Site Preferences…

Created on 8/30/2014

Before I begin to tell about my language assignment, host family, and my site location; I must give some context to what goes on in the Peace Corps process.  I have a few stories that I hope to post in the coming weeks but I need to share some background information with you before these stories can be fully understood.  This post in meant to set the tone for future posts rather than to entertain you but hopefully I can achieve both.  

After arriving in Okahandja for training, Namibia Group 40 spent the first few nights at the Kurkuri center.  In total we spent 6 nights together before we moved in with our host families for the remainder of our 9 weeks of training.  During the initial days of training we were given details about our possible site placements.  For education volunteers, the site details included the subject and grades we would teach; the number of teachers and learners at the school; the distance from a major shopping town and other volunteers; and the style of housing we would live in.  The only known information that we weren’t given was the location of the site.  If you care to learn about the geography and diversity of Namibia, you will find that there are many different cultures and environments within the country.  Think of it as if you were applying to a job in the States and had all of the job details in front of you except for the location.  On top of that, whatever job you were given you had to take!  

Somewhat stressful but we were all required to take this information and develop our preferences for what type of volunteer experience we would be interested in.  This was an extremely difficult task for us, at the time, as we had very little knowledge about the country and the education system.  Our site preferences would be a key factor for the staff when determining where to place us and what host family in Okahandja we would stay with during PST.  Our site placement would determine what language we would learn during Pre Service Training (PST) and therefore affect if we stayed with a host family that speaks the same language.  We all interviewed with education program coordinators to express our preferences and voice any concerns we had about our site placements.  This all took place during our first week in country and would have a large impact on the next two years of our lives…

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Disclaimer: The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Namibian Government. 

The Baboon

Created on 8/10/2014

I went on a sunrise hike this morning with about 8 other volunteers.  We left town (Okahandja) just before 5am and planned to get to the top of the mountain before the sun came over the horizon.  It was a dark and cold morning before the sun showed up to warm the day. 

Below is a view of the mountain from town.  We have named the mountain “Pride Rock” for obvious reasons. 

Pride Rock

It was really dark when we started up the mountain so everyone had headlamps or flashlights to lead the way.  We followed a road out of town toward our destination.  As the road turned into a narrow path, we searched for the trailhead marked by a rock with white spray paint on it.  When our search for the trailhead failed, we decided bushwhacking was our best option.  This decision got us started up the mountain and we eventually found the trail.  Even on the trail, thorn bushes are difficult to avoid and always catch your clothes.  It’s rough terrain especially in the dark.

About half way up the mountain, we heard a loud noise that sounded like a baboon. It was a loud and deep holler.  It was from nearby and scared the shit out of all of us.  In a complete panic, we started moving up the mountain as fast as we could.  After our initial fear settled, we heard something moving through the bushes behind us and once again increased our pace.  It was still dark and we had no clue what to think.  Not long after, I heard fast paced movement coming up behind me.  Scared out of my mind, I reached for my pocketknife as I turned around and pointed my flashlight towards the noise.  I turned to see Oskar, a fellow volunteer, sprinting toward me through the bush.  I was extremely relieved to find out it was him the whole time.  I still cannot recreate the baboon noise he made but it remains my only reference for what a baboon sounds like.  Turns out, Oskar started following us as we left town but nobody was aware of it.  He quietly followed from behind and patiently planned his prank.  Naturally, Oskar thought he was pretty cool for freaking us out.  What he didn’t realize is that he was only a few moments away from having my pocketknife in his neck.  I wonder what noise he would have made if that had been the outcome?

Disclaimer: The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Namibian Government.

How it feels to hit the restart button…

Created on: 7/25/2014

In real life, not many people get the chance to tip forward out of their Nintendo chair and hit the restart button.  Nintendo allowed us that option; whether it is to erase an embarrassing defeat in Tecmo, try once more to master the original Mario Bros at a faster clip, or just simply begin a new game of RBI.  On July 21st, without intending to, I hit the restart button on real life.  Yes, this is a Nintendo metaphor so get on board.

