"Miss Jessica"...from everyone

November 16, 2007

I woke up really homesick this morning. Luckily it is a beautiful morning with a nice breeze and strawberry jam with breakfast. During training we are staying at a retreat center associated with a church. I laughed when we first got here because I traveled so far and ended up at another retreat center… Tilikum, anyone? It is very nice here. They have a hibiscus garden and all of the rooms open into the central courtyard. We eat every meal outside in the courtyard. It’s also kind of like our living room (at night it reminds me of the Penn lobby). At first, we were convinced they were making and feeding us American food with a few variations to get us used to the country’s food. Since then we found out that we are getting average fare for the Namibian: Eggs, bread and peanut butter for every breakfast. The peanut butter they use it a brand called “Yum Yum” and quickly became one of our favorite phrases. Lunch and dinner are any combinations of meat (not white or lean), pasta, mayonnaise and, if we’re lucky, vegetables. It was hard to switch between a simple sugar diet (sweets, fruits, coffee drinks) to a complex carbs and fat diet. I’ve gotten over the worst of the sugar cravings… maybe…

Today, we have language training and classroom management sessions in the mornings. Then, after lunch, we find out sites for the next two years and have a session on transportation. Site announcements are the nervous energy this morning.


November 17, 2007
Well, I found out my site yesterday. After a long (bitter)(unorganized) day of lecture and language training we got to the good stuff. They took us out into the parking lot where they had made a huge map of Namibia. Each township or village had a brick in its spot on the map. They called our names one by one as we walked to our bricks. By the time they got to my name most of the map was full and people were wandering all over Namibia to see where their friends had ended up… No one told me not to tell where my site is… and I haven’t heard it was against any PC policy… but I’ll hold off on it for now.

When I got to my brick I was handed a letter. It was from the previous volunteer in the city. As I was reading my letter another current PCV offered a few tips about the area and the people there. It was so great to finally get some real information! I am in the same area as another volunteer who is working in health. She is very nice and I am looking forward to getting to know her a little better. Some of my “really good friends” (if that possible after two and a half weeks) are about three hours away or less. Three hours is relatively close in this country. The country is so vast and only has 2 million people. I have heard you can drive for hours and not see a soul.


I will be teaching grade 5-7 natural science at a primary school (1-7). The school has 600+ learners and 20 teachers. It is a hostel school but I still find it difficult to believe they put grade 1-3 in the hostel. It’s just so young! I was brushing my teeth this morning in the bathroom and was wearing a teal skirt with a ruffle at the bottom. The ruffle made me giggle seeing how I am not a ruffle person… then it came to me… I am an elementary school teacher! I can wear ruffles, and sweaters with apples on it, and sensible shoes and it’s all perfectly acceptable! This is the life! Graduate and, job.


Today supervisors traveled from all over the country to attend a workshop. We all met in the main hall at the training center. They called out areas and the supervisor and trainee would spot each other from across the room. My supervisor is very nice. It was really good to talk to her about the area and the school. Tomorrow, she is picking me up at the training center and we will travel to the city. Then, I get to spend a week at my site. More later.

November 19, 2007
I arrived at my site yesterday. It was about a four hour drive but we did stop at the Super Spar for groceries. There are groceries at my site but they are more expensive and have fewer options. When I got dropped off at my site all of the girls from the hostel were standing out side to sing “Welcome Jessica Welcome.” It was very cute but also very awkward so I started greeting every one of them. Greeting is very very very very important here. Hey you, at GFU, if you’re coming to visit, you need to get over not wanting to ask, “how are you?” without meaning it. “How are you?” “I am fine. Thank you. And how are you?” “I am fine, thank you.” Is unarguably required for every conversation. It has taken a lot of getting used to and I am sure that I have offended some already. Anyway, my colleagues asked if I would greet every child at the school. I said “Maybe…”

I am currently staying in a flat with one of my colleagues who teacher grade one. She is very nice and very relaxed so I feel at home. She leaves her door open all the time and there is a constant stream of little girls meandering through…. Sometimes stopping to stare at me.

Today, I met with the staff at the school. They also sang for me. Every morning there is an assembly out front of the school with all of the learners (Namlish (Namibian English) for student). They sang the Namibian national anthem (Check. I knew it.) and then introduced me. I had to say a few words so that they could hear my voice. It is so hard to speak to anyone here because I have to talk sooo slowly. My accent is very funny so I have to pronounce each word with a pause in front and behind it. It is very tiring sometimes even just to speak. I told the students hello and that I was very excited to be at their school.

I met the acting principal after that. The school’s principal passed away this September and my supervisor has been acting as principal since. She is very nice and it is a relief to talk with her. Her husband runs a tourist camp and her daughter lived in America for a while so she understands me a little faster. It sounds like they also have my best interest in mind – another huge relief at this point. They are really excited for me to be here also. It is nice but also a little intimidating. They are asking for a lot of help and I am not sure if I can do all of it in two years.

There is a donkerhoek (squatters camp) a stones throw away from the school. A lot of the learners come from the camp. This makes it very difficult because they do not have light or good roofs to do homework at night or in the rain. The school has a program that feeds the students at tea break though (funded by a foreign organization). The dynamic will prove interesting I am sure.

More later on my site. I am missing home very much right now. That said, I am loving what I am doing here. There have been many questions about home. They do not understand the everything is green concept. I have a phone. If you want the number you can ask my parents for it. I have an internet café in my town. So email is relatively accessible - though it is slow and more expensive than normal.

Alright, the other trainee in my town is waiting for me to finish this so we can go to the café. Lots and lots of love, J