Evening thoughts/ Ganduri de seara

Evening thoughts

I like this place. I finally feel at peace. The sky meets the earth everywhere I look. Sometimes I think I could stretch out my hand and touch the stars. The dusk and the dawn unveil hypnotizing colors. The earth and the air are teeming with life: from the powerful elephants defiantly crossing the street to the crawling insects that leave their tracks in the sandy soil. Birds are playing through the clouds and tiny reptiles are hiding in the corners. Smiling children are rushing to greet me. Their clothes are dirty and they often walk barefoot or in worn out slippers. They do not need much to laugh out loud. We have so much more than they do and we still we forget to smile, to live… Why?

I wish I could stay here forever. Unfortunately, I still have some unfinished business back home… Maybe some day…

Ganduri de seara

Imi place aici. E liniste, in sfarsit. Cerul se uneste cu pamantul oriunde ma uit. Uneori cred ca as putea atinge stelele. Apusul si rasaritul etaleaza culori hipnotizante. Pamantul si aerul sunt pline de viata: de la semetul elefant ce trece strada cu indrazneala, la insectele taratoare ce lasa urme in pamantul nisipos. Pasarile se joaca printre nori si reptile micute se ascund pe la colturi. Copiii se grabesc sa ma intampine veseli. Hainele lor sunt murdare si merg adesea desculti sau cu papuci demult uzati. Nu au nevoie de prea mult ca sa rada din toata inima. Noi avem atat de mult fata de ei dar uitam sa zambim, sa traim… De ce?

Mi-as dori sa raman aici pentru totdeauna. Din pacate, ma asteapta inca responsabilitati acasa… Poate intr-o zi…

The story of the Rhino and the Fire / Rinocerul si Focul

The story of the Rhino and the Fire

This evening I am going to tell you a story. I’ve heard it some days ago from a Romanian man who lived in Namibia for 3 years. He spent most of the time with the Bushmen, helping them while asking for nothing in return. He learned this story from them. Someday, he might write a book about what he has seen here. Until that day, he was kind enough to share some stories with me.

Here is the good night story:

Long time ago the Rhino and the Fire were good friends. The Rhino would often come to visit the Fire and they would happily talk for long hours. During such a visit, the Rhino seemed very upset. He came close to the Fire and told him: “Fire, I always come to visit you but you have never come to my house. Please be so kind to visit me soon”

The Fire replied: “My dear friend, I would like to come but I do not think it is wise. I am sorry but I cannot do it”.

The Rhino was very upset and he lamented saying: “Fire, you must come to me. You are my friend. Friends should visit each other”.

Reluctantly, the Fire accepted. One day, he came to the Rhino’s house. You can probably guess what happened: the house and everything around it was destroyed by a scorching fire.

Since that day the Rhino and the Fire are no longer friends. They say that when the rhino sees a fire in the bush it stamps it out. Never again did the Rhino visit the fire as a friend but as a foe seeking revenge.

Rinocerul si Focul

În seara aceasta va voi scrie o poveste. Cu doar cateva zile in urma auzeam aceasta poveste la un roman din Namibia. A locuit aici aproape 3 ani, petrecand o vreme indelungata alaturi de bosimani pe care i-a ajutat fara sa ceara ceva in schimb. Stia povestea de la ei. Intr-o zi, va scrie poate o carte despre ceea ce a vazut in Namibia. Inainte de acest moment insa, mi-a relatat cu deschidere cateva evenimente şi povesti din lumea de aici.

Iata povestea pe care v-o trimit in semn de „noapte buna”.

Demult, Rinocerul si Focul erau buni prieteni. Rinocerul venea adesea in vizita la Foc. Stateau de vorba ore intregi fara sa oboseasca. In timpul unei vizite insa, Rinocerul parea foarte suparat. S-a apropiat de foc si i-a spus: “ Focule, eu vin tot timpul la tine in vizita dar tu nu ai venit niciodata la mine acasa. Te rog sa ma vizitezi curand”

Focul i-a răspuns: “Scumpul meu prieten, mi-ar placea sa vin dar nu cred ca este intelept. Imi pare rau dar nu pot sa fac asta”.

Rinocerul s-a suparat rau şi i-a replicat cu durere: “Focule, eşti prietenul meu. Prietenii ar trebui sa se viziteze”.

