Warm and Fuzzy Village Life

February 10, 2009

C: Is Herero land the warm and fuzzy village you imagined? Do you feel welcomed, greeted, and integrated?

Kate: What deep and intense questions…for me, living in a very small village of 200, I feel welcomed and accepted. To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect besides loads of meat and drinking.

C: Yeah? Me, Bri, and Leah have some moments of welcome or friendliness but the majority are not that way. Women are unsure what to make of a single woman with no kids- because that’s where most of them are at. Greeting, if not returned with a similar greeting is a) not replied to just stared at, b) grunted at, c) or returned with English (though if I greeted in English they’d tell me I need to learn Otjiherero). Not feeling like this place is open.

K: I am not sure if it’s because I am living in such a small close knit village…it’s mostly women who are elders, who don’t speak English, and never go outside. There are a few women that snicker and who I feel don’t like me.

C: I guess I feel like more women don’t like me than do but the ones who do are great.

K: Just got the rest of your message…and I agree with the language thing…they expect us to be fluent and know everything and if we don’t then they grunt us off…I hate the grunting! It’s rude and inconsiderate. This is more so from the women I feel but it can go both ways.

C: Oh the grunting works my nerves! It is so rude to me…and discourages me from speaking at all.

K: Oh me too…it’s like I am trying here and you come at me with a grunt…I don’t think so. Ugh!