Advances in technology

In one of the many boxes of school supplies from Webster City High School, I found a gem that has all the learners, and teachers, marveling. An old-school desk-mounted pencil sharpener with the crank and metal wheel to accommodate various pencil sizes (aren't pencils all the same size?). The first group of learners discover this amazing contraption was a bit hesitant and did not know what to think. After demonstrating a quick turn of the crank and presenting them with a razor sharp pencil, they were running all over the library and school finding every pencil, and colored pencil, to feed the sharpener! The last girl to sharpen her pencil exclaims, “Wow miss! Technology these days....”

Rions and Tigels and Beals, Oh my!

I just got back from a two week holiday with Tyler and his parents. I posted pictures on facebook that you should check out! We had a great time and I loved being a part of their first African experience and sharing my Namibian life with them. They got a taste of village life in Ogongo by visiting my school and sleeping on a traditional homestead. We spent the evening drinking punya punya (red wine and coke) by candle light at Jealous Down Bar No. 2. All of the locals welcomed us with exuberance and bottles of Tassenberg, as it is not everyday four oshilumbus (white people) hang out at their shabeens. Our next stop was Etosha National Wildlife Reserve. I have been there a few times before, but this was by far the best. Thirty minutes into the gate we were stopped by an entire herd of elephants crossing the road – with atleast 5 babies! The next night we saw three rhinos and four lionesses hunting at the waterhole near our lodge. Then the last day in the park we arrived at our last waterhole to find an entire pride of lions (4 female, 2 male, 3 cubs) sleeping, drinking and eating from a giraffe carcass. From there we went to Waterberg Plateau for some beautiful hiking, Okahandja to master the art of bartering with craft hawkers, and then to Swakopmund for sandboarding and ostrich egg liqueur.