A Spectacular and rare

atmospheric phenomenon

seen over Windhoek for several hours this morning - a 'sun dog' ? usually only visible from polar latitudes. Anyone have a detailed explanation. Weather was rather cloudy, but other conditions normal.

Here I am again, and happy May Day.

Although my web host has gone off the radar (the one who provides easier pointers to these blogs) my pages have mysteriously reappeared, so here goes.

It's a public holiday in Namibia, Workers' Day, and a quiet autumn day, balmy sunlight and a clear duck-egg blue sky. The Namibian construction industry seems the only one in the world, apart from corporate liquidators and doomsday financial journos, to be enjoying a huge boom. Cranes are everywhere, and the latest would-be proud house owner is jackhammering away at the opposite hillside to create his new mansion. Apart from that, all is still. There will probably be a workers' rally at the official stadium, later in the day, addressed by a deputy Minister, and attended by 8 people. Don't expect any protest marches or smashed McDonald's windows. (We don't have McDonald's anyway).

A comforting and reassuring feature about life here, to some, is that everything stays the same. May brings a spate of public holidays, so that, every year, the editor of the local English newspaper writes the same article about how these work-free days cut dreadfully into national productivity. (The newspapers themselves do not publish on a holiday, of course). Every year, some official spokesman will decry the deplorable attendance at the official rallies laid on the mark the day. (The reason is simple - if you are a REAL worker, when a public holiday comes along - what do you do? That's right, you STAY IN BED. Why show up at a dusty dilapidated stadium to hear a politician who turns up 2 hours late and can barely read his speech anyway?

The next exciting occasion will be the election, later in the year, which will be a precise re-run of all the others, including the evaporation of the currently fashionable opposition party, as in South Africa.

Meanwhile, happy May Day. It's a long weekend of course - next Monday is also a holiday...