Namibia continued

Well, hello, everyone! We have been busy working on school work & trying to make our living space workable, so little time for anything else.
I will try to catch up a bit. More serious teaching started 1/25, but it found both Jim & I struggling to figure out how to teach English with just a syllabus that gives the results expected, but no plan on how to attack it. I spent many hours trying to get an over-view of the year, then tryling to plan from a couple different text books that I found, then doing what we were told to do "teach from the syllabus" & I am no closer to a good plan than I was 2 weeks ago, We weren't turning in lesson plans since the other teachers weren't but then we were all told we had to & we've been scrambling to back-fill as well as working on the week ahead. Today the principal did an observation on me---I was AWFUL! Really!!! I can hear my mother saying, "now, Sharon, I'm sure it was just fine." and my response from college days "You don't understand! It was terrible!" We had that conversation more than a few times! Only this time...I was truly awful. Jim has his tomorrow & I am sure he will be fine. The one who didn't think that he could teach is doing one crack-up job.

We had some "excitement" this past weekend. For one, even though it is the rainy season, it had not rained for two weeks or more. So, we did the laundry, oblivious of the clouds, & ended up with some of our things getting a second wash, compliments of our loving Lord. And no, we are not going to re-wash them. It is amazing how quickly our standard for cleanliness has changed. No, we are not dirty...just not obsessed. So, with all the water from laundry going into the septic tank, we managed to put it over the top. We had a back-up into our shower. The smell was not nice. Fortunately, the honey-wagon came early Mon. afternoon. In some ways the slower pace here is frustrating, but in other ways we see how things that need to be done are done more quickly than at home. Well, some things.

Jim is out getting a haircut. I can't wait to see. We rarely see other white people in our region, so will a local know how to cut his hair?? We heard a story of a young American teacher, girl, who had her hair cut. The woman pulled it back into a pony tail & cut it off w/ one big clip, asking "that is fine, Miss?" She just paid & ran out of the shop.

We had a power outage a few nights ago. It is DARK here w/ no lights!!! We did have a small flashlight handy, but nothing else. Jim is going to see if he can find a candle or two. We have problems w/ extension cords; we seem to buy faulty ones, & when we try them they blow the circuit in the building (what a way to make friends w/ the neighbors!) We have a total of 3 outlets (and they are not double like you have); we have 13 things to plug in. We pick & choose...the fans & 'frig have top priority.

The heavy rains in Angola are putting a strain on our water processing facilities, so water is turned off from 9pm - 6am, 9am - noon, 2pm - 5pm. We make a mad dash to the bathroom before 9pm, hoping we can make it through the night. Over the weekend, we had water all day long, so, maybe things have changed.

So, we are gradually becoming acclimated to this place. There are many, many, cultural differences. Some I can accept...others, well, I just don't understand. When I think that I am being perfectly reasonable, & make total sense, they just shake their heads. & I can hear them thinking "those crazy Westerners".

Tired of sitting. Time to forage for dinner.
Love hearing from each of you.'
Sharon (& maybe bald Jim)