Wide Open Spaces - Amy

The adventure continues but the blog updates end

2008-02-04T05:41:00.000-06:00

The purpose of this blog has been accomplished and it is time to end the posts and updates. Yes, Amy is back and her adventure continues, but she can let you know about it herself now. You can email her, use facebook, call her or (imagine this) talk to her directly.

My original purpose was to keep people informed about Amy's adventures but it soon became a way of keeping people informed about her team, the Peace Corps and the wonderful country of Namibia as well. It also became a fun way to learn about the world of blogs and the world in general. I will continue to be interested in what happens with Namibia, the Peace Corps and Amy's teammates, but not in "public".

I will leave this blog available as a resource, though some of the links may eventually become dead. I will also leave it up as a memory of the time Amy spent there. If I ever decide to start another blog, I will let you know. Thanks for being interested and reading. I hope to continue to hear from or meet some of you someday. Feel free to send me a note or email.

Goodbye!

Where is Amy today? Friday, February 1

2008-02-01T18:54:00.000-06:00

HOME!

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About Stewartville

Hello America! (email from Amy)

2008-02-01T18:38:00.001-06:00

The day before I set off for Minnesota there was a blizzard. Apparently snow was dropping at about 2 inches an hour and the temperature was -47 degrees F with the windchill. In Namibia thermometers in the sun in the summertime (it's summer now- southern hemisphere remember) can register temperatures as high as 150 degrees F. Now, I am no expert, but this seems to portent poorly for me. I have added my last random foreign currency to my bag (Taiwan Dollars-I believe that I have a few coins or notes from more than 12 currencies stashed away in my luggage.) I have added the last foreign language that would be helpful to know (Chinese is, I believe, the 5th or 6th language I have wished to know- Thai, Arabic, Kiswahili, and others completing the list.) And I have added my last strange quirks of different places (there was a restaurant in Taipei named- I swear I am not making this up- Gruel and Dishes. That sounded a bit too Oliver Twist for me, so I stuck with Subway.) Now I'm finally home, safe and sound in Stewartville, Minnesota- After traveling for 30 hours I arrived in Minneapolis 18 hours after I left Chiang Mai. I'm not sure how long it will take me to get used to a normal sleep schedule (or, more concerningly, all of the quirks of American life) but I suppose I'll manage. It's been a journey. Thanks for taking it with me.

So long and thanks for all the fish
Amy

Where is Amy today? Thursday - Friday, January 31-February 1

2008-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

Flying from Thailand to the USA

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Here are my calculations of Amy's schedule the next two days:

China Airlines Flight # CI 650

-from Chiang Mai, Thailand
12:35 PM Thursday, January 31 (time in Thailand)
(-13 hrs = 11:35 PM Wednesday, January 30 - Minnesota time)

-to Taipei, Taiwan
5:05 PM Thursday, January 31 (time in Taiwan)
(-14 hrs = 3:05 AM Thursday, January 31 - Minnesota time)

-Flight time: 3.5 hours

-Layover in Taipei: 6.5 hours

China Airlines Flight # CI 008

-from Taipei, Taiwan
11:35 PM Thursday, January 31 (time in Taiwan)
(-14 hrs = 9:35 AM Thursday, January 31 - Minnesota time)

crosses the International Date Line thus losing a day

-to Los Angeles, CA
6:50 PM Thursday, January 31 (time in LA)
(+2 hrs = 8:50 PM Thursday, January 31 - Minnesota time)

-Flight time : 11.5 hours

Layover and Customs: 5.5 hours

NW Airlines Flight #314

-from Los Angeles, CA
12:30 AM Friday, February 1 (time in LA)
(+2 hrs = 2:30 AM Friday, February 1 - Minnesota time)

-to Mpls, MN
6:02 AM Friday, February 1
(it will seem like 7 PM Friday evening to Amy)

-Flight time: 3.5 hours

Total flight time: 18.5 hours

Total time from departure to arrival: 30.5 hours

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Taipei, Taiwan

Los Angeles, CA

Minneapolis, MN

Last Nam 25, Nam 26 and Nam 27 PCV updates.

2008-01-31T05:50:00.001-06:00

This will probably be the last month that blog posts and updates will be made on this site. Amy will return at the end of January and she can keep those of you who are interested up to date or you can contact her directly by email.

Amy's trip
Hello America! (2/1)
There and Back Again (1/30)
Cooking, Haircut and Shakespeare (1/26)
More Chiang Mai (1/22)
Chiang Mai at last (1/20)
Sinai (1/16)
Luxor (1/12)
Cairo (1/10)
Excitement in Nairobi (1/4)
Zambian Border (12/19)
Victoria Falls and the kwacha (12/15)
Livingstone, I presume (12/13)
Itinerary for my trip (12/5)
Links to photos of our trip in August

All Nam 25 bloggers

All Nam 26 bloggers

All Nam 27 bloggers

Other Namibia Peace Corps Blog links

Link to previous list of recent blogs (December 2007 )

There And Back Again (email from Amy)

2008-01-30T06:57:00.001-06:00

Well,
I'm finally coming home. Tomorrow at noon I get on a plane and fly to Taipei, Taiwan, then to Los Angeles, then to Minneapolis, where I should arrive on the morning of February 1st, almost exactly 800 days after I left for the Peace Corps. To be quite completely honest, I'm a little scared out of my mind by America. Probably you are not aware of this because most of you live there, but America is WEIRD. For one thing, you're not supposed to pick up chunks of meat with your hands and gnaw at them, taking special care to suck out the bone marrow, you can't just go out onto the road and hitchhike to wherever you're going (not safely, at least), and you're not allowed to send random small boys to do errands for you. For another thing, everything moves so fast and I've missed out on a lot of the technology (my friends here were making fun of me for not being on Facebook-so I set up an account), and things are actually supposed to BE official, not just LOOK official. Plus, I don't think I can just get people on my side by dropping a few words in Khoekhoe and smiling manically like I could in Namibia.

At the same time, I am ridiculously excited about some things- television shows that make sense (don't judge me-you haven't lived without them for 2 years), being able to buy whatever I want even if it's a Saturday or after 6 o'clock or I'm not in a major city, driving myself around, and being able to talk to people without changing my speed or accent so they will understand me.

So now I'm coming to the end of this leg of the journey and I have to figure out the next leg- readjusting to America. To answer all of those nagging questions that I'm sure I'll be answering for the next few months- "Africa" was beautiful and difficult and complicated, and if you want a deeper answer than that, set aside an hour or two (I mean, try thinking about how long you would need to answer me if I asked you how America has been for the past two years.) Nope, I am not sure what I'll be doing now, probably thoroughly ordinary stuff- trying to find a job, figuring out how to retain my health insurance, attempting to find someone willing to go out with me, plus, I suspect, lots and lots of paperwork, it is America, after all. Oh well, I suppose if I survived Namibia, I should be able to handle American bureaucracy. I intend to do some visiting soon after I get back so I'll probably see some of you in real life.

This will be my second to last update, I'll send you all something when I get to the States to let you all know that I am, in fact, not dead. As for the book update, because it's the most interesting thing about my life at the moment, I've been reading in coffee shops like nobody's business. I finished The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, and a book called The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond. I have a couple of thick books for the plane (a biography of Ramanujan, the Indian peasant and mathematical genius who basically reinvented Calculus on his own, and a book about Copernicus.) I look foreword to America, where I can find any book I want to read and, probably, have it delivered to my door within 24 hours, but I am also ending the time of my life when I have loads of free hours to spend reading and few distractions to pull me away from 8 hour marathon book-finishing sessions. These are the compromises of life, I suppose.

So, look out for me in America, maybe I'll see you there soon.
Amy

Where is Amy today? Sunday - Wednesday, January 20 - 30

2008-01-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Amy traveled by overnight bus from Bangkok to mountainous northwestern Thailand on Saturday night. She arrived in Chiang Mai Sunday morning and met her friend. She is now staying put for a week and a half as they visit the sights in this area and rest up for her return to the USA on February 1.

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About Chiang Mai

More about Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Municipality Website

Thailand

Cooking, Haircut and Shakespeare (email from Amy)

2008-01-26T07:57:00.001-06:00

Well,

Not much has changed. I took the Thai cooking class. It was fun, although I'm not sure I will ever be able to replicate the results (at home I don't have people chopping up the vegetables for me and telling me when to add all the ingredients and then cleaning up after me when I'm done.) I also got my hair cut. It had been needing it for a long time and it looks pretty cute now, if I do say so myself. We went to a jazz club last night, which was a lot of fun. I haven't been getting a lot of jazz in Namibia. Still reading. I'm on another Shakespeare kick. I finished That Hideous Strength and started and finished Twelfth Night and All's Well that Ends Well and now I'm in the middle of The Taming of the Shrew. I love Shakespeare. I don't know how you can not love poor Viola pining away after the Duke while he sends her to woo another woman for him, or Celia giving up her place as heir to the throne to follow her ill favoured cousin into the wilderness pursued by her father's soldiers, or, for that matter, even the clown who is consigned to speak all of his wisdom in nonsense. Shakespeare gets me. Anyway, it looks like I'm reading about a play a day. I get on these kicks every now and then, it'll probably end when I convince myself that I have to plug through a few of the histories as well as the comedies and tragedies (The second part of Henry IV ended my last kick.) Maybe I'll just put it off and read Much Ado About Nothing for the umpteenth time. Hope everyone back home is doing well. I'll be back there soon enough- only about a week left of this crazy trip. Take care.

Amy

More Chiang Mai (email from Amy)

2008-01-23T05:36:00.001-06:00

Well, not much to tell right now,
Chiang Mai is pretty great. I've been eating Pad Thai for most meals (you can get a plate for about 60 American cents and, as you must know if you've ever tried Thai food, it's delicious.) Lots of shopping, sitting in coffee shops, and reading. So far on this trip I've finished a book called "Lucky," The Chosen by Chaim Potok, a book about biscuits and tea, and I've just started That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (There are a bunch of used book stores here, but right now I'm just mooching books off Miah.) Miah has a bunch of friends who are in town, so it all works out pretty well. It's a lot slower than Egypt was, not as much running around. It's nice, but I'm also excited to get back to the States.

It's nice to not have to worry about whether my arms are showing and who is looking at me and why. I talked to a girl here who spent some time in Pakistan and she hit the nail on the head. She said "The fact that I am a girl was always at the front of my mind." Anyway, although Egypt was awesome, it's nice to not have to think about these things all the time.

Later in the week we're going to take a cooking class and learn to make spring rolls and Pad Thai and other delicious foods, so there's that to look forward to. Hope everyone that side is doing well. I miss you all and will see some of you in the not so distant future.

Chiang Mai at last (email from Amy)

2008-01-20T05:16:00.000-06:00

(This email is dedicated to all of the Thai people (and there were a lot of them) who helped me to find my way despite the fact that I speak not one lick of Thai and they spoke very little English and I had only a vague idea about where I was going and how to get there. May I be so generous.)

Hello from Chiang Mai
Sorry I dropped off the radar for a while. Strange as it may seem, there are no Internet cafes at the Bangkok bus and train terminal, although you can buy just about anything else you want (and I mean anything- cantaloupe flavoured milk, whole roast chickens, brand new cell phones, and high heeled shoes.) I think I am adding that to my list of facts that do not fit with the way I was led to believe the world behaved- along with southern African's obsession with Mexican soap operas and the fact that Cairo, as a city, has an abnormally high number of lingerie shops.

I took a night bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. It started off at 8:30 PM and got in at 5:30 AM. It was a rather strange experience. Several times they walked down the aisle serving us all drinks (including steaming coffee) from plastic Dixie cups that they carried down the aisle on a tray and there were the requisite bad American action movies dubbed into Thai. It was a little surreal. It's amazing how independent I become when I travel on my own. When I travel with other people I think I have an annoying tendency to abscond from my responsibilities and follow them around like a puppy. I can be amazingly responsible when I'm on my own (although it isn't
nearly as much fun.)

I hadn't had a proper night of sleep or a nice shower in several days (I've lost count- that's how bad it's gotten) so I took a long shower as soon as I got to the guesthouse and I'm looking forward to a good night of sleep tonight. I met up with Miah and I think we're going to have a fun time. I thoroughly impressed her with my ability to click (the language I learned in the Peace Corps has clicks which act like letters of the alphabet.) Chiang Mai is a moated city and we're staying near the moat. Later in the week we're going to the night market and we're thinking about taking a Thai cooking class together. That's all for now. For those who care (mostly my parents) my new phone number is the Thai country code + 0879884643.

Take care
Amy

Where is Amy today? Saturday, January 19

2008-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Bangkok, Thailand

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About Thailand

About Bangkok

Bangkok

Where is Amy today? Friday, January 18

2008-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Flight from Cairo, Egypt to Bangkok, Thailand
Had to do some calculating using a Time Zone Converter and
World Time Server, but I think this is her
schedule:

Amy's flight is EgyptAir MS 960 (see:
flight status tab, choose flight
route, then enter departure and arrival cities

Leaves Cairo at 10:40 PM on Friday, January 18 (Egypt time = minus 8
hours) or 2:40 PM on Friday, January 18 (Central time)

Arrives in Bangkok at 12 PM on Saturday, January 19 (Bangkok time =
minus 13 hours) or 11 PM on Friday, January 18 (Central time)

Flight time = 8 hours 20 min

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Cairo

Bangkok

Where is Amy today? Wednesday - Thursday, January 16 - 17

2008-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Cairo, Egypt
After the high of being on Mt Sinai, they will travel back through the mountains and down to the western Sinai coastal highway. The trip to Egypt ends back in Cairo for a couple of days again before the final phase of her adventure begins.

