After the 26 hour flights...

I made it safe and sound to Africa and am currently sitting in a hostel within Windhoek, Namibia.  I flew Emirates, which was top notch, especially their movie selection which made the trip go by much faster than I expected.  My fellow volunteers, about twenty in all, and I stopped in Dubai (I couldn't see the Burj from my seat), Johannesburg, and finally Windhoek.  Groggily, we hopped on a van, speeding through the empty Namibia streets making our way to the hostel.  Most of our surroundings was made up of scrubby brush and reminded me much of the Outback, expected not as red.  However, it was night so I was unable to see to many colors, but what I did notice were the stars.  Even though Windhoek is the most populous city within Namibia, totaling with about 400,000 people, the stars rather than the metropolis glow lit up the night sky.
Listening to Bruno Mars and swinging by a KFC we hit our hostel.  It was funny to think that I was now in Africa and much of what I saw was so Western.  I don't think my true African/Namibia experience will really hit till I arrive at my school in a week, where I will fully experience the village's culture as I am in such a rural area.  Yet, Windhoek is a great transition city for a traveller.  I don't feel so overwhelmed with culture shock, as I see the Gulf gas stations, fast food restaurants, and see similar clothing brands such as Adidas, that I am so familiar with.
Today we headed into town and picked up some technology necessities (phones, adapters, modems, etc.) at the local mall. Despite having such a small city, the mall was extremely congested.  It was hard to move at times or not bump into someone.  The mall is a hot spot of local amusement and shopping and during the national lunch break at one o'clock (I like this idea a lot) it can get quite busy.  But even with the business and perhaps one of the causes of the crowds is the relaxed and patient atmosphere.  People are in no rush to get anywhere and are so friendly that even the cashiers take a break working to chat with each other.  No one seems to mind about time, which can be a calming thing, except for a hustle-bustle American such as myself.  But it was nice being treated so kindly and most people seemed very willing to help if I ever had a question (In Windhoek, most residents speak both English and Afrikaans).
Tonight we are enjoying a braai, a Namibian BBQ, which is a staple in the country.  They say that no meal here is a meal without meat. Yes! I have a feeling this won't last long once I get to my site, food wont be as readily available.  To reinforce this, they have a saying, a high compliment, which goes, "You are so fat!"  This basically means that you are doing so well, you look so happy, etc.  But this speaks volumes about food and the culture here and how important it is.  If you are fat, you have a healthy life, because you have enough resources and money to provide for yourself and family. Funny how different our skinny cultural trends are.
I'll check in as soon as I can, the internet isn't that great here and this is Windhoek.