Namibia Part 2 (Namibia Heart)

by Leah
(usa)

Childeren

When one travels to new places, they often cannot help themselves from comparing where they live with where they are visiting. Namibia, Africa is no different from any other country visited in that prospect. For example, I never considered what it meant to be part of a minority. Growing up in a small town there is not much diversity. When I stepped off the airplane for the first time, the realization that I was in the minority as a white person, hit me with the first flood of people. To tell the truth, it was a little disturbing to be surrounded by a sea of dark colored people, it made me feel out of place. When I came back to the US, I again felt overwhelmed surrounded by white people, and again I had to readjust to my surroundings.
Another difference is the variety of languages. America has other languages besides English, like Spanish, but in Namibia there are so many different tribes and groups, that there are even more languages; because of this there are many language barriers. Sometimes just being surrounded by the different kinds of languages, threw me off. While English is the official language in Namibia, it is only the second most common spoken language. The most common language spoken is Afrikaans, then English, German, Oshivambo, Herero, Nama and many more. ”There are about 15 languages spoken in Namibia” (World Book).
The next difference is the living accommodations. Living accommodations vary depending on ethnic group. There are three distinct ethnic groups: white people, coloureds, and the black people. Now, for a huge difference, one that defines the whole continent of Africa, the heat. Namibia is very hot in the summer. One of my Namibian friends, Bennie, told me that in the summer “it gets so hot that I could walk to my car and get sunburned.” In the winter, the temperature can drop to 25º to 30º F at night and then jump up to 70 º F to 80 º F in the day. Desmond, one of my Namibian brothers, offered me sunscreen one day (number 35) saying that they wear sunscreen year round. This did not surprise me though as the sun rays in Africa are strong, and can easily give people a golden brown tan through their t-shirts.
The little moments experienced in another country can make a big difference in how a country is viewed.
One of my favorite memories was one morning when I was at a local church in the ghettos playing with about 10 little black preschoolers. Getting curious they started looking through my pockets treasures. When they found three rocks that I had stashed away. They asked me, “why do you have rocks in your pockets?” I tired to explain to them that I was collecting them for my friends, when they suddenly all scatter. I was wondering what in the world. Why would all 10 of them disappear? Well, I had my answer moments later, when I had the whole crowd of them shoving rocks into any and every pocket they could find. In the end I was bulging with too many rocks to carry home in my suitcase. To bad I could not stuff all of Namibia’s wonderful people and gorgeous scenery in my bag to take home along with my pile of rocks.
Namibia’s beautiful, widely-spread deserts can take a world travelers breath away. Many people think Africa is a continent full of waste land and disease. I was one of those people. Before my plane landed in Namibia, but after my foot hit the African soil, I realized I was defiantly wrong. The truth is, Namibia, Africa is a gorgeous land fought over by many people throughout its recorded history. As for not being wanted, the Namibian people love their land and are proud of their African heritage. Just because Namibian’s culture is different, does not mean that it is any less important than any other culture. Keeping an open mind to their way of life, will go a long way in bridging the differences. Mark Twain puts it this way “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness”.


Work Cited
Hoberman, Gerald and Marc. Namibia. Cape Town, South Africa: The Gerald & Marc Harborman Collection, 2003.
Last Name, Bennie. Personal interview. 2 July 2009.
Mwalimushi, Kamati-Chinkoti. “Namibia History.” My-Beautiful-Namibia.com, 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2009.
“Namibia History. ” Namibianhistory.com. Namibian History, 17 Dec. 2009.Web. 8 Nov. 2009.
“Namibia. ” The World Factbook, 27 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Nov. 2009.
Last Name, Julia. Personal interview. 14 July 2008.
Paasche, Karin I. "Namibia. " World Education Encyclopedia. The Gale Group Inc. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Dec. 2009.
Last Name, Desmond. Personal interview. 10 July 2009.
World Book, Inc. The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc, 2006.