[:en]
At the guesthouse in Okakarara too, our „temporary caretaker“, Michael Steinbach, is busy at work. He writes in the second part of his report about what new additions the guesthouse has gained thanks to his help:
“For a ‘warm-up’, a braai was built in September at the new steps guesthouse. This is a kind of grill table that is filled with wood or charcoal. ‘Braaing’ is one of the positive legacies left behind by the former South African occupiers and is also very popular in Namibia. Game is preferably grilled, but in a pinch beef or bratwurst will do. The braai has now been inaugurated and complements the communal kitchen serving the five guest rooms.
Next door, quite a bit is currently being remodeled in steps’ office building: among other things, this has given the maintenance team the “major assignment” of enlarging the canopy, whose purpose of providing shade is proving a blessing, especially in the current heat. This also means that the building heats up less. No sooner said than done. There are still two oil-soaked posts in the stock—the oil helps prevent termite infestation—but the construction timber is no longer sufficient and must be ordered, together with the roofing sheets, from the local building materials dealer. It is practical that steps has a small tool shed here, in which my predecessors have already accumulated a small hardware-store assortment. Not everything is still genuinely usable, but here in Africa one learns exceptionally well what can still be used as an alternative when the right item is not available. Naturally, no compromises are made with the roof, and since corrugated metal roofs like the one on our office are common throughout Okakarara, the dealer also keeps the matching special screws in stock.
Many thanks to Michael Steinbach for this wonderful all-round commitment to craftsmanship!
[:en]
At the guesthouse in Okakarara too, our „temporary caretaker“, Michael Steinbach, is busy at work. He writes in the second part of his report about what new additions the guesthouse has gained thanks to his help:
“For a ‘warm-up’, a braai was built in September at the new steps guesthouse. This is a kind of grill table that is filled with wood or charcoal. ‘Braaing’ is one of the positive legacies left behind by the former South African occupiers and is also very popular in Namibia. Game is preferably grilled, but in a pinch beef or bratwurst will do. The braai has now been inaugurated and complements the communal kitchen serving the five guest rooms.
Next door, quite a bit is currently being remodeled in steps’ office building: among other things, this has given the maintenance team the “major assignment” of enlarging the canopy, whose purpose of providing shade is proving a blessing, especially in the current heat. This also means that the building heats up less. No sooner said than done. There are still two oil-soaked posts in the stock—the oil helps prevent termite infestation—but the construction timber is no longer sufficient and must be ordered, together with the roofing sheets, from the local building materials dealer. It is practical that steps has a small tool shed here, in which my predecessors have already accumulated a small hardware-store assortment. Not everything is still genuinely usable, but here in Africa one learns exceptionally well what can still be used as an alternative when the right item is not available. Naturally, no compromises are made with the roof, and since corrugated metal roofs like the one on our office are common throughout Okakarara, the dealer also keeps the matching special screws in stock.
Many thanks to Michael Steinbach for this wonderful all-round commitment to craftsmanship!
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