Zambia Trip

To continue on with the May holiday adventures after Erindi Game Park my friend and I returned to the Kavango region and stayed in my village for a bit so that I can show her that village life style. I’m glad she got to experience it, but there was one MAJOR perk she got to enjoy which NEVER happens, we had Taco Tuesday!!!  As a birthday gift my family sent my friend Bea with some corn tortillas for me ;) a few friends were over so to kick off my Namixcan BirthMay celebrations we had margaritas and tacos!! It was awesome!!

After a few days in the village a group of fellow volunteers, Bea, and myself decided to jump some boarders and venture off to Zambia, just east of Namibia. This time we were riding in style and used Intercape Bus. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was 3,792,735 times better than Kumbis. Kumbis really do make me nervous. Also, Intercape offered an overnight bus which was a nice option so that we could just sleep for the 11 hour ride and arrive in the morning so the adventures could begin right away. Early in the morning we saw some wild elephants and giraffes on the side of the road. This made me kind of giggle to my friend. Back home the animals I saw the most often were cattle and horses. Now I rarely see horses but giraffes and baboons are pretty regular thing; when I return to the states it’s going to be funny to see horses again.

Back to the fun stuff though, Zambia!! Zambia was awesome. We stayed in a pretty touristy area, Livingston so I didn’t get to see too much of the country by any means, but what I did see, I loved. We were there about 3 and half days and got to do lots of fun stuff. The first day was a bit more relaxed and we basically just walked around Livingston which was a cute town. People seemed friendly and it had a nice safe feel to it. The second day was action packed. We got to go see one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls. If you are not familiar with it Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world and it is absolutely beautiful!! It costed $20USD and was completely worth it. There are many walking trails on top and on the bottom of the falls. There’s also a bridge about mid level of the falls directly in front of them where you can walk and get soaked. The mist from the falls is so strong it creates a rainforest and garden of rainbows, it was surreal to see. The other exciting point was bungee jumping!! Yes bungee jumping!!!! Ahh it was so scary yet a blast all at once. A bridge a bit down from the falls offers a thing called the Big Air package, this included bungee jumping, the bungee swing (which was similar to bungee jumping with out as much air time and you fall feet first rather than head first), and zip lining. Check out the following blog to see the video of the bungee swing and bungee jumping. Man, that was a rush. I think bungee jumping was even scarier than sky diving!

The next day we purchased a package from the hostel we stayed at (JollyBoys backpackers) which started our day with a 2 hour canoe ride where we got to see a few elephants, followed by elephant interaction where we got to feed and hang out with the elephants. You even get to sit with them and tell them about how pretty they are. Well you don’t have to tell them that but theyre beautiful so I wanted to. After the interaction we went on a small safari drive followed by lunch. After lunch we were able to relax for bit before going on a sunset cruise where dinner was provided. On the boat we met a super sweet pair of parents who were in Zambia because their son just completed his 27 month service with Peace Corps and was now marrying someone he met during service.  Those Peace Corps love stories get me every time!

Over all the trip (though brief) was one of a life time. I had great company and an amazing time. Tons of pictures were taken so I decided to collaborate them all into this fun little video. (Told you I’d make up for the missed Sunday Funday pictures.) So for your Sunday Funday there are tons of pictures between then three blog posts!

Legends from the Kavango: Things to be aware of when crossing the river in a canoe

For many residents of the Kavango regions (East and West) life is lived along the Okavango River. The miles upon miles of river bring plenty of (the most delicious) fish you could hope to catch, memes doing their laundry, kids spashing and flipping into the river, people around every curve enjoying a nice, and several watos (canoes in English) coasting through the waters.
The watos are not only useful for travel, fishing, and having fun; their beautiful hand carvings decorate the river quite nicely. However, according the legend, there can be danger riding in a wato depending on what you were up to the night before.