Cu greu, Focul a acceptat. Intr-o zi a venit in vizita la casa Rinocerului. Puteti ghici ce s-a intamplat: casa si tot ceea ce era in jurul ei au fost mistuite de flacari. Din ziua aceea Rinocerul si Focul nu mai sunt prieteni. Se spune ca atunci cand rinocerul vede un foc il calca in picioare pana se stinge. Astfel, Rinocerul nu a mai venit niciodata in vizita la Foc ca un prieten ci a cautat mereu sa se razbune.

Who, what and why/ Cine, ce si de ce

Who, what and why

I am 28, I live in Bucharest, Romania.

I was fortunate enough to be supported by people who trusted me and gave me a chance to achieve great things in my education and career. I am a PHD candidate in sociology. Two months ago I was working in a polling institute, as a quantitative research manager. Nevertheless, I recently decided to call a halt to all this and I left to Namibia where I will be living for approximately 3 months.

Why? Not long ago I visited the Village Museum in Bucharest. One of the things I liked there was a small stand in front of a house and the seat nearby. It was a stand where the lady of the house would bring fresh water and fruits so that the travelers passing by could rest for a while and gain some strength for the road ahead (Romanian “merindar”). I am looking for such a stand in Namibia so that I could drink up some dreams and have my fill with strength. I had enough of the life in Bucharest with all the hypermarkets stuffed with colorful products, the frozen lights in the streets and the sound of rushing, strained people. I felt that the road I was walking on was too straight and barren so I changed it with the trickiest road I could find.

I have not chosen Africa out of sheer altruistic reasons. I have chosen it for my sake too; I thought I could learn many things from the people here while at the same time doing something that really matters in this world. I will be working, mostly, as teacher for a small NGO, trying to encourage children to dream and hope. While doing this, I will also look for dreams that are strong enough to consume my nightmares.

This blog will be about the people here in Namibia, about their hopes and their fights, their demons and their gods, their fears and their courage. I will post small pieces of the life in Namibia.

I am writing in both English and Romanian: English because it is the official language here and Romanian because I believe I should represent my country wherever I am.

I hope this blog will host at least one thing worth remembering.

Cine, ce si de ce

Am 28 de ani. Locuiesc în Bucuresti, Romania.

Am avut sansa de a fi sprijinita de persoane care au crezut mine si mi-au oferit ocazia de a realiza multe lucruri la nivel educational si profesional. Sunt doctorand in sociologie. Cu doua luni in urma lucram intr-un institut de sondare a opiniei publice, ca director de cercetare cantitativa. Totusi, recent, am hotarat sa ma opresc temporar din acest drum si am plecat in Namibia unde voi ramane pentru o perioada de aproximativ 3 luni.

De ce? Nu demult, am vizitat Muzeul Satului din Bucuresti. Mi-a placut in mod deosebit un suport mic aşezat in fata unei case si banca din apropierea lui. Era un loc in care gospodina punea apa si fructe pentru calatorii care treceau pe acolo, astfel incat acestia sa se poata odihni o vreme pentru a-si aduna puterea inainte de drumul ce-i astepta („merindar”). Caut, poate, un merindar in Namibia pentru a sorbi cateva vise şi a castiga putere. M-a obosit viata din Bucuresti cu hypermarketurile imbacsite de produse colorate, cu luminile inghetate de pe strazi si cu sunetul oamenilor stresati, grabindu-se catre ceva. Am simtit ca drumul pe care mergeam era prea drept si anost si l-am schimbat cu cel mai inselator drum pe care l-am putut gasi.

Nu am ales Africa din motive pur altruiste. Am ales-o si pentru binele meu; cred ca pot invata multe lucruri de la oamenii de aici, facand, in acelasi timp, ceva care ar putea conta cu adevarat in lumea aceasta. Voi lucra ca profesoara la un mic ONG, incercand sa incurajez copiii sa viseze si sa spere. In acest timp, voi cauta, la randul meu, acele vise care mi-ar putea nimici cosmarurile.

Acest blog va fi despre oamenii din Namibia, despre sperantele si luptele lor, despre demonii si dumnezeii lor, despre temerile si curajul lor. Voi include aici scurte istorii de viata din Namibia.

Voi scrie atat in engleza cat si in romana. In engleza, pentru ca este limba oficiala aici; in romana, pentru ca cred ca ar trebui sa-mi reprezint tara oriunde ma voi afla.

Sper ca veti gasi, aici, macar un lucru care merita retinut.

Monica