Cooking Doesn't Get Tougher Than This

It's the beginning of another week here in Tses. Things are going really well out here, and I'm loving it. On gap years like this, you're supposed to learn lots of important life lessons, like how to work hard, how to manage a house and money, and generally how to be a self-sufficient human being. All of this is true, and independent living is proving to be very successful, but I also find that I'm also learning lots of little curious things about life in Namibia.

• Cheese is very, very expensive. A standard block of standard cheese costs N$50, and when the rest of your grocery bill for 2 weeks comes to less than N$350, it's definitely time to cut back on the cheese toasties.
• Topper biscuits, on the other hand, are super cheap at only N$5.50, and are my saviours in biscuit form. Namibians don't really do cakes and treats in the same way that we do in the UK, which is largely a good thing as our diet is much healthier, but I'm quite convinced that I owe my sanity to these little sugary, crumbly marvels.
• My hair does not like Namibia. I don't know whether it's the heat, or the water, or the absence of my beloved John Freida shampoo, but it falls out like crazy here.
• If you write at a particular angle on the school boards, the chalk makes the most horrendous screeching noise I've ever heard.
• Travelling during the holidays will be amazing. We're beginning to plan trips to Victoria Falls, Etosha National Park and Sossusvlei in April and May, and maybe spending the Easter weekend in Swakopmund.
• The only thing our students find more entertaining than white people are semi-sunburnt white people. That way, they get to poke and prod at the pink bits AND still marvel at the pallor of my legs. Faaaaantastic.
• The ancient Black Eyed Peas poster in my room, kindly pasted on the wall by a previous inhabitant of the house, stubbornly refuses to come off. Thus, my walls now feature pictures of my friends, family, and will.i.am circa 2005. Nice.

I must also issue a public apology to my mother. Mum, I'm sorry, but........we only have margarine, not real butter. And the milk is UHT. Please forgive my crimes against proper dairy produce and know that I really, really miss Lurpak. Particularly Lurpak that's been made into cakes. It has, however, been a rather interesting weekend food-wise.

I mentioned experimenting with chocolate ice cream last time. On Thursday, it hadn't quite finished freezing, so it was more like very, very cold custard. By Friday night, it was more like chocolate-custard flavoured Slush Puppie. Take your pick.

I think my chapati-making skills leave a lot to be desired, and houmous might not be the most authentic of Namibian lunches, but it tastes fine!

Before Skyping my Dad on Saturday morning, I had my first go at making and trying maize porridge. When I got back, Sachi had made streusel cake. I wonder which I found more appetising....?

No prizes for guessing - old habits die hard, eh?