Rain (3-4)

Rain has finally come. Last Wednesday night we had a big rain. Enough to make the ground solid. Everyone was really happy on Thursday. It was a good start, but much more rain is needed so the crops can grow. Kamongwa had his field plowed on Thursday. That meant that the sand was loose and in mounds, making walking to the toilet across the mounds a challenge. After several days they made a firm path through the planted area so we know where to walk.

There was enough rain that we now have lakes in the area. 

Even after a week, one of the lakes is still here. Walking around the lake is a pleasant evening walk, 

and the reflections are lovely.

Sunsets--and sunrises--are more muted these days.

On the weekend Helena sowed—millet, beans, and squash, she said. She spent many hours doing that. Wilhelmina had demonstrated how they sow millet using their feet. They take a step, making a small hole, drop a few seeds into it, and then cover it with the other foot. I watched Helena do this from a distance and decided that it wasn’t something I would do well enough to be helpful. She looked like she was just walking with a fancy step with no hesitation between steps. However, in the evening when I was going to go for a walk, I saw her again and she was sowing beans. She gestured for me to go over and help; so I went to see whether I thought I could assist. Two boys had dug holes with their hoes. We put two seeds in each hole and then used a foot to cover it. This I could do, and after while I could keep up with Helena’s pace. I actually liked the feel of the sand as I filled the holes. When I mentioned finishing on Sunday, she said there is no work on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday mornings when I left for school, Helena was coming in from sowing. Their field is large.

Helena is no longer working at the agricultural office. Teachers had told me it was temporary and kept asking if she was still working. Now she’s working at home. I’m sure the cultivating work in the field will keep her busy.

Rebekka’s sister died last week. Wednesday afternoon the female teachers went to her parents’ house to show our respect. Angel explained that it is a tradition to show support as a group. Thai teachers also do this. Several family members were sitting on the ground outside the house and there were chairs facing them. When we arrived, we stood and sang several hymns. Then we walked past the family members, shaking hands with each one. After that, we sat down and sang more hymns. We were there for about 45 minutes. It felt like a nice way to show our respect. Wilhelmina told me on Thursday that she was surprised and impressed that I could join in the singing in Oshiwamba. Since it’s phonetic and I had experience at church, it was easy for me to follow along. (Photo: traffic jam on the way)

Kamongwa’s sister, Leokadia, came for several days. She’s the woman in Windhoek whom I’ve talked with on the phone a couple times. I learned that I am living in her rooms. Also that she helps Kamongwa out financially, paying for water and other things. Half of the field is hers, and she sowed on Sunday. She was here for a couple funerals—one here on Friday and one elsewhere on Saturday. Kamongwa told me that the person who was buried on Saturday was a relative who was 91 years old.

When they returned Saturday night, the church bell rang. That was how I learned that Kamongwa is the bell ringer. Leokadia said he also digs the graves.

New additions to the homestead: a pig in a pen and a hut for the chickens. One day a couple weeks ago I was taking my trash to the burning pit when I heard crying. 

It was a young, Chinese-style pig in then pen. I guess it’s settled in now, as it no longer makes noise. I checked, and it’s still there. 

The hut (Flap is closed now that the chickens are in it.) was built for the chickens on Thursday to keep them from eating the newly-sown seeds. Thursday night at 9:15 Helena yelled for me in the window, since I hadn’t answered fast enough. She wanted me to give her a torch/flashlight, which they know I have because I use it every night to walk to the toilet. However, I don’t have a torch; it’s the flashlight on my phone. It turned out that she didn’t want me to give it to her; she wanted me to go with her to the chickens and use my light so she and a boy could catch them and put them in the hut. I don’t know why she didn’t do this earlier before it was dark. After the first one was caught and moved, the others hid, and then several flew into the tree. Helena got a long pole and pushed them off the branches so they could be caught. This process took about twenty minutes. It was fun to watch them chasing the chickens around in the dark.

When I arrived home Thursday evening, I caught the final moments of slaughtering a goat. It made me wonder how often this happens. The meat and pieces were at the entrance of the chicken hut. The skin was hung in a tree. When I walked past a couple hours later, there were no signs of the goat.

The new teacher arrived at school on Monday. After the morning assembly, which started late, we had a staff meeting to meet her and for them to decide what she will teach. I had thought that was decided before they hired her, since the other teacher had a timetable, but it was discussed like it hadn’t been determined. Sort of like when I arrived and we discussed what I would teach, but that wasn’t with everyone in the room. I learned later that they were rearranging assignments because she could not teach one of the subjects. Next week we’ll get new timetables. So, first and second hour classes were missed on that day. An interesting observation at the meeting is that most of us sat at our places at the tables, and the two teachers who didn’t, sat with their back to the principal and HOD. It seemed strange that they didn’t turn their chairs around to make a circle so they would be facing everyone. A cultural difference.

Angel has told me a couple times that he will start collecting our files with lesson plans every week after the new teacher arrives. He will also start doing classroom observations. I found it interesting that everything was on hold until the new teacher arrived and the school is fully staffed.

The grade 10 textbook has a couple readings about IVF as a new technology. In discussing it, I asked why people would use IVF. One response was “to not get a disease.” I hadn’t thought about that, but in Africa, that is more of a concern.

Last week when I was at the Ongwediva mall, I found a hair salon thathair was clean and not busy. So I had my first haircut in Namibia. The young man was thrilled to have me as a customer and asked for a photo. Memories of China.

The ants have moved out of the washing room. Or they were drowned. Since their hole was in the crack in the middle of the floor where I have to stand to wash and in the evening I had to keep moving to avoid their biting my feet, I was not unhappy to have them gone. When walking across the field, I can’t stop or the ants bite. Fortunately, they aren’t in the house.

Friday afternoon we had a small party to eat chicken and porridge that two of the teachers had prepared. It was fun to sit around and listen to people joking and having a good time together. I do enjoy these people.