Namibia

For Esme, With Love and Hope

2010-09-10T18:31:00.000-04:00

Little moments from the BNC (2007)

Grace
Aunt Gert had finished her journey as an educator as I was beginning mine.
“You really should come... you would love it.”
It started out as a thought, a conversation starter.
“Oh I would love to, dear, but there is my trip to Japan, the church is opening in the spring, and I am just so busy here in Montauk.... I can’t.”
The experience was not one I could fully explain in words but I knew that someone had to come to see with her own eyes, just to understand what I felt... agape. It is a word I learned here, even before I could define it. A Christ-like love. I first felt it for a few months a year ago when I set eyes on these children during my first visit. Dad said what made that trip so profound and so memorable for me was that for one of the first times in my life I was able to let go and be myself without looking over my shoulder to see who was watching. Whatever the reason, I feel it- I feel peace.
It’s not uncommon in life to be lost, to be searching, to face adversity. I was seeking control over who I was to become in my life when the Holy Spirit guided me here. But for the grace of God I ended up in a part of the world few knew and where I began to unwrap some of the gifts He had given me. So often we seek to make an impact on others but when we look back we see the impact was on us. God bless the broken road, Esme, that led me straight to you- and through you to Him.

Overtime
Five o’clock is not quitting time... it’s starting time. The games are put away, the computers are shut off, and all the volunteers climb into the bakkie and leave Katutura but I stay- just for an hour or two, just to connect one-on-one with a few kids for a little while longer. Romachell, Esme, Bonita- whoever feels like staying late and walking the streets. They say that in Katutura the street is the life and the life is the street. No one really wants to go home, and I can’t blame them.
“What time does your mother want you home for dinner?”
“We don’t have dinner.”
It isn’t so much tragic as matter of fact. There simply is not much to do at home. No Xbox, no internet, no toys. It is much more fun to stay out with everyone else- at least it’s cooler outside. They say it’s the ghetto. They say don’t be there at night. But love doesn’t punch out at 5pm.
Nonetheless, it is getting dark; I should be on my way home. Just a few more hugs, a few more good-byes.
“!Nam si da, Meroldi”
“!Nam si da, Scooter!”
“!Nam si da, Salome.”
“!Nam si da, Scooter!”
“!Nam si da, Esme!”
“You, too, Scooter.”
One of these days she will say it- because I know she feels it. She is ten-years old and so wonderful. Surely one of these days she will act out. Eventually she will test the limits of what she can get away with. Not today. There is something about the way she finds her way through the crowd to sit on my lap. The way she tricks a little girl to lean to the side so she can squeeze in beside me. We can sit in silence, her on my lap with nothing being said. What can a 24 year old discuss with a 10 year old anyway? In our silence, I hope she sticks around for a little while longer. I can talk to Romachell or Salome or Susmitha- they are the chatter bugs- but Esme is something else.
She’ll ask me a random question in Damara, as if I would understand.
“No thank, you I respond,” trying, in vain, to guess what she might have been asking.
“What I did say?”
“You asked me if I would like a million dollars.”
She laughs. “No, Scooter, I did say....”

Hope
One day we are hanging out after the center is closed. The security guard has not shown up yet... will he ever? Romachell has just puffed. I am offended- he didn’t even ask me to pull his finger. This one stinks and Romachell walks away, laughing.
“Esme, who do you live with?”
“My family.”
“Who is in your family?”
“My mother, my granny, my auntie...”
“What about your father?”
“He is gone.”
“...to Heaven?”
“I don’t know.”
She doesn’t seem very open to the question and I withdraw. There may be a time later when she is more willing to open up. They say these children are orphaned and endangered. What does that mean? Abusive uncles? Promiscuous aunties? Alcoholic mothers? Dead parents? The statistics say one in five have HIV/AIDS. Surely in Katutura the percentages must be higher. Who has it? Who doesn’t? No one talks much about it. I suppose the weaker ones, the ones with sores that don’t heal, the ones with thinning hair might have it- but could you really tell by the way they hug or by the way they laugh? But it is here- and it is not going away. So is poverty. What about hope?
Hope. What do you hope for? Typing away on this amazing little iMac, I hope I can have one. Have you ever hoped for food? I’m not asking in the way Sally Struthers might ask. Don’t send money. Don’t feel guilt. Just think.
Today MB, as she was rummaging through a closet in the house, found a bag of letters from San Francisco she meant to distribute to the kids months ago. She hands them out randomly, each envelope contains a note wishing an anonymous child Merry Christmas- this is February. A few generic sentences about how friendly the kids sound. Keep in touch! Here is my picture! Junk mail. No, it’s my mail. A new friend. “Please hold this for me,” they ask.

A Day at the Grass Soccer Field
Today was Sunday and I drove Aunt Gert to Mass. It was a wonderful Mass, I suppose. I wouldn’t know- I left her at the church and drove back to Katatura. Driving from the Benedictine Church along the dirt road and seeing all the locals walking through the heat to attend Mass was inspiring. Throughout Katutura I saw similar acts of devotion. All in their Sunday best. Blessed are the poor.
After picking up Aunt Gert, we drive to the grass soccer field to watch the kids play. It is day two of a weekend worth of soccer on a nicely groomed grass field that MaryBeth has reserved. Win or lose, the privilege of playing on grass is all the kids really care about today.
Grass. We only notice it when it needs to be cut. It’s a chore to us, a privilege to them.
The sun is hot- we are in a desert- and Aunt Gert wants to get back home. (I tell MaryBeth that Aunt Gert has a wicked hangover.)
“Scooter, can I go with you?”
I turn to see Dora.
Can I actually tell her no when I was hoping she would ask?
“OK... but don’t tell anyone!” Except maybe Esme, Romachell, Wendy, and Salome.
Romachell and Dora walk out the gate casually; I will meet them out by the road. Esme is hiding in the back of the truck.
“Don’t let anyone else see.”
At the house they see some of my family photos and I offer them some Litchi Juice. They look at the photos on Aunt Gert’s computer. Simple joys.
We hop back in the bakkie and drive back to the grass fields.
“OK, I’ll let you three off at the gate so the other kids don’t see us.”
The kids hop out at the gate and sneak around.
“Scooter, where’s Dora and Romachell?” Meroldi asks before I even shut off the bakkie. Busted.
There is instant jealousy and bitterness.
“Why did you tell us we could not be in the truck then you take them? That’s not fair!”
Not fair? Not fair! I’m not fair. Life’s not fair. Is it fair that I let Edelsine run the computer room every day? Is it fair that Elizabeth bought Meroldi ice cream? Is it fair that I can come here on a whim to spend a few months with these kids and spoil them in the process? Nothing is fair. I cannot be fair. I cannot give out 150 hugs every time I give out one. I cannot let 150 kids come to the airport with me. It’s only fair if they are the ones being spoiled that day. They can be ornery little kids from time to time.
I must learn to be consistent ... or at least more inconspicuous.
Oh... and don’t make any promises either! They will hold you to them.

~~~~~ ** ~~~~~

Sitting in the grandstand. Kids running all around. Dora by my side- hugging her.
“Dora, I will bring you to the airport when I leave.”
She smiles. “What about Bonitha?”
“Nambre y damure.” Wait and see. No promises.
Flashback to last April. I went to pick up the “seven angels” to bring them with me to the airport to say see me off and say goodbye. Dora caught wind of this... and she was waiting at the BNC with a sad look on her face.
“Scooter, can I come?”
“Dora... there is not enough room. If I could I would...”
“She is probably disappointed she won’t get to see the airport,” I think to myself.
But then tears run down her face.
My heart breaks. “No, she just wants to spend more time with me!”
Sometimes you don’t know how much you mean to some people. I never forgot how genuine she was that day. She is coming with me March 17.

~~~~~ ** ~~~~~

I get to play with the BNC U-18 team. I’m 24. Shh! These are by far the best bunch of boys I have come across. Sydney. Brian. Lucky. Eric. Shema. Jerome. Romachell. All good souls. Eric and Jerome are amazingly nurturing around little Jaden, Romachell’s toddler brother. If only every father in this country was half as loving to their own kids.

~~~~~ ** ~~~~~

Sha had another up and down day.
“One day, Sha! Give me one day where you are an angel the entire day!”
She is hurt on the inside, with scars on her body as a reminder of the struggle that life has already been- and will likely always be. She is angry. They say her mother is a drunk. She punches her sister- hard- because she took a bite of her fudge. She can’t let anything go. She is angry.
MaryBeth puts kids like this in the “Hug-Machine.” With Sha I have taken it one step further.
“Are you angry, Sha?”
She nods.
“Then give it to me, don’t hold it in. Give me a really big hug and squeeze all of your anger into me, I will take it from you.”
She squeezes me tight.
“Let it all out,” I tell her.
I pretend it is inside of me and with a shake of my hands I throw the anger out.
“Is that all your anger, hun? Give me one more hug to be sure.”
She smiles.
Other times I just sit and hold her in my lap. We sit quietly while she cools down.
“I love you, Sha.”
I repeat it like a mantra.
“I love you, Sha.”
I do... and I feel for her. Something happened somewhere at sometime by someone to damage her. She is too quick to run her mouth and exchange verbal jabs with anyone and everyone.
“Ignore them Sha, they are just words. If someone curses you, just smile. If someone calls you ugly, just smile... do you know why?”
A pause.
A shy grin.
“Because I’m beautiful.”

~~~~~ ** ~~~~~

The afternoon is winding down and the yellow and red pinnies are being collected from the final two teams. Some of the girls are giggling and talking about a boy.
“Remember the rule,” I tell the girls over my shoulder.
“No boyfriends until you’re 30,” they respond like a choir of hens.
“Don’t even talk to them until you’re 25!” I add.

HIV
I remember first hearing about HIV when Magic Johnson held his press conference in the early 90’s. There was a stigma then, as there is today. International teams were wary about competing in the Olympics against a man who was infected by HIV- what if he got cut on the court? What if his sweat dripped onto another player? What if he sneezed on someone else? There was paranoia. There was ignorance.
The paranoia and ignorance continues today, and I too worry sometimes when I shouldn’t. I can remember holding Rundu and he had a sore on his head with puss and my finger touched it and I worried about what it might be.
We know so little about HIV. They always advise to not share needles and to avoid unprotected sex. More than twenty years after HIV first became a global crisis, there is still a mentality among many people that people with HIV are users or are promiscuous. Junkies have HIV. Gays have HIV. But there is another side to HIV that many don’t see- children with HIV.
Marla is about 11 years old and she is suffering from HIV. Her hair is thinning, she is putting on weight from the ARTs, and she is constantly tired and low on energy. I always suspected she might be sick, but it’s not something that comes up in casual conversation over soup at the BNC.
Then one day MaryBeth drove her to the airport to pick up a volunteer and, unprovoked, Marla offered an open, honest glimpse into her life. Raped as a little girl by her father, she has an abusive stepfather, and an alcoholic uncle. She has suffered more than most yet she survives. She sleeps on the dirt floor of her mother’s room with just a few dirty clothes and cardboard boxes keeping her from the ground. She is dying. Is life fair? Why is a defenseless child being subjected to this? What is the higher purpose? I pray that there is an eternity of peace and happiness waiting for her

~~~~~ ** ~~~~~

Everyone wants to be loved. Everyone wants to be hugged and to feel special. There is a term, apparently, for the psychological effect of touch. I hope I can stay in touch with these kids for many years.
“But there are plenty of needy children closer to home,” some have said.
Yea, but I know these children. And so I will come back.

Goodbye, My Dear Friends, I Shall Never Forget You!

2010-08-17T14:41:00.000-04:00

I just got off of a loooonng bus ride from Windhoek to Cape Town. I took the Intercape Sleepliner which is as comfortable as any bus, I suppose, but after 22 hours I was ready to strangle everyone on the bus, especially the guy next to me who had no problem leaning over to take pictures every 20km.

On to the update…

After an awesome time on Saturday night with the boys, Simon and I brought some of the “old timers” to Zoo Park in downtown Windhoek for an afternoon picnic on Sunday. We picked up Milandri, Bonita, Romencia, Esme, and Denzel from Katutura, dropped them off, then I drove over to Concordia High School to pick up Salome, Jennifer, Meroldi, and Susmitha. The volunteer Moretta met us over there as did Nangula. Simon and some of the girls went to Pick ‘n Pay to buy chicken, bread, water, chips and a cake. We stuffed ourselves on three chickens then played cards in the grass. As the time passed we played a soccer game, had a water fight, then watched the sunset. It was a really special time to say goodbye to the kids that have meant the most to me over these four trips. On the ride back to Katutura Denzel was in the front seat I and taught him how to shift gears- he loved it!

Friday night’s concert, Saturday night with the boys, and Sunday afternoon with the “old timers” are what hooks me into coming back to Namibia and why I feel that I will come back again. Being here at the BNC and developing relationships with the kids gives me a chance to immerse myself in their lives and develop deeper relationships. I would love to do these activities with my students in the Bronx but there is such a taboo on a teacher being more involved with his students beyond the final school bell. Volunteering at the BNC is so special because of the love that exists there.

Monday was my last day and I spent the morning running errands and packing. At the center grades 5 and 6 had publisher parties to celebrate their hard work and some of the children shared their pieces with the class. We then had cookies and as I gave each kid a piece of candy I hugged them and said goodbye. I really will miss working with these two grades. There was a real sense of purpose teaching and completing a writing unit together. As I was saying goodbye to the 6th graders MB came marching into the classroom with her guitar and 40 kids in tow singing “Goodbye, our dear friend, we shall never forget you.” (She plays it over and over again for every volunteer that leaves “until you start to cry.”) The day before at the park Denzel and I were sitting alone and he told me he was going to cry when he said goodbye- and he did. Denzel has always been special but I could really tell this time around how much it meant for him to have a friend to come and see every day. More than any other time here, I really connected with the boys at the BNC.

Reflecting on this trip I would have to say it was the most successful, most rewarding, and most entertaining trip so far. The volunteers I worked with were strong, my roommates Simon and Timna were a lot of fun, and sharing time with Katy was special. My housing arrangements were very comfortable, the weekend trips were exciting, and life in Windhoek was at my speed- the right mix of quiet and crazy. Working at the BNC has never been as rewarding and engaging as it was this time around- Grandma Cathy really has worked hard to make the academics a success. MaryBeth has continued to inspire me as a mentor and a friend. I have been blessed in so many ways by her presence in my life and she has a lot to do with where I am at in life professionally and who I am as a person.

Then, of course, are the kids. New friends Bonsekie, Lediana, Wendemi, little Sentia, Giovanni, Rabon, Ronaldo, Simson, Elias, Tia-Zia, Lebby, Ebba, Rivaldo and so many more mixed in with friends from years past have made this trip incredibly fulfilling. You know it is a special place to be when you are sitting in the shadows of Table Mountain, watching elephants cross the road, or riding up the sides of sand dunes and all you keep doing is glancing at your watch and wishing you were back on Hans Uirab Street at the BNC. I have written so much through the years about the BNC… I encourage any of you to consider taking a few weeks to come and volunteer with me (next summer?) to experience it firsthand.

Every time I leave I say “check back in a few days for another post about the rest of my trip” and I have never done it!!! There is more I would like to write about my experiences… so check periodically over the next week or two for other potential posts. Thank you so much for reading along… I look forward to sharing more with all of you in person in the coming weeks. God bless you!

NFA Dinner, Mommy Soccer, and Guys Night

2010-08-14T16:33:00.000-04:00

Simon and I were driving home tonight from Shaun’s house (more on this later) and we were talking about how special the last few days always seem to be on a trip to Namibia. I don’t know if it’s that we tend to do more fun things in the end to savor every last moment, or whether we just appreciate every little memory more in the end. Whatever the truth may be, these last few days with the kids have been a blast. Get ready, I’m about to gush some more…

Friday afternoon I met with Debbie, one of the women from ladies’ doubles, to help her brainstorm ideas for a child she is tutoring. As it turns out, the child is 10 years old and just moved to Namibia and only speaks Spanish… my specialty! We met for about an hour with the girl and I modeled a lot of different ESL strategies she could use to help the girl. It was fun talking Spanish with the girl, too. She seemed happy to have someone to talk to for a bit. (I just can’t remember her name!!)

At the center it was Friday Fun Day- the kids were running around playing four square, reading, playing legos, and just being kids. The last of my students were finishing up their stories and I decided to take the opportunity to clean up the classroom I had been using so I recruited about ten kids and we scrubbed the room down. Tables, chairs, floors, windowsills, shelves- everything! The room looked sparkling when we finished. What’s amazing is that the kids CLEANING were having as much fun as the kids playing… they just love being at the center.

Friday night MaryBeth was invited to a going away dinner for a man who had been working for the Namibian Football Association and women’s soccer for the past year. Naturally, MaryBeth invited ALL the Pumpkins (the girl soccer players from the center) and they sang some songs for Kevin. I got a few videos of the girls singing. We brought Denzel along and on the way home I pushed Denzel’s wheelchair while giving tiny Beula a piggy back ride. The whole walk back I was pretending like Beula was choking me while swerving Denzel’s chair- he was laughing hysterically the whole way!

Today was soccer day. MaryBeth has the girls playing on a beautiful grass field these days and today the mothers were invited to play as well. About eight moms showed up and played a few games with the girls. The entire soccer program has grown so much and MaryBeth (along with the NFA) has done so much to empower these young girls. The girls are so polite and joyful when playing. Some of the girls that started with MaryBeth are competing on a national level and two are on the women’s national team!

I invited the 6th grade boys to hang out on Saturday afternoon to say goodbye and have some “guy time.” Rivaldo, Simson, Ronaldo, Rabon, and Elias have been so much fun to rough house with, joke with, and teach this summer. I wanted to show my appreciation by spending time with them. I also wanted them to spend some time with Shaun. He is the 27 year old Namibian guy who owns a house a few blocks away that many of the volunteers stay at. He is young, cool, and respectable and I am hoping he will mentor some of these boys on a regular basis when I go. There is such a need for these boys (and all boys) to have solid, reliable, moral, male role models. It is something that I am becoming more and more passionate about and something I want to start back home at PS 103. Having read John Eldredge’s book, “Wild at Heart”, recently has inspired me even more. One of Eldredge’s main ideas is that masculinity breeds masculinity and that boys need to be shown how to be men. I highly recommend the book.

Anyway, Simon and I picked up some pizzas and sodas and the boys around 4:30pm then headed over to Shaun’s. The boys were amped up and ecstatic to be hanging out. It was such a cool evening. We pulled up to Shaun’s house (about 2km from the center) and the boys jumped right into his freezing cold pool! Then we popped open the pizzas, shot some baskets and ran around outside until the sun went down. Afterwards we went inside and watched The Incredibles. By 8pm the boys were back outside running around and rough housing with me and Simon. We just dropped them off and got back home a few minutes ago. The experience was so rewarding- for the boys and for us. It’s a great memory for all of us.

Simon and I are meeting up with Nangula, Scobi, and one of Simon’s german friends for drinks tonight. Tomorrow is another jam-packed day… full of good memories, I’m sure. I hope you are well … God bless you!

The pix are of Mommy Soccer, Singing on Friday night, Cleaning the center, and tonight with the boys.

Etosha and Katy's Last Days

2010-08-11T13:34:00.000-04:00

I just dropped Katy off at the airport a few hours ago and she should be on her way across the Atlantic. She was really impressive as a volunteer- she was always up for anything they needed at the center and she made a lot of rewarding relationships with the kids. On top of all that it was nice to have her here as a roommate and travel companion- she is a wonderful young lady.

So... on to the update...

Saturday morning we loaded up the car and the four of us set off for the North. The car was packed with camping supplies and our bags. Simon and I split the driving duties through the wide open country. Our first stop was Okahandja, an hour north of Windhoek for more souvenir shopping. Then we drove 2.5 hours towards Omaruru where we stopped for a few hours to hike and see prehistoric rock paintings at Ai-Aiba Lodge. It was pretty mesmerizing to stand in front of such old history.

Late in the afternoon we drove up to Etosha Safari Camp just outside the park and camped there for the night. The lodge had a lot of character but we were too exhausted from a long day of travelling to take advantage of it.

We awoke before sunrise, packed the car in the dark, and headed the last 10km to get to Etosha. Etosha is a HUGE game park known for its variety of animals and good animal viewing- especially this time of year. I had been there in 2006 but then it was the rainy season so there was not a lot to see. Different story this time! The idea is to drive from water hole to water hole looking for game. Some prefer to pick a water hole and stay for hours others hop from one to the next taking their chances. We did a little of both.

Early in the day we saw a herd of elephants (two babies!) crossing the road right in front of us!! They are the most enchanting animals to watch- they are absolutely massive! We continued to drive seeing zebra, springbok, wildebeest, giraffes and many other animals. Around noon we pulled up to a watering hole with lots of cars where two lionesses were sitting in the grass hunting springbok and zebra!! We sat for about an hour hoping to witness a kill but it never happened. Still, just watching "the dance" between predator and prey was fascinating.

The rest of the day was spent between different waterholes where we saw some hyenas which are somewhat uncommon. At night we camped at Halali Camp which is in the middle of the park. It was unimpressive but a place to rest our head. There is a water hole there and after sunset we walked to check it out where 5 rhinos (2 babies!!) were drinking.

The next morning we got up early for the 6 hour ride back to Windhoek. On the way out of the park a leopard walked right out into the middle of the road!! It was an amazing (and rare) sight to see. The leopard showed no fear and sauntered slowly to the side of the road where it sat in the bush and stared at us. We got very lucky to see lions, elephants, leopards, and rhinos in such a short trip!!

The ride back home was long and uneventful but we got back quick enough to spend the day at the center. As nice as the travelling is, there really is nothing better than a day at the center. Monday night Tara and her boyfriend and Nangula came over for hamburgers. Tara is a Namibian girl who has been involved with the center through the years but she now runs her own program in the northern region. MaryBeth joined us after her rotary meeting finished. It was a nice evening but we were pretty exhausted from the long weekend.

Tuesday was Katy and Timna's last day. Katy, Simon and I went into town to have breakfast and to get Katy some last minute souvenirs. At the center the 5th and 6th graders are almost done publishing their pieces- they should all be done by tomorrow and we will celebrate their work on Monday. At the end of the day at the center, the kids gave 1,000 hugs to Katy and Timna as the said goodbye.

Tuesday was my last evening of ladies' doubles. They have been a lot of fun. Afterwards I met Simon, Timna, Katy, Amoretta (a volunteer from Maine), MB, Shaun and Scobi for pizza.

So that's where I've been these past few days... all good times! Now that it's just Simon and I in the house, things are pretty calm and quiet. There are a few days left here... I catch a bus Monday evening for Cape Town, leave for Amsterdam on Wednesday, and fly home on Friday... it's gone so quickly!

I hope all is well with you... God Bless you!

Amani Lodge

2010-08-06T16:56:00.000-04:00

Katy, Timna, Simon and I are leaving for Etosha National Park tomorrow morning and we will get home sometime on Monday. It is six hours to Etosha, plus hours of driving in the park, but it will be worth it to see an elephant or a pride of lions.

Thursday night we brought Katy out to a club to go dancing. We met Nangula and some of the volunteers there and danced until early in the morning. It was cute to see Katy out on the dance floor- but not so cute when dudes tried to dance with her! Fortunately most people here think we are dating so the guys were respectful.

Today Katy, Simon, and I went to Amani Lodge which is about 30km southwest of Windhoek. Our friend Shaun recommended it to us and it was amazing! It is situated in the mountains with stunning views of the horizon. Oh, and they have cheetahs, leopards, and lions!! We took the “Sundowner” game drive. The drive starts with the feeding of 5 cheetahs. The cheetahs are being raised to be released in the wild. Next we saw the leopard. I saw cheetahs and leopards at another lodge in 2006 and the leopard has always impressed me with its agility, beauty, and strength. It is amazing to see them scale a tree to get food. Finally we saw the lion and his lioness. The male lion is incredible- truly the king of the jungle. He walks with purpose and we could hear him roar for kilometers. All three animals are absolutely stunning. The drive ended back at the lodge which is a luxorious African retreat, complete with a warthog hanging out by the bar. The sunset was beautiful (as they always are here) Pictures and words don’t really describe the experience … I would definitely spend more time at Amani

Have a wonderful weekend… God bless you!!

A Perfectly Normal Day

2010-08-04T19:04:00.000-04:00

Today, like most days lately, was a day that was perfectly pleasant from beginning to end. As usual I was out of bed early, I grabbed some Cocoa Puffs and spent the morning editing the 5th and 6th graders’ writing pieces. It’s a lot of work editing all of their stories and, given more time, I would have had them do more editing and revising on their own, but with time winding down I want to make sure they publish their stories before I leave. I am excited to get the stories finished and help the children create beautiful books.

Around 11:30, MB showed up with the car to drive us to the center. She is soooo full of energy and constantly running around- this morning she was going school to school dropping off applications for a Rotary event for youth in Namibia that she is running. At the BNC, Bonita and I had a great tutoring session… we studied mountain folds in Geography, the rise of nationalism and political opposition in Namibia, and the circulatory system. As the best days tend to go, we joked and teased each other along the way.

We finished around 1:30 and as usual Denzel was hanging out in his wheelchair and I spent some time with him- hugging him, sharing my Clementine, and making him laugh. Denzel is 19 and he has a disability- I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but he has the cognition and maturity of a young boy. As I was tutoring Bonita, he was sitting with us and whenever I’d get up to write on the Dry-Erase board, he’d grab my back pocket and “trap me” from getting to the board then he would let go, sending me “crashing” into the board while laughing hysterically!

During lunchtime, MaryBeth usually reads a few stories to the kids while they eat their sandwiches and fruit. Today she brought 10 kids to the dentists (for FREE!!) so Cathy asked me to read the little rug rats a story. I read them “Guess How Much I Love You” (one of my favorites) and “Mia Hamm: Quitters Never Win”. The kids love being read to- even the big kids.

In class, the 5th graders were totally engaged in writing their second drafts and they worked so hard and efficiently! We talked about how all authors make mistakes and how good writers are constantly fixing their mistakes, whether they are the author, or me, or someone famous like Kevin Henkes. (We have been reading Kevin Henkes’ books as a mentor text for their writing… kudos to Mr. Toro for that idea.) I was able to conference with a few kids and continue editing their pieces.

The 6th graders were just as engaged. This group has really been a blast to work with- they all have spunk and personality. I’d love to take the boys in this group (Rivaldo, Rabon, Ronaldo, Simson, and Elias) and make a Guy’s Club with them if I had more time. I was not able to finish editing their work so we just read “Chester’s Way” by Kevin Henkes.

Near the end of the day, Meroldi, one of my all time favorites showed up from the boarding school she is staying at to get some extra help in Math. She is in grade 8 with Salome and Jennifer at Concordia which is on the other side of Windhoek. (Susmitha goes there, too- see the pix below) She needed a ride back to school so Timna, Simon, Katy, and I drove her back to the school and surprised Jennifer, Salome, and Susmitha. They were very excited to see us and we hung out in the parking lot until past sunset. These are the kids I fell in love with in 2006 and who still have my heart!