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Time in Egypt

Sinai (email from Amy)

2008-01-16T11:58:00.001-06:00

After a very cold excursion to Sinai (it was -5 Celsius at the Bedouin camp where we stayed and -18 on the mountain) we have made it back safely to Cairo. We did climb Mount Sinai, although we didn't do it for sunrise or sunset (neither of us had proper clothing to manage such a cold trek so we did it all during daylight hours.) Bizarrely, it turns out, Sinai is almost exactly like Namibia (although maybe a bit colder.) The wood fires, bitterly cold winter nights, desert landscape, even the attitude of the people reminded me of my home for the past two years. It was a nice place to stay, especially after the trip over there.

We stayed at a town called Hurgada on the Red Sea coast, although we nicknamed it "Babylon" and "Vanity Fair" alternately. It was a bizarre place. I don't know that I've ever been in a place as fake. It was packed full of Eastern European tourists wearing wildly inappropriate clothing and gaudy tourist traps. After an overpriced night in a shabby hotel without hot water we boarded a ferry to the Sinai peninsula. I am not sure that I have ever been as sick in my life as I was on that ferry. I was, quite honestly, sitting in the bathroom praying for it to end almost the whole time.

On the way back we took a minibus and passed through a bunch of security checkpoints. At one point all of the men had to get out and empty out their luggage (I was the only one who didn't have to, although they just did a cursory check of Pat's little bag with passports and everything. Now we're back to civilization. We took showers, which was really nice after three days without and we've got one more full day in Cairo, then I say goodbye to Pat and go on to Thailand, the last destination on this whirlwind tour of the world.

Hope everyone there is doing well. Stay warm.
Amy

Where is Amy today? Tuesday, January 15

2008-01-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Climbing Mt Sinai
Trails run from St Catherine's Monastery to the peak of Mt Sinai. They are not long but can be challenging. If they were going to try and get to the top by sunrise, they would have to get up early and hike in the dark up the steps

Information from Wikitravel:

Climbing Mount Sinai is the main objective for most visitors. There are two routes to choose from, entrances to which are rather poorly signposted, so choose carefully especially if climbing at night. Both paths lead to natural amphitheater known as Elijah's Hollow or the Seven Elders of Israel, where you'll find a teahouse for a break. From there, it's a final 750 steps (30 minutes) to reach the summit.

Steps of Penitence. This aptly named steep path has been quite literally carved out of the rock by monks, and with 3750 steps to climb is the shorter but more challenging of the two. No mountain-climbing equipment required though, just strong thighs, and the views back down into the valley are superb even in the middle of the night. If the sky is clear the stars above can also be a spellbinding sight, as there are no major cities for miles and miles around. The route can be climbed in as little as 45 minutes, or as long as three hours, depending on your pace.

Camel Path (Siket El Bashait). A gentler, winding, wide path that snakes its way up to the summit that can be completed by the average traveler in 2.5 hours. As you can guess from the name, you can also climb up this way on the back of camel, and the "sawdust" that appears to coat much of the length of the path is in fact dried camel byproducts from the many trips before you. Be warned that the camel will bite you if it doesn't like you, so be nice, and a 4-hour ride up a mountain may not be the easiest introduction to the notoriously swaying gait of these camels.

At the top you will find a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity, constructed in 1934 on the ruins of an older 16th-century church. Better yet, if you timed your ascent right, you can see the sunrise over the parched, rocky expanse of the Sinai.

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Photo Gallery

YouTube videos of Mt Sinai

YouTube video of St Catherine's Monastery

Wikimapia locations on Mt Sinai

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Monday, January 14

2008-01-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Mt Sinai, Egypt
A morning boat ride from Hurghada to Sharm el-Sheikh and then up mountain roads to St Catherine's Monastery brings her to the side of Mt Sinai. It is one of the oldest continuously operating monastery in the world and traditional site of the place where Moses saw the burning bush. Here they will stay overnight and perhaps walk up to the peak of Mt Sinai, the traditional site where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

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More about St. Catherine's Monastery

St Catherine's Monastery

Wikimapia locations on Mt Sinai

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Sunday, January 13

2008-01-13T06:06:00.000-06:00

Hurghada, Egypt
On their way to Sinai, they travel to the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada in order to catch a ferry across the mouth of the Gulf of Suez to Sharm el Sheikh.

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About Hurghada

More about Hurghada

Time in Egypt

Luxor (email from Amy)

2008-01-12T14:17:00.001-06:00

Well, We're safe in Luxor. Intending to head off to Hurghada and then on to Sinai tomorrow and the next day. In Luxor we saw the valley of the kings. I happen to think it's sort of their fault that their tombs were all raided. What do you expect if you build a giant room that everyone knows is located in a certain place and then fill it with gold? We've also seen a whole bunch of temples. Some of them still have original paint on them. I can't help but be amazed as I stare up at 4000 or 5000 year old paint. Still, tomb and temple fatigue is a real problem. After a while it's just another goddess shoving an ankh down another Pharaoh's throat, another Pharaoh bashing in the heads of his enemies, and another giant stone structure. I think one of the most exciting things I have seen is the ancient Greek graffiti on the walls. It's amazing to think that these places have not only been here for thousands of years, but they've been tourist traps for thousands of years. We're eaing pretty well. Yesterday we had McDonalds. It seems pretty exotic after 2 years in Namibia (although no bacon cheeseburgers, for obvious reasons.) Today I tried pigeon. It wasn't too bad, not a lot of meat though. There are these amazing honey soaked pastries that are pretty good as well, and, of course, there's always felafel and shwarma. We're staying upstairs from the souk (market) which the hilarious guidebook that we purchased describes as, "fitting all of the stereotypes that Westerners have about the Middle East." It is a little annoying at night when everyone is shouting until late, and when attempting to walk through the market (at one point a persistant seller threw one of the pashminas he was selling over my shoulder and Pat and I decided that the next time that happens I should just set off running.) Other than that I'm doing well. I have a bit of a cold, but I'mn steering clear of schistosomiasis and other parasites. It is surprisingly chilly in this part of the world. Hope everyone is having a good new year.
Take care of yourselves

Where is Amy today? Friday-Saturday, January 11-12

2008-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Luxor, Egypt
You would need to spend more than a couple of days to see all there is to see in and around Luxor and Thebes.

from Wikipedia:

As the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterised as the "world's greatest open air museum", the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor standing within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the Nile River, lie the monuments, temples and tombs on the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Thousands of international tourists arrive each year to visit these monuments, their presence forming a large part of the economic basis for the modern city.

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Wikimapia link to Luxor/Karnak sites

Wikimapia link to Thebes sites

Theban mapping project

Theban Digital media archive

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Thursday, January 10

2008-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Aswan to Luxor
Amy and her friend will finish their tour of the city and environs of Aswan. Then some time today, we think they will catch a bus (or train) and go north to Al Uqsur, aka Luxor. I will post more on Luxor in the coming days since they hope to stay there 2-3 days.

View Larger Map

Time in Egypt

Cairo (email from Amy)

2008-01-10T05:19:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone
So, I'm in Egypt, probably one of the most touristy places in the world. When we got off the airplane we wandered about for a bit. Finally we found a bus to take us to central Cairo and were a little shocked when it cost 25p (about 4 US cents) per person to go the almost 12 kilometers. However, we had no clue when we were supposed to get off. Ah, what can you do? I saw the pyramids. What do you say about the pyramids? They're big. And old. Actually everything here is old. We saw some 6500 year old clay pots. If it's only 2000 or 3000 years old it's barely old enough to be important. We saw the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. I have never seen a less effectively organized museum. Near the end we would enter a room and say, "Ah, good. Another case of unlabeled objects." Parts of it just looked like an antiquities warehouse from Indiana Jones or something. They have so many things that they just have them piled about everywhere. I have heard that Egypt is hard for women travelers but I haven't had that many problems. I've been sporadically wearing my headscarf (mostly in Islamic Cairo) and basically keeping my arms covered and head down and letting Pat deal with all of the hassels which has worked pretty well so far (for me), although he did offer to sell me to a tour guide for 4000 camels. There are always the annoying people trying to extort a little baksheesh (something between a bribe and a tip) but probably the most dangerous thing we've faced, at least in Cairo, is the traffic. The guidebook gets it right when it says it's like playing chicken. We also like to compare it to Frogger. We have a pretty good system now, though. It involves using other people and each other as human shields in the hopes that at least if we get hit we won't get hit alone. We've discovered just how helpful it would be to know Arabic. Pat took a few terms in college and can read some of the signs but I'm just limping my way through the numbers (and I still get those confused sometimes.) Right now we're in Aswan, but we're moving up to Luxor today. We have a few days in Luxor then on to Sinai, then back to Cairo. I'll try to keep you all updated. Take care

Where is Amy today? Wednesday, January 9

2008-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Aswan
After an overnight 12 hour sleeper train trip from Cairo, Amy and her friend will tour the ancient Nubian city of Aswan, location of the First Cataract of the Nile River and the Aswan Dam.

Zoom in or out, change view to satellite, scroll around or
View Larger Map

About Aswan

Guide and maps of Aswan

Photo guide to Aswan

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Tuesday, January 8

2008-01-08T06:36:00.000-06:00

Cairo to Aswan

The plan for today after spending three days sightseeing in Cairo is to take an overnight express train from Cairo to Aswan. They will sleep on the train and be in Aswan by morning tomorrow. There is an 8 hour time difference between there and MN so their overnight travel will be going on during our daytime hours.

Zoom in, out, scroll around, change view or
click to view larger map

Railway map of Egypt

Egyptian train website

Egyptian National Railways website

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Monday, January 7

2008-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Cairo, Egypt
After arriving in Cairo yesterday morning, she and a friend found the Hostel and Hotel Luna in one of the guide books. They checked in, rested up and walked some of the Cairo streets nearby. They are right in the middle of a major downtown shopping area; a few blocks from the Egyptian Museum and the Nile River. Their plan today is to see the Great Pyramid.

Zoom in or out, scroll around or change view or
click to view larger map

Zoom in or out, scroll around or change view or
click to view larger map

The downtown area on Wikimapia

The Great Pyramid area on Wikimapia

Full 360° panorama of the Pyramids

More panoramic views

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Sunday, January 6

2008-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Cairo, Egypt

The organized tour is over and now part two is beginning. See her last email for tentative plans.

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About Egypt

About Cairo

Time in Egypt

Where is Amy today? Friday - Saturday, January 4-5

2008-01-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Nairobi, Kenya
The tour was to have spent a night in the border town of Namanga, Kenya yesterday, but due to the recent unrest in the country, decided to go on to a camp outside of Nairobi. They are probably just being extra safe by going to a familiar location. It looks like they will spend two overnights here. It is unlikely that any visits will be made to Nairobi proper because of travel warnings and uncertainty. Things have settled down a bit in the last couple of days with both sides looking for ways to bring down the level of violence.

Amy's flight leaves Nairobi at 4:45 AM (Kenya time) tomorrow morning or at 7:45 PM this evening Central time(-9 hours).

It arrives in Cairo at 8:35 AM (Egypt time) tomorrow morning or at 12:35 AM Sunday morning Central time(-8 hours).

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About Kenya

About Nairobi

Weather in Nairobi

Latest news from Kenya

Time in Nairobi

Excitement in Nairobi (email from Amy)

2008-01-04T15:02:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that I am safe in Nairobi. Perhaps
you've been hearing some things about the rioting in Kenya, but I am
far away from the places that are violent and they think that the
violence is dying down now. I knew there would be rioting around
Christmas because of the election here, but I didn't expect it to be
so bad. Anyway, we're going to the airport and flying out to Cairo
tomorrow morning (Sunday) so we'll be fine. In the past three weeks
I've swam in Lake Malawi, wandered the meandering alleyways of Stone
Town in Zanzibar, seen lions in the Serengeti, and been in four
different countries. Zanzibar was my favorite. It reminded me of a
medieval city with all of the streets, wide or narrow, the shops with
persistent vendors and the people dressed in various outfits. We'll
be two weeks in Egypt. Right now it looks like our plans take us to
Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, possibly Mount Sinai, and then back to Cairo
again. After that it's two weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand and then
home again. I don't know how the internet situation will be, but just
wanted everyone to know I'm safe and to send my love. Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year.

Amy

Where is Amy today? Thursday, January 3

2008-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Arusha, Tanzania
After two days in the Serengeti, the tour goes on a game drive this morning and then backtracks to Arusha for the evening.

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About Arusha

Weather in Arusha

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Wednesday, January 2

2008-01-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Serengeti National Park
After the game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater, they head up the crater rim and past Olduvai Gorge on their way to the Serengeti National Park. They will cross a vast plains on a game drive through the southern and central areas in the park. Tonight they will camp in the bushveld surrounded by the sounds of the African wilderness.

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About Serengeti National Park

Map of Serengeti National Park

Weather near the Serengeti

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Tuesday, January 1

2008-01-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Arusha is a pleasant town situated at the base of Mount Meru and is the starting point for the excursions to Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. These excursions are done in locally operated 4WD vehicles, which are adapted for safari use.

The Ngorongoro/Serengeti excursion takes them via the Masai town of Mtu Wa Mbu (Mosquito River) that lies adjacent to the Lake Manyara National Park and up the Rift Valley Escarpment to the higher lying village of Karatu. Karatu offers magnificent views over the surrounding hills and has many well established wheat farms that add to the picturesque panoramas. They spend this evening at a pleasant campsite in Karatu.

