Thursday, April 29, 2010

Cell Service is Back!

The tower has been fixed and now I have cell service again. Yay! Just wanted to throw that update out there.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Gina!

So here is my new dog Gina!
Gina being bad and sitting on the chair.

Action shot! Gina rolling around on the ground cuz I was home for lunch.

Gina about to enjoy her lunch too.

Isn't she cute?

Finally, she is worn out :)

She is about 2 years old. I got her from the SPCA in Rundu. If you would have seen her 2 days ago you would have thought she was a different dog. When I went to take her home from the SPCA, she wouldn't walk to the car. I had to carry her. Then she wouldn't walk into the house, so I had to carry her. She was so scared, poor thing. She was raised at the SPCA so that's all she has ever known. I'm sure it was a shock to her. But now she is happy and runs and jumps and she seems to be house broken too (big plus!). She spends nights in my hut with me, walks with me and Rosemary to work in the morning, spends the day at my house at the mission, and then walks home with us at night. I love having her around. She is deff going to make these next 2 years less lonely.

So last night we had a huge thunderstorm for hours! It rained so hard and it was so loud on my tin roof (or zinc roof as they call it here). I would think to myself, "I don't think it could get any louder." Oh, was I wrong. Every time I thought that to myself, it somehow got louder. And the lightening was incredible! It would light up my whole hut! Gina did pretty well through the storm. She got frightened a few times and would come sleep next to the bed. But she would go back to her mat at the foot of the bed eventually. The storm did manage to knock out the cell tower so we have no cell service right now. I'm not sure when that will be fixed.

I wish I could explain more what it is like here and I how I feel, but it's really difficult. I guess the best way to explain it is that Peace Corps is like a roller coaster. Some days your up, but most you're down. At least right now. I don't think the mefloquin is helping the emotional roller coaster either. But we have been warned about the roller coaster, so I just have to push through it. I mean, some things are gonna turn into great stories. And I can already laugh at my emotional instability. It's also fun to hear about other people roller coasters. I'm telling you... great stories. It's hard not only being away from everyone at home but from my fellow group 31ers. We spent an intense 2 months together and now we are spread out over the entire country. And I won't see the majority of them until late July or early August at Reconnect. But I am planning a trip to Victoria Falls in Zambia just after Reconnect with some of my friends. So that's deff something to look forward to! And I am planning on spending Christmas in Cape Town, so that will get me to the new year. THEN... my parents are coming to visit in April of 2011, so I know I can deff make it till then. Just gotta plan some more trip for the second year of service! Botswana is deff on the list!

So, as soon as I have cell service back I will let you know. Until then, Gina and I will just be chillin in the hut!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Random Thoughts.

I don't have anything new really to report, so I guess I'll just list a bunch of random things that have happened to me lately.

-There is a small gecko that keeps getting into my house at the mission. He wiggles his way under my door and runs around my living room. Every time I chase him out with a shoe but he comes back every afternoon. I guess he hasn't learned his lesson.

- I get up everyday at 5:15am... yes that's right Mom and Dad. I can function at that hour and not be grumpy. Granted, I don't talk much on the walk to work because I haven't had any coffee yet. I make that in my house at the mission before work along with a bowl of oatmeal. Yumm.

-I have almost eaten an entire jar of peanut butter this week. To quote one of my fave movies, "It's gonna be some kind of a record!" - Ave Ventura When Nature Calls.

- The malaria medicine I am taking has a great side effect, it gives you these super real dreams! It also makes you hallucinate! I have extremely vivid dreams almost every night and I have hallucinated three times since I've been here. The first time I woke up in my bed and I saw and air conditioner on the wall. I also felt the cold air coming from it. I remember thinking, "oh this feels nice." Then I realized that I don't have air conditioning, and that it wasn't real. So I went back to sleep. The second time, I woke up again in the middle of the night and saw my 3 year old host brother Mackenzie in the corner of my room. He smirked at me and laughed and then he hid his face in the corner. Then I realized that my door was locked so there was no way for him to get in. That's when I knew it wasn't real. The last time was just before I went to bed. I was sitting under my mosquito net when I felt and heard a bee fly past my ear. I freaked out, but there was no bee under my net or in my room. My windows were also closed. Oh the fun of Mefloquin!

- On my cell phone here in Africa, I can check my bank account balance, I can surf the web, and I get 100 free text messages a day. I had none of this back in America. Who would think that you would have to move to Africa to learn about cell phone technology?

So, that it for now. Please note that I have updated my address. It is on the sidebar. Stay well everyone!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Home Sweet Hut

So, many things have changed in the past few days. I am living in a new home. It it wonderful! You can see all the pics below!
My own hut.
The inside of my hut.

The passage from the courtyard to my hut.
Looking the other way through the passage - my hut to the courtyard.
My shower area. Mom and Dad... thanks so much for the Solar Shower for Christmas! It is so much better than bucket bathing.
Our front door looking into the homestead.
Some local girls. The girl in the center with the pink shirt and yellow shorts is my host sister Maddie.
My host mom, Rosemary.
How all the meals are cooked at home.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I've Moved!

So I am officially a resident of Nyangana! I moved on Saturday. I am currently living with a wonderful host family in the village. I have my very own hut! I will post some pictures soon I promise!

I have big news... this weekend I am getting a dog! I am very excited about it!

I don't have too much to report now. Work is starting to pick up which is nice. Just a little note: I don't have very good reception here on my cell phone so email is prob the best way to get in contact with me. We have internet at the hospital so email me at kcwenar@yahoo.com.

Also, my mailing address has changed. I will post the new one on the blog soon!

I miss you all!

Friday, April 16, 2010

I'm an Official Peace Corps Volunteer!

To see Group 31 taking the volunteer oath, follow the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fm4CwQ6s5I

 
My language group with our trainers. 
 
The entire Group 31.
 
Pasta salad on host family appreciation day
. 
Kate and I on host family appreciation day.
 
Me at Swearing In
. 
The Kavango girls at Swearing In. 
 
Me with two language teachers.
 
Me with Anne (my Associate Peace Corps Director) and Gilbert (Namibia Country Director)
 
Me with our Training Manager, Sidna.

Friday, April 2, 2010

I Can See Russia From My House... Oops, I Mean ANGOLA!!!

So last week I was up at site in Nyangana. It is in the middle of NOWHERE! My dad asked me what I could see... the answer was a hospital, dirt road, and bush. Everyone at work is wonderful! I think I am going to be really happy in Nyangana. And the best part... I am on the Kavango river! I can litereally see Angola from my house.

So it's 2am here right now and I am very tired.... so I'm just gonna put a few pics up and call it a post. I couldn't take a lot of pictures, but here's what I got:
This was on the drive up to Nyangana. They called these two mountains the buttocks. Awesome name.
The outside of my house.

Looking out from my front door.

The floor plan of my house.
The Kavango River.... Angola is on the other side!
My host mother Rosemary.
One morning I woke up to this outside my house :)