At night I made dinner with Katy- pasta with meat sauce- then we went with Timna, Simon, and Nangula to a Spoken Word performance at the art college in town. The poems/verses were enjoyable and it was a nice cultural experience. I particularly enjoyed a poem by a young Namibian who talked about the pride of being a father. (“There’s pep in my step, a slide and glide in my stride, a grown man, my son’s yellow teddy in hand, a father’s pride…”) I also liked the title of another guy’s: “Why walk when you can fly?”

Today really was nothing special- it’s a typical day for me but I feel like I have been in more aware of each little moment lately. I truly enjoy the day to day routine, be it here or back home. There are so many little moments to be grateful for if we just stop and see.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”

Aurora Leigh, Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Thank you for reading… enjoy your day… God bless you!

The pictures are of (1) me tutoring Bonita, (2) me reading "Guess How Much I Love You?" during lunchtime, (3) me and Salome, (4) me and Susmitha, and (5) Jennifer, Meroldi, Salome, and Susmitha at their school

MaryBeth Lost in Tennis!!

2010-08-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

It was a close match but the Titan of Tennis, MaryBeth Gallagher lost straight sets tonight 7-5, 7-6!!! Unfortunately, it was ladies doubles and I was her partner...

Thoughts on Education

2010-08-02T17:45:00.000-04:00

Two blogs in one day… count your blessings!!! I FINALLY got a few pictures uploaded from Swakopmund... see the previous post!

Bonita was a no show for tutoring today so I got to thinking a lot about where she is going and in a broader sense, where a lot of these kids are going. Education is Namibia is a complex issue. Part of me is cynical and wants to criticize the government for having such a poor education system but I am reminded by people here that are a lot wiser and a lot more experienced than I am that it has still been less than 20 years since independence and that strides have been made. Still, my cynicism creeps in when I see that the Minister of Education in Namibia has NO education experience, is a member of the leading political party (SWAPO), and his entire career has been in food service and fishery. (No word from the kids if Fishstick Fridays has improved since his appointment)

It may be too easy to sit back and attack the Namibian education system since I work for the NYC Department of Education, one of the finest, well-oiled machines out there. (Ahem…) Instead I just want to say a few (hundred) words on what I have noticed about what the kids here at the BNC need (and, really what all kids need) for a sound education. Let me preface all of this by saying my thoughts are all based off of my observations of the kids at the center and I have not visited any schools to get better insight.

The first thing every child needs for a good education is resources- quality textbooks, reading books, pencils, paper, teaching materials, school buildings, and access to modern technology. They also need curriculum that meets the needs of all learners- especially Bilingual learners in this country, as well as students with disabilities. The problem for Bonita and the kids in Namibia is that there is no money for a lot of these resources. In many cases, it’s up to teachers to beg, borrow, and steal to get the things that the students need.

Secondly, all students need human resources; namely, skilled teachers, staff, administrators, politicians, friends, neighbors, and, most importantly, parents to provide support, encouragement, accountability, and guidance. Again, financial resources to train and hire quality staff in Namibia are virtually non-existent. To develop better support, communities need to create education programs and get others on board to raise awareness for education. Also, parents need to advocate and take an active role in their child’s education. Here in Namibia it seems hard to get a parent living in poverty and battling day in and day out to survive to take an active role in their child’s education. Finally, teachers need to expose, enrich, and inspire each child to the possibilities a quality education offers.

The last thing every child needs is desire. I tell Bonita all the time that unfortunately she is in a country where the first two aspects are not readily available to her so if she really wants to succeed and pass grade ten and then possibly grade 12 and beyond, she needs desire. Unfortunately, I don’t think she has much. A child with desire needs a family, community, or society that values and celebrates all forms of education- be it language, arts, writing, math, or science that then encourages the child to pursue education. A child with desire needs short and long term goals. Whether it’s passing a math test or planning for college, a child needs to attack the immediate academic challenges in front of her while seeing each step as a link in the chain of success. A child with desire needs dreams. At PS 103 in the Bronx, Ms. Brown always said “Dream big. Work hard.” As the cliché goes, every child needs to shoot for the moon and at worst land among the stars.

But what about a child like Bonita who doesn’t have the community support, the goals, or the dreams? How does a child like Bonita succeed- where does the desire come from? In my opinion, the desire then must come from an inner fire. It may be the fire to survive. It may be the fire to prove oneself against all odds. It may be a fire to learn. It may be the fire to achieve something personal. Whatever it is, if the fire is strong enough, I believe any child can overcome the obstacles to succeed in their academics.

Having spent close to a month nearly every day with Bonita and Milandri, I don’t feel the fire is there. I can’t blame them for not being passionate about Mathematics or Life Science- I’m certainly not! What’s unfortunate is that these girls are rapidly growing up and sooner or later they will have to leave Neverland and go off and support themselves. I have talked a lot with Cathy and MaryBeth about finding them some sort of training program to help find them gainful employment. They don’t need to become doctors, lawyers, or business women to be successful, but they do need to begin to explore their talents and find out how they can move forward. I hope they do…

Swakopmund with Katy

2010-08-02T04:37:00.000-04:00

Friday was an exciting day at the center. Five of the American girls were leaving so they set up games for the kids to play and we had cake afterwards. I went down with Zan, an American girl from the lower-east side in NYC, and played soccer with the boys all afternoon. Meroldi came back from boarding school for the weekend so I had an opportunity to see her which was a nice surprise. Friday evening was lazy and quiet around the house.

On Saturday morning Katy and I packed up the car and made the 3.5 hour drive through the desert to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. The ride is pretty uneventful as you drive through “the world’s oldest desert” (Not much of a selling point for tourism) I had been to Swakopmund on three other occasions but I knew Katy would enjoy it. The weather in Swakopmund felt like November in New England. Fog and clouds hung over the town the whole time and it was damp and chilly. Interestingly though, a mile or two inland and it was completely sunny and warmer.

We booked a suite at the Municipal lodges (not exactly the Ritz-Carlton!) and went into town for lunch. Then we walked through town and Katy did some souvenir shopping at the bazaar. She was a little intimidated by their bargaining tactics but she picked out a few things and I helped her barter the guys down. At one point I had an offer to a guy for N$200 (from his price of N$1,200) for some items and was holding hard to that price when Katy unexpectedly jumped in and raised the offer to N$300 and within seconds the guy had her conceding to N$400 which she said was “her final offer.” He sold it to her for N$450!! To be fair, I was even worse my first time a few years ago when guilt and timidity had me bidding UP!

Afterwards we walked to the beach but though the sun had broken through, it was chilly so we hopped in the car and drove to Walvis Bay, a port town 40km south. The ride is nice between the dunes and the beach but there is nothing really to write home about in Walvis Bay- so I won’t! We turned back north and then took a dirt road to Dune 7- one of the largest dunes in the area. It’s an intense climb up the dune- sort of like a stair master but every two steps is equal to one step with all the sliding sand. The effort was totally worth it when we got to the top. The sun was shining and we took some great pictures. We drove back into town along the dirt road with the sun setting over the dunes- very pretty!

At night we went to the Lighthouse restaurant for dinner. We knew there was nothing to do back at the hotel so we stayed at the restaurant for about two hours stuffing ourselves. She and I had a nice talk- she really is a wonderful young lady.
Sunday morning we signed up for quad-biking and sand boarding in the dunes- tons of fun! It was a 3.5 hour tour through the dunes, riding up, down and around dunes. Deep into the desert we got to a dune where they’ve set up sand boarding. Essentially you lie down on a flimsy board and zip down the dunes on your stomach at 50km/hr. It is really cool- except for the walk back up the dunes. Katy loved the quad biking- I think it made the trip for her.

We left around 1:30, stopped at the huge bazaar at Okahandja and bought some more souvenirs then got back to Windhoek around 5:30pm. Last night we went over to the place the American girls were staying at to say goodbye and have dinner with them. By the time we got back to the house I was beat and went straight to bed. Next weekend we will be in Etosha chasing lions and elephants. I hope your weekend went well… God bless you!

Daily News

2010-07-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Another week at the center has come to an end. The 5th and 6th graders are working on their writing pieces and Bonita and I have been meeting every morning to study Geography, History, and Life Science. Katy seems to be having a good time at the center and she has made friends with the kids and the volunteers. With the “old-timers” not coming to the center as much I have had a chance to get to know a lot of new kids. Tons of characters! I have enjoyed goofing around with the boys a little more this time around… a lot of the 5th and 6th grade boys are really pleasant young men.

Tuesday night I played tennis with some of MaryBeth’s lady friends. It’s great for the old ego to win in ladies social doubles playing against a 60 year old woman and a mother of three. Wednesday night we took Katy out to Joe’s Beer House to try some exotic game. She ordered beef… she’s so adventurous. I offered her a bite of the zebra steak I had ordered but instead I just put a green pepper on her plate from my salad. She asked why it was green and I told her because it was the way the meat was cooked. When she tentatively bit into it she was surprised at how much she liked it- and how much it tasted like a vegetable! Thursday night Timna, Simon and I went out to Karaoke with the American girls who have been volunteering at the center. This is their last weekend in the country so they were in a celebrating mood. It was nice being out and having drinks with everyone. The karaoke experience is funny- the bar is packed, everyone smokes like a chimney, and half the songs are in Afrikaans. I wasn’t able to drink enough before 2am to get my pipes in tune!

Katy and I are getting up bright and early tomorrow to drive to Swakopmund (on the coast) to see the sand dunes and hang out by the beach. She has been a trooper- I hope to show her a good time this weekend. We’ll be back Sunday night … enjoy your weekend!! God bless you!

Katy's Here!

2010-07-26T17:49:00.000-04:00

It's been a few days since I have gotten on here. This trip is certainly keeping me busy and each day passes very quickly. There is a lot that I wanted to do personally (reading, writing, etc.) and volunter-wise (working on the website, planning, etc.) that I have not had time to really do.

Friday was a quiet day as I worked the Big Room and passed out puzzles and games to the kids who were hanging around and I also sorted books. (Friday is game day so it's very casual) Friday night Timna, Simon and I just bummed around the house and watched a movie.

Saturday morning I stuffed 14 kids into the Mercedes and drove them over to a tennis tournament on the other side of town (Windhoek West) After dropping off kids and volunteers I went to the airport to pick up my cousin, Katy Marie!! She had a super easy flight and connection and made it to Windhoek safe and sound with all her luggage and no hassles- thank God! Katy had enough energy to follow me to the soccer fields. After I dropped her off with MaryBeth at the soccer field, I ran back to tennis and picked up the kids who had finished. I then drove back to the center, dropped off the kids and drove Timna back to the house. Once all the taxi driving was done, I stayed at the soccer field for an hour or so kicking the ball around with Dios, Macrenne, Esme, Sheola, Jennifer and a few others. We all went back to the center around 4pm where MB was getting some work done and about 30 kids just hung out playing four square and soccer. As simple as it sounds, it was actually a lot of fun- it's so nice just hanging out into the evening with the kids laughing and playing games outside the center- they have so much joy and are so care-free. They would have stayed until midnight had it not gotten dark.

Saturday was also Ajay's birthday- he's an old roommate from years past- so Timna, Simon, Katy and I went over to his friend's house for a braai. (Braai = BBQ) Katy fell asleep in the car so after I got some food in her I drove her back home, put her to sleep, then went back to the party and picked up Nangula on the way back. We stayed at Ajay's until about midnight then Nangula, Timna, Simon and I went out to a club/bar. Those three got right to dancing and I leaned against the wall to provide structural support for the building. While I was watching the three of them, Martha, a teacher in Katutura who I have met from years past, happened to be there so we caught up for a little while. Late into the morning when they had enough dancing so we headed back to the house.

Sunday was lazy... I met MB for tennis and was up one set to none when we stopped and just sat around on the tennis court chatting. (I think this was a ploy on her part to avoid her first defeat!) In the evening Cathy and her husband Mike came over as well as three others (Sandra- a German volunteer, and Susanne and Rico, a couple from Europe who run a website business) We had a delicious stir fry, bread, cheese, and 3 homemade desserts. It was very enjoyable hosting everyone.

Today was Katy's first day at the center tutoring (she was there Saturday playing 4 square with the kids) She worked one on one with Denzel in the morning then seemed to fit right in throughout the afternoon- she has a great attitude about everything. This evening we watched a movie and lounged around then Simon, Katy, and I played some cards.

This week is shaping up to be a typical week of volunteering at the center. The kids are coming along with their writing pieces that we have been working on, though I do feel the stress of finishing before I leave in a few weeks. Katy, Simon, Timna, and I are looking into heading up North to Etosha (the animal park) next weekend and this weekend I hope to take Katy to Swakopmund to see the dunes.

Thank you all for your emails... it's nice to hear from home every now and then. God bless you!

Grandma is Staying!

2010-07-22T16:48:00.000-04:00

We just got news that Cathy (a.k.a Grandma) and her husband, Mike, are staying in Namibia for two more years! Mike works for the government of New Zealand and Grandma has been volunteering at the center for a few years.

Grandma’s presence, patience, care, and love cannot be overstated. Since I have known her she has shown such consistent, genuine love for all the kids at the center. It was Grandma who really pushed to make the center’s focus be on academics and she has kept on the children about their grades and enrollment ever since with the type of love and affection that you would expect from your own grandma. The children are blessed to have her for another few years… they are in the best hands.

Victory!

2010-07-20T15:53:00.001-04:00

I just returned from the tennis court after beating MaryBeth 6-4, 6-2!! It should be noted that it was women's doubles, she was wearing baggy pants that were 4 sizes too big for her, and she left her hat at home so her hair was in her face the whole time. Minor details, if you ask me...

Weekend #2

2010-07-18T19:37:00.001-04:00

Friday was a reunion of sorts at the center. Susmitha, Salome, and Meroldi came back from the boarding school they are staying at and spent the afternoon at the center playing games. Tete also brought little Dalu by for the day, too. It was really nice having so many of the “old timers” as Steve (a former volunteer) calls them. We played cards, ping-pong, and four square. At the end of the day, an American named Harvey who used to volunteer at the center sent a HUGE cake to the kids to say goodbye. Unfortunately he couldn’t make it because he had some serious health issues. Marybeth led the kids in songs and the spirit in the center was great. I have always really enjoyed when she breaks out the guitar and sings songs with the kids. It was truly a wonderful day. I am so proud of how Esme, Salome, Susmitha, Meroldi, Milandri, et al are growing up and maturing though it is bittersweet since they come to the center less often. As great as the new crop of kids are, the original kids will always have my heart.

Friday night I was invited by Luke to go out with his wife and another couple to see a Norwegian Folk Jazz group perform. I have been having trouble sleeping so I figured it couldn’t hurt! They actually weren’t that bad- but it definitely was different. They didn’t look anything like those Capital One guys I see on TV though. I don’t know how their manager booked the gig, but it certainly is a long way from Norway. Check them out on MySpace! (http://www.myspace.com/svermere) Luke and his wife are really nice and it was fun to be out of the house telling stories and drinking beers.

Saturday I tutored Milandri and Bonita until 1pm then I sent them to the Hungry Lion (think KFC) and we had lunch with Denzel and Salome. Afterwards Milandri and I walked to El Dorado Secondary School to help Marybeth coach the girls soccer program on the grass fields. Her soccer program has grown so much and deserves its own blog posting (stay tuned…) I refereed a few games then rode back home. In the evening I met my friend Nangula for drinks at the restaurant Nice across the street from the old house. The old house has been renovated, painted, and landscaped and apparently is now a bed and breakfast. It’s come a long way since being a “Worn out mattress on a dusty floor and breakfast” when I stayed there.

Sunday was a lazy day. I woke up late, watched a movie, did laundry and went grocery shopping. Marybeth came over around 5pm and we talked for an hour or so until Ajay showed up to make dinner and hang out. It’s great to see Ajay after all this time- he seems to be at home here in Namibia. Timna came back from Swakopmund and she and I hung out in the living room after MB and Ajay left sharing stories of our past trips to Namibia. (This is her third time here)

The first picture below is of some of the "old timers" playing cards. (Salome, Bonita, Tia-Zia, Susmitha, and Jennifer.) The next is of MB singing "Feelin' Groovy" with the kids. The third is of Salome and Esme. After that is Innocentia. Finally, there is a picture of Dalu all packed up awaiting postage before being shipped to the Bronx!!

I hope your weekend went well… God bless you!

6th Graders

2010-07-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

Today was another nice day with the kids. I had to give tough love to Milandri and Bonita this morning. We agreed they would do homework every night to get ready for the tutoring but they have not been carrying through with it. They were stung a little bit by my lecture but I'm hoping to light a fire in them.

The children in the afternoon are coming to understand my expectations of them for classtime. Occasionally I have had to remind them that I am a teacher during study hours. Still, as soon as class is over I act silly with them.

Today I want to hilight the 6th Grade class that I meet with from 3:45-4:30. So far I have done the same lesson with both grades which makes planning much easier for me. Almost all of the 6th graders are new faces to me but they are really a fun group of kids. The boys are totally outnumbered- but Rivaldo, Rinaldo, and Elias (among others)each are total boys who love their athletics. Marybeth warned me that Rivaldo is a bit of a terror who runs the center, but so far, we have had a great rapport. Tia-Zia is a new girl who I had not met before this trip but she is very bright, helpful, respectful, humorous and full of sunshine (she is in the back row with a white shirt in the pic below) There is also a set of twins (Lebby and Ebba) who dress identically, of course! They are also new to me but act a lot like Tia-Zia. The kids are always asking me if I will teach them today and I definitely look forward to spending time with them.

It's amazing how quickly these afternoons go by. With the sun setting around 5pm, the evening pass quickly, too, and before I know it another day passes.

I am now at Fr. Rick's apartment watching a rerun of the Ghana-Uruguay match. The apartment is great and I should have it to myself through the weekend since Timna went to Swakopmund with the rest of the girls.

The furst picture is of the 6th graders. The second picture is of Romencia (one of the regulars through the years who is studying for her 12th grade exam.) The last picture is one of the quaint touches of the other house that I am going to miss...

Hope all is well... God bless you!

Evicted!

2010-07-14T15:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight is my last night here... I have been evicted from my house in the hills to a modest 3 bedroom 3 bathroom apartment with cable TV, wireless internet, and a Mercedes Benz parked in the driveway for my personal use. Someone call the US Embassy and get me airlifted out of here immediately!

After staying a week house sitting for one of Marybeth’s friends, I have moved a few blocks over to Fr. Rick’s apartment as he is on vacation abroad for the next few months. This apartment is right near a main road with bars and restaurants. I think I should fare just fine… In addition, there will probably be two other volunteers staying with me (Timna, she’s from Canada; and Simon, he’s from Germany) Depending on the mood I am in, I might let my cousin Katy stay with me when she arrives, too… :)

I have really been enjoying the pace at the center. The days go much quicker since I am up and out by 9:30am to tutor Milandri and Bonita. The afternoon kids are great- the 5th and 6th graders remind me a lot of my students back in the Bronx. They are sweet, eager, and respectful. They also have a good sense of humor and they laugh with (or sometimes at) me. We read and discussed “Julius, The Baby of the World” today and though it was a little below their maturity level, they really seemed to enjoy it. Interestingly they have a lot of the same reading issues my kids at PS 103 have. Then again, both groups are bilingual (actually trilingual here) from low-income, high needs areas so it's really not too surprising.

I try to put on the “teacher” hat during the study hours to maintain consistency and to set certain expectations. Most of the children respond well to that, though I have noticed Tete and Innocentia try to get away with things since we have been buddies for so many years. Innocentia is one of the sweetest kids I have ever met in Namibia but I have noticed in the past few days that she has brought a little bit of an attitude, possibly trying to get me to pander to her. I pulled her aside yesterday and told her how much I rave about her back home and how I’d hate to have to tell people how she’s changed from the lovely girl I once knew… that was all it took for her to lose the attitude.

Cathy has asked me to help redo the website for the BNC (www.volunteer-namibia.com) to make it more attractive to potential volunteers. She referred me to the Mondesa Youth Opportunities website (www.mondesayouth.org) which is a fantastic program that operates on the coast at Swakopmund. Hopefully we can jazz up the BNC website a bit. Any suggestions?

I hope all is well back home… God bless you!

The New and Improved BNC

2010-07-13T13:45:00.000-04:00

Monday was jam-packed. I rode the bike to the center and began tutoring Bonita at 10am, then Milandri at 1130am. They both seem motivated to do well but I fear the exams may be difficult for them to pass. Unfortunately I am teaching them some things that in some cases they should have learned already. Still, we enjoy each other’s company and I try to make it as fun and interesting as possible by telling stories and being silly at times. By 1pm the school kids begin showing up. Cathy is still at the center and she does a lot of work organizing and administrating during the afternoon. Some of you may remember her from the last time I was here. She is a very sweet, loving lady who really wants to push a consistent academic program for all of the kids. She has asked me to teach 5th and 6th graders in reading/English. There is another guy here named Luke who teaches 5th and 6th grade math so we split the grades, teach one, then flip.

The dynamics of the center have certainly changed- it’s more productive and for the better. There is only a little free time at arrival then again during a brief 15 minute break, other than that it’s all academics. I am happy to have the 5th and 6th graders because these were the youngest of the kids I remember from 2006. Innocentia and Tete are two of the 5th graders (If you look back at the February 26, 2006 blog posting you can see a picture of them when they were younger.) The game plan I have for the tutoring is to do a mix of read-alouds, spelling, writing, and something creative- maybe drama. Friday is sports day.

At the moment there are a lot of volunteers helping out. All together there must be about 6 or 7 girls from the US and two more volunteers show up later this week. Though I have not had much time to get to know them, they all seem dedicated and fun.

Tuesday was similar to Monday. It's been nice seeing a new familiar face everyday... I'm still looking forward to seeing Esme and Meroldi. Esme is away at a soccer tournament in South Africa and Meroldi is at boarding school across town.

The temperature here has taken a nosedive. I have put multiple layers on and the ride to and from the center has left my knuckles frozen! Although the sun is nice and warm during the day, it’s definitely winter here for the next few weeks. As I remember even August will be chilly at night. Fortunately Marybeth gave me extra jackets and gloves to keep warm.

If any of you are curious about anything (the center, certain kids, cultural questions, or anything else to do with Namibia) please ask away and I will try to write about it. I’m writing the blog for your interest so if there is anything beyond my day to day minutiae that you’re curious about, drop me an email and let me know! Hope all is well for you… God bless you!

The pictures are of Innocentia and Tete as well as some of the scenery outside my bedroom door!

The First Weekend

2010-07-12T02:55:00.000-04:00

The sun is setting and vuvuzelas are blaring in the distance. As I wait for Marybeth to get back from tennis I have some time to write about the last few days…
Friday was the first day back at the center. The way Cathy and Marybeth have set up the center now is to have academic tutoring Monday-Thursday and Fridays are game days. The kids choose between tennis, basketball, soccer, music, etc. Despite my request to teach basket weaving, Marybeth insisted I go down to the basketball courts and play basketball. I spent the afternoon shooting around with Macrenne, Ladianna, Shaun, Ronaldo, Romencia, and Melandri. We brought Denzel down too in his wheelchair which he seemed to enjoy. Friday was also the first day I saw Salome :) She has grown from the little girl who stole my heart five years ago into a beautiful young lady! In the evening the Lion’s Club was going to have a Bingo night. We invited Melandri, Bonita, Romencia, and Salome to go with us but on the ride over it was cancelled so we returned the girls home. That evening we went shopping for food and MB made a delicious stir fry which we ate outside under the stars.
Saturday is still soccer day. What’s amazing is Marybeth now has two different locations where she runs her program and she has put some of the older BNC kids (Sheola, Macrenne, and Dios) in charge of running one group of fields while she is off at the other field with all the Pumpkins (the girl soccer teams). Everything runs flawlessly and the kids get a paid at the end of the day for helping to run the program. The Hammond family from Ossining, NY was at the field and we kicked the ball around with the kids for awhile. Around noon I went up to the center and met Melandri and Bonita. They are both 17 and studying to pass their grade 10 exam which they have failed. I have agreed to tutor them while I am here so we met to plan out the next few weeks. Melandri needs tutoring in Math and Physical Science and Bonita needs tutoring in Life Science, Geography, and History. We decided I would tutor them Mon-Sat from 10-1pm, an hour and a half each. It will be intense but I’m hoping to give them a foundation in preparation for the October exam. Aside from Geography and History, I will be learning as I teach it! Later I helped Salome with some of her math homework and spent time chatting with her… she is wonderful- so polite, curious, and thoughtful! Around 5pm MB returned from soccer and we spent a few hours going through books before meeting the Hammond family at the house they are staying at for dinner. They made an awesome spaghetti dinner and we talked the night away.
Today has been very relaxing. I woke up around 10am, ate a bowl of cereal, then sat out in the sun for a few hours before heading off to tennis with MB. Once again, she kicked my butt (6-3, 6-3, 6-3) but it was good exercise and I feel my game getting better. She stayed to play more tennis with Fr. Joe two hours ago and she’s still not back… I don’t know where she gets the energy. Tonight we will watch the World Cup at one of the houses she is house sitting.
I hope all is well with everyone. Happy Birthday to Erica :) Have a great day… God bless you all!

No More Jet Lag

2010-07-09T05:51:00.000-04:00

Good morning!

I finally left the airport last night with Marybeth around 730pm. Not much to do in the Hosea Kutako Airport for 5 hours!! A friend of Marybeth's picked us up and we sat in the back of the pickup truck catching up on the 45 minute ride back to Windhoek. Marybeth does a lot of housesitting and for the next few days I will be staying at one of the houses... it's reallllly nice! (See the pictures) It feels like I am in the foothills of Phoenix.

Today will be the first day at the center... lots of hugs and a good way to get back in the groove of things since it is Friday. MB says that Mon-Thurs the kids do academics and Friday is game day. In addition to tutoring during the afternoon, I hope to visit schools in the mornings and do more individual tutoring with some of the older kids during the day. The next few days should be pretty calm and quiet around here as many of the other volunteers have left for a weekend trip to the game park Etosha.

Looking forward to seeing all the (not so little) kiddies today!! Will take pictures and post this weekend. Hope all is well... God bless!

Landed Safely

2010-07-08T10:45:00.000-04:00

Just arrived in Windhoek ... the flight from JFK was delayed for an hour on the runway as I sweated out 10 pounds! The delay made me miss my connecting flight so I hung out in the terminal in Johannesburg for a few hours until the next available flight. All in all, a super easy flight with no baggage hassles. I smuggled in about 50lbs of cleats, books, etc. :) It's about 60 degrees and sunny in Windhoek! I'm not sure what the next few days have in store for me as far as housing and internet but will try to get on soon.

On the flight across the Atlantic I didn't sleep so I just started thinking of all the possibilities to do here from mentoring to teaching to exploring other schools. There is a lot I hope to take advantage of in this trip. Looking forward to seeing my cousin, Katy Marie, soon, too :) My battery and internet time are running low... will write more later!!

God Bless...

Leavng soon...

2008-08-19T07:33:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I say goodbye to Namibia. It really has been a great experience this time around and I am grateful for all the people who have come into my life down here. I hate having to say goodbye to the kids, but it is inevitable. When I get home I will post one more blog entry with pictures from this trip... so please look for it this weekend!!