Also enjoying the gifts of the river are many hippos. What you may not know about the hippos are they have extra senses that can recognize if you were sleeping with someone other than your spouce the night befor. If you've been behaving the hippos will let you ride along the river in the canoe in peace. Unfortunately, if you have been a bit scandalous the hippos will provide you with your karma. Somehow the hippos are aware of what your life is like between the sheets and if you're unfaithful, and try crossing the river in a canoe a hippo will come out of no where and attack you!! If you are willing to admit the adultery to the people your with though, you can break off a piece of bamboo to place in the front of the wato. That piece of bamboo will then keep you safe from the vengeful hippos as you travel in the waters.

So next time you plan on getting in a wato to enjoy a ride, make sure you're practicing honesty... or it just may be the last thing you do before the hippos make you pay!

What Kind of Impact can a Peace Corps Volunteer Actually Have?

What impact could a Peace Corps Volunteer really hold in the long run?

 

Prior to beginning service I was asked a couple times a very daunting question:  “Do you really think it helps these countries for you to go do stuff for them for two years and then come back?” After an initial moment of defensiveness I would usually respond with a “you should do some research on the Peace Corps and their history.”

 I must admit, no I don’t think Peace Corps would be of any benefit if we did just come to these countries “do stuff for them”, take some pictures and leave. 

            Peace Corps has established three main goals and 10 standards that come along with service. However, even with these in place, there will always be critics and that’s okay. Good actually. I’d be lying if I didn't admit there has been a couple times I’ve laid in bed questioning, am I doing this right? Am I making an impact?

          Well a couple weeks ago another volunteer and I jumped into a taxi in our shopping town. In Namibia taxis work a bit differently. Taxis pile in as many people as they can into the vehicle, and make various stops in route.  So in the typical fashion we more so stuffed ourselves in taxi. A woman asked if we were Peace Corps Volunteers and with a big smile told us about how a few years back, when she was in school they had a Peace Corps Volunteer and he taught them a really funny Christmas song with a penguin. “I still remember that song.” And as we quickly got to her stop she jumped out, excitedly waved and said bye. It was a sweet to say the least.

         The real moment that stopped me in my tracks though was in yet another taxi on my way to town.  Being that we were in the village riding into town the car only had the driver, an older woman and myself.  Greeting is very important in the culture here, so I gave the standard “Morokeni” greeting to the two in the vehicle when the older woman gave a little smirk and asked “Are you a Peace Corps Volunteer?” “Yes I am”. She explained she could tell by accent, which made us both giggle. My accent does need work. Rukwangali is hard! “At my school when I was in grade 7 in 1996 we had a Peace Corps Volunteer as our English teacher from Virginia and she always smiled.” I was impressed, 20 years later and still so many vivid memories. She continued to ask me a couple questions about myself and we shared some small chat. The car got quiet for a couple minutes when she said “I was the first girl leader in my class in grade 8” as she sat a little taller and smiled. “Really? That’s awesome!” I said sharing her excitement. “Yes, she picked me and another boy learner to be the two captains. Some of the other learners were mad and even a teacher told her both captains must be boys but she said a girl and a boy earned this year so she’s running an experiment. And then after that in grade 9, 4 classes had a boy and girl captain.” Namibia is a very young country so to have a country, not even in double digits of age embrace a concept such as gender equality is HUGE! Not only that, but also that one opportunity the volunteer gave this woman is something dear the woman has held onto ever since. She was so proud to tell me the story. Just showing up in a country and “doing stuff for them” doesn’t do something like that.

 Serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer won’t make you empower every person experiencing oppression for any which reason such as gender, sexuality, disability, age, religion etc. You probably won’t solve world hunger. Unfortunately, after you complete service there will probably still be domestic violence and diseases being spread. We can’t solve every issue in the world, but we sure can try to give at least one positive opportunity to even one person, or give any sort of positive impact at that. Whether than impact be helping a community plant gardens to feed its people, building a library, making someone the first female class captain, or teaching a fun Christmas song, our lives our made up of domino sequences. If each volunteer can go through service and impact even one person during that time in such a positive way that that person in return uplifts another as well; well then thank you to the over 226,000 volunteers who have served and are currently serving because that’s lot of people world wide who just may share their story in a taxi with another volunteer some day.

