Wrap-up of Orientation

My brain is having difficulty absorbing any more information.

Nearly every session of Orientation has been helpful, but at this point, my brain feels less like a sponge and more like a piece of wet cardboard at the bottom of Victoria Falls.

I know you love the similes.

 Fortunately, along with the long explanations of assessment standards, TEFL certification, year plans, and tax ID numbers, we’ve been able to meet up with representatives from USAID, the embassy, and the Department of State, and all seem more than willing to help us with what they can. Even if that’s just to hook us up with some community outreach material.

All of the meetings were informative to a degree and got the creative juices flowing for what additional projects I might want to take on for the year, once I get settled in at my school that is. At this point, it’s pretty impossible (and also silly) to think too intensely about projects for a school you’ve never been to and for people whom you’ve never met.

That doesn’t mean I don’t. Giant community mural project? Why yes, I’d love to. Library club? Abso-freaking-luely.

I hope the beginning to my teaching year goes smoothly, but I know that is not likely. I hope I have cooking utensils in my kitchen when I get there, but I know that is also unlikely. The words “learning experience” get tossed around a lot here, and I know that is probably an apt description of the next month. Or year, rather.

Another phrase that gets tossed around between the volunteers is T.I.A., this is Africa. While it’s usually in reference to neglectful leg shaving or eating something that fell on the floor (“Well, TIA. Go for it.”), it helps make light of some of the most heavy cultural adjustments that we’ll all be experiencing in the next months. Just as in any job or study abroad, humor is necessary for success.

Thankfully, I’ve got quite a bit of that.

So, with that in mind, I ship off tomorrow to meet my learners and my co-workers and to be officially employed by the Namibian Ministry of Education.