Swakopmund with the Kids

2008-08-18T04:51:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to Swakopmund with about 30 of the kids from the BNC for the weekend. The idea of the trip was for the children to perform songs in Swakopmund and to see the ocean and sand dunes. It turned out to be an amazing weekend and the kids really enjoyed themselves.
We left Saturday morning, MB drove the bus full of children and I drove a car full of volunteers. When the kids arrived we went straight to the beach and they played for a few hours in the sand and water. Felix and I chased kids around and threw them in the water. After spending the afternoon at the ocean, we went back to the bungalows and had dinner and the kids got settled for the night. They really loved being in the bungalows and playing "house". There was so much joy on their faces the whole weekend. In the morning, Salome, Meroldi, and Sanet ran into my room and woke me up. Cathy arranged free sandboarding for the kids so we spent a few hours sandboarding in the dunes. Think of it as sledding down a HUGE hill at fast speeds- it is really exciting. Afterwards we went back to the beach for a few hours then road home.
I really enjoyed myself this weekend- being with the kids remains a wonderful experience and they still hold a special place in my heart.
I have tried to upload some pictures from the weekend but with no luck... I will try to do it in the next few days! Hope all is well...

Soussevlei

2008-08-11T05:43:00.000-04:00

This weekend Jakob, Thomas, Josh, and I piled into a little Citi Gulf and drove to Soussevlei, the world famous sand dunes in the Namib Desert. Planning this trip turned out to be a bit of a logistical nightmare as we spent the whole week arranging a van to take 8 of us there but at the last minute the van fell through and we were stuck with just a tiny car. The ride to the dunes is about 5 hours, 4.5 of which are on unpaved roads, but that little VW Citi Gulf took every bump and rock like a tank! We arrived at the dunes in the afternoon and spent some time climbing the dunes (which is exhausting) and taking pictures. When the sun goes down the shadows and colors are amazing! Driving back to camp around sunset was simply breathtaking. As the sun goes down the landscape turns a hue of purple making the dead yellow grass look bright green- it was something my little camera could not have captured. That sunset, along with the one I saw over the Kalahari last summer, is one of the two most beautiful sights I have seen.
We got back to camp just as it got dark, set up camp, and cooked some steaks, kabobs, and potatoes... it was primitive but delicious! Afterwards, since it was Jakob's birthday, we drank the night away under the stars... a lot of fun, but it made getting up at 4:30am to see sunrise a bit painful. The sunrise over Soussevlei is a big attraction and we were first in line of a caravan of cars driving out to see it. We climbed one of the dunes then stared out east, watching the sun rises over the desert- very beautiful!
The trip was a lot of fun and I am glad I finally got a chance to head out there. Next weekend we are going to Swakopmund with 30 of the kids from the BNC which should be another memorable trip. I'm looking forward to it! Below are some pictures from Soussevlei and the rest of my trip so far.
Hope you are all well...!

Aunt Gert's Hat

2008-08-07T06:41:00.000-04:00

All is well in Windhoek. The past few days at the center have been enjoyable. I am back to running the computer room and while I am in there I have found myself helping Dora and Susmitha prepare for end of term exams. There are moments in each day with the kids that make me smile and just like before, they are the best part of my day.

The house continues to be packed with bodies laying everywhere but we manage. I sneak over to the house where Marybeth is housesitting for a hot shower every few days. Last night we went out drinking at the local backpacker's lodge and then into town for more fun at another bar.

The last time I was here Aunt Gert had stopped in a local craft center and while browsing she got in a conversation with a woman who worked there. The woman took a particular interest in Aunt Gert's hat - the hat had a HUGE frisbee sized brim and a puffy, mushroom shaped topped with many colors and at Aunt Gert's urging, the woman decided to make her own and sell them at the craft center. The woman must have made about 15 of them and Aunt Gert immediately bought 4 of them to help the woman on her way. Yesterday I decided to stop by to see how well Aunt Gert's hat was selling and if there were any more. I found one or two on the top shelf and asked the woman about the hats and told her the story of my aunt. I asked her if they were selling well and with irritation in her voice she said, "Not really" and walked away!

The Godfather

2008-08-04T07:03:00.000-04:00

Hello again,

I have a few minutes to write on here finally! All is well in Namibia and I have had a great first week getting to see the kids, catching up, meeting new friends, and reacquainting with old friends. Everyday with the kids is a blessing and every night at home provides some sort of entertainment. Last night was Ajay's birthday party and about 20 people were here to celebrate. It was a lot of fun and Ajay serenaded us with "Take me home, country roads." The housemates and I have planned a camping trip to the dunes next weekend and maybe a trip to Swakopmund the following weekend. I wish I had time to tell all the details of the past few days and post pictures- maybe soon!

Despite the fun though, I have decided to return home five days earlier than planned. This trip has allowed me time to reflect on a lot and I realize that Namibia was a great experience but my place for now is back in NY. I have a great job and am at a great point in my life back there. This trip in a way is sort of like The Godfather Part III. The first two trips, like the Godfather series, were amazing and memorable. The third time around though I have found that in many ways it is more of the same. Like the movie, I think I had to make this trip to realize that the adventure has run its course. I do not regret coming and will enjoy myself while I am here, but I am ready for the next chapter in my life. I am grateful for so much that these trips to Namibia have taught me. I have experienced so much and met so many wonderful people. Most of all, I have learned a lot about myself and what makes me happy. These next few weeks will be great, but I am ready to come home.

My First Full Day Back

2008-07-30T07:33:00.000-04:00

I had trouble falling asleep the first night I landed in Windhoek- seems jetlag took its toll and I laid in bed for an hour or two staring at the ceiling. It's a nice ceiling, some cobwebs in the corner and patches of peeled paint, but all in all, it's as nice as any other ceiling I have stared at.

The house still serves as temporary residence to expatriots and volunteers- most of whom are here for only a month or two. After years of use and abuse by dozens of vagabonds, the house is showing signs of wearing out. The bathrooms are SCARY, there is no hot water, and the living room has piled up with boxes and boxes of donated goodies. The red couch that has sat on the front patio for years has long since lost its color, the fabric is ripped apart, and it is being held up by brick and beer bottles.

As for the city of Windhoek, everything remains the same. This is my first time here during their winter. The weather hits the low 70s during the day but dips down into the low 40s at night. When I am in the sun I am quite comfortable but the night gets cold!

I feel like everything is the same here but somehow different. The kids are still beautiful and fun, just a few inches taller. I am happy to reconnect once again with Esme, Salome, Wendy, Dora and the rest- to see what they are doing and how they have grown.

Last night was enjoyable. We (all the housemates) went to Taura's house where she was opening up her own restaurant. Taura is a young Namibian woman about my age who volunteers her time with the kids, teaches in a preschool, and now has opened this restaurant to generate her community projects. The gathering was nice, some of the kids were there to sing, and I spent time catching up with Ajay and met another American , Josh from Rhode Island. He is in his last year at Hobart and doing work with UNam Law School. The menu was local food- I don't know what was in it- maybe that was for the best. All I know is there was a cat at the house when I arrived but it was no where to be found when I left.

Last night I slept better and I ran some errands this morning (keys made, new inner tubes for the tire, etc.) and I am off to the center soon. In many ways I feel like I never left!

Apparently there is no USB port in this computer so I cannot upload pictures at this time... Hopefully I can get some up soon!

Back In Namibia

2008-07-29T06:53:00.000-04:00

I landed safely in Namibia yesterday and was greeted at the airport by MB, Salome and Esme. Things are well... the house is full of nice people, the kids are great, and it should be a great trip! Unfortunately the internet at the house is not working so I am in an internet cafe and time is running out!! I will update this blog later with more detail. Thank for the emails... I will try to respond but it might be difficult!! Hope all is well :-)

Skydiving

2008-05-26T17:56:00.000-04:00

It doesn't have anything to do with Namibia, but here are some pictures from my skydiving trip!

BNC in the Bronx

2008-01-13T19:50:00.000-05:00

Though I am not there physically, the BNC, MaryBeth, and the kids, are always close to my heart and inspiring me. Below are some pictures of life at P.S. 103. A lot of the pictures are of the after-school program I have started with some of my kids...

Looking Back

2007-03-16T04:23:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning around 9:30 to get a final load of laundry done and to begin packing and clearing out my stuff. My three month journey has come to an end. When I came into the living room to eat my bowl of cereal the computer was on so I began looking through some of the pictures I have taken. Seeing all the smiles and all the people that have come into my life- it was the first time I have felt sad in three months. Throughout my stay I tried to remain conscious of the fact that it would come to an end and really tried to immerse myself in each experience as it happened. I arrived not expecting too much- I did not expect to have as much fun or feel as rewarded as before but looking back, I think this trip was even more special. My relationships with the children grew and there were so many new and wonderful people I met this time around. There are frustrations that come with living in Namibia, but the good times dwarf the memories of the insane taxi drivers. I am blessed to have had three more months with Salome, Esme, and Romachell. I love everything about them. I will miss their hugs, their laughs, and their beauty. Every child, not just those three, will always be a warm memory in my heart. Every picture is a link to a thousand memories. But now it's time to go home and start saving for my next visit.

Helping

2007-03-15T03:22:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,
As my time here is winding down I have been trying to spend as much time with the children as possible- staying late everyday. Whether it's sitting out in front of the center eating flavored ice or riding the bike through the Shop Rite parking lot with them, I just try to enjoy the last few days. Yesterday Romachell, Esme, Salome, Bonitha, and I were running around the parking lot chasing each other until 7:30 at night. It's wonderful to see them laughing and carefree. In the evenings I have been spending time with volunteers and friends.
Since arriving here I have had a lot of people ask me how they can help out with the projects MaryBeth is doing in and around Katutura. Some of you have asked what materials are specifically needed and where you can send them and others have generously offered their money. To those with questions about sending books, supplies, etc., you can email me anytime and I can advise you on what is good to send. I have had a few people who have donated money and others have asked how to go about doing this. If you have ever considered sending money to help, let me assure you that the money goes directly to the kids and no amount is too small.
The money that I have received so far I have given to the Moses Garoeb Youth Club in Katutura. It is basically a group of young Namibians around my age who got together and decided instead of sitting around and drinking they would take what little money they had and start a Sunday soup kitchen for kids in their neighborhood. Soup kitchens usually only feed kids Monday-Friday so some kids face going the whole weekend with little or no food. Naturally, many children come to get soup on Sundays and the club is now feeding over 150 children every week. In the beginning the club was paying for the soup with their own money but as the numbers have increased, they can't afford it. SOOO.... if you had thought of sending money- this would be a great place to do it. $100 can feed the kids at the soup kitchen for two weeks.
On a sadder note, one of the under-10 soccer players in the Saturday soccer program was killed last week when he was hit by a car. Though I didn't know the boy personally, his coach is a good man who has been dedicated to building the soccer program with MaryBeth and all of his soccer teams are full of well-behaved, talented boys who show up every Saturday and play their hearts out. The funeral for the little boy is this Saturday and the parents have decided to bury him in his soccer uniform (which was part of a set donated to MB from the US) and the pallbearers at his funeral will be his teammates. I'm sure his family could use some financial assistance with the funeral costs during this tragic time. Let me know if you want to help.
Sorry if this sounds like a Sally Struthers commercial, but I just wanted to make people aware of what they can do to help. I get a lot of feedback about what I am doing, and this is how you can contribute. If you get together with people you work with and pitch in some money, or a local club of yours, you would be surprised how quickly money can add up. Just eat a few less cheeseburgers this month!

Final Weekend

2007-03-12T03:20:00.000-04:00

Hello...
My final weekend in Windhoek has come and gone. Friday was MB's parent's last day at the center and afterwards we had a goodbye braai for them with the usual volunteers and friends of MaryBeth attending. The food and company were good and afterwards six of us went out bar-hopping for the night.
Saturday was a little rough since we got back late and I didn't show up to soccer until 1pm. The kids called me Sleepyhead the whole day. Soccer was enjoyable and I spent most of the day hanging around with Esme. Saturday night Nina, Ajay, Andrew and I sat down to watch the movie Serenity but as a result of being out so late and the movie being so bad, we all fell asleep before the movie was over.
Sunday was another swimming pool day. (I think that makes 5 pool days for me this trip.) The pool was really enjoyable and we were there from 10-6. In the evening some of us went out to an African restaurant for dinner.
As I expected, this whole trip went really quick. I think back to arriving in December and now all of it seems like a blur or a dream. Even as I try to appreciate the moments, it still feels like the experiences have passed me by. I still have a lot of time left this week with the kids and the friends I have made here and will enjoy each moment as it comes, but I know in a week I will be gone and the whole 3 months will be photographs and memories. I suppose I could have stayed a little longer or had my visa extended, but inevitably I would have to say goodbye. The reassuring thing for me, which makes it easier to leave, is that I truly believe I will see the kids again. They ask me occasionally when I will be back and I tell them "I don't know, but I don't think when we say goodbye on Saturday it will be the last time we ever say goodbye to each other."

The Past Few Days

2007-03-08T02:15:00.000-05:00

Hello, Everyone...
Just a quick blog about the past few days. The center has not been too hectic- not as many kids have been showing up it seems. I have tried to stay late everyday to get a little more time in before I go. Romachell, Esme, and Bonitha are always there to hang out. I really enjoy the time after 5pm because it is laid back and there is more one on one time to spend with everyone. Plus by the time I ride the bike home at 7pm there is much less traffic on the roads.
The other night I rode home from the center and then Ajay and I went out for a bike ride. We must have ridden about 20km. I have really come to enjoy riding the bicycle, especially now that my legs are used to the ups and downs of all the hills.
Erica is leaving tonight to head back to NY. SHe was here for six-weeks and it was great getting to know her. Last night Nina made homemade pizza for her as a little send off. What was a chaotic house in February is dwindling down to just a few people these last few days.
On my return home I will stay a few days in Germany visiting Marc and Sebastian- the two German guys from the last trip. I should be home the evening of March 21. Hope all is well back home!

Back from Vacation

2007-03-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

Good Evening...
Hope you enjoyed the last blog about the trip to Victoria Falls. If you missed it, scroll down. As nice as it was being away, it was just as nice to come back to the center. Being away made me appreciate the conveniences of Windhoek.
Friday we went to the center but they are putting down a new driveway and parking lot so the center was closed and we took the kids down to the soccer fields for the afternoon. As luck would have it, MaryBeth got permission to use the grass field for the afternoon so the kids were running around laughing and having a great time. It was nice to be back with the kids after a week away.
Saturday was soccer day once again. The soccer program has gotten back up to over 20 teams and the day was full of games. The older boys have taken over as referees and do a great job controlling the games. I was simply a spectator on Saturday sitting in the shade of a tree. Esme, Salome, and Romachell were there the whole day and I spent most of the time with them. It is nice when Esme or Salome hops onto my lap and we just sit there watching the games being played. Aunt Gert treated me to a nice steak dinner at night.
Today was a nice day. In the morning, I did some things around the house and then around 2pm rode over to the center to spend some more time with the kids. I had asked Esme and Romachell weeks ago to take me around Katutura and we finally got around to doing it today. I met Romachell, Esme, Bonitha, Heldon, Salome, and Melandri and we went walking through Katutura. I had heard that Soweto Market was an interesting place to see in the area but it was really nothing more than a few hair-weaving salons. I considered getting my hair braided, but at the advice of the kids, I decided against it. We spent some time walking through the park but Esme was hungry and becoming quite restless. It was funny to see little sweet Esme turn ravenous as she became completely consumed with the thought of food and would have nothing to do with anyone. At the park she urged the others to leave so we could get food. We finally decided to go to KFC and I treated them to some chicken, fries, mashed potatoes, and sodas. They were all grateful but Esme pulled the whole tray of food to herself and started feasting, neglecting the other kids. When the others reached over for their share of the food, she called them jackals. It was pretty funny.
After KFC we were walking back to the center and at a parking lot there was a slopping retaining wall about 15 feet high and the kids grabbed cardboard boxes and made make-shift sleds and went sliding down the wall. It was really fun to watch them play for an hour without a care in the world. It was such a simple, innocent time and riding down on the cardboard boxes was actually pretty fun.
I left the kids around 6pm and went back home to shower and go out to dinner with Aunt Gert, MB, Nina, Erica, Ajay, and Andrew at the restaurant Nice across the street from the house. Aunt Gert treated again (so much for the inheritance) and the dinner was really delicious- very high end and fancy. It was nice sitting around the dinner table with everyone.
The weekend was nice and mellow and tomorrow I will be driving Aunt Gert back to the airport. Six weeks went quickly. I think she really enjoyed herself. Hope all is well with you...

Victoria Falls and Botswana

2007-03-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone...
Well, I just got back from a seven-day, 3,000km journey with Aunt Gert, Nina, and Eric to Victoria Falls and Botswana. The trip was at times exhilirating, stressful, magnificent, expensive, and educational- but always fun. There is a lot to tell about the trip so I wil start from the first day and just start typing away. Who knows how long this entry might be... but I will throw in a few pictures to keep you interested.
We left last Friday around 11am in the Nissan Almera Aunt Gert rented. The car was a little 4-door sedan with good gas mileage and AC. It also had a radio but in this part of Africa, there isn't much choice- if any- in regards to music channels, especially outside the cities. I drove the whole way and Aunt Gert was in the front seat with me alternating between navigating and sleeping. So we headed north the first day and our destination was a lodge just north of Grootfontein about 4 hours drive from Windhoek but along the way we stopped at the Waterberg Plateau. Here is where the adventure began. This is a giant plateau in the middle of nowhere with hiking trails to the top of the plateau with an beautiful view out into the vast expanse of Africa. The experience of looking out over so much open land was similar to my trip last year at Spitzkoppe- only this time we lost a hiker. On the way up the trail Erica and I got ahead of Nina and Aunt Gert and after waiting for them at the top for 30 minutes, we walked back to the car thinking we would find them there. After an hour of waiting we began to get concerned and when Aunt Gert returned without Nina we became even more anxious. As it turns out, Aunt Gert turned around and left Nina to go off looking for me and Erica and Nina took the wrong trail, got scared off the trail by a Kudu, and she ended up lost. By 6pm the sun was setting over the plateau and so we went to the lodge and asked for help finding Nina and I accompanied 4 guys back up the plateau in search of Nina. After shouting and searching for nearly an hour we finally heard her faint voice in the distance and brought her back down the plateau. She was exhausted and a little shaken, but fortunately she was fine despite two large blisters on the back of her ankles from walking so far. We thanked the guides and set off for the lodge in the dark. Common knowledge says it is not safe to drive at night because of the wild animals running across the road but we set out anyway with the impression that the lodge was only about 70km away but the "shortcut" we were told about turned out to be mainly a dirt road filled with cattle and what we were hoping would be an hour drive turned into four hours. It was a tense and stressful drive but we finally arrived around midnight. The camp we stayed at was pretty cool. It was on a two story bungalow and it really had a lot of African charm. The woman that ran the place was a white Trekker from Namibia and she was very accomadating. It felt good to be in a nice bed and I slept well the first night and in the morning we had a delicious egg and bacon breakfast.
We then set out further north to a place called Ngepi Camp which was another five hour drive. This place was just south of Divundu near the Botswana coast in the Caprivi Strip. Northern Namibia is where you really begin to feel like you are in Africa as there are hut villages lining the highway and cattle has the right of way. We went through a torrential downpour in Rundu but finally made it to Ngepi by early afternoon. This was one of my favorite places of the trip. The lodge was set along the banks of the Okavango River with a beautiful sundowner deck. The lodge we stayed in was a thatched hut, with no doors and an outdoor bathroom. The place has a lot of charm and the people that run the place were a lot of fun to be around. In the afternoon we went for a boat ride along the river in search of hippos. We managed to see one or two poke their heads out from underwater but the river was so full of water that it was hard to see wildlif except for birds. The guide was a local villager named Christopher who grew up on the river nearby and he had a lot of interesting tidbits about the river's history and the culture of the villagers in the area. My impression seeing the hut villages was one of sympathy for the people who had to live so primitavely but as Christopher implied, and from the insight of others throughout the trip, it seems the villagers actually really enjoy their rural lifestyle and in many ways I can see why. When we returned we had a nice dinner of rice and beef then Erica, Nina, and I spent a few hours at the bar talking. Both of the girls are really sweet and I enjoyed their company throughout the trip. I slept well that night as well- it is just a really relaxing, exciting experience. In the morning we got up really early to watch the sunrise over the river. Beautiful!
We then set out for Kasane, Botswana and with no hassle crossed the border. It was exciting entering a new country and the real excitement came in the hour long drive along the Chobe National Park. As we were driving down the highway there in front of us crossed a group of elephants!! It was a thrill to see these massive creatures crossing right in front of me and my adrenaline was pumping. We didn't get out of the car but just watched as they crossed. The bull elephant passed last and as the group entered the bush, the bull turned back towards the car and started moving towards us threatening to charge. It was an amazing sight. We saw a couple other elephants further along. Seeing the hippos and elephants in person is such a fascinating experience. The place we stayed in Kasane was pretty expensive and high end and we really just spent the day relaxing at the hotel- it made sense to me considering it cost so much, it wasn't worth it to leave and sightsee. The all-you-can-eat buffet was good.
On Monday we got up and took a taxi to the ferry at the border. Our rental company wouldn't allow us to drive into Zambia so we had to rely on taxis for the next few days. The ferry crossing into Zambia is interesting crossing over the Chobe river and going to customs on the other side. Zambia, though nice and friendly and politically stable, is in a bit of disrepair in comparison to Namibia. We caught a taxi on the other side of the river for US$30 and were in Livingstone, Zambia within an hour. Livingstone is right on the border with Zimbabwe and it is the place to see Victoria Falls on the Zambian side. The local name for the falls is Mosi-a-tunya (or something like that) and it means "The Smoke that Thunders." After checkng in at the backpacker's lodge Fawlty Towers we went straight to the falls. The roar of the water is immense and the sight of the falls was awe-inspiring. It has the same overwhelming feeling that the Grand Canyon gives. We walked along the trails, got drenched with water, and spent some hours just taking in the experience. The water level is high this time of year and the water seems so powerful. There is a lot to do in the area as far as tourist activties but the rates are high. There is bungess jumping, whitewater rafting, gorge swinging, safaris, walking with lions and so much more but because of time and finances and the cloudy, rainy weather, we didn't do the higher risk activities. Monday night we ate at a local African restaurant. They served authentic African food and we even had worms as an appetizer. It was a nice, relaxing evening. Fawlty Towers is dirt cheap but it really has a dorm room feel, complete with ragged couches and cockroaches. All in all, it served its purpose though.
Tuesday was a rainy day and in the early part of the day we walked through Livingstone and went to the local museum. Livingstone is bustling, but the roads are in disrepair and the whole city has a colonial feel. Most of the buildings seem like they were built by the British and after independence in the 1960's the British pulled out and little work seems to have been done to maintain the place ever since. The Zambians were all friendly though. In the late afternoon we went on a river cruise on the Zambezi River. Despite the rainy weather, the cruise was a beautiful opportunity to see more wildlife and the river. Just sitting on the boat as it coasted along and taking in the sights and the exotic nature of the place was great. We saw some more hippos and elephants. At night we went to a local restaurant in town for dinner. Aunt Gert was funny in Zambia. She has struggled her whole visit with currency and value and dealing with Zambian Kwachas was even more difficult. The exchange rate is about 4,200:1 so the high math got to her. Add to this the fact she couldn't remember the name of the currency. Erica and I got a big laugh when she inadvertantly referred to the money as Kwanzas and another time as Crotches.
Wednesday we left Fawlty Towers early and took a taxi to the border. Along the way our taxi driver, Kapheus, was stopped by the police at some checkpoint and after he was told to drop us off and return to the cops, he instead drove about 1km to a parking lot, switched cars with a friend, took his license and changed shirts, then drove us the rest of the way explaining that he didn't want to cops to catch on. For all I know there was a warrant out for him, but from the back of the taxi it all seemed quite amusing. At the border we had to recross the Chobe but the water level had risen and so we had to take off our shoes and wade ankle deep through the murky water to the ferry. We crossed the border and picked up the car in Kasane and took the highway south towards Maun. The drive to Maun was long and the first stretch of highway was filled with potholes and we got a flat tire. We finally pulled into Maun in the late afternoon exhausted. The only reasonable rates in the town were at this place called the Rhino Executive Lodge. It was a bit outside of town and still partially underconstruction. The intial vibe was a little disconcerting but we spent the evening at the bar and it actually turned out to be my favorite evening of the trip. It was Nina's 23rd birthday so had dinner at the lodge then surprised her with a cake and a handbag she had wanted. The staff sang her "Happy Birthday" and we spent the night drinking and talking with the locals at the bar. I had a particularly nice conversation with the manager, Paul, a 50-year old white African who grew up in Tanganyika, moved to Swaziland, and was now in Botswana. He had some fascinating stories and some interesting insight into Africa.
On Thursday we woke up with the intention of driving 10 hours back to Windhoek but instead were convinced into taking a Mokoro (Canoe) trip into the Okavango Delta. The delta is where the Okavango River empties out into central Botswana and is a huge ecosystem. The ride to the delta was 30 minutes off roading but well worth it. Our guide, Pandli, and his mother brought us deep into the delta for a few hours. The entire experience was very serene and peaceful. It was the real African wildlife as the canoe flowed through the marsh and grass reeds of the delta. Pandli was a great guide with interesting insight into the region. On the way back we saw some more elephants and Pandli, Erica, and I got out of the car and walked through the bush towards them. We spent about 20 minutes just observing the bull as he ate grass and trees 30 meters from us! The whole Mokoro adventure was great. We returned to the lodge and set out around 4pm for Windhoek. Driving through Botswana was pretty. It is mostly flat and open cattle land, but enjoyable. There isn't much to see in Western Botswana, but the drive was still quite nice. There is a little town called Ghanzi we stopped at around sunset which is nice and I would have liked to have seen more- maybe next time. The sunset over western Botswana was one of the more memorable moments of the trip. We were driving West as the sun set and after it disappeared over the horizon, the sky turned a burnt orange and the trees were blackened by the light and across the vast horizon you could see rays of sun soaring across the sky. By about 11:30pm we were still 200km from Windhoek and I was seeing double so we pulled off into Gobabis, Namibia for the night. Aunt Gert was low on laundry so she washed a pair of underwear and hung it on the screen door to dry over night. In the morning I asked her why she hung it there and she said, "I was thinking that if some man wanted to come into the room and ravish me he would see the size of my underwear and think twice!" Aunt Gert's opendmindedness and spontaneity really made the trip memorable, I am greatful for having her along. The trip was fantastic and this long account is only a glimpse into the exciting journey. The pictures are as follows: Me and Aunt Gert on the Zambezi; Aunt Gert sleeping; the Waterberg Plateau from on top; me in the room at Ngepi; the charging bull near Chobe; Victoria Falls; our guide in Maun with Erica, Nina, Me, and Aunt Gert; fixing the flat tire in Botswana; Pandli, Nina, and Aunt Gert in the mokoro on the Okavango Delta; and a sunset over the Chobe river. It is now 1:20am and I need to be up at 7:30 to get ready for soccer so I don't think I will get around to editing this post. I think I put down most of the general info- though I did leave some fun stories out, you get the idea! Hope all is well with you... good night!

Days at the BNC

2007-02-23T00:45:00.000-05:00

Good Morning...
