My time in Germany

To be honest, I doubt much of what I’ll be telling you is totally unexpected. My visits to Germany made me stronger, more open, change the way I think and gave me a sense of improving my living standards I had searched for since my childhood. I would like to thank Johannes, his family for inviting to Germany and everyone I had met during my visit in Germany from 19 Dec 2013 to 02 January 2014.

10 things I like/enjoy during my holiday in Germany;

1.   1.  My First Plane Flight

 Our journey started at Hosea Kutako international Airport with my friend Johannes and Team Leader of GOPA-CBRLM we departure on  18 Dec 2013 around 21h45.

It has took us several minutes to check in at airport since there were lots of passengers travelling. I was wondering as to when we would get inside the plane, there was an announcement for the passengers of our plane to get ready to board the plane.

As soon as we were seated, I heard a voice announcing and requesting all passengers to fasten their belts. I looked for my belt even I did not know how to fasten a belt and my friend Johannes assisted to put on my belt and TV. However, as per the instructions, all the passengers tied belts, and just then, there was another announcement that the plane was about to take off. At this moment, I felt a strange pain in my chest as if my heart was hitting its walls, and I at once gazed at my friend Johannes who was sitting next to me. I spent the whole night observing the movement of the plane on the google-earth  TV screen in front of me.

Johannes and Uapii in Air Namibia plane.

The next morning in Frankfort was enchanting scene; seeing  second  busiest  airport in Europe for the first time and the captain announced the temperature in Frankfort and it was 4 ▫c. I nearly suffered from cold coming from 35▫c to 4 ▫c was tremendous challenge lucky enough Johannes mother brought me an extra thick jacket but it wasn't enough protect me from Germany cold. 

Mother Lili and Uapii at Frankfort airport

I was asking myself'' will I survive in this weather and started to be coward since   Zapee Havara back home told me that Germany is too cold''. However, after three days my body started to adapt to such cold weather. We drove to Mossingen about 200 Km+ south of Frankfort the town where my friend Johannes live and his family.

2.  2.   Good food

The common red meat in Germany is pork meat, I enjoyed eating wild pork, cheese and there are several cheeses in Germany but I liked most of them. One of thing I will missed is Johannes mother food ''oh I like her meat''; 

    3.   Meeting new friend

+ Henry group in Stuttgart city. 

44.     Christmas celebration

    5 . Meeting Johannes family

66.    German Beers

Beer is very common in all parts of Germany, with many local and regional breweries producing a wide variety of excellent beers. In Namibia I like Windhoek Lager, when I was in Germany I asked my friend Johannes to order for me a beer which tastes like Windhoek lager because is not easy to find Windhoek lager. This have took Johannes three days to order for me a beer which taste like Windhoek lager and it was at Stuttgart city.

77.    Visiting Zurich city

The largest city in Switzerland and It is located in north-central Switzerland at the beautiful tip of Lake Zürich. The city is home to a large number of financial institutions and banking giants. I would like to thanks Marcus Beck for hosting us at this expensive city and like Zurich so beautiful and with huge building.

88.    Snow hiking/boarding (@ Flumserberg)     http://www.flumserberg.ch/Winter/Home

On the Saturday of 28 Dec 2013 we wake up very early and we went for snowboarding, hiking at Flumserberg the biggest winter sports destination between Zurich and Chur with pistes of all levels of difficulty. This was one of the coldest environments I have ever been in my life and my friend Johannes and Marc help me to prepare for Flumserberg mountain snow. I was wearing 6 thick jacket during the day and at beginning I was still freezing and when we went for snow hiking is  when I started to warm up a bit ‘’oh Europe is cold outside’’. It is really amazing to walk on top of snow for a first time in my life and I was feeling like I am walking on top of  sand dune of Namibia. This was one of my favorite day which I will remember forever.

   9.    New year Eve

We celebrated our New Year eve at forest house North of Stuttgart. The night was full of joy, dancing, drinking, eating and fire work.

1  10.  Mercedes Benz Museum to view click here 

http://uapii.blogspot.com/2013/12/mercedes-benz-museum-make-me-dream-this.html

I have seen a lot, these is what I am feeling free to share with you in my blog and please do not ask me about Sauna I know I was there too!

I am well back home in the land of the brave (Namibia) and thanks for everyone who I have met in Germany. The time we spent together for me it was so special, I enjoyed being with you all and to Johannes family many thank especially my mother Lili Beck, Marc Beck (Johannes brother). For our friends who are coming to visit Namibia in April 2014 I am already delighted to see you again in my home ground. 

Johannes at Hosea Kutako Airport

Finally, the especial thank is going to my best friend (Johannes Beck) who has made this trip to materialize if it wasn't you i would not be happy as I am today. Johannes was the man of the match he did take care of me making sure that I am not lost in street of Frankfort, Stuttgart, Mossingen, Zurich and everywhere we had been.

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A man from Rural Kunene walking in a big street of Stuttgart!

Our trip started very well after we had well cooked breakfast from our beloved mother Lili (My friend Johannes Mother).  Johannes took me to a biggest shopping street in Europe and I was very scared /shock seeing lots of white people around me at one point I nearly missed my Friend Johannes because of massive overcrowded people in the street. 

Finally our shopping mission has been accomplished and I bought myself a smart phone which I could say I like it very much. Life is seems good in Stuttgart after shopping we went to restaurant to have lunch and I like meat we have ate Kebab. My time in Stuttgart is not jet over after launch we went to Henry place Johannes best friend and is where we slept. My night at Henry place I have discovered my ever favorite beer and in Germany there are 100 different type of beers and breweries. I tell you I will not go to Namibia thirsty now, so far I like Bergadler beer and we have lot of fun with friend Johannes and presenting them our trip we are planning to have with them in Namibia around April 2014.

