It has been nearly a week a since I arrived in Namibia and my first impression is that I am going to like it here. Despite having a pretty busy training schedule thus far, the small slice of Namibia that I have seen has been amazing. From the very start I knew that I had come to a special place. As the plane prepared to land in the capitol city of Windhoek, it appeared out the window that we were making an emergency landing in the savannah. There was no sign of life until right before the plane touched down, which to me seemed unusual for a national capitol. This was an immediate reminder that Namibia is indeed one of the least densely populated countries in the world. I am highly pleased to find that the air is extremely dry and the evenings and mornings and quite chilly, it is winter here after all. I would have never thought it possible to see my breath while in Africa. Besides the dry air, the landscape at the moment is also severely dry. It appears that many of the trees drop their leafs for the winter and the brush and grasses of the bush are dried to a crisp. Another reminder; Namibia is mostly desert. And not to forget the wildlife; already I have been lucky enough to catch glimpses of giraffe, springbok, baboons, warthogs, and couple other ungulates that I am not sure what to call.
With the arrival of the group that I am a part of, the Peace Corps contingent in Namibia is now about 145 strong. There are 45 of us in the new group with about 100 already in country. Of the 45, 9 are here for business advising (like myself) and the rest are a mix of English, science, math, and computer teachers. Our training for the next two months is going to be occurring in Okahandja. This week we will each move in with a local family until October 16th. The family will take us in as one of their own. The homestay allows us to hone our language skills and learn as much as possible about the people and culture of Namibia.
The coming weeks should be exciting as more details are revealed. I am still waiting to hear which of the 8 languages I will be trained in (I already know which ones I do not want to learn; I can’t click well and I can’t roll my tongue well either), where my permanent site is going to be, and who my host family is going to be. So for now I will just enjoy quiet evening walks in the bush keeping my eyes peeled for snakes (one giant python thus far) and keep dreaming of Africa. Hope everyone is doing well!
View of Okahandja from above
Savannah sunset...again
2 comments:
Thanks Grant. As I read your first impressions, I can only say you are really the ideal Peace Corps volunteer. Enjoy the family stay and dive into that language, it will make all the difference for your two years in Namibia.
Betsy
Hey, we're glad you're alive. I can't believe you saw a python! So, I ask Zoey where uncle Grant is and she responds with Africa, so she hasn't forgot about you yet! Have fun, and don't forget about your real family!
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