Shopping n a bri in the honor of Trine

Monday 18th of February

First we did some shopping for the Bri tonight, lots of meat and some veggies:) Then Elin took us to Namcraft, first we had a fika and then we just enjoyed the Namibian handcraft, we got so carried away! Sooo many beautiful things, so we spent the day!

Trine and Elin

Most fantastic lemon-mareng-cake I've ever had,m-mmm

Bianca and my wiener-melange, biggest one I've ever seen

Traditional underwear, who would appreciate this? AHA!

So many nice pictures to choose from

Common sight, trucks loaded with workers..

In the evening most of the ones we had gotten to know a bit when we were here in the begining of our trip came for the bri. 

Elin n Berry preparing some food suitable for vegeterians

Greet like a penguin

Mikey preparing food less apropriate for vegetarians,but very typically namibian

We will really miss all these amazing brothers and sisters! It's evident Jehovah didn't make us for live for such a short while? Why would he then put so many amazing people on earth, letting you have a taste of their fantastic personalities and then never be able to cultivate friendship over time because there are so many...,so spread out, did that make any sense? If you were inside my head it would.

Serving-suggestion, let someone else get it for you

Dennis

Herlen enjoying himself

Is this what happens late at night in Stavanger?
Or maybe; A picture? Of us? Lets do "cool", shall we?

Uncle Ashley has attended elder-school in Winhoek so he came by to say bye to Trine

Mr Houscat and Mrs Worthog

Don't think we got everyone in a picture, but we we're all there, we all enjoyed it. We ate, we drank, we danced! 

Things we didnt know how to:

Afford the entire Namcraft-shop, choose

Lessons:

Brothers and sister are for life

Taxi through Namibia

Sunday 17th of February

The taxidriver came during the meeting and wanted to leave for Windhoek, everybody was waiting for us. Bianca persueded him to wait for 45 min, leaving Trine with only 15 minutes to say her good byes, if the meeting had not gone over time. We rushed to change close and get into the taxi. Trine was very proud, she kept in her tears, until Astird, this stubbern, attitude-girl was gonna say bye and wouldn't stop crying. Trine wasn't even sure Astrid liked her! First minutes in the taxi, were a bit emotional, the detaching, pretending there is still a while left.

Trying to get normal pictures if us is a struggle, but we do try.

We were a bit surprised the taxidriver was in such a hurry to leave, often they wait until the taxi is full. Often there is up to 15 people, but we were only 8 or 9. By the way, the taxi is not really a taxi, it's a Wolkswagen bus or something like that. The one we went with was even a new one, very luxerious:) Anyways, we were happy to have the extra-space, it was hot enough! Dropped Angie in Keetmanshoop, oi its hot! Got some more to drink and an ice-cream.

Very hot Trine

Laughed our way through Namibia, partly because of the drivers taste in music, partly because we're funny people...or maybe easily amused. You take your pick. Bianca made a music-video with Trineohanna interpeting Phil Collin's "Another day in Paradise" in to sign-language, take note, niether really know sign-language.. 

Trying the arabic-trick drinking hot things in the heat, in Mariental

Well in Windhoek we went to Elin and Lars-Erik, just chillin' for the evening. Having some peope over for tomorrow evening! 

Things we didn't know how to:
Organize a picture of the congregation in 15 seconds
Say proper bye-byes
Take the taxidriver for serious
Get cool enough in the taxi
Get the driver to turn down the volume, very loud, imagen one speaker in the back and the driver wanting to have it loud in the front...

Lessons:
Taxidrivers don't necisserily keep their word
Namibian taste in music is were others were 20-30 years ago
Ooooor they are just very comfortable with listening to a bit too buttery Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Kenny G, and all the smooooooth-singers you can think of.

Surprise

Saturday 16^th of February

Hanna and Bianca is going for a mini holiday, accompanying Trine so that she doesn’t have to travel alone with the taxi/bus-thingy through the entire country. And also sucking the last drops of fun from Trine before she leave. We’ve decided to rent a car so that we can leave whenever we want. So before the group we go car-hunting. Brother Bazzi has promised to help us rent a car (Bazzi means Boss, and he’s known all over Luderitz) Sadly they’re already rented, and Bazi very disappointed he couldn’t help, even though calling friends and family trying to find us a car. He found one but it was including a driver and too expensive.

Taxi it is.

  The group at 9 working in Nautilus. Me and Caduu took the first house, Germans they told us, they’re not interested. That’s what the lady said too, yet she invited us in and we had a 2.5 hour discussion. She was Caduu’s teacher last year and she had nothing but good to say about him. I was so proud of my little brother!!! We talked a lot about families and women’s role in a congregation. Only way to end the conversation was when Amis and Bianca came and fetched us. Sadly I didn’t have time to do my returns, I’ll have to do them next week.
We we're starving afterwards so we went to Benguela Market, or the stalakies, small shops.

Benguela Market

This is the best fat-cook-lady in the stalakies, we like her!

