My Class Field Trip to Rock Lodge by Gus Bates

School Field Trip

I woke that morning excited because today was our school field trip. We were going to spend the rest of Friday, all of Saturday, and a little bit of Sunday at Rock Lodge, Okahandja. Okahandja is about an hour away from Windhoek.
THE TRIP:
Day 1
I made it through English and I.T. my first two classes, but when math came along, I thought I might die. My math teacher Ms. Laura-Ann Rainy gave us home work!! On a Friday and on the day of our Field trip!! When we left math we went to our other homeroom teacher’s room (we have two homeroom teachers Ms. Madri and Mr. Buckland) and we got our bags that we dropped off that morning and headed for the bus that we were going to take to Rock Lodge. Mr. Manley (the elementary school’s principal) drove the bus. When we got to the lodge we drove to our bungalows and put our bags inside on the beds that we choose. I shared a bed with my friend Jonny.
After we put our bags away, we went to the ‘hall’ to play a few games. The first game was involved hula hoops and we had to get them to the ground by using just our index finger. All the girls were on one team and all the boys were on another. We lost the first challenge. The second challenge was everybody had to join hands and then everybody had to go through the hula hoop without breaking the joined hand circle and the team in which everybody had gone through the hula hoop won. We lost…..again. The last challenge was an all-against-all. You had one stone and you had to tell a random person a truth and a lie and they had to choose which the truth was. If they chose the lie then they lost their stone and you got it. If they picked the truth then you lost your stone and the other person got it. I lost. Then we broke into teams and we came up with names. The team I was on was the El-Tigres, Kitty Got Claws!! After each team made their names and mottos, we presented them to one another. The other team’s name was The ASSASSINS We Kick A…! Then we went to an obstacle course which had a lot of puzzles in it. The first one we did was one where you had to move the tires with numbers on them to 3 poles. You couldn’t put a tire with a bigger number than the one under it. You could only move one tire at a time and all the tires had to end up on a certain pole in number order, 1-5. Then, we had to make a bridge over a pit of lava (sand.) Then, there was an obstacle course with platforms and you had 2 logs and you had to get across without touching the ground. Finally, there was a course that wasn’t really a course, it was rope tied around a big square made out of wood and was made to look like a spider web, and what you had to do was get through the spider web without touching the rope. After that we went back to camp to have dinner.
We had a variety of things for dinner like, mystery meat, rice, corn, and peas. About an hour after dinner, we all gathered in the hall to watch a movie, Radio. When the movie was over me and five other people were left. Me and My two male friends (the girls had their separate rooms) walked back to our room and went to sleep.
Day 2
When I got up in the morning it was cold. I got changed and went to get my breakfast. Turns out we had to find our breakfast. We split up into our teams and went on a search. The other team got there first, but everybody got to eat sandwiches with only butter, butter and honey, butter and peanut butter, and butter and jelly. They also had apples. I preferred the butter and jelly.
After breakfast we went back to camp to go on a hunt for 15 words in the bush. Our team found seven and the other team only found 2 or 3. Then some people wanted to go swimming before lunch. Now you must keep in mind that it is the beginning of winter and the water is freezing. One of my classmates/friends Kastriot from Kosovo was riding on the back of Ms. Madri to the pool so me and Rachel (we both had cameras) filmed him riding to the pool and when Ms. Madri was about to throw him in, Kastriot held on to her and they both went in and I caught it on film. Then some boys picked me up and luckily they took all the valuable stuff off of me and then threw me in. I made Rachel film me. Then we had spaghetti bolognaise for lunch. It was O.K. Next, we went do an obstacle course that was supa-dupa-lupa-oopa hard. Then, after that, we went ab sailing as the Namibians call it, but we know it as rappelling. It was fun except for the part where I waited for 2 hours in the cold wind with only 1 person with me and my camera was out of battery so my friend couldn’t take a picture of me. When I went back the other people were getting ready for dinner which we had to cook ourselves. It was borevors and bread that no one managed to cook fully. After dinner we had this improv talent show. Then we went to bed.
Final Day
We woke up in the morning to the sound of our camp counselor kicking open the door and shouting that it was 9:00 when it was only around 6:00. We packed up everything and put it by the bus and then sat around the still hot ashes from previous night and waited for breakfast. We had the butter sandwiches for breakfast. Then we boarded the bus at around 9:00 and drove back to the school. When we got there we said: “See ya tomorrow,” because it was Sunday. I went pick up my bag at Ms. Madri’s classroom and then went home.
It was the best field trip ever in the history of Mars!!!!!

Fishing in Swakopmund

Went to Swakopmund over the weekend to celebrate our Independence Day, not that anyone else was celebrating it around here, but we felt like we needed to do something to promote the spirit of the day. We rented a beach house that was nicer than our flat in Windhoek. Needless to say the kids didn’t want to leave the place. Aside from the fact that it was right on the beach, it also had satellite t.v. much to the kids’ delight and their parents chagrin. They could watch all of their favorite American cartoons like SpongeBob on Cartoon Network--one of the principal reasons why we chose not to subscribe to it here in Windhoek. I liked the fact that it was so well equipped right down to a full spice cabinet.