This morning they depart early for the Ngorongoro Conservation area and head into the wildlife rich Ngorongoro Crater. This World Heritage Site boasts some of the best game viewing in Africa – including the elusive Black Rhino.

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Click photo above to enlarge

About Ngorongoro Crater

Weather in Arusha

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Monday, December 31

2007-12-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

Arusha, Tanzania
From Dar es Salaam they travel through vast sisal plantations to Arusha. On the way they pass the Pare and Usambara mountain ranges before driving through the town of Moshi. Moshi is the base for Mount Kilimanjaro climbing expeditions and weather permitting; they may even catch a glimpse of this magical mountain’s snowy summit - a photo opportunity not to be missed! Tonight they stay in a lovely campsite in Meserani on the outskirts of Arusha, before heading out excursions to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

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About Arusha

About Mount Kilamanjaro

Weather in Arusha

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Sunday, December 30

2007-12-30T06:45:00.000-06:00

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
After several relaxing days in Zanzibar, they return to the mainland and stay in Dar Es Salaam again before starting on their last leg of the safari.

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About Tanzania

About Dar Es Salaam

Weather in Tanzania

Time in Tanzania

Recent Nam 25, Nam 26 and Nam 27 PCV bloggers, news and information for the month of December

2007-12-30T06:29:00.000-06:00

New Era newspaper article about the launch of Nam 25 PCVers, Will and Beth's HIV/AIDs CD project: Namibia Alive Volume 11

Save the M-Bag!!

All Nam 25 bloggers

Nam 25 bloggers active lately:
Amy
Zambian Border (12/19)
Victoria Falls and the kwacha (12/15)
Livingstone, I presume (12/13)
Itinerary for my trip (12/5)
Links to photos of our trip in August
Amber
Beth
Brock
Coppelia
Jay
Matt
Michael

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Briana
Chris
Justin
Ami
Elise
Scott

All Nam 27 bloggers

Parent, sibling, relative or friend of a Nam 27'er? Have questions? Want to ask someone who's been there? click this link:
PeaceCorpsNamibia Yahoo group

Nam 27 bloggers active lately:
Dave
Eric
Jessica
Maria
Beth
Jill
Rashid
Aly
Sarah
Nicholas

Other Namibia Peace Corps Blog links

Link to previous list of recent blogs (November 2007 )

Recent news from Namibia

Where is Amy today? Tuesday - Sunday, December 25-30

2007-12-29T09:45:00.000-06:00

Zanzibar, Tanzania

History aside, Zanzibar offers a wealth of experiences for the visitor. Today the quiet streets of the old Stone Town still retain their Arabic influence, from the Medina-like shops to the palaces of the Sultans, who founded their vast empires on the spoils of the slave and ivory trade. The island is famous for its spices and an excursion around a spice plantation is always a fascinating experience. Other options include a trip to the beautiful beaches and giant tortoises of Prison Island, a full day scuba dive in Nungwe or a fishing trip in a traditional dhow. Mopeds are available for hire if you’d like to explore the more remote areas of the island. Zanzibar is a seafood lover’s paradise. Numerous restaurants offer a great variety of the freshest catch from the ocean - crayfish being a popular speciality. Alternatively, mingle with the locals for dinner at the Forodhani Gardens seafront market, where delicious, inexpensive seafood is on offer.

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About Zanzibar

Weather in Zanzibar

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Monday, December 24

2007-12-24T06:30:00.000-06:00

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
This morning they make their way to Dar es Salaam from Iringa, where they stayed last night. They pass through the Mikumi National Park where it is possible to view a range of wildlife from the roadside, totally impervious to the passing traffic. On arrival in Dar es Salaam, they make their way to a lovely seaside campsite and prepare for their departure to Zanzibar the next morning.

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About Mikumi National Park

About Tanzania

About Dar Es Salaam

Weather in Tanzania

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Sunday, December 23

2007-12-23T06:30:00.000-06:00

Iringa, Tanzania
Not quite sure if this is where she is, but according to her last email and their itinerary, they might be moving their schedule ahead by 2 days. If so, then after a relaxing 3 days, the tour leaves Malawi, entering Tanzania through the border post at Songwe. Taking in the beauty of the Tukuyu tea and banana plantations, they head towards Iringa where they spend the night in a beautiful rustic ‘Farmhouse’ campsite famous for its Amarula Hot Chocolates and its steamy showers!

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About Tanzania

About Iringa

Weather in Tanzania

Time in Tanzania

Where is Amy today? Thursday - Saturday, December 22

2007-12-21T05:30:00.000-06:00

Malawi

Leaving Zambia the tour crosses into Malawi, the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’. They stop off in the capital, Lilongwe, a small city distinctively divided into the old town and the new administrative centre. Malawi is a landlocked country with 20% of its total area made up of beautiful Lake Malawi. They will travel the full length of the western side of the lake, stopping off at various bays and inlets over the next 3 days.

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About Malawi

About Lilongwe

Weather in Malawi

Time in Malawi

Zambian border (email from Amy)

2007-12-19T12:39:00.000-06:00

You meet interesting people when you are hiking. On my way up to Livingstone I met an Angolan diamond smuggler. "Where does your father live?" he asked me in a reserved voice while sitting close to me in the combi. I responded that he lived in America. "Would he be interested in buying any precious stones?" No, as a matter of fact, my father is not in the market for any blood diamonds from shady Angolan immigrants...I think I will miss these things in America. You just don't meet people like that in your day to day life there. I am on the border between Zambia and Malawi at the moment. Tomorrow I head to Lake Malawi It looks like I will be spending Christmas in Zanzibar, so I may be completely out of touch for a while, but have a very Merry Christmas without me.

Where is Amy today? Wednesday, December 19

2007-12-19T06:08:00.000-06:00

Chipata, Zambia
From Lusaka they head north east to a beautiful little campsite just 10 km before the Zambia/Malawi border. Here they spend the night before heading into Malawi.

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Photos on Google Video from Chipata, Zambia

About Chipata

Zambia tourism page

Tourism map of Zambia

Current Weather in Zambia

Current Time in Zambia

Where is Amy today? Tuesday, December 18

2007-12-18T07:53:00.000-06:00

Lusaka, Zambia
An early morning start from Livingstone sees the tour head north through southern Zambia to a campsite on the outskirts of Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka. The campsite is home to some local wildlife including the largest antelope – Eland.

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View Larger Map. Zoom in to see the maze of city streets.

About Lusaka

Lusaka tourism page

Tourism map of Zambia

Map of Lusaka

Current Weather in Zambia

Current Time in Zambia

Where is Amy today? Monday, December 17

2007-12-17T06:01:00.000-06:00

Zambia
The overland tour begins today in Livingstone, Zambia. It will end in Nairobi, Kenya in 21 days. A link to the description of the tour is below the map.

View Larger Map

Link to the Overland Tour page

Amy's itinerary

Amy's latest email

About Zambia

Current Weather in Zambia

Current Time in Zambia

Where is Amy today? - Friday, Saturday, Sunday, December 14 - 16

2007-12-15T19:47:00.000-06:00

Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe

View Larger Map
Click the yellow placemark above for an aerial video of the falls. When that video ends, there are another dozen short videos you can view at the bottom of the video screen. Zoom in/out, change views or scroll around using mouse or controls in the corners.

Map of Victoria Falls Area

About Victoria Falls

Current Weather and Radar for Livingstone, Zambia

Victoria Falls and the kwacha (email from Amy)

2007-12-15T19:44:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,

I'm doing well. I saw Vic Falls yesterday. I have decided not to go see the Zimbabwean side because the visas are just too expensive and Ifigure that it probably looks pretty much the same as this side.Victoria Falls is a very large waterfall. I don't know how else to describe it. Even if I sent pictures they'd be the same pictures everyone takes (Google "Victoria Falls" and save me some internet time.) First we went to a place called the "Boiling pot" basically it's the very bottom of the Falls. This sounds nice and easy, but the Zambezi river is a bit high right now, so once we got to the bottom of a large staircase we had to wade knee deep through the river in the middle of a tropical rain forest. Luckily, nothing and no one fell in. Today I went to the Livingstone museum. I'm still getting used to the currency. The exchange rate is high here (the local currency is kwacha and 3400 kwacha= US$1) so everything looks expensive. It's a bit strange buying a loaf of bread advertised at "only" 2000k. Plus, they don't have coins, everything is notes, and the smallest note is 50 kwacha (about 1.5 US cents) so you carry around these big wads of money.) I meet the tour that takes me to Nairobi tomorrow. I
don't know how regularly I will be able to send email, but I'll try to keep you all updated as I continue on this crazy trip.

Currently Reading: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Much Love.

Peace,
Amy

Where is Amy today? - Thursday, December 13

2007-12-13T09:54:00.000-06:00

Katima Mulilo, Namibia to Livingstone, Zambia
The plan is to cross the Zambezi River at Katima and catch a ride from a tourist or locals and to get to Livingstone by afternoon. She will stay at "Jolly Boys" hostel for the next three or four nights and meet, Patrick, who will be her traveling partner for the next month. Patrick is a PCV teammate of Amy's who COS'd the week before her and made his way to Livingstone via Botswana a few days before Amy.

***Update: I just "chatted" with Amy on Gmail at 9 AM (5 PM her time). She got in an hour ago. She walked across the international bridge at Katima and got a bus there to Livingstone. She said it was nice to have her own seat and no live animals aboard. It is pouring and everything she has is wet but she has a hot meal, a dry bed and three days to stay in one place before the tour.

See her email sent just after we signed off

View Larger Map
Click on placemarks and lines above to see locations and distances. Zoom in/out, change views or scroll around using mouse or controls in the corners.

Map of Livingstone

Livingstone, I presume.(email from Amy)

2007-12-13T09:33:00.001-06:00

So,

I am safe and sound, at last, in Livingstone Zambia. On Tuesday I hitchhiked from Windhoek to Grootfontein. Then, in a marathon bit of hiking I made it all the way to Katima Mulilo on the Zambian borders yesterday (in extremely overcrowded Ford Ventures whose drivers insisted on playing Thimbukushu Pop music full blast and blatantly ignoring the 3 meter signs that consisted entirely of a giant triangle with an exclamation point in it and one word "ELEPHANTS.") This morning I took a taxi from the backpackers where I spent the night to the border, which I walked across. Nothing makes you feel quite so much like a refugee as walking across an African border carrying everything you own on your back. I managed to rebuff the moneychangers (it's not a good idea to change money with random guys talking in fervent whispers and holding wads of cash just outside of border posts.) While I was inside the Zambian Customs Station (which sort of resembled an impoverished 19^th century schoolhouse, well scrubbed oak tables and neatly kept, hand printed registration books where I had to neatly pen my name.) it started raining, no, actually the proper word is pouring. The taxi pulled right up to the bottom of the stairs outside the customs house and in the two seconds it took me to get inside I was soaked to the skin. When we crossed the Zambezi river it was raining too hard and I was too busy trying to keep the front windshield clear of fog, that I didn't even notice. The taxi driver let me off in the town of Seshike. So, without a kwacha to my name (I paid in Rand) I boarded an overcrowded bus and here I am, in Livingstone. In Dark Star Safari Paul Theroux says that traveling is like going back in time and that's what this place sort of feels like. You have the muddy streets, the vibrant street markets, the decaying old buildings, and the beggars, crazy people, street performers and other random people vying for your attention. If Namibia is what the Germans imagined Africa to be, properly ordered with schedules and neatly lined streets and little German frau dresses everywhere, then it sort of makes sense that this is Africa as the British imagined it, muddy and sort of disordered with everyone sort of going about their own business. I stay here a few days, then on to Lusaka and beyond. Finished Middlemarch on my crazy hike. Seems a little strange whilst barreling past mud and reed huts and tropical rainforests, but whatever.

I'll keep you all updated.

Much love

Amy

Where is Amy today? - Wednesday, December 12

2007-12-12T06:18:00.000-06:00

Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo

Amy got into Grootfontein at about 8:30 PM (Namibian time)last evening and stayed with Skye, a Nam 26 volunteer. Her driver brought her right to the house. She caught a ride this morning at the hike point outside the city in a Chevy Venture minivan with 9 other people bound for Rundu. We talked to her this morning at 2:30 PM (Namibian time)in the van about 70 km from Rundu. She plans to get to Katima Mulilo and stay in a hostel by tonight. She also has the option of staying with another Nam 26 PCV in Divundu, 215 mi. from Katima Mulilo. She sounded happy and excited.

Click to view larger map
Click on placemarks and lines above to see locations and distances. Zoom in, change views or scroll around using mouse or controls in the corners.

About the Caprivi Strip and Katima Mulilo

Where is Amy today? - Tuesday, December 11

2007-12-11T11:04:00.000-06:00

Windhoek to Grootfontein, Namibia

At 6:30 AM (CST) this morning (2:30 PM in Namibia), Amy was in Windhoek waiting for a ride at the hike point. She just got a ride to Otjiwarongo as we finished talking and was hoping to get to Groootfontein by this evening.

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About Grootfonten

Itinerary for trip (email from Amy)

2007-12-08T22:06:00.000-06:00

OK, here's my itinerary for my crazy trip. Just in case you were interested.

