Problems!

SUITORS
What’s nice about Namibia is I can be totally, brutally honest with people and not have to worry about hurting their feelings. This is because they think I am lying. Like I can say, “Go away, I don’t want to talk to you right now” and they will just go away and come back later like nothing happened. Or I can say, “No, I will not marry you. Ever.” And the guy will go away and just come back later to propose again.
This leads me to:

RETURN OF TOOTHLESS GOAT FARMER
So, Baster Mr. O is back. Here’s a brief snippit of our conversation:
BMO: I want to have a revelation with you.
Me: What is a revelation?
BMO: A relationship.
Me: No.
BMO: Why?
Me: Because I don’t want to.
BMO: But I love you.
Me: I don’t love you.
BMO: You love me!
Me: I do NOT love you.
BMO: Do you want to go for the weekend with me?
Me: No.
BMO: But I love you.
Me: I do not love you. I will not ever love you.
BMO: Why?
Me: Because.
BMO: You don’t like me?
Me: No.
BMO: Ok, this will not affect our friendship. Totsiens.

WHAT was that?
I knew I was mean to men, but geez, this experience is making me downright hostile.

D-Town DRAMA
So, more from the ongoing saga that is D-town.
Last week, the white-guy-who-owns-the-town was broken into. He and his mother were beaten badly and robbed. Uh, scary!
Then, this week a kindergardener dies, and was apparently murdered!
They found the 3 year old in the sewage tank for the school. What a way to go. But rumors say the child did not drown because there was no water in his lungs. They are saying that he died before being thrown in the sewage drain. So, that would be murder . . .
Of course these things happen in the US, but since I've been here I've personally met rapists, child rapists, girls who have been raped, people who have been assaulted, children who have been abused, thieves, filandering husbands, child abusers, and wife abusers. In the US we have these things, but its on a much larger scale, and we are good at hiding things. I've probably met all of the above in the US, but wouldn't know it unless I was their close confidant. In the village you can't hide a damn thing. Everybody knows, including the wierd american volunteer. So I guess it's hard to judge then if the situation is worse here or even better than in the US.

THE ONE BIG PROBLEM
This may sound trivial after the aforementioned events, but the biggest problem facing me is shopping weekends.
When I got my site assignment and found out I was the only one whose shopping town was Windhoek, I knew then it was going to cause problems.
There is a store in my town, but the only thing it has in the way of produce is a few moldy onions. I need vegetables!
Free transport with teachers leaves directly after school on friday and comes back on Sunday. Since Ms. H left, there is not enough space for all the teachers in the cars.
Paid transport is (?) available from Dordabis to Windhoek via hitchhiking (I will investigate this weekend). I’ve only hitched back to Dordabis, and it is not always reliable. Better to come with teachers.
Most importantly, once I get to Windhoek, I have no where to stay.

SOLUTIONS?:
Solution One—travel with teachers always and stay at their houses.
Benefits: certainly the cheapest way to spend a weekend, assured ride home
Disadvantages: awkwardness of staying with people I don’t know well, namibian food, namibian music videos all day (boring!), limited mobility around the city, need to take taxis to go to town, stay in katutura which is none too safe so I have to stay inside all the time, sometimes ppl don’t talk to me.
In the end, the disadvantages have really got me down. I’d rather pay than stay at an awkward house where I feel like a burden.

Solution Two—travel around to Okahandja/Mariental for the weekend
Benefits: good company, it’s fun, there are things to do in town, can steal more movies / music, vent about Namibia
Disadvantages: cost of travel, having to hike alone, having to carry bedding, getting back to Windhoek late makes it a prob to hike back to Dordabis, no time for errands in WHK, can be rather expensive depending on what we do.

Solution Three—Stay in a hostel for the weekend
Benefits: Freedom to enjoy the city, good food, warm showers, everything is within walking distance, able to get errands done and do what I want without interrogation.
Disadvantages: VERY expensive in the end because I have to buy food and board, none too safe to be walking around by myself at night, stay with weird people in the room, sometimes runs out of hot water, people getting up/getting in at all hours, snoring, staying with all men awkwardness.

Solution Four—hiking in on Saturday, staying over at hostel
Benefits: Reduces cost of Solution three while retaining most of the benefits.
Disadvantages: None too safe to be walking around by myself at night, stay with weird people in the room, sometimes runs out of hot water, people getting up/getting in at all hours, snoring, staying with all men awkwardness, have to wake up early, not guaranteed to actually arrive in WHK before shops close, miss out on things only open on Friday like the library/art gallery.

POTENTIAL Solution Five—stay with colleagues family in Khomasdal
Benefits: Free place to stay, a few free meals, possibly some friends???
Disadvantages: have to take taxis, staying with random ppl, could be awkward, less freedom to do what I want.

POTENTIAL Solution Six—a little bit of everything
Benefits: all of them
Disadvantages: all of them, but at least it varies them up a bit. I can tolerate all these disadvantages in small portions, but not all the time every time.

Winter

WINTER
So, it’s winter. And it’s cold here. I bought a heater and the thing doesn’t work! Great . . .
Another 2 weeks before I go back to return it.

SAME OLD SAME OLD
Kids exhaust me and are the reason for me still being here. I figured out the teaching thing now. So that makes my life 8 million times easier. But it’s still not easy.

SECONDARY PROJECTS
Secondary projects are getting a sloooooooooow start.
Starting Dates:
This week—Window of Hope Begins, Finish Library Organization, Begin Computer Classes with Teachers
Next week—Library Assistant trainings
End of June—Class trainings (how to use library), Life Skills Training
Beginning of July—Interest Session for Community Projects
End of July—Begin Community Projects

CONCERT
In DC on September 6 there will be a concert/fundraiser for HIV AIDS in Namibia. All the famous Namibian artists will attend (Gazza, Sunny Boy, etc). Personally, I'm not too keen on popular Namibian music, but if you're interested here is the website:
http://www.namibiaaidsawareness.org/
Perhaps I should explain some things about Namibian music. There are only a couple of artists recording music in Namibia, so they have developed strong followings which are almost like gangs. You can only be a supporter of Gazza OR of the Dogg, not really of both, although you can like both kinds of music. Popular Namibian music sounds like American rap except usually less grody, more repetitive, and half in Oshiwambo or another African language. The artists are heavily influenced by R&B and hip hop artists from the states. Then there is native music. Nama music is heavily influenced by German polka. Otjiherero music is the best sounding I think, although the keyboard beats might get tiring.

Nothing much to say besides I’m doing ok.