g-wingenbach – Page 15

Home Away from Home

6Aug

By: Tara Dean

Africa is seen of a place full of adventure, wonder and the unknown; a place full of new ideas and scenery that you’ve never seen or heard before. Being on this trip has shattered those perceptions I once held.

When we arrived, the landscape was the first thing that we noted as being quite similar to back home. Dry land with a lack of trees and heavy vegetation was our first indication that the professors had in fact just taken us to west Texas. The only thing that tipped us off that we were actually in Africa were the multitude of mountains off in the distance.

Along with the landscape comes the animals that inhabit it. When you drive down a back road in Texas you’re bound to see a deer or two and sometimes you’re lucky enough to catch a hog running off into the brush. In Namibia you see more warthog than you can possibly count or care to see. Not only that but the occasional oryx, dik diks, duikers, and sometimes kudu. It becomes such a normalcy we seem to hardly notice them anymore.

Southern hospitality is a staple when it comes to growing up in Texas as well as minding your manners. A person should be greeted with open arms and welcomed in as if they are a part of your family already. I felt that same warmth, love and openness almost everywhere we visited. The people of Namibia are so kind and willing to share their culture and beliefs with anyone who is interested. I hadn’t felt more at home this whole trip than when we went to the Habis farm. It was just like spending a weekend out at the ranch but with a few more goats, sheep and kudu. Not to mention the food was organic and fantastic!

We’re Texans and we like to eat meat and a lot of it, and so do the Namibians! The majority of dinners consisted of some type of game steak or stew whether is be kudu, orix or even “what’s this called again?” They are also big on the carbs and each meal is loaded down with potatoes and breads of all sorts. We must have gained 10 pounds each during this trip!

There is a special place in my heart for Africa now. It has kept me close and encouraged me along the way. Wherever the road ahead may lead, I know that this is only the first of many Namibia adventures to come because you can’t stay away from home for long.

The Last Days, The Best Days

6Aug

By: Micah Mills

Climbing to the top of a marble mountain: Check.

Night sky that takes your breath away: Check.

Time spent with good people: Check.

Habis Farm Sunset

This is just a short checklist on how I describe our last couple of days.

The last leg of our trek across Namibia – which according to Dr. Martin Schneider is bigger than Texas, but that is debatable – was spent in the company of the Schneider family at their “farm.” To limit it to just that one word would belittle this wonderful place. Sure there are cattle, goat, sheep, and chickens, but the Schneider’s made this farm our home during our stay there. They opened their doors and arms and treated the nine of us like we were kin.

Personally, the time I spent on the Habis Farm was one of my favorites during the trip. It is a place that constantly radiates beauty in some form or another. It was spotting a mountain zebra across the way or watching the sunset behind the surrounding mountains. It was getting to immerse ourselves in the knowledge the Schneider’s have of Namibia.

It was humbling in many ways to be at such a place. At night, the house is lit by candlelight and in the mornings showers are heated with a wood-burning furnace. It was refreshing to step into a world outside of the American mindset and slow down and take in everything around you. There was no television or Internet. It was satisfying to know the world doesn’t stop when you do.

The Schneider family left a strong impression on my time in Namibia. They will be the first to cross my mind when I hear of Namibia. I am so grateful for the hospitality I have been shown in this foreign place. Hospitality has been such a strong factor in why none of us want to leave this place, but all good things must come to end.

Just as our time at Gobabeb had to end and our time on the Skeleton Coast had to end and our time at Etosha National Park. Our time in Habis had to end, as well.

So this one is for the Schneiders – to their hospitality, their kindness, and their open arms. The way they treated us is something that is not easily repaid. I hope future study abroad groups get to know them they way we did.

Today we fly out of this beautiful place and head onward home. This is goodbye Schneiders. Goodbye Habis. Goodbye Namibia. Until we meet again.

Packing Our Flexibility

5Aug

International travel is always an interesting experience. Nothing ever goes completely as planned, something unexpected occurs, plans change. Dr. Wingenbach specifically told each of us to “pack our flexibility” for those reasons. Without our flexibility and willingness to go with the flow, this trip would have been a completely different experience! The misunderstandings, misadventures, and unique experiences just enriched our trip a little bit further.

I definitely packed my flexibility and it was, in fact, the only thing of mine to arrive in Windhoek….it took four days for my luggage to arrive. Missing luggage was not the greatest start to the trip, but my amazing classmates stepped up and loaned me items until my things finally arrived.