Today Erica, Nina, Aunt Gert, and I are leaving to head up to Victoria Falls. The trip will wind through the northern part of Namibia, (the Caprivi Strip) cross over into Botswana, and then to Zambia and the falls. If all goes well I will return. Hope to see elephants along the way.
This was a nice week at the center. Tuesday and Wednesday MaryBeth was in Swakopmund with her family so I had to stay in the big room and help run the center. Yesterday Steve was not there and MaryBeth took her family around Katutura so I had a chance to run the whole show more or less. I survived. With this trip taking up a week I am now down to only two weeks at the center. It is nice to see the children take on more and more responsibility and do the right things. With MB out, Rian was fantastic helping me and Steve out in the big room. During clean up there are always one or two kids staying later to sweep and even mop! The regulars also keep an eye on the toys and games. Yesterday a few new boys returned the dominoes but about 10 pieces were missing. I called Rian and Jerome over to help me interogate the kids and they immediately began patting the kids down and found the missing pieces in their pockets and kicked the kids out of the center. MB told me later that day another kid tried a similar stunt and about 20 of the regular kids surrounded him, recovered the contraband, and escorted the perp out of the center.
Macrenne is amazing in the computer room. He is only about 11 years old but I leave him in charge the whole day with no problems. I gave him a pep talk before I left yesterday about how helpful he has been and how I need him to fill in for me when I am gone and he really seemed to embrace the challenge- we shall see how it turns out.
Emi, Suzie, and Aunt Pat leave today- it's surprising how quick 3 weeks goes! They were a lot of fun to have around. Last night we had a braai at the house for them to say goodbye. Twenty people ended up at the house and we had a nice time. Afterwards Aunt Gert wanted to scratch her gambling itch so I took her, Nina, Ajay, and Erica to the Kalahari Sands Casino. (The picture is of me, Ajay, and Nina at the casino.) We played a few of the slots and had a few drinks- it was fun. But, as the saying goes, if they were giving away shit I wouldn't get a sniff.

Weekend Update

2007-02-19T17:45:00.000-05:00

Good evening, everyone...
Sorry for the delay in updating the blog, I have been running around like crazy the past few days- it has been a great weekend and I am enjoying the little delights that come with each day. It is almost 1am my time but there is a lot to write about so this could be a long blog, depending on if I can keep myself awake.
Let's begin...
Friday was another great day at the center. Things are running smoothly. Aunt Gert returned from her trip to Cape Town and really seemed to enjoy herself. Cape Town is gorgeous apparently so the NEXT time I return to Namibia I will fly through South Africa and check it out. After the center closed I decided to stay late with some of the kids again and spent the next two hours sitting on the curb with Romachell, Salome, Eric, Bonitha, Jerome and a few others. The handle bar on my bike came loose so I had to walk the bike home- which is about an hour walk. It was quite enjoyable though as the sun was setting and I listened to my music. The sunsets in Namibia are beautiful. Friday night Katarina, one of the German volunteers living at the house, made a German dish for dinner and we had a nice evening. Then the chaotic weekend began.
Saturday morning I got up early with MB and rode out to the soccer fields. I only stayed for an hour because we (Aunt Gert, the volunteers, Ajay, Suzie, Aunt Pat, and Emi) decided to drive an 30km north to Okapuka which is a game lodge outside of Windhoek. The game drive is a popular daytrip for visitors to Windhoek who do not feel like making the 5 hour trip to Etosha National Park. At the lodge we went for a hike in the mountains. The view was spectacular but we probably should not have walked it in the middle of the day with no sun. Before the game drive began I treated myself to a Sprinkbok Salad which was out of this world. The game drive was a lot of fun. We saw white rhino, giraffe, kudu, oryx, and a bunch of other game. The rhino were exciting- they really look prehistoric. This game park doesn't have elephants so I am still anxiously awaiting seeing a herd of wild elephants. We did pay to see the lion feeding which was pretty cool. Even behind a fence the lions are massive and powerful. I think we all enjoyed ourselves at the game park. Saturday evening a huge group of us, including all of MB's family that is visiting, went over to Barbara's house for Indian food. (Barbara is MB's best friend- a delightful Australian woman who is married to Uli, a German guy who is the vice-provost- or vice-something- at the PolyTechnic University) The dinner and atmosphere were very nice.
Sunday I brought all the sinners to mass up at Brakwater (a town north of here where Fr. Rick, MB's close friend gives mass) Since I was there, I figured why not go in and sit through mass and the homily was actually very good- it was about loving our enemies. After Mass we all went to the swimming pool for another pool day with the kids. It was another enjoyable pool day though it did rain a little bit and the pool was a little chilly. Being with the kids at the pool is one of the best experiences of being in Namibia. Sunday night the Maryknoll sisters came over to the house for a braai. We must have had about 25 people crammed into the house but it was a good atmosphere with singing and good food. One thing I have really come to appreciate about my two trips to Namibia is the number of wonderful people I have met here- old and young- who are all genuinely good people with big hearts. I have met people from almost every continent here and every one of them has impressed me with his or her warmness and giving spirit. They inspire me to be more open minded and compassionate.
Today was errand day. I was up early and went to get a much needed haircut. From there I ran to the post office and brought the bike in to get fixed, developed some pictures, and brought the rented van in to get the sideview mirror repaired. Running around doing errands all day really made me feel like a resident in a foreign country and not just some tourist. I find I really enjoy living in a new environment and learning about new cultures and immersing myself in the day to day tasks.
With so many people in town visiting I have found it to be a great opportunity to spend time with people and see things that I might not normally be doing on a day to day basis. Admittedly, having so many people in the house is a frustrating at times and coordinating other peoples' desires and agendas gets tiresome, but there have been many good conversations and memories made in the past few weeks. I find enjoying each moment and each day is very important- and that projecting into the future or worrying too much about when this might end is of no use. There is so much to be thankful for in each day. Mostly the kids. I really love the kids.
So there is the abridged version of a super busy weekend. This evening we went to MB's rotary club meeting but that deserves its own blog entry so I will write about that soon. Hope all is well with everyone. Good night.

Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T16:40:00.000-05:00

Hello...
I have received another email asking me a question about Namibian life. Alex from Rye, NY emailed me and she asked how the children celebrate Valentine's Day.
As it turns out, today is Valentine's Day so what better time to address this question. There seems to be the same buzz and excitement surrounding Valentine's Day here in Namibia as there is back in the USA. I would go so far as to say more people get excited for the holiday than back home. Stores are decorated with hearts and red and I even walked by a restaurant today where the entire staff was wearing red. The florist was packed full of last minute Casanovas looking to surprise their honeys and there were plenty of Valentine's Day cards in the stores. One thing I would say is that the holiday is a little cheesier here- I have seen plenty of scented plastic roses and Valentine's Day cards with extra mushy, sappy messages. One notable omission in the festive displays was chocolate. I did not see boxes and boxes full of chocolate lining the aisles.
At the center the kids were full of Valentine's Day spirit. Some of the local schools had dances during the school day. (It cost N$20 to attend so many students took the day off from school.) Many of the children arrived in red and white outfits. We spent the day making Valentine's Day cards with the children out of construction paper and lots of kids had their faces painted with hearts and the like. Romenica, Dora, Bonitha, and Melandri all asked me to be their Valentine so I obliged and bought them all a candy bar and gave them a stuffed animal. Dora, Bonitha, Salome, and a few other children made me beautiful cards. I told the girls that I was the only Valentine they could have until they are 30 years old. I even played a few romantic songs on my iPod for the kids. It was a fun day with lots of activity and happiness all around.
This evening Ajay and I went out for a bike ride through Windhoek and on the way back we bought an ice cream bar for MB, and the four other female volunteers for Valentine's Day. All in all it was a very good day.
The weather here has been fantastic the last two weeks and this evening I was justing laying outside looking up at the stars and listening to some music. Aunt Gert will be back Friday and Saturday we are heading straight up to Omaruru (about 2 hours north of here) with the girls to see elephants (hopefully) and a bunch of other animals at a game farm. That should be an exciting day. Hope all is well with everyone back home. Happy Valentine's Day! Oh... sorry for the lack of pictures lately- I have been using Aunt Gert's computer and haven't figured out how to upload pictures from her computer yet. Goodnight...

AIDS

2007-02-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone..
Sorry for the delay in writing the blog... time has passed quickly this past week. I should be off to Saturday soccer today but I am bedridden with a head cold- though it seems to have made its way out of my head and into my chest. With any luck it should reach my toes and leave my body by the end of the week. I am sort of hoping I have come down with something exotic- like the Southern African Rhino Flu- but unfortunately it appears to be a simple case of the common cold.
I have received a few questions from people in the past week but I haven't had the time or energy to respond. But now here I am sitting in bed, bored of watching DVDs, and ready to type away so without further ado:
Greg from New Miford, CT asked me: "Hey Jim, I have a question for your blog... Is AIDS a big problem there?"
In a word- yes. I am by no means a doctor, a health specialist, nor a social worker, but as an average guy living in the country it is apparent that AIDS is an issue. I will write about what I know or have overheard in regards to this topic, so in general you may find this blog informative, if not completely factual. A lot of what I am basing my understanding on is conversations with people and word of mouth- so keep in mind a lot of what I write is simply my understanding and the facts could be different. I still don't understand the difference between HIV and AIDS so when I refer to AIDS or HIV, I am referring to the general illness, not its specific stages unless otherwise noted.
There are certain demographic facts about AIDS in Namibia that might help give a snapshot into the gravity of the issue. According to UNAID, 210,000 Namibians are infected- roughly 20% of the population. When you consider that the counry is still in large part under a de facto segregation, I infer that AIDS is less of an issue, per capita, among the white population than the black population. I could be wrong, of course, but if I am right, that means that in Katutura the rates of AIDS are even higher. There are 17,000 AIDS deaths a year and over 85,000 AIDS orphans. (Many likely live with their extended family- grannies, aunties, etc.) For a good link to the crisis, go to http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/global?page=cr09-wa-00 . There are many ways AIDS can be spread, but one thing to keep in mind is the effect of alcohol abuse and the spread of AIDS. Alcohol consumption is a problem- for many Namibians it seems that you either don't drink or you drink to become wasted. With the alcohol abuse comes sexual promiscuity and the disease is often spread this way. So a husand who has cheated on his wife may contract the disease unbeknownst to him or his wife and then spread the disease to her and in time, his kids. Considering many men are against wearing condoms, if a wife who was suspicious of her husand asked him to wear a condom, he could become insulted and angry so there are times when women don't ask men to wear a condom out of fear.
Another more tragic side of AIDS that is not conveyed by statistics and charts is sexual abuse of children. I have heard that there was a common myth among people that AIDS could be cured if the person had sex with a virgin. The surest way to have sex with a virgin was to have sex with a young child so there are incidences of children being sexually abused and then becoming infected. The important thing to keep in mind is that AIDS is not a problem just among homesexuals or young, promiscuous adults. There is a stigma attached to AIDS by some people that those infected became infected because of their behavior. Tell that to the 13-year old girl who was sexually abused by her father when she was a little girl.
I don't know which children (if any) at the center have AIDS, which have family with AIDS, or which are orphaned because of AIDS. Though I am sure there are children affected in some way by AIDS at the center, it is not something discussed. I can guess by looking at the frailer ones with thinning hair and sores that they are likely infected, but there is no way I would single a kid out and bring it up in conversation. AIDS doesn't make a child unhuggable.
Another issue with AIDS is the treatment options. Anti-retroviral drugs are available at the hospital but taking the ARVs is time consuming and difficult. People line up at Katutura Hospital to receive their medication and they must remain on the medication for the rest of their lives. The drugs are given out once a day, as far as I understand, and so if you have to work or can't make it, you can't get the drug. A further issue for others is making the long walk to the hospital. This is especially difficult for those in rural areas. The drugs themselves have different side-effects which make many people hesitant to stay on the drugs.
I have only seen the social effects of AIDS in Namibia. Broken homes and orphaned children. The children are always going to funerals of someone they know it seems- whether this is an AIDS death or something else I do not ask. There is a "Take Control" ad campaign which encourages Namibians to be proactive in the fight against the spread of the disease. Apparently there are millions of dollars worth of foreign aid given to Namibia to help but I think more needs to be done on a social and grass roots level. I think one of the big needs is to curb alcohol consumption. Tafel Lager is promoted everywhere. There are broken glass bottles of beer everywhere. There is a giant billboard between Katutura and Center City advertising a brand of gin with the Namibian soccer team smiling on the billboard. There needs to be more social and corporate responsibility.
Again, I know very little about the crisis other than that it is real. These are just my observations. I don't have the answers to cure the disease or to minimize the spread. Awareness is the first step.
Hopefully this blog wasn't too depressing. I have received a few other good questions on the lighter side of life here in Namibia and I will address one of those later in the week. Enjoy your weekend!

The Weekend

2007-02-05T15:32:00.000-05:00

Hello, Everyone.
Well, the idea of taking suggestions from the audience for topics to write about went over like a lead balloon so I am going to subject you to more comments like, "I love these kids" and "The kids are so amazing."
I have recused myself to the dining room table to write this blog entry. The girls (MB, Anna, Erica, Katarina... and now Suzie!) have taken over the living room and are talking about hair braiding. MaryBeth just walked by with two huge packets of chocolate. I wish I was making this up.
Aunt Gert's wild African experience continued this evening with a trip to KFC. She was in the mood for eating out so she treated me to a chicken wrap and french fries and a soda. I think the chicken was African. This weekend I brought her back up to Okahandja to buy some crafts. She didn't care much for the bartering so I did that while she chit-chatted with the locals. That seems to be something she really enjoys- meeting new people and experiencing their culture. Afterwards we stopped at a game farm but the tours were booked so we just ate lunch under a thatched roof. We ate what we didn't see- some sort of exotic meat.
This whole weekened we had the grass fields to play soccer with the kids. After we returned from Okahandja, I rode my bike over to the fields to catch the last few games. MB and I stayed until 8pm then rode home. The next day I spent the whole day at the fields and watched a lot of good games. I even got to play in a game with the BNC U-18 Boys team. We lost 5-2, but it was fun running around with them, wearing the uniform, and sliding on the grass. The boys on that team are really a great group of young men and I enjoy being around them at the BNC or on the soccer field. (And yes, I do love them and think they are amazing.)
Today Suzie and Aunt Pat arrived and MB brought Martha (Suzie's favorite from last trip) to the airport to greet them. Afterwards Martha stayed at the house through the morning. We spoiled her with creal, an apple, juice, ice cream, and she got to watch The Incredibles. She then took a nap on Aunt Gert's bed. At the center today Milandri, Dora, Bonitha, and Romancia each asked me to be their Valentine. I was flattered to think so many of the girls found me so strikingly handsome- and then I found out that as the Valentine, I am expected to get them a gift.

Back Online... Again

2007-02-02T05:03:00.000-05:00

Good Morning...
It has been awhile since my last blog because on Sunday someone sneezed and knocked out the internet server. Fortunately, the internet was up and running within a week. Ajay, our Indian housemate, is an IT wizard who has been able to help everyone of us at some point with our computer related issues, pro bono. He is a nice guy with a good sense of humor- or maybe it is just the funny accent that makes him so endearing.
Aunt Gert is doing well and her snoring has been reasonably quiet. She has been a good sport about going to the center to be with the kids, though I think she plans on taking a few days off. She is anxious to experience as much of Namibian culture as possible so this weekend we will be going to either Okhandja or Rehoboth - towns an hour north and south of here respectively- so that she can see some more of Namibia. She has mentioned, in jest, that at times she feels like she is an indentured servant trapped by all these gates and locks in the house and she is only let out to the go work at the center. I have noticed a few times at the center that she has slipped out the gate and made her way down to the local shebeen to play a few rounds of pool and pound back a few Tafel Lagers. Overall, her experience here has been pretty quiet so far. We will do more travelling and experience more of Africa when MB's family arrives. Before she is gone I expect she will have seen plenty of wild animals, Swakopmund, Soussevlei, Victoria Falls, and other little excursions and hideaways.
Last night we went back to the all-you-can-eat Thursday night pizza shop with the housemates (minus MaryBeth) I think the meaning of all -you-can-eat was lost on everyone as I was the only one who broke double digits in total slices. I think Aunt Gert tapped out at four slices. To be fair one of the girls is a vegetarian so she was a little turned off when they kept bringing pizza with meat on it. I also figured out that the all-you-can-eat pizza deal is really just a front for putting all the leftover ingredients from the past week onto pizza dough and feeding it to us. How else can you explain pizza with onion, pickle, chicken, curry, and barbeque sauce?
The kids are doing wonderful, as always. Yesterday I stayed late and played tennis with Romachell, Bonitha, Esme, and Salome. Though I wasn't really in the mood for tennis, it offered me the opportunity to stay a few extra hours with the kids. It was just me and Steve running the center yesterday as MB and the girls went up to Okhandja for another workshop. We were sure the kids could sense our fear at being left alone to run the center, but fortunately Dora and Edelsine showed up and took control.
The house is full of estrogen nowadays. Erica, from the US, and Katarina and Anna, both from Germany, have all arrived and with MaryBeth and Aunt Gert in the house it really feels like a giant slumber party. Fortunately I have my own room (shared with Aunt Gert) where I can still burp, fart, and scratch my ass. It will get worse when MB's family arrives- four more females around and her father. By the time he arrives though, I might have completely lost all sense of masculinity and already be painting my nails, watching Sleepless in Seattle with the girls, and sharing sob stories about how awful men are.
All in all, things continue to go well here. I thought an interesting new approach to this blog idea would be to take suggestions from the audience (YOU!) about what to write about. I am not sure what your impressions or questions about the BNC, Katutura, Namibia, etc. are and would love to field questions and blog topics from anyone and everyone. It will give me something new and interesting to write about- I am sure I have exhausted the point that I love the kids! So... please email me jmcken82@hotmail.com with any suggestions for possible blog topics. I will address any questions or topics you have about the country, my experiences, my impressions, specific children, the culture, the BNC, etc. ... ANYTHING you want to know about... just let me know. Hopefully I get some interesting feedback and by Monday I will begin to write about it! Have a good weekend.

Computer Games

2007-01-26T03:30:00.000-05:00

Good Morning...
I picked up Aunt Gert on Wednesday afternoon with no trouble. She walked right through customs, into the pickup truck and went right to the center and began helping the children with their reading. She has already bought herself a clipboard and paper and pens and seems to have picked up where she left off teaching in Mt. Vernon, NY 15 years ago. In the evening, we returned to the house, put her things in our room, and then she treated me, MaryBeth, and the new girl, Ana, to Joe's Beerhouse. She had the game platter that I have described in the past with various wild game served on a skewer and she thought the food was "wonderful." On the way back to the house she rode in the back of the pickup truck. It is great having a familiar face around and she and I have our own room to share at the end of the house so she can snore all night and no one will hear her.
With her she brought a huge duffel bag full of clothes and computer games donated from people out in Montauk, NY. The clothes are beautiful but I was ecstatic to see so many great, useful educational software to use in the computer room. Some of the games are games that had been lost or stolen and many of the games were new ones. Since coming back in December, I have resumed the role of running the computer room so to see all the new software was especially gratifying to me because I have seen the same six games being used week in and week out.
Every child is enthusiastic about getting into the computer room for a 30-minute session on one of the eight computers. Everything about the computer room has become organised and efficient, thanks in large part to the one or two helpers I have everyday. I have my work cut out for me now, as I have to check out every one of the games to see which is appropriate for which age group, etc.
The first picture is of two kids in the computer room. The second is of Esme running back from the tennis courts during a torrential downpour yesterday. Enjoy the weekend!

Bread

2007-01-24T01:26:00.000-05:00

Good Morning...
Another testament to MaryBeth's ability to make things happen occurred today. This morning I went to the local supermarket, Pick-N-Pay, to pick up a couple of bags of old bread for the kids at the BNC and I ended up driving away with three shopping carts full of bread! The back of the pick-up truck is stacked with bread. There must be enough bread in the truck to feed the kids for a week- all of it a day or two old and unsellable but still good.
MB started to get bread over the Christmas holiday to feed the kids at the center because over the holiday there was no one serving soup. That started with about 100 rolls with peanut butter and now we have reached truck loads of bread. The people at Pick-N-Pay have been friendly and helpful, though sometimes there does seem a slight resentment that a white guy is walking out the backdoor with tons of bread.
The kids love the bread and Romachell is in charge of handing it out to all the kids. He usually takes a few volunteers to help him cut it and pass it out. That is another positive thing that has been happening at the center- the kids have been taking charge and being responsible. The older kids and the kids that have been there longer keep their eyes open and lead the newer and younger kids by example. Romachell does the bread and even helps run the assembly when the kids first arrive. Jennifer, Elfriede, and Hilde help keep control. Wendy and Charlotte help run the computer room. And Edelsine practically runs the center by herself. She is about 10 years old, weighs no more than 60-pounds, and she is MaryBeth's personal assitant. (See picture) The days MaryBeth is late or not there, I literally hand Edelsine the keys and ask her to take care of things. She is always one step ahead of MaryBeth, reminding her of an open door, a child that needs something, or finding something that MaryBeth has misplaced. She is very sharp and always at MaryBeth's side. It is great to see the kids taking control of the center, hopefully they can keep it afloat when MaryBeth leaves and keep the adults from running it into the ground!

Soccer

2007-01-22T01:28:00.000-05:00

Good morning all,
Another week has begun and I am getting ready to head back to the BNC. The weather here has been really hot lately- temperatures right around 100 and some days I don't even see a cloud in the sky. Despite the heat, the past few days have been nice. Thursday night MaryBeth and I were invited over to the Maryknoll Sisters house for dinner. Afterwards I took a ride at night on the bike into town because the nights are so beautiful here. Many stars and the temperature dips to 70.
The rest of my weekend was hilighted by soccer. Being the miracle worker that she is, MaryBeth managed to get us time playing on the grass soccer field in Katutura. That doesn't sound like much to us Americans who take grass for granted, but here the children play on fields of dirt and stone. There is one field in Katutura which is grass, but it is gated off and for two years the city has told MB that the field is off limits because it is being "groomed" which is B.S. because almost every Saturday there is an event going on there. Finally they have let us use the field and one weekend a month it is ours to use the whole weekend and some Friday afternoons! This Friday was the first time the kids got to play and they played three games. They are all so ecstatic to be running around on the grass that not one of them complained about winning or losing. MB has an amazing ability to make things happen for these kids. From grass fields, to donated day-old bread from the supermarket, to free pool passes, she gets things done and gets people involved and inspired.
Saturday was more soccer, but back on the dirt and stone field. I referreed a few games, one of which was the BNC Boys Under-10 team. These little guys are great players who know how to pass and shoot. It didn't seem like there were that many teams there on Saturday and we were done with soccer by 2pm. Afterwards MB rode off to play tennis with her friend and I stayed in the neighborhood with the kids for a few hours just walking through the streets and hanging out under the shade of a tree. Esme was by my side the whole time... she is so precious and deserves her own blog entry! Everyime I sat down she would come and sit on my lap or lay down at my side. One time there was another girl sitting next to me and Esme tricked the girl into moving over and she slid right in next to me. At times I feel bad for the environment these kids live in and I daydream about bringing them back to the US. But at other times, like when we were walking through the streets, I realize how resiliant these kids are. It is amazing and heartwarming to see how the kids look out for each other. Older or younger, boy or girl, it doesn't matter- they are accepting of each other and are often more involved in each others' lives than the adults in their lives. They keep each other company and entertained.
Sunday was the slow day of the week because it was the only one without the kids. Sappy as it sounds, its true. MB and I did head over to UNam (University of Namibia) to play soccer. Playing with those guys is a challenge but a lot of fun- I only wish I played soccer as a kid- it really is a fun sport and great exercise.
Finally, the other day I told Salome that my auntie was coming to Windhoek for a few weeks and that my auntie reminded me a lot of her granny- by which I meant older and loving. With complete sincerity Salome asked, "Your auntie is fat and strong, too?"
The first picture is Salome and Esme at the soccer field. The second is the BNC boys team warming up before their match. Then there is the girls' Pumpkin Teams playing against each other. And again, Salome with a silly pose.

Education

2007-01-18T01:13:00.000-05:00

I just got confirmation this morning that Aunt Gert is arriving in Windhoek next Wednesday at 12:55pm. I would love to bring a contigent of children as a welcoming committee, but they have school. Her arrival is the same week as three other volunteers so the BNC will be full of helpful individuals.
Yesterday was a nice day at the center. It was the first day of the new school term, so kids were showing up in their squeaky clean uniforms. Catholic Aids Action pays the school fees for most of the children at the BNC, including school supplies, tuition, and uniform. Overall, 20,000 kids in Namibia are put through school by CAA. At the center yesterday a group of about 20 college students from Furman College in South Carolina came to the center to check it out. These one day visits always seem weird to me, like the children are on display at a poverty museum for white Europeans/Americans to observe "in their natural habitats" for a few hours. I understand it is important for awareness and even financial donations, and those that come to gawk...er.. observe mean well, and to be fair I was probably similar the first few days, but it is always a little weird. The kids eat it up though because they get spoiled with attention and 20 people are willing to take their picture. Anyway, I got talking with one of the students and he was asking about how things can change in a country like this. I told him to mind his own business and punched him in the face for asking such a dumb question. As he walked away crying, it occurred to me that maybe his question wasn't so dumb and I reflected on it. I began to think about the major social problems of a place like Namibia and one of the biggest, along with AIDS, alcohol, and abuse, is education. Just yesterday Macrenne came up to me with a beaming smile on his face and with pride told me he passed to the next grade and showed me his report card. Indeed, he had passed.... with a 30% grade in every class. I would be interested to know how all of Macrenne's grades were exactly the same. While, at minimum, they imply he is not performing in school, to me it sounds like the grades were a bit subjective that all came out to exactly 30%. To that end, there seems a fault in the teacher's ability to evaluate the kid- either she doesn't care that much or simply is not that able to effectively teach. In this country every child up to grade 9 or 10 passes automatically to the next grade. So regardless of literacy or grades, a child is pushed from one grade to the next. How can a country raise kids into succesful adults by doing this? The school books are of poor intellectual quality- one book Salome showed me of hers had a poem about a child taking pride in beating another child. The math book I saw had simple, unedited errors and typos. Knowledge is power and as long as these kids are in the dark, they will struggle to grow out of their environment of poverty. I think education and health should be the top priorities in this country- and every country. Even if Macrenne passed with a grade of 70%, as long as the mentality is only on "passing" or "failing" and not on achieving higher grades and excelling, I think there will be major flaws in education. Foreign aid to countries like Namibia should put heavy focus on education and teacher training and the countries that receive such aid should be held accountable and be micromanaged to ensure that results are achieved.

Back Online

2007-01-15T13:05:00.000-05:00

Hello, again everyone. The internet has been down for a few days now, but I am now able to write an update on the past few days. Things have gotten into a bit of a routine lately. The house is quieter than it was last year which is fine by me- I don't have as much money to throw around as I did before. By the end of this month though, things will begin to get hectic at the house with 3 young volunteers coming to stay at the house and work at the BNC. Their arrival, coupled with that of MB's family in February and maybe Aunt Gert, will mean a very full house in February.