Sunday Funday's (late) Pictures. Meet a few special learners!

February Learners of the Month!

 

For this Sunday’s Sunday Funday pictures (even though its Monday, sorry we had no power yesterday for me to get my blog on) I want to invite you too meet some of my learners. In my English classes every week learners have the opportunity to win “Learner of the Week.” I have been sent some fun pencils from America in care packages that learners LOVE! They are definitely in need of school supplies, but throw on scents, or pictures and that it came all the way from America and you would think I was handing over $100. It really is the little things that count. So each month there are four Learners of the Week in each one of my 3 English classes, and out of those four one is crown Learner of the Month.  Learner of the month gets a grand prize of having their picture printed and given to them (and when I happen to have some) a small candy from America. Seriously it is the littlest things that are beyond exciting to the learners. Not many of them have a picture of themselves and who isn’t excited to try a candy from another country? I’m really trying to encourage positive re-enforcements, which typically is supplied in high fives, but when I get a couple goodies in the mail it feels wrong to hog them to myself.

 

Except for Hot Cheetos and pinon, those are mine! #sorrynotsorry  ;-p

 

So this week I want to broadcast not only the ones who learned Learner of the Week, but also put the Learners of the Month in the spot light. They work hard not only in class and on their homework, but also to be a role model to their fellow classmates.

 

Grade 8

Learners of the Week

 

They are so serious in pictures, so I had to make them laugh ;)

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learner of the Month!! 

Andreas

 Andreas is one who comes off quiet in the classroom but put some pen and paper in front of her and a new being is born. She studies hard because she wants to be a teacher and someone important one day. She one tiny little thing constantly holding a sweet little smile on her face and encouraging her classmates to try hard in school as well.

 

Grade 9

Learners of the Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learner of the Month! 

“Benny”

Benny has got to be one of the politest people I have ever met. With every teacher at school he is more than willing to help with passing out papers or carrying books. (Teachers rotate classes and often only have one set of subject books to be shared among all their classes.) He is not shy to offer help or ask for help from his fellow classmates. Benny plans on being a policeman someday to protect us from criminals.

 

 Learners of the Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Learner of the Month!

“Eddi”

Eddi, man this guy makes me laugh! He is your 9^th grade social butterfly. I’m trying to recall if I’ve ever seen him not smiling or joking around outside. He is seriously a friend with everyone! Eddi is super enthusiastic about school always being one of the first hands raised to answer questions in class. In his free time Eddi likes to write poems (a topic I haven’t even begin to teach in class).  Check out his latest poem below!

 

Poem

Thieves

 

COME TO ME

RUDE I AM

I STEAL FROM YOU

YOUR LOVE I GET

 

LOVE IS MY STYLE

ANGER IS MY SON

THIEF IS MY NAME

MONEY IS MY LOVE

 

POLICE ARE MY ENEMIES

A GUN IS MY HELPER

BUT FEAR OF JAIL

I AM FATHER OF HAIL

 

 

                   DONE BY EDDIE

 

 

 

*The learners were asked if it was okay to show their pictures and give you a little insight to who they are. They were thrilled featured!!

 

 

 

If you would like to support Learners of the Month with some candies or fun pencils/pen they absolutely LOVE it!! Goodies from America are a hot prize, especially warheads and tootsie rolls. Any goodies for learners can be sent to

 

Jamie Torres

Peace Corps Namibia

PO Box 114

Rundu Namibia 9000

 

 

Don't you miss your family and friends?

A couple questions I’ve been asked regularly are “is it hard to be away from your family?” or “Don’t you miss your friends?”. Or often I’m asked what’s the hardest part about being in Peace Corps? Well of coarse its being away from loved ones. In my short seven months of service, back on the States side I’ve had one of my longest known friends get engaged to her high school sweetheart and they have been together over 10 years! I’ve had births enter the world. My niece Savannah (who is my everything) had her very first volleyball game, where she also made the team captain, and though I once made it a priority to be at every game I possibly could, I was now on the opposite side of the world. And though it hurts, I also lost people. I’ll be honest, yeah; it is hard to be away from your family.