While her luggage and all supplies made it safely to Namibia, Laura came with only half a sleeping bag…go figure, the tallest student on our trip accidentally bought a child size sleeping bag. Needless to say, many jokes and laughs were shared over her purchase and watching her demonstrate how short it was on her. Laura was also the one who thought to buy some entertainment – a soccer ball named Wilson. For seven college kids, we played with the ball a lot. Unfortunately, Wilson disappeared somewhere in Swakopmund (foul play by Dr. Wingenbach is suspected). Not to worry though, we bought seven more just for safe measure.

Darren, Executive Intern aka Tobin suffered his fair share of African mishaps as well. Darren has a habit of leaving important items – cameras, iPhone, sunglasses, and toiletries. You name it, Darren left it somewhere in Namibia. Luckily, he has eight sets of eyes watching his back! He also blew a few circuits, tripped over a pole, and did NOT make a group of tourists laugh at his interesting jokes and blues music. Darren struggled a bit at times.

The bus. Our trusty bus driver, Dennis, and our bus have been through the TAMU whirlwind as well. Luckily, Dennis is a really cool driver and could handle our rowdy group. We’ve had University of Namibia guards join our bus to provide security on a tour, our chef hitch a ride into town with us, roadside bathroom breaks, angry street vendors almost throwing rocks, and even two different (and smaller) replacement buses by the last week. The bus has even seen some decent wipeouts – Trotter just falling backwards during our Etosha safari and I happened to slide out of my seat during a nap. Oh the stories Dennis must be telling his family about our group and our bus time!

Our trip has been full of laughs, adventures, and amazing visits; however, one of them required our utmost flexibility to survive. Our Ogongo game farm walk (aka wake up a 6am, walk through the farm, and see zero animals). Not many bright-eyed students that morning! After the hundreds of animals we saw in Etosha, nothing else could possibly top it. (Picture thanks to Dr. Wingenbach).

We’ve shared many meals together on this trip and two things are very apparent: we are coffee addicts and we need to double-check the salt or sugar situation more thoroughly. Rarely has there been real coffee provided at meals, but instead we get imitation, powdered coffee packets. We’ve gone through bowls of powdered “coffee” every day and I’m pretty sure real coffee will be one of the first things all of us have when we return home. We’ve put salt in coffee and sugar on wrong foods too. Definitely learned that lesson the hard way!

Last, but not least, Africa time. The pace of life is much slower here and as Americans, I think that’s a hard concept to grasp at times. We run from place to place and hurry through life; well, Africa time doesn’t allow us to do that. Dinner takes three hours, Internet speeds are sloth-like, drive times are rough estimates, walking is slower, greetings and pleasantries longer. Africa time has been challenging at times, but the change of pace can also be a welcomed change.

Through the ups and downs of this trip, our spirit and drive kept us going. Though some moments were a bit stressful, the greater picture and the stories those moments created are far more important. Keeping our flexibility and sense of humor (bad puns and all) has made this trip spectacular. I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed so much in my life as I have while on this trip.

Our time in Namibia is coming to an end, but the memories will last a lifetime. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel and learn with this group, visit world famous locations, and contribute to respected organizations. Namibia and all the hospitable people we’ve met during the past three weeks have certainly left their mark in my life. My classmates, Laura, Trotter, Micah, Kelsey, Logan, and Tara, and instructors, Tobin and Dr. Wingenbach, are all remarkable people. It has been a hilarious, fun, beautiful journey to travel with them and bond with them. Namibia and the ALEC Study Abroad Group will forever be cherished memories and a true highlight to my Texas A&M experience.

My Disease

5Aug

by Laura Brainard

We all know those crazy people who cough once and decide they have every disease in the book. They soon find themselves buying another medicine cabinet just to hold all the solutions to their profound problems. Personally, I have never been much of one to diagnose myself with every illness that matches a symptom. But on the other hand, I have known about a disease I have carried for quite some time. It did not come with a name or title, yet has been infecting body, soul and mind. Of course I didn’t say anything to anyone because quite honestly, I wasn’t sure what was going on and I certainly didn’t want to be a burden or identified as a complete “quack!”

All I know is that it started as an itch. After experiencing an incredible trip to Africa last year, this itch developed into more of a mental health concern because I soon found myself wanting to attend graduate school to pursue International Agriculture. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by the most influential and knowledgeable international professors in the world. But it didn’t stop. (This disease I mean). The uncontrollable itch to travel had amplified to extremes and I suddenly I have wound up back in Africa. I questioned whether or not maybe I had some sort of boomerang disease.

