no. 24 the packing list to a wedding adventure in Northern Namibia

Last year, a friend invited me as part of her entourage to a wedding in Northern Namibia. I didn't know the bride, I didn't know the groom, but I was excited to go and see the northern part of the country! We had a couple of calls about what to expect and what to pack, and here's what that looked like:

1. Snacks. Namibia has plentiful game and a lot of the culture is centered on cattle. A lot of the menu will be meat-centric barbecues and I came ready to feed myself and share with others if generosity required.

   
   

2. Water. This is desert country. Bring a gallon for each day.

   
   

3. Several outfit changes. Weddings typically include multiple days with a variety of events, so I borrowed a dress, my friend bought me a traditional Oshiwambo dress, and I also rustled up some formal wear from my closet. I wish I brought with me some hair powder to soak up the natural oils (I didn't want to waste water to wash my hair.)

   
   

4. Camping gear. The wedding party was going to be quite expansive, so we would need to camp out at the bride's house. We ended up sharing a bedroom in the main house as part of the celebrated guests/family. But the camping gear was helpful to share with other guests.

   
   

5. Notebook and pencils. I was NOT about to see this experience without documenting it! I didn't bring my colored pencils - and that was a mistake! Colors would have brought a lot of life to the drawings. But I brought my trusty mechanical pencil and eraser pen and clipped my notebook open and ready every chance I got. As usual, this got a lot of attention from the kiddos, which always delights me. But after a while, some of the adults opened up and were gracious enough to let me draw their portraits, too!

   
   

6. Pillow. I don't think I would have made it without this pillow. It brought support and relief when my period dropped on the long drive north and I needed to curl up. And then, served as a huggable divider as I shared a bed with my friend each night. And then became a squishable rest for backseat passengers for the long ride back home.

   
   

7. Lavender spray. I don't travel without this anymore. It's great for freshening up, cooling down, calming my zen and changing the vibe.

   
   

8. Frog Togg® towel. This stay-wet-towel helped me manage the heat. I would soak it and wrapped it around my thigh to keep my blodflow cool. I would switch it from leg to leg to let my soggy skin rebound and prevent the towel from drying out too fast. And at night, I would lay it on my legs to cool me down when the desert heat became unbearable. Truly a life-saver, highly recommend!

   
   

Illustration of The Packing List for the wedding trip © smartigraphicdesign

I designed a little 'zine sharing the adventure moments day-by-day which I plan to post here soon. Drawing this 'zine itself has been a challenging exercise. Considering the flow of the events, pulling together layouts, and trying to capture poses and expressions. It definitely felt like taking my drawing skills to the next level.

It reminded me of how rich a graphic novel can be. When we lived in Paris, I was overwhlemed by how the culture elevated the graphic novel. I enjoyed how the pages created a visual immersion into a story that words couldn't always capture. Making it myself this time, I believe I'll remember more of the adventure because by drawing I'm actually reinforcing the imagery and moments into memories. And I don't want to forget this experience!

Photo of 'zine pages in layout form © smartigraphicdesign

I'd like to extend my gratitude to: my friend Taimi Nangula who invited me as part of her entourage, Lusia who was our official host and the sister of the bride, to Maria the bride and Venondjo the groom for letting me join in! Thank you also to all the fun people who allowed me to try and capture them for this mini publication of a brilliant cultural adventure.

happy Namibian wedding memories to all,

smarti

no 23. designing tea card 2024

Well, one year into Windhoek and I finally pulled together a tea card for friends and family. Woohoo! Never heard of a tea card? It's a card that I make where I add a local tea and share an update and package it in a cute way so I can share a snail mail treat. You can head back to this post to learn more.

.....

To be honest, as soon as I wrote that blog post about my tea cards, I realized that I really missed putting them together and decided I would find a way. So I started doodling some ideas about a card, and definitely wanted to share some of the animals that we've been so lucky to see here. And then I saw a paper cut card and thought how it might be fun to show the layers of the savannah in a special way.

Folding the layers took some time to figure out. I bent and snipped and pasted a couple of different versions so I cold get a layer effect to happen. I did the first one by eyeball. But the measurements were so bizarre. Eventually, I cut the paper and measured everything to minimize the folding error when the thicker printed paper would inevitably cause some discrepancy. I didn't want to waste paper so I made an outline on A3 and put two letters on a page.

The easier part was drawing and designing some animals, placement and color. I lean towards a bit of playful pastel when I'm in my happy place, so I decided to paint the animals in candy-coated arrangements. The result is bizarre but fun, and adds a bit of whimsy to the already proposterous idea that I'm living in Africa.

Close-up on first draft design of safari animal folded tea card design by Smarti.

Illustrations of giraffe, impala and oryx by Smarti.

Close-up of final design of safari animal tea card design by Smarti.

left to right, 1) photo of first draft, 2) animal illustrations, 3) final design @smartigraphicdesign

When I went to the store, I couldn't find any tea that matched the whimsy. But I went with a basic rooibos tea - which is an herbal bush tea that's very popular here. I found a variety with some flavoring variations, and then taped them to a postcard in case people want to write me back a response, or just share it with someone else. I like giving people options.

I found a local printers that was able to make the designs come to life. (Thank you getgraphics!) But unfortunately, they don't have any speciality paper. So I had to go with a basic matte to get saturated colors and a 120g so it would be thin enough to fold. I brought the pages home and cut each one out by hand with a faulty exacto knife. Lesson learned in the morning when each page looked hacked and had paper bits still connecting the sheets. I went in by specialty scissors by hand to fix what I could.