            Call me lucky though, because even through the nostalgia, (not to mention an ocean and vast distances of land) I don’t think I could feel any closer to people back home. Where I once went many days with out talking to family, we now make it a point to talk once a week. Don’t get me wrong, internet isn’t always reliable, but the fact that we each put in the effort is priceless. I have friends I hadn’t seen in months or years sending letters. Any volunteer can tell you, getting mail is one hella good feeling.  I’m even more beyond fortunate to have a supportive circle shooting me messages on Facebook or email saying “hey girl what can we do to help, is there anything you need”. A couple times some of my learners or host family member have been able to be featured in FaceTime and Skype calls, and boy does it turn into talk of the school for a week. Yeah, I miss my family and friends, but I’m also with my family and friends.

            See nothing can every replace friends and family from “home” but one of the greatest gifts of service is the relationships gained while serving. Today my host mom (who is a member of the school board) and toddler niece had to come by the school I’m teaching at. Well, when I walked back to the offices for my free period my host niece saw me and with a huge cheesy 4-teeth smile and wobbly steps came at me. My heart seriously melted. Some of the friendships I’ve made both in the network of volunteers and locals are relationships I could never forget.  I get eager to visit my Bunya host mom telling people, “yeah this weekend I’m going to visit my mom”. My host sister is seriously one of my best friends. Just as my sister back home is. This, this is magic. There is a certain amount of sacrifice with serving in the Peace Corps and living over seas, but the rewards that come along with service are incomparable. 

Sunday funday Valentine photos

Valentines day is very exciting for the Learners :) they get a free pass to wear their own clothes rather than uniforms. Gosh Namibians are stylish!

      Eddie (the one in the middle) is representing for Chicago with his shirt!

One of my grade 7 Learners made the sweetest Vday card for me :) I loved it!

I got a lesson on cooking fresh mutete this week by one of my Arts Learners. She is one good cook!

Fall is coming so morning walks are a bit darker, yet still gorgeous every day

A village snack stand selling yummy yummies 

Sending lots of love to all from Namibia <3

Half a year and a lifetime of lessons

Wow!! Six months! Its been six months since I boarded a plane to a whole new life; to a dream still be dreamt yet living all at once. I’ve learned several things over this bundle of months. I’ve embraced new meanings, tried things I never thought I would, took a couple chances, and learned many new things. These six months have gone by in a flash, and before I even knew it I recognize six new realities, which establish when what I knew and what I’m coming to know collided in my time here:

 

 

 

6) This country needs a talent scout! Seriously! Singing is a big part of this culture, and I don’t blame them with the voices they have. I swear some how being musically inclined is in these locals’ genetics, same with dancing.Every single week they start off school on Monday with singing songs. When I do games with learners and tell them okay dance, do you know how many typically get shy… ZERO! One of the closest friends I made here will break into song at any given moment, in any given genre, for any reason… with no warning. What this has taught me: Sing me a song about life and dance me the dream of dreams! Just, groove your freakin heart out!! Why not? Singing it out just, feels good; simple as that. I’m no singer, but I constantly find myself singing while I’m cooking, dancing while brushing my teeth, drumming random rhythms like I’m some kind of red pen star in a world built out of notebook and paper mountains…. And every single time I catch myself in these moments, I just smile.

 

5) “I love you too much”, “You’re so fat” Right of the bat this could come off as rude right? Someone, you’ve never met walks up to you and just starts telling you about how fat you are and how great it is right? But hear me out. It’s a compliment! In words it may not seem so but in context it means that it looks like you is well-fed and taken care for. Who wouldn’t enjoy such a life right? On many cases I’ve heard love confessions or comments on my fatti-ness within the first five minutes of meeting someone and youknow what that taught me: Compliment each other!! We really don’t do this enough. The world can be competitive, its human nature. Being complimented feels great, and so does complimenting. There is one learner I met when I first got to Kasote and one of the first things she told me was she “wishes she could be beautiful like me” after being taken back for a moment I told her “I wished I could be beautiful like her”. Since then when I see her I greet her by saying “Hi miss beautiful” and every time, the shy smile she gets is priceless. The bigger moment was one day when she caught a glimpse in the mirror and said “Me also, I’m beautiful right Ms. Tena”.