It wasn’t until I met my new graduate friend Melanie Balinas, where I was properly diagnosed with “Wanderlust.” Words can’t express how utterly relieved I was to be informed of this infectious travel disease. Apparently, you take this “itch” to the grave and there is no absolute cure or medication your local pharmacist or Dr. Phil can provide. The only way to suppress the symptoms is to take your desire to the next level….embrace the love of Africa.

Without a doubt, my interest has grown towards becoming more educated on developing countries and I hope to use my recent abroad trips to harness a foundation for my graduate studies. This experience has given me the opportunity to be surrounded with fellow companions with the same passion and itch. Balinas, only a year older than myself, has indefinably surpassed my air time by several hours. Dr. Wingenbach on the other hand, has undoubtedly logged more travel hours than a Canadian goose and Christopher Columbus combined. Needless to say, it is an honor and absolute privilege to be a part of this incredible experience in Africa where I can learn from some of the all-time greatest world travelers, peers, and wise crack artists. Years of travel experience brings stories, stories soon become memories, and memories evolve in to life-long friendships.

There are certainly no medications you can take for this disease. There is no cure. There is only the option to embrace the love to travel…and my suppressant is taking a journey to Africa.

Grinding the Millet

2Aug

By: Trotter Heady

Here we are along the B1 road, a major route in Namibia, headed toward the Nakambale Museum near Oshakati in the village of Olukonda. We are imagining just another museum to fill our long rides across the country, but it turned into some amazing memories that we will grasp on to forever.

Nakambale, founded in 1871, was one of the first Finnish Mission Stations in Namibia. It currently contains a museum dedicated to the history of the location, a simulated community based home that is still in use today and the restored church that was built by the original Missionaries. The site was very educational especially because it was informative about a civilization that we had zero knowledge about going into the tour. We were able to see their living conditions and learn about their ancestry.

The tour was great but so much more was to come. We were surprised with being able to visit a community that was near the museum. These homes are surrounded by a fence-like structure made by sticks, bushes or plant stalks that is used to corral the livestock as well as protect the family that lives inside. Within the fence is where there are multiple huts made from stone, clay and sticks. Each of these huts has a different use. There is a boy’s sleeping hut, a girl’s sleeping hut, a grinding hut, a brewing hut, a storage hut, a sleeping hut for the mother and infants and the father’s hut, which is near the corral. Our group was able to interact and learn from a real family that lived in one of these small communities.

We began our surprise visit by learning about millet, a grain that is widely used in this area of Namibia. These people eat millet with every meal accompanied by a vegetable and meat. Everyday millet is ground up by using a hollow log that has been sealed within the ground with clay and a very large and heavy wooden pole. Once the grain is in the hole with a splash of water it is then ground to a fine powder by slamming the wooden pole into the bowl-like log. Then the women start singing as they repeatedly land in the log perfectly. They sing about their family and loved ones in a way that seems so caring. It was obvious that this was a muscle memory action. It was so in synch that I could tell that the women are practically born performing this chore. We were then able to give it a try ourselves! The entire group quickly figured out how difficult it actually was. The women and made it seem so easy! I even bonked my head with the grinding pole. What a workout!

Millet

Then we met Johanna. This woman is an 83 year-old who visually demands respect when she entered the area. She seemed to be so stoic and wise. Johanna showered us with knowledge on our tour. Beginning with how to prepare the millet for consumption. It is simply boiled over a fire and turned into paste-like dough and eaten using your hands, no utensils here! Then Johanna taught us how to weave anything from a plate to a multicolored basket.

Johanna

Here we are in an inhabited village with real people and all I can think about is how lucky we are. How many people, let alone Texas A&M students, are able to experience a situation like this? As this trip is coming closer and closer to an end the realization that I have experienced so much in one month that most people wont throughout their entire life becomes stronger and stronger. I almost don’t want to go back! There is still so much to encounter, experience and live through that I feel like I’m not done here yet.

Etosha Park

1Aug

by Kelsey Smith

Our time in Etosha Park included seeing 3 out of the “Big 5”, a Sunday morning traffic jam of Elephants, my newfound love for Giraffes, and more Springbok than the number of bad jokes that have been told on this trip. On second thought, disregard that last comment. We have experienced a lot of extraordinary things, but there is a line between extraordinary and impossible that we can only get so close to crossing.

