Another Installment of 10 Things

Posted on by Mo in Namibia: naMObia

I’ve been in Namibia for a while now, and with that I have thought about things that I no longer find weird! And when I went back to the US, I found a lot of things that I thought were weird, so here they are:

10 Things that no longer surprise me in Namibia:

  1. Z’s are pronounced th.
  2. Small children dancing in a way that would get them kicked out of my high school prom
  3. Men asking to marry me before they ask me my name.
  4. The smell of burning trash
  5. Animal carcasses, especially in the staff room
  6. People telling me I’m fat. It’s a common topic with my Omas, but isn’t meant to be offensive.
  7. Saying “Me I am having” Instead of “I have” . Example: Me I am having 3 markers.
  8. Drinking and Driving. It’s pretty common for someone to stop and pick up a 750 mL of Windhoek Lager just to drink on the drive home.
  9. Kids have 3 or 4 names. They have their home name, their school name, the name they gave themselves. This year I told the learners to tell me what to call them. So far I have a Ricardo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Gazza, Rihanna,  Ragga, Mcdonald and my personal favorite: Veteran.
  10. Picking your nose in public. It’s just something that’s done. No one likes to have a booger in there, so you might as well dig it out. If you only have a finger and no paper, a finger is what you will use.

10 things in the US that I had forgotten about, or surprised me:

  1. There are so many choices! There are so many different types of everything, different brands, flavors, sizes, etc.
  2. The fear of gluten. Haven’t we all be eating wheat for years? Why are so many people intolerant now?
  3. Having a computer isn’t as necessary has having a smart phone.
  4. There is an app for everything. The one app that blew my mind was the one that showed you the location of taxis nearby. “My favorite app is the one before my entree” – Liz Lemon
  5. You can find whatever you need, and if it isn’t in the store you can order it online.
  6. TV On Demand. Hulu, Netflix.
  7. Internet is SO FAST
  8. Public transportation is actually public, cheap, and follows a schedule. If the bus says its coming at 10:15 it will be there at 10:15.
  9. People waste food. This goes with people eating things that are tasty, not things that will keep them from being hungry.
  10. Children understand the language you are speaking, and they are not afraid to voice their own opinions, express themselves, whine, and complain. Children are also doted upon, and their every need is taken care of for them

 

 

I am  adjusted back to life in the village! While I will always miss being close to family and friends, as well as all the conveniences in America, I am happy to be back. I have a lot of work to do, and only 7 months to do it! The first thing on my agenda is Camp GLOW. As many of you know, I am co-chair for Camp GLOW, a youth development camp for learners ages 12-19 from all over Namibia! The camp will be hosted April 19-26, only a month away! We have been working very hard to collect donations so that the camp is completely free for all of the kids and facilitators, but we still need some help. If you can help out, please donate and make Camp GLOW 2013 the best possible camp it can be!!

You may donate here: http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/camp-glow-2013

For more information about Camp GLOW, you can visit our website at http://campglownamibia.weebly.com/.

If you are curious to see what Camp GLOW Looks Like, or you are bored at work, watch this video of Camp GLOW 2012http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsXWbgZg10c

Camp GLOW is such a great program, I am really excited to be a part of it again this year!  You can be also, all it takes is Us$20!

Thanks for reading, thanks for donating, thanks for following what I am doing in Namibia!

 

norusuvera

Iwaneka

Leave a comment