Posts Tagged ‘Africa’

The moon shined down upon the homestead like a large spot light.  I dug my feet in the sand watching the shadows dance off the fire’s glittering glow.

A sharpened high-pitched ululation sang out into the night’s air, “lelelelelelelelelelelele.”   I remembered the first time I heard this distinctly African trait.  It had put chills down my spine, just as it had done once again.

Women howled between the choruses they sang, during moments of happiness, in brief spurts of joy, and in times of celebration.

Tonight, the women’s “lelelelelelelelelelele” rose, then fell wavering in a long sweet sound to celebrate the union between a man and woman.

For the next three days we celebrated honking our kazoos, singing into the open skies, and dancing the night away.  The men and I slaughtered the bull, as the woman prepared the feast.  We drank.  We laughed.  We celebrated!

In the village, there were many reasons to celebrate.  A child came home with good grades and a chicken was slaughtered.  Birthdays, the long anticipated visit from an old friend or surprise stopover from family, we would celebrate. The birth of a child, or a wedding, the celebrations were bigger and longer.

However, when my book was published last Friday I could already see the men congratulating me with a hug and the woman throwing their hands up in the air and letting out their cry of happiness “lelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelelele.”

And when a good Owambo friend of mine said “Owa longa nawa tate Jeremy.  Kalunga ne ku yambeke” I knew she flicked her tongue in ululation.

It was great to have a Namibian, an Owambo, approve of my book and celebrate with me.  Worlds apart, I responded “Ito ligola, ito li!” or “if you don’t sing, you don’t eat!” simply meaning if you don’t join in the celebration than both of us will starve.

You see there are many reasons to celebrate life.  It just so happens this week I celebrate because after 10 long months of tackling a task so daunting, such as writing this book, it was finally published and caused reason to celebrate.

To travel the world had been a goal of mine since I was little.  When I finally stepped out into the world, I found myself evolving, discovering new dreams, and one of those dreams was to write a book.

I have now both circled the world and wrote a book.  And guess what?

Just because my goals have been completed, doesn’t mean the dream is dead.   I will never stop traveling to distant lands and am in the middle of writing another book, continuing to live the dream.

They say the first time is always the most difficult and I would have to agree.  My first trip overseas was overwhelming.  I didn’t know how to communicate to people who couldn’t speak my language, or how to listen and learn to speak theirs.  I was fearful of getting lost, even when I was lost.  I had fears of getting sick, of being robbed, and the list went on.

However, the second time around it made more sense.  The third, much easier; and now a distant land thousands of miles away, such as Namibia (a place I now call my second home), is only five minutes away inside my head.

If we never challenge ourselves, how will we ever fully develop as an inspirational human being?

To making life a Safari “journey,”

Jeremy

P.S. My Namibia Guidebook is full of detailed descriptions of the many clans of Namibia, cultures, traditions, histories, geography, and much more!  Even if you’re not planning to visit, this is one book that will inspire the dream!  Get your copy today – http://www.otherplacespublishing.com/namibia.html

P.P.S. Safari is a Swahili word meaning journey.

Good day!

The 2010 World Cup is only four months away.

On a continent where soccer is a daily activity, played by all ages, and held high in the hearts and minds of all Africans, I cannot think of a better place for such a grand tournament to be hosted.

From the villages, to the townships, into the heart of the nation’s capital, soccer is a daily activity.

Deep in the northern Namibian bush of Uukwaluudhi, the village in which I lived for over two years, soccer was a daily activity.  Creativity thrived with the groups of children and the most important thing was never if they had an actual soccer ball to play with, rather the MOST important thing was the game itself.

Whether the ball was the size of a tennis ball, made of several wrapped plastic bags, or old rolled up socks, the game played on.

Mothers and grandmothers fought the children to take a breather from the game to complete their daily chores of herding livestock. All the boys wanted to do was play soccer.

Fields were abstract.  Goal posts were wooden sticks gathered from the forest.  Very few shoes were worn, and the idea of shin pads and green fields –well forget about it.  Yet the passion and spirit for the game could not be broken.

Between classes, before and after school, in the mornings and afternoons, after a meal or while hungry, the kids found a way to play the game.

Where there is a will, there is a way and in that way there was purpose to be found.

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa could perhaps be the most energetic, exciting places to host this international event.  Thousands from around the globe will attend, celebrate, and mourn, the loss, or win, of their home teams.

African children will be kickin’ a makeshift ball in the townships imagining they were Ronaldo playing in the large stadiums and being cheered on by thousands.  They will be creating their own celebrity.

These children are inspiring and this is motivating.

If there is anything that shines upon the World Cup 2010, it’s that it will continue to allow young African children to run with their imagination and create their own reality, inspired by the best soccer players in the world.

Be inspired by the World Cup’s future stars and be inspired to be thankful for what you have, as you’re never too old to quit imagining and creating.  If you don’t somebody else will!

To finding that something in your life that brings you zest and passion for life,

Jeremy

P.S. Many aren’t just attending the games but also have plans for safari in South Africa or nearby countries.  Even if your safari isn’t this year but next, you got to watch this!