Before coming to Namibia I had imagined seeing many of the stereotypical animals that are so commonly associated with Africa. Those thoughts, however, seemed to come and go quickly because I don’t think I honestly expected to see the wildlife that we experienced at Etosha. Seeing each type of animal took us on a continuous roller coaster of excitement that began early Friday morning and continued until we headed for Ogongo on Sunday.

Each animal offered a unique sight because of the beautiful details in their size, shape, color, and movement. Seeing a little Jackal became a familiar sight, especially for our friend Trotter who took to its cute pet-like characteristics and tried to feed it a dinner roll. A less familiar sight that our bus driver Dennis enjoys seeing most of all each time he brings a group to Etosha was the Rhino. We were fortunate enough to see its historical and ancient movements that showed both strength and grace at a watering hole one night.

Zebras were not in short supply. The details in each Zebra’s appearance begin with definitive black stripes that perfectly shape around each one’s face and continue in the same matter throughout the rest of its body. We were also lucky enough to see one male Lion laying under the sun, which created a golden shimmer on its mane.

Before coming to Namibia I was not familiar with some of the animals that we have seen during our time here. Names like “Kudu” and “Gemsbok” were of another language to me, and their appearances seemed even more foreign. Sights of mule and white-tailed deer that are common to us in Texas don’t offer much comparison to the long spiraled horns of a Kudu or the size of its vaguely striped body. Each time we see a Gemsbok it never grows old to look at its beautiful black and white detailed face and straight, spear-like horns.

One of the most amazing sights at Etosha, and maybe even for the entire trip, were 12 powerful, yet gentle Elephants that silently walked up while we were observing a watering hole. The baby of their herd energetically followed its mother around with an unconditional excitement for life. Other Elephants whipped their trunks back to throw clouds dirt on wet skin under the warm sunshine. Each member of the herd enjoyed independently playing in the water and quenching its thirst, but the reliance they had on each other showed as they fluently moved together to and from the watering hole.

Last, but definitely not least, was the Giraffe. I’m sure each person in the bus could tell you about my overreaction when we saw them drinking at a watering hole for the first time. I have seen Giraffes before, but it wasn’t until I saw the awkward splits they have to do when bending down to get a drink of water that I fell in love. I don’t know what it is, but my heart now melts when I see this beauty of a stretch animal with a long and lanky physique that leads up to big, beautiful eyes. Maybe it spurs from my appreciation of being able to relate to another creature that looks extremely awkward when they run. I don’t know. Whatever the case, my next mission is to find a plane big enough to get my next pet back to College Station, TX so that I can introduce my dog to her new brother or sister.

Oshini

31Jul

By: Tobin Redwine

It’s written on walls, and buildings. We see it spray painted on the shambled brick shanties that dot the landscape of northern Namibia. O-S-H-I-N-I. I tried using context clues to get a grip on it. What could be so common that we see it almost as frequently as the shebeens and barbershops in this area? Is it a business? A restaurant?

My inquisitive nature got the best of me. While passing through Oshakati, I saw two buildings, back to back, in competing business parking lots. Both had OSHINI spray painted in large letters. I asked our driver, Dennis, “What is Oshini? is that the toilet?”

He looked confused, and then he thought for a little bit. “Oshini is hard to explain in English. It is a kind of wood used to grind millet.”

I thought back to our visit to the Nakambale mission museum, where we entered the working homestead occupied by Johanna and her family. They used giant wooden poles to grind up millet in a hole in the ground in traditional Ndonga fashion. Is that Oshini? Tall wooden poles? Are those buildings also housing holes for grinding millet?

Dennis continued to explain, “Oshini is also Oshini. It means truth.”

Here in the Osumusati region of Namibia, poverty is high. The unemployment rate is above 30%. The HIV infection rate is staggering in comparison to southern Namibia statistics. Land ownership is communal, tribal governances control purchases and schedules of homesteaders, shepherding communal herds of goats, donkeys and cows across roadsides. The landscape is busy with animals, disrepair, and people walking in all directions. Here in all the bustle of survival in the arid north, people feel compelled to write Oshini in huge block letters atop their buildings.

What is Oshini? It is a core value. At Texas A&M our values line the walls of the MSC, appear outside the Clayton Williams Former Student Building, and mark the bleachers of the soccer stadium; leadership, selfless service, integrity, excellence, and honor are carved into the rock around our campus. Those values define our community, our spirit, and our people.