Aunty Tandie were getting her hair done in another stalaki.

 Cleaning and singing, we never go tired:) On our way home we go to book seats in the taxi, Bianca convinced the driver not to leave until after the meeting tomorrow, so that Trine will have a chance to say bye.

 We’ve been offered move over to the Kingdom Hall flat. So we get home to pack our things.

Outside our house

We'll miss our oasis in this sandy place..

sandy it is...

 During the day Trine has started suggesting having people over…or anything(!) this last day of hers’. When we got here Bianca told us that Luderitz has had the best farewell parties ever. Putting the expectations high, Trine didn’t hear about anything and the days past.  So rather disappointed, maybe over my lack of enthusiasm she gives up. I tell her we’ll hang out with the Damons at the Kingdom Hall flat, that Bianca has already gone there.

“She needed some alone-time, but we’ll pick up the others on the way”

I guess “alone-time” is not a party-trigger. Even more disappointed, but still a positive attitude and smiling we finally finish at the flat. Arriving at the flat, Trine sees Sockies, Fredricks’ dog, he’s not supposed to be there, rings a bell, and when she opens the door to a big “SURPRISE” she’s happy to meet, not “alone-time-Bianca” but idle smiling faces. Yes Luderitz has greeeaaat farewell-parties! Changing clothes and then we hit the dancefloor! Trine teaching them swing and what-what. Dansa/Pausa now has its place in Luderitz!

Maybe you notice aunty Tandies new hairstyle in the back?

Trine and Astrid

Gracie, so beautiful, quite shy

Things we didn’t know how to

End a conversation

Rent a car

Lessons

Hanna can keep a secret

Dansa/Pausa works everywhere

Ohhhh, other old lessons we havn’t told you:

Ek sal jou skop – I will kick you, the 2^nd thing we learnt in Afrikaans, a sister that didn’t like the fact that we would walk the 200 m to our home alone. This saying has developed.

Ek sal jou kop skop- I will kick your head

Ek sal jou snotkop skop – I will kick your snothead

This is the slightly braindamaged cat that lives at our old flat:)
When she tries to scratch her head she misses and she has a funny walk
...very cute

Elisabeth

Friday 15^th of February

Dear me! Time flies! Even I’m starting to realize that Trine is leaving real soon. We’ll spare you the sentimentality-chock-wave. But if you know Trine you probably know that she’s addictive. In a sneaky kind of sence.

Today we went to study with Regina.

apparently the paper on the forhead helps against hickups.

Trine and Elisabeth

  After that with Elisabeth, last time for Trine, Rebecca will take over from now on. Don’t really know if Elisabeth understood that though. This study started in the truth-tract in English, she was paying much attention, but Trine was not sure how much she understood, she gave her the tract in kwangali, BIG improvement! After the tract they went on to the book, this worked even better since the questions are also in kwangali. She soon got herself a Bible in her own language; I think she got it from her family in the north. Now she understood even more. She follows very well and finds the answers in the paragraph, not always a sure thing. She shows much appreciation:)

Bianca was overbooked today so Trine took care of Annas’ study. I got stuck in with our landlord discussing the imagery of the Bible, he had his theories of religion, universe and all. Light, big “J”s always accompanied by small “j”s… I’m happy the truth is not so complicated, but he sure knew best, he was a Mikko, I somehow enjoyed it anyways. Guess it’s something I’m used to. His girlfriend, our actual landlord didn’t have the energy to listen to him so she went on with her everyday business. She was really the one I started the conversation with, her sister is a witness and she knows it’s the truth, but like many others something is holding her back.

Litho and Bianca crossing a mountain, the small yellow house
beside the big yellow house is where Bianca's family live

Trine is being sentimantal saying bye-bye to Jessie

In the evening we had Young people ask at the Kingdom Hall flat. 

Things we didn’t know how to

Trineohanna don’t know kwangali

Hanna cannot end a conversation even though she knows it’s going nowhere

Lessons

It’s important to take care of our health, but not necessary to go to the extrem(young people ask)

There's more than one Mikko

These are some old lessons we havn’t told you about…

Wapenduka nawa- Have you awakened all right?(used as Good morning)

Kosaruka- crazy in Kwangali

Malkop – crazy in Afrikaans

Ek praat nie Afrikaans nie. – “I don’t speak Afrikaans”, which is the most stupid thing you can say in Afrikaans because everybody tells you that you do.

sailing at the atlantic

Thursday 14th of February.

Luderitz from a whole new Angie...sorry...meant angle!, of course I did!