The last week or so has been enjoyable. On Friday I went with Salome to visit her granny at the auto-body shop she runs. The woman is a sweetheart and she clearly loves and cares for Salome. I also met her mother and father who, though they seem very nice, are a bit less active in her life.
The computers are up and running in the computer room at the BNC. We have six computers running at one time but the problem seems to be the limited amount of games. Since I left in March, many of the games have disappeared. Some of you have asked what you can do to help or donate and one great thing would be to send computer games for Windows-based PCs. The games would have to be educational games for young children- grade 4 and lower. Anything having to do with phonics, reading, math or logic would be great. Simple games like Reader Rabbit, Arthur, etc. work. But if you have anything or might know someone with access to used computer games- email me (jmcken82@hotmail.com) and describe the game and I will let you know if it is of any use.
I have also been riding the bike a lot lately which is great -when I am able to avoid the taxis. Sometimes it feels like I am playing a real-life game of frogger out there. Everyone seems like they are in a rush when they are in a car- even driving through read lights if they know it is about to turn green- but this same sense of urgency doesn't seem to carry over into getting things done quickly or into arriving places on time. In the evenings after leaving the center I sometimes meander down roads or find a little park or patch of grass to hang out in for a little bit.
Sunday I went with MaryBeth to play soccer with a group of guys she plays with every Sunday at the University of Namibia. The temperature read 40 degrees celsius (104 F) and I learned that the elevation of Windhoek is higher than that of Denver, Colorado! Needless to say, the two hours of soccer was exhausting, but we played on a grass field which was a nice change of pace from the rocks and stones that the kids play on. All of those guys are very skilled players, and despite my lack of soccer prowess, it was nice to be out running around. Afterwards we rode about 10K north to Katutura where MB was invited to a meeting of a group called the Namibian Youth Group. It is a community group of young Namibians who got together to do acting, community work, and a soup kitchen instead of hanging out on the street drinking. It was nice to meet so many community-conscious young people.
In the evening, MB went off to a dinner with some friends so I stayed in Katutura to see if any of the kids were out and about. I met up with Salome, Esme, Wendy and Eddelsine and hung out with them for a bit. They are all adorable.
So I managed to get a few pictures up today of the kids. The first is Salome with her granny. The second is me with Romancia at the BNC. The third is Milandri, Julianna, Romancia, Martha, and little Sanna up front. Milandri and Sanna are sisters and the other three are sisters and Milandri and Romancia are best friends. Then there is the group in front of a puzzle that took them two hours to do. The woman who donated the puzzle said it took her two months! Finally there is me with the three sisters. Sha, the oldest, is in the back, Tete, the youngest is on the left and Miraldi is on the right.
Hope all is well back home... Stay in touch!

Law of Attraction

2007-01-10T02:46:00.000-05:00

Just finished reading another great book. It is called The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks. The book basically discusses three universal laws, the most important of which is the law of attraction. This law says: that which is like unto itself is drawn. In essence, we control our entire lives by the way we think and we attract the people and events in our lives simply by how we feel and behave. Positive attracts positive, and negative attracts negative. The book really has some interesting insight. It is important, according to the authors, to always focus on the positive things in life- those things which bring us joy and those things that we want- without giving thought to the negative.
I am not sure why I mention the book now. Perhaps just to mix this blog up a bit. There is one interesting part of the book that applies to my trip here, in which the author discusses those in need: "Which is superior, uplifting another by believing in their success, or adding to their discouragement by noticing where they are? The greatest gift that you could ever give another is the gift of your expectation of their success." I came back to Namibia not out of guilt or out of sympathy for these children, but because I love them and I do believe that they are capable of great things. Their journey is harder and longer than most of ours, but they are capable. Hopefully when you read my blog you don't feel bad for the children, but instead you are inspired to do what you can to help others achieve their dreams. The most amazing thing about working with children is their purity- their ability to laugh, dream, and learn. In many ways it is difficult living day to day in a third world country, but at 1pm everyday my reasons for returning to Namibia are reinforced. A hug from Esme or throwing Salome in the air or hearing Tete laugh recharges my spirit.

The Past Few Days

2007-01-08T01:46:00.000-05:00

Good morning...
Today is Monday and all continues to go well here in Windhoek. Friday night we had a braai at the house for Kenny, who was leaving, and Joe, a peace corps volunteer, who had just arrived. Steve from the center came over as well as Fr. Rick and some more of MB's friends. We had a lot of food and it was a nice evening.
Saturday was a long day of soccer in the hot sun. Afterwards we went back to the center to play bingo while MaryBeth played tennis with her friend. While most of the kids behaved, a few were out of control and I had to send a few home and deal with the stress of all the kids after a hot day in the sun- by 5pm I was happy to see MB come back and we left to bring Kenny to the airport. Kenny brought along 5 children to the airport but couldn't fit any of them in his carry on luggage so he was forced to leave them behind. At the ticket counter the informed him that his flight was overbooked and that he could not fly- even though he had three more connecting flights to catch after that! So his departure was postponed for a day and we drove back to Windhoek. On the ride back in the back of the pickup the night sky was clear and there were thousands of stars and even some shooting stars. Rafalia was one of the kids in the back with me and she curled up in my lap to sleep and stay warm from the night wind. Holding her and keeping her warm reminded me of how great it is being here with the kids and made the stress of the bingo wash away.
Sunday Kenny and I went to the gym to work out. The old Tobias from last trip (there is a new one I just met today) bought a membership that is good through May so I will be able to use it as much as I want to. The rest of Sunday was quiet and relaxing and we got Kenny to the aiport again and sent him off. Seeing the kids saying goodbye at the airport reminded me that I will be doing the same in a little while. We dropped the kids off in Katutura around 9:30pm and the whole neighborhood was out and about. As we drove through, we saw a group of kids from the BNC so we pulled over and in the group was Dora back from the farm. Dora is a sweetheart who wrote me when I was back in the USA a lot- it was so great to see her.
So thats it for now... nothing too exciting, just news from the past few days. I would try to throw some pictures up but the internet is too damn slow this morning!

Swakopmund

2007-01-05T02:24:00.001-05:00

Hello Again!
This morning is my back home from Swakopmund- Kenny and I went out Wednesday morning around 5:30 and returned Thursday afternoon. It is about a three hour trip the each way through the desert- it is a hot, dry land out there, but beautiful in its own way. We took the truck and I drove- which was interesting driving on the opposite side of the road. We got into Swakopmund around 9:30 and we checked in at the same backpacker's lodge from my last trip out there in March. During the day we drove to Walvis Bay- which is a port town 20 minutes ride south, and then we walked around Swakopmund, eating lunch by the lighthouse, window shopping, and taking a walk on the beach. (Re-reading that last sentence I feel the need to assure you that I am not gay- not that there's anything wrong with that.)
In the afternoon we signed up to do quad-biking in the dunes which turned out to be an amazing two hour experience riding through the dunes, kicking up sand, and racing down the sides of the dunes. It was somewhat expensive but worth every penny. The dunes are so awe-inspiring and to be surrounded in all directions by them is a great feeling. It was definitely the best tourist thing I have done in Namibia to date. If and when I return to Swakopmund, the only thing better to do will be to skydive!
Afterwards we went to the lodge, showered and went to the sundowner bar to watch the sunset. (Seriously, I'm not gay, it is just a cool bar and I happened to be accompanied with by a strapping, young Hawaiian surfer) We then went to dinner by the seashore under the stars (I'm not... oh the hell with it, believe what you want.) and out to a few bars.
On the ride home yesterday we stopped in Okahandja for more authentic replicas of African art. The car ride back was immensely hot and even in Windhoek it was probably the hottest day I have ever had here. Kenny and I were both anxious to get back to the BNC and when we pulled in I had a great surprise waiting for me- Esme was back at the center... the first time I have seen her since I returned- she is precious. (See photo) Steve, the 40-something volunteer from Seattle was also back and it was great to see him.
Finally, last night MB and I played tennis for almost 4 hours. We started by playing doubles with her two lady friends- doubles is slow and less fun. But the friends left around 7:30 and then MaryBeth and I played a match under the lights. I lost (grrrr...) 7-5, 6-4 but I can feel myself getting better and smarter- I hve 2 1/2 months to beat her... it could happen. I could barely move at the end, but it is a great workout and we have lots of great volleys, it is enjoyable.
Hope all is well back home. Got news from Aunt Gert that she is thinking about maybe giving the thought to considering coming out. I would love for anyone to consider coming out... the cost is a little steep, but if you do think you might consider it possibly, send me an email with any questions. (South Africa Air has a buy one get one free promotion going on!)

Happy New Year

2007-01-02T02:22:00.000-05:00

Good Morning... Most of you are probably returning to work today so to help distract you I will try to make this blog extra long. The past few days have been very nice and we have spent a lot of time with the kids.
Friday was a typical day at the BNC and at night we had Tara over for a delicious curry tofu dinner. She is a Namibian woman about my age who comes to the center twice a week or so to sing with the kids. MB would like to see her hired in place of Nelson who currently runs the center because, unlike Nelson, she takes an active interest in the kids, is reliable, responsible, and loving. Saturday was soccer day again. In the morning Kenny and I each coached one side of an under-12 team. I was also put in charge of refereeing a game and even got to play a game in the afternoon. When we got back, Kenny, Sarah, and I all went to Joe's Beerhouse for dinner. I went there last time I was here- the menu has all sorts of different game on it. The food was good and it was nice hanging out with the two of them. Afterwards, Kenny and I walked around town looking for a bar to go to but we couldn't find one that was open on a Saturday night- go figure.
Sunday was a great day- we surprised the kids with another pool party. We took about 60 children to the swimming pool and had a great time- I got my second sunburn. MB has thought about bringing the kids to the pool on a regular basis because they are always so well behaved and they have such a wonderful time. After the pool we returned to the center and Sarah handed out goodie bags to the kids since it was her last full day. The bags had toothpaste, a toothbrush, a bar of soap and a stuffed animal. She was very generous with her time while she was here and she is considering coming back in the spring. It was nice to have her around and the kids were sad to see her go.
For New Year's Eve we went over to Barbara and Uli's house for a raclette (spelling?). Many of the people that were at the Christmas party were at Barbara's- it was enjoyable. The New Year's celebration here is very similar to New York, except instead of a ball being dropped, they drag a lion carcass through town and cut off the head of a virgin- it's very quaint.
Monday we went right back to the BNC, but we got there early so Sarah could say goodbye and take a few children to the airport. With MB off to the airport, I was in charge of the center for the first time. It is a little hectic, but I kept things under control without any fatalities. For the most part, the children know now what to do, and how to do it, so they basically run themselves, I just oversaw everything. When MaryBeth's family comes to town in February I will be at the center running things for her- a challenge I am looking forward to. The key is confidence- the children can smell fear and prey on it.
In the evening Kenny, MB, and I were invited to the Maryknoll Sisters' house for dinner along with Fr. Rick and Fr. Dick and two Maryknoll Brothers. They are all interesting people and I enjoyed the conversations. The food was fantastic, too- more or less a Thanksgiving feast with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy.
I have really enjoyed the first 10 days- everything has been low key and fun. Everyday we bring rolls with peanut butter and chips to the center for the kids which is welcome treat for them considering the soup they usually receive is not served during the holiday. The first picture is of Romschel, Sarah, and Daphne outside the center- Daphne really took a liking to Sarah. The second picture is of me and Kenny emptying out the peanut butter into a giant tub. The last picture is at the Maryknoll Sisters' house. The idea of the picture was for everyone to make a silly face- and as you can see, those crazy nuns really know how to be wild.

Thursday in Katutura

2006-12-29T03:36:00.001-05:00

Good Morning!
Today is already Friday... time is flying. My first sunburn has already peeled into a decent tan line and my legs are adjusted to riding a bike all over Windhoek.
Yesterday at the BNC I took another group of 10 kids to the tennis courts and they all did so well. Edelsine has proved to be a big help and, despite her tiny size, is one of the best players- she is great at volleying and even hit a ball past me. (She is the one in the pink on the right side of the photo and there is also one, I think, from the earlier blog) The kids are all fast learners and play in their barefeet or sandals on the scorching hot pavement with rackets that are almost as big as they are. (The other two pictures are of Miraldi and little Ruru, Edelsine's brother.)
As I was about to ride away from the center, a fight broke out between Jennifer and Daniel, two kids who are about 14. Fortunately for Daniel I pulled them apart before Jennifer could inflict any more damage to him aside from a bloody lip. It is hard to break these kids of the habits they have about retalition, revenge, and anger. They can step on broken shards of glass in their bare feet on the way to tennis and just rub some dirt in it and keep going as if nothing happened, but if another child swears them they suddenly become the most sensitive kids in the world.
Hope all is well with you... thank you for the emails!

Teaching

2006-12-28T03:31:00.000-05:00

Good Morning,
I just got word that I have been moved on to the interview stage for the NYC Teaching Fellows. That is definitely very exciting but the problem is that they want to interview me in the next 3 weeks. We shall see what happens. Truthfully, I am not sure where I will be next year- either Teaching, in Law School, in Namibia, or in my mother's basement. All are viable options.
Yesterday was a nice day. We made 100 peanut butter sandwiches for the kids and cut up watermelon. I brought 15 of the kids to the tennis courts to play. This week is nice because no one is in Windhoek and the kids are on holiday so things are more laid back. After the BNC, MB and I played tennis at her club for about 2 hours which was a lot of fun. She can still kick my butt, but we had a lot of good volleys and it was a great workout.
Hope all is well for you...

Back in Namibia

2006-12-27T02:24:00.000-05:00

Good Morning, Everyone....
Well, I landed safely & now i am back in Windhoek. It looks like I will be staying three months this time around. Let me give you a quick rundown of what has been going on since i arrived. The flight from NY was a breeze and I encountered no problems with luggage or delays. When I was in Munich I took the train into downtown and walked around the city for a few hours. It was a sunny day and very exciting to be in a new city. I poked around in some shops, ate bratwurst, admired the germen women, and went to a Beerhouse for a few drinks.
The next morning I was landing in Windhoek and MB was there at the aiport waiting with Rodney, Lovely Rita, Edelsine, Hilde and SALOME! We piled into the little Mercedes Coupe and went back to the house to change then directly to the BNC for soccer. It was great seeing all the kids again!
Sunday was pool day. We brought about 150 kids to the pool- the number would have been a lot higher but many children are away for the holiday. Still, it was loads of fun being in the water and seeing the joy in everyone's eyes. They all got along and were so well behaved. As we were walking to the pool, Romaschel was telling me a story of why the Namibians are so black- he said it was because God put people in the oven to bake them but he fell asleep baking the Namibians and as a result they got burnt black. Out of curiosity, I asked him why I was so white and he said, "Scooter, God took you right out of the refigerator and served you!"
At the pool it was fun helping the kids swim and giving them confidence in the water. Salome came to the deep end with me and within 15 minutes she was keeping herself afloat and soon was swimming. ( I am so proud of her... not only is she a remarkably loving soul, but she is now learning to read so well!)
After the pool, we came home and at night Kenny, (an 18 year old volunteer from Hawaii) and Sarah, (a 34? year old from England) and I went to a local restaurant and had dinner. They are here living at the house only during the holidays and then they are returning home. Both are extremely friendly.
Christmas morning we went to Mass where Fr. Rick (MB's friend and CEO of Catholic Aids Action) was giving Mass. The music was beautiful. From there we drove into Katutura just to stop by Romaschel's house and Salome's house to wish them a Merry Christmas. In the afternoon we were invited to a braai at the house of one of MB's friend's sons. It was a nice time and the house was amazing! As the party wrapped up around 5pm, Alden, the son, suggested we go to the cardboard box, a backpacker's lodge, for drinks. Well, what started out as a few rounds turned into a few more and by midnight, Kenny and I were stumbling our way home.
This week at the BNC will be quiet because many of the kids are away, but we have been giving out food and sweets and enjoying the time.
It is so nice to be back- the five hours a day with the kids is the reason I came back and I am very greatful for it. MB continues to inspire me and her enthusiasm and talent is second to none. I am looking forward to the next few months and the growing experiences to come. Hope all is well wherever you may be.... Merry Christmas.

Pizza! Pizza!

2006-04-07T02:13:00.000-04:00

Hello Again...
Thursday was a nice day. I woke up in the morning a little early and ran off to do some shopping. Susmitha had been asking me for weeks to buy her something to remember me by so I bought her a little wire animal pendant- she seemed to like it. For the seven kids I am bringing to the airport with me I also bought each of them a huge Cadbury candy bar and some biltong (a dried meat snack that is very popular here.) Around 11am I went to the BNC to meet with Abner and work on some math problems. Hopefully he will do well on his test in May, but he does not seem to bestudying his basic multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction skills which is disappointing. I was there to see all the kids arrive and the computer room ran smoothly. At 5pm, I brought Steve and Marloes in to give them a quick tutorial on how things are run. There were about 15 of the kids stuffed into the room with us, "helping" me teach Steve and Marloes. We left around 6pm and Steve drove MB and Marloes back home and I took the bike so I could hang out a few more minutes with the kids. I gave Esme, Dora, Miraldi, and Antonia all rides home before leaving. Antonia, who is about 8, is really sweet (I think I posted a picture of her in one of the first photo blogs) She is tough as nails when it comes to holding her own on the street- she is not afraid of anyone and I have seen her on more than one occasion with a boy in a headlock. She even acts tough around me at first which I think is a defense mechanism. But she will also come up to me and cuddle in my lap, sucking her thumb. She is sooo adorable.
Last night MB, Marloes, Fr. Rick, and I went to an all-you-can-eat pizza place for dinner. The wait was about 30 minutes but once you are in you sit down for 2 hours as pizza is passed around by waiters from table to table. The selection was good and the pizza apparently is one of the better places in Windhoek. For N$32.50 (US$5.50) we stuffed ourselves for two hours. MaryBeth put away 18 slices of pizza- breaking her old record by one. I went piece to piece with her for awhile but at one point I looked over and she had about six slices piled on her plate. Although I lost count, I think I finished somewhere around 15-16 slices. The waiters would passby with a pie of pizza and MB would wave them over and before they could say what type of pizza they were offering, she had one piece in her mouth and another on her plate. She is crazy.
We got home and organized some clothes to give away to the kids at the BNC today. We are going to play Bingo for Sweets and have a raffle to give out the clothes and stay late at the BNC. Other than that all I have to do is pack, do soccer tomorrow, and say goodbye! :-( This is my last blog to be written in Namibia, but I will update my blog on Monday or Tuesday morning in NY to talk about my goodbyes with the little kiddies.
Have a great weekend!

The First Goodbyes

2006-04-06T02:43:00.000-04:00

Hello again...
Yesterday we went to the Pink Kindergarten for the last time. Many of the kids are sweet, but saying goodbye was not hard- except perhaps for the realization that I will be saying goodbye to the BNC soon. Having only been to the Pink Kindergarten once a week, and even then not every week, I never really developed an attachment for the place. Plus, it was more of a school environment with me helping MB with crowd control and handing things out- I am not trained to teach and therefore was not that useful there to begin with. That being said, I did get to know a few of the kids there and I did have a nice time when I went. I invited Martha, the teacher there who is about my age, out to dinner last night to say goodbye. We had a nice time, and it was nice spending some time with her outside the classroom.
At the BNC we had a good day with computer games, soccer, and singing. Those kids are extra special and make every other program in Namibia seem boring. All the kids I invited to the airport have kept quiet and it looks like all 7 will be able to go with me. Little Esme is a doll... I am more and more impressed with her each and every day. In the evenings as I get on my bike to go home I first ride her a block away to her house. She is so cute the way she smiles the whole way and points her house out to me (even though I have brought her there 1,000 times) and then she jumps off the bike and goes running away laughing and smiling, forgetting to say goodbye! I will miss her a lot.
Hope all is well at home, have a great day!

Changing of the Guard

2006-04-05T02:23:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone...
The past few days I have been trying to enjoy where I am at a little more and enjoying the company around me. At home I have spent time with Michael, Sebastian, and Mark which has been nice. Last night Mark and I staye dup till about 130am talking and listening to music. Hopefully the three of us and Steve will be able to go out Thursday night and hang out together. I have made some nice friends here and consider myself lucky to have been here at the time I was and living with the roommates I have had.
Yesterday before the BNC I walked into the city of Windhoek to do some window shopping and walk around Independence Avenue which is the main drag. I have driven through it a few times but never really spent anytime downtown so it was nice to browse the shops, stop in a park for a coffee, and just look around a little more. That section of Windhoek is somewhat cosmopolitan. It was nice spending time there alone and just wandering around.
My "replacement" just arrived from the Netherlands yesterday. Her name is Marloes and she is about my age. Talking with her in the morning, she had a few questions about what to expect at the BNC and I told her the kids were fine and that after a few weeks she would get used to them running up to her with spears screaming "White Devil!" and that it actually becomes endearing after awhile. In the evening we gathered in the living room with chips and drinks to officially welcome her to the house but she was so tired from the flight that she ended up going to bed soon after.
The BNC has been nice the past few days. Yesterday I taught Brian, Daniel, Ricardo and a few other boys the basics of baseball and I pitched a little ball to them and they practiced hitting it with a stick. They were enthusiastic about it and now I wish I would have brought a wiffle ball bat along with me.
I have invited the seven kids I will be taking to the airport with me and all were happy to be invited. I am worried that their excitement will result in them telling other kids and then the rest will be upset so I have asked them to keep it quiet. "Don't tell a soul, not even God in your prayers tonight," I told each of them. When I told Salome that she said with a straight face, "But God already knows." There are many other kids I would like to take but I had to draw a line in the sand somewhere.
Everyday when I ride my bike into the BNC I am greeted with shouts of "Scooter!" and "Hello!" and receive many hugs on my walk up the path. I have not reached MaryBeth status yet, but it is so nice to turn in eight different directions and see smiling faces. I do feel I have made a memorable impression on many of these kids, but I do wonder whether they will remember me as long as I will remember them. I don't say that looking for sympathy or words of encouragement, but the reality is that people come and people go in their lives, and I am one of those people. Leaving them behind will be sad but it is inevitable- whether it be Saturday or nine months from now, eventually I would have had to leave. Regardless of how long their memories last, mine will be with me for a lifetime. Returning home allows me to help these kids in other ways too, like sending equipment to MB, making money to send down for pool parties and supplies, and improving my education so I might be able to help these kids (and kids like them) on a larger scale. That being said, nothing beats giving Salome a huge hug at the end of the day and whispering in her ear "Nam si da" (I love you) knowing I will see her tomorrow...

In preparing to leave, I have written a list of computer room rules for which ever volunteer is running the room. These are just a few basic rules that help the computer room run a little smoother. Aside from a few minor changes, these are the rules as the stand:

1.) Please arrive at the time you have been given. You are responsible for arriving at your time, if you miss it or arrive late, sorry. It’s called responsibility… look into it!

2.) Please stand up from your computer and leave quietly when your time is up.

3.) Please keep the volume of your voices and the computers to a minimum.

4.) If you have a problem with your computer, it is probably because you broke it so please tell whoever is in charge of the computer room.

5.) Not everyone will be given the opportunity to go to the computer room everyday, there is just not enough space for all you little bastards.

6.) Leave the computer room as you found it, you mangy scavengers.

7.) First come, first served with the games. If you do not like the games available to you, that is fine, there is someone else waiting outside who will gladly play the game for you.

8.) Don’t like your time? Tough shit.

9.) If you hang around the computer room before or after your allotted time, your name will be erased from the list. You must find something productive to do in between your computer time. Possible activities include, but are not limited to reading, playing a puzzle, playing soccer, peddling stolen goods, vandalizing the property, and tormenting the neighborhood.

10.) No fighting, pouting, yelling, swearing or complaining, unless your aggression is directed towards an ugly child.

11.) If you are not willing to share, then do not come to the computer room.

12.) ABSOLUTELY NO food, drinks, soup, candy, ices, or any other sweets are allowed in the computer room at any time!

13.) White children are given priority over colored children, colored over black, and Damara over Herrero.

14.) Females are second class citizens everywhere in Namibia, even in the computer room at the BNC.

15.) If you smell funny, you will be escorted out of the room.

16.) All children are equal, some more than others.

17.) Have fun!!!!!!!!

My Last Weekend

2006-04-03T03:16:00.001-04:00

Hello... the clocks have been turned back and the weather seems to be just a little colder now in the mornings. Considering how Namibia is just 20 degrees south of the equator, the temperature really is not all that hot, and they say the winters actually get cold- close to freezing at night. I am actually dealing with a sore throat that is either the result of the changing weather or the dry air- or more likely a combination of the two.
Everything is going well here. Friday was at the BNC and after 5pm we played another soccer game, but because there were only 4 adults who showed up, we just let the kids play with the adults split between the two teams. My beloved pumpkins insisted that I play on their time, and I obliged. They play soccer like bees swarming a nest... it is more or less a horde of girls around the ball, but they laugh and smile the whole time. Afterwards I played on the older boys team in a second game and I played horribly. In fact, the next day one of the guys, Brian who is about 14, came up to me and said, "You played really bad yesterday!" It is not that I had a bad game per se, it's that the previous two weeks I had exceptional games.
Friday night was a quiet, enjoyable evening. MB was housesitting for a friend, Michael went away for the weekend and Mark was on a date so Sebastian and I had dinner (Tobias, who no longer lives here, welcomed himself to some of it anywa) and afterwards we watched "The Groomsmen" which is one of the lamest comedies I have ever seen. The only reason we watched it is because there is no TV in this house (fortunately) and Sebastian found the movie on an external harddrive so we put it on.
Saturday was once again soccer day. The day was long, but enjoyable. I finished referreeing my games around 4pm but MB had one more to do so while she was doing that, I hung out with Wendy, Salome, Romashal, Antonia, and a few others. After the games, as the sun was setting, we walked back to the BNC to get our bikes and the kids followed. It was nice hanging out with them outside the center and MB gave them all sweets. I think the weekends can be rough for the kids sometimes because there is little to do and the adults are drinking more. A few days earlier I had taught Romashal the "Pull My Finger" joke where you pull a persons finger and fart. As we were sitting outside Romashal told me he done it to his little sister, Charlotte, the night before. My eyes filled with tears of pride and joy to think that I really have had a lasting effect on these children.
Saturday night was also low-key. We had talked about going out but instead just had Tim, Karina, Katrin, and AnnaKaren over for the evening. We tried to order pizza around 830pm but the pizzeria said they could not take any orders-they had run out of cheese!! Typical Namibia... The evening was nice, we sat around talking and dancing a little bit. This is a fun group to hang out with, and Germany is definately one of the places I would like to go and see.
Sunday was also very mellow. Mark, Sebastian, and I walked to the grocery store to pick up meat and things for a braai. We invited Steve over and the four of us sat on the front patio for a few hours and ate, talked, and relaxed. In the evening I cleaned up a little, folded laundry, read and then watched a movie with those two.
Hopefully all is well (and warm) back at home in the states. I look forward to catching up with everyone when I get home. So you know, I will likely update the blog a few more times here, but also when I get home I will write a few entries over the next month reflecting on my trip.

Why Namibia is a Third World Country...

2006-03-31T02:51:00.000-05:00

Good morning, all...
