Cross Your Fingers- Just Get to Divundu

From visa issues, to grading over 400 exams, to my parents visit to Africa, to backpacking South Africa, and to return to teaching, A LOT has happened since I past posted on this site.

My adventures with Debbie and Dean cannot be told without describing the few weeks before. Upon arriving in Namibia I was given a 3 month work visa, which I would have to renew on September 1st in order to stay till December. Simple task- go to the Ministry of Home Affairs in Rundu (the town near me) and get a stamp for my second visa, which I was already approved for by the government. I swung open the doors to the Ministry, eager for my next 3 months here. After waiting in line for an hour (my patience level is waning), I go to the counter and explain my situation. In less than a 2 minute span I was screaming and cursing under breath upon hearing that the region I live in can no longer issue visa extensions. My only option; take a 13 hour ride to the capital and wait 2 days for my visa to be approved at the national office. Frustrated, tired, and annoyed I headed home and did the only thing I could…ate 3 packs of Doritos, got my clothes together and headed for the capital. After all the issues, it was worked out and I fortunately got the visa in Windhoek.

My next task, was to return to Divundu and begin grading my learner’s end-of-term exams that were taken while I was away. Currently I teach grade 5 social studies (29 learners), grade 6 social studies (38 learners), grade 7 social studies (25 learners), and grade 8 english (3 classes of 44 each). With about 225 exams to mark, the pile continued to increase as my English classes took 3 exams (reading, writing, and listening). Unfortunately, grading continually got easier as more and more of my learners failed. Usually about 1 or 2 kids from a class actually pass these exams, and this statistic held true for my classes. Very disappointing to see an F on every paper.

At this time, my parents were already en-route for Victoria Falls in Livingstone Zambia, My plan was to start hitch-hiking in the early morning on Friday, August 20. When I woke up on that day, my school was struggling to find enough teachers to proctor the last exam so I offered to stay for 2 hours. Bad Choice. I got to the ‘hitch-hiking’ point at 10 am and I waited there till 3 pm: till a car was willing to pick me up. I arrived in Katima (the last town in Namibia) at 6:30 pm and of course the border closed at 6:00 pm. I took a taxi to a hotel near-by to get a good night sleep and return back to the border post first thing in the morning. At 6 am I crossed the border into Zambia and took a 2 hour bus ride to meet Deb and Dean on African soil. I met the parents at the Zambezi Sun Hotel and surprised them from behind in the hotel lobby. We went to the falls, took a helicopter ride, and the best part: ate an unbelievable dinner.

The next day, we rented an automatic car from a local man and set out for Divundu, Namibia. Our route would take us across the Caprivi Region, an area of Namibia with Angola on one side and Bostwana on the other that is inhabited by few people and occupied by elephants, lions, crocodiles, and other animals. We were fortunate to get an automatic car, but the only way to describe the car we got is: a headache. In order to prevent it from being stolen, the driver aka my dad, had to turn the car on through a sequence of steps, and if not done correctly an ear piercing alarm would go off (the sequence was stepping on the break, pressing a button, locking the doors, turning the keys half way, then on- however it never seemed to work). We had our fingers crossed the whole time, just counting the kilometers to Divundu.

Despite its remote and under-developed area, Divundu is actually home to a few 5 star small lodges due to its proximity to the Okavango River, the Botwana border, Angola Border, and game parks. We stayed at a lodge, 5km from my house that I would never guess existed so close to me- gorgeous. In Divundu, I showed my parents my house, introduced them to some teachers, gave them a tour of the area, went on a boat cruise to view hippos and crocodiles, and took a safari at the local game park, My ultimate goal was to have them meet the learners and have a a mini- party in which they see culturally dancing and singing. Unfortunately, due to a lack of food at the school, the learners were all sent home because the school did not receive a shipment of food for them. Despite this difficult situation, a couple dozen learners came in to see my parents. Such an awesome sight to see Debbie and Dean taking pictures with the people in my village and the kids that I teach. As you can imagine, it was such a great moment.

