So, I was reading through the blog of a friend of mine from PST (http://theoryxchronicles.blogspot.com) and I realized that most of my post focused on the big events or on things that were different about the culture here. What I haven't done yet is given you an idea of what an average day is like for me. So, I guess the best way is to describe this past Thursday.
Around 5am I woke up and went for a short run. When I got back, I filled the kettle and plugged it in to boil water for my coffee while I took a shower. I checked my lesson plan for that day's computer class while sipping my coffee, and around 7:45 left for work, a little late (as usual), because (also as usual) my host mom had slowed my departure by asking for a favor (this time, it was loading 25kg bags of rice into the back of her truck). I get to work, open my office, turn on my computer, open the windows to get a little breeze, and greet my first class.
The first class lasts from 8(ish)-10. By the end, I am usually quite frustrated, because they have zero ability to retain anything, so I generally spend most of the time going over things I've already covered. It's not that they're stupid, and it's not that they don't understand (I have a translator in the room). The problem is they expect me to walk them through things step-by-step, baby-ing them, and I just won't do that. I don't expect them to be as good as I am (having spent years using these programs), but I do expect them to remember how to do things we covered in the last class. So, at 10, I step out for a quick sip of water, maybe make tea or use the bathroom, and then it's back in for my second class, which is supposed to last until 12. The truth is, because I am trying to keep the classes in the same place, this class is generally over by 11:15. The learners in this class tend to be cops and young people who did better in school and just want a better job. So, I tend to spend the last few minutes in my office, chatting with whoever is borrowing the desktop/scanner/printer, or else reading.
On this Thursday, my afternoon as free. I used to have a class scheduled for 2-4, but it got cancelled because they kept not showing up. I generally use my afternoons to hold meetings or train co-workers for things they need help with when using computers (mainly Excel), and soon (hopefully tomorrow), the gym will be open fully, so I can lift when I'm free. On this day, I had nothing, so I went for lunch and a beer. As my co-worker and I walked along the road, each of us with one ear-bud for my iPod, we were passed by donkey carts, cars going too fast, and livestock just wandering. We pass by a couple of street-meat stands; none of them had what we wanted. We pass by the rest camp (really a nice hotel for the rich whites passing through on their way to or from Etosha), and arrive at the gas station. The gas station is possible the only place to get a quick meal in town. We order a couple burgers, meat pies, and chips to split, grab a couple cool drinks, pay the lady at the counter (I make a point of thanking her in my awful Damara, since I've seen what she has to go through, so the least I can do is be polite in her language). We sit outside and eat our food, watching the people and cars that pass, chatting about soccer, and enjoying the nice day (mid-70s; winter in Khorixas). When we finish, we decide to grab a beer. On the walk over, we pass an old, out-of-service gas station where now a bunch of men have set up a fruit and vegetable market. I'd gone the day before, and they'd been out of tomatoes. The guy had promised me he'd have more today, so I stopped in. My heart sunk. There were none. As I gloomily began to walk away (ok, that's an exaggeration, though the look of disappointment as obvious), one of the men came running up to me and stopped me. "Sir, sir, wait, I put these aside for you." Expecting me to come back after work, and fearing he'd be out of tomatoes by then, he'd set aside one of the bags for me. He even knocked half the price off, since I didn't have a selection from which to choose the best ones. While it might be cheaper to by groceries from the supermarket, honestly, I enjoy shopping from these guys.
We get to the bar, where the owner greets us, gets us our drinks, and begins trying to help me practice my Damara (he wants me to be fluent before I leave, and I certainly won't say "no" to free lessons). A lady from the meat stand who I am friendly with comes over with some fat cakes and gives us a few (N$1 each). We finish our drinks, and I head home.
It's lunch time for my host family, the kids having just got home from school. I sit on the couch with them, watching the wrestling (old WWE/WWF) my host dad has on. We spend the afternoon relaxing, since I don't have to go back to work. Before sunset, I realize I need to do some laundry (I try and wash a few things every day), clean my room, and make tea. We are out of meat (or, the meat we have still needs to be cut), so I walk back to town and buy some. All the ladies at the grocery store checkout lanes know me and have taken it upon themselves to not speak a word of English to me because they want me to practice. After a short exchange with them and a quick conversation with a friend I ran into on my way out, I go home and begin helping my host sister prepare dinner. We eat, I sit around reading while the host kids watch TV, and eventually I go to my room, where I prepare the next day's lesson plan, take advantage of the host family's internet, and maybe watch a movie before passing out.
So, there you have it. A basic day in my life. I'm sure this won't be the last time I publish one of these. As I get more integrated and take on more projects, my routine will likely change. But for now, this is a work day in my life.
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