 

 

4) Every day from the staff room at some point or another the air is filled with the sound of adorable as can be grade 0 learners (kindergarten and pre-k students) singing at the top of their lungs the happiest of tunes. They stand tall as can be and scream to a tune more then sing, making sure their voice is heard. They are proud of their voices. When I see them on the school yard they wave with so much excitement and scream out my name. What these overwhelming moments of cuteness has taught me: Happy to see someone; care about that person’s existence? Just, say it! To let a person know what you think of them, well damn that’s a dive into a waterfall. You never know how someone will react to how you feel about them, but do it! Say what you want to say. Maybe it will go great, maybe you’ll never see each other again, maybe it will start a new friendship/relationship, maybe it will salvage and old one. If you like someone, tell them! Love them? Hell go for it, maybe they feel the same, perhaps not, but at least you know what, you were brave and you took on one of the biggest challenges known to mankind.

 

3) Nom Nom Nom! Who doesn’t love themselves some amazing gooey warm melty Mac and cheese? Well what Namibians top their pasta with is Ketchup and Mayo. I remember to a T the first time I saw my little host sister doing this after school. I serious just watched like, is that what I think it is as I continued to stir the cheese, milk and butter into my pasta. As I served my sense of comfort food from home into my bowl I caught my sister looking at me like I was nuts for doing so. We both just looked at each other pasta like why would you do that? I offered her a taste and she was not she to decline the strange mixture I had made. She offered me a bit, granted it wasn’t a special version of the dish to accommodate my 2874 food allergies (which, for once worked to my benefit) I also declined the offer. What I got from this is a new appreciation for being engulfed in a world of different. I’ve grown to look at the question “Whats new?” in a whole new light because, well, everything is new. Life is spent in constant captivation.

 

2) In [what I’ve encountered of] Namibian culture. Family is a chart-topping concept. It’s not uncommon for families to be large and growing. Living on one homestead could easily consist of 4 generations. Living on the homestead with your parents is just as accomplished as moving in with your significant other and having a family. In one writing assignment I gave my grade 8 and 9 learners with the topic “What do you want to be when you grow up” the vast majority said the reason why they wanted to become ________________________ is so they can “be someone in life” and “take care of their parents”. The past 6 months have completely shifted my definition of family. In Namibia alone I feel as if I have 3 families, all of which I completely adore and love. On the contrast, even from the other side of the world, I don’t think I could have a stronger relationship with my biological family and really look forward to our Facetime dates to tell them not only about my adventures, but to hear of theirs.

 

1) Namibia has skies that not even best quality HD could do justice for.  Waking up in the morning, it really is a brand new day. Sunsets so breath taking it reminds you how lucky you are to have lived up to this moment. And a night sky sparkling so bright you know any wish on these stars must come true. What this has taught me: Live in right now. I heard that expression dozen of times, live in the moment; focus on the present, etc. However, here is where I came to learn to be in this moment. How can something everyday as the sky be so extremely different from one day to the next? Truth is I don’t know. I couldn’t even begin to tell you or to predict, but I do know, for each chance I get to just stop and realize where I am, right now.

 

Though the changes will never stop changing, and what I know now will also some day become something I knew there is a beautiful in the evolutions of this life cycle. 27 months is really a short period of time, but the impact beyond the number of days seen in a lifetime.

A day in the life

Peace Corps Namibia: A day in the life link


Every wonder what a SUPEP volunteer does while serving in the Peace Corps? Well "I hop up outta bed, turn my swag on, take a look in the mirror say whats up", but seriously, here's what I typically do! Just click the link above  :)





To get more insight to some of my encounters also follow my instagram jamiet06

Sunday Photos 20-Dec-2015

Hi everyone! I want to start a new tradition of including you in on my photo a day. Every day I take at least one picture to remember service. I will warn you, most are of either people or nature but here is the first set of pics I would like to share withe you. Tune in every Sunday because I plan on making this a Sunday funday picture day!

