Tag! (I'm It...)

My friend Frances recently “tagged” me to list six of my strangest quirks here on my blog. In America, this would have been easy, because in America, it felt like I had a million of them. But here in Namibia, those quirks and ticks just don’t seem so strange. (In fact, they appear to be more like survival skills or coping mechanisms.) But after a bit of thought, and a few SMSes to PCV friends, I’ve come up with the following. (And feel free to add any I've forgotten...I'm sure there are many.)

I have no problem wearing the same thing over and over and over again. Need proof? I spent two weeks wearing one black dress when my luggage failed to arrive in Namibia on the same flight I did. I still sported that dress—rather well, I might add—long after my bag was delivered.

I hate magic, cauldrons, wizards and gnomes. Therefore, I haven’t seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies (or read any of the Harry Potter books, for that matter) and have absolutely zero desire to. My favorite genre is reality.

I think the only two ingredients required for a party are cheese and crackers. Close third? This game.

People often tell me that I look confused or like I don’t understand. Really, that’s just the face I make when I’m paying attention.

I love the Olympics more than any other sporting event for the same reason I love March Madness more than any other tournament: Bob Costas. Oh, and the touching tales of triumph over tragedy. I live for that kind of stuff.

When I'm listening to my ipod, my fingers dance. Seriously.

Katie and Deanna, now it’s your turn!

...

Think of the small as large
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small acts.

-Tao te Ching

Just a Toothbrush: Welwitschia Primary

Grade 5


Grade 6


Grade 7

Knock Knock: Part II

The last time I answered the door on a Saturday morning, I was greeted by an aggressive drunk man with half a skinned donkey slung over his shoulder who was interested in getting friendly. So, needless to say, I was expecting something outside of the ordinary when I heard the voices of two learners yelling, "Miss! Miss!" at our window this afternoon.

I walked into the kitchen where Kennedy and Elvis, two Grade 5s, peeped through the burglar bars above our kitchen counter. "Hello?" I said.

"Hello Miss! We just wanted to show this bird!"

"Bird?" I said. "What bird?"

And from below the window ledge, two tiny hands lifted a broken branch where a small brown and very wild bird perched silently. Still alive, but paralyzed by what I can only imagine was pure fear.

"Is it real?" I asked.

(Sure, I could practically see its heart beating through its little feathered chest. But never in my life have I known someone capable of catching a wild bird with bare hands...But then, never in my life have I lived in Africa.)

"Yeah," they said. "It was flying in the kitchen and we just caught it there."

"Oh," I said...Of course.

Just a Toothbrush: Sunrise Center

These days, most of my Saturday afternoons are spent at the Sunrise Center. The three-bedroom orphanage is home to 20 children who are always excited about a chance to play games, kick a ball, or complete an art project.

It turned out, they were no less eager to learn about oral care.

After coloring pictures about healthy teeth and listening to stories about visiting the dentist, the kids lined up for their own toothbrush and tube of toothpaste.




They waited patiently while I wrote their names in black Sharpie pen, smiled brightly, then rushed off to practice brushing—just like they’d learned.