People are people so why should it be…

Easter Weekend in Swakop was very nice. The water had to be the warmest ocean water I’ve swam in. My last experience swimming in the Atlantic was on the coast of Maine, you might imagine how cold that was (I’m sure my father remembers). There is certainly something therapeutic about the ocean. The weekend was relaxing, fun and cheap. Would you believe I spent less than $150 U.S. on the whole trip? There were quite a few volunteers that decided to spend the long weekend there. It was really nice to reunite with some of them. Here’s a picture of Nick, Roshn, Milan and I. The four of us were roommates during training. You may be able to see the shipwreck in between us. This ship is beached just south of Swakopmund. The story behind it is a little funny. 30km south of Swakopmund is Walvis Bay. It is Namibia’s major fishing port. Apparently the crew of this ship was elated with the haul of fish they had just brought in. They docked in Walvis Bay and went into town to celebrate. When they went back the boat was gone. TIN (This is Namibia).
While I’m getting along well with other Peace Corps volunteers, I’ve found friendships a little more difficult to come by with Namibians. This is not to say they are unfriendly. It’s quite the contrary, and I get along fine with just about everybody. The issue is I haven’t made the efforts to integrate further into their lives. In Namibian culture people do not invite you to their homes, or into their social lives. It is up to me to make that happen. I’m supposed to just go and visit people when I feel like it. Anyone you visit is supposed to invite you in, give you a cooldrink and maybe something to eat. What an intrusion right? I like the custom but it has been hard to muster up the courage to try it out. It certainly happens at our house. You never know exactly how many people you might be cooking dinner for. We always try to make a little extra. I’ve decided to try a couple easier avenues first. I may join a local theatre group. I went to one of their meetings this week. It would be fun to learn drama the Namibian way. Some of the members are already my regular colleagues, so it’s quite comfortable. I also know a couple guys who play basketball a few nights a week. I told them I’d like to come along. I’m looking forward to playing some hoops. It’s been a while, and I hear these guys are good. I may get laughed at, but I’m learning that’s not such a bad thing. Let’s face it, I stick out here. I talk different. I act different. I do things a different way. Lots of times it makes people laugh. Somehow that makes me feel accepted. I think Namibians just like to laugh. They seem to do it a lot.