Dodging Donkeys

Ohaingu, Namibia

Journeyed to Oshakati Wednesday to get my tax ID number. I say journeyed because in a country where few people have cars it is a process to get anywhere. the principal informed me Wednesday morning that I would be going to get the number and I was to leave at 8:30 with my escort, a colleague named Johanna.

At 8:30 we met and walked to the end of the village to wait for a ride. We waited under a tree at the gravel road, looking for any vehicle going in our desired direction. the sun was already strong, even so early in the morning. While we waited she shared some pictures of the previous volunteer with me.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, the principal drove by. He agreed to take us to Ondangwa where we could get a taxi to Oshakati. Minutes after hiking up my skirt and climbing into the bed of the bakkie (pick-up truck in Namlish) we saw a car going our way. After a brief exchange between the driver and Johanna, all in Oshikwanyama, we climbed out of the bakkie and into the backseat of this man's SUV.

I will not pretend that I was completely comfortable riding in some strange man's car. I am happy that I had someone with me my first time. I'm sure in time it will become normal, as it is the main form of transport for all Namibians, but it definitely is strange. It is what we are warned against doing all our lives in America.

The trip to Oshakati was amusing. The guy picked up more and more people as we went on, and a few times people shuffled around to make better room. At one point the driver switched places with the other man who was in the car with him when we got in. I did not understand any of these changes, as they seemed completely unnecessary, however it made everyone else happy. Aside from the strange game of musical chairs happening every few stops, there was the strange music playing and the donkeys.

Now I have experienced elsewhere the tendency for foreigners to listen to American music made decades ago that Americans in that decade didn't listen to and no one has heard of in my generation. It is that terrible music that might be playing in the background at a Caribbean resort to keep the guests in an uplifted mood, however it should never be played louder than white-noise level. I suspect it is the only music they can get on cassette tape, as all the good artists are now collectors items for music fanatics.

Someone once told me that donkeys were stupid. I could not have imagined the level of stupidity of which they are capable. Donkeys walk down the middle of the road here, and the cars must go around them like an elaborate video game. Were I a game programming genius I would definitely create a game for the Namibians based on the real life donkey dodging occurring everyday here. And these roads are not terribly great either, making it all the more precarious.

The man dropped us in Oshakati and we crossed the street to the Ministry of Finance. the paperwork was done in five minutes and I began to feel even more like an inconvenience to the other teacher than i had before, although she was very gracious.

I did not realize that the reason she seemed inconvenienced was that she had not been informed with enough time to prepare things for her classes or for the shopping excursion we then embarked upon. We went everywhere. At one store we heard a woman tell the cashier that there were straw floor mats for 10 dollars Namibian at some store. The woman behind the counter did not believe her, but the woman assured her that that was the price. About an hour later we were coming out of KFC and saw a huge queue of people outside some store. All the people were waiting for their 10 dollar straw mats. I have to admit they were nice and the price was great (10 Namibian is about the equivalent of $1.40 USD, or something like that). Anyway, we went over to investigate, but it appeared they were all sold out. Later on in the taxi, we heard another passenger make a remark about the mats again. News sure does get around here.

All in all, the trip was nice. I got a few things I needed for my apartment, though I am returning tomorrow to get some more things and to meet up with another volunteer. The water has been off and on for the last two days. you always forget how useful and essential water is until it is gone. We at least have a tap where we can fetch water, but i just deal until morning mostly. it's interesting to learn what you can go without.

Peace, love and giraffes,
Jenn