Caprivi Here I Come

So after the first week of dorm rooms it is time to dive into the Namibian language and culture and move in with our host family. I have been assigned to learn the Solozi language which you may have heard before... Hakuna Matata anyone? It also is awesome, because unlike most Trainees it means I know where in Namibia I will be going for my assignment!  Solozi is only spoken in the little arm of NE Namibia called Caprivi which is just a couple hours away from Victoria Falls and is roamed by crocodiles and elephant herds. Fun History Fact: the reason for this arm is because when Namibia was colonized by the Germans and the boarders drawn up they thought the rivers in this part would lead to the Indian Ocean. Well... it didn't quite make it, oops!

My host family consists of my host mother Mariana, and my two host brothers Ivan who is 28 and Buddy who is 18. Mariana is an extremely generous person and is a secretary at the primary school nearby. Ivan is an accountant in Windhoek and doesn't actually live in the house but comes over often. Buddy is in 10th grade and plays Rugby for his school. They all speak pretty good English but unfortunately no Solozi, so I don't get any practice outside of my classes.

My favorite time of day with my host family is dinner time when we all sit around the TV and watch Sopies. “What are Sopies?” you ask? Well... they are soap operas from Mexico, horrendously dubbed over in English. They are extremely cheesy but the Namibians absolutely love them and they make for excellent discussion the next day with the other Trainees in class. When asked what Sopies we have in America, I tried to explain to them The Office. Let's just say the concept of a show about people working with a crazy boss and no unsolved paternity issues, murders, or long lost twins did not seem to impress them.