oh life...

So I would like to thank PC for this experience. My standards of…well life have changed drastically. In the states when eating fruit I would probably throw away rotten fruit, say apples, bananas and pears, but due to the lack of fruit available in the country and the well abundance of money I make as a PCV, I have totally abandoned my previous ways of thinking. Today for instance I was holding a completely rotten apple and thought this is really really not good but instead - I ate it…all. This is not the first time I’ve done this so I am not really shocked that I did it but I was shocked that afterwards I grabbed the rotten pear and ate that too and well this is normal. Lack of money and well once I spend money on food, no matter what I gotta eat it, including moldy bread, bad milk and cheese, meat/fish/chicken that has thawed/been frozen again/thawed/frozen and finally just left out and things you buy thinking it’s going to be something totally different than what it turns out to be…all this I eat with a smile and think…this is my life?

I thought PC would open me up to new foods and I would finally learn how to cook but instead I remain a picky eater just with lower standards of food quality and sanitation. I embrace the PB&J sandwich as a staple meal for me and all bran/high fiber cereals as a necessity. Also, soda is a luxury I can no longer afford so water, water and more water is all I drink. I guess it’s good to finally cut down on the sugar and get a little healthy.

So while in Opuwo this week I slept on the floor of my friend’s living room with the windows open because they don’t shut and did I mention Opuwo is in the prime malaria region and it’s rainy season. My body (yes entire body) looks like I have a rash or the chicken pox. I am covered in bites and they itch soooooooo bad, thanks Opuwo, I’m in a real hurry to return.
Today I will suffer the wonderful car ride back to Outjo, this time I’m hoping we can actually make the 3 hour trip in half a day and that my life won’t flash before my eyes every few seconds. It would be great to see some more giraffes (saw 10 up close on the ride here) but I will take no animals for a safe and short trip….oh transportation in Namibia.

I’m convinced after this week that boths (bird-moths) have the ability for advanced skills, like typing. Last night on a few different occasions a both continued to pound on my computer keyboard, maybe it was wanting to write and email, either way better it was me out in that living room than Jill.

Dear Hospital Driver,
Please, please, please attempt to drive the speed limit today. On paved roads it’s totally ok to put your foot on the gas and not ride the break for the entire 5 hour car ride and on dirt roads lowering your speed limit is usually appropriate. At least one hand on the wheel would be greatly appreciated. Also, when in town and there are ten million children running around the roads please do no drive 160km/h, it’s just not right and scares the sh*t out of me. One last thing cows are not the same as bushes, you cannot drive through them as easily. I look forward to this fun/wanna kill myself experience today. It’s amazing that 300km takes 6-12 hours to actually complete but I guess I have become painfully aware that TIN.

Hoping not to die today,
Amandar