Thank you for your warm and thoughtful comments in response to my post about this tragic loss. The community of Arandis and the entire Erongo Region celebrates the life of Kawii: there are informal gatherings, public memorials, and religious services throughout the week as we mourn the loss of this very special man.
Category: Culture
Pertaining to cultural observations and lessons learned.
Images of Life in Namibia
This is a long post, but made up only of photos and captions so I hope you find it fun and easy to go through during this busy time of year. You’ll see a bit about the work I’m doing and a lot from life in and around my home and some recent travels.
Weekend getaway to Goanikontes-Oasis on the Swakop River
This past weekend afforded me another chance to explore my nearby surroundings, this time along the bed of the Swakop River that separates the high desert in the north from the high plains to the south. I tented at the Goanikontes-Oasis rest camp, explored the river bed and climbed up to the south rim for great views.
Continue reading “Weekend getaway to Goanikontes-Oasis on the Swakop River”
Exercise your right to vote! Much of the world doesn’t have it…
After sharing it with my Namibian friends and colleagues, and (once again) discussing our electoral process, I was proud to fax in my absentee ballot today. Voter participation here and in most other new countries is much higher than in the US. We must lead by example, particularly this year!
Continue reading “Exercise your right to vote! Much of the world doesn’t have it…”
Heroes’ Day – 50th Anniversary
Imagine a holiday that combines all the patriotic fervor of your country’s Veterans’ Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day combined, and then consider that it’s the 50th anniversary of the first shots fired in your country’s Revolutionary War. That’s what Namibia experienced last week on Heroes’ Day! Continue reading “Heroes’ Day – 50th Anniversary”
How big is Africa?
Or anywhere else, for that matter…
Another interesting article on the perceptions we form when looking at historical representations of the world:
I love maps!
Images of Life in Namibia
Life in Arandis is racing by – I can’t believe it’s mid-August and that I’ve been here 7 weeks already! My first three months on site are designed to help me integrate with my new community and my work colleagues – that is all happening very nicely. To ensure that we maintain that focus, Peace Corps does not want us to venture too far afield or take any vacation time away. That’s not been a problem as there are plenty of things to see and do around town and within the Erongo Region. Here are some visual vignettes for you to enjoy…
Continue reading “Images of Life in Namibia”Listen to this!
Surprises appear regularly and unexpectedly in Namibia. While hanging my laundry on the clothesline during a quiet Sunday afternoon, I heard beautiful a cappella music nearby. A 15-person choir was rehearsing in the corner of an alleyway where they enjoyed great acoustics. It’s more than 5 minutes long and I hope you enjoy it, too.
And no, the photograph has nothing to do with the music…
Welcome to Arandis!
It’s been a long time since my last post and 5 weeks since I moved to my new home in the small desert town of Arandis, Erongo Region, Namibia.
I’m working at the Town Council as its Local Economic Development Specialist and am settling into both home life and work life here. The days race by at lightspeed and all my energy has been expended on integrating with my colleagues and new community.
Continue reading “Welcome to Arandis!”Someone requested more photos of food…
Is this celebratory smiley too graphic?
Photo credit: Andrew Resor (who also gets credit for tasting it…)