A few of the kiddos in my village during one of our afternoon hang out sessions. Aren't they precious!

One day a medicine truck came to administer injections (vaccinations) to the community. A few nurses set up chairs under a tree and began giving the injections, first to babies and children, followed by the elders 

This sweet little guy having fun drawing pictures in the sand.

My infamous little host brother Bonze (the one who surprised me with my puppy Hafa) and I playing Mancala. We made it out of an egg cartoon, seeds, and my malaria medication boxes. Gotta get crafty in Namibia. :) 

A few of the awesome volunteers and I during our time in Windhoek 

The tree swing and the hut. A fun picture I was able to capture while in Mayenzere. 

A very special sight to me as this reminds me of someone very dear. RIP auntie 

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

"Where do you picture yourself 5 years from now... 10 years from now?"

Sometimes I wonder if anyone actually knows the answer to that question, or maybe its just me. I definitely doubt I would say "Oh you know I picture myself spending Thanksgiving in the Kavango region doing arts and crafts with grade 2 learners", "Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Peace Corps serving in Namibia", or "Buying an Orange Fanta to share with a random stranger in a small African village". I definitely didn't predict myself saying "I will be living along rivers in Namibia and learning how to speak Rukwangali." or "Sitting in the VIP section of a gospel concert with my sister". None of this could have been foreseen, but you know what, I'm sure glad its happening.

Last week I returned from a two week trip to Windhoek, the capitol of Namibia. In Windhoek we had an all volunteer conference for all 143 volunteers currently serving in Namibia. We also got to join together to celebrate 25 years of Peace Corps Service in Namibia. Namibia gained their Independence in March of 1990 and only 7 days later, before they even had a letter head, they requested service of Peace Corps Volunteers. Fast forward a bit to September of that same year, the first group of volunteers arrived in Namibia ready to serve. I am happy that 25 years later I have the privilege of being apart of the "Namily" and also get to have the experience of serving in Namibia.

The all volunteer conference ended and us newbies of group 42 had to stick around for some additional training. Over all I enjoyed it, I learned some interesting facts, got some info on applying for grants, got to reconnect with some lovely faces and make new friendships. A lot of time was spent debriefing and sharing stories about our sites and experiences. Many volunteers had positive stories, others have had a few speed bumps to over come since spreading our wings and beginning our 2 years of service post completing PST(Pre-Service Training). This time to tell each other really made me realize how thankful I am about this experience. Overall, I feel like my time in Kasote has been great. Yeah some culture shock aside and a few cultural differences have thrown a curve ball or two at me, but I really think I'm beyond lucky to have received my site. This isn't my first rodeo volunteering abroad, I know what its like to live with a just plain mean host family and that was not fun to say the least. The host family I'll be staying with over these next two years is amazing! I would get excited when people would ask "Whats your family/living situation like" and I could respond with telling them how awesome of a host sister I'm living with and the children of the homestead and village I get to hang out with. When it came to language training it was with out hesitation that I could say a teacher from my staff helped me out everyday in trying to battle learning Rukwangali, sometimes two. I enjoyed bragging about how on top of things the principal has been. I couldn't brag enough about how welcoming the community has been over all.

There are both pros and cons to living with a host family in a small village, and in my case the pros definitely out weigh the cons. Being that I've spent a lot of time living alone I had my reservations about living with a family, but now I am very thankful that is the case. On Thanksgiving I was having a bit of a sore spot missing my family. I made a post on Facebook wishing friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving back home and how I was sad about not being there with them. One friend posted a comment say "You may be missing one Thanksgiving, but the impact you are having there will last forever". This really centered me. Maybe I am making an impact on the people I've met here, perhaps not. One thing I do know though is they are impacting me, in several good ways and ya,  that will last forever. I am living my dream, that is infinite impact of its own. And you know what I am hoping I'm impacting people here because it would be selfish of me to be the only one privileged of receiving their grace.

