Today is the first day of September and also officially the first day of Spring in Namibia. This day is normally cheerfully welcomed by Namibians wearing floral-print dresses, skirts and shirts, vases filled with flowers materialise on office desks, Facebook updates send good wishes to all on this day, radio presenters wish their listeners a happy 'Spring Day', images of acacia trees in shock-yellow bloom are shared across multiple online platforms, including other local flora in full efflorescence. Yes, the commencement of Spring in the southern hemisphere is a celebrated affair.
Indulged by Mother Nature with buttery sunshine throughout the year, seamless aquamarine skies, lazy, breathtaking sunsets all shades of syrupy golds and burnt oranges, coupled with warm temperatures for eight (8) months out of twelve, it is only to be expected that we look forward to and welcome Spring with as much anticipation, excitement and fanfare as the Christmas holidays.
Winter, any Namibian will tell you, is a glum time of the year. Chilly evenings, cold nights, icy mornings with sudden temperature spikes at noon especially (betwixt twelve and two o'clock) make for seesaw emotions. Believe it or not, our tolerance levels for lower temperatures never seem to increase concomitantly; we're stubborn when faced with winter. A case in point: certain sensitive acquaintances often start the day mewling about the cold with perhaps an illustrative image or two attached to a Facebook post or an e-mail for emphasis. Next, they'll moan about the weather in general with a fervent wish for summer tossed in there somewhere and eventually, as the day progresses, will venture into petty politicking, as well. It's a seasonal thing with us, I suppose.
During summer, everyone's on a sun-kissed high. Namibian happiness is essentially a deep blue sky decorated with bilious dove grey clouds, obese with rain, pleasantly rumbling with thunder and the rich coppery fragrance of bush, soil and rain hanging thickly in the glittering air, while a rainbow saucily suspends itself wherever it fancies. All of the above are literally by far the best things since the first ice-cream was made in sunny Namibia; our national bliss materialised. Add to that a sparkling, blue swimming pool (chlorinated to perfection) gurgling happily in the sun, a few Windhoek Lagers resting on the middle shelf of the fridge or sweating gently in the cooler box, a great selection of cold meats, veggies and salads, a little bit of shade from a wide old tree, a hat, sunscreen and very light, inconvenient apparel (anything goes here really).
Yes, Spring the season of renewal, rejuvenation, dieting and exercise, body fur shaving (waxing, plucking, fervent depilation), marathon weddings, group baptisms, romance and love is joyfully welcomed in Namibia like a long lost lover but it can also be a harrowing period for persons predisposed to hayfever (allergic rhinitis). General-practitioners (GPs) know this to be the perfect time of year to reach for bright, glossy pamphlets on the latest in antihistamines while sufferers in doctors' anterooms hollow out creaky chairs, fretfully paging through tattered magazines, nursing itchy red eyes, shiny runny noses and scratchy throats. They hope for a miracle cure or at the very least, some type of relief.
Hayfever is a nasty affliction everywhere but in Namibia it may appear more vicious and prolonged. There are several good reasons why the situation is thus and the first is also the most obvious; our country is sparsely populated. A population of 2.2 million people occupy only 37.5% of the total available surface space while the rest of Namibia is covered by indigenous vegetation. By now everyone is hopefully aware that pollen is the primary cause of hayfever and a tiny population of people surrounded by huge tracts of pollen-spewing bush, savannah, veld almost twice the size of the areas inhabited by the population, makes for tough times for unlucky bodies allergic to pollen.
Secondly, Namibia roughly has 390 different species of grass (annual and perennial) which represent almost 10% of the total natural flora of our country. Ranging in height from 10cm above the surface to 90cm, our indigenous grass species occur throughout the country. It goes without saying that the amount of small pollen particles released by all the species of grass in a single season, namely Spring, will naturally result in itchy, sneezy and wheezy times for the unfortunate few. On the same topic, not only is the country blessed with fascinating varieties of grass, our Namibia also boasts an estimated abundance of more than 400 species of trees (ref. Tree Atlas of Namibia).
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Thirdly, the natural vegetation in Namibia is of a hardy, adaptive sort that makes use of what's available; as Spring approaches, the changes in temperature result in the movement of currents of air in the southern hemisphere; enter our fertile August-September winds. While the wind whistles eerily around the corners of a house, tugs mischievously at the roof, whips young trees about and whirls furiously as little dust-devils, the flora (grass, flowers, trees) across Namibia blooms alluringly, inviting the wind to sweep up, carry along and pollinate as far and wide as possible. Part and parcel of the bigger plan behind this magnificent process is collateral damage; our fertile winds pollinate even human eyes, noses, throats, sinuses and will settle uncomfortably in the Eustachian tubes.
Hayfever in Namibia is suffered silently and borne by the afflicted in good spirit. Hardly anyone stays at home or applies for sick-leave during this time. As a matter of fact, Namibians are so gungho and at home in the great outdoors, a sufferer of hayfever is often the first to volunteer for a hike through the bush in Spring, completely aware of her/his seasonal affliction. While everyone oohs and aahs around a two-hundred year-old, hoary-barked, majestic Erioloba acacia showing off its crown of round yellow blooms, and briefly contemplate on the brevity of human life, these magical moments could often be interrupted by the sounds of rhythmic sneezing, loud hoots into tissues, knocking noises from the backs of throats and watery eyes. We take it in our stride.