Close-up of tea choice and illustrated safari animals by Smarti.

Close-up of master letter and cut-out fold by Smarti.

Visit to the post office in Windhoek by Smarti.

left to right, 1) roiboos tea packets/postcards, 2) editing a master letter, 3) post office visit @smartigraphicdesign

I wrote a master letter this year because there was too much to share and I knew I wasn't going to have enough time to share all the bits. But I personalized each one at the bottom and then stuffed in the tea to the envelope. For my family in Spain, I had to write out a completely different letter for each one since I know they will brag to each other and I wanted to give each of them something special to share. The personalized writing part took about 3 days to complete.

At the post office, I got a special attendant who helped me to address and stamp each one. One letter, no big deal. 60 letters to different countries? It gets a little complicated. He was flabberghasted at the price near the end, but I was ready for that. Each time I've done this, the cumulative cost is always more than I've anticipated. Thankfully, the postage prices here is incredibly low. But that also means that they might not pay their postal workers enough to care, so who knows if they will ever make it out to their destinations?

.....

I'm eagerly awaiting when the first news of the cards will start trickling in. I have a feeling it will take somewhere upwards of 3 months since I tested the mail out with one of my sisters last year. But who knows? My biggest worry is that someone's card will go missing and they'll think they were skipped on purpose. Thankfully, I've got backup cards at the ready.

cheers to receiving snail mail and here's to hoping your tea card arrives soon!

smarti

no 22. Dogust

Illustration of dogust @smarti

Dogs. Fluffy, scruffy, small, big, charming, playing, rolling, cuddling. I love 'em all. So when we arrived in Windhoek, I decided to go through volunteer training with the SPCA so I could get to visit some of the doggos. Since August is National Dog month in the US of A (aka Dogust) I thought I would share my experience and some of the SPCA pups that tug at my heart!

Illustration of wolf alpo @smarti

Let me clarify first and foremost, that I cannot adopt a dog...yet, so volunteering with the SPCA is the nest best thing. (If you are truly curious: and s much as I want to, it just wouldn't work in the short term for our nomadic expat lifestyle, which also wouldn't be fair to a dog long-term. I have to make sure that we're completely settled so that I can make proper arrangements for prolonged placement and care for my pet's life. [...] I say all that from my rational mind, but I swear, sometimes my heart just melts in my volunteering sessions.)

So, SPCA - if you don't know it - is Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. As a charity, they take in sick, injured, abandoned and abused animals. They treat and care for these animals and prepare them for adoption. The volunteer training in Windhoek took up a Saturday morning and then volunteers are welcome to join during opening hours to walk doggies, play with puppies, cuddle cats and kittens, and just generally care for the animals.

For a year now, I go in once a week to spend a couple of hours with the dogs and puppies. (Cats are...fine...just not my preference). Some times I take the dogs for a walk, sometimes I help wash dishes or set out dinner bowls. Mostly, I just enter kennels and spend time with dogs, petting and cuddling them. I've been told that spending time with the dogs makes some of these street dogs more comfortable with humans and therefore more adoptable.

Some dogs like the attention more than others, so for the tricky ones sometimes I just sit there while they tolerate my presence. Its so gratifying when they trust enough to come closer and let me pet them! Some dogs know the drill, and immediately bowl over for belly rubs and cuddles. With the puppies, It's a lot good behavior repetition - redirecting jumping behavior with lowered hands. giving chest and belly rubs, and pulling away when they start to nibble. They're cute, but sometimes I find it harder than just chilling with the older dogs.

Here's some of the SPCA doggos in Windhoek that I've been hanging out with:

Photo of tiny brown dog Talia at SPCA Windhoek.

Photo of cautious mutt Mike at SPCA windhoek.

Photo of attentive Hunter at SPCA Windhoek.

Photo of gentle Wolf Alpo at SPCA Windhoek.

photos of Talia / Mike / Hunter / Wolf Alpo from Windhoek SPCA website

Talia - she's a 10-month tiny crossbreed female dog who is perfectly kind and quiet. She is quite timid, somewhat of a chihuahua demeanour - she cowers when you get too close, but she enjoys the cuddles and is so cute. She'd probably enjoy a very chill household.

Mike - he's only 10 months but will probably be a medium sized dog. His coat is minky soft. He was a street pup (maybe shepherding mix?) so he likes coralling and running around. He's a bit nervous around people but has started to realize that humans are there to pet him and is slowly getting closer. He's very playful. I imagine he'd be happiest with kiddos around.

Hunter - 1 year old crossbreed dog - with something of a husky in him. He's a handful, playing and jumping in water to cool down, but eager for cuddles and very posessive for attention. But he's very very soft and easy to cozy down with for a snuggle.

Wolf Alpo - 4 year old German Shepherd. Easily the gentle giant, he's got a sweet and quiet soul. He seems to mix well with a lot of different dogs and brings gravitas wherever he goes. He has the kindest eyes.

Illustration of mike @smarti

My weekly visits to the SPCA are a real highlight - it feels like I have 50 dogs to myself! I appreciate how it also helps clear my head. I always go home quite satisfied even if a little heartsore to see them still waiting in their kennels for adoption. Sometimes I'm even unrightfully sad when they get adopted because I know I'll miss spending time with them.

If you are keen to have a pet, visit your local SPCA to rescue a fluffy love. Or if you are like me, see if you can volunteer at the SPCA to get a little time to walk and cuddle a doggo and get them ready for their forever homes.

wishing you a furry cuddle moment to sooth the soul,

smarti