May Is Here!

E-Mail Update

Just so you know - Lisa is having problems getting into her Hotmail account and doing the normal e-mail stuff. So if any of you e-mail her she may not be able to read or open your messages - and if she does manage to do that she may still not be able to respond or send you a message back. Just so everyone knows that right now things are not working properly for her.

Lisa Turned in Her Last Exams on Wednesday.

She's on vacation finally. It was a good week all in all. All the learners and the teachers are gone for the break. The Hostel is empty and so she's on her own for a few weeks.

She was invited to a Boer Dance last night, by Erna's friends, Omu and Opu. It was a dance for the local whites. Descendents of the Boers (South Africans), I assume. - Lisa didn't realize how many whites there were in her community. There were about 100 ranging from children to Grandparents. She said It felt odd to be among so many whites at one time. With the learners and teachers gone the whites are mostly who's left in town I gather.

Lisa found it easier to learn the dance steps in Afrikaans than she found conversing in Afrikaans to be. But she also has learned that while she likes dancing more or less on her own - free form - she doesn't seem to quite follow the dance steps when she's supposed to be actually dancing with someone.

 

A World Apart

It has been interesting for her hearing about the Swine Flu from Namibia. She says she finds how the scientific information, explanations, etc is presented by the media in odd ways. She says "They just don't get science" Which may be true. At least in the sense that Science uses a different language when discussing things. It made her appreciate her background in Biology.

She said it was like watching parallel universes unfold in the news with one side hinting at total Armageddon from a pandemic and the other indicating how minor the virus has been so far compared to other flu viruses. With a few brave souls trying to find objective middle ground.

She also mentioned how Peace Corps sent out messages reminding them to in general watch for flu symptoms and to contact them if the volunteers feel ill. They were reminded that in their Peace Corps med kits they have Tamaflu  already - it was put in there for possible Bird Flu issues - but it would work if Swine Flu hit them. Sort of makes a parent more confident about the medical situation there. (GRIN)

 

Holidays and Lack of Mail

She hasn't received any packages recently but having the Post Office close for holidays like Workers Day which was May 1st, and Cassinga Day on May 4th doesn't help. Cassinga Day is in remembrance of the Cassinga massacre in 1978 - and that's all we know about it. One can always Google it if one wants more info! (GRIN). The mail can only be picked up 4 days a week as it is, in a normal week there! And we are miffed that our Post Office wants to cut back to 5 days a week from 6 - ah well. We should count our blessings.

 

Politics

Lisa was wondering if President's first 100 days always made the news! Lisa really doesn't remember back in High School - Bush's first 100 days - but then realized that politics doesn't make her as "queasy" now (her word - honest!) as it used to. She keeps following politics wherever she can. Part of that is she's still excited about President Obama.

But part is probably because as she grows up (a parent's view) she's more interested in the world, but I personally think the biggest reason is that she's living in Namibia. When you're that far from home for so long you start to see the world in a more global way and are more interested in how the US fits into the world.

Or that's at last how it went for me in Finland after Jimmy Carter won (GRIN). I Just realized that I voted for Carter absentee ballet and Lisa voted for Obama absentee ballet. And they both won! I hope Obama has better luck over the long haul!

She thinks a woman would be nice for the Supreme Court, a minority would be nice to represent more of the country, but mostly Lisa thinks President Obama should pick someone "good" - someone who is smart, pragmatic, who doesn't "piss everyone off" (her phrase - honest!) who is liberal leaning and who knows the Constitution! Not a bad summary in my humble opinion (GRIN)

 

Out on The Town

Tonight she's going to a Gospel Concert, and Sunday she's been invited to Omu and Opu's for lunch. Which leads me to . . .

 

Similar Yet Different

Lisa has discovered great sympathy for the little boys in movies and novels who get their cheeks pinched and get hugged by all the elderly "Aunties", since in the white community - it seems to be a cultural thing to kiss one's elders on the lips. Not so much in the local black community.

She really hasn't spent that much time with the local whites but she's been asked to visit Omu and Opu (Grandparent aged friends of Erna) for lunch since all her school friends are off to their farms, so she has to deal more with these issues. She seems to really like them as people - and I guess they try hard to understand her Afrikaans - but it's still strange for her that as she becomes more like "family" to them she's included in such kissing rituals. Ahh well.

 

Odds and Ends

Lisa read us 2 short poems she'd been working on after reading Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress. As a poet I like that she's writing one or two. Maybe she'll work on something she really likes! I think I liked her poems more than she did. (SMILE)

She's taking a break from the Bard - she was hoping to read the complete works of Shakespeare in 1 year - but we reassured her that accomplishing that goal before she comes home would still be great! I hadn't managed that by her age myself so I'm very impressed with her!

To all of you who have sent her a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Thank You Very Very Much! I will let you know when they arrive in Aroab. She has over a month before she'll actually start teaching the book so there is plenty of time for the Post Office to deliver your precious gifts! And there is still time if you wish to send her a copy and haven't done so already. Again Thank You for your kindness and support of her teaching project!

Oh - she has a working ATM for the moment! Hope it stays that way!

 

Till Next week - Enjoy May

 

Susan Rothman