Mercedes Benz Museum Make Me Dream!

This Museum has reminded me of the time when I was a small boy in rural Namibia when I was seeing tourists in Namibia and driving near our home yard taking pictures. We were wondering why people wasting their time on taking pictures of trees and animals and I did not image the fun of them doing all these when I a small boy. Despite, currently it was my turn in the Museum in Stuttgart standing next to all these cars for a picture.

This is one of the good thing German people should be proud of to discover a luxury car which can run and turn easily (Mecherdez Benz). Uapii as man came from rural Namibia and it was unbelievable seeing the first engine which was discovered by famous Benz. During apartheid time in Namibia a black men was not allowed to drive a Mercedes Benz and BMW to have tour around this Museum for me it was successfully story, seeing Nelson Mandela picture in Museum he was a really Icon of the world. See all pictures I and Johannes took at Museum below;

Matutjopo life!

End of Year Message 2012

 

'' hard work after Joy ''

I did not know that 2012 will be quickly approaching us and come to an end; I would like to thank those who had supported me over the past year. This has been a milestone year for me where I had been fully working in Kunene Region and being involved fully in Community Based Range land and Livestock Management Project implementation.

 I would like to ask forgiveness to my friends whom I did not chat to more often during 2012. Hopefully in 2013 our communication will improve and we will update one another.

 This year’s Christmas was so special; I went to Okakarara area in the village suited 60km away from Okakarara town called Okanguindi at Bocky’s homestead. On the 24^th December 2012 I had participated in well organised marathon at Okanguindi running for 9km. that was a fun day marathon organised by Hungiree Billawer and we had a great day of fun, eating and drinking.

 Given the holidays and being near to the end now, I am looking towards maximum impact from myself and friends, family and co-workers in whatever we are undertaking during 2013.

 People in USA special my friends in Nebraska and Maine I will not forget you all because you are the one who made me the great Uapii of this decade. One day oceans will meet and I will shake hands with all of you, that is my dream and target.

 In conclusion, my great thanks is going to my GOPA-CBRLM colleagues for their enormous support and respect towards me and their hard work which sometime make my work easy.

 Again, I thank all of you for your encouragement and support, and wish you a great New Year. 

Tate Ben

Outokotorua : is where we spend our second night and the next day we draft grassing plan map which will be used by herders as to rotate cattle in different area in order safe perennial grass and regrow. This is like rotational grazing in camps but here we don't have camps we use people to herder cattle in different places . Father Ben is detecting ground water using a mopane tree branch, moving from far distance and if he comes to the place where water is the stick/branch is dropped from his hand and next to him is Colin Nott rangeland expert observing Ben Kazahe tactic. Ben the man who has spent most of his whole life in natural resources management in communal conservancies in Kunene.

University of Nebraska (School of National resource 2011) tour to the village where I grow up!


I met Dr Larkin Powell in 2009 when he was a guest lecturer at the Polytechnic of Namibia for one year with his family (son Tristan and wife Kelly) and we did a lot of good things together some changes the way think and make me known to the Nebraskan people. In 2010 Dr Larkin and Dr Mark they asked me to be their tour guide for 2011 12 and 22 May in Katutura and my village namely Otjomitjira.
I really enjoyed being with the following students;
Amber, Ariel, Tara, Courtney, Kate, Monica, Ben, Tanner and Uavii Katjivena Muteze (My friend from Outjo) this is a group of death.

The students they had impressed the members of the community and I too. They were so keen to learn about our Himba and Herero culture, lifestyle and they are fast learning. These students really know what their mission was in Africa, the way they were discovering things and their interaction with Namibian people. They were lucky to have their own tour guides (lecturers) who know Namibia better than any other tourist, the expert Dr Larkin who spent full year in Namibia and Dr Mark who had spent his vacation in Namibia for more than 5 years.

We had tour in Katutura on 12 May the day of my friend Larkin birthday and Dr Sam Nujoma (The first black president of Namibian) the next day the group headed south of Namibia. On the 20th May I head to our village to go and organized things, from Windhoek I took public transport (for 570km) to Kamanjab and then to Erwee unfortunately I didn’t make it because it was later then I slept at Erwee the next morning I woke up very early in morning and walked to the farm. The morning of 22 May walked back to Erwee to welcome the students and famous Dr Mark and Dr Larkin.





In the village I was demonstrating Himba, Herero culture and village lifestyle to the students. Let me say something about Americans the group gave me the money to buy for them goat and I did not make a comparison between Africans meat eat and U.S.A. meat eat. My thought was to buy cattle as I was imaging a big group of 20 people plus community members one goat for me I doubted won’t be enough for everyone. Then I decided to buy approximately 60 Kg goat which I thought will be better. Although, will not be enough satisfy everyone. When the meat was ready I started to observe my African people were eating meat like lion and while Nebraskans were eating meat like cat! The members of community they didn’t believed that 20 people will be satisfied for one goat. Wow, we African we eat meet don’t play and even I Uapii don’t think I will survive without meat! Dr. Mark, Dr Larkin handout t-shirts to the Village farmers and that was a good surprise for village people as we had only invited them for dinner but later the end up with t-shirts in their hands. They like the t-shirt as was written ‘’Proud to farm’’. That night we had several discussions around the fire talking about African and American marriage, lion story.

My grandmother prayed for everyone and Dr. Larkin whom she said’’ my son goes and God must bring us together once again’’ Then the group headed to Etosha National Park which is not more 150 Km from our village.
Thank you for reading!