Catching up

Hey all! As per usual, I'm behind on blogging. This will be a quick post with updates on how life has been here since... September, the last time I blogged about life!

September
Exciting things:

• Receiving my first visitor in Namibia-- Elyssa, a friend from U of I, who was passing through at the end of her PC service in Tanzania!
• highlights: showing off our village, school, and learners; learning how to walk to the lake in our village by being escorted by some of my learners; going to Ben's birthday party in town
• Going to a wedding at a colleague's house! 
• highlights: all hanging out together; Wambo chicken!

Less exciting things:

• Injuring my arm from excessive cleaning
• lowlight: getting a cordisone injection at the doctor in Ongwediva

General feelings: It's been so long that it's hard to remember September now, but I know Elyssa's visit made the month quite fun!

Photos:

Elyssa and I at Outapi's famous Baobab tree

My colleagues and I at the wedding (L to R: Figo, Konsy, Bergitta, Konsy's friend, some weirdo (me), Tuccoh, Mr. Itumba)

October
Exciting things:

• Being a resource volunteer for the new group of PCVs, group 44, in Okahandja! 
• highlights: co-facilitating a session about group diversity and empathy; organizing and participating in a panel of currently-serving PCVs about harassment (sexual and otherwise) we experience on a daily basis and helping to arm the new group with mitigation and coping strategies; co-facilitating a session on coping mechanisms and peer support. YAY!
• Going to the town lodge to swim in the pool and drink wine with my fellow PCVs in the region on one of the two days of the teachers' strike (which was over very quickly, thankfully!). It was 105 degrees out. The pool was heaven! 
• Enjoying homemade Mexican food with other PCVs one Saturday. 
• highlights: homemade tortilla chips and salsa. Homemade tortillas. So much yum.
• Starting to go on daily walks with my colleagues/friends who are my neighbors! 
• highlights: 45+ minutes of daily exercise, closer relationships, informal social setting to chat and enjoy, getting fresh air!
• Having my one year anniversary living in our village! Moved here on 15 October 2015.
• Receiving care packages galore from my Aunt Cristy and also from Tracey Hennessy! 
• highlights: so many fun new things! 

Less exciting things:

• Locking ourselves out of our friend Mandeep's flat in town while he wasn't around
• highlights: all the help we got in breaking back in! We may or may not have tried to fit 3-5 children through the burglar bars.
• Being diagnosed with DeQuervian's tendinitis in my wrist.
• Lowlights: getting a steroid injection straight into the tendon/wrist!

General feelings: October was a tough month. A year into service, many PCVs fall into slumps, and I certainly fell victim to this. It felt like the school year was never-ending and service was similarly unremitting. So, I lost some motivation and felt down for a good chunk of October. The care packages were warmly received by this mid-slump PCV!

Photos from October:

Group 44 at their site announcement ceremony (i.e., when they find out where they'll be living for the next two years)

The group 42 Omusati volunteers; my people! (L to R: Natalie, Anna, Ben, Lena, some weirdo)

Laser-vision focus when it comes to eating our first tacos in months! (L to R: Lena, some weirdo, Frank, Rosie) 

Locked out of Mandeep's house!

November
Exciting things:

• Exiting my slump! 
• highlights: no more slumpiness!
• Wamboween (Wamboland [where we live] + Halloween = Wamboween)
• highlights: the new group 44 PCVs got to meet the currently serving PCVs; Natalie and I dressing up as Buzz and Woody from Toy Story!
• Distributing donated teddy bears from The Mother Bear Project to grades 0-2 learners at our school
• highlights: The smiles. Oh my goodness, their joy may have been what lifted me out of the slump! It was like Christmas for the kids.
• Attending a GAIN (Gender Awareness In Namibia) Committee meeting
• highlights: We made plans, goals, and divided up the work to roll-out materials for youth clubs on the themes of gender/leadership/health.
• Finishing teaching for this school year!!!
• highlights: survived year 1. WHEW!
• Talking with our school principal about plans for my role next year
• highlights: I'll be teaching less and doing more clubs! He approved our proposals for starting an English club and a Boys & Girls (life skills) club. And I have colleagues who want to work with me on both! Yay, sustainability! 

Future exciting things this month:

• A water balloon fight at PCV Anna's school
• Thanksgiving!!
• A Permagardening workshop

Less exciting things:

• So. Much. Marking. 81 learners who all have to write a whole multiple choice/short answer test (~10 pages long) and write two essays. WOOF.
• lowlights: The kids just finished writing the multiple choice/short answer test now. There are 81 papers sitting on my desk to be marked. The essays will come tomorrow. DOUBLE WOOF.
• Tendinitis is back in full force. This makes marking very difficult, as writing is painful. 
• highlights: ibuprofen.

General feelings: A month straight of vacation when my best friend Leah comes to visit and then I go to South Africa to meet up with my WHOLE immediate family (!!!) and then my parents come back to Namibia with me is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! So much excitement. I'm so happy to be done teaching for a bit and to see the kids shining at the end of the year! As much as I've complained about teaching in this post, know that I love helping the kids and I do enjoy teaching... just not every day! I can't wait for this amazing upcoming holiday and then to come back refreshed and ready to start our first two clubs at school and for the new year of teaching! SO MANY EXCLAMATION MARKS! Ok, time to go mark. Thanks for reading!

Photos:

Natalie and I as Buzz and Woody

The grade 2's were all smiles after they received their teddy bears from The Mother Bear Project!