After 4 days, we traveled back to Victoria Falls, spent the night, and viewed the seventh world wonder from the Zimbabwe side. The next day we took a short plan ride to Cape Town, South Africa, for the last leg of their trip. In Cape Town, we headed to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope to see one of the most southern spots in the world. Throughout the rest of the day we explored the city, witnessing its beauty. With a week of great memories and adventures that we will always remember, they said their goodbyes and returned back to the USA. For the next week I traveled from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Johannesburg. With one bag on back I met people from all over the world and was able to go on a safari, swim in the ocean with wild dolphins only feet away, drive through Soweto Township (former home of Mandela and largest black township in South Africa), and party with backpackers from all over.

I am currently back in my village, and a week back into teaching. With the support from my parents and revived spirit from my trip, I am extremely excited to return to the daily routine of life here in the village.

Hope everyone is enjoying life back in the US!

Peaece,


Scottttttttt

Becoming Mbukushu

I began my stay in Divundu, simply known as the Mukuwa of the town. I am the only white man for miles and miles, and everyone that I met was always awe-struck that I lived here. However, in the past few weeks, a change has slowly been occurring, mukuwa is fading from their vocabulary, and it is being replaced with Mr. Scott, Sir, Teacher, Mitiri (teacher in Mbukushu), or Thiyemo (the Mbuskushu name some of the people around town call me). Without intention, I noticed that I know a great amount of names of the people around town, have started to greet everyone in the local language, I walk into the village without hesitation, I am waving to people on the street, my phone book is filling up, and now I am starting to dress different. Each day, I carry a little book around with me, and I have my friends and learners write down a few phrases in Mbukushu and translate it to English. Since I can barely make half the sounds, it usually take me 10 tries to enunciate the word correctly, but once I get it right, I try to study it each night.

To continue this process, I decided that I would integrate myself more into the community. Last Friday, I went for my Friday night beer at the shebeen (bar) and I was telling the other people there that I have never been to a Namibian wedding. Well, in pure Namibian fashion, they told me they were all going to a wedding in the morning and that I could definitely go too. In a matter of 5 minutes I had an invite to a wedding and the wedding pictures, in which I had no idea who the couple were, where it was being held, or who was attending. But, of course I said I would go! Therefore, the next day, with some of the information in hand, I went to the private picture taking at the local waterfall, then hitched a ride with the wedding procession to the reception. Being the only white person there definitely made me stand out…a lot…but the bride and groom loved that I was there. With a few drinks inside, I said what the heck, and began dancing. Soon everyone there was staring at me dance to the song Waka Waka, taking pictures with the bride and groom, and greeting the women in their traditional outfits. Once the wedding was over I was absolutely exhausted, but it was definitely amazing to crash a Namibian wedding.

On Sunday, I woke up early to go to church with some of my learners. Namibia is over 90% Christian, so trying to explain that I am Jewish doesn’t really go well with them. So after much pleading and begging, I promised them that I would go to church. I met 20 learners at the school and we began our 5k trek to the catholic church in the next town. Once there, I realized that the service would not be done in English, it would be done in Mbuskuhu. But, I guess it really didn’t matter to me anyway. The service was filled with lots of singing, women in traditional outfits, and dancing. Although there was a language barrier that separated us, I loved hearing the different songs and seeing the people genuinely happy (except I wish there were bagels and lox like at temple ha). After church, the learners took me into their village to show me their houses and have a much-needed lunch with some of the families.

As I await the arrival of my parents next week, I am already eager to see more aspects of the local tradition and lifestyle. I have promises from everyone that they will teach me how to milk a cow, kill a coat, ride on a donkey cart, see a witch doctor, paddle on a slim canoe, and live in the village for a week. I have an exciting few months ahead of me, and can’t wait to share it with all of you

Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the summer!

Miss you all.