Here, Oshini shows up on walls, buildings, and signs. Oshini. Truth.

Oshini is a waitress named Luise. The first night she served us dinner, we were leaving and she came running out the door behind us. She was holding $50 US in her hand. $50 US is equivalent to about $500 Namibian. She knew the Americans had to have dropped it, and she chased us down to hand it back to the student in our group who had dropped it.

Oshini.

After dinner, an old nylon string guitar would get passed around and I sang Roger Miller and Creedance Clearwater Revival to the desert. I finished a particularly lackluster version of Bad Moon Rising, and I heard thunderous applause from the door behind me. There was Luise, hands above her head, applauding.

Oshini.

When we left, she handed me a CD. She is a singer as well. Without expecting anything in return, she gave me primitively recorded album; Uuyelele. She sings gospel songs in her mother tongue. Overcome with gratitude, we gave her a t-shirt a student brought, along with a few other gifts we had for her. She told us it was the only thing form America she had ever held.

Oshini.

At the Ogongo campus of the University of Namibia, we got a tour from two students, Linda and Dash. These young ladies are studying crop science. They showed us the campus and the farm. They were patient with our questions, laughed at our awe of the termite mounds, and shared their culture and research with us. Linda is studying the effect that watering practice has on a maize crop. When I told her that her work was a-Maize-ing, she did a double take, and then threw back her head and laughed. Maybe it was at the joke or maybe it was at the groans from the rest of the group. Either way, a good joke goes a long way.

Oshini.

At the Nakambale community project, we entered the homestead of Johanna. She is 83 years old. She was born in the hut she now lives in, serving as the Matriarch of her community. She shared her millet with us, opened her home, and showed us their way of life, that starts with grinding meal using giant wooden poles that would give most full-grown, beard-wearing American men a serious shoulder problem.

Oshini.

At the Namibia Tannery and Leather Company, Kumbalani walked us through his factory. He talked about the process by which leather is made, and the economics of his business. He was most genuine when he talked about the treatment of animals in a humane way. He showed us a hide of a cow that had been branded more than 20 times. He flipped the hide over and you could see the brand marks, scarring all the way through the cow’s hide, in more than 20 spots.

Oshini.

I have thought a lot about that word, and the core values of the people we are meeting. Here is what they have taught me:

No matter your station in life, hard work is the foundation that feeds us, keeps us alive, and builds our community. Oshini is both the wood that Johanna uses to grind meal, and the truth that keeps her family working and living.

Our actions have repercussions. Our works leave marks deep beneath our hides and below the skin of others. Oshini is the truth by which our actions speak about our character.

Kindness to strangers is as universal as the pentatonic scale. Music is as universal as laughter. And everybody jams on CCR. Oshini.

Red Solitude

31Jul

Sometimes, being away for a year makes a big difference. July 2013 marked the second time I’ve been to the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre in the Namib Desert. In 2012, a group of Aggies worked with the Gobabeb Centre to produce posters and other materials for the Centre’s UNESCO World Heritage Site application. That work was well received and useful; Gobabeb achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status on June 22, 2013. Good work Aggies!

All things considered, the 2012 Gobabeb experience was successful. But, our students let us know, after the fact, that WE’RE IN THE DESERT…we should be outside, running, exploring and having FUN in the red sand dunes! Good point. We applied their advice to the 2013 experience. We will EXPLORE, early and often! And, we’ll be mindful that sidewinders, cobras, poisonous scorpions, etc., call this place home, so watch your step. The Namib Desert is not for sissies! Thanks for the advice, Dr. Schneider.

A wonderful staff that cares deeply about Gobabeb and the Namib Desert made our 2013 experience most memorable. Robert Logan, Gobabeb Training Coordinator, Grinnell College graduate, and all-around awesome dude, guided us along the Gobabeb nature trail. Robert passionately explained micro-life under rocks, plant defenses against drought, and insects’ moisture-sucking abilities from sand grains. Tobin Redwine may have said it first, but Robert inspired the “Brobabeb” in all of us.

We traversed the dry Kuiseb River and climbed ancient rocks. We were greeted by an enormous red sand dune that appeared to stretch into the wild blue heavens. I heard the constant crackle of camera shutters around me as I kept a steady gaze on the red dune. We crisscrossed an open gravel plain to breach the dune at its mid-point. Students jostled for an all-out assault to the top…Robert continued extolling the wonders of flora and fauna in the Namib Desert.

