More on Driving in Namibia

Well, you all know how I feel about driving here since it was the topic of one of my first blog entries. It’s not just the fact that driving is done on the “wrong” side here that makes it difficult to adjust to; it’s all the various and sundry other crazy things that occur as well that contribute to my being a nervous wreck behind the wheel.
First anything goes here. Like the photo above demonstrates, four-wheelers are allowed to be driven on city streets. As you can see from the picture, they’re even licensed! We’ve seen dune buggies, three-wheelers, elderly chair scooters, etc. If it’s got wheels and a motor, we’ve probably seen it on the streets of Windhoek.
Additionally, there seems to be a high tolerance for risk taking behavior here. Safety appears to be a non-issue for Namibians. Parents think nothing of driving with kids in their lap, in the front seat unrestrained or packed to the gills in an open-bed bakkie (pick-up truck). I cringe every time I come up behind one of these vehicles because I can envision a kid falling out right in front of my on-coming vehicle and me running over him/her with my kids in the car.
Taxi drivers are the absolute worst, however. They will make two lanes where there was only one originally. They’ll turn right in front of you even if you’ve got the right of way. They typically jump the light before it turns green and run the red ones. They’ll pass you in town, in neighborhoods or any time they feel like it even if the road signs indicate against such. An acquaintance from school is currently driving around with a huge dent in her driver’s side door where she “was kissed” by a taxi! Because there are zillions of taxis, they can't be avoided either.
Perhaps it’s the German influence, but excessive speed is a major factor in road accidents here in Namibia, so many of which end in a fatality. Drivers treat these little two lane shoulder-less roads as if it were the Autobahn. Posted speed for the “highway” is 120 km. That’s 75 miles per hour on a road that’s not even close to being in interstate condition. Mind you, that’s the posted speed; people are typically flying by us and so we figure they’re up to 150 or 160 Km. Encountering a wart hog or an oryx at that speed would spell sheer disaster, but it’s as if most drivers don’t even give it a second thought.
She may be slow and lumbering, but she’s built solid like a rock. With her bull bar in the front, Ole Bess can out intimidate most other vehicles, so we’re hoping that we can stay safe and sound for the remainder of our 3 month stay here in Namibia. We’ll be sad to part with her when the time comes. She’s been such a good girl.

Gus Wins Silver at the 27th Annual Namibian National Science Fair

Held September 8-10, 2009, Gus’s Birds in My Backyard project earned a score that qualified him for the silver medal in the category of Biology. Hundreds of kids from around the country descended on the exam basement of the Polytechnic, Namibia’s premier university for the three day event. WIS had only two entries to advance to this high level, Augustus’ and his classmate Sharifa’s. The competition was pretty stiff especially from St. Paul’s and St. George’s, well noted for their strong programs in both academics and athletics (somewhat like Catholic of Baton Rouge and Episcopal), but his research held its own in the end. Incidentally, Sharifa also received a silver (they are pictured together above). Both may qualify to attend the next level in South Africa—we’ll keep everyone posted. We, his parents, are extremely proud of him, needless to say!

The “Eisheiligen”—Being Cold in Africa

When Reid was finally awarded the Fulbright and we had to make decisions about what to bring with us to Namibia, we did a bit of research into the climate. We knew that Namibia, being a desert country, was prone to some pretty low temps especially at nighttime. The statistics indicated that during the Winter (June-August here) nighttime temps typically fell around the freezing mark (0 degrees Celsius). Daytime temps however were quite mild according to the literature—hovering in the upper teens and low twenties Celsius (50’s & 60’s F). We thus packed a few sweaters and light jackets. We did not even consider heavy duty pjs or coats. What with Reid being the packing Nazi that he was, we were lucky to make it here with enough underwear in tow. Upon arrival in December, mid-summer, we were glad we had brought our Louisiana cottons and clothing of other light weight fabrics. With the approach of winter, many of our Namibian acquaintances kept telling us to brace ourselves. We tended to down play it, after all being from the Northern Hemisphere and Reid a native Iowan to boot, it would take snow and ice to scare us, a most unusual sight in Namibia to say the least. Little did we understand, however, the ways of Namibian construction. Most of the houses here are built with the heat in mind. Walls are made of thick brick that are designed to keep the interior cool. The exterior is usually painted a light color so as to reflect the sunlight. Windows are just basically panes of glass and don’t do much to resist either the cold or heat. Insulation as we know it is virtually non-existent here. The term furnace as a household item does not exist in the Namibian vocabulary. So when the Namibians experience freezing temperatures; it is not only freezing outside, it’s literally freezing inside as well! Literally!

To try and keep warm during this time, we’d turn the oven on and open the door to let the heat warm the living space of our tiny flat. We baked a good bit (needless to say, I’ve put on a few pounds as a result) but we finally had to succumb and purchase blankets and an electric space heater even though we’ve been trying hard not to spend money on things that we’ll just be leaving behind in a few months time. Finally the first of September drew nigh and we thought we were home free, this date being the first day of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

As if by magic, plants and trees that looked utterly spent have begun to sprout leaves and the most exquisite and exotic blossoms. We’ve had to really rethink our understanding of the workings of the natural world during this time. For us in the Northern Hemisphere who understand that April showers bring May flowers, we are taken aback with the complete lack of rain prior to the onslaught of Spring. It hasn’t rained in months and won’t do so we’re told until November and yet trees have begun to green up and the flowers are popping out everywhere. Nights had begun to get warmer too. We had even broken a sweat at the first session of baseball practice we’d conducted at WIS. But lo and behold today we are experiencing what older Namibians refer to as the Eisheiligen. I’m not sure the origin of the word, whether German or Africaaner, but it roughly translates as the Ice Saints. Suddenly, the wind has begun to blow up from the South (yes, it’s the South wind that brings the cold here) and we’ve had to break out the sweaters again. I’m on my third warm beverage this morning and I can’t feel my toes in my shoes at the moment. We’ve got baseball practice again this afternoon and I hope the wind mellows before we get out on the field to toss the ball around. The Eisheiligen, we’re told won’t last long and the lovely spring weather should return shortly but a true Louisianian, I like my weather warm!

Please take note, with the Spring came the return to Daylight Saving Time here, so we are now 7 hours ahead of Central Time/ Louisiana & Iowa time. That is until you guys go back to standard time in October when the differential will again change!

Photo above: Annie celebrates her 6th birthday on a lovely Namibian Spring Day. We'd have been sweltering back in Louisiana.

Gus Goes to the Namibian National Science Fair

The National Science Fair of Namibia begins tomorrow, September 8, and Gus will be there. His bird project has taken him far and he’ll present his findings to the judges on Wednesday. Being held once again in the exam basement at the Polytechnique, Augustus is beginning to feel like an old pro at this business. What a wonderful experience for him as students from around the country will be there mingling and sharing their findings as well as their culture. We wish him the best of luck!
The pictures above are of the Long-Tailed Paradise-Whydah and the Southern Red Bishop.