For the past week, I lived with a family in Katatura, Windhoek. Katatura is an informal settlement, similar to a suburb. I attended classes during the week, interned in the afternoons, and returned to my host family’s home in the evenings. During the week, I enjoyed dinner with them and I was lucky enough to go to a Swaziland v. Namibia soccer game. Soccer is very important to the Namibian people, so it functioned as both a sporting event and a cultural experience. Between the fans and the environment itself, it was very similar to any sporting event in the United States. We sat next to the Namibian women’s team, who came to support the male players. I was happy to be there and for the experience especially because I don’t know if that is something I will ever be able to do again.
On the other hand, the week did present its challenges. Between being busy with class, school work, an internship, and trying to find time to spend with my host family, I found it difficult to manage time. During the weekend, I also experienced my first wave of homesickness. I was wishing I was spending time with my own family, as the weekend presented difficulties. I did, however, enjoy the soccer game and some of the conversations we had. I learned a bit about the politics of Namibia and the culture of the family’s tribe, which we have been discussing in class. I liked hearing stories from a direct source and being able to apply them to recent readings and topics. In general, they were willing to answer the questions I had and the topics I brought up. I was pleased to answer any questions they had about the United States and I jumped at opportunities to correct some stereotypes they had aboutAmerica.While the week went by very fast, the weekend moved a little slower and I was happy to reunite with my group. On this home stay, I discovered that part of the fun was rehashing the weekend and sharing experiences with fellow students and I look forward to telling the story of my home stay to friends and family back at home!
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