It wasn’t something that I saw coming but rather blind-sided me, as I successfully developed zero expectations about this experience just like Peace Corps instructed.  I committed to taking my life in a different direction than most when I accepted an invitation from PC to spend 27 months in the country of Namibia.  I wanted to volunteer my time to improve the lives of others and my own, as I am selfishly aware of.  What I wasn’t aware of was the fact that I was starting over.  As I arrived in Okahandja on the night of July 23^rd, I was with 48 other volunteers that I met the day before. We were being welcomed by a community of Namibians who are committed to providing us with all the game genie cheat codes needed to successfully pass the next 27 months of our lives.  All of my previous successes and failures have been erased and I stand at a moment in my life where I have the power to reinvent myself.

How do I describe this feeling?  People don’t have any past reference of who you are.  They don’t know a thing about you and you don’t know a thing about them.  They take you for what you are in that exact moment and you do the same.  At least until time passes and expectations begin to develop.  The one thing that can be assumed about the people around you is that you share a common interest, purpose, or calling.  All you can hope is for that bond to develop into a multiplayer game of Contra, where someone always has your back. 

Back home, I have a group of people that always have my back.  I consider my family and friends to be my greatest asset but how do they help me now and how do I help them?  It is a new game I’m playing in Namibia and all the people I love have disappeared since I hit restart.  I suppose now they can help me in different ways.  They can be the person in player chair #2 providing me with game strategy.  They can be my past experience that I look back on to help me through the new.  They can be that extra life that I may need in a moment of desperation.  And as I think ‘they can be’ I realize they already are.

Disclaimer: The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Namibian Government. 

Welcome to Namibia!

When I submitted my Peace Corps application in June of 2013, I wasn’t sure how my life would change over the coming years.  I didn’t know what to expect and every time I looked at my map I wondered where in the World I would end up.  The unknown intrigued me.  Now, as a volunteer in Namibia, I know my approximate geographical location for the next 27 months but my curiosity has been amplified rather than satisfied.  Everyday is new, which can be exciting or terrifying depending on how you look at it.  It is for this reason that I decided to enter the blogosphere.  I hope this can be a medium of exchange for me to share my experiences and the culture of Namibia with all of you.  I will consider my blog a success if it can bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, or inspire you to do something for another.  This blog will allow me to reflect on my days and share stories with my family and friends that I wish could be apart of each day.  I also encourage everyone to comment on my posts and/or email me with feedback, stories, and updates on your life.  I will miss babies being born, children growing tall, and friends getting married so keep me updated. 

As part of my first blog post I want to give some background information for those in need.  I am a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in the country of Namibia.  On July 23^rd, 2014 I arrived in Okahandja along with 48 other volunteers from the United States.  Each of us will be staying with a local host family in Okahandja for the duration of our training.  We now total 50 volunteers in training after acquiring a PCV who was evacuated from Kenya and reassigned to Namibia.  Peace Corps Namibia Group 40 consists of 1 health, 17 business, and 32 education volunteers.  We all look to be officially sworn in as PCVs on September 25^th.  At that time we will depart to our permanent site locations for our 24 months of service.  

Namibia is an extremely diverse country.  English has been the official language since independence in 1990 but a variety of native languages remain extremely relevant throughout the country.  Young learners are still educated in their native tongue to a certain age and the older generations still primarily rely on their native language to communicate.  Peace Corps Namibia trains volunteers in one of seven languages depending on the region in which they will serve.  I will go into more depth about my program, assigned language, and host family in future posts.

Yes, the name of my blog is “An Appel A Day” but that does not mean I will post on a daily basis or even close to that.  It is simply a saying that I hope you all understand.  Expect maybe two posts per month and hopefully I can over deliver.  In other words, have high aspirations and low expectations (first KFAN reference – check).  Also, I have never blogged before so this will be a learning process for me.  Keep your criticism constructive and your comments common.  That’s all for today but the blog has clearance, Clarence. Rodger, Rodger.

Dan

Created on: 8/6/14

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Disclaimer: The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Namibian Government.