the afternoon, we delivered condoms to employees of one of the grocery stores. The response was great. They were very happy to see us and suggested we come more often. This second act was so easy, yet really gratifying. I’ve spent much of my time in Namibia doubting my ability to be an effective volunteer… that’s nothing new, I’m a pessimist and tend to doubt myself more often than not. The Peace Corps reminds us to recognize small victories. I think this day qualified, and boosted my self esteem.

If anybody is interested there are Peace Corps Namibia 2008 calendars available for purchase. A former Namibia PCV, Shayna Dooling, started this project a couple years ago. I’m sorry to say I don’t remember exactly which cause this supports but proceeds do go to Namibia. To order:

E-mail duffyd@optonline.net

Mail check – U.S. $11 each – payable to Shayna Dooling – 18 Donack Lane, Bellport, NY 11713 (they are mailed from the U.S. so shipping should be fast)

Also, check out the blog link listed on the left. It comes from a fellow volunteer here in Namibia. He has several other current Namibia Volunteer blogs attached to his site.

The end is finally near. On Wednesday, 10-Jan we'll be sworn in as real volunteers. And let me tell you it's about time. We're all burned out on training. Today and tomorrow the health volunteers are giving sessions to the education volunteers to help them discuss community health and HIV with their students. I don't think they're in the mood to retain much of it but we'll give it our best shot. We have our final LPIs (language proficiency interview) on Sunday and Monday, I scored at Novice-Medium on the first test... definitely room for improvement. Tuesday we travel to Windhoek for shopping to prepare for the next 2 years. Wednesday we swear in, and I hear the Namibian Broadcasting Company (NBC) covers it with a news story. We have to give thank you speeches in local languages, and that usually gets on air.

Referring to my last post... Our workshops were indeed successful, at least according to the feedback we got from Tsumeb youth. We kept the sessions interactive and taught on many subjects (Science behind HIV, Alcoholism, Stigma & Discrimination, STDs, People living with HIV/AIDS-PLWHA, Condoms). In the end the youth would show up for just about anything as long as we served food, and we did that. Who doesn't like free food though? I know I've found meetings/conferences in the states where the food was definitely the highlight of the experience.

One sad note... we lost our first NAM27 volunteer. His name is Seth, and he was a fun guy to have around. We respect his decision to leave but he will be missed.

Picture Time: 1. The Tsumeb youth at our workshop 2. My host sisters Winnie and Susana desparately trying to teach me to dance on Christmas Eve 3. Meme Egumbo, Grandmother to my host sisters and wonderful host mom 4. Me before braids 5. Me with braids, done by host sister Susana (hope you can see them)

I'm having a problem posting pictures to my blog. I was hoping to post quite a few today. I can tell you I'm back in Tsumeb. It's great to be home! I'm here with 12 other health volunteers for our CBT (community based training). They are all quite jealous that this is my permanent site. We will be training here thru the end of December. I'm staying with a different family for the month. I live with Meme Egumbo and her grand-daughters Winnie and Susana. They have been most accomodating, except when it comes to speaking english. They are pressing me to learn Afrikaans, and I'm very thankful for that. Unlike my permanant family, this one speaks mainly Afrikaans in the home. They are patient with me and always slow their speech when I ask them.

(Cont)...

So training finally got intense last week. Our job was to prepare a Community Health Workshop for Tsumeb that runs Dec. 17-20. On Monday we invited the community to a needs assessment meeting. They gave us very good feedback and some direction for our workshop. We spent the rest of the week in training with very little time to prepare our workshop. While many of us were frustrated we worked through the weekend and I think we're putting on a pretty fun, interactive workshop for youth age 13-30 (that is the rough definition for youth in Namibia). The volunteers have decided we should introduce me to the community on the last day of the workshop so they know they have a resource over the next two years. I suppose that's an obvious thing to do, but I was touched that the group has made it a point. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Saturday was our first language proficiency test. I was not prepared for the questions I was asked, but I think I did fair. I'll know my results later this week. This test is just preliminary. The important test is at the end of December, and I plan to be ready.

Interested in what I'm eating? Lots of Meat! Namibians love their meat. We eat mutton, pork, beef, you name it. We usually accompany that with pasta or rice, some tossed veggie/macaroni salad, maybe homemade soup (usually a tomato w/ veggie type soup) and sometimes porriage... that's typical dinner stuff. Lunch is very similar on the weekends. Weekdays I pack a lunch to the training center (5 min. walk from my house). I have bologna or pb&j sandwiches and fruit, usually mango as they are now falling off the trees. All the volunteers are enjoying the surplus of mangoes. For breakfast I eat weet-bix, oatmeal, bread, fruit and sometimes tea. Oh that reminds me, I quit coffee the day I got to Namibia. So far so good. I haven't had any problems with the food or water here. The water is supposed to be good out of almost all taps in Namibia. I avoided a nasty bug that went through about 80 percent of the volunteers. Many were throwing up regularly and some had to go to the hospital. Lucky me!

I'm really happy to be part of Nam27 (2007 Namibia PC volunteers). We are a great group, and nobody has gone home yet! Our trainers tell us this is quite unusual. We are all tired of the heat and looking forward to fall which is still a ways off. I hope some of you are enjoying snow by now. Let me know if you are so lucky.

Til next time.

I'm having a problem posting pictures to my blog. I was hoping to post quite a few today. I can tell you I'm back in Tsumeb. It's great to be home! I'm here with 12 other health volunteers for our CBT (community based training). They are all quite jealous that this is my permanent site. We will be training here thru the end of December. I'm staying with a different family for the month. I live with Meme Egumbo and her grand-daughters Winnie and Susana. They have been most accomodating, except when it comes to speaking english. They are pressing me to learn Afrikaans, and I'm very thankful for that. Unlike my permanant family, this one speaks mainly Afrikaans in the home. They are patient with me and always slow their speech when I ask them. I was just told the internet center must close. I'll write more later.