The air is turning crisp these days. I’m told this is typical Swakop weather. I regard Sunday as a strange day. I’ve felt this since I’ve been in Namibia. Most shops are closed, the streets are empty, and there is a strange silence that looms through the air. It’s a day to itself, that truly stands out among the hustle and bustle of Monday thru Sat.
The past few mornings, I’ve been woken up by a fly swarming around my head. Both Rebecca and I have gotten accustomed to sleeping with the blankets over our faces just to avoid the constant buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..ugh!
The flat is making progress, as I have a new friend Albert from the Ministry of Works who felt sorry for me and immediately started working on the place. Actually, when we went to him and told him my story, I was in pain from a stomach virus I had this week. I think he took my expressions as feeling really sad about not having a place to live, and he began working right away. For whatever reason, he has really pulled through. I could not be more happy!!!
I’ve been asked by a few people in local choirs to come and work with them. This past week I worked with the Mascato’s, a high school choir, and a church choir! It’s been great to be involved in the community to get to know people through their music. Most of the high school choirs don’t have a regular choir director, it’s student led. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to work with these student conductors and assist them in any way I can.
I wanted to share a few strange experiences I witnessed in the last week. The other day I was at a shibeen (a bar in the township) with a few friends. We were all dancing and talking with each other when a very large and round white guy stumbles through the door. I’m talking about full on tripped on himself and didn’t really recover from his fall. He was clearly very drunk. He somehow made his way to the bathroom. At this point, the bar was closing and we all went outside. Right out front of the shibeen, was a HUGE Coca-Cola 18 wheeler, sitting idle in the street. Now the streets in the townships are small and I’m not really sure how this truck even got here. Next thing I see is this drunken white man climb in the DRIVER’S SEAT of this 18 wheeler. This truck could have easily taken out all the houses in Mondessa, but I didn’t stick around to find out what happened next. I got out of there as soon as I could!
Another incident I wanted to share, I didn’t actually witness, but my roommate and friend did. They were riding together in a taxi and just as they past by the hospital, they saw a woman lying face down on the ground with her small dog standing beside her barking uncontrollably. This was in broad daylight, as mentioned – in front of the HOSPITAL, and many many passersby in the street. NO ONE was stopping. They ran into the hospital and started asking for help. "Is there a nurse or doctor here, can you help this lady outside" One woman replied, "I’m a nurse, but not at this hospital" Ummm……SOS emergency service finally showed up and weren’t in any hurry to help her, as she’s been drunk and past out a number of times before. I’m not sure what happened at this point, but I think this lady was still alive. I know I have a lot to learn about how things are handled here.
A 3rd story comes to me from my good friend Patrick (Patty O). He told us the story of a small woman walking down the road in Otjiwarongo with a HUGE cardboard box on her head. What could possibly be inside this extremely large box? After a few guesses, Patrick finally found out it was a Donkey Head.
Yesterday, Rebecca went down to Walvis Bay with about 40 kids from her school for a regional athletics day. When the bakkie (small truck) returned to our house, I looked outside the window to see about 25 kids crammed into the back of the bakkie!!!! I ran outside to get a closer look, and noticed some were learners in my music class. "Miss, Miss!!!!!! Miss PAM!!!!" They were going absolutely crazy with excitement. The others who didn’t know me asked "Are you Miss Rebecca’s sister????!!!!" I really wish I had my camera, because it was a funny funny sight!
Next weekend is Independence Weekend. For most people, it means a 4 day weekend, however, since the TRC does not follow the school schedule anymore (I mean really, how many teachers are going to come in on their day OFF?), it means I have to go in on Monday, but Tuesday is a day off. Ask me how I feel about that. Luckily I have a few friends coming here to see me and spend time in Swakop. Actually, one of my friends wants to come here just to watch Sex and the City. Haha!!!