Thursday was a full day. In the morning I met up with Abner at the BNC to help tutor him in math. His math comprehension is basic to say the least, but he seems to be grasping concepts and appears to have the desire to get better. We worked for two hours on basic algebra concepts and then I made up a bunch of questions for him to work on. He has a long rode ahead of him, but hopefully he can stick with it. Abner left as the kids arrived and I spent the day with them in the computer room, as usual.
As I was walking some of the kids out of the center at 5pm, some guy turned into the center, radio blasting and he nearly hit a few of the kids, then he rolled his window down and began lecturing them on staying out of his way. Turns out this guy is the husband of Tina who runs the BNC. Tina is a sweet middle aged woman who apparently has married the world's biggest jerk. As the guy was lecturing the kids on "not hanging out" I interrupted him and said the kids were leaving the center to go home and maybe he should have considered slowing down when pulling into an area full of kids. "Well, they shouldn't be by the gate!" he grumbled to which I said, "Did you ever consider the kids have to pass through the gate to leave?" He grumbled some more and pulled his car in, picked Tina up, then left, pointing out the window and grumbling some more to Tina as he drove away. He must feel like a big man belittling eight year olds.
MB stayed late at the center to help tutor Abner in English and I had intended on riding home alone but ended up sitting outside with Salome, Antonia, Innocentia, and Tete. Since the security guard on patrol arrived to the center buzzed and without his gun, he asked me to guard the place while he went home and got his gun. I had no problem sticking around with the four girls and we played "Sa" (which is the Damara version of tag) and I let them go back in the center and run around on the jungle gym for awhile. It is so nice to see the kids running around and smiling endlessly at the simplest things. We finally said goodnight around 730pm.
Last night was Kristen's last night in Namibia and she took a 7am flight back to Germany this morning. About ten of us piled into a van and drove to a bar to say goodbye to her. We showed up and they wouldn't let me in because I had shorts on so we had to call Steve, who was on his way, to bring me a pair of his pants. They were a baggy pair of loose fitting windpants. The bar was crowded and someone stole my camera from right out of my pocket. That was extremely irritating and though a camera can be replaced, it just reingnited frustrations I have had with parts of the culture here. Nothing is safe in this country and if you value something, you should have it under lock and key. Granted, I should not have taken something expensive to a bar, but it is not just the kleptomania that irritates me. I have continually sensed a lack of motivation in the people here, as well as laziness, irresponsibility, and disrespect for other people. If they have garbage in their hands, it is easier to throw it on the ground the throw it away. Namibian time seems to be on anywhere from 30mins to two hours delay. If you are told to pick something up in 45 minutes, you are better served to show up an hour and a half later when they are finishing it. They constantly seem to do things that make things worse for themselves whether its crime, vandalism, intoxication, or corruption. Not to mention how the lack of love and responsibility they take with the children. It is a viscious cycle that passes from one generation to the next and that will always keep Namibia a third world country. You can argue about the debilitating foreign policy of the US, China, and others or the effects of colonialism all you want but at some point there has to be culpability placed on the people who actually live here. As 21% of the population in Namibia is dealing with AIDS, the government is constructing a giant mansion on a hill in Windhoek to house the former president of the country. The whole situation is aggravating and there does not seem to be any reason to expect things to change. That being said, I would still come back here because of the children and the potential I see in them, if they can be lucky enough to overcome their environment.

On a lighter note, it was sad saying goodbye to Kristen. She was a lot of fun to hang out with for the past seven weeks and she will be missed around the house. She was a great roomate and now that I have no one else to blame the snoring on, I think MB will realize it was me all along.

Weekday Update

2006-03-30T03:08:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone, it is a grey, rainy morning here in Dublin, er, Windhoek. The past few days have been nice with no major updates or happenings, but I will still ramble on ad nausem about the slightest little details since that is what you have come to expect.
Tuesday was just the BNC in the afternoon and it was another day in the computer lab. When I leave, I think I will feel satisfied that if nothing else, I helped establish the computer room as a place where the kids can go have fun and learn at the same time. At night we celebrated Mark´s birthday with a nice BBQ, beer, and cheap vodka. Everyone got together and bought him a little chess set which he seemed to appreciate. It was a nice evening with lots of drinking.
Wednesday morning was a little tough considering the night before, but like any dedicated volunteer, I pushed on and went to the Pink Kindergarten in the morning with MB. We worked in martha´s classroom teaching the kids colors and shapes and playing memory with them. Some of the kids are very bright. In the afternoon we went to the BNC and had another nice day. Last night was very quiet at the house and I spent most of it reading my book. Only 950 pages to go!
I got news via email that I was accepted into Hofstra Law School in Long Island. It is exciting to know I have options when it comes to deciding which school to attend. Still no word on Fordham and Villanova- but those are long shots. Hope all is well, I need to run and help tutor Abner in math. Have a great day!

Monday, Monday

2006-03-28T03:01:00.000-05:00

Good Morning,
Monday was a regular day with regular activities. In the morning I did some grocery shopping with Marc and read some of "The Power Broker" by Robert A. Caro which is a biography on Robert Moses- it is interesting, but a loooong book- over 1100 pages.
At the BNC I did the computer room with the kids and all went well. Quincy, that little girl I mentioned yesterday was in the computer room the whole time reading quietly to herself. She must have read atleast 30 children's books that afternoon! She is a very smart little girl, hopefully that intelligence will be nurtured, though I doubt it. The 4pm time slot was occupied by Wendy, Salome, Charlotte and Suzmita- I am worried that one of these days the kids are going to catch on that Salome is in there almost everyday at 4pm!
After we saw the kids out the door at 5, a young Namibian named Abner who is 22 came to the BNC for help in preparing for his grade 10 examination. The education system here is pretty bad and every child is passed along through grade 10 and if they fail the grade 10 examination they are dropped from school. This guy Abner was dropped but he seems to have the desire to learn what he needs to know to eventually graduate in a few years. For the next two weeks I will try to help him out and give him some advice, but a lot of the burden is resting on his shoulders. I hope he can achieve this because graduating grade 12 is a huge boost to your employment opportunities here.
Leaving the BNC around 630pm, a group of kids ran up to me on my bike and I stayed and chatted with them for a bit. They are so much fun and as I have said before, I'd stay all night and hang out with them if I could.
The evening was very relaxed and quiet, which was nice. Today is Marc's birthday so I doubt it will be as quiet as last night.
Hope all is well at home... talk to you soon!

Weekend Update

2006-03-27T01:48:00.000-05:00

Good morning, Everyone!
All is going well here in Windhoek. I haven't updated the blog in a few days and I have some good music playing on my iPod so this might get a little long winded.
Friday was a very busy day. In the morning we went to the Bridge school which is a 30 minute bike ride from the house and considering my the brakes on my bike rub the tire, it is a long ride! Regardless, it is a good workout and for the first hour at the Bridge school we do excercises and calisthenics with the kindergartners. Afterwards we played two hours of basketball with the girls. The kids there are friendly and if I spent more time there I am sure I would have developed some good relationships with them.
Speaking of good relationships, we left the Bridge school and headed to the BNC around 1pm. It is fun riding from the Bridge school to the BNC because we ride through Katutura and along the way you constantly hear some little one shouting "MaryBeth!" Occasionally I even hear "Scooter!" which is nice. A few blocks away from the BNC two girls, Quincy and Elfride (see photo), shouted at me so I stopped the bike and let them climb aboard and gave them a ride to the center.
At the center, I worked with the kids in the computer room- they really have done well with it lately and for the most part I can leave them unattended in the room, just checking in occasionally to make sure the computers are working. When signing kids up for the computer room, I have everyone line up against the wall outside (usually atleast 30 kids) and I make a schedule starting with the kids who haven't been in the computer room lately. I always reserve 4pm (the last time slot and because of that it often last longer than than the standard 1/2 hour) for my favorites- it gives me something to look forward to! Not surprisingly, Salome, Wendy, and Esmi often work together at 4pm.
As we were beginning to finish things up around 4:30 to head to the soccer field for another Volunteers vs. Kids soccer game, a fight broke out at the center. Gideon (a 20 year old neighborhood kid who helps serve soup and hangs out at the center) and some drunk guy began going at it near the entrance of the BNC, each of them with a stone in their hand and the drunk guy had a broken glass bottle. I told Gideon not to do anything stupid and to walk away but when he refused to back down, I told him to take it outside and to get away from the kids. They made it to the street, still circling each other, and many of the kids had ran up to watch at this point so I walked up to the two and tried to break it up before it got really crazy, but just as I pushed the two apart, Gideon threw a punch that busted the guy's lip and blood started pouring out. That was more or less the extent of the fight and Gideon came back into the BNC but the drunk guy followed him it, blood pouring out of his face. MB was a calming influence and defused the situation from escalating as she stepped forward and tended to the guy's wounds and calmed both parties down. This behavior, though the first that I have seen first hand here, is all too common in Katutura- men being irresponisble and bad role models for the kids. These kids are so smart and such loving souls, but their environment is going to destroy that. Many of the adults the encounter are horrible role models but unfortunately have the most lasting influence on many of them. It is not worth helping people who don't help themselves- I have no respect for people like that.
The day did get better though! We ended up playing soccer against the girls then the boys for over two hours. I really enjoy playing soccer- even if it is with a flat ball on a gravel field. The game against the boys was fun and competitive and they won 4-3. We played until the sun went down and we couldn't see anymore. Walking back to the BNC to get our bikes, MB and I were surrounded by kids who wanted to stay and hang out instead of going home- I was one of those kids! By the time we got home from the BNC around 8pm I was exhausted from all the sports and riding that I cooked some dinner, showered and hung out with the housemates for a bit then went to bed.
Saturday was soccer day as usual. It is an all day activity from 9-5 and I referred four boys games. The little boys games can be a little tedious but when the teenagers play it is usually a good game and fun to watch. Along with MB and I, there are a few other guys who help referree and coach the teams. Coach Willum is a Namibian guy who coaches 5 teams that play throughout the day. He is a really nice guy and one of the few Namibian men I have encountered who is a great role model. He has a great attitude and shows respect for others. Coach Lemmy is another good guy, but I have not had much interaction with him. The past two weeks aguy that MB plays soccer with on Sundays has come to the field to help out- his name is Eddie. He is originally from Tanzania but lives in Windhoek now and he is a great guy and another excellent role model.
After soccer ended, MB and some errands to run so I went with her in the pickup truck. We delivered some clothes to Martha at the Pink Kindergarten and then went back to Katutura to drop off food that Father Wayne (the owner of the pickup truck) buys every month for a little girl who is sick with AIDS and her family. Returning to Katutura was fun as many kids came running up to the truck to say hello, including Wendy and Esmi :-) Most of the kids live near each other so there are plenty of neighborhood children running around and playing.
Saturday night the housemates and I, along with about 5 others went out to a few clubs. The clubs were really empty but we had a nice time all the same. Alcohol makes me a great dancer and at one point I was in the middle of the dance floor circled by a group of Namibians dancing with some Namibian girl. I probably look like a fool, but it is fun having laughs with everyone. We got back around 3am and I passed out on the couch.
Sunday was very relaxing. I slept late, cooked some eggs for Sebastian and myself and then the housemates and I went over to Steve the Australian's hotel for a pool party. The sun didn't really come out so there was not much swimming but we had a nice BBQ and were there until about 6pm. Steve is a really nice guy who is here for a few months doing work with the Commonwealth Games. His work is done on April 12 and afterwards he has planned a 36 day tour from Cape Town, South Africa to Dar Es Salaam. From there he mentioned climbing Kilimanjaro and then probably heading further north toward Europe even.
There is not much time left here for me and I am trying to decide how I want to spend my last day here with the kids. I think I will have a little party at the center with all of them on Friday after 5pm and then on Saturday after soccer when I drive to the airport I will take about 5-10 of my favorites with me for the drive. I will really miss these kids. I am happy to see family and friends but truly sad to think I will not be with these children. It is a special feeling to have so much unconditional love. The dancing, the germans, and the sights have all been fun and memorable but Wendy, Salome (pictured), et al have touched my heart.

Back at the BNC

2006-03-24T00:32:00.000-05:00

Good morning, everyone...
The past few days have been quiet compared to the weekend of sightseeing but it has been nice to be back in Windhoek. I did not go to the morning programs this week and my days were actually quiet outside the time spent at the BNC. The computer room is beginning to have a flow and routine to it which makes it more enjoyable for the kids and less stressful for me. It was really nice to ride my bike up and see the children on Wednesday. I have been riding the bike to the BNC and when I ride I listen to my iPod which the kids adore so I let them take turns listening to it. I put a song on repeat and let it play and play as they pass it around. (For some reason I feel I have written about this before... if so, I apologise, but reading the blog is probably more interesting than sharpening pencils at work so humor me and keep reading.) Feelin' Groovy is, of course, very popular, but they also love Bob Marley so I play "No Woman No Cry" for them a lot. For Martha I play the Beatles' song "Martha My Dear" and yesterday I played "Lovely Rita" for Rita and she loved it. Susmitha (apparently that's how you spell it... not Suzmita) wanted to hear a song with her name in it. She settled for hearing "Wake Up Little Susie" and when the chorus came and the Everly Brothers sing "Wake up little Susie" she giggled and said "They are saying my name!" She is adorable.
The bike is also popular and when I am leaving I give a few kids a ride around the center. So between running the computer room, the iPod, and the bicycle, the kids are often wanting to be around me which is nice, even if it takes an iPod to make friends!
Last night Mark, Michael, Kristen, and I went to El Cubano for some drinks. It was a quiet night at the bar and a little pricey but the conversation was nice. Oh, I come to find out that the landlord of the East Germans is renovating the apartment and painted their bedrooms white and when the two saw their rooms were white, complained that they preferred off-white because plain white was too bright, and the landlord repainted it for them. They are only going to be here until July and they are putting up a fuss... I should just let it go but man do they get under my skin!
Despite those two, everything else here is going great and I am really enjoying myself and wish all of you could get the opportunity to come and see Namibia for yourselves. I am off to get ready for the day- hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe, and the Past Weekend

2006-03-22T04:45:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone... I am back from a great trip to the Atlantic coast and really enjoyed myself. I tried to post two blogs before I left but the server was down so this blog will be long as I will update everything from Thursday on... get comfortable.

Thursday was a great day with lots of things accomplished. Being Mb's personal assistant, I was assigned to do some grocery shopping for her in the morning and therefore skipped the Hakehanna kindergarten. She is hosting a prayer meeting tonight and a St. Patrick's Day party on Sunday so she had a lot of cooking to do. After the chores I road the bicycle to the BNC and went back into the computer room- the kids love it, but they can be a little overwhelming with their enthusiasm and excitement.
At 5pm, when we close the BNC for the day, the kids and a bunch of us adults went down to the soccer fields to play a kids vs. volunteers game. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves- as did I. The first game was volunteers against my beloved Pumpkins and the girls did great running around laughing. Then the boys played us which was a close game, which we ended up winning 1-0 but the competition was great. After the two games I was dripping in sweat to the amusement of the kids who wanted to know why I poured water all over my shirt. MB and I then rode our bicycles home, something I really enjoy because it is a nice final workout for the end of the day and the evenings are nice and cool. There is talk of doing this type of soccer game once a week which should be really fun.
Last night I boiled pasta for Sebastian, Michael, and myself and it turned out pretty good. Then Tim, Karina, and AnnaKaren showed up- they are two Germans and a Swede, all very nice people who are volunteering in Katutura as well. MB received about 15 bags of books (70lb mail bags) which were donated from the US by various people and we all spent last night organizing them into four piles- teacher's books, storybooks for little kids, books for older kids, and useless books that were too old, too irrelevant, or too inappropriate. Among the books deemed too inappropriate were "Johnny Loves Apartheid," "Fun with Electricity," "101 Things to Do with a Box Cutter," and "Teletubbies March in the St. Patrick's Day Parade."
I have come to be a little concerned that MB might have a substance abuse problem- I think she is a cocaine addict. :-) Her high energy level was always amazing, but this morning I woke up to find her wide awake (which she never is at 6:30am) and I come to find out she didn't go to sleep last night. (Binging?) She spent the whole night organizing more books, cleaning, cooking, etc. The twisted thing is I am more tired than she is and after a full day of work today she is hosting her prayer dinner... I don't know how she is going to do it...

Friday was a busy day. MB and I rode our bikes to the Bridge School which is twice as far as the BNC, so it is a great workout to start the day. There we did little relay races with the little kids and then did a soccer game with the older kids afterwards. I am beginning to recognize more and more faces there which makes showing up on Fridays more exciting. The teachers there are very nice and are enthusiastic about MB helping out there; Ingrid works with the little children and Queenie works with the older children. At the BNC there was a big delegation of people from US A.I.D. there which apparently is a major source of funding for Catholic Aids Action, which is the group that runs theBNC andfourteen other after school programs across Namibia. All that to say that there were about 20 important people there roaming around for about an hour looking at how the center was run and observing the kids. To me it sort of felt like watching fish in a bowl, "Oh, look at the little African children!" but I guess in a way I do the same thing- these people atleast donate millions of dollars. We left right at 5pm because MB was hosting a prayer meeting and needed to get back home. Unfortunately for us, it was cold and raining at 5pm so we had to ride home in the rain- needless to say we were drenched. The weather here has been weird the past two days with overcast skies. Since I have been here the has been rain, but usually just pockets of rain the intense sun again, but these few days it has just been cool, overcast, and rainy.
Last night we went across the street to check out the restaurant that is being built hoping to score some more free food but it was a bust and there was little food to be had. From there we skipped over to Tobias' house and ordered some pizzas. He is roomates with those lovely East Germans and when we showed up and sat down, they came out of their rooms, sat down and said hello... then immediately mentioned they still needed their N$35 from Michael and me. Michael and I were both taken back a bit at their bluntness, but I just gave them their money. I am a non-confrontational guy so I paid; but the way I see it, I paid N$35 ($6.50 American) to never have to deal with those two weasels again. Michael was a bit more forward and told them straight up that he refused to pay because he thought what they did was wrong. In hindsight I wish I would have done the same, but as I said, atleast I am done with those two. That sort of set the mood for the evening for me and after eating pizza at Tobias' house, Michael, Sebastian, and I went home around 11pm. Tobias's house is being worked renovated and sort of feels like a prison or a cage so I was just as happy to come home and go to bed.
Saturday was a full day of soccer once again, but this week I was exiled to the little boys. They bicker a lot and being only 4-7 yrs old, they lose interest very quickly and end up loafing around on the field. Needless to say, I lose interest as well. After soccer we went to the BNC to get our bikes and about 30 kids came with us so we let them in and played Bingo for sweets for 2 hours. It was nice spending extra time with them. Lately, I have been letting kids listen to my iPod and I put one song on loop and it gets passed around. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) and No Woman No Cry are the two popular ones. When Martha wants to listen I put on Martha My Dear by the Beatles- she loves it. They also love when I let them ride on the bike with me up and down the street. Saturday night Rick, MB's friend, invited us to Taal for Indian food and it was great. A friend of Ricks named Tim is in from Seattle for the week and he was there too. He is a nice guy who works for Maryknoll I believe and is considering moving down here. MB and I finally rode our bikes home around 930pm and after a quick shower I joined Sebastian, Mark, and Kristen at a lounge for drinks and then we met up with Michael and had another drink at some down-n-out blues bar which was pretty lame, but an interesting experience.
We decided to take our trip to Swakopmund from Sunday morning to Tuesday night because Tim, Karina, and AnnaKaren were able to borrow a van from a co-worker for free and so Kristen and I will all go with them and Tobias and Katrin to save a little money. The trip should be a great!

So those were the earlier two postings... feel free to get up and stretch, grab a drink, or go to the bathroom and when you get back I will tell you about my trip. Go ahead, I can wait, take your time...

Welcome back... I might be a little long winded (surprise) but I am just going to let my fingers start typing. Sunday morning Kristen and I were picked up around 7am and the 7 of us packed into the van and drove to Swakopmund which is a coastal resort town on the Atlantic Ocean. The drive goes mainly through the desert but with the mountains the scenery is still beautiful. We got to Swakopmund around midday, checked into a backpackers lodge and walked to the beach. The beach area is very nice and after playing a little soccer and relaxing, Karina convinced me to go in the water with her. The water was very very cold... like an ice chest. I thought that if I went under the water and came up I would acclimate myself to the temperature- that didn't work as planned and I froze! Karina convinced me to stay in the water and after swimming around enough, I got use to the water after about 30 minutes and we swam out far then swam back in- it was a good workout. After a little more time on the beach AnnaKaren, Tobias and I went to a beachside restaurant and had a beer looking out over the ocean. From there a few of us walked to an Aquarium which was a bust... little to see. We then headed back to the lodge to shower and head out for dinner. I was the only one who didn't get burned at the beach. We had dinner at the same place we had a beer earlier and though the service was slow, the food was good, cheap, and the portions were huge. I had an enormous burger that looked like a Dagwood sandwich with French Fries, Calimari, and a milkshake. We were all pretty tired the first night and just went back to the lodge and went to bed.
Monday we woke up early and took a dolphin tour which was great. It was a small, cozy boat with just 8 people so it was very personal and up close and the captain was super friendly. We saw dolphins, sea lions (or seals.. I forget which is which) and two of the seals jumped into the boat to be fed. We also pelicans, thousands of other birds and a nice tour of the coastline. At the end we had a bottle of champagne provided on the tour and oysters. It was very cool and cruising around the boat in the ocean was so relaxing. Afterwards we all went our seperate ways and did shopping, went to the beach, etc. Later on Tobias and I went to an antique shop which had a lot of cool little artifacts but it was a bit pricey.
Just before sunset we went to a beachside bar which faced the coast and we watched the sunset over the Atlantic... it was a beautiful sight. Looking out I looked to the Northwest and felt close to Montauk, and New York.
For dinner that night we ate at the Tug, which is an old beached tugboat that serves seafood. I had Kingclipper with roasted potatoes. It was delicious. Afterwards Tim, Tobias, Kristen, AnnaKaren and myself went to a few bars but found no nightlife. It was a holiday weekend (Namibian independence day is March 21) but there was nothing exciting going on in the town.
On Tuesday we went to see Flamingos and walked up the sand dunes in the morning and around noonweleft Swakopmund for Spitzekoppe which is a mountain about an hour West of Swakopmund. It is in a very isolated place and the views were breath taking. The mountain was formed from a volcano millions of years ago and the rock is smooth. We found a pool of water in one part that we relaxed next to for a few hours. Tim, Katrin, and I climbed to the top of a smaller rock pile (a few hundred feet high) and the views looking out into the desolate part of Africa were breathtaking. I really liked it there and camping would have been fun had we the time and appropriate gear. There is a super small village outside of the park area where we had to buy gas from a store. The gas came in buckets and had to be siphoned into the car.
We got back Tuesday night and I was very happy with the experience but just as glad to be back "home" and I am looking forward to seeing the children today. With a little over two weeks to go before returning to NY, I am beginning to realize how much I will miss the children. There was talk of staying in Swakopmund another day, but I am glad to be back with the kids instead.

A Simple Day

2006-03-16T02:34:00.000-05:00

Good morning!
I have the morning off because MB asked me to run some errands for her so I figured I would write a quick note. Yesterday was an easy day, I was only at the BNC working in the computer room. Sebastian came with me and fixed another computer so now there are four fully operational computers in the room with working keyboards, mice, and speakers! The down side of that is the kids quickly found out how to adjust the sound so now Arthur and Reader Rabbit are being blasted from every computer.
Yesterday, Suzmita gave me a beautiful handmade card with a handmade envelope telling me I was her "true friend" and that she loved me. It was very sweet. I got home a little earlier than usual and relaxed, finished reading a book, and made dinner with Sebastian. He is a lot of fun and a nice guy to hang out with and he was telling me about Hamburg which is where he is from. Being surrounded by Germans has raised my interest in German history and culture and I hope to someday make it over there. Hamburg sounds beautiful.

On a side note, I just got word that I was accepted to Pace Law School in White Plains, NY. I was fairly confident about the acceptance, but they offered me a very generous scholarship as well which was a nice surprise. Though I have yet to hear back from the other three schools, with the news I heard today, Pace is likely the place I will end up.

Hope all is well at home. Talk to you soon...

The Past Few Days

2006-03-15T01:35:00.000-05:00

Hello, All...
The past few days have been enjoyable. Monday was just the BNC which was nice. Wendy apologized for her behavior on Saturday which made me happy- hugs heal all wounds. I have been in the computer room over much of the last week trying to get a system going in there. The kids really enjoy the computer and there is always a long line waiting outside the door to sign up for a half hour timeslot. The computers are from last century so you can imagine they are a little slow and each one has its kinks. Fortunately Sebastian is an I.T. guy so he helps with all our problems.
Monday night Sebastian and I took the bikes out for another ride and we decided we would take a flatter route this time as the past two times we had dealt with a grueling hill. Unfortunately, Windhoek is virtually in the mountains so there are hills everywhere and that night we hit the mother of all hills... my lungs were on fire and my legs were like jelly after riding up the hill.
Tuesday I ran some chores in the morning, one of which was taking the truck to be cleaned because the owner of it, MB's friend Fr. Wayne, is returning from the States after two months and the truck had been trampled on by kids while he was away. Driving was an interesting experience as everything is on the opposite side, just like England. In the afternoon I headed over to the BNC and did more work in the computer room. Afterwards MB and I went to play tennis... she won 6-1, 6-1. Despite what the score may imply, we play many good volleys and both get a good workout. As we left on the bikes for home I noticed I had a flat tire... it seems everyday one of these bikes gets a flat tire from these pricker bushes that are everywhere.
Last night Isabel, a girl who works at the BNC with us, invited me, Mark, Sebastian, and Kristen to her house for her roommate's birthday party. Her roomates are a lot older than her and all the people were speaking German (surprise!) but it was still nice. If I didn't know better I would think the Germans were trying to revive colonialism here in Namibia. We got home around midnight and Mark, Kristen and I hung out in the living room for a couple of hours chatting and listening to music.
We are getting ready for a trip this weekend to Swakopmund and Spitzkoppe from Friday night until Tuesday which should be a lot of fun. Swakopmund is the coastal "resort" town here with sand dunes, beaches, boat rides, and quad biking. Spitzkoppe is a mountain in the desert which is apparently gorgeous and I am sure the stargazing is great.
Hope all is well at home. Thank you all for your emails... keep them coming!! (jmcken82@hotmail.com)

Cheetah Farm

2006-03-13T01:05:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,
Here is a "short" update on the past few days. Friday we were at the Bridge School in the morning playing basketball with the boys. We are trying to switch boys and girls between soccer and basketball so that neither one is associated with just boys or girls and so that the kids expand their horizons. The picture is of the boys playing basketball. Paul, the evangelical Christian is there, as well as Emmanuel (blue shirt) who is about my age and very helpful with the kids. In the afternoon we had a good day at the BNC and the kids were fun. Friday evening Sebastian, Mark, Kristen and I went across the street to where they are building a new restaurant and every Friday they have drinks and sampler foods laid out amongst the construction and the head chef/owner is there mingling. It seems like the place will be very nice and he hopes to open in four weeks. I am hoping he opens within four weeks so I can try it out. Friday night there were a large number of us hanging out on the front porch drinking and socializing. It was a nice evening and since we didn't go out dancing, I saved a little money. Most of the people we hang out with are German but they all make an attempt to speak in English so Michael and I can understand.