After the “race,” we rested atop the red dune. Then, the past year crashed down upon me. Last year’s group didn’t get to the dunes until our third day at Gobabeb. Our current group was speechless, breathing in the Namib Desert’s beauty, less than 24 hours after entering the front gate. Lesson learned! When at Gobabeb, get outside, feel the sand between your toes, listen to Robert’s love of science, and gain new perspectives from this vast solitude. Atop that dune, seeing great swaths of empty gravel plains and the mighty Red Sand Sea in all directions, you realize your place in this universe. We’re not as big as we think. I’m glad we got it right in 2013.

A few other differences from 2012…last year was cool, sometimes quite cold, and constantly windy. This year’s weather was warm, sunny, and with one exception, we only had calm breezes. Last year we saw lots of stars, but didn’t photograph them; this year’s near full moon wreaked havoc on several nighttime photo shoots. More on those photo shoots in another post. And, of course, each group’s members, their personalities, tolerances, etc., also made a difference. Suffice it to say that each group was unique in its own way, and I appreciated them both.

Gobabeb is now long past in our rearview mirrors. We’re currently whisking through northern Namibia, where fierce winds have dusted everything with a fine layer of beige. Eyes watering, a slight grinding between the teeth, and lots of goats attempting highway-assisted suicide fill each passing hour. Oh Gobabeb, where art thou?

From here to Gobabeb…

30Jul

Posted a few days later due to Internet issues.

July 21st, 2013

Purgatory is real, and it lies between the Neudamm Campus and the Gobabeb Desert. A baron landscape of African nothingness. It’s current occupants: three cows, a beetle and an ostrich, or at least that’s what I have seen so far. It’s newest members are nine Americans and Dennis, the driver, riding in a 20 something passenger van, down a single lane dirt road made entirely out of bumps. In the distance there are silhouettes of mountains towering from the sand, miles and miles away. This land for some reason does not feel like the same part of the world we just left. It does have some beauty to it, in an open range, Wild West kind of way. I can imagine cowboys and wagon caravans trekking across the undiscovered country terrain, hoping to reach a new, better destination to call home, if only for a little while. It’s kind of like we are on a wagon trail, headed to a new destination for our journey. The destination is Gobabeb Desert. I guess I am a little homesick, thus is why I use the cowboy references. They remind me of home back in Texas. Though cowboys are rare these days, we do have that image engraved in our history. I was reminded about this last night, when our one of our host, Dr. Wingenbach’s colleague, Dr. Schneider, invited us to his home for a final goodbye dinner. He seemed to be fascinated by cowboys and Wild West lawmen. So much so, that he has recently ordered himself a white Stetson. A South African, former commercial pilot and a dean of a college sporting a 10 gallon Stetson, a very interesting man to say the least. Dr. Schneider mentioned a few books to me to help me gain a better knowledge of this newborn country, Namibia. I will be interested in checking them out when I get back to the States. I do not know any of the history of this part of the country. It is so desolate, and there are rarely signs of life, I do not know how there can be any history. Maybe there were tribes people that lived here once. I just do not know how that is possible, or maybe I am just not looking hard enough. I would ask Dennis, but he is a very intimidating looking fellow. I think I’ll just continue sitting here in the back of the bus staring off into the desert. I did manage to catch a glimpse of a small desert fox in the distance, so maybe there is more hope for life. Maybe the history is not with the people of this land, but with the animals. These creatures have evolved and are able to survive out here on very little. That is pretty remarkable. We are headed North, so luckily it is warming up a bit. I couldn’t necessarily tell you how much it has warmed up because the A/C on our Conestoga wagon works pretty well. It does not feel like winter anymore like it did at Neudamm Campus. I hear the desert nights are harsh though, and temperatures can dropped drastically, so I’m not real excited about that. I guess the alternative to being in this situation would be 106 degree in Texas. I’ll take the winter, it is only really bad in the mornings, but after that first cup of coffee, everything is golden. I am not really sure what our accommodations are going to be at Gobabeb. It can be anything from a hut to a resort, we will just have to see when we get there.