December

3-leave Anker, hike to Windhoek
4-Windhoek, COS (close of service) interviews and stuff
5-Windhoek, COS stuff
6-Windhoek, COS stuff
7-Windhoek, COS stuff - Last day as a PCV
8-Windhoek, hanging out, staying at Jason's
9-Windhoek, hanging out, staying at Jason's
10-Windhoek, hanging out, staying at Jason's
11-Hike north, probably stay at Rundu or Divundu
12-Katima Mulilo, Namibia- probably stay at a hostel or something
13-Cross the border into Zambia, hike to Livingstone, staying at
Jolly Boys (a youth hostel), Vic Falls stuff
14-Livingstone, Zambia- Staying at Jolly Boys, See Vic Falls from
the Zambia side
15-Livingstone, Zambia- Staying at Jolly Boys, See Vic Falls from
the Zimbabwe side

Overland tour - link to description

16-Vic Falls, the overland tour begins
17-Livingstone, Zambia
18-Lusaka, Zambia
19-Chipata, Zambia
20-24 - Lake Malawi, Malawi
25-Iringa, Tanzania
26-Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
27-29 - Zanzibar, Tanzania
30-Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
31-Arusha, Tanzania

January

1-Ngorongoro Crater, Tazania
2-Serengeti Game Park, Tanzania
3-Arusha, Tanzania
4-Namangana, Kenya
5-Nairobi, Kenya-overland tour ends

Continued travels

6-Leave Nairobi, fly to Cairo
7-17-Cairo, Egypt
18-Leave Cairo for Chiang Mai, Thailand via Bangkok (train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai)
19-29-Chiang Mai, Thailand - Staying with my friend Miah
30-Returning home via Bangkok, Taipei and Seattle
31-Arrive home in Minnesota!

The City and the Township - Swakopmund

2007-12-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

Part one

Part two

Recent Nam 25, Nam 26 and new Nam 27 PCV blogs, news and information for the month of November

2007-11-30T06:10:00.000-06:00

New Era newspaper article about the launch of Nam 25 PCVers, Will and Beth's HIV/AIDs CD project: Namibia Alive Volume 11

Save the M-Bag!!

All Nam 25 bloggers

Nam 25 bloggers active lately:
Amy
my week and my trip (10/27)
Links to photos of our trip in August
Amber
I call them the "okamati mafia" (11/9)
Counseling (11/2)
Andrew
A Tour to End Two Years (11/12)
Photos of the tour (11/12)
Beth
Happy Thanksgiving! (11/22)
Brock
I'm still alive (11/16)
Caitlin
The beginning of the end (11/7)
Caroline
Coppelia
5 new posts (11/28)
Manic Lunatic is my name (11/26)
my sister's birthday (11/25)
Nam 25 at our close of Service conference in September (11/20)
Open letter to my midnight friend (11/15)
Capetown Visit (11/7)
Fun with Lee and Isha (11/7)
Irene
Fire threatens to take school, then doesn't (11/2)
Jason
Update from the void (11/10)
Jay
Updated Plans (11/2)
Matt
Michael
The Exodus begins (11/18)
Welcoming the Younglings (11/4)
Pam
Two years gone by (11/29)
Meme Pamela (11/21)
Nam 25...We made it! (11/15)
Make than monkey dance (11/1)

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Briana
Chris
Justin
Ami
Elise

New Nam 27 bloggers - Just arrived in Namibia November 1!

Parent, sibling, relative or friend of a Nam 27'er? Have questions? Want to ask someone who's been there? click this link:
PeaceCorpsNamibia Yahoo group

Dave in Namibia
An Adventure Awaits
Letters from Overseas
The Elephant in the Middle of the Room
A Nacerima in Namibia
A Carolina Gamecock in Namibia
A Bit Off
Life in the Desert: Beth's Namiban Adventures
...so you might as well dance
Natalie, Namibia
Sand in my shoes
2ndGenerationPCV
a big fat two year trip dans Afrique
Under the Namibian Sun
here goes
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us
A stranger in a strang(er) land

Other Namibia Peace Corps Blog links

Link to previous list of recent blogs (October 2007 )

Recent news from Namibia

Save the M-Bag - Peace Corps Community Advocacy Issue

2007-11-23T19:00:00.001-06:00

Background information

On May 14 the U.S. Postal Service eliminated International Surface Mail (M-Bag). This is the method used extensively by NPCA affiliate groups, returned Peace Corps volunteers and friends/family of currently serving Peace Corps volunteers in supporting grassroots efforts in many rural schools and communities in our countries of service.

USPS now offers airmail service only, which in most cases has tripled (or even quadrupled) the cost of shipping items overseas. This has shut down many projects not only with RPCVs but other non-profits, church groups and school groups.

Several groups (Friends of Malawi, African Library Project , One World Childrens Fund, among others) are compiling a list of non-profits and other groups who are protesting the elimination of International Surface Mail. This list will be sent to the Board of Governors of USPS as well as to Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which oversees USPS.

Take action now

An interesting Chicago Tribune article about the M-Bag

Recent Nam 25, Nam 26 and new Nam 27 PCV blogs, news and information for the month of October

2007-10-31T06:51:00.000-05:00

Parent, sibling, relative or friend of a PCV serving in or going to Namibia? click this link:
PeaceCorpsNamibia Yahoo group

All Nam 25 bloggers

Nam 25 bloggers active lately:
Amy
my week and my trip (10/27)
Stuff (10/12)
The educational tour (10/8)
Links to photos of our trip in August
Amber
"At what o'clock?" - Achilles (10/12)
Beth
Happy Halloween! (10/31)
Phenomenal girls of Mariental (10/15)
What I get to wake up to (10/5)
Reminder about the Mtal Girls conf $ (10/2)
Readathon in Namibia (10/1)
Brock
The beginning of the end (10/10)
Caitlin
Hunger Pangs (10/23)
Why do we stay? (10/4)
Caroline
Coppelia
Pictures (10/29)
My South African Excursion... (10/17)
The End is Coming (10/16)
The wonders of Caroline 10/15)
It's a girl (10/15)
Medical (10/14)
Fun, fun, fun (10/7)
Irene
She didn't know what she wanted (9/26)
Jason
It's cold (10/10)
The prizes are out (10/9)
Time to award (10/3)
The Tech Squad goes North (10/1)
Matt
Michael
Internet outage (10/23)
Pam
Now lets just get everything out into the open (10/3)
COS Conference Photos (10/1)

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Ben
Scott
Kate
Briana
Lindsey
Chris
Justin

New Nam 27 bloggers -Leaving for Namibia October 31!

Parent, sibling, relative or friend of a Nam 27'er? Have questions? Want to ask someone who's been there? click this link:
PeaceCorpsNamibia Yahoo group

Dave in Namibia
An Adventure Awaits
Letters from Overseas
The Elephant in the Middle of the Room
A Nacerima in Namibia
A Carolina Gamecock in Namibia
A Bit Off
Life in the Desert: Beth's Namiban Adventures
...so you might as well dance
Natalie, Namibia
Sand in my shoes
2ndGenerationPCV
a big fat two year trip dans Afrique
Under the Namibian Sun
here goes
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us
A stranger in a strang(er) land

Other Namibia Peace Corps Blog links

Link to previous list of recent blogs (September 2007 )

Recent news from Namibia

my week and my trip (email from Amy)

2007-10-27T21:39:00.001-05:00

So,

It's been a bit of a difficult week for me. Eleven of my grade 6 learners ate concentrated cleaning powder (they thought it was powdered sugar) that had, I think, caustic lye in it. Most of them spit it out and were only mildly hurt (although, by that I mean that Queen had a badly blistered tongue and Selma told me that her eyesight went yellow and then red.) But Mercia, Papou, and Thusnelde swallowed some of it and almost died. They were going into seizures with their eyes rolling back into their heads and they were throwing up white, foamy vomit. Papou in particular was very very sick. Someone had taken some of the extra cleaning powder and put it in the tap so she went to get a drink of water not knowing that it had poison in it. Anyway, eventually they took them to the nurse who gave them some sort of injection and they're all OK now, but it was very very scary for a while. I didn't see them until the next day, but they were still sleeping under like three blankets each (and, I know that doesn't sound like much, but we are approaching the middle of summer here. It's been between 90 and 100 degrees F at noon.)

This weekend I went to Otjiwarongo for a Halloween/Thanksgiving/Goodbye party. Several volunteers are leaving in two weeks so we all got together and ate good food and enjoyed each other's company and some nice movies and conversations.

As far as my crazy post-Peace Corps trip I have a tentative itinerary. I COS (close of service) on December 7 in Windhoek. I then attempt to get to Victoria Falls. I probably will hitchhike and it will probably take me 2-3 days. On the 18th I leave Vic Falls with a tour group we go through Zambia, Malawi (including Lake Malawi), Tanzania (including Zanzibar), and Kenya (including the Serengeti.) We end on January 5th in Nairobi. From there I fly to Cairo with a friend (possibly via Dubai or Adis Abeba) and spend a little over a week seeing the sights. Around the 18th of January I fly alone to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Then, near the end of January or the beginning of February I end up back in St. Paul (via Bangkok, Taipei, and Seattle.) That's the jist of the trip although a lot will probably change.

OK, that's about all I have for now. Lots of love to you all.

Stuff (email from Amy)

2007-10-12T16:48:00.001-05:00

It rained today. You cannot imagine the sound of rain on a tin roof in October. It is unimaginably beautiful. It hasn't rained here since February. When I heard it I started laughing and I had this visceral joy. I went outside and I felt it on my skin and I started crying, my tears mingling with the raindrops. This probably seems really melodramatic (and it might be- It wouldn't surprise me to discover that a few screws are loose after my time here) but it was my real reaction. I hope it rains a lot. One drought year (like this year) is like a major depression for the people here. They have to sell some of their animals or they will starve and the prices are halved. But two drought years spell bankruptcy and World Food Programme emergency porridge and malnourished kids. The last really bad years were in the 80's. They were telling me about them and these things are recurrent. Anyway, rain is like hope. It is beautiful and it soothes the soul.

Tomorrow I go to Windhoek for a week for my final medical checkups (so they can make sure I'm not bringing back Ebola or Typhoid or something.) Exciting, but I'm trying to save up my money for travel afterwards and Windhoek is not conducive to frugality. So, hopefully I can resist the movie theatre and the used book store and the restaurants. Other than that, it's been a thoroughly ordinary week. Take care.

The educational tour (email from Amy)

2007-10-08T16:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. This weekend was the educational tour to Etosha. We thought that we were going to have to travel in the back of three bakkies (pick-up trucks) but the day before we found out that we had procured a bus. The bus was big enough (unlike the one last year) but it was on its last legs (which here means that it will probably be half-repaired and limp on for another dozen years or so.) Every time we stopped, started, turned, or accelerated it would backfire and lurch into place, throwing people and luggage in every direction. There was also a ten cent coin stuck in the horn that completed a circuit, so every now and then we'd have 30 seconds to a minute of solid honking. Before we could leave Etosha we had to hunt down a fan belt because, apparently, we had been driving with a terribly threadbare one. Plus it didn't help that every time we moved the driver ground the gears something terrible. I am not entirely certain that he ever actually used the clutch.

As to the food situation-it was rather ordinary for here. We left with a goat carcass, 12 cabbages, 30 loaves of bread, a case of margarine, plus a large bag of rice, so the kids were eating mostly rice, cabbage soup, and lots of margarine sandwiches. The teachers, however, brought extra "good" food (i.e. strange meat) to supplement the diet. Perhaps you have never been in a situation where you were unable to refuse a pickled fish sandwich for breakfast, but, trust me, I'm speaking from experience her, you start eying the kid's plain margarine and jam sandwiches with more than a little envy.

There is nothing quite so culture-shocking as Etosha with village kids. Etosha is very touristy and fancy. One of my kids pointed out a two story house with astonishment and told me that he would never stay in a house like that because he was afraid he would fall off and die. Stairs aren't necessary in a place with ridiculously low population density. Even in Outjo, the nearest large city, there are only a few buildings with two stories. Almost everyone in Etosha dresses in khaki on khaki with a large camera on a neck strap and a German accent. They eyed my kids with just about as much curiosity as my kids eyed them.

My kids were separated by the gulf of their poverty and naivete about the world outside the village just as the tourists were separated by their wealth and their ignorance about the realities of life in Namibia. They cannot conceive of each other's worlds. Both of them are stuck just looking at each other. We hold apartheid in our hearts- black from white, rich from poor, young from old, Western from African- all of these are small potatoes compared with the true isolation- me from everyone else. We are stuck in the provincial homelands of our own heads. People ask me sometimes why apartheid is still a problem 17 years after it ended. To me it's not strange that it's still a problem, to me it's a miracle that it's not more of a problem, bridging, as we are, the bottomless abysses that separate us, one from another, with the toothpick and dental floss bridges of our own resources.

As for my plans after the Peace Corps, I think that I will not be home for Christmas (you can't count on me.) I will be doing a little traveling with some friends. Right now the plan is to go to Victoria Falls, then Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, and take a plane from Nairobi to Cairo, a little while in Egypt and then probably home. Just a little jaunt through Africa. I'm going to try to do it on some limited resources, so it'll probably be a bit of an adventure. I'm hoping that I don't run out of money and end up living on 20 cents worth of bread in Cairo or Bucharest or something, but (to comfort my parents and grandparents and all the rest of you who worry when I say stuff like that) I'm pretty clever and I have young, tough bones. I can survive a lot. I'll be going with friends, as I said, so I'll be pretty safe and, particularly, I'm going with a guy to Egypt, which is nice because it's hard to go to Egypt alone as a woman. Anyway, I'll let you know more as I know more.

As for the reading update- Read Collapse by Jared Diamond over the holiday (very good- not quite as good as Guns Germs and Steel, but few things are really paradigm shifting like that book was and still definitely worth a good thorough read), also almost finished Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky (very dense, but very good), and I'm halfway through Middlemarch. I haven't really been reading as much lately, but I'm hoping to change that.

