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Published: October 24th 2013
Hello, All,
I am giving a mandatory test (every two weeks we have to give a test). Since we have to give them, we call them exam practice, because the exam is the only think that counts for grade 11.
There is quite a bit going on right now. We had another bout of witchcraft!. There was a knock on the door at about 1:00 a.m. and my roommate, who is supposed to be the hostel (dorm) supervisor, never hears anyone knocking. It was three girls. They said another girl had had some kind of dream about a man in black (with white under it) and when she woke up the man was there beckoning to her. She started screaming and woke up others. One of them saw this man as well, so they came to get us. When I got there they were all standing in a tight circle not knowing what to do, but scared. I tried to tell them that she was just seeing him from her dream, but that didn't do any good. So I asked the girl what she wanted to do, and she said she wanted to pray. So I said okay. So the whole group started praying aloud, and it must be what it sounded like when people were speaking in tongues. It got louder and louder, but finally they stopped.
However, then the girl who had had to be rushed to the hospital the first time we had a witch, whose heart had stopped beating on the way, started to collapse. She would breathe really heavily, then stop. And her legs wouldn't work. So I was hugging her trying to hold her up and get her to breathe. I sent the kids for Rachel and for Kanyenge. Someone brought a chair and we got her sitting, but her breathing was still erratic. The kids couldn't wake Rachel (she is the CPR person), so I said to try to keep her breathing and I ran to Rachel's window. As soon as I said it was Sandrina she was out of bed and upstairs. Eventually we got her to the hospital, where they kept her overnight. She seemed fine the next day,except that her legs did not work. but Even now she has to walk carefully and has an ace bandage on one knee. She is a really nice, conscientious girl. She never made a fuss, but just kept going. And she asked for work while she was stuck in the hostel.
The scary part is that the next day, Ms Kanyenge, my roommate, told me that she had been talking to one of the girls who said that she had moved downstairs because her mother told her one of the girls was a witch. She said the girl had been kicked out of three hostels already because of that. I asked Kanyenge if she believed in witches and she said yes, and then said, "Don't you?" I said that no, I didn't. For several days, she was a little distant. But I was imagining Salem, and trying to prepare myself for defending this girl. She would not say who it was. I'm glad of that on the whole. But then, amazingly, by that afternoon, everything was normal. It is so weird. I don't know if there is a conspiracy of silence because of the white people, or if they don't want to talk about it, because it is dangerous. I am paying attention, but haven't seen anyone ostracized. I hope I can make it through the year with no more. When she said she believed in witches and doctors cannot cure what witches do, I got a little scared. People talk about native religions in Namibia, but on paper it doesn't seem like much. In person, it is rather frightening. These girls are so easily infected by fear and hysteria, and if the teachers believe it too, anything could happen. Ervina (Kanyenge) is supposedly a Roman Catholic!
On a lighter note, we had a talent show with various contests, so I went to help supervise and to watch. One of the contests was a typing contest. The winner typed 12 words a minute! Then they called me up to demonstrate. For some reason they are very impressed with my typing. Rachel is much faster, but they don't believe it. So I had to go up and type for a minute amid loud cheers (which, of course, was lovely). They all applauded, and as I was going back to my seat, the emcee said, "And she didn't even look at the keyboard." I think the fastest I ever did when I took typing was 45 wpm and I am not that fast now. It seems easier to make mistakes on the computer, because you know you can just back up!!
Our school magazine is coming along, although we will print it here. But the computer teacher is pretty enthused, and the principal came in while we were working and also approved. He suggested to me that I should stay another year. It was flattering, but I am ready to retire again, and I want to spend time with my granddaughter, Mia. So, I will hit (actually, land gently in, I hope) New York on Dec. 10th. Probably Anchorage on the 15th. I hope not everyone is leaving for Christmas.
We go tomorrow to Tsumeb (near Etosha Park) for our last in-service for World Teach. It is to prepare us for going home. Apparently they have found that re-entry is more difficult than coming here in the first place. I did not find it difficult to be here. Most of my frustrations have to do with the school and school system, not with living in Namibia. What I am finding, though, is that, because I know it is only for a year, I am not quite settling in. I haven't really any furniture, except my bed, two plastic chairs, a large box for a table, and a built in table with a stool I "borrowed" from the school. I have one towel, few utensils, etc. If I were really living here, I'd buy more things and try to make it real life. It is a bit like living out of a suitcase.
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Nicki
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magazine
You don't need to say, "although we will print it here," I don't think. I went to the Scripps event last Sunday, and was wowed by the books published by the art press at Scripps. Kitty said she gives the students (from all colleges) a theme, and they spend a month or so researching, then planning, then they 'manufacture' the entire book. You can see them on the Scripps website, which I'll look up, but I did sign up to be a 'patron' and receive one (at a 20% discount) at the end of the year. Actually, they do one each semester. Some are more words, and some more pictures. There is one called Line, Area, and Volume, and another focused on music. The one from 1992 was my favorite - tiny and fitted into a little case. Oops, I think I hear Guillaume. I better go fix his bottle