Spring has sprung

Seasons (except summer!) seem to change quite quickly here-- the winter cold has been gone since we returned from our last holiday.  Our surroundings have become noticeably greener, flowers started blooming (mostly yellow, pink, and purple ones on the trees, as featured in the photos (but the yellow ones are hard to see)).  RAIN is coming!  We've already received a bit of a rain two nights in a row last week.  We heard it pattering on the roof while we were sleeping and jumped out of bed to run outside and check it out.  It's also been considerably warm during the day and night.  The real rain is still coming though, but the underground waterways allow the plants to become green even before rain arrives.

 

I have to say, spring may be my/our favorite season here, but summer, the heat, and the rain will be here before we know it.  Autumn is probably my/our favorite season at home, so we miss that too.  Wish we could be in two places at once (for many reasons)!

Winter

So it's winter now.  And one fall/winter day, our neighbors started hacking off the tops to their trees.  Literally, just hacking them off.

And later that week we learned why.  (Their timing was impeccable!)

Not that it bothers us very much.  But that sort of makes us the bad neighbors that don't keep their yard nicely maintained.  And as we know from previous posts, Namibians value a nicely raked yard.  But we decided we can justify our lack of yard care since we don't have small children to do the work for us (unlike most).

Being the opportunist that he is, Patches decided he would enjoy the new sticks.  The bigger the better.

An extra challenging throwing stick for Kevin.

And retrieving stick for Patches.

(Note: We don't actually have a thermometer or the Weather Channel so the following are approximations.) Winter days here have been beautiful, probably in the 70's. But nights get down to the 30-40's so it's pretty chilly when we first wake up and walk to school. So another benefit enjoyed by Patches is the chance to be our energy-efficient bed heater many a night!

It's funny how after maybe 9:00 in the morning when the sun is starting to really shine, it's nicer to be outside in the sun than inside the house (or classroom). Sort of the opposite of winters in the northeast where we aim to hide indoors and as close to the heat source as possible. At home typically we are making a break for it and running from the heated house to the heated car to the heated office, etc, etc. But of course, we don't use heaters here.

Other things winter brings us and our homes are what appear to be shield ("stink") bugs about a quarter of the size of the buggers in PA. You just can't keep the things away. And they still stink (when crushed). My learners were telling me about them and the best way they could explain their unique trait was by saying "they are puffing." And "puffing" is another way of saying having gas.

Flood

There has been some pretty serious flooding in the far north of Namibia, close to the border of Angola.  Serious enough that schools are closing (the primary schools at least, since the water is more dangerous for the small children) and Peace Corps has evacuated the MANY volunteers up there.

It's hard for Kevin and me to imagine since what they are experiencing in the north is so different from what we have in the south (they say "the North" (which means the extreme north, where most of Namibia's population lives) is a different country from "the South").  But a PC friend showed me some photos and gave me this video:

News article from The Namibian: "Floods continue to threaten the lives of children and families"

News article from The Namibian: "This year's floods the worst ever"

Grass

It's true, grass is not easy to come by in Namibia.  

(Unless there is money.)  You may find trees and shrubs.  And maybe wild grasses that grow high and untamed, and may be the home for snakes and other creatures you'd rather not confront.  Including mosquitoes!  (Though malaria-carrying mosquitoes don't really live here, but of course they are still buggers!)  So grass, at least the kind you mostly find that is existing all on its own, is not really something you want close to your house or in between the places you'll walk.  Usually the best thing to do is dig it out like weeds.

So mostly you'll find dirt or sand.  (Though it is surprising the way grass will surprise you and pop up out of nowhere in the rainy season where it never seemed possible during the dry season.)  And amusingly, Namibians do tend to their grassless ground... they rake it!  And in a really nicely tended yard of dirt/sand, you should be able to see the lines that raking it left behind!  And it should be as clear of rocks, pebbles, trash, and other misc items as possible.

My school actually just recently purchased plastic rakes for all the classrooms.  Because the learners are responsible for raking the school yard and sweeping out their register class (basically, homeroom) on just about an everyday basis.  (This is a common practice.)  Keeps them busy..!  They must not mind it too much because a couple of them dropped by our house this weekend just to "visit teacher" and spontaneously began to rake our yard!

I would also like to note how much dirtier we find that our clothes get here because of all the loose dirt and dust about.

Grass.  It's an amazing thing.  But think about it: most of the grass we Americans are accustomed to has been intentionally planted and cared for.  Enjoy grass!  For us!

