Friday 13 April 2012

I'm so tired these days!!
After 8 years with a full-time domestic helper, we have let her go. I have honestly had mixed feelings for a long time, especially with how lazy my kids were being, and disrespectful. They haven't had to bother to do chores because they know the lady will eventually do whatever it is--making beds, taking out trash, putting away their toys, the list goes on. When I would go through a phase of 'serious parenting', I would spend two hours in the morning explaining to her that the children must do what I have told them to do, that she mustn't help them. Then the afternoon nagging and reminding the children as well as spying on the domestic to chase her away from their chores. Every day. Aaaargh. Until I would give up and let her do it again.
So now, right in the middle of all these dresses I'm doing, while I'm running around town begging for a permanent girls' club venue, while the kids are having end-of-term exams, as we are planning to leave town for 3 weeks, we fired our cleaning lady / house-sitter. So, yes, I'm a bit tired these days, but I know it's worth it in the long run.

Girls' club today! We chatted about Friday the 13th, bad luck, good luck and personal foolishness. We were supposed to pick up trash, but the girls had good luck when it started to rain! So far the kids here don't seem to take western superstitions too seriously, which is good. Of the 14 girls, 4 had bad luck, 4 had good luck, and 4 had some good and some bad. I haven't got enough knowledge to check the local superstitions, apparently chameleons are very bad omens, and owls, but not bats.
We also made our first public appearance today. My friend donated peel-and-stick paper, so we made name stickers for everyone with their name and "Girls' Club" written. Then I had to explain the apostrophe in Girls'. The Pre-Primary school had it's fund-raiser, so we walked over as a group. Quite nice, we went singing. All we need is some marching moves and we're ready to parade! We didn't collect dues, rather the girls spent their money at the school.

Pictures will be in next post!

3 comments:

  1. Hi there. I am trying to get some historical information about Oranjemund for an article on desert explorers. I came across your blog and wondered if you could help. I am researching an explorer named Ripley Davenport who says he traveled with three camels, solo, from Oranjemund to the Angolan border in 1998, starting in about June and ending in August. Does this ring any bells? Can you direct me to other sources or blogs where I might contact people who remember this journey and also the journey of Benedict Allen in 1995? Would you know who keeps records of permission given to travel in the spiergebeit? Thanks so much. Kent Madin (in Montana, USA). www.boojum.com

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    1. Sorry, I've been out of touch, in the northern villages, visiting my in-laws. I have passed on your question to one of the geologists and to the head of security. Hopefully they will have a long story for you. We also have an online site, http://www.oranjemundonline.com/, where the long-time and previous residents hang out. http://www.oranjemundonline.com/Forum/index.php?topic=221.msg1631#msg1631 has information on Benedict Allen from the Namdeb magazine.

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  2. I have also been in touch with Peter Shout at Namdeb. He is skeptical of this claim. Are there farmers in the north, near the Angolan border where Davenport could have left his camels to live out their days?

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