Birthday

This week, my blog post revolves around my “Oma Hilda’s” (grandmother) 70th birthday celebration. Oma was my host-mom during the Peace Corps intercultural homestay period that I experienced when I first moved to site. She and I were a perfect fit – we spoke German, laughed, and she was always generous with the wisdom her 70 years have brought her!

We had a wonderful celebration. You can see below how the food was cooked over the open fire, and then also the traditional Herero and Damara tribe’s dress. The Herero dress is Victorian-style inspired, which they adopted from the German colonialists, and the “horn” head scarf is traditional Herero cultural attire. My host sister, Veru, was also dressed up and looking glamorous. I included another photo of Oma and a friend of ours.

It was one of the best evenings I have had in Namibia – blessed to be truly feeling included and integrated into this family and community. You can see Oma’s orange dress; we were rushing until the very last minute, sewing it from scratch (without a pattern!). It was a lot of fun, and Oma inspires with her young heart and positive attitude.