About Namibia

Since being invited to serve as math and science teachers in Namibia, Peace Corps has sent Kevin and me quite a bit of information. Here is a summary of what we've gathered so far, some of which may be copied and pasted directly:

Location: Borders Angola and Zambia in the north, Botswana in the east, South Africa in the southeast and south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
Latitude: Windhoek: 22°34′S (for reference-sake, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 22°54'S, Philadelphia: 39°57'N)
Size: 317,500 sq miles (almost as much as 2 Californias)
Language: English is the official language. German and Afrikaans were also, until 1990. We will be studying 1 of the following during pre-service training: Afrikaans, Khoekhoegowab, Oshikwanyama, Otjiherero, Oshindonga, Thimbukushu, Rukwangali or Silozi.
Religion: ~80% Christianity (50% of which are Lutheran)
Economy: Agriculture, herding, tourism, mining precious stones and metals
Exchange rate: $1 USD = ~ $7.50 Namibian dollars
Time difference: Currently 5 hours ahead of EST
Climate: Generally a dry country. Clear skies for 300+ days of the year, providing brilliant days and star-filled nights.
Weather currently: It is currently winter in Southern Africa, so the weather at the time of your arrival will be cool. Highs may be in the 50’s to 70’s, with lows anywhere from the 20’s to 40’s. Rainy season may begin in September or October.
Diet: "Typical meals consist of meat (usually goat, sheep/mutton, or beef) and porridge (ground maize meal); however, you may have the opportunity to eat more exotic foods on special occasions and you can find basic vegetables and other staples at most grocery stores." I guess I will be missing my veggies!

History: The name of the country is derived from the Namib Desert, considered to be the oldest desert in the world. Namibia became a German colony in 1884 to forestall British encroachment and was known as German South-West Africa, apart from Walvis Bay, which was under British control. South Africa occupied the colony during World War I and administered it as a League of Nations mandate territory. Although the South African government desired to incorporate 'South-West Africa' into its territory, it never officially did so, although it was administered as the de facto 'fifth province', with the white minority having representation in the whites-only Parliament of South Africa. In the 1960's the South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) military wing, People's Liberation Army of Namibia, a guerrilla group began their armed struggle for independence, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its occupation of Namibia, in accordance with a United Nations peace plan for the entire region. Transition for independence started in 1989 and on 21 March 1990 the country officially claimed full independence. Sam Nujoma was sworn in as the first President of Namibia watched by Nelson Mandela (who had been released from prison shortly beforehand) and representatives from 147 countries, including 20 heads of state. Walvis Bay was ceded to Namibia in 1994 upon the end of Apartheid in South Africa.

Culture/Diversity & Topography: "One of the most interesting things about Namibia is that it is very diverse in its topography, people, languages, and cultures. From the rolling dunes and low brush of the hot, dry deserts and savannahs of the south to the warm, humid, northern regions you find many different landscapes as well as climates in this country. Even with such a small population, there are many different tribes of people with different traditions, speaking different languages. The tribal ties and traditions are often very strong and valued as much as nationalism and national law.. There are Bantu based languages, Afrikaans, and Khoi-San “click” languages. However, many people do speak English as well."
"Most of Namibia consists of a high plateau, a continuation of the main South African plateau. Its average altitude is 3,600 feet above sea level. The strip along the coast consists of the Namib Desert, extending from the Orange River in the south to the Kunene River in the north. About 60 miles wide, this area is mostly uninhabited. The eastern part of the country, which forms part of the Kalahari Desert, consists mainly of sandy stretches but provides some grazing ground. The Etosha Pan in the north is the focal point of an important national park and game reserve."

Culture/Living conditions: "Living conditions also vary across the country, ranging from mud hut homesteads without electricity and water that is fetched from the nearby river or borehole, to western style brick houses with tin roofs, running water, and electricity. Throughout Namibia, there are small towns (not so different from small towns in the U.S.) where you can find grocery stores, gas stations, banks, businesses, western type houses, lots of cars, etc. Outside these towns are more remote villages where people often cook on open fires, herd cattle and goats, grow their own food, and take bucket baths. Volunteer sites vary as much as the diversity described here, so come with an open mind and few expectations!"

Culture/Dress: "In Namibia, most people wear modern clothing, but some still wear their traditional attire. For example, Herero women often wear long flowing Victorian dresses and a hat that extends out to the sides resembling cattle horns (to signify the importance of cattle in their culture). In contrast, the Himba women, who are relatives to the Herero people, wear animal skin skirts.. covered from head to toe in a red clay mixture called Ochre and decorated with beads and jewelry and hair styles that signify certain periods in their life related to adolescence and adulthood. However, in most jobs Namibians dress up somewhat formally for work. Most Volunteers wear business casual western clothes to work, the Peace Corps Offices and important events."

History of Peace Corps in Namibia: "The first group of 14 Volunteers arrived in Namibia on September 9, 1990, less than six months after the country became independent... The primary role of these early Volunteers was to teach English, in support of the new government’s declaration of English as the country’s official language... Today, about 90-100 Volunteers work as primary and secondary school teachers, resource teachers, and community health workers."

So now you know. :)

(Images from Wikipedia... 'til we can take our own pictures!)