We had spectacular weather upon our arrival, but on the day that we had arranged to go fishing, the wind turned out of the East and was blowing a gale. According to locals, it only blows out of the East about 14 days of the year. This apparently was one of those fourteen. No wonder it’s deemed the off season. We had contracted with a local “fisherman” to take us surf fishing. He’s got all of the poles, equipment and does all of the hard work. He took us down the coast past mile 14 and we battled the wind and blowing sand while Reid, Emma and Augustus reeled in a number of Cob. Cob are of course salt water fish that have a silvery hue. They can get quite large apparently. They perhaps exist around the Americas, but I wouldn’t know what we refer to them as. Their flesh is a pristine white with an extremely mild flavor. Terrence, the guide, gutted and filleted one of the largest for us to take home. Annie and I chased the waves, took photos of everyone’s catch and sought shelter from the stinging sand when things got extreme.

After battling the elements and the heat ‘til about noon, Terrence took us back down the coast near mile 8 where we had lunch and threw in the lines in the hopes of snagging sharks. By then the wind had turned and was blowing off of the ocean. We had to do a complete wardrobe change, because it was now quite cool given that it was no longer coming from the desert side. Our hopes weren’t disappointed. It took a long time to get the shark in, however. The strategy is to tire them out before reeling them to shore. Often it’s the fisherman who tires first though. The first specimen proved to be a male weighing about 60 kg and over 2 meters long, a Bronzee is what they call them here but I think they’re referred to as Copper Sharks at home. His skin had a copper/bronze hue on his flank. Terrence, a professional to the core, measured, recorded and tagged the guy before sending him on his merry way back into the sea.

The second came about an hour and a half later--the same type, but a bit smaller and a female. By this time it was nearly four o’clock and our fishercrew was pooped. Terrence was ready for more and indicated that the weather was just getting good. But, we decided to call it a day especially after such a difficult morning combating the windy conditions. When we returned, every crevice and orifice had sand in it. We all fought for the privilege of showering first.

On Sunday we reluctantly returned to Windhoek. We really would have liked to have stayed in Swakopmund on the beach chasing waves, soaking up rays and catching fish, but a return to reality couldn’t be prolonged any further.

So Just What is a Red Hartebeest, Anyway?

I borrowed this image off of the internet since we had none of this particular species among our vast store of photos. It's copyrighted to a certain Scott Macaskill. Given that we're using it in the interests of education (got a number of e-mails about our last blog posting concerning the contents of our unique gumbo concoction, lots of people wanted to know just what a hartebeest was anyway), I don't think we've violated any copyright laws. So for all of our Cajun relatives, you now know what we were eating and you know you'd eat it too cause it's got horns, four hoofs and runs away when you try to shoot it. Bon Appétit!

Hartebeest Gumbo Video

Hartebeest Gumbo

It’s been said that Cajuns will eat anything that moves on four legs, swims or flies as long as it’s cooked up with something tasty. People tend to interpret that as we’ll eat anything. That’s not quite true. We Cajuns are very particular about taste. It’s got to taste good. For generations Cajun cooks have been experimenting with spices and methods of cooking that contribute to taste. We are avid borrowers, co-opting spices from our Spanish co-settlers like Cayenne and Tabasco to jazz up the original French style roux base. We added okra brought over by African slaves whose word for the green sticky substance became the moniker for the dish itself. Using sassafras to thicken gumbos and other stews was a trick we learned from the Native Americans. When German settlers arrived they brought rice and a variety of sausages. All of this ended up in the quintessential Cajun dish of Gumbo. Gumbo, an icon of Cajun cuisine can also be considered an icon of our South Louisiana culture. It is in many ways an analogy for the mixing of cultures, races and ethnicities that took place in this strange land called Nouvelle Acadie. After hundreds of years of such mixing it is little wonder that families whose last name is Segura might be related to those bearing the name Champagne, Signorelli or Zaunbrecker. The end product has become something unique for both our cuisine and our culture. It lends to that Louisiana mystique and attraction.

Here in Windhoek, Namibia our family has been missing that world renowned Cajun cuisine. Yet, even here in the wilds of Africa, there is an appreciation for our way of cooking. The restaurant Luigui and the Fish down on Sam Nujoma Street sports a menu with a variety of dishes billed as Cajun. There’s the Cajun Chicken, Cajun Kingklip and the Cajun Mississippi Mud Pie. The supermarkets all carry Cajun Spice along with the more typical Peri Peri powder. Unfortunately, the Namibians haven’t been very successful in reproducing the quality of fare to which we are accustomed. I guess John Folse hasn’t made the rounds here yet. I’m hoping that he’ll come before our Fulbright stay ends in December and bring along a couple of packages of his Corn and Crab Soup or his Seafood Gumbo.