Scott

The Hope of a Nation

With each day that passes in this far away village, thousands of miles of home, I am constantly learning new things about myself and my perceptions of the world. Although I am not close to the concrete jungle of NYC, the political quarrels of Washington, the celebrity lifestyle in LA, or the music scene in Miami, I reminded of these characteristics by my learners in my tiny town in north-eastern Namibia. Whether it be the New York City shirts and urban fashion they replicate, the “Obama for Africa” backpacks that most of them own, the famous actors and actresses they ask me about, or the Lil Wayne, Beyonce, or Usher songs they sing on the way to school, America seems to be a part of my and their vernacular a lot. While people in the states may be viewing a divided government, a high unemployment rate, and catfights on the tv, my learners see the true America, a beacon of hope, prosperity, and freedom.
Their desperation to come and live in America does not come purely from the vast wealth we may have, it comes from the sheer opportunity that America offers. We complain about a 9% unemployment rate, however Namibia skyrockets over 50%. In my village alone it is over 60%. When asked what they want to be when they grow up, most reply with the only viable jobs that are here: teachers, store owners, workers at posh hotels, or nurses. At their age, I was foaming at the mouth to be President of the United States, and before that it was an astronaut, a teacher, an archeologist, and an actor. We are fortunate to have that distinct quality to hope for a better day, because we have seen so many examples of it before.
As I try to walk home from school at 4 pm, I do not make it home till 6 pm, due to the trail of learners that want to ask me questions regarding slavery in America, why we have Alaska and Hawaii, why don’t we include Canada and Mexico in our Country, where do the famous people live, and what does our national anthem sound like. These inquiries typically end with them asking me to take them back to America or the surprising request for me to adopt one learner so he can be a citizen. This afternoon, I was asked the most thought provoking question that pressed me to write this blog entry: What is it like being American? I stood there, staring at him, and he waited on his toes for my answer. I offered a quick reply, then came home and thought about it some more. What is like being American? The first word was fortunate. I went to public school till grade 12, when many here only make it to grade 8. I made it to Boston University, when many can only dream about attending college. I traveled the world to Australia, Thailand, Ghana, Israel, Swaziland, and Namibia, when many of them have never even been to the city (Rundu) 2 hours away. I am guaranteed health care, when many here fail to see a doctor due to lack of accessibility. Finally, I enjoy the simple freedom to do as I please, to hope for something better, when many here have lost any sort of hope.
Ultimately, I understand how lucky we are to be from the United States of America, a nation that still offers hope to millions of people, even in this small village in north-eastern Namibia. We may disagree on how our country should be run or if we will remain a super-power over China, but I am proud to say that I from a country that offers hope to these 400 children at Divundu Combined School.

Now back to lesson planning, off to Windhoek (the capital) this weekend , for a meeting with my supervisor.

God Bless America

Peace
Scott

A Whirlwind of a Trip

Since I have not updated the blog in a while, I need to catch all of you up on my weekend trip to Victoria Falls. My village, Divundu, is at the beginning of the Caprivi Strip (google image it), so all cars heading from Namibia to Zambia, northern Botswana, or Zimbabwe must drive through my town. All of the other WorldTeach volunteers are in the Central-North of Namibia, so since a few wanted to see Victoria Falls, it worked out great that their bus had to stop in my town along the way. Although, I am in a prime location for traveling as I am in the vicinity of so many different countries, the problem lies in actually getting to places. There are no taxis, trains, or daily buses in the area, so the only way to get from place to place is hitchhiking. The other volunteers were taking a big bus, the Intercape, that begins in South Africa and travels to Victoria Falls two times a week, so this was a great opportunity for me to get out.

At 6 am I joined the other volunteers on the bus and journeyed for 8 hours till we got to Livingstone, Zambia. Because of school on Monday, we had 24 hours to explore, enjoy, and complete everything we wanted to do. Once we arrived, we immediately got into a cab and went to the Falls. With my heart pounding, legs jittering, and eyes fixated out of the window, we could already see the mist from the falls over a kilometer away. After paying the entrance fee, we ran as fast as we could, then abruptly stopped as we all witnessed one of the seven wonders of the world. There are no words to describe how unbelievable, cool, fantastic, mind-boggling, incredible, and astonishing they are. We ran to each viewing station as the sun set all around us. By 6:00 pm we hopped into a cab, adrenaline still gushing from what we just saw, and quickly went back to the Hostel to get ready for dinner.

At the hostel, I bumped into an American and we had the usual conversation, “where are you from”, “what are you doing here”. Of course, I was thousands of miles from home, in the middle of southern Zambia and…she is a BU grad student with over 15 other students and professors from BU. Of course! I gave her my email, and some of the students might come towards Namibia later in the year and stop by my house. BU geography. I am surprised she wasn’t jewish and I didn’t go to camp or birthright with her.