Saturday was soccer day. I was referreing soccer from 930am until almost 7pm at night. The sun is intense but I lathered up pretty good with sunscreen and protected my face with another shirt so I did not burn though I was filthy from all the dirt and extremely exhausted when I got home. I barely made it through dinner and a shower before falling asleep. The same cast of characters came over Saturday night but I took a raincheck and went to bed. All in all, the soccer was fun, but the Pumpkins, the cute girls team I brag so much about, was extremely disappointing and their attitudes on Saturday sucked. Alfrida, the oldest and one of the better players on account of her size, always has an attitude yet her team reveres her because of her talent. She quit on her team during the game and left the field because they were losing and then tried to come back on later in the game. When I refused to let her play, telling her that her attitude was rubbish and she could not play anymore, the team got mad at me for enforcing rules. The worst part of the day was how only six girls actually played the whole game, the rest had walked off the field, including Wendy which was especially disappointing. They let me down.
So then came Sunday and our visit to the Cheetah farm. The cheetah farm is about an hour drive from Windhoek to the north and we all piled into the pickup truck for the ride. There were 10 of us in total, with eight in the back of the pickup truck. The picture to the left is Kristen in the back of the truck flying down the highway. It is funny how riding with your ass hanging out the back of a pickup truck going 120km down a highway seems reckless in America but for some reason it seems safe in Namibia. The ride up was beautiful and the sun was shining and the land is still very green even though the rainy season appeared to be over. I say appeared to be because as we would soon find out, the rainy season was still in full force.
The cheetah farm is 18km off the highway down a dirt road. The ride down the dirt road was scenic and adventurous. We saw baboons, warthogs, wildebeest, and two oryx fighting in the middle of the road. All the animals were extremely close. The oryx I find to be very beautiful- they are similar to deer but grey and black and bigger with long pointed horns. We even had to slush our way through two streams. The ride was very scenic and was very close to the mountains and it looked like it would be a beautiful day to see all the animals. When we arrived at the gate, a woman hurried us onto two landrovers as the tour was about to begin. It seemed a little odd the way we were piled into the Land Rovers with out registering and when the tourguy offered me Barbeque scented suntan lotion, I became a little unnerved.
MB and I went in the front row of the front car with a mixed group of Europeans who were all very friendly. Normally the front row of the front car would seem like a privilege as we have the most unobstructed view, but to our dismay, we found out that also means that our faces are used to clear the way of all the spider webs and branches that have formed across the trail. The spiders here are enormous with black and neon orange coloring and their webs are yellow, sticky, and as thick as dental floss. Oh yea, and there are these prickly bushes all along the trail with prickers as thick as tooth picks.
So our first stop on the trip was to feed the leopards. The Namibian in driving the truck placed chunks of raw meat on a tree trunk and the leopard came around, climbed the tree, and feasted. It is an awesome sight to be within ten feet of a wild animal like this. The leopard was beautiful with huge paws and beautiful eyes. It was a thrill to see the animal this close in its natural habitat. We then drove on to another part of the park to see and feed a cheetah. The cheetah is beautiful, too, but a little thinner and more timid. Right around the time we saw the cheetah, we began to feel a few drops of rain ... and then the flood gates opened. The rain began pouring down on us in buckets and we had no protection from the elements. We went racing down this narrow trail in the Land Rover back towards the gate, but it was about a 10 minute drive in the rain. It was raining so hard that we could not see 10 feet in front of us, the wind from the car made it cold, and we kept driving through spider webs and spiders fell ontop of us. It was absolutely insane! We could do nothing but laugh at what was happening to us and just huddle together until we got back to the gate. Needless to say, everyone was drenched and as we were standing underneath a covering, soaking wet, I overheard one guy say to the other guy sarcastically, "Thanks, again, for letting me use your sunscreen."
The rain kept falling but no one from the park was around to offer us a cup of coffee, a towel, or even collect our money. We stood inside a little room for about an hour waiting for the rain to stop and though it never totally cleared up, we finally just decided to hop into the truck and get home. The girls were offered a ride by a young couple from South Africa who were on their way back to Windhoek anyway, and the five guys and MB took the truck back. On the way down the dirt road towards the highway, the owner of the park came speeding towards us like a madman because we had left the park without paying. Since no one was around the entire hour we were waiting in the rain, we assumed we would drive home, call them, and return at a later date to do the tour again. The owner was furious that we did not pay, but when we explained ourselves he let us go. The rain finally stopped near the highway but it was a cold, wet ride home. So that was our memorable adventure at cheetah farm. We all agree that we would like to go back in a few weeks because there is also a game drive with many different animals including giraffes, oryx, etc.
That is all for now. Hope all is well with you... please note that Sunday I posted some more pictures which some of you may not have seen yet, so don't forget to scroll down and view them!

Pictures

2006-03-12T01:16:00.000-05:00

MB addressing the kids before a full day of soccer. Saturday is a huge day of soccer.

Miraldi, Salome, and Edelsine on top of the truck. Though the three smallest on the team, pound for pound, they are three of the best.

MB with her Pumpkins. Though this is not all of them, it is the majority of those who show up week after week.

Ramashal being Ramashal. He is so much fun to be around. When Suzie was here she said she wanted to rescue him from Namibia and bring him to Greenwich Village.

Steve, a volunteer at the BNC, with Selma, Alfredo, Suzmita, and Phillip. Steve is an invaluable asset who has great patience and is a great male role model for these kids.

The boys playing soccer in Otjumuise. The field is mostly dirt and filled with stones, but the boys play the game as if it was the World Cup.

More soccer.

The little town of Otjumuise. Many of the houses are painted bright, loud colors.

Ricardo and myself during a game. The sun is so hot and intense that I have devised this little cover to keep my face from frying. It looks goofy but works wonders!

Shema during halftime of the soccer game at Otjumuise. Shema is half the size of the rest of his team, but a valuable member of the team.

Ivan chugging water after a game. There was a picture a week ago of him doing a puzzle and I commented on his attitude. Every time I see him I am more impressed at how good he plays soccer, but also what a great little kid he is.

Gideon's soccer team after the game in Otjumuise. Gideon is in the back with his hands up. The team is actually pretty good, with more experience they should win more games. Often, they have to play teams that are bigger than them just to get some competition.

Gideon working with some kids in the computer lab. Gideon is a 20 year old who lives in the neighborhood and helps out at the center. The BNC is great for him because it keeps him from drinking. He is a really nice guy who just needs some direction.

This is Antonia, a tough little girl who is a sweetheart underneath. Like Edelsine, Salome, and Miraldi, she is a lot tougher than other kids twice her size and won't get pushed around. The other day she had a boy in a headlock to get her food back.

MB playing the guitar and singing with the kids. This is always very popular and all the kids sing along with her. Kids are always singing Feelin' Groovy now.

Esmi... she is like a mini-Wendy, always smiling, always helpful, and never a problem. She plays soccer with the other girls and is always playing hard and has just a great temperament.

Salome workingon her reading in the computer lab. She is very stubborn about learning and clams up and refuses to practice if any other children are around. She has a real confidence problem when it comes to learning.

Riding back from playing tennis with Innocentia, Salome, and Miraldi.

A Nice Day

2006-03-10T00:42:00.000-05:00

Hello....
All is well here in Windhoek. Yesterday (Thursday) was nice. We went to Hakehana in the morning and played games with the kids. Yada, Yada, Yada... we left four hours later.
Then we went to the BNC. :-) MB wanted me to take some pictures for her friend Urmgard (the woman who owns the hotel we ate at the night before) who wants to display some pictures of the BNC at her hotel to raise money and awareness. I got some great pictures which I will try to post later this weekend. The first hour at the BNC is always great being there when the kids arrive and seeing smiling faces. There is always a lot of high energy to start the afternoon.
I was put in the computer room again yesterday to try to develop a routine- we are getting there. The kids really enjoy being at the computers and all work so well in there, helping each other out and being patient.
Afterwards, MB and I played another round of tennis. I am really enjoying the exercise and feel myself getting a little better each day. We have some really great volleys and play some really good games. Many of the children wait outside the BNC at 5 to go down to the tennis courts with us. Since MB has been borrowing her friends truck while he is away, we load them in the back of the pickup and drive to the courts. They LOVE riding and singing in the truck, they hang off the bumpers ando over the wheel wells. It is awesome how a simple thing like a two-minute car ride can thrill them so much. The tennis courts are in a private park overgrown by weeds and the kids, since they are not members, are not allowed in but within 30 minutes of playing, they find ways to sneak up the fence or over barbed wire to come hang out on the tennis courts. They will run around, watch us play, or take a tennis ball and start a soccer game. MB bribes the guards at the gate on the way out with sweets to look the other way. Losing is so much fun when the kids are there. I look forward to it everyday.
Around 7 we got back to the house b/c I told Sebastian we would go on another bike ride. This time I was on MB's old bike which is a rolling death trap. On the first big hill, I changed gears and the chain popped off. She has no brakes on the bike so to stop it, there is a plastic fender covering the back wheel that, when pushed down on by a foot, while slow the wheel to a stop. Well, going down the first hill, I was applying pressure to the fender when the plastic snapped and it was shoe on tire as I raced down the hill. And then on the straighaway back to the house the back well popped and went flat about a 1/2k from the house and I had to walk it back.
Last night was relaxing- made myself some pasta and hung out with the housemates in the living room. This weekend we are going to a Cheetah farm about 1 hour north of here. Hope everyone has a great weekend. I hear NY is making it up to 65 degrees this weekend... brrrrr....

Wendy

2006-03-09T00:48:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was a nice day. As usual, the mornings were only a primer for the afternoons. We were at the Pink Kindergarten again and though the teachers are friendly, the children are a little out of control from time to time. MB loathes working with Kindergarten and Pre-K, and after spending enough time with them I can see why- you just cannot relate well with them and their attention span is minimal.
Onto the BNC we went from there where Suzmita had arrived early and I had the oppurtunity to sit down and talk to her and her family. She is so sweet and loving. She lives with her grandmother, two cousins, and two brothers. I didn't ask what happened to her parents, I can only imagine. She then told Isabel and I about the story of Anne Frank. She apparently read the book in class and her recounting of it was right on. She is very bright.
Speaking of great kids, there is Wendy. (The picture above is from a week ago after soccer) I mentioned her before and posted her picture but it seems everyday she surprises me with her intelligence and maturity. She was working in the computer lab when Denzel, the crippled boy, came into the room looking to play on the computer. Since there are only 3 working computers, Wendy offered to share with Denzel and sat there patiently and helped guide him through the game with her. Not once have I seen her complain, argue, or raise her voice, unless you consider laughing as raising your voice. I pulled her aside (after she quietly, and without urging, helped cleanup the computer room) and praised her for being so wonderful, gave her a lollipop and told her that saying goodbye to her in April will be one of the hardest things to do.
After the BNC, MB and I played some more tennis. I lost 6-2, 6-2. On the bright side we had a bunch of really good volleys, we went to deuce in many games, and it was a good workout. That being said, I hate losing and was ready getting frustrated when MB told me, "Just ask yourself 'What would Wendy do?'" I tried to imagine Wendy smashing her racket and throwing all the balls over the fence in anger, but when I couldn't, decided to just take a breath and have fun, like Wendy. It really is a good challenge playing MB, and I can feel myself getting better.
Afterwards, we were invited to her friends' hotel, a German couple named Jurgen and Urmgard, for dinner. The have a little hotel on the other side of town and are huge supporters of MB. We ate in the little restaurant inside the hotel. I had oryx steak, pan browned potatoes, butternut squash and a salad... the food was amazing. Free food is always great but this was fantastic. They are really nice people and very hospitable.
Hope all is well in the states. I love waking up in the morning and getting emails from everyone. It's a nice way to start the day!!

Tennis, Anyone?

2006-03-08T00:40:00.000-05:00

Good morning...
It is another beautiful morning here in exotic Windhoek and I am eating Fruit Loops.
Tuesday was a very productive day- one of my most productive days as an adult, which is not saying much. I woke up, made a grocery list, put my clothes in the laundry (after taking Sebastian's out and hanging them) then I went to the grocery store and bought a weeks worth of food for under $50 and I did not buy a single cookie, chip, beer, or ice cream. I came home, hung my clothes on the line, put my food away, ate breakfast, did some dishes, made my bed then rode the bike to the post office then the BNC. When I got home at night I made myself some steak, potatoes and grilled onions and mushrooms, did the dishes, folded my laundry, and read a little. All in all, I did OK as an adult.
At the BNC I worked in the "computer lab" with a few boys letting them work on different educational software. The computers work adequately but are definatelynot what I am use to. The kids seemed to enjoy it though. We are trying to get everyone to do a certain activity on a certain day, to have some organization and to give the kids a reliable routine.
After the BNC, MB and I played a little tennis. While warming up for the first hour I was doing excellent and feeling confident. Many of my errors are unforced and I find when I just get it over the net, instead of forcing shots, I win a lot of points. So we decided to play a match and I quickly jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set. Then the wheels came flying off. Two of the little BNC girls (Miraldi and Innocentia) snuck onto the courts to watch and according to MB brought her good luck. That seems to be a fair assesment as I went on to lose the match 6-4, 6-1. Yes, I lost 11 of the next 12 games. On the bright side, I was a lot more competitive than the previous time and many of the games were quite close. That being said, I was steaming through the ears at the way I choked in the end and if those kids were not there a few balls might have been hit over the fence and swearing would have ensued.
MB rewarded her "good luck charms" with a ride home in the back of the pickup truck and some sweets. Charlotte and Salome showed up at the truck as we were leaving and got a lift home as well. Riding in the back with them and seeing them laugh and smile cooled the anger from tennis and made losing fun. At the end of the ride all four of them gave us hugs goodbye- I can't wait to see them again.

East German Hospitality

2006-03-07T01:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...
Sunday night a bunch of us went to Joe's Beerhouse which is apparently a famous restaurant here in Namibia. They have a bunch of exotic meat and the restaurant has a nice outdoors atmosphere with a big area covered by a thatched roof. I chose the sampler platter which had salad, corn fritters (mmmm), and a variety of exotic meat including ostrich, zebra, crocodile, kudo, and chicken. Tobias and I also split an appetizer of oryx carpaccio and all that food along with four beers cost only $27- tip included. And this is apparently one of the more expensive places in town. The food was delicious.
Monday was a nice low-key day. I had the morning off so I relaxed a bit and made myself some scrambled eggs. A funny thing happened while cooking my breakfast. There are two new Germans living in a new place with Tobias, who moved out of this house last week to get more space. The two new german guys are sort of weird to begin with- they are always together, they seem a little odd, and they look completely different- one is tall, thin, and blonde, the other is short, a little thicker, and dark hair. Anyway, Friday night they came over to our house with a bunch of meat and cooked a nice BBQ for a bunch of us. I had just gotten back from tennis and when I sat down outside with them, the two new guys offered me to join in. Being hungry, I obliged. The meat was good and at the end of the night, after cleaning up, one of the new Germans told me that we all needed to pitch in for the meat because it was costly. Now I am fine with the idea of pitching in to help with the cost, only their approach was way off... they should have mentioned this before coming over to our house and offering us their food. (I definately would have eaten more had I known I would have to pay!) I offered to pay them there, but they told me to wait until they figured everything out.
Well, Sunday morning they figured everything out and pulled up in front of the gate to the house and honked their horn obnoxiously. When that didn't get anyone's attention in the house (we hear honking from the street all the time) they whistled at us... no "Hello! Anybody home?" but a whistle like they were calling a dog. Mark went out and they handed him a list of what everyone owed and then left.
The icing on the cake was Monday when MB and I were in the kitchen and I hear that same obnoxious whistle. I told her it must be the Germans and that we should just ignore it until they learn to act like civilized human beings- they didn't learn. After whistling for 5 minutes, they finally caught the attention of an Angolan guy who lives in a room behind our house. He knocked on our backdoor and told us they were there, so I went outside to see what they wanted. They were standing by the gate, smiling, with a couple of loads of laundry and asked me if they could use our laundry. I told them they would have to ask MB, since it wasn't mine to lend out, and they walked into the kitchen and as they were loading the washer asked her for permission! Here they were expecting us to pay for meat at a BBQ while at the same time mooching our laundry, not to mention getting rides to the bars from MB, and drinking our alcohol while hanging out at our house! What a bunch of clowns. I suggested we make a very expensive dinner in a week or two, invite them over, and at the end of the night charge them.

So that was that, and then I went off to the BNC and spent much of the day teaching 4-Square. It went over well and the children seemed to enjoy it. When I got home Sebastian and I went for a bike ride around Windhoek. There are lots of hills here so the ride is pretty intense but it was a good workout. Overall it was a nice day and I look forward to another one today!

Pictures

2006-03-06T01:31:00.000-05:00

Here is little Edelsine. You can tell by the picture that she is a feisty little girl. Though she is tiny , she is tougher than almost anyone else. As a soccer game was about to begin, one team
formed a little huddle and began praying to
God to help them win. MB walked over to them and said, "If you pray to God to help YOU win, and the other team prays to God to help THEM win, then who will God help to win?"
Edelsine smiled and said, "The one who scores the most goals, of course!"

Taking a break during a soccer game. This was on a Thursday when the game is more informal. On Saturdays, the girls wear nice orange jerseys and there is a boys team who have green jerseys. If a kid shows up consistently and has a good attitude MB will reward them with a jersey and tocks. Tocks is what they call cleats- a very valued possesion when playing on these stone and dirt fields.

Quincy and Alfrida. These two girls are always with each other and always smiling.

Salome playing with two hand puppets. Salome is a tough little girl and very helpful and will always stay late and help clean up.

Ricardo and Ivan finishing up a 300 piece puzzle. Ricardo has a bit of an attitude problem, but I find the more encouragement he gets, the better he becomes. Where he used to be mean all day long, he now cracks a smile at me and shakes my hand when he shows up. He will come around. Ivan is a great kid who works hard and keeps his nose out of trouble. Both are great soccer players.

Lovely Rita. Rita has got soul and loves to dance and sing. She has taught me one short little dance that whenever I attempt it she just points and laughs.

Suzmita and Alfredo, sister and brother. They are Herreros who live about a 30 minute walk from the BNC. Most of the children are from the Damara tribe but tribal rivalry is virtually non-existant. These two look out for each other and are fun to be with. Suzmita is a sweetheart who has a beautiful laugh and Alfredo is tough, but a softy on the inside.

Here is Wendy. She should be named the captain of the Pumpkins because she is one of the best players and a quiet leader. All that she does is play hard and shuts her mouth. She doesn't complain, even when playing against bigger boys, and often does better than those boys. On and off the field she is always smiling. Everything she does, she does well and her temperament is great.

Dear Martha. She is such a wonderful, responsible girl. Martha is always around to help out and clean up and she does it in a selfless way- expecting nothing in return. The only thing she doesn't excel at is soccer... she has two left feet and often messes the play up! Still, she is always the first one to show up. Saturday she came out of the game and was tired so I picked her up and was holding her when she fell asleep in my arms right on the side of the field. Just a genuine pleasure to be around.

This is from a few days ago when MB and Tara were singnig songs at the BNC. The kid in the foreground is Denzel, a crippled boy who can't walk and who is mentally challenged. He was so pumped up from the singing and the music that he held himself up b/w the table and the chair and began swinging his feet around. It was amazing to see.

Choosing sides for a soccer game. Mostly girls remain because it was a co-ed pickup game so many of the boys were picked first.

Climbing the fence to get to the soccer field. For some reason this picture would only show up in this direction which is a shame. The city walled of the soccer field so the kids just climb over it.

Carrying Sebastian home. We might have been drinking.

Kristen and Me at La Dee Das. She is the one that went to Etosha with us and is my roomate along with MB. She is a volunteer here from Germany and is always smiling.

Ze Germans... Mark and Sebastian at a club. They are a lot of fun to hang out with. Mark reminds me a lot of Joker from Full Metal Jacket.

Whenever we leave in the pickup truck, a horde of kids jumps on the bed of the truck for a ride down the street.

Lining up for soup. Everyday at the BNC the kids get in line for one soup voucher. The portion is decent and for many kids it is their best, and possibly only, meal of the day.

A Weekend That Was

2006-03-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

Hello Again...
It is a lazy Sunday afternoon here at the house. I just woke up from a nap and MB, Tobias, Mark, and I are heading off to tennis soon. The past few days have been eventful.

Friday MaryBeth and I went to the Bridging School (named that because it is an alternative school that attempts to "bridge" undereducated children into the main schools) where we go every Friday morning to do sports activities with the children. This school is very new and very clean and has a fair amount of resources at its disposal, despite the neighborhood in which it is located. We set up two basketball hoops and taught the little kindergarteners basketball. They practiced dribbling and taking shots. For many of the kids the ball was too big for them and when they would shoot the ball it would barely get above their heads and then bounce down off their noggins. Then the bigger kids from the bridge school came out for their exercise time and a good game of basketball developed with about 20 kids on the court. There is an American who just started working at the bridge school named Paul. He is an evangelical Christian named Paul from Chicago who came to Namibia from another part of Africa after being called here by God. He has that "high on Jesus" vibe about him, which is nice, just a little weird. You know the type, one of those people when you meet them say "God bless you"... even if you didn't sneeze. Anyway, the basketball was great and I got the chance to interact and meet a few of the kids and get to know their names.
Then we were at the BNC which was, of course, fun. The picture up above is looking in at the BNC from the street. After the BNC, MB, Tobias, Mark and I went and played tennis and about 20 kids followed us again. We played late into the evening but when we left the courts the kids were still there hanging out and playing with each other.
Friday night we had a bunch of people over for a BBQ. Two of the newer Germans in town cooked up some steaks and then we went out to El Cubano, a short walk from the house, and had some drinks and hung out. The scene there is nice with a mix of all races. There was a local band playing and it was a good, relaxing time.
Saturday was soccer day again. I was up at 8 and made sure to lather up in sunscreen. It is amazing though how the sun will always find someplace to burn you. This time it was on my upper lip. The rainy season seems to have ended and the sun is out from dusk till dawn. The actually air tempurature is nice but the sun is extremely instense and there is no escaping the scorching sun out on a soccer field.
Most of the day was spent in Otjumuise, a town outside of Windhoek. There is a field there where we took MB's girl's team (nicknamed the pumpkins because of their orange jerseys) and a boys team. The pumpkins went first around 11am and we piled about 15 of them into the pickup truck with myself, MB, and Steve, a volunteer from Seattle who works at the BNC. I was in the back of the pickup with the girls and they had a blast on the 20 minute car ride singing songs the whole way. Many of the pumpkins are the girls I hang out with at the BNC including Charlotte, Salome, Wendy, Rita, and Suzmita. They ended up losing the game against the Otjumuise "girls" team which was actually a hodgepodge of 4 or 5 girls and 6 or 7 boys. We dropped the Pumpkins back at the BNC and reloaded the truck with the boys' team. They are a little older and they play with more strategy and talent. They too ended up losing but all seemed to have a good time.
Saturday night about 8 of us we went out dancing again. This club was also a mix of black and white and a lot of fun. We danced and hung out until the early morning. I really like the people that live here. They are all easy going young people who just like to have a good time.
That is it for now, I have to be running along. Later on this evening or tomorrow morning I will post some new pictures.

Hakehanna... Or however you spell it

2006-03-03T00:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a full day that started slow but by the end turned out to be a great day.
I went with MB in the morning to Hakehanna which is an elementary school of about 30 kids on the outskirts of Windhoek. The building is essentially one walled in open area with all the windows broken out. As if that is not depressing enough, the kids are not that well behaved and it seems more like a holding cell half the time than an elementary school. MB played some songs and we did color and shape bingo- a game half the kids did well with and the others were lost. The problem seems to be they lump 4 and 5 year olds with 7 and 8 year olds making for total chaos as the younger ones are unable to keep up and lose interest. At one point there was a 15 year old girl there with two toddlers who apparently she has been placed in charge of against her wishes. When one of the toddlers peed his pants (that's what toddlers do!) she smacked him in the ass, making him cry, then yanking him outside. No one except MB and I batted an eye at the situation and the pee stayed on the floor until it evaporated. Another kid, about 7 or 8 had a bloated belly- the first I have seen of that here. He has absolutely no energy to do anything and just sits around. He can't really eat but no one seems to care enough to get him help. At the end of the day (noon) they were handing out donated clothes and when the kid tried on a button up shirt but couldn't get it buttoned around his belly, the kids laughed. Overall, it was a depressing experience but when she goes back next week I will try it again, maybe things will change. All the morning programs we do are just a way to pass the time until we go to the BNC.
Speaking of the BNC...
We arrived there and had a blast! I got some great pictures from the day and the kids were awesome. Charlotte gave me a letter she wrote me which was very sweet. Thursday is soccer day for the boys when we go down to the dirt and pebble soccer field for the afternoon. Yesterday the girls got to go too which was great. I made Wendy and Ricardo captains and they chose sides. Wendy was made captain because she is so mature for an 11 year old and always smiling and Ricardo was made captain because he has an attitude problem and I wanted to give him some responsibility and boost his self-esteem. It is always chaos at the beginning but after raising my voice to show that I mean business, they fall in line and the game begins. I remembered sunscreen this week and avoided a sunburn. Wendy's team ended up winning 5-4 on a penalty kick.
When we walked back to the BNC Sophie and Sandra were there and it was their last day in Namibia after six months so they were crying holding kids. But the energy in the place was electrifying. MB and Tara (the chorus leader there) were both playing guitar and singing songs with the whole room packed full of kids dancing and singing. Denzel, Mersha's older brother who is in a wheelchair and mentally challenged, was singing along and sooooooo happy banging on the table. At one point, he held himself up between the table and his chair and danced around. It was very touching. All the kids really got into it. Many began to cry because they say Sophie and Sandra crying and wanted the attention. Pretty amazing actually... they just turn on the tears when they want. Many were not as sad as their tears may have appeared.
Everyday at a quarter to 5 I walk them to the gate and try herding the kids out of the center. Not because I want them to leave but because Tina, the supervisor, has asked that the kids be out of the center by no later than 5. As the kids walk out I slap them five, give them hugs, and lift them in the air. After 5 I usually just hang out in the street with them until MB is done and drives out. These kids will hang out in the street until dark instead of going home. Their guardians don't seem to care where they are or when they get home since to them, the kids are often a burden.
After the BNC, MB and I were going to play tennis when word got around to about 20 of the kids who wanted to go so we packed them in the truck and drove down to the courts. MB and I played tennis for 2 hours. The volleys were really good but when we played a match, she kicked it up a notch. After being down 3-1 in the first set, I told MB that I had given her a head start since she was a girl and that now I was really going to start trying. I ended up losing the match 6-2 6-1.
Finally, last night Sophie and Sandra stayed at our house since they were leaving for the airport with MB at 6am. They invited some of their girlfriends over for a slumber party. It was another nice evening with the housemates, et al. Sophie and Sandra were here doing volunteer work and were very enthusiastic about it. Both want to come back to Namibia and actually would have stayed if they had been able to get visas. It was great meeting them and spending a little time with them. Like Suzie, their presence will be missed.
This post was long, but a day like yesterday turned out so nice that my fingers kept typing!

The Pink Kindergarten

2006-03-02T00:48:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone...
