So I'm back, and I've gotten lots of lovely emails from people expressing their happiness at having me home. I am sorry I haven't replied to you individually, I am just in this weird limbo space where in some ways it feels as if I've never left, and in other ways it feels like I haven't even left Namibia. Needless to say I wake up many times during the night thinking I'm in Ongwediva and then I realize I'm not. I thought that two months wasn't long enough to find a home. I was wrong. I knew that no matter what [View Full Entry]

---

---

I'm in Windhoek, what felt like a sleepy town when I first arrived in Namibia now seems horribly metropolitan (sp?) and foreign and wrong. Toronto will only be worse. I miss brotha Mike. I miss his family. I miss my friends up there and the palm trees and the flatness and the music and the roads and my house and everything. I want to stay here. I dont want to deal with all the crap at home. Bah. Be home in three days. THREE DAYS! Even being 8 hours away from Ongwediva and the people I love there is maniacally painful. [View Full Entry]

---

---

This is probably easy for me to say because I am leaving in a week. But I LOVE THIS PLACE. I really really love it. I close my eyes and imagine living here and it feels like its actually possible. There are a lot of challenges, and more importantly I'm not sure if I could ethically work here for one year under the volunteer services overseas VSO organization, because I'd just be living out the Ivan Illich prophecy. Somehow I almost believe that if I got citizenship and made it my permanent residence it would be different and my presence might [View Full Entry]

---

---

So after 6 weeks of sometimes being very lonely and just wanting to see my family, I am suddenly (inconveniently near the end of my time here) really not looking forward to coming home. I am having such a great time here. I think it is because I'm starting to become close with some local Namibians and the thought of leaving them is very difficult. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. It changes everyday, and sometimes every minute. [View Full Entry]

---

---

I've done it. The one thing I have wanted to do and see since as far back as I can remember watching National Geographic. This weekend we went to Etosha National Park and it was ..... overwhelming and indescribable. Within minutes of entering the park we saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudu, lions, cheetahs, springbok (their like vermin), wildebeast, hartebeast and so much more. If I wasn't so tired I'd write something beautiful and descriptive. But I am tired. Tired and happy. Love you all Leah [View Full Entry]

---

---

You sound very familiar, and I loved everything you had to say in reply to my blog, but I don't know who you are!!!!!! Who is B.D.? email me so the mystery doesnt drive me crazy for the next three weeks. talking in the library? in other news, I spent time this week teaching English to a HIV + support group called Tukwafela (which means Help Us in Oshiwambo) and it was probably one of hte more rewarding experiences I've had here. Working within bureaucracy is not for me! Abigail is reportedly 3 lbs, 4 ounces!!!!! I'll be home in 20 [View Full Entry]

---

---

So we had a Canada Day party at our house on Saturday, and it was a lot of fun until around 10 pm (when the drunkeness began). We made a cake and I drew the canadian flag on it, decorated the house and bought red light bulbs and red candles for mood lighting... which made the place look like a seedy brothel with party balloons, but it was ok :) Then we made a music playlist featuring only Canadian artists and had that playing in the background. When the people arrived we started making everyone poutine (the only national dish we [View Full Entry]

---

---

This is a speech that I was told about by a friend, please read it, it looks long but it has some powerful messages, and is very relevant to my last blog. I have inserted here the part that is relevant to my work. If you dont want to read the whole thing, start at the paragraph that begins with "ladies and gentleman" love Leah (ria) TALK Delivered AT THE CONFERENCE ON INTERAMERICAN STUDENT PROJECTS by Mon. Ivan Illich, (Cuernavaca) April 20, 1968. In the conversations which I have had today, I was impressed by two things, and I want to [View Full Entry]

---

---

people call me "Ria" here.. because they have issues with mixing up rs and ls. lol. my favourite gypsy taxi driver (random men who put taxi signs on their cars.. and drive people around, only real form of public transit here.. and DIRT cheap), brotha mike (aka baby) calls me Ria, and I laugh everytime, which makes him laugh, which makes me laugh more because he laughs like a goat!!!!! anyways people here are really amazing, what have i learned so far? i've learned that Ivan Illich is right. I am selling a way of life that is impossible to attain [View Full Entry]

---

---

.... Random weird facts about Namibia: no one wears deodorant... most definitely not the men.. and it can be quite overwhelming standing next to an otherwise very nice and pleasant man. For your own psychological health I will not describe in detail this experience if they aren't wearing deodorant, some of them use copious amounts of cologne which always makes me sneeze drinking and driving is illegal here too..... but no one seems to care and I dont want to admit how many times I've been in someone's car and the driver has a beer in their hand. (Mom, it was [View Full Entry]

---

---