Friends and Namibian Life

This weekend I went into town to run a few errands and hang out with my
language tutor, Angie, who came up from Windhoek. In the whole time I've
been here, she's been my only real Namibian friend.

I got to meet her gorgeous and rambunctious little 4-year old girl, Sasha.
Angie and Sasha were staying with Angie's long time friend, Selma, and she
graciously let me stay as well.

Selma is a single mother with a daughter who is around 6. She has a job at
a loan company. She's waiting for a house to be built, so she's temporarily
renting a place in Rundu that you and I would call a shack. Staying there
for a night gave me a real glimpse of what life can be like here. The walls
were bare cinder block sloppily cemented together. The ceiling was just a
piece of corrugated tin held on with heavy rocks. The walls do not meet the
ceiling. There was no running water, so no sink, toilet or shower. A
toilet and shower was available in the occupied space next door that she is
allowed to use.

I've got to hand it to Selma though; she has decorated the place so that
it's as nice as a cinder block space can be. She keeps it very clean,
regularly filling various containers to wash dishes or mop. AND, on top of
all this she took in not only her friend and friend's kid, she took me in as
well. Despite limited cooking facilities, she even made us all dinner.

Angie, Sasha and I slept on Selma's bed, and Selma and her daughter slept on
a foam mattress on the floor. Did I mention how HOT it's been lately?
Saturday it was 40 degrees C in Rundu (104 Fahrenheit). Guess how hot a
cinder block house with tin roof gets? And sleeping under a mosquito net
with 2 other bodies in bed? Ya, toasty. Nighttime peeing happens in a
basin on the floor. And sleep is dependent on when the guys next door stop
watching TV since the walls don't meet the ceiling.

In the morning we had some coffee and snacks and then said our goodbyes. It
was a teary one with Angie; I'm going to miss that girl. She's a bright one
though, and going places. She may very well end up in California with her
newly minted business venture someday...here's hopin. (p.s. she's done with
Namibian guys, by the way, so American men, you've got a good one up for
grabs!)