What Happend???

Extreme Appearance Change is always a way to liven up a dreary and sometimes boring period. Still a long way for the next substantial holiday, its amusingly hot, and no rain in site. There are the meager beginnings of clouds, but frankly this just serves as a reminder that it will not rain for a while. Today is a holiday. National Teacher's day, so we get a three day weekend which is nice. Time to relax and forget about all the work.

The job front is a little depressing. I have about 40 secondary projects that just havent seemed to get off the ground, and learners are attrocious for the third term. Its like post spring break in American schools. I have a ton of work to get done too. My host family is my saving grace. Magano, Ndafa, Li No Venni, Da coco, and Boykie are intent on teaching me oshiwambo, which is cool. I'm trying to pick up one phrase/word every day. Recently I have picked up such bits as 'Oshiwambo ella kaliwa' - Oshiwambo is sweet, and 'ondili ngame awike' - I have come alone. This added to the torrent of greetings that this language feels the need to have, Some are fooled into thinking that I can actually speak it.

I have landed myself on the gender and diversity committee for Peace Corps also. Yes, they were desparate for males. But I am in the middle of helping to plan CAMP GLOW which sounds like a ton of fun. 80 leanrers from around the country come to Windhoek and stay for a week and develop gender awareness and leadership skills. Plus they get to take a whole lot of neato field trips. I got stuck with/honored with AIDS/HIV day. Not an easy task to keep 80 learners intrigued on the HIV virus and the many ways that it effects the body. Especially since they are inundated with this information on a weekly basis anyways. Whats a overworked underappricaited PCV to do?? Still trying to drum up support for the dictionaries. I have tenative plans to start sending letters to schools and school boards in the states. See what that turns up.

Anyways, Im off for lunch. Rice and Chakalaka, which is a Afrikaner relish thing thats super spicy. Excellent.