Because I can’t form coherent thoughts about everything that
has been going on, here are some highlights on the past week or so.
-
I can’t believe it has only been two weeks since
I left home.
-
Our group (#38) is one of the largest ones Peace
Corps Namibia has had. There are a wide range of ages, life experiences, and
personalities here. I am the baby at 22 and there are only about 5 others that
are the same age as me. Many are in their 20’s and 30’s though having graduated
and had a real job before applying to the Peace Corps. There are a few even
older than that as well so here is a note to all that it is never too late!
-
A typical meal consists of meat and carbs. I
have never experienced people more concerned about getting enough vegetables in
my life. When you don’t have them as much, you miss them and you know it. Fruit
and veggies are accessible at the grocery stores but they are just more
expensive, smaller in size, and not comparable to the perfection that we see in
the grocery aisles of the US. That means, hardly any tomato is red red or red
all the way through, all apples have some kind of spot on them, and much of the
citrus isn’t the vibrant bright color you are used to. Everything is still safe
to eat don’t get me wrong, it is just interesting to realize how picky shoppers
in the US are.
-
Every single meal I have eaten has consisted of
meat that is on the bone. They literally chop an animal up and throw it in the
pot. At first I thought, wow, this is inconvenient and not a quality piece of
meat obviously. Mostly I thought this because whenever I served myself I
thought there was more bone than there was meat. Eventually I realized though
that the point of serving meat in this way is to ensure that all edible meat is
eaten. If you think about it, when you purchase chicken breast or red meat, you
get a giant piece with no indication of there being a bone attached to it. Think of all the meat that is wasted in
cutting specific parts. Not to mention, cooking with the meat still on the bone
adds flavor.
-
While talking about waste and consumption though
I will mention that I fell in love with the coconut and cashew Cadbury bar. It
tastes just like a Samoa Girl Scout cookie. Its like the best thing in the
world. I have to stop myself when it comes to those.
-
Can ketchup replace marinara sauce on a pizza?
Apparently because that is what I ate for lunch. And apparently that is what
they do in China.
-
The baby girl in my host family Shayla has been
in a snowsuit since I arrived 3 days ago. I think its funny, the other kids
tell me that their mom just wants her to be warm. I do not understand.
-
My host sister Rasheeda plays with my hair for 2
hours every day when I get home from training as we watch the Disney Channel.
-
My family goes to bed at 930….It sounds really
weird but with the sun going down at 6, I’m ready to go to sleep by 9.
-
I actually participated in a physical activity.
Some of us walked out to a soccer field and we split up and played soccer for a
few hours. I didn’t do much but when I did, I held my ground. I think for the
next two months it will be a weekly thing for us.
-
I am complimented everyday on my bright and
happy clothes little do they know that I just despise button downs and most professional
looking clothes so I try to find a happy balance of a hot pink shirt and
khakis.
-
While I do miss everyone at home terribly, I
will fully admit that I love not having a cell phone or easy access to the
internet. This has actually forced us to become social, get to know one
another, and think outside the box on entertainment. No one is texting during a
presentation, there are no phones on the table during language class, and when
there is a break, we actually talk, not check our phones.
-
This inability to be on constant contact with
the outside world has resulted in an interesting dynamic of all of us being
really close without really knowing too much about one another. By that I mean,
I do not know the life stories of many of these people but many conversations
revolve around slightly more private things like body functions and guilty/bad
habits. We all lived in such close contact for a week and a half that there was
no point in trying to hide anything. We all would have found out eventually.
-
I am currently on malaria medication and in
possession of a mosquito net. Mosquito nets I know save lives, but they are the
worst things to deal with. If you know anything about me, you know about my
love affair with my bed. This mosquito net is like the mom that wont let you go
to bed without brushing and flossing your teeth. Its annoying as hell but in
the end you know you have to do it.
-
I don’t remember if I mentioned it before but
having it up does make me feel like a princess in some ways though with a flowy
canopy that protects you while you sleep.
-
I am also on malaria medication to prevent
contracting malaria. It’s a once a week pill that you take which has side
effects that include really weird and vivid dreams. The first night I think I
was psyching myself out because I kept lucid dreaming the most random
disturbing things. It was like going through the scary tunnel in Willy Wonka
and the Chocolate Factory. You know its fake but you don’t want to continue,
but you cant stop. The other night though I had a small nightmare about my host
family and woke up and literally did not know what was real and what was not.
It was really freaky.
-
All this talk and prevention about malaria: Its
winter here. There are no bugs out because it drops to just above freezing at
night. Nothing would survive. I have only begun to see a few flies as I am
expecting they are seeking refuge in buildings when the sun goes down.
-
Moral of the story: I did not bother putting my
mosquito net up at my host family’s because I did not want to go through the
hassle or get laughed at.
-
My English and spelling are getting worse by the
day. Please be warned for when my two years are up.
-
Half the cars here are brand new and they are
mostly either Nissans or Toyotas. Its really funny seeing brand new shiny cars
driving around on dirt roads or through run down neighborhoods.
-
This is the theme when Dr. Justin and Kate come to Training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNtTEibFvlQ
Just kidding, however I have now completed all my rabies, HepA & HepB, and Typhoid Fever rounds! They don't give out suckers like my pediatrician still does....Dr Justin told me it wasn't in the Peace Corps budget....
-
Here is a typical schedule of my life so far:
o 6am
wake up
o 7am
leave for training (or school as my host sister calls it)
o 730
arrive at training center
o 8am
start (usually language)
o 10am
tea time ß
arguably my favorite time of the day. I don’t think I will ever go back to a
life without having tea half way through my morning.
o 1030
tea time over L
sessions begin again
o 1230
lunch time
o 130
resume
o 430
end day
o 5/530
maybe 6pm get home
o 6pm
I begin watching TV usually the Disney Channel
o 7pm
dinner time
o 730
we watch an adult show like Criminal Minds or Hawaii Five-0 as a family
o 830
go to bed when the kids go to bed because I am exhausted
o 930
host mom and dad are usually going to bed
o 10pm
I am already sleeping
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