I have made it to the CGE house, met all the people I will be doing the program with and the staff. The two most common questions people have asked me are ... how is the food and how are the accommodations, even though this is not the most important thing, I will let you know that we have facilities and access such as a house in America, not much different. It is very comfortable, lots of space, and lots to do, even a swimming pool. The food from what I have seen is not that far from what I am used to so far with a little bit of a twist, but I hope to try some more traditional foods as we go.
We did a number of orientation type things today to get comfortable, but the most impactful part of the day was the tour. The terrain of Windhoek is very mountainous, but it is mostly a circle of mountains, with a set of mountains in the middle. We went all the way to the top of one of these mountains in the middle and was able to see the entire city. It was very clear that one side, the oldest part of Windhoek has been settled, originally by White people, but now wealthy people. Off to the other side of downtown there are many shanty's and tin shacks that people settle into. People are entering into this area every day, and Windhoek as a whole grows around 100 people per day in the population. This is mostly because people think they will be able to get a job in the city.
Next we went all the way into the area with the smaller houses, we got to go through the mountains to see it from the other side. But first, we stopped at a small outdoor market to shop around, try some food, and meet some people. What we have found about the people in Namibia is they are really friendly, and not just "Minnesota Nice" type of friendly. When people are going to be nice to you they go out of their way.
We then drove through with the tin shacks and small houses in the area that used to be the old townships during apartheid now called Katutura. We got to the top of the mountain and saw the view of the city from the other side of town, what a powerful contrast. Its very difficult to describe in words, it is something you must see to understand better. I really hope to spend more time there and learn more.
Next we did a walking tour from downtown back to the house to become more familiar with the city and to get to know the area. We had really great conversations with many people around. We talked to the server about some of the perceptions of Americans at the restaurant we ate at, which was that American college students are crazy, and adults are mostly responsible.
We talked more about our internships today, which I am very excited about, more and more. Our classes are in the living room of our building which is quiet fun.
So for now working on my road map to share with the group tomorrow.....
Peace,
Angela
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