Anyway, That's the good word from this corner of the world. Hope everyone in that neck of the woods is doing fantastic.

Yahoo group for relatives and friends of PCV's in Namibia

2007-10-04T06:24:00.000-05:00

If you are a parent, sibling, relative or friend of a Peace Corps Volunteer who is in or going to Namibia, there is a Yahoo discussion group set up for you. It was originally set up by a parent of one of the Nam 24 (2004-2006) volunteers and was quite active through the first year of the Nam 25 group (2005-2007). It hasn't been active for a while though. I would like to see if there is any interest to continue it and am willing to continue coordinating it for a while.

It is meant to be a forum where widely scattered (or nearby) friends and relatives of PCV's serving in Namibia can contact others who are in the same situation. It is also a place where those of us who have been through it already can answer questions, and offer ideas or advice. Discussions can be about just about anything that you are interested in relating to your PCV who is away from home. Topics have included: phone calling tips, mailing advice, travel and trip advice, sharing stories/photos/links, communicating projects and fund raising, announcements, emotional support, news, blog links and many other areas. There is a place to post photos, files and other items of interest.

You can look through past messages without being a member. But, if you want to participate in the discussion, you should become a member of the group. If you are interested or know someone who is, you can sign up to become a member and I will add you to the group. You can then decide how much you would like to participate: ask or answer questions, have new posts sent to your email or just listen to others.

The group is moderated by me but information about who you are and whether or not you want people to contact you is controlled by you. You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. The list will not be available or given out to anyone else and messages not involving the purposes of the group will be deleted.

So, if you want to check it out click this link: PeaceCorpsNambia Yahoo Group and browse or follow the directions to become a member. Pass this post on to anyone who you think might be interested or contact me via the comments link below this post if you have questions.

Happy Birthday, Amy!

2007-09-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

Recent Nam 25, Nam 26 and new Nam 27 PCV blogs, news and information for the month of September (and late August)

2007-09-27T06:25:00.000-05:00

All Nam 25 bloggers

Nam 25 bloggers active lately:
Amber
Marco "bad-ass" Polo (9/14)
Caroline
Sound bites (8/30)
Coppelia
Infectious Dust (9/23) NEW
Pics from a Himba village (9/13)
Long Island Girl (9/13)
Beth
A project you can help with: Mariental Girls Conference (9/17)
Brock
Another weekend in Namibia (9/25) NEW
There and back again (9/4)
Irene
The Myth of Sisyphus (8/28)
Jason (new site for blog)
Blog updated (9/27) NEW
Namibia Style (9/26) NEW
Roaches (9/25) NEW
Things I never thought I'd do in Africa...(9/19)
Matt
Greatest Hits (9/23) NEW
Michael
The power is back (9/20) NEW
The day the lights went off in Tses (9/17)
The Home Stretch (9/10)
Pam
Sossusvlei photos (9/25) NEW
I'm a lazy blogger (9/19)

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Briana
Lindsey
Abby
Kate
Ben
Chris
Scott
Justin

New Nam 27 bloggers:
A Carolina Gamecock in Namibia
A Bit Off
Life in the Desert: Beth's Namiban Adventures
...so you might as well dance
Natalie, Namibia
Sand in my shoes
Funkadelic.net
a big fat two year trip dans Afrique
Under the Namibian Sun
here goes
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us

Namibia Peace Corps Blog links

Link to previous list of recent blogs (August 2007 )

Recent news from Namibia

Spring began today in Namibia

2007-09-23T22:22:00.000-05:00

The spring equinox

The same time that fall begins in the northern hemisphere, spring begins in the southern hemisphere. That means that the days start getting longer than the nights in Namibia.

Spring in Namibia (September 23 through December 22), means generally higher average temperatures (especially in the daytime) and the first rains and clouds since April. Though, like anywhere, daily temperatures and rainfall vary widely.

Namibian Climate

Namibia has a dry climate typical of a semi-desert country, where droughts are a regular occurrence.
Days are generally warm to very hot, while nights are generally cool.
Midsummer temperature can rise to over 40ºC (104ºF)
Winter days are warm but dawn temperatures can drop to freezing.
Along the coast the cold Benguela current is also the prime determinant of the climate of the Namib, as it reduces rainfall and causes the omnipresent fog typical of the coast.
The rainy season lasts from October to April. The rest of the year is dry and cloudless.

CLIMATE CHART FOR CENTRAL NAMIBIA

All areas of Namibia average more than 300 days of sunshine a year!

Click to convert mm to inches

Click to convert Cº to Fº

Nam 27 Bloggers

2007-09-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, the 58 Nam 25 team members arrived on the Windhoek tarmac. On November 1, the next group arrives to take their place and most group 25 will return to new lives. I have been collecting blogs for some of these new PC trainees. This is the list I have so far:

Group 27 (November 2007 - December 2009)

Dave in Namibia
An Adventure Awaits
Letters from Overseas
The Elephant in the Middle of the Room
A Nacerima in Namibia
A Carolina Gamecock in Namibia
A Bit Off
Life in the Desert: Beth's Namiban Adventures
...so you might as well dance
Natalie, Namibia
Sand in my shoes
2ndGenerationPCV
a big fat two year trip dans Afrique
Under the Namibian Sun
here goes
It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us
A stranger in a strang(er) land
Namibianseth
Stay Classy Namibia
Adventures in Namibia

Back on Daylight Savings Time in Namibia

2007-09-04T05:19:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, September 2, Namibian clocks moved ahead by one hour. Namibia is the only country in Southern Africa to use Daylight Savings Time. Because spring is beginning there now and the daylight is getting longer, they changed the clocks to "spring forward" one hour. That means that the time difference between the USA and Namibia is one hour longer than it was before. For us in MN, that means they are now 7 hours ahead of us instead of 6. On November 2, when the USA goes off Daylight Savings Time, we gain another hour in difference. It's all very confusing. Want to know what time it is right now in Namibia? Check the clock on the right. Also check out these links from my post in April:

Daylight Savings Time

We have returned

2007-09-03T05:37:00.000-05:00

Here are links to photos I posted on another blog (more will be added periodically):

Travel to and arrival in Namibia

In Windhoek

Windhoek to Anker

Amy's house and Yard in Anker

Sketch of Amy's house

Around Anker

Amy's school and hostel

Anker People

Etosha National Park

Etosha: Okaukeujo to Halali

Etosha: Halali at night

Etosha: Halali in the morning

Etosha: Halali to Namutoni

Map: Etosha to Waterberg

Lake Otjikoto

Tsumeb

Otjiwarongo, Cheetah Conservation Project

Waterberg Plateau Park to Karibib

Swakopmund 1

Swakopmund 2

We returned from Namibia last Friday. After a weekend of unpacking, sleeping and talking to friends, it is great to have another day off before returning to work. Our trip went great. There were no major problems. The people we met were wonderful and Amy enjoyed introducing us to everyone. The highlights were:

--Travel- we survived the 24+ hours. Made every connection and all luggage arrived (with one brief delay). Got upgraded to a Toyota Avanza for free. All the school supplies fit in. I don't know what we would have done without the better car.

--Windhoek-As everyone seems to say, "Is this really Africa?. It is and it is a fun, vibrant city. We got to meet several PCV's on break and at work.

--Driving on the left with the steering on the right was different at first but I got used to it and going 150 (kph) on a completely straight road was fun.

--Amy's town of Anker - Sand, dust, dry-- but the people were so fun and friendly. Amy put on a braii and we got to help (okay. watch) them kill a sheep for us. Walking through the school and seeing the dedication of the teachers who get by on so little and yet want the best for the students was moving.

--Etosha - what can I say -- it lives up to all the hype. All the wonderful animals that became routine - springbok, zebra, kudu, elephant, giraffe everywhere. Among the many animals and birds that amazed us were lucky views of a leopard and Black Rhinos. The water hole at halali was outstanding.

--Tsumeb - what a suprisingly beautiful little town with flowers all over

--Waterberg- disappointing, but only because it was so cold that nothing was out during our early morning safari.

--Cheetahs - the cheetah conservation project in Otji was educational and worth the visit

--Swakopmund - another "Am I in Africa" moment. Two days to relax from our fast pace. The ocean, food and beach were great. I had my greatest "new bird" day ever. 20 new birds in one day (I am still compiling my notes from the trip and am at 88 new birds so far)

--5 hours on bumpy, desert and mountain roads to Sesriem, then 6 hours the next day on the same kind of roads to Windhoek. The worst roads I have ever driven. Felt that we would be returning the Avanza in a heap of rubble. Got one star crack on the windscreen.

--Sossusvlei - not enough time to see it, lots of walking, it was hot and we were tired. The place was massive and remote.

Finally, we had a great time with our daughter. We wore her out, I'm sure. Her pace of life is much different than ours. I am impressed with her commitment, her confidence and her communication skills. I could never do what she is doing and she is having fun at it. Her plan is to return to the US in December.

There, of course, was much more I could write about and maybe still will. Photos are possible too (We only have a thousand or so - no exaggeration!).

Our visit to Namibia

2007-08-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, August 14, we (my wife, I and one of Amy's best friends) will be flying from Minneapolis, Minnesota to visit Amy and to adventure through Namibia during her school break. This trip was originally planned for last December, but due to health reasons it was postponed. It almost didn't happen at all, but we are now on our way.

We will meet Amy in Windhoek on Thursday, August 16 and spend the next two weeks seeing some of the following places: Anker, Damaraland, Etosha, Waterberg, Twyfelfontein, Opuwo, Skeleton Coast, Cape Cross, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei and Windhoek. I doubt we will make it to all of those places and there will probably be some unscheduled places as well. We hope to meet some of the PCV's and others that Amy has worked and taught with.

As we travel, it will be doubtful that we will be able to update this blog, but when we return after August 31, we will have several posts and photos of our trip.

Recent Nam 25, Nam 26 PCV blogs, news and information for the month of August

2007-08-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

All Nam 25 bloggers

Nam 25 bloggers active lately:
Amy
Amber
Provisional approval pending medical clearance (8/3)
Angie
Caitlin
It was never between us and them anyway (8/17)
The Blanket Project (8/2)
Coppelia
Aug 14th posts (8/14)
Aug 20th posts (8/20)
Half Birthday (8/10)
Catch up (8/10)
Time Well Spent (8/10)
Beth
Dad and Mom almost home (8/24)
Getting back to Namibia (8/24)
new room nearly finished (8/8)
rock wall and dry wall (8/8)
Having some fun along the way (8/2)
Brock
Updates (8/3)
Jay
Matt
Science Fair Episode II: The Cattle Truck of Death (8/6)
Michael
On Vacation (8/24)
Part of life: the MAN SCAM-X (8/1)
Battle of Attrition in the South (8/1)
Friday the 20th (8/1)
Pam
Dolly Parton and a Taxi Ride (8/15)
Very bizarre (8/1)

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Abby
Briana
Chris
Justin

Link to previous list of recent blogs (July 2007 )

Recent news from Namibia

Recent Nam 25 PCV blogs, news and information for the month of July (and late June)

2007-07-28T13:09:00.000-05:00

Other web pages to check out:
Namibian Library Projects (search by country or name)
NamibiAlive Video Promo
Video clip: Namibia, a filmmaker's destination

Recent blog posts from some of Amy's teammates (58 Peace Corps Volunteers known as NAM 25) all across the country of Namibia:

Jason's page of Nam 25 blogger photos and links

Amy:
Windhoek last week (7/28)
A couple of photos in Anker (7/28)
Harry Potter, Windows and 4 things Americans are wrong about (7/15)
Photos from meals at the hostel (7/1)
This week (7/1)

Amber :
Oshike? (7/27)
to extend...or not to extend... (7/20)

Andrew:

Angie:
Where to start (7/20)
Greensboro, NC newspaper article featuring Angie (Nam 25 PCV)

Beth:
lots of work (7/28) NEW
rehab and remodel (7/27)
foundation, walls, ramp (7/27)
progress on Jolly Avenue (7/20)
from dad (7/20)
How to make your own boerewors (7/18)
Details from Mom (7/4)

Brock:
Another Examination (7/13)
Don't look at the scoreboard (7/2)

Caitlin:

Caroline:
the ***BIG*** News (6/29)
And Now For The Rest (6/29)
And the rest of the rest... (6/29)

Chester
Chris:

Coppelia:
Restore M-bag Petition (7/22)
A big donation update (7/22)
Brian Brown (7/22)
Fat cakes with sugar (7/22)

Courtney:
Cynthia:
Irene
Jason:

Jay:
Next plans (7/23)
Goal version 2.0 (7/23)
Before I die (7/23)

Matt:

Michael:
Camp GLOW and Term 1 travels (7/11)
Breaking the Blog Silence (7/11)

Pam:
I LOVE Namibia (7/23)
When someone touches your life (7/20)
Photos (7/12)

Patrick:
Shonita

Silas:
Charlotte Observer newspaper article about Silas and the library (7/8)

Will:

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Ami
Kate
Elise
Abby
Briana
Scott
Ben
Chris
Keith

Link to previous list of recent blogs ( June 2007)

Recent news from Namibia

Windhoek last week (email from Amy)

2007-07-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

Well, in a 7 and half hour hike down on Friday and a 12 and a half hour hike back on Sunday, I managed to get my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Which I love, by the way. I managed to restrain myself and didn't finish until Monday. I'm reading through it again because I was not reading particularly carefully the first time.)

