notes on the first full week

     So the first full week is almost passed – it was a doozy, new time tables, teaching for hours straight, but I think I’ve got grade 6 under control, even if they are restive and unwilling at times.
     On Tuesday I went to Grootfontein with the principal, the first time I’d left the village for almost two weeks.  The ride is about 45 minutes along a dirt road and marks the entrance to Hereroland.  Along the way there are giant ant hills, reaching seven feet and the occasional warthog (or pack thereof) which will scurry across the road.  On either side is fertile farmland, mostly owned by large commercial farmers as you get closer to Grootfontein proper.  On this particular outing you could see small prop planes based at the Grootfontein army base practicing maneuvers only a few hundred feet off the ground.  Right before the road becomes tarred, you pass the local fields of the local abattoir, called Kranzfontein, which is populated by cattle, kudu, springbok, eland and every other type of gamey antelope you might want to partake of.
     Jared, the previous volunteer, had left some money for the education and school clothes of two San learners who he developed a relationship with.  They had managed to pass their Grade 7 test and were going to the secondary school at Coblenz.  The principal took them to get clothes and essentials while I dealt with shipping our broken computer printers to Tsumeb.  Afterwards we brought in our malfunctioning copy machine and managed to sort that out.  Peace Corps had already added our monthly allowance so I was happy to check my account at First National Bank and also pick up a copy of The Namibian and some “cool drunk” aka Coke at OK Mart.  
     Before we took off for home, I stopped in at the house where the Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) was staying with her supervisor.  This turned out to be a bad idea because people like to keep dogs, especially fierce ones, to guard their property.  Well, the PCV had moved out and in pidgin Afrikaans and English I was able to communicate this to the somewhat bewildered owner of the house (the PCV stayed in the garage behind the house).  I was able to get directions and will rendezvous this weekend with Brock, the PCV from Coblenz.  That’s all for now from the Land of the Brave.