Once changed, the four of us, took a taxi to the Royal Livingstone Hotel. A 5 star hotel set just a kilometer from the falls. I hadn’t eaten a ‘good’ meal in 2 months, so we all thought we’d splurge, and splurge we did. The place was one the nicest hotels. With gazpacho for an appetizer, Impala and porridge for an entrée, sorbet to clear the pallet, a chocolate dish for dessert, and 2 bottles a wine to accompany the dinner, I was definitely in a good state. During dinner, a Canadian man came up to us asking if we wanted to see a traditional Zambian cultural group perform. He started a non-profit that sponsors one, so it worked out great that he was able to drive us. Although we were enjoying the performance, all of us were ready to hit up the town of Livingstone. We asked the taxi to take us to the best club in town. At the bar, I instantly headed over to the whiskey. Four hours later, we were still enjoying the dancing, the music, and of course the drinks. 4 am came, and I was reliving my BU moments at Ts Pub and Jtree, but we ultimately decided to head home.

With only 2 hours of sleep, we awoke, and moved to our next stop, a helicopter tour. We boarded the helicopter nearby and none of us talked, we just had our eyes fixated out the window. I didn’t think it was possible to top the day before, but this took the prize. From above we could see everything, including elephants grazing right above the falls. Even though it was a short 15 minute ride, the image was captured in my head (and the 100 pictures I took). Afterwards, 2 of the girls did a zipline/bungy near the falls, but I decided to save my mom and dad the heart attack, and enjoy lunch and watch.

At 11 am, we hopped on the Intercape and by 7 pm I was back in the village, preparing for my lessons the next day. That was all done in 24 hours! It was an amazing trip, and luckily I will be back in 3 weeks to enjoy it with the parents.

Keep a look out for another blog post this week. Hope everyone is enjoying the heat in NYC!

Miss you all.

Peace,
Scott

90 Degrees + Packed Car + Baby + Dirt Road+4 hours = Not A Good Combo

If there is one situation where I know my life has drastically changed in a matter of two months, it is this one. Last Saturday, I traveled into Rundu (the big town), to get groceries, use the computers, and see some of my learners perform in a debate competition. I left my house at 5:30 am (freeing cold and darkness) to stand outside and wait, so that I could hitchhike into town. Once I got my ride and made it into civilization, I stumbled upon a great coffee place where I met another volunteer for much-needed eggs, sausage, fries, and coffee breakfast. No bagel, but definitely worth it. After only a few hours in town, I decided to head back home, as I don’t like relying that much on hitch hiking later in the day. Within a few minutes I was able to get into a Kombi (a small mini bus) that would take me directly to my house. Upon entering, I had no idea what I was getting into. The care quickly began to take on more and more people, belongings, and a lot more babies. Soon I was in the back row, my feet up to my chest with luggage on the ground, and a baby crying on my lap, with the mother holding her other baby. A ride, which is usually a 2-hour affair, was now 4 hours long, down a dirt road, and a non-working air conditioning. We stopped at the bank of a river, so half the car and get on small canoes and cross into Angola without going to the border post. I gawked at this crazy sight; I just sat there (baby in hand) laughing at how my life has taken such a different path from that of 2 months ago. Although the experience was painful and tiring, the only thing I could do was smile. I was never the most patient person, so for me to endure these hours felt good in my head.

In my classes, I am continuing along the lesson plans and trying to prepare my learners for their end of term national exam in August. In my English classes, I gave them a test out of 50 points on verb tenses. The grades were…absolutely awful, and I probably failed 75% of the class. However, I have gained enough trust with my learners that they simply informed me that most did not study (mostly because they are not used to taking ‘real’ exams throughout the term). Therefore, I decided to have another test this week, in which I would average the two grades together, to boost up their grades. After school, I offered tutoring sessions and surprisingly I have learners staying for 3 or more hours after school eager to learn more. Their enthusiasm and constant quest for knowledge, makes me excited to go to school each day.

Being a teacher has also allowed me to interact with the learners on a personal level. Each day I will have a line of kids outside my house, asking me how I am and if I need any help with anything. Unfortunately, this perk also comes with a downside. This morning, I was handed a piece of paper during class and was asked to help inform a learner that her father had just passed away in the hospital. The girl is about 15 years old, and I was supposed to perform the daunting and heart wrenching task of telling her that her father had died. It was not easy for me, and I do not think I have experienced anything like that in my life. It was a rough day, and I hope I never have to do anything like that ever again.