I wouldn't have pictured this be my life even a year ago, and yes there has been some sacrifices that have had to be made, and in my opinion it couldn't be a better way of living. Any one else thinking of just, going for "it" whether that definition of "it" meaning join the Peace Corps (which you should), taking on a challenge, or anything else, do it! Lets face it, no one knows what life will be like 5 years from now, and just in case that zombie apocalypse does hit us, its best that we are living life since now. The scariest thing that can happen is you look back at your life and tell yourself "I should have ________ when I had the chance."

Nom Nom Nom! On the menu Kavango Cuisine

Grubs! Slimmy, yet satisfying :)

Actually I have ate some worms since my Namibian adventure has began, but that is more traditionally an O-land delectable. Personally, I like them dry, but I believe they are suppose to be cooked. I have a thing about textures of food so chewy grubs hasn't been something I enjoyed being in my mouth. 

 So first off a bit of background. As you may have read before I am serving in the Kavango region of Namibia. Namibia its self is split into many, extremely unique regions. As you can see on the map (or may already know) Kavango region is on the top of Namibia near the Kavango River which serves as a border between Namibia and Angola.

Depending on the region's location, its menu of traditional foods shift. The one common love amongst all regions is meat. Any get together with Namibia almost  always involves meat. I don't think I have experienced a single weekend with out walking across, into, or being a part of a Braii (the Namibian word for BBQ). Fast food may be closed, but its guaranteed that you can find some AMAZING "street meat" or "Kapana meat" being braiied on the side of the road or in front of a bar. Let me tell you it is so good that its yummy-ness will never grow old. Its also fun to see the different spices, or seasonings the sellers have out to dip your meat into if thats what you choose. If you haven't had the chance to read my blog "The Wild Game" these two go pretty hand in hand because that one is about the types of game hunted. In that blog I also referenced being unsure on how its possible to hunt (or even butcher) giraffe. Well I must of either a) seen the future coming or b) spoke a few days too soon because not long after that posting giraffe was what was on the table. 

In my region we eat a lot of fish. It is with out hesitation that the fresh fish caught in the river and salt fried or boiled that is commonly served is the absolutely best fish I have ever experienced in my life. I enjoy seeing how fish varies even with in the region. When I was living in Bunya for CBT (Community Based Training) my host mom would typically fry fish. I must admit, her friend fish has probably been one of my favorite dishes in Namibia. Now that I am living in Kasote for my 2 years of service I live with a new host family, and they typically boil the large red belly fish, which is also great. Prior to living here I would eat fish if it was what was served, but didn't love it. That has definitely changed now. I love Love LOVE fish both boiled and fried. 

One traditional food for tea time is breaded, fried fish which many love, but due to my celiac I have not tried. Yes, you read that right. I did say for tea time. One of my favorite features of Namibian culture in all regions is "Tea Time". Every day, usually around 10:00am is tea time. Tea Time is meant as a break for the day and tends to last around 30 minutes. In some occasions tea and/or coffee along with a snack such as the fried fish (pictured to the left), bread and butter, or fruit is provided. Other times you are responsible for bringing your own refreshments and snack. Another traditional yummy treat consumed for tea time, or any time of the day for that matter is a goody known as "Fat Cakes".

Unfortunately I have not been able to try these either, but people who have really enjoy them. They are balls of dough with extra butter and sugar mixed in and cooked by being dropped into a pot of boiling oil. In my opinion they seem similar to doughnut holes, but I don't know exactly. Once in a while you can also find them spruced up being drizzled in syrup or rolled in powdered sugar. The name fat cakes couldn't be more fitting. 