We seem to have hit a stride where we are now in a routine so some of these days tend to blend a little. Every day is great but during the week the activities change little, just the little stories change.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I went with MB for the first time to the Pink Kindergarten for the first time. (I don't think it has an official name so since it is a Pink building the name will have to do.) An older woman named Veronica has built it and runs it. The building is new, clean, and beautiful with a courtyard on the inside. All the children are younger so the activities are simpler and less exciting. The teachers there are all young and enthusiastic about teaching. MB is friendliest it seems with Martha, a Namibian girl who is my age. All the teachers seem patient and motivated. MB brought her guitar and did some songs with the children. I find the song and entertaining crowds schtick is not my forte. Something about singing and playing instruments and 30 people looking directly at me. Not to mention I sing like a hyena! MB has begun to introduce the Simon & Garfunkel song "59th Street Bridge Song" to the kids and they love the chorus. ("La, la, la, la, la, la, la... Feelin' Groovy!")

From there we went to the beloved BNC. MB had her guitar so she played some songs for the kids there too- they loved it. Charlotte, the aspiring entertainer, and I were dancing to the music- she really enjoyed being lifted in the air and swung around. Of course then everykid wanted that so instead of throwing out my back we danced in a circle while MB played her music.
Salome and I read for a little bit. She is so wonderful and helpful. She is tiny and at the end of the day will stick around and help out. She also loves when I carry her around on my shoulders and let her wear my sunglasses. I want to bring her home with me.
I began to work with one kid in the past few days who must have a learning disability. He is around 12 but has the intelligence of a 4 year old. (His name is a Damaran name and I forgot it already) He sits in the corner and does nothing because he doesn't know how to do anything. I tried to work on him with spelling but he couldn't do it. Tried the ABC' s with him and ater 20 minutes of the first 3 letters, he couldn't grasp it. We moved onto Connect 4 and he couldn't get it. He even failed to understand the concept of dominoes. He is a challenge.

After the BNC, Sebastian and took a bike ride around Windhoek. For two weeks we had talked about jogging but he is too lazy- and so am I. It was a good exercise and we hope to do this on a regular basis. Last night Steve, the Aussie, stopped over and we all hung out in the living room chitchatting.

That is a typical weekday here. The days go quick and it has been pretty relaxing. Hope all is well at home!

This and That

2006-02-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Hello again... A special welcome to all those who would normally be reading MaryBeth's blog but, due to the fact she has not updated it in months, have turned to me to know what is going on here in Namibia.
Sunday was my "day off" but MB and I went to the BNC for soccer. She apologized to me for making me go on Sunday, as if it was some sort of punishment. Everyday I go there is a chance to see the kids.
The idea for the day was for MB to take the boys team across town to play another boys team and for the girls team to wait at the BNC with me and play another girls team. The girls game never developed so with MB gone for 4 hours, I was left in charge at the BNC with 20 of the girls.
They chewed me up and spit me out. I think there is a sixth sense in children that senses weakness and some one who has a soft heart because they were relentless in asking me for permission to do things. Playing Bingo for sweets is popular anytime but Sunday they insisted we play, and play, and play. Two hours of mindnumbing picture bingo. I pulled out a word (pajama, shorts, airplane, etc.) and they had to find the picture on their board. It was tedious but for them the chance to win sweets was too enticing.
We then moved on to soccer in the back of the BNC on the pavement. I was happy to let the girls spend all their energy running around in the rain kicking the ball but they ended bickering with themselves so much that after repeated warnings I carried through on my threat to end the soccer game if they kept fighting. Needless to say, they tried to make me feel guilty by making me look like a tyrant for not allowing them to play soccer. The next day a few of them tried to stay mad... it didn't work. The secret seems to be if I don't stand my ground the first few times then they will walk all over me the rest of the time I am here.
The four hours we were together was exhausting because I had to keep order,usually that is MB's job and I just go from person to person giving attention and doing activities. I cannot imagine the chaos MB must have had to deal with when she showed up with 150 rug rats running around with no discipline!
Monday was fairly easy. Just the BNC in the afternoon. The highlight of the day was staying late with Salome (I mispelled it Salomi earlier) MB was waiting to meet a guy at the BNC for a meeting and I walked around with Salome on my shoulders. She is absolutely adorable and helpful. We are working on her reading... I am confident that progress will be made in the next 6 weeks.
Last night was Michael's birthday. (The canadian) We ordered some pizza and had some drinks but because it was Monday night we decided to just stay in and relax. He played some of his music off his iPod... he is into jazz and it was quite relaxing.
Today I finished my law school applications online. Fordham, Villanova, Pace, and Hofstra. We will see what happens. Fordham and Villanova will be tough to get into but it is worth a shot. I probably won't here back before I get home, but the application process is finally over.
Hope all is well in the states... love those emails!

Pictures

2006-02-26T05:24:00.000-05:00

Housemates and friends. Top Row: Me, Sebastian, Mark, Sophie, Kristen, Michael, Tobias, Steve. Front: Suzie, Sandra, Ana, MB.

MaryBeth (MB) She is so selfless and the kids are a testament to her ability to teach and to love. Everything she does is for these kids and she never asks for anything in return.

Charlotte and her brother Ramashal. Probably my favorite picture yet. They are awesome and two of the best reasons for being here.

Me and Ramashal. He is very expressive and so full of joy. Also, very smart and loves to learn new languages and Suzie taught him some french expressions.

A typical dayat the BNC. Whenever the camera is out, every kid runs up asking you to "catch" them. The girl with the glasses is Michaela, Mersha's sister- she loves jumproping.

Suzmita... She is a tough cookie who is a paper tiger. At the pool she really warmed up to me since I took her into the deep end and stayed with her the whole time. Like all the kids, she really responds when I give individual attention. They don't seem to get that much at home.

Mersha looking like a million dollars.

Mersha, Innocentia, and Mayd. Mersha and Mayd are connected at the hip and all of these kids have smiles that make me melt. I can tell everyone that I need a break from holding them but if any of these three walk up, I give in. Mersha has big brown eyes and loves when I twirl her. Innocentia likes when I hold her and pretend to ballroom dance with her.

Me and Vanessa. She is adorable and LOVES to have me read to her. She is a little bit to herself amongst the other kids, but we spend a lot of time together.

Charlotte, myself, and Salomi. These are two of my favorite girls. Both are very helpful and always willing to clean up and help out. Salomi is the girl I mentioned in one blog who was kicked on the soccer field. (I THINK i mentioned that story) Anyway, Salomi does not know how to read and I am going to try to help.

Notice my nice sunburnt face?

Suzie with Martha. Martha took a particular liking to Suzie and even wrote her a letter for Suzie when she left and gave her some sweets.

Ok...I am trying to post some pictures... hopefully it works. Please email me if there are problems viewing.

Also, this is my third post of the day so don't forget to read the other two blog entries.

The first picture is of Innocentia (white shirt) reading with Tete. Innocentia is so sweet and has a great smile. Everyday she walks up to me in sort of a shy way and says hello. One of the great things about her is she is light so picking her up is no sweat!

The BNC

2006-02-26T04:22:00.000-05:00

I figured since I have a little time this morning before soccer I would write a second blog entry today-this one describing the Bernard Nordkamp Center, The BNC- or, as MB says, "The Best Namibian Children." Many of you have asked me about what it is exactly. This is the main place MB works at. Even though she does morning activities in other places, this is her main group of kids. We really haven't begun working at the other places yet- that should begin on Tuesday.

The BNC is a wonderful place. It is located in Katutura, a poor section on the outskirts of Windhoek. Katutura literally means something like "I don't want to be here" because it waswhere many blacks were forced to live during Apartheid. Every weekday from 1-5pm anywhere between 150-200 kids go there after school for soup and afterschool activities. All the kids are from the neighborhood. Whenever we pull into the center all the kids turn, smile and start shouting "Marybeth, Marybeth!"

MB is the queen bee there. All the kids listen to her, respect her, and love her. Although she is supposed to be just helping and Nelson, a young Namibian is in charge, he is often in his office and often shows little interest in the program. Many Namibian men seem to have a similar inertia and indifference which is disappointing and frustrating.

From 1-5 we do all sorts of activities. Bingo, Uno, reading, puzzles, drawing, jumprope, and, of course, soccer. It is really a safe place for these kids where they know what is expected of them and they know they will be respected and loved if they do the same. Many of these kids are orphaned living with relatives because their parents had HIV/AIDS or they are endangered because of abuse at home. The amazing thing is, despite their living situation at home, they are always smiling and having a great time. They have so little, often sleep on the floor at home and the soup from the BNC is often their only real meal. They are all gifted children who, had they been born white or lived in a better place, might excel. Hopefully some still will.

They are such loving kids- they love to be hugged. I spend atleast a half hour throughout the day picking up and putting down children. I can be reading one person a book when within minutes three more are sitting next to me holding my arms and listening.

Admittedly, I have my favorites. There are kids I look for as soon as I show up and LOVE picking them up and hugging them. When I post some pictures I will put captions next to the pictures describing the kids. It has been two weeks there and I already love the kids. If I could I would bring as many as I could back to the states. It is sad to think that so much beauty, love, and talent might end up wasted because of the society that the kids live in.

5pm always comes too quick for the kids, and for me. I usually walk to the gate and say goodbye and pick up the kids one last time. Some kids are a little rowdy and less coroparative (usually boys) but they all CRAVE attention and love. If we could, I would stay much later than 5pm giving the kids attention, teaching them, and providing a safe place for them. Still,they are incredibly resiliant and strong.

I learn a lot when I am there. I, and by extension all of you, are extremely lucky. I know it sounds preachy and a cliche but it is true. Life is random and it is by luck that we are where we are. We all seem to have great potential, it is in large part the environment we live in that allows some of us to shine and others to dim. If you could look at some of these kids in the eyes and see how beautiful they are and how precious they are, you would feel the same.

That is all the preaching I will do today! I really can't wait to get back and talk for hours on end about each kid with whoever wants to listen. In six weeks I will be ready to give up everything and get back to my life and my responsibilites, with the exception of leaving the BNC kids. Ask Suzie, an she was only here for 10 days.

Dancing

2006-02-26T04:05:00.000-05:00

Well, two weeks here and all is well. Everyday (even weekends) I am doing something with the kids. Friday was a little tough because my sunburn was painful and every kid seemed to want to hang from my neck!

Friday night was Tobias' 25th birthday. He is one of the German housemates studying at the Polytechnic University across the street. Friday all of the young housemates (Myself, Sebastian, Michael, Kristen, TObias, and Mark) had a party for him and Sofie and Sandra and Annika (three other germans living cross town) and two new german guys who just arrived were also here. We played some drinking games and were at the house until midnight listening to music. Around midnight I was fairly well liquored up when I decided to gather one up to go dancing. Yes, it was my idea... I NEVER dance. Well, I never USED to dance because after MB piled all of us in the pickup truck and drove us to the club, I danced until 3am non-stop. I danced with any girl that would give me the time of day... both of them. By the end of the night I looked like a wet mop! Everyone was having a great time. Drinks are extremely cheap here. These guys are all great and very easy to get along with.

Saturday was soccer day. MB, Kristen, Steve (the Australian) and myself went to the soccer fields near the BNC and referred soccer games. Kristen and I were there until 2. It was OK, but I was left to referree the athletically challenged boys who were more prone to grazingin the field and bickering. Today MB and I will go ref another game which she claims will be more organized and more exciting.

Last night the five guys in the house had a braii (braai?) - a.k.a. a BBQ. Michael grilled steaks, lamb, and sausage. We were all pretty stuffed and tired from the night before. After dinner we walked to a backpacker's lodge where they have an outdoor bar poolside and sat around talking for a bit. Afterwards Mark, Tobias and I went to El Cubado, a spanish themed bar/lounge and hung out until midnight. It was very mellow and relaxing. I slept like a baby last night.

Suzie's Last Day

2006-02-24T02:36:00.000-05:00

I am beginning to get into the rythm of things here and therefore the days may seem a little less exciting. With Suzie leaving today, the tourist portion of the trip will slow down a bit and MB and I will now be working in the mornings and the afternoons five days a week and saturday soccer games. Plus we will now be riding bikes all over town instead of using the car since it is just the two of us now.
Yesterday was enjoyable. We spent the afternoon at the BNC (The afterschool program we work every afternoon from 1-5... again, I WILL give specifics on that later.) Suzie was given a letter from her "favorite" girl, Martha which was very sweet and got Suzie choked up. Martha even gave Suzie six sweets, a HUGE thing for a little girl here to give up her sweets. I went off to the soccer fields with Tobias (one of the german housemates) and a bunch of BNC kids. The heat he is not overbearing but the sun is intense! I got burnt to a crisp and my face looks like a cherry. I woke up this morning and it looked like my nose melted. I have accepted the fact that my "tan" will consist of a dark face, lower arms, and lower legs!
Soccer was OK. The kids are a little disorganized but love to play. Many play in their bare feet on a field of pebbles and dirt. The problem with some of these kids is that if one is hit or hurt, they instinctively look to retaliate with a stone or hitting back. One 11 year old girl, Salomi, was kicked by an older kid and when I saw her reach for a stone, I ran over and grabbed it away from her. She was upset and crying so I held her for a few minutes and explained to her the importance of not retaliating. She seemed to get the message. I let her wear my sunglasses the rest of the game and she ran around smiling the whole time. She is a great soccer player and holds her own against the big kids. I am coming to like her a lot and when MB told me she doesnt read and has no confidence in reading, I have decided to rty to help her read. So everyday I think I will sit down with her for 20mins or so to help build her confidence.
Last night a bunch of us went out to Taal, a nice Indian restaurant since it was Suzie's last night. MB, Suzie, Fr. Rick, Barbara (a fun Australian lady from MB's rotary club), Sebastian, Kristen (two german housemates) and Ann (the young teacher from the states) and I all went. The food was excellent and the total cost came out to 70 Namibian dollars each (Only $11!!!!)
We got back and hung out. Today is Tobias' birthday so at midnight last night we toasted him with champagne and sung happy birthday. Tonight the younger group of us will go out and celebrate.
It is raining this morning- everyday there has been rain here... for two straight months which, although this is the rainy season, it is a lot of rain. Fortunately it doesn't rain all day and there is always sun in the afternoon and since this is an arid country, everything dries so quickly.
Have a good weekend everyone, talk to you soon... thanks for the emails!!

Okahandja, Otjiwarango, and Tsumeb (Say that three times fast)

2006-02-23T03:37:00.000-05:00

Two blogs in one day... you all must be so happy to have so much distraction in one day at work.
There were some interesting experiences before and after Etosha that are worth noting. About an hour north of Windhoek on the way to Etosha is a little town called Okaukuejo which is notable because they have a strip of tents selling woodworks, baskets, and carvings from Namibia. Well, they say they are Namibian but for all I know they could have been imported from New Jersey. The whole experience is interesting because it involves bartering back and forth with the sellers. MB warned us about this and told us that we should be firm and not be too soft. So I approached the tents with ice water running through my veins, ready to do business with the natives. I walked into the first tent, and looked at a cool little carving and a man approached me. The following is a fairly accurate account of what transpired...
"Hello, my friend, you like? I sell for $200" (Namibian dollars are 1/6 an american dollar)
I looked at the guy and feeling guilty about trying to cut a deal a poor Namibian blurted out "How 'bout $250?"
"Sold!" he shouted as he took my money. I am sure I was the first person he came into contact with who actually bargained for a higher price.

Though it wasn't quite like that, the truth is I did feel guilty about bartering. But with some encouragement from MB, I got pretty good at it and bought a few gifts. It is definately a cool cultural experience. We stopped here on the way back from Etosha and spent about an hour going from tent to tent. They are somewhat aggresive in their sales approach- as you pass their tent they practically grabbed you by the arm to check out their wares.

Another place we went to was Otjiwarango for a pit stop on the way back from Etosha. This is another little town and MB stopped there because there is a little German bakery. The bakery was very quaint and the town was quiet and simple, but enjoyable. These little towns off the highway have less poverty than parts of Windhoek, but every town has its poor.

Finally there was Tsumeb, a town about 96km south of Etosha. MB has a friend from the UK named Debs who works for the VSO (Volunteer Service Org, a British equivalent of the Peace Corp only a non-gov't agency) Debs is about my age and is the only European working in her area in the schools. She and MB are kindred spirits who are both very enthusiastic about their work. We stayed in her TINY flat Sunday and Tuesday nights. Her flat is so small that the toilet and shower are right next to her bed which was a little uncomfortable... I made a point to go to the bathroom before arriving out of fear of stinking up the whole place. MB, Suzie, Kristen (the German girl from our house) and myself all slept on the tile floor of Debs' little living room. Needless to say it was not the most comfortable place to sleep but you can't complain about free lodgings.
Tsumeb is an old mining town with a decent quality of life. I may actually go back up there for a week before returning home as Debs may need some help with the teaching.
Staying in a little flat with four women exposed me to high concentrations of estrogen. I have never been to a slumber party before, but I am pretty sure I experience one in Tsumeb. We talked about feelings, life, listened to girly music -which despite my best efforts i enjoyed. The slumber party stopped just short of a pillow fight, curlers in my hair, and talks of menstrual cycles. Tuesday night we made beef fajitas. Mexican food in Namibia. They were actually really good- but then again we had been eating apples and cheese sandwiches for two days.
The whole trip to Etosha and back was loads of fun but getting back to being with the kids was even nicer. They are so beautiful and so loving. Soon enough I will talk in detail about the center.
Last night we were at home and we ate dinner on the porch which was very nice and then drank a few beers with the housemates. This weekend there are two birthdays so we will be going out. Suzie leaves Friday which is too bad because she has been so much fun to be around. That is it for now... hope all is well with you and keep the emails coming- (jmcken82@hotmail.com) it is nice to hear so many of you are reading along. Till next time...

Etosha National Park

2006-02-23T02:56:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,
We got back from Etosha National Park yesterday after spending two days there. This is the big national park about 4.5 hours north of Windhoek. They claim to have all sorts of animals there but we did not see much. The reality is that this is the rainy season in Namibia so the park was very lush and very green so there was no need for the animals to come the watering holes near the roads since they could find plenty of water deeper in the park. I have a few pictures of the trip that will be posted shortly. We saw zebras, giraffes, wildebeast, oryx, ostriches, and some other animals but no lions, rhinos, or elephants. I would have loved to see the elephants.
On the way back down we stopped in a town and I was speaking with an american woman from north of Seattle and she said she was in the park the same time as we were but she saw elephants, lions and even a cheetah crossing the road. A lot of it comes down to luck- right place at the right time.
We drove to Okaukuejo which is the western end of the park and stayed in a chalet for the night. It was nice and comfortable like a cabin. The campsite is fenced off so at night the animals dont get in and attack humans. But there is a watering hole just outside the fence where the have benchs and lights at night to watch the animals. We didnt even see anything there either but there was a beautiful thunderstorm blowing in and a nice breeze which was very relaxing. That night we played Yahtzee and we ate pasta.
There was a log book in the lobby where people wrote about what they saw, etc. With nothing to of note to write about, I wrote down that we saw a penguin crossing the road. Truth is, we probably had as much chance to see a penguin as we did a lion!
Etosha was nice, but you spend the whole time in the car and with little wildlife, it seems like it would be better to wait until the dry season (July-October) I guess I have another reason to come back here.

A Day at the Swimming Pool

2006-02-19T04:20:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a great day. MB organized a pool party for about 350 kids at the local swimming pool which is absolutely gorgeous (Pictures will be up soon) Though only about 250 or so were actually affiliated through the BNC (Bernard Nordkamp Centre.... again, I WILL explain about this centre in a post soon) an additional 100 or so stragglers came along to the pool. In the morning we made 0ver 300 butter and bread sandwichs, packed apples, lollipops and chips and loaded the tiny Toyota pickup truck with all the house members and an additional few volunteers then drove off to the BNC to meet the children.
As MB's pickup turned down the road, the kids had already gathered outside the gate of the BNC and at the sight of MB's truck turn and ran in unison towards the truck screaming "MaryBeth, MaryBeth!!" It was if a horde of teenage girls were waiting outside Madison Square Garden for the Beatles. The sight of 300 screaming kids running towards the truck and running along side of it is a memory I will never forget.
MB is blessed with patience and an uncanny ability to organize 350 children in an orderly fashion. She marked each kid's hand with a marker and they walked the 1/2 mile to the swimming pool through weeds and along a dirt trail in their bare feet with smiles on the faces. These children are so beautiful and being around them makes me happy. I have developed my own favorites already, but each just wants to feel loved.
The pool was refreshing and the day was not too hot. I did get a suburn on my neck and upper arms a bit but all things considered I escaped relatively unscathed. My chest hair was a popular attraction in the pool, but fortunately I was not tugged at too much. The pool has a huge olympic pool side and then another equally huge kiddie pool side. I laid in the kiddie pool side on my belly and within seconds had about 10 kids ontop of me splashing, laughing, and smiling. One really fun thing to do in the kiddie pool was to spin the kids around and around with the legs outstretched. The big pool was fun too doing handstands, lifting the kids in the water and throwing them, and putting them on my shoulders and walking around. They are like barnacles- once I had one kid on me, literally five or six more latched onto me as I carried them through the water.
For many kids this was the highlight of their month... if not year. They were all so well behaved and at lunch sat quietly (350 kids silently sitting and waiting to go through line!!) Though we were at the pool from 10am-5pm, that still was not enough time for some kids who looked a little somber heading back home. I can't blame them.
One funny moment came when at lunch MB was trying to figure out who to give chips to and who to give a hard boiled egg to. So she asked who wants an egg... 350 little hands went up. When she asked who wants chips, expecting only those who didnt want an egg to raise their hands, 350 little hands went up again. She should have seen that coming...
I have been introduced as Scooter to the kids (my nickname from the Deli) and it was always nice to hear a little voice get my attention from the pool by shouting "Scooter!"
These kids really do make this trip worthwhile and I already look forward to getting to see them again.
Last night MB, Suzie and I were invited over to her Australian friend Barbara's house for dinner. She and her husband have a beautiful home in the hills which overlooks the sunset and the mountains and the city of Windhoek. She made a fondue-like dinner with potoes, and all sorts of toppings. It was very delicious and though I was by far the youngest person there, it was nice talking with her husband (a german) and his austrian friend. The other great thing about being here is experiencing other cultures and hearing other people's views on the world.
That is about it for now... a little long winded, but believe me, it would be longer if I did not have to get ready to leave for Etosha National Park. I willbe gone until Thursday so I will not be updating this until Thursday or Friday at the earliest. Thank you all for your emails- it is so nice to hear from home... I am having a great time but do miss home. Have a good week :-)

Fun Times...

2006-02-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well last night was fun...
Between the WindhoekLagers, White Russsians, and Vodka & Orange Juices, we managed to send off Ana, a german girl who was here visiting Sebastian. (Grrrr...) Actually, it was a little weird since he was her ex-boyfriend and she had befriended an Australian and all three seemed to get along well. Hmmm... Speaking of the Australian, he is a nice nice guy with a funny accent and a hyper-active thyroid. He is easily 6'5'' and over 220. He is a big dude who loves to excercise... this was apparent when he showed up in extra short biker shorts.
Anyway, the evening was nice, Suzie and I cooked chicken rice pilaf, and spinach, ate with MB and by then everyone had gathered and we spent the evening/early morning on the front porch telling stories, listening to music, and drinking. Everyone is really nice and the weekends should be fun hanging out with everyone.

Tomorrow is Saturday and there is a giant pool party for some 300 kids that MB has organized. I am sure to burn but there will be some great pictures I am sure. The children are amused at how white I am and at how big my ears are (In comparison to theirs... not that I have big ears per se.... it's all relative!!!) Anyway, they should be in for even more amusement at the pool tomorrow when my chest hair is exposed... Details to follow...

Have a nice weekend everyone!

My first few days (Pt. II)

2006-02-16T04:04:00.000-05:00

Hello Again Everyone,
The transition from NY to Namibia has gone pretty smoothly. I sleep a lot at night but it is at a normal time and I do not feel anymore jet lag. The weather is a dry type of hot so though the sun is intense, the heat is actually not all that bad. It has even rained two days in a row for brief periods which is a bit uncommon.

The living situation here is very good. Along with MaryBeth and her sister Suzie who is here only for another 10 days, there are a bunch of young people going to school or working that live in the house with us. There are four germans (sebsation, mark, tobias, and kristen) and one canadian (michael) They are all very friendly and fluent in English! Since they are all single and in their twenties, theweekends should be fun and exciting. There are also two toher german girls who live in another part of town but who are over every day (Sandra and Sofie)

The first night here we had a going away party for an American girl who was on her way back to the states and it was a nice opportunity to meet everyone. Everyone is so nice but my only complaint might be what the Germans consider to be good american music... can you believe they don't listen to Michael Bolton!?!?

THere are other youngpeople working as volunteers at the BNC too(Thatisthe center where we work with the kids... more on that in a subsequent post) Germans are everywhere here, but there are a few Americans at the centre including Steve who is about 45 and Ann who is my age and a born teacher. She had dinner over her last night and her enthusiasm for teaching rivals MB's.

This weekend there is giant pool party for some 300 kids so that will be fun and a lot of work. Apparently the little children love the pool and laying out in the sun which is quite intense poolside. I, and I'm sure many of us American/Europeans will be fighting for space in the shade. By Monday Suzie, MB, and myself willl be heading to Etosha National Park to playwith the lions.

I will hopefully have a few pictures up of the kids before too long. I already have my favorites and love giving hugs. It is really sweet how they cuddle up next to you to read or play a puzzle or how the little ones will come up behind me and climb on my back and hug me. My next post I will talk more about the BNC.

Hope all is well in the states. I appreciate the emails... keep them coming!

My first few days (Pt. I)

2006-02-14T13:26:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone...
I made it in safely just ahead of the snowstorm. My flight to London was quick and easy after de-icing on the runway. Once in London, I checked my bags in and hopped the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station in downtown London. The weather in London was only slightly better than what I left in New York... cloudy, cold, and freezing rain. Still, being in London was nice as I took the Big Bus tour around part of London and I got off at Trafalgar Square and wandered around on my own for the rest of the time. I did not stay too long in the city as I wanted to make sure I made it back to the airport in time for my flight.

My flight to Namibia was a bit longer and more congested. I sat next to a British guy who was retired from the army and he had a few interesting stories to tell. I was able to get a little bit of sleep which thankfully helped minimize the effects of jet lag.

Touching down in Namibia was exciting- especially the warm weather. The Windhoek airport (Hoesea Kutako Int'l, I believe) is a tiny little airport and I am pretty sure we were the only flight that had landed in the past hour or more. Customs was uneventful and MaryBeth and her sister Suzie were there to meet me. The ride into Windhoek was 45 minutes and along the way we saw a heard of baboons. I got a little sunburn just from sitting in the back of the little Toyota pickup truck! (A sign of things to come, I am sure)

There is so much more to talk about but I need to hop in the shower, eat, and relax... More to come....! Hope all is well with everyone back home!

Two Weeks to Go...

2006-01-28T15:38:00.000-05:00

Months of preparation have dwindled down to two weeks of anticipation. The only thing really left for me to do is pack and then be on my way. After all this time, I still find it unbelievable that I am actually going to Africa. The reality of the trip probably will not hit me until I step off the plane in Windhoek. I know that this trip will be the experience of a lifetime.