Please note allergic rhinitis (hayfever) is not actually a fever but an allergy with symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing and eye irritations. Most Namibians suffer from 'seasonal rhinitis' but there are those unfortunate enough to suffer from 'perennial rhinitis' throughout the year (allergens including dust). It has been noticed that concentration is severely affected by the onset of allergic rhinitis. The type of rhinitis (hayfever) common to Namibia is pollinosis for the aforementioned reasons. Antihistamines (in nasal sprays, eye-drops and syrups) offer the best relief to sufferers of hayfever and in severe cases, steroids are prescribed.
There's nothing one can do under the circumstances short of commanding hayfever sufferers to desist with inhaling the fragrant, Spring air which is naturally, saturated with pollen at this time of year. And, every single Namibian home has a homemade remedy to treat their afflicted. I've witnessed souls force-fed like ducks on a foie gras farm with honey potions rumoured to be 100% natural and containing pollen from the immediate vicinity. Eating honey is yummy on occasion but to do so every day under coercion is a challenge for anyone. The only thing to do is grin and bear it; wait for the season to pass, the winds to settle, for flowers to shrivel and fall softly to the ground, and all varieties of pollen no longer float about en masse through living-room windows, into bedrooms, to settle on cotton pillowcases, tissue boxes...it's no use, pollen is everywhere.
Our virulent strain of hayfever aside, Namibia is truly splendid in Spring.
Indulged by Mother Nature with buttery sunshine throughout the year, seamless aquamarine skies, lazy, breathtaking sunsets all shades of syrupy golds and burnt oranges, coupled with warm temperatures for eight (8) months out of twelve, it is only to be expected that we look forward to and welcome Spring with as much anticipation, excitement and fanfare as the Christmas holidays.
Winter, any Namibian will tell you, is a glum time of the year. Chilly evenings, cold nights, icy mornings with sudden temperature spikes at noon especially (betwixt twelve and two o'clock) make for seesaw emotions. Believe it or not, our tolerance levels for lower temperatures never seem to increase concomitantly; we're stubborn when faced with winter. A case in point: certain sensitive acquaintances often start the day mewling about the cold with perhaps an illustrative image or two attached to a Facebook post or an e-mail for emphasis. Next, they'll moan about the weather in general with a fervent wish for summer tossed in there somewhere and eventually, as the day progresses, will venture into petty politicking, as well. It's a seasonal thing with us, I suppose.
During summer, everyone's on a sun-kissed high. Namibian happiness is essentially a deep blue sky decorated with bilious dove grey clouds, obese with rain, pleasantly rumbling with thunder and the rich coppery fragrance of bush, soil and rain hanging thickly in the glittering air, while a rainbow saucily suspends itself wherever it fancies. All of the above are literally by far the best things since the first ice-cream was made in sunny Namibia; our national bliss materialised. Add to that a sparkling, blue swimming pool (chlorinated to perfection) gurgling happily in the sun, a few Windhoek Lagers resting on the middle shelf of the fridge or sweating gently in the cooler box, a great selection of cold meats, veggies and salads, a little bit of shade from a wide old tree, a hat, sunscreen and very light, inconvenient apparel (anything goes here really).
Yes, Spring the season of renewal, rejuvenation, dieting and exercise, body fur shaving (waxing, plucking, fervent depilation), marathon weddings, group baptisms, romance and love is joyfully welcomed in Namibia like a long lost lover but it can also be a harrowing period for persons predisposed to hayfever (allergic rhinitis). General-practitioners (GPs) know this to be the perfect time of year to reach for bright, glossy pamphlets on the latest in antihistamines while sufferers in doctors' anterooms hollow out creaky chairs, fretfully paging through tattered magazines, nursing itchy red eyes, shiny runny noses and scratchy throats. They hope for a miracle cure or at the very least, some type of relief.
Hayfever is a nasty affliction everywhere but in Namibia it may appear more vicious and prolonged. There are several good reasons why the situation is thus and the first is also the most obvious; our country is sparsely populated. A population of 2.2 million people occupy only 37.5% of the total available surface space while the rest of Namibia is covered by indigenous vegetation. By now everyone is hopefully aware that pollen is the primary cause of hayfever and a tiny population of people surrounded by huge tracts of pollen-spewing bush, savannah, veld almost twice the size of the areas inhabited by the population, makes for tough times for unlucky bodies allergic to pollen.
Secondly, Namibia roughly has 390 different species of grass (annual and perennial) which represent almost 10% of the total natural flora of our country. Ranging in height from 10cm above the surface to 90cm, our indigenous grass species occur throughout the country. It goes without saying that the amount of small pollen particles released by all the species of grass in a single season, namely Spring, will naturally result in itchy, sneezy and wheezy times for the unfortunate few. On the same topic, not only is the country blessed with fascinating varieties of grass, our Namibia also boasts an estimated abundance of more than 400 species of trees (ref. Tree Atlas of Namibia).
Thirdly, the natural vegetation in Namibia is of a hardy, adaptive sort that makes use of what's available; as Spring approaches, the changes in temperature result in the movement of currents of air in the southern hemisphere; enter our fertile August-September winds. While the wind whistles eerily around the corners