Now, for a fun Rukwangali lesson. "Yisima". The one food which is consumed pretty much every single day. Seriously I'm pretty sure "Yisima" is what is served 6 out of 7 days of the week. It can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. "Yisima" is also known as "pap", but in would be better understood as porridge in English. For lunch or dinner the "Yisima" is hard and rolled into a ball which also serves as your utensils. Who needs spoons and forks anyways? When the "Yisima" is served for breakfast it is watered down with milk and extra sugar is added. The breakfast "Yisima" has a similar taste to Cream of Wheat which brings back some childhood memories. <3 What I find most intriguing is how it is typically/ "traditionally" cooked. It is cooked with either maize (corn) or mahangu (millet) flour in a cast iron cauldron on top of three stones and over an a fire. This is known as "ediko" in Rukwangali. 

The "Yisima" is usually accompanied with .... take a wild guess! If you guessed meat then you are right! The other popular pairs for "Yisima" is ekovi (cabbage), mutete (dried spinach, it can also be fresh though), or soap (soup). No matter what your fancy may be it is rather tasty. 

Little fun fact, macaroni is enjoyed here in Namibia just as it is in many parts of the world. In America, I automatically think macaroni is served drowing in yummy, gooey, cheesy wonders! However, in Namibia macaroni is served with mayo and ketchup. I can't say I've experienced that either  though. Darn you gluten for limiting my food options!!! Even with some (very) limited access to gluten free pasta, mayo and ketchup are a bit wild for me. I know, I know, I'll eat grubs, bats, donkey, and doves, but not mayo or ketchup right? I tell you its a texture thing.

Another traditional treat here in "Eguni" also known as a Kavango orange. It has a hard outer shell that needs to be cracked on a rock, or if your a pro with your elbow. Once you have it cracked open it is filled with little seed like fruit that kind of tastes like bananas. Your suck the fruit off the seed and spit out the see pits.

Namibias sure do know how to cook, I think that is one of the many things I really enjoy about living with a host family. Yes feeling like a member of their family is on the top of the list, but right behind it comes the out of this world meals that only a Namibian can create. Trust me, Ive tried mimicking some of the delicious recipes and even though they aren't bad, they are much better made by the hands of the ones who actually know what they are doing. I'm very excited to see what food-ventures will come to be explored in the years to in Namibia. 

*This was also a request made in the "Talk to me" section (located in the right hand tool bar). I would love to hear more ideas on what you would like to know about so let me know! 

A few fun facts about Kasote

Hello all! Don't you just love the adorable learners I get to work with. On Thanksgiving we did this fun art project. :) Naturally, Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Namibia so we did still have school.  I apologize for the quiet past week, I have been attending conferences for Peace Corps 25th anniversary serving in Namibia and it has been rather busy. Keep an eye out for a future blog about the fun stuff and exciting stories about our conferences/celebration.  Not to mention a bit of music. However, in the mean time I thought it would be fun to share a few fun facts about Kasote (the village I am serving in).

• Kasote was discovered by the Nyemba peopleIt was named after the animal “kasote” because at the time there were several in this area. From what I am told kasote is an old Nyemba word meaning Springbok, the animal displayed on Namibia’s ten-dollar bill. A woman named Elina Menavava and a man known as Kanyonga discovered the village. In 2013 a tree in my village for some reason fell, roots and all out of the ground. The tree stayed sitting in the road for over a day blocking the small gravel pathway. It is completely unknown how, but one morning the tree was found standing perfectly planted and upright, as if it had never fallen. The tree is of decent size so in order for a person to replant it the aid of machinery would have been need. The mystery of how the tree stood again is still unknown. 

• In 2013 a tree in my village for unknown reasons fell, roots and all  completely out of the ground. The tree stayed sitting in the road for over a day blocking the small gravel pathway. It is completely unknown how, but one morning the tree was found standing perfectly planted and upright, as if it had never fallen. The tree is of decent size so in order for a person to replant it the aid of machinery would have been need. The mystery of how the tree stood again is still unknown. 

• Most homesteads have families of 3-4 generations living in the compound. The average homestead size is 15-20 people. (The homestead I live on has 12 people)

• Kasote is located along the Kavango River which is the boarder between Namibia and Angola. 

Again I apologize for the lack of activity but I pinkie promise the posts will pick up! Be ready for stories/photos of the 25th Anniversary, a post about traditional foods, and a little something I learned being away for Thanksgiving