When trineohanna First arrived in Luderitz they said: "Oh it would be so nice to go out with a boat, and to see the penguins."  But after the time went by the time WENT by...And it seemed like we would never get to see any penguins, at least not together. 
But than what happens? 
Out of "the blue" (that is a saying, like to say very unexpected) this early thursday morning, trineohanna is sitting on a lovely wooden sail boat, with nothing but a smile and a "little" big expectations! We are on our way to see Luderitz in a whole new angle! :) hihihihi 

We have been told to dress warm! Nice that we listen sometimes, because it is cold, even this sunny morning. Very good for Hanna's cold, what doesn't kill you make you stronger as Roland puts it)

Agate beach from a new angle

Aunty Latitia in the back

Andre, our rough sailor

Andre, who is sailing with us, normally works as a diver, diving for diamonds. He think it is very exiting. He is originally from South Africa but has been living here for some time now. He looks a little rough, matches the boat, and all the surroundings just melt in to one. The desert in the horizon matched with edgy cliffs..This is amazing.

We get to see dolphins, seals, PENGUINS, they are so funny and very polite. They bow when they meet! Just as our penguin friend, MR.Penguin you know who you are! ;) 

Got our course set for Halifax Island and the....

...penguins of Halifax Island, they are small, very charming and somewhat impossible to get a proper picture of when you don't have a better camera than we do......

After all this exitement (and it is only 9 o clock in the morning) we get HOT CHOCOLATE! Hot chocolate has never tasted so good!! We promise! Mmmmmmmmm

Hot chocolat never tasted better, timing! Angie was also there....taking the picture...

Than turning the ship home (Hanna is the one good with all the phrases you use at sea... sorry for the amateur me) they set sail. They turn of the engine, and it gets all quiet!! wow And everyone on board gets quiet. More peaceful than this and you would think you where dead.. eeeh. Relaxing, that is what it was.

A WONDERFUL start at this bright shining day.

We go home, rest a little. Go out for service a little while, still thursday our day "off", but we have been touristy a lot this week. Turns out Regina needs some help with a job application sotakes some time and her family starts coming home. Rescheduling study for tomorrow.
Go home to study for to night, rest a little bit (Hanna is still a little sick, maybe boat trip and wind not the best Idea..but who says we have to be smart all the time, we are still young and ..... how did it go again? :b) 
We order Pizza for dinner. Really good Italian Pizza:) mmm 

Meeting is as usual uplifting. After the meeting we clean the kingdom hall apartment for our Norwegian brothers that are on their way from cape town.

After a LOONG day it is good to get to bed. Allthough for me now the time has starting to run really fast! 
And I don't want to leave this fantastic place or my FANTASTIC Hanna! I get sentimental.Still the tierdness gets a fast grip and ... zzzzz

Things we didn't know how to: 

Posing in front of a camera in the windy wind 
Clean the kindom hall flat after a long day with a BIG SMILE. 
(kind of a more "lets get this done" look in our eyes.. yes, No smiling, horrible people.. we write like the men in the Bible, all about the truth, so you know that you can trust us:p)

Lessons:

trineohanna now knows that posing is not our thing, action that is more us, or making faces.
trineohanna still cleaned the kingdom hall flat with the help of others. sometimes the job just needs to be done. 
trineohanna smiled when the cleaning was done. Like all (in)sane ladies

home sick...

Wednesday 13^th February

Trines last time studying with Mariana

The mist was thick this morning, some even say it was rain in the air. I wouldn’t know because Trine wouldn’t let me out. I had appointments today and she wouldn’t let me go. I am grateful. I guess. I would probably get worse if I went. So I was basically bored to death, felt like a puppy when Trine came home for some food and with some food.

“Hi! Hi! Hi! How are you?! What’s happening?! Who was at the group?! How was the study?!”

All good, all good. And then Trine went off to work. Yes work, don’t you think that of all the neighbors we can get we have the towns florist living next door, since tomorrow is Valentines’ Day she needed extra help in the shop, Trine to the rescue.

Forever-roses, at work, very natural.

When Trine comes home I’ve cooked dinner, we’re having Paulus, Rebecca and Gionathan over. Can’t match Rebeccas cooking but they liked it. And it was a killer-apple-pie-dessert!!!

Lots of love and butter.

Apperently apple-pie doesn't seem to be enough sweetness for some,
Trine tastes Gionathan, he doesn't seem to mind

The Kasaras'

We drove them home and stopped by the Damons house for an urgent discussion, a text that made me a bit worried brought us there… Buckle up ladies, tomorrow we’re going for a BOATTRIP! Already booked and paid.

That means time for bed! Believe me, even though I was home the entire day, I totally crashed in the evening, maybe, but just maybe, I’m starting to realize my limitations and that’s it’s ok to take a break…(getting old, neh?)

Things we didn't know how to:

as usual, be home sick(at least not relax when we should)

say no to work

get a normal picture with the whole Kasara family!

Lessons:

Florists are the same all over

Trine is a very good florist and mom

Butter and love, m-m-m!

This, by the way,  is how Trine wants to remember the flat, a sick Hanna dancing around to  Flight of the Conchords-  Hurt feelings. Dealing with the fact that rappers has feelings. "some people thinks rappers don't have feelings, they do, have feelings! some people think rapper are not vinceble..., we're vinceble"