Arrival in Windhoek

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It has been a week since I arrived in Windhoek Namibia. The journey from Toronto, via Washington DC, via Johannesburg via Narnia, was tiresome to say the least. Huddled in my cramped seat, I pondered various medieval torture techniques and how they held up against a 16-hour plane ride in coach. As I wiggled my toes relentlessly trying to stop the onset of deep vein thrombosis, there weren’t enough in-flight Ashton Kutcher movies and assortment of nuts that would convince me that I wasn’t stuck in some horrible Sartre-esque type hell. But alas, I’m not one for dramatics.

My first night in Namibia was rather uneventful. After two days travel and a 6 hour trip into the future, I landed at the airport at about 8pm and was met by the CEO of my Namibian host organization. Seemingly annoyed that the lowly task of picking up the intern had befallen her, she did her best to greet me warmly. She took me to a bed and breakfast in the suburbs and told me she would be back at seven in the morning to take me to work; seven in the morning?! Ugh crap.

Namibians wake up early and work long hours. Officially my work hours are from 7:30am to 4:30pm, but my first week at the office I did not leave earlier than 5:30pm. The good thing is the host organization found me a home-stay literally across the street from the office, so I’m spared any type of commute.

I’m actually not living in Windhoek proper but rather 15 minutes from town in the suburb of Khomasdal. During the time of South African rule, Namibia was subject to the apartheid system. Whites were given the best lands in Central Windhoek, People of mixed white and black ancestry lived in Khomasdal, and Blacks were forcibly relocated to the northern suburbs of Katatura. Katatura, in the Herero language, translates to “the place we do not want to settle.” Although apartheid ending nearly 20 years ago in Namibia, and Windhoek is now a pretty integrated and diverse place, Khomasdal and Katutura continue to be poorer and it’s rare you find a White person living there. This is where my 'Oliveness' pays off...I fit in just about anywhere.

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Comments

[Lazarus]

people of Namibia
I am very anoid, by the tourist who visit our country, they only intrested in wild animal, the German architecture and the country natural fitures, but not recording our people, our culture diversity. it look like only animal live in Namibia, please try to publish our nation and our people.