The main problem for us has been obtaining the types of ingredients necessary to produce the dishes that at home are considered ordinary or every day fare. The desire to make just a simple chicken and sausage gumbo left us searching high and low for something resembling Andouille or smoked sausage. One would think that with such a strong German influence in the country (one of the principal supermarket chains here is Woermann Brock where the cashiers regularly address me as Frau), smoked sausage or any good tasting sausage would be easy to find. Not so. The people here eat a lot of something called boerwors which has such a strong flavor, unidentifiable to our palate, that it’d probably curdle the juice if we added it to Gumbo. Locating crawfish of course is out of the question, although there is a Crayfish Festival down in Luderitz. These guys are salt water crustaceans and have little resemblance to their Louisiana freshwater brethren. Even cooking red beans and rice presents a challenge here. My American acquaintances here swear that it’s due to the altitude, but it’s usually a three day undertaking of constant boiling so as to soften the beans to a somewhat edible state. Without any decent smoked sausage to put in it, who wants to eat it anyway. “Real rice” can be found in a few stores, but at a premium. Most supermarkets carry the parboiled stuff. No real Cajun would be caught dead putting red beans on top of that.

So, when my friend Stephanie, even though she’s spent much of her life in Texas, offered me smoked sausage, I was a little leery to say the least. Her husband had taken her eleven year old son out on a big game hunt at one of the nearby hunting lodges. Titus had bagged a huge red hartebeest which they were having processed not only for the trophy but also for the meat. They were having smoked sausage made with much of it and Stephanie would have to find room for 70 kg of meat in her freezer. Needless to say, she was more than willing to share. I accepted more out of politesse than out of a real desire to sample Namibian hartebeest, but hey as a Cajun I’ll try anything once.

We cooked a bit of it for lunch before deciding that it indeed passed muster. Thus, it was decided Chicken and Hartebeest Gumbo for Sunday dinner. The kids were delighted. Nights are quite cold here in Namibia during June, the middle of the Namibian winter, and the prospect of having a good Gumbo to warm our insides heartened us all. It proved to be quite tasty indeed served over “real rice” and worthy of a second appearance at some future date.

We figure that it’s now our duty to introduce this unique version of an old dish to the Namibians in the absence of Chef John Folse making a surprise visit. What’s been passing for Cajun around here is sadly lacking and there would no doubt be a strong appreciation for genuine Cajun Cuisine. Who knows perhaps Gumbo might be one way to unite the diversity of cultures, races and ethnicities evident in modern Namibian society. Lord knows, they could sure use it.

Visit to Elim Primary

Today, I visited Elim Primary in Khomasdal (an area of Windhoek) where Priscilla Harris is employed as a year 3 teacher (8 and 9 year olds). Priscilla’s class consists of 42 students. The language of instruction is English, however, for many under her tutelage, English is often their second or even third language. She recently received the donation of books made by the Livonia High School Student Senate and I went there to read the children a story and to take the various other book donations made by family and friends. The children were extremely well behaved and very respectful. They listened attentively while I read even though they were crammed into a tiny space between the board and their desks. Afterwards, many gave me a hug on their way out to break. It was truly a very moving experience. The students will now have the chance to take some of these home and work on developing their English comprehension and reading skills further.
I got the chance to chat with Priscilla’s principal while I was waiting and she communicated her profound gratitude and also the desire to possibly broaden the scope of the project. She’s got several teachers who have expressed an interest in creating a classroom library similar to what Priscilla is doing with her book donation. I indicated that I would see what I could do about that, so readers send in your ideas because right now the biggest obstacle is the cost of shipping as it often out-weighs the value of the books.
Once again, I want to express my gratitude to those who contributed to injecting a bit of good in this world filled with inequalities and injustices.

Book Drive Update

Many thanks are in order to the Livonia High School Student Senate under the guidance of Kristie Langlois. Kristie read about the need for children’s books here in Namibia on the blog and answered the call. The LHS Student Senate collected loads of books and had them shipped over. Priscilla Harris, whose year 3 class this will benefit, has finally received them. She is delighted and has indicated the belief that this will be the only public school class in Namibia to have its own library. Her class numbers around 42 students, so having access to leisure time reading materials will no doubt help improve the children’s reading skills and encourage them to read more on their own. I will go by sometime in the week and read a story from one of the donated books and take a photo.
Additional thanks to Fr. Jamin David, Suzanne Laviolette and the many others who sent books separately. Often times the shipping costs far exceeded the value of the books, making the donation all the more commendable.
This has been a valuable learning experience for me and my family. What a wonderful way to inject a little good into our world. I am constantly amazed at the generosity of the average American and the can do attitude of seeing a need and addressing it. I hope this can either become a long term project or one that spreads in scope to encompass other American schools in partnership with other Namibian schools or African schools for that matter. Any ideas on the subject are most welcome!