Well, we arrived about an hour before sunset, to a small community of adobe buildings strewn across several hectares of desert. It is very picturesque, resembling a desert motel from a movie set. It has it’s redeeming qualities for being smack dab in the middle of God’s green Earth. Well, it’s not very green out here, but you get the idea. In the distance are the dunes we have heard so much about. Hopefully tomorrow we will go hike those and see what this land is really about. We have been given a mission to rephotograph the fauna of the area for the Gobabeb Research Facility’s archives. Scorpions, spiders and beetles, etc. etc. It should be interesting rolling around in the sand, trying to capture these deadly creatures in their natural habitat. Aside from the group photography project, I have been given a special assignment. Along with the current faculty of the center, I am supposed to help create a new informational video to help promote the activities and going-ons around the facility. I was given this project based on my previous education in video production. It has been awhile since I held a video camera, but much like riding a bike, somethings you never forget. I am sure it will all come back to me. I am both excited to help a World recognized organization, yet nervous at the same time. We’ll see how it goes. I previously mentioned the winter season of this hemisphere, well it came back swiftly as soon as the sun fell. It’s so dark out here, I kind of enjoy it. The stars outside are mesmerizing with beauty. You have to travel pretty far back home to see so many stars. Here, I can just walk out of my bungalow door and the whole sky is lit up like diamonds. I failed to mention our accommodations here. We are staying in a fourplex type bungalow. The guys in one room and the girls in another, the other two I assume are vacant. I am not sure, but I believe we are the only visitors right now. Our new cook staff is phenomenal, tonight they fed us lasagna, greek salad and a vegetable medley. I think we were most excited about the variety of teas we got to try, or at least I was. We had our usual joking and what not at dinner, nothin has changed there. Now we are full, have returned to the girls room and we are finishing our homework assignments, blogs and what not. It’s getting pretty close to bedtime though for me. On that note, I think I will rest my mind, and call it quits on writing for tonight.

-Logan Hooks

Who’s Who

30Jul

By Tara Dean

So far on this trip I have met many new and interesting people, including those I have been traveling with. We each bring something different to the table yet we all have so much in common. This is the story of seven students who ended up becoming a family.

Kelsey, Micah, Trotter, Logan, and myself make up the undergraduates while Melanie and Laura make up the graduates. None of us really knew each other before coming on this trip and I believe it has been a blessing. Cliques are formed much easier when traveling abroad when the students already have relationships built.

Kelsey is the quiet one, always having something significant to say when she speaks up. This trip has been a little harder on her than the rest of us when it comes to the meals because she has been dealing with her food allergies. Being unable to eat anything that has corn, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat or dairy is rather difficult in a country that bases their meals around starches for the most part. However she has stayed very positive and most places we have visited have been very god about providing her with alternatives. Luckily she can still enjoy all the gemsbok and kudu her heart desires!

When it comes to food Micah will eat just about anything! When we traveled to a meat market he ate mopanie worms, in the desert he ate tree leaves, and in Ogongo Micah even sampled termite mound from the side of the road. Not only is Micah the most adventurous with food, but he brings us all together. Always concerned on how each person is doing, he is the glue that holds us together.

If you want a good laugh all you have to do is sneak up behind Trotter! Though we tend to pick on him in the most loving way possible, Trotter has started to overcome some of his fears here in Namibia. He has chased all kinds of bugs and lizard around the red sand dunes and in the desert and has even held a beetle for a good 10 minutes just to get one good shot!

The scouter position goes to the one and only Logan “Logie-bear” Hooks. As soon as we arrive at a new place and set our bags down he’s off, and then an hour later he’s back giving us the low-down on all of our surroundings. He definitely enjoys his alone time but often is the one who finds the coolest things to share with the rest of the group.

Melanie has been dubbed as the traveler of the group and is one of our two grad students. She was already in Rwanda working on her thesis when she met up with us in Windhoek. Melanie is a trooper though because her luggage was lost for over 3 days and she still kept a positive outlook on everything. Fortunately her luggage was found and she once again had more than two shirts to wear!

Laura is able to name just about every African animal on safari that we have seen thus far. This trip being her second time in southern Africa we turn to her most often when we have questions regarding wildlife or culture. She also is the “puniest” student on the trip being able to roll the puns off her tongue like it’s nothing! There’s never a frown when Laura’s around.

Being the only student who’s major is not AGCJ has been interesting on this trip. The other students’ passion has started to rub off on me and made me more interested in the field of journalism. This experience has certainly given me a different outlook on life making me appreciate all the things I have been blessed with in life.

While the trip is coming to an end in the next week or so, I look forward to the memories that have yet to be made that will last us a lifetime.