After school, I am a still running with a few kids and we will have an official running club set up in the coming weeks. Namibia Marathon 2010 (#college shirts again). I have now become a regular around the town, and I have learned how to have basic conversations in Mbukushu (which makes everyone laugh and scream). They love it! At night, I attend evening study, which I have made into a time where I just joke around, bring some music, and try to make the kids laugh (which is pretty easy, if I say anything in Mbukushu, they crack up).

This weekend I am off to Victoria Falls, one of the 7-world wonders- on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, with three other volunteers. At the beginning of August, I am off to capital of Namibia again for a check-in with some WorldTeach volunteers. Deb and Dean are set to invade Namibia August 19, and I can’t wait to finally how this amazing experience with my parents. After that comes, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Johannesburg South Africa. Great line up coming up.

As some of you heard, I will only be turning on my blackberry every once in a while, email me whenever you get a chance, I love hearing news from the states. Check out some new pics on fbook too.

Peace,

Scott

Do you know Chris Brown and Jay-Z?

Do you know Chris Brown and Jay-Z?

With over one month of my stay in complete, I still cannot get over how fast is going. In 5 weeks, I have already had the adventure of a lifetime, and I can’t imagine what else is in store for me for these next 5 months.

I am finally getting settled with my teaching in both my social studies and my English classes. In my 5th grade social studies class, we are learning about water conservation and rainfall, so they are currently making posters to hang around school to save and conserve water. In my 6th grade social studies class, we are leaning about democracy, so for that I am having them go through the process of electing a class president (speeches, nominating, choosing a vice president, campaigning, and voting). In my 7th grade social studies class, we are learning about population distribution, so I am using the world map to explain the different populations of the world and reiterate how small Namibia is (2 million people- 2nd most least dense country). In my English classes, we just finished up verb tenses (simple and continuous past, present, and future) and they will have their first exam with me on Thursday. I told them in class that they can come to me with any problems that don’t involve class, and now I have slowly become the school unofficial guidance councilor (haha I have students coming to me about home issues, pregnancy, disease, boyfriend, girlfriend, life in America, etc). I wasn’t expecting all of that, but it is actually fulfilling and fun helping them with their problems outside of school.

After school is over, I help out with afternoon study, in which they are supposed to do homework and study their notes. Usually afterwards, I go to the petrol station in town and get the newspaper (The Namibian), and read it over a Fanta. Its always great doing this because I can catch up on some news and I get to see everyone in town. Next, I head over to the local bar to catch up on the World Cup games. The Ghana game last week was absolutely insane. All the kids crowded around a small TV at the hostel at school and I trekked to the bar to watch with 50+ people going crazy for Ghana. It was a tough battle, and everyone thought they were going to win, so it was very disappointing at the end. People were sad for a day, and then they were already back to supporting another team.

By 6, I make dinner in my house. This has been everyone’s main question to me. What have I been eating? Unlike my trips to Ghana and Swaziland, I now have full control of what I make for my meals, so I will not be coming back 30 pounds ligher. Therefore, at the grocery store I buy pasta, canned vegetables, fruit, cheese, sliced meat, and splurge on Doritos, cereal, and cookies. I have bread and butter in the morning, an apple for snack, a chicken or ham sandwich for lunch, and pasta with sauce and veggies for dinner. The difference is I make everything and I can only go grocery shopping once a week by hitchhiking on Saturday morning 200km. So it is definitely an adventure each day. There are MANY times I wish I could just order for delivery a large pizza with pepperoni, but a grilled cheese is fine for now. Finally, by 8 pm I am absolutely exhausted and I am usually struggling to keep me eyes open (I get up each morning at 5 am).

This past weekend I met some Americans in Rundu (the town 200km away) for lunch and in the town I saw about 30 Americans. The peace corp volunteers were having a big celebration for July 4th. On Sunday, it was back to reality, and I washed my clothes (by hand in a bucket!), lesson planned for the week, and hung out with some friends. I now have a ‘crew’ of some of the younger teachers at the school and even some of the 10th grade students (some are 18,19, and 20, as most learners in Namibia fail grades multiple times). I went for a 10k with a few friends and stopped at an unbelievable nearby waterfall, seeing huts, traditional homesteads, people leaving church, and of course goats, cows, and dogs along the way.

