MAL D''AFRIQUE

On Wednesday morning, I received a phone call which caused me to jump on a bus a few hours later from Katima to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. (More on why below.) Fifteen hours later, I was transported from grass huts and elephants to the luxuries of a Westernized city. I have been told that the income and development information puts rural areas of Namibia at about the level of the DRC (Congo), and Windhoek at about the level of Sweden. A stark contrast.

Windhoek is dry and hilly like northern Arizona. And clean - apparently ranked the second cleanest city in the world! Sterile, quiet, and slightly boring. But I was shocked at the mansions in the surrounding hills. The fabulous housing developments look like Southern California style white stucco houses with pretty flower and tree lined roads. I found myself sipping African wine at a wine bar on a posh veranda, looking at the city lights; eating skewers of zebra, kudu, ostrich and croc, washed down with wheat beer at Joe's Beer House; attending Oktoberfest - beer, brats, and a live band; Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, and German restaurants; AND streusel and cafe lattes. Be still my heart. It was a nice break from living among the pets in the bush. But this isn't Africa. I can't help but feel that I am cheating.

There is a downside to the development: petty theft is rampant here. I think pretty much everyone has at least one mugging or pickpocket story. Luckily, it's not violent like in South Africa...yet. There are signs at the hostel: "TRY THE WINDHOEK SPECIAL: Walk around with a purse in town and be robbed at knife-point!" I have my own story already: I was walking on the block with the American Embassy, and found myself alone on the street with three teenaged-looking Namibian boys. They came towards me, asking for money, and one started to go for my purse. I screamed "NOOO!" in the scariest voice I have ever heard come from my little body. They stared at me, looking bored. "We can shoot you," one said lazily. I could see from their tight clothes that there was no way they had a gun. I glared at them and walked away, muttering "MOTHERF$&*RS." A pretty poor attempt on their part, if I do say so myself. I would never hesitate to hand over my cash if I ever thought I was in danger or if they were serious. But these guys were just seeing if I would just hand it over. No one even touched me. Little turds!

I also went by the Royal Palace in Windhoek - a huge mansion complex on a hill. Pretty incredible. A little too "Versailles" for my tastes. I wonder how many people could have running water or electricity for the cost of that building...

Another character that I feel compelled to include is Helen, an Australian-turned-Caprivan woman, who has lived in Katima for quite some time. I won't be able to do justice to Helen as a character, but I will share a few tidbits. She invited us over for amazing Lebanese food, recounted all of the people she wished would "F*ck off and die!" and causally threw out racial slurs from time to time. She explained why she had to give up on moving back to Australia after only a few months: "Those people are so incredibly boring!!" She exclaimed. "They live their lives like soap on a box, sitting on the shelf of a supermarket in neat stacks." She couldn't live without the chaos, the excitement, the danger of Africa - so she had to return. "A nice place to visit, but I could never live there,"she concluded. Helen may be crazy, but she sees us from the outside in.

Helen is probably suffering from something known as the Mal d'Afrique. I found this description of it on the Open Africa website:

“If you are already in Africa, or intending visiting here, be aware that you have succumbed to a condition for which there is no cure.

This is nothing new. It has puzzled many people for many centuries. Some of them were great explorers (Livingstone), others famous physicians (Albert Schweitzer) and philosophers (Carl Jung). Way back in ancient times it had already been identified and given a name, yet to this day it has defied description. That is to say, nobody has ever been able to be precise about exactly what it is.

The symptoms are extraordinary. Your life will never be the same again. Those of us born here inherit the condition involuntarily. There is no escape, no known remedy. Others who come here, with few exceptions cannot resist the infection…

This something is the mystique of Africa and the malady to which you have succumbed is what was called mal d'Afrika by the Latins many centuries ago. These days the French call it mal d'Afrique.”

http://www.openafrica.org/page/about

Don't worry - I don't think I've been afflicted with a "grand mal" - This is not my favorite place I have ever lived. It's hot. The food is not that great. I can't run hike bike or SKI. The people seem suspicious of one another. But there is something about this place that gets under your skin. Something I can't put my finger on. I find myself very happy here without knowing why. Ernest Hemingway once said, "I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke that I was not happy "

On that note - I am not coming home for awhile. Haha! It's crazy, I know. It's not all worked out yet, but I have tentatively accepted a 6 month position with the Legal Assistance Center of Namibia. The Legal Assistance Center was instrumental in Namibia's fight against apartheid, imposed by South Africa. South Africa even tried to shut it down ten years ago! http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/20/world/namibian-legal-aid-center-fighting-for-survival.html

Since Namibia only gained independence less than 20 years ago, there is little precedent, and sot eh LAC is trying to build important precedent for many issues.

History of the LAC: http://www.lac.org.na/about/history.html

The LAC called me on Wednesday and asked if I could be in Windhoek the next day, to interview with them for a six month position, advising the conservancies about their rights. The job would be a joint venture between WWF and the LAC. They want someone to stay in Katima and advise the conservancies about their rights. This would include reviewing the enabling act/constitutions of the Conservancies with them, and holding workshops on legal issues and maybe governance. They are thinking about a 6 mo position for me there, but first I have to commit and then the LAC will have to negotiate many things with WWF, so the details are not all worked out. But it sounds...really amazing. Considering the legal job market in Colorado, I will happily do an intnl/environmental/rights based project in Africa!! I know I will miss Christmas. And I will miss all of you. And the snow. I already do.

I told someone recently that I feel that when I have these adventures and twists and turns, I feel like I am really living. I feel like I am really alive. I don't think I want a life like this forever. But for now, I will happily go along for the ride.