I was particularly nervous about the 12 and a half hour hike back. I left Jason's house, packed, showered, and ready to go at about 7:30 AM and I didn't get back to my house until 8 at night. I had forgotten that hiking from Anker is sort of like traveling a river- on the way to Windhoek it is easy to get hikes, like going downstream, but trying to get back is like trying to swim against the current- it can be harrowing and exhausting, and it takes a lot longer.

I managed to do a few other fun things while I was in Windhoek. I had bottomless coffee at Mugg and Bean (I think that Peace Corps volunteers are the only ones they don't get their money's worth on that one, we are sort of broke so we can't pass up another free cup, and when we're in Windhoek we often have enough time to spend an entire afternoon there. I told another volunteer that I was measuring out my life in coffee spoons but they didn't get it (it's a reference to T.S. Eliot) I have to get some better jokes.) I also went out to dinner a couple of times. I saw a movie at the movie theatre there (Harry Potter 5), I went shopping, I got the photos for my school, and I got as many groceries as I could carry. Still, the main reason I was there was for the book and I'm very glad I went. Hope you all are doing fine.

A couple of photos in Anker

2007-07-28T12:38:00.001-05:00

My traveling problems: a kid and a goat in a bakkie

A health worker and the clinic cleaner giving polio vaccine drops for the under 5s. They're pretty serious about it because of that whole outbreak last year. The closest case to Anker was in Kamanjab, about 70 K away, but still, they're thorough and the whole country is supposed to be immunized.

Harry Potter, Windows, and 4 things Americans are wrong about (plus, what's the deal about HIV) (email from Amy)

2007-07-15T14:25:00.001-05:00

hey everyone
I know I haven't written a long email for a while, so I wrote an extra long one this time. Enjoy.

I did a movie night on Friday. We made less money- only about N$80 (US $11) because unbeknownst to me the pensioners weren't getting their pensions until Saturday. But the kids still enjoyed the movie. We saw Madagasgar and Lord of the Rings- The Two Towers. The kids liked them a lot. They especially like Lord of the Rings, which has sort of surprised me.

I've figured out how I'm going to get the next Harry Potter book. In case you were unaware, it comes out soon soon. Next weekend I will be hitchiking to Windhoek (about 500 K away, aproximately a 6-7 hour drive) on a Friday after school. I'm hoping I can get there in one day because my only other option is to stay the night in Otjiwarongo. Then a bunch of us are going to the only bookstore offering it at midnight (I think that Jason might have convinced them to do that for us. Another of volunteers asked if they could buy the book at midnight and they were laughed out of the store.) and spend about 20% of my monthly salary.

The next day I hike back to Otjiwarongo before noon and then I hike back to Anker the next day. Nothing to it. Just a good 14 hour round trip on a weekend and, with the travel expenses (hitchiking isn't free in this country) about half a month's salary. Still, when else in my life do I get a chance to have an adventure like this, and what else is a living allowance for if not for skimping on the food budget for a month or two and buying a book (hey, at least I'll be getting my money's worth page-wise.) Who needs to eat when you can read :) By the way, I know I joke about not having enough money for food, but just to comfort those of you who worry about me, I'll be fine. I have enough saved up that I won't be spending the grocery money.

You have never seen creativity until youve seen a child play for an entire day with a pair of shorts and three coloured pencils. Jenefer was at my house because on Mondays her mother does my laundry. I was only there for an hour or two, but first the pair of shorts was a baby and she fed it with a coloured pencil, then she was ironing the shorts with the pencil, then the shorts became a car that she could push around with three coloured pencil passengers, then she used the coloured pencils as hoes to dig at the earth. And that was just in an hour or two. Most kids have only maybe one or two toys, but who needs toys when you have a whole world full of inanimate (and, occationally, animate) objects just waiting to be transformed by your imagination.

Another teacher got a computer this week. They buy them on an installment plan with the College of Open Learning. I think they end up paying some horrendous amount of interest, but for most of them computers would be horridly expensive anyway because of the double import (things are imported to South Africa and then imported again to Namibia) and because there isn't much competition, and because they'd have to go to Windhoek to get them and at least this way they have some technical support. Anyway, I was reminded again of why I hate Windows. Their copy of Windows is registered for the Middle East and Africa, not places that are known for their vast infrastructure, and yet the procedure for registering it is the same as in the States. It's ridiculous. If you don't want to register by internet (not really an option in Anker) you have to write down a 50 digit number code, then call a long distance number in South Africa, then get another 50 digit number code, then type that code in without making any mistakes. And on top of that, we discovered after making one attempt that the code changes every time you open the box, so you have to leave the computer on and open while you go to the pay phone and hope for no power outages. And if the phones lines are out (which they are a lot of the time) or if you don't have a calling card, or if any number of things prevent you from doing that, too bad for you. Ugh! It makes me want to rip my hair out and stuff it down the throat of whoever came up with this system.

4 Things I think I've learned about Americans while I've been here (when I say "Americans" I am making broad, unsubstantiated statements, but being in a different place gives you a little perspective and trust me, I used to top the list in a lot of these topics):

1. Americans believe that all (or most) problems can be fixed with money and they are wrong. To fix most problems you need some money, but it is by no means the most important aspect of problems and money is powerful and dangerous to use. I've seen a lot of problems that have money just thrown willy nilly at them and the end result is that you till have the problem, but now you also have a whole group of people who are living off the graft and inefficiency, who have a vested interest in making sure that the problem doesn't get fixed. And I'm not saying that money isn't important because I've asked for money before and sometimes it can do a lot of good and sometimes we have to work with the systems that we have, not with the ones that we wish we had, and sometimes a band-aid fix is the best you've got and even if a band-aid won't stop the massive hemorrhage, at least you aren't doing nothing, but still, money can do more harm than good and it seems like not a lot of people are ready to admit that.

2. Americans think the HIV pandemic is about sex and they are wrong. Truly, sex is only the thinnest icing on the cake, but it paints a picture that many Americans find uncomfortable. The HIV pandemic is really about gender inequality, racial and tribal prejudices, unfair work practices, illiteracy and lack of education, poverty, and unemployment. You probably think that I'm mincing words, but I'm not. The truth of the matter is that most people know that if they have unprotected sex they are at risk for HIV, but HIV is still being spread in Namibia, mostly by unprotected sex. If telling people to use condoms worked, then this problem would be fixed already. The HIV pandemic is in the wife who can't confront her husband about using a condom even though she knows he has multiple partners because women are supposed to be faithful and men aren't and she is supposed to accept whatever decision he makes about condoms. The HIV pandemic is in the 20 year old unemployed subsistence farmer who dropped out of school in the 7th grade and has two kids and a couple goats on overgrazed, drought-prone land and who doesn't see much reason why he should /want/ to live to old age. The HIV pandemic is in the man who has a job in a mine hundreds of kilometers away from his family, who sets up a second family out of lonliness. HIV is hardly about sex at all. HIV is about all the reasons for hopelessness.

3. Americans think that there is something noble about going to Africa to help the poor people over here and they are wrong. First of all, I think the people I've lived and worked with have been far more noble than I have. I came over here, messing up on all the cultural cues and making faux pas galore, and changing all sorts of stuff, being weird and emotional from the culture shock, and trying to do ridiculous things, and they fed me and helped me and tried to set me straight when I was wrong. And they did it from tiny, segregated cinder block boxes, tin shacks, and mud huts. The hard truth is that there are only a few things in life that are truly giving, and it doesn't matter that I'm in the Peace Corps in Africa, what I choose to do or not do is more or less the same as it would be in America. I think that there are only a few moments I can point to in these two years that have been truly generous, and they aren't huge or glamorous or anything. When I am tutoring a kid after school in maths and I ask the same question for the fifteenth time after demonstrating it five times and they still get it wrong- its in that moment I have a chance because I can choose to see it as my own failure to communicate properly or I can just get frustrated and yell. That's the moment-not because it's /so/ generous or whatever, because the things that we see as "generous" feed into our own need to be seen as giving- the truth is that you can only be generous when, right there, in that lonely second, when no one is looking and no one will know, if you will choose to side with your better angel.

4. Americans think that culture is all dancing and singing and they are wrong. Culture is about what a certain group of people collectivly tend to remember or ignore, believe or disbelieve, like or dislike, practice or not practice. Sure, dancing and singing can fall under culture, but so can a lot of other things. Culture can be the way you treat your family, or what you think is appropriate behaviour, or how you act towards your children, and it's not just "those people over there" who have culture. In some ways American culture seems sort of bizarre and unique to me now. The way Americans treat children wouldn't make sense to almost any Namibian and it just seems weird to me now. Well, thats about it. I don't know that I have much else to say.

I'm fine. Hope you're all well. Take care

Silas Fincher news article

2007-07-09T07:26:00.000-05:00

Charlotte Observer July 8, 2007

OUR TOWNS

Remodeling teaches kids about work ethic

Life lessons include responsibility, value of working toward a goal

SARI MONACO

Lee and Christy Luce and their children Nicole, 12, and Cooper, 10, remodeled their Weddington home recently. They put a large addition on the back to extend the family room, and created a new master bedroom and an office for Lee.

This left the master that was previously upstairs as a new game room for the kids -- well-deserved, because this family knows cooperation and teamwork.

Everyone sacrificed something in the process, but what they gained outweighed nights of frozen dinners and pizza deliveries. The Luces are intent on making the house they purchased last year into a home. They took on the huge project because they could see potential in the 1979 rustic farmhouse.

They endured months of dust, plastic tarps and inconvenience. But lots of folks take on remodeling projects. So what makes this family different?

The Luces are trying to instill a strong work ethic in their kids. Young Cooper was handing tools out the second-story window to dad at age 9. And because Lee is a contractor, he can teach Cooper to do home repairs himself.

Working on the home helped the kids develop a sense of responsibility and teach them that if they want something, they have to work hard for it.

After all, they remodeled their last home in Charlotte near the Arboretum. The family attends Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte and chose to remain for the fellowship and kids' programs instead of moving to a closer place of worship.

"When you relocate your family, you have to keep some consistency in the children's old friendships," Christy says.

Family is a priority for the Luces. In the summer, Christy works shortened hours at UNC Charlotte as coordinator of graduate student teaching so she can be with her two children and transport them to summer activities. Nicole loves tennis lessons; Cooper enjoys soccer.

The kids were instrumental in choosing their bedroom decor. They chose paint colors, but mom painted every wall herself in her spare time and stained all the baseboards and window frames. Lee put in the wood floors and hung light fixtures and the antique doors Christy hunted down.

She is an avid antiques collector who scouts bargains on eBay and other Internet sites. Her favorite haunt is Metrolina Expo. Lee owns Luce Building and Remodeling.

A house project like this, according to Christy, "Takes a lot of patience and the family has to be committed. ... If one person is not on board, it won't work."

Book drive benefits Africans

While American students enjoy their summer vacation, children at the C Ngatjizeko Primary School in Namibia, Africa, are attending class.

Peace Corps worker Silas Fincher is located there and sent word to his congregation at Matthews United Methodist Church that the Namibian primary school desperately needed children's books.

Patrick Henderson, a marketing teacher in Weddington, heard of the need and proposed that his members of the Distributive Education Clubs of America help.

This past fall, Weddington High School DECA conducted a book drive coordinated by marketing students Rachel Donlin and Danielle Brockmann.

With the help of all the DECA members, Pat Kowalo, Hillary Steere and Brigette McSheehan's marketing classes, more than 1,000 books were collected and delivered to Weddington United Methodist Church.

Madeline Kamp packed and shipped all the books to Africa before the Christmas holidays. Before this school year ended at Weddington, DECA members received many pictures and thank-you letters from the children who received the books.

If you want to contribute, see http://silasfincher.myblog.com/

OUR TOWNS Sari Monaco

Meals at the hostel

2007-07-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

Cooking porridge for the hostel

Kids lined up at the hostel for food

Kids with their food

Kids eating

More kids eating

Kids by their house

This week ( email from Amy)

2007-07-01T14:48:00.001-05:00

I've been invited to go to a Peace Corps conference in Ondongwa next week. I head out on Wednesday and I come back on Sunday or Monday. It's exciting for me. Ondongwa is in the far north and, other than the Caprivi strip (the small strip that extends from the north east corner of Namibia) it's pretty much the only part of the country that I've never been to. Plus, it means that I'll have good cell coverage for the 4th of July so I can talk to my family.

see map of some locations around Namibia

I've been sick this week but don't worry, I'm OK now. I had a fever and a sore throat (I lost my voice for a couple of days.) I didn't miss any school though. I don't know if there's anything quite so bad as waking up and feeling sick and knowing that you still have to go to work that day. (I mean, I don't HAVE to, but there aren't any substitute teachers in this country so if I don't then three to six classes will sit and do nothing for the period and will probably steal the textbooks or rip down the posters and when I come back they will have forgotten everything we talked about for the last month and a half.) Still, everyone took good care of me - a bunch of them visited me and suggested good remedys. And part of growing up is that you have to take responsibility even when you feel sick. I mean, if you're a parent you don't get to take sick days.

We got the window glass from Otjiwarongo on Friday, and we just hit a cold snap so it was not a moment too soon. We'll put them in over the next few weeks. While we were in Otjiwarongo I got a bunch of Lost episodes from Megan, so I've been watching them a little obsessively. It's such a good show. I also managed to get some fabric scraps for the quilt I'm making. It's a crazy quilt.

This week I finished Moby Dick, but I haven't started anything new just yet. Moby Dick was one of two books that I was supposed to have read in college and never finished (Middlemarch was the other) so I'm halfway to catching up.

Actual conversation I had with a traffic officer on a hike:

Him: "Can you drive?"

Me: "Yes, but I'm not allowed to here."

Him: "Why not?"

Me: "Well, I don't have a Namibian license and the Peace Corps is afraid that I'll get into an accident and they'll get in trouble for it."

Then there was a long pause where he looked confused for a bit and then his face cleared, like he figured something out.

Him: "Oh, you are having a chief in America and he says you cannot drive because you will be destroying things."

Me: "Yes, exactly, we are having a chief and he doesn't want our families to get angry at him if we get hurt so we must hike instead."

Anyway, I'm doing well. Not much else to report. Hope everyone there is fine.

Recent Nam 25 PCV blogs, news and information for the month of June

2007-06-30T07:11:00.000-05:00

Greensboro, NC newspaper article featuring Angie (Nam 25 PCV)
Video clip: Namibia, a filmmaker's destination

Other web pages to check out:
Namibian Library Projects (search by country or name)
NamibiAlive Video Promo

Recent blog posts from some of Amy's teammates (58 Peace Corps Volunteers known as NAM 25) all across the country of Namibia:

Jason's page of Nam 25 blogger photos and links

Amy:
AIDS awareness week, greeting and lasagna (6/24) NEW
Photos of daily life in Anker (6/24) NEW
Busy week and Day of the African Child (6/16)
Photos inside Amy's classroom (6/16)
Photos of the Day of the African Child Performances (6/16)
My Mozambican adventures (6/10)
Photos of the Lutheran Church in Anker (6/10)

Amber :
Andrew:

Angie:
Greensboro, NC newspaper article featuring Angie (Nam 25 PCV)
June 20 (6/21)
June 12 (6/17)

Beth:
Blessings and rehab for Dad (6/28) NEW
Visit to Mooi Plaas (6/28) NEW
Southern Girls Conference 2007 (6/27) NEW
National Launching of AIDS Awareness Week (6/27) NEW
Dad moves into Craig Hospital (6/21)
many good bits of news (6/15)
Dad's surgery (6/14)
My Dad (6/12)

Brock:
Back to school (6/8)

Caitlin:
Day of the African Child (6/16)

Caroline:
the ***BIG*** News (6/29) NEW
And Now For The Rest (6/29) NEW
And the rest of the rest... (6/29) NEW

Chester
Chris:

Coppelia:
Alcohol awareness (6/27) NEW
Reality (6/27) NEW
We're being Witched (6/24)
Minute to Minute (6/21)
Language miscommunication (6/20)
Welcome to the world of Ping-Pong (6/17)
This is what every Sunday should be like (6/17)
Life back in Opuwo (6/17)
Home for the wedding (6/1)
Lily (6/1)

Courtney:
Cynthia:
Irene

Jason:
Tech Squad Sleepover (6/7)
Chess Club (6/7)
From Cape Town to Lesotho and back (6/1)

Jay:
? (6/20)

Matt:
This "Development" Thing (6/17)

Michael:
Pam:
Patrick:
Shonita
Silas:
Will:

All Nam 26 bloggers

Nam 26 bloggers active lately:
Scott
Lindsey
Abby
Ben
Julie
Chris
Ami
Lisa
Brianna
Keith

Link to previous list of recent blogs (May 2007)

Recent news from Namibia

Trip to Africa provides perspective on life

2007-06-26T06:22:00.000-05:00

Trip to Africa provides perspective on life

By Alyse Knorr
Special to the News & Record

One of the first things I noticed about Africa, and thing I'm sure I'll never forget, is the sky.

During the day, the light reveals the emptiness surrounding you on all sides -- fields stretching for miles, vastness spilling toward a horizon broken only by a few shrubs or palm trees and this enormous blue sky hanging over it all.

Multimedia: Journey to Africa

Looking out over all that empty land, it feels like the sky is sucking you up -- like you're drowning up into the blue. When the sun sets about 5:30 each evening, you can see the colors painted across the sky, like the horizon is one 360-degree canvas. The sun becomes a big,

almost tangible ball, slipping below the land as the space over it turns pink, then orange, then purple, blue and black.

At night, the sky is covered by so many stars that you feel you're in the middle of them, suspended in space. The Milky Way is scattered across the night like tiny freckles, and the Southern Cross hangs above everything in its perfect, calm order, like a compass twinkling in mid-air.

Something about that sky was humbling. Its sheer magnitude made me feel tiny, and every time I looked up at it during my stay in Africa, I was reminded of just how huge the whole world really is and how much about it still needs to be fixed.

That was what I, two other students and one professor were trying to do during our two weeks in Africa last month, -- joining in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

Various Elon University students and faculty members have been working on the problem of HIV/AIDS in Namibia since 2003, when a group of students from the class of 2006 decided to tackle the issue through the support of Project Pericles, a nonprofit organization advocating social responsibility and civic action in higher education.

Namibia's overall rate of HIV infection is currently about 20 percent and stagnant, but the rate of HIV infection in the town of Oshakati is 40 percent, meaning that two out of five people in the region are HIV-positive.

Erin Barnett, a broadcast communications major and my college roommate for two years, was the first to get involved. Last fall, she took a class with Dr. Tom Arcaro, a sociology professor and Elon's director of Project Pericles.

In November, she and Tom had begun discussing the idea of Erin producing a video documentary about Anita Isaacs, a passionate AIDS activist who is HIV-positive herself. Telling her story could help spread awareness about the HIV problem in Namibia on a grander scale.

Erin suggested bringing Conor Britain, a good friend and fellow broadcast communications major, to help film. I came on board later when Tom realized he wanted to bring a writer along, too. My role would be to interview Isaacs and piece together her written autobiography to accompany Erin's video biography.

Our journey to Namibia took more than 30 hours of total travel time, including three flights on two different airlines. On the morning of Tuesday, May 15, we flew from Raleigh to Atlanta, then from Atlanta to Dakar, Senegal, and finally, from Dakar to Johannesburg, South Africa.

The next morning, we flew on South African Air from Johannesburg to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and then finally, after one night in the city, we drove seven hours north to Oshakati, the small town where Anita Isaacs lives.

We stayed at the Okatana Catholic Mission during our two weeks in Oshakati, living in two small rooms with Afghan-style blankets on the beds and crucifixes on all the shelves. The mission was quiet, inhabited by a few priests and nuns, a pair of mangy brown dogs and a Peace Corps volunteer from Miami named Angie.

Arriving in Oshakati was a bit of a shock after spending time in the big cities of Johannesburg and Windhoek. Both of these cities, the capitals of South Africa and Namibia, respectively, seemed as urban and fast-paced as any American city. Pizza parlors, department stores and skyscrapers line the streets, standing in stark contrast to the poverty and barrenness of Oshakati.

The town of Oshakati is centered around a huge outdoor market almost a mile long. Every morning, local vendors trickle into the market as the sun rises to set up their merchandise and sit in front of their stalls that day.

The smells of spices and small fires half buried in the sand fill the air during these busy mornings, and echoing throughout all of the cramped stalls are the sounds of voices chattering in Oshivambo, the language of the Ovambo tribe, which populates most of northern Namibia.

During my first day in the market, we spent nearly an hour walking through the sand under the hot sun, in front of rows of big, woven baskets full of seeds, nuts, withered raw fish, wheat, grains and dried centipedes, a local delicacy. We passed stands selling sunglasses, watches, grapes and perfumes, all covered in flies, and when we walked through the meat section of the market, in the shaded center, I saw the head of a bull on the ground, horns still attached, with flies buzzing around its gory neck.

Vendors sat on green and white plastic patio chairs, Coke crates or cardboard beer boxes, talking and drinking Windhoek Lager and patiently awaiting customers. No one hassled or heckled visitors in the market. It was all a simple waiting game.

Namibia is the second least densely populated area in the world, and the rural landscapes of Oshakati reflect this fact everywhere you look. A main highway cuts through the center of town, and a cluster of strip-mall shops, grocery stores and Internet cafes is near the big market, but the houses reveal the area's true poverty.

Most of the houses are tiny shacks made of sheet metal and clay bricks or tall sticks tied with wire. Thatched roofs, dirt floors and broken, plastic lawn chairs are all common sights around the small neighborhoods in the town, and hundreds of brown speckled cattle roam the streets freely.

Most of the families residing in the outskirts of the town live on traditional homestead farms. A homestead is made up of a large group of extended family members and friends gathered on one piece of land, living in one-room, wooden huts with stick-and-wire fences around the perimeter of the homes. Chicken coops, cow pens and hog cages are separate structures within the perimeter, and the group "living room" might consist of a table and a few plastic chairs under a large, old tree inside the fenced area.

Mahangu fields surround the entire complex and provide everything the family needs. Mahangu is the staple crop of the region and looks like a cross between corn and wheat with its tall, tan stalks rustling in the fields.

Farmers in Oshakati harvest mahangu by cutting it, letting it dry in the sun for days, thrashing the stalks with sticks and grinding the ears into a fine powder by pounding them with logs.

The mahangu powder can then be cooked into Omalodu, a fermented drink commonly referred to as "Ovambo Beer," or mahangu porridge, a thick, gray food eaten at nearly every meal.

When we went to the homesteads in the bush, every family we visited served us Omalodu, mahangu porridge and a freshly slaughtered chicken, pig or duck.

We ate the traditional Ovambo way: grabbing a chunk of mahangu porridge out of the community basket on the table, sticking it to the tips of our fingers, dipping it into the juices and sauces of the family's chicken bowl and licking it off of our fingertips.

Anita usually led us around Oshakati during the day, introducing us to different government figures and old friends. Because Anita's story was the focus of our project, we spent a good deal of our time interviewing Anita herself. We filmed interviews with Anita all over town: at her house, in the market and even in our rental truck.

Despite the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the area, the problem exposed itself in subtle ways. We often heard public-service announcements on the radio urging people to use condoms. The local newspaper, The Namibian, frequently had headlines concerning HIV/AIDS.

But one of the scariest and most tragic aspects of HIV is the fact that it is, for the most part, invisible. No matter how often it occurred, I still felt shocked every time Anita would tell us that the person we just met had HIV.

The hardest things to see in Oshakati were the children who were either HIV-positive or orphaned by parents who died of AIDS. Many were both. At a meeting of a support group at Anita's office, I met dozens of AIDS orphans. Children of all ages were seated on benches in the courtyard, eating candy and drinking from juice boxes. It could have been an American school recess, only these children didn't laugh or play. They didn't fuss or complain or get up to playfully chase each other around their seats. They simply sat on their benches quietly, staring at everyone with wide eyes and occasional shy smiles.

On one of our last nights in the country, we took Anita to spend the night in Etosha, a large national game preserve a few hours south of Oshakati. What we found in Etosha was the Africa you see on the Discovery Channel: a Serengeti-like landscape populated by zebra, giraffes, wildebeests, elephants, warthogs and more.

We saw huge herds of springboks -- tan and skinny hooved animals that bend their heads around backward to scratch themselves with their horns -- and even a family of ostriches, bobbing their long, tube-like necks as they walked.

The bungalow where we stayed was in an old German fort near a big watering hole where we saw kudu, oryx and jackals come for drinks and, just as the sun was setting, where we watched an old, lone elephant take a bath.

Moments like that -- when I could watch a wild elephant clean itself in the middle of Africa under that big, beautiful sun -- left me speechless. As humbling as that huge, sun-streaked sky was on nights like that, every time I looked up at it, I felt inspired. Each time I felt my eyes drawn up to it, I remembered that I may be only one person, tiny and weak compared to the vastness of the world around me, but one person can make a difference.

During my two weeks in Africa, I saw herds of wild giraffes roaming across the side of the road and six-foot anthills towering between huge stalks of grass. I saw men carving beautiful wooden statues by hand and baboons running across the highway.

But the truth is, when I think about Africa years from now, what I will remember best will be the colors of the sunset in Etosha and the way the stars looked sprinkled on the black over the mahangu fields. I will remember how I felt under the African sky. Alyse Knorr is a rising junior at Elon with a double major in English and journalism.

Namibia, a filmmaker's destination

2007-06-25T19:30:00.000-05:00

A short film produced to showcase Namibia as a safe and versatile location for filmmakers, with location shots and scenery shots.

Aids awareness week, greeting and lasagna (email from Amy)

2007-06-24T07:03:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,
I think I know what I will miss most when I leave Anker. It's not the children or the animals (although I will miss the kids, the animals I can do without) it's not even the rewarding work (as any teacher can tell you, teaching is not always rewarding and sometimes just annoying.) What I will miss most is shaking hands and saying hello. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "we shake hands in America. We say hello." I am sorry to be rude, but no you don't. In Namibia you greet every person as you enter a room, shaking hands and often going through a long greeting. Yes, it's disruptive to go around shaking everyone's hand when you come in late for a meeting, but you still do it. Someone explained to me early in my time here that not greeting someone is like denying their essential humanity. It says to a person, "You are not worthy of my greeting." So, everyone I pass on the street (in Anker, not in Windhoek, it's not that ridiculous) I say good morning or good evening to, each class says good morning to me chorally, and every time I come into a room I shake people's hands. The longer I'm here, the more I agree with the custom and the more I think that it does deny something of people's essential humanity to not greet them. It, perhaps, is not a denial based on a person's assumption of superiority (here, because of the history of apartheid, people might assume if I don't greet them that I think I'm better than them because I'm white) but it is a denial based, if nothing else, in our assumption of the superiority of efficiency-- in America, it seems, it's more important that we get things done than that we validate people's existance. Anyway, it annoyed me at first and now I think I'll mis it.

Meverlly has been coming to my house for help with her maths homework and she's been giving me some good advice. For example, she told me how the elephants came to her farm and destroyed everything and killed a calf because they were so angry and her family had to run up the mountain because, apparently elephants only climb when they are happy, they stay off the mountains when they're angry (this has been confirmed by other people in the area.) She and Senty also warned me not to write with my finger in the sand at night because a ghost will come up from the ground into my finger and it will swell up, but that if I rub out whatever I write, then the ghost won't come into my hand. They also warned me about the witches who choke people as they are sleeping at night (many learners are astonished that I'm not scared to live alone precisely because of the witches.) So, overall they've been a good source of knowledge.

Oh, on Wednesday there was an announcement over the radio that a pack of 10 lions was loose in the area- so we had to be a little careful (although they weren't that close to Anker so we were all safe- don't worry)

On Tuesday we had a ralley in Kamanjab for Aids awareness week. The kids did a very nice drama and some of the other schools did nice songs or poems. The school inspector came and it was a very nice time. Afterwards I got some groceries.

I made lasagna this week. Someone had sent me noodles in a package last year and I had been hoarding them until I could collect the necessary ingredients at the same time (cottage cheese and the herbs were particularly difficult to get and a little expensive.) When it came out of the oven I literally jumped for joy. It's been so long since I've eaten something homemade and dripping with cheese like that. My life tends to be sort of ascetic (more out of laziness than out of poverty, but I do admit that it's much cheaper to subsist on cooked oatmeal and meatless spaghetti) and I generally don't cook anything that uses a quarter of a kilogram of meat AND a full block of cheese. I know that I've been a lot less obsessed with food this year. I know you all miss my long meditations on that subject. :) That is largely due to the fact that I've finally got some mastery over my transportation problems (not due to any change in circumstances, simply due to my own trial and error education) so I can get food when I need it, and partially due to the fact that I've managed to check some of my grocery store guilt at the door.

When I get groceries I generally buy for at least 2 weeks, sometimes I buy for a whole month in advance, so I buy quite a bit of food (although I have a rule that I cannot buy more than I can carry when combined with my other belongings- it's a good rule to have when you get around by hitchhiking because you often have to carry all your stuff, sometimes for a couple of kilometers.) Anyway, I used to feel guilty when I would spend, say, US$100 on groceries because it's half my monthly salary and because people in the village don't eat like I do- so I'd end up buying less than I actually needed and eating burnt lentil soup for a week (I have never managed to get the hang of cooking lentils and they always end up with a blackened crust and a smokey flavour.) I realised that A. It's OK to spend half your monthly salary if you are buying most of the food that you will eat in that month and B. people eat differently in the village partially because they were raised with different food and it's not good for me to make myself depressed for something that won't help anyone. Anyway, I'm eating better and so I'm not as obsessed.

I have been doing some games with my grade 7 science class. We played a game called "lions and baby elephants" designed to demonstrate how the immune system works and how HIV harms people by harming the immune system. We also reprised a game that we played last year called "The jackels and the little lambs." In this game I pass out "little lambs" (actually white washcloths) and "jackels" (actually clean pairs of gray socks.) The learners start by passing the little lamb around a circle, then I introduce the jackel. If the jackel gets to the little lamb, then the lamb gets eaten. There are three types of players in this game- most kids just pass the jackel and the little lamb at the same rate, some kids (mostly boys) try to pass the jackel faster, and some kids try to help the lamb. When the game is over we talk about the people in our community who need protection like the little lamb-smaller children, older people, orphans, sick people, disabled people, HIV-positive people, and teenage mothers are among the people they came up with. Then we talk about the choice that each of them has. They can be like the ones who pass the jackel faster- they can be a part of the problem, by making fun of people who are HIV-positive or who are orphaned, by taking things from people who cannot protect themselves, or by abusing others. They can be like the people who pass both the jackel and the lamb at the same rate- they can do nothing to harm or help people in difficult situations- at that point we talk about how the ones who weren't helping the lamb were really just allowing the jackels to harm the lamb. Or they can choose to be like the ones who actively try to help the little lamb. At this point we come up with a list of ways they can help vulnerable people in their communities- some ideas they came up with were to share their food or money, give them healthy foods, do chores for them, help them to walk, visit them, sing to them, and pray for them. For homework they were supposed to do something to help someone who needs help in their community.

Teaching quotes of the week "Ms. Amy you are having a brain!" by Amon, one of my favourites, said in a tone of awe as I typed a letter in front of my grade 7s. It's nice when all it takes to impress people is being able to type. That never happened in college.

OK, that's about it. Of course I've been reading- finished The Way of All Flesh and I'm about halfway through Moby Dick. Hope you all are doing well.

Photos of daily life in Anker

2007-06-24T07:01:00.001-05:00

Soccer with socks
These boys are playing soccer with a ball they have made by wrapping
plastic bags tightly into a ball a little larger than a softball and

then wrapping a pair of socks around it to hold it together-ingenious

Kids at the Hostel doing laundry

My neighbors doing laundry

Eating ice on a Sunday (Jenefer)

Winter begins today in Namibia

2007-06-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

Winter solstice

At 7:06 PM Namibian Time (1:06 PM CDT), winter officially begins in Namibia. As in most parts of the world, Namibia feels winter well before the official first day of winter. Today is the shortest day of the year lasting only 10 hours 45 minutes (in Windhoek).

This year was very different than last year in that the normal rainy season (October-April) was extremely dry where Amy lives. It hasn't rained for months there and won't again until at least September this year (they hope). The drought conditions will continue to affect everyone adversely.

June, July and August are the coolest and driest months of the year in Namibia. Without insulation, furnaces or, in some cases, even windows, it gets cold at night. Nighttime temperatures can drop to the 30's (F°) but 40's and 50's are more common. Daytime temperatures can get into the 80's (F°) but 60's and 70's are more common.

Namibian Climate

Namibia has a dry climate typical of a semi-desert country, where droughts are a regular occurrence.
Days are generally warm to very hot, while nights are generally cool.
Midsummer temperature can rise to over 40ºC (104ºF)
Winter days are warm but dawn temperatures can drop to freezing.
Along the coast the cold Benguela current is also the prime determinant of the climate of the Namib, as it reduces rainfall and causes the omnipresent fog typical of the coast.
The rainy season lasts from October to April. The rest of the year is dry and cloudless.

CLIMATE CHART FOR CENTRAL NAMIBIA

All areas of Namibia average more than 300 days of sunshine a year!

Click to convert mm to inches

Click to convert Cº to Fº

Busy week and Day of the African Child (email from Amy)

2007-06-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well, no one can say that I haven't been working this week. I've been going to school at 6:30 AM as usual (for the teacher meeting) but I have been staying until at least 6:30 or 7 PM. On Monday I held a well attended workshop on making your own teaching aids and then for the rest of the week I helped the teachers, particularly the lower primary teachers, with making aids. Mrs. /Goagoses and Mrs. /Uiras and I made two girls for their classroom to teach about clothing, body parts, and weather. We also made a lot of food, utensils, a birthday cake, and I made printable sheets of Namibian money so the kids can practice with them. I helped Mr. #Narebeb to brighten up his teaching aids. His classroom has always been one of the best for teaching aids, but a lot of them are black outlined drawings because he didn't have the markers and maybe he didn't feel confident. We even made a diagram of the taste sensors on the tongue with a plastic sheet that can be lifted up and put down. Mr. Asser, the maths teacher, and I made a pie chart that can change to any size he wants.

Additionally, during school hours I have been extremely busy getting the window project ready for the hostel (I have been especially motivated because the last few mornings have been really cold.) Thanks to a bank error in our favor (seriously, I didn't know things like that even happened, but I am very very thankful) we actually have enough money to fix all of the broken windows in the sleeping rooms with plastic glass. Then the only broken windows left in the school or hostel will be in the bathrooms, storage rooms, and the kitchen. They say that they can have the windows ready by next weekend, so we could have them fixed in a jiffy.

Also I wrote a letter to a group of people in the States who send blankets to needy children in
developing countries to see if we could get a donation that would belong to the hostel. The hostel could then lend them out to the needier learners so that every child can have a blanket, no matter how poor they are.

Also, I've been working on trying to get 5 of the brightest and most disadvantaged learners' applications ready for a scholarship program. If they are accepted they will be able to get up to N$1500 (US$215) a year towards their school fees, hostel fees, and exam fees, which is more than enough to cover the fees for most of the learners. Primary School fees are much smaller than Secondary School fees, but still at our school learners only pay N$80 (US$11) a year in school fees and N$324 (US$46) a year in hostel fees (if they pay, a lot of them don't have enough money to even pay the school fees.) So that's all I've been up to, nothing much really, just a few minor projects :) .

As I said, I've been helping some of the better and poorer learners to apply for a scholarship and they had to write an essay about why they want the scholarship. They have some really sad stories:
--Elvis, who is brilliant, wrote about how his single mother is unemployed and their animals are too few.
--Sedney, who got the only A I gave out in my class one term, is 16 and in grade 7 because his parents didn't bring him to school until he was 10 and his grandfather is the only one supporting his education and he's afraid that his grandfather will die while he's still busy with his education.
--Erastus was orphaned by both of his parents. Theodor, one of my most diligent and committed learners, wrote how the grandmother who had been paying his school fees out of her pension had died last year. His father is unemployed and he hasn't seen his mother for 4 years, when she abandoned the family, so he is going to school without paying his fees at all and he only had shoes because his unemployed aunt's mother bought them for him.
--The worst story was Nadia's. She was having trouble writing her essay so she asked me for help then she told me how her mother had died while she was sleeping in the same bed as her and how her father refused to support her or her sister because he had so many children by other women who still had mothers to force him support them and also because her stepmother doesn't like her (ironically she loves fairy tales. Maybe stories of evil stepmothers are a little close to home for her.) She told me how her uncle had told her the night before her mother died that God was only waiting for her to pray and then he would heal her mother, so she thought that maybe it was her fault that her mother died because she forgot to pray for her that night (I told her that's not the way things work, that God doesn't let people die because their 11 year old children don't pray enough but I'm not sure she entirely believed me.)

I would really like all 5 learners to get the scholarship. They all need and deserve it, all of them are also getting among the top marks, but they only give out 100 scholarships for all of Namibia and they give out 2/3 of them to girls (4 of our 5 applicants are boys. We tried to get an equal number of girls and boys, but none of the other girls qualified academically. Just a quirk that this year's 7th graders have mostly clever boys. Last years 7th graders were full of clever girls.) Anyway, I think we have a chance that one of them might get the scholarship.

Friday was the Day of the African Child. We had a program-mostly songs and dramas about the need for education or about fighting HIV/Aids. It was sort of like an elementary school program, but we held it in the open sandy part just outside the school. I'm including some pictures. It was my turn to do the morning devotion, so Mrs. /Goagoses suggested that I take the passage where Jesus says that the little children should come to him. She also said that God had wanted Namibia to be independent and then asked me if I thought it was true. I said that I thought that God didn't like apartheid so I thought that he probably was pretty happy that Namibia didn't have apartheid anymore and that I thought that God wanted all people to have a place of their own just like Namibia is our own place. Anyway, it was a nice discussion.

Last week in church the man who shows up for church drunk every week :) pulled me to the front of the congregation and spoke in rapid KhoeKhoe about how God should bless me for coming to church every week and how the children should take me as an example. I'm kind of used to being singled out, particularly in church, but it was still a little weird.

There's still a drought in the area, but no one talks about it much anymore because we're not hoping for rain anymore. Now people are just trying to limit their damages by selling off their livestock and trying to save the money. When you are a subsistence famer livestock is a sort of savings account. Your goats or cattle are your emergency nest egg, your savings, and to some extent, your pension, when you need money you sell some of your cattle. Unfortunatly, during a drought the price of cattle goes down, but if you don't sell them they will probably die of hunger and then you've lost your savings. Anyway, that's the Catch-22. Drought also exacerbates the serious problems of overgrazing and soil erosion, particularly in traditional communal lands like the area where I live. Overgrazing and soil erosion in turn exacerbate desertification (the less plant life in an area, the less rain falls in that area, slowly changing semi-desert savannahs into full deserts) which causes more droughts. It's a vicious cycle. Anyway, not much we can do about it at this point.

Hope everyone there is doing well. I'm doing just fine. I think I've really adjusted to the culture. I rarely feel culture shock anymore. Things seem to make more sense and I understand better what will work and what won't work. I'm just a little worried about the reverse culture shock. I only have 5 or 6 more months so it's just a little frustrating that I've become adjusted when I'm so close to leaving. Also, I'm worried that the more adjusted I get now the worse the shock will be when I return home. Well, what can you do? Take care.

Inside Amy's Classroom

2007-06-16T19:16:00.000-05:00

My classroom right wall

My classroom left wall

One of my new posters. I'm very proud of it

The back of my classroom

The front of my classroom

Day of the African Child Perfomances

2007-06-16T19:11:00.001-05:00

Grade 4 dancing

Grade 7 girls dancing

Grade 7 boys doing a drama

Day of the African Child - kids watching

"Forget-I", one of my favorite students

Kids in costume

Grade 4 drama

Oumas (grandmothers) watching the perfomance

Photos of the Lutheran Church in Anker

2007-06-10T14:32:00.000-05:00

The outside of the church

This is the inside of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Anker

This is Anjelika Christiaan, one of the church elders and about the closest thing to a pastor that the church has. An ordained pastor shows up about twice a year to marry people and baptize babies- the rest of the time the church is run by the elders and Anjelika Christiaan is one of three elders who are there almost every Sunday.

A close up of the front of the church with Lena, another church elder.