As for the title of the entry, almost everyday I will have a learner come up to me and ask me- Is Jay-Z cool in person? Is Beyonce nice to you? How many times have you hung out with Rihanna? Do you know Angelina Jolie? Well since I hang out with all of them, it was easy to answer. Hah. Most only know about America through movies or songs, so they all assume that these are average Americans who could be your friends. You could imagine how disappointed they were when I had to tell them that it is nearly impossible to hang out with these celebrities, and the coolest celebrity I met was Will.I.am enroute to the bathroom in Boston.

Hope everyone had a great 4th. Keep me updated on your lives, I love reading emails from all of you. Currently planning my Debbie and Dean’s trip to Africa now, followed by backpacking trip around South Africa in early September.

Peace, Scott

From Mukuwa to Mr. Scott

Well I finally transferred from being the Mukuwa of Divundu to being Mr. Scott, Social Studies and English teacher. I began my tenure as a teacher last Monday with three 8th grade English classes and three 8th grade physical science classes. While both classes have complete and very thorough syllabi, sample lesson plans, and sample assessments, the school lacks any capacity to effectively carry out a class successful. I began my English class, by speaking and the kids just glaring back at me. According to the syllabus, they should be reading a novel, reading poems, and giving oral presentations. In actuality, they barely know how to carry out a full conversation. In my physical science class, I examined the well-written syllabus with delight, then I asked for the textbook. Indeed, they did have a textbook, however it consisted of doing labs with chemicals, experiments with test tubes, and measuring with a scale…all of which we did not have any.

Despite this, I knew when I coming here that it would be a challenge. So, I rolled up my sleeves and began teaching. In English, I had the students write a letters to me, so I could assess their level. Surprisingly, each one wrote very intimate letters and took their time describing their life. From AIDS, to lack a food, to working in the farm after school, to losing a parent to TB, Malaria, or another illness, these kids have really been through a lot. Currently, we working on simple sentence structures, but I am trying to make the class fun. Today we listened to Michael Jackson (their favorite artist) and I gave them lyrics to the songs and they circled/underlined the verbs, the adjectives, the prepositions, the nouns, and subjects. The day before we read an article on the World Cup in the Namibian newspaper. I think I am finally making headway with them. Ultimately, they had an opening for a 5th, 6th, and 7th grade social studies teacher, so immediately switched from physical science to social studies. Now I am beginning to develop lesson plans for the rest of my months here to make the classes fun and interesting.

The school day is from 6:50 am to 1:00 pm, then the students have an hour break for a very mini lunch, then they afternoon study, where they sit in their class and do their homework and study. Around 3:30 pm I am beat, so I head over to the village bar (it’s no Mantra, Jtree, or Brass Monkey), to watch the world cup games and have an afternoon beer (Windhoek Lager is the Namibian beer- tastes like rolling rock).

On Friday night, a few 10th graders (could be anywhere from 16-21 years old) and me organized an extravaganza night. I bought balloons, apples, and lots of rice. We did bobbing for apples, a dance competition, a singing competition, and a food eating competition (wish it could have been beer pong and flip cup, ha but they were too young). I asked the principal if they could stay up till midnight, and with permission, everything went to plan! All day they are yelled at by their teachers for not performing and at night they suffer in boredom without anything to do besides soccer or talk to one another, so this was definitely an escape. I worked it out with the staff that we can hopefully do this every other Friday. Should be fun.

Other than that, the teachers and students have been amazing towards me. On Sunday, one of the teachers friends had a car so they took me all around the Divundu area. Since I live on a beautiful river, there are 4 star lodges, where the white South Africans/Namibians come up for holiday. They drove us to one, where we got a beer and watched the sunrset and viewed hippos splashing in the water. To top it off we crossed the border into Botswana, which is 10km from my house. Along the way I saw warthogs, Kudu, Spingbok, and herds of zebras. Unbelievable!! I wish I could share this experience with all of you, or if I could just show you my daily life. It’s amazing!

Hope all is well, keep me updated on your lives.

Miss you all

Scott