Another year older

        I had my first birthday in Namibia on the 13th.  It was kind of a big deal for me because it was the first time I wasn't able to celebrate with my family.  With my sitemate gone to visit another volunteer it was up to me to make the best of my day.  I started it off by waking up and reading for about an hour.  After an exhaustive Insanity workout I bathed and went on my way to find me a good lunch.          
          My town was hosting a soccer/ netball tournament so there were a lot of extra people in town that weekend.  Of course that meant more opportunities for me to be harassed.  I got the usual calls of " I love you", "Hey baby" and " I want to marry you" as well as an extra call of "Princess".  After navigating the seas of men of who need to learn to keep it in their pants I went to one of the few restaurants in town for a good lunch of fish and some kick ass chips ( seriously the best chips I've had in Namibia...no joke).

Netball practice

       After eating a really good lunch and shooing off someone asking for food by constantly reaching for the food on my plate I went over to watch the tournaments for a bit.  I watched a game played by teenagers and the skill level that they showed was astonishing.  The goalie made some unbelievable saves and in the end the score was 1-0.  I went to the netball court to watch some netball but the teams were only warming up.  It was still interesting because this was the first time that I've seen a netball uniform.  Netball, for those of you who haven't already read about it, is a sport played only by females.  The court is similar to a basketball court but smaller in size.  The object is to score as many baskets as you can.  Of course it is much harder than basketball because there is no back board for you to bounce the ball off of, there is only a hoop made of wire attached to a pole.  The players wear a uniform similar in style to female tennis players.  When playing you can't move when you have the ball, it is similar to ultimate frisbee.  I can't recall how many players are on the court at one time but it's either 5 or more.

A time out during the game

     Once I had my fill of soccer and sun I went back home and prepared for some awesome conversations with the family and the boyfriend.  I started by facetiming the family.  It was taking a really long time for them to answer my call so I was afraid that they weren't ready or I had messed up with the times.  I was greeted with a piece of cake? with a lit candle and my family singing happy birthday to me.  It was honestly one of the sweetest moments ever.  I kept tearing up and I had a hard time hiding the fact that I was crying a little bit.  It was really perfect because I had been feeling slightly depressed about not being home for the holidays or for my birthday.  I got to talk to my dad which was really nice, whenever I facetime home he is usually at work.  It was nice catching up with them and hearing the latest gossip and family happenings ( my little sister started in her first basketball game!! woot woot!!).  When I logged onto facebook I noticed I had a video of everyone at my parents christmas party (that happened on my birthday as well) singing me happy birthday.  It was really awesome and I really appreciated it.

Cows chilling by my school

Some fans at the game

     I finished my conversation with them and then proceeded to facetime my boyfriend.  Seeing his face and hearing his voice always makes my day and after talking to my family talking to him was the cherry on top!  We had a great and lengthy conversation.  I love talking to him, and we never run of things to say.  I really appreciate having someone like him in my life.  There are some people whose support is one of the only things keeping me here and sane.  Among them are my family and him.
    Overall it was a great day.  Sure I may not have been able to celebrate it like I normally do, but this birthday will definitely be one I remember.  As for future endeavors....I got my timetable for next year. I will be teaching 9th grade math, 9th grade english, and 11th grade computers.  I really look forward to start teaching even though in the beginning I will have no idea of what to do.  I just painted one of the walls in my flat with chalk board paint.  Since the wall has the door way in it I intend to turn one side into a to do/ grocery list, and the other into inspirational/ favorite quotes.  I am also hoping to expand my household in January.  I recently spoke with a pet store that will be selling kittens and have put my name down to become an owner.  I'm hoping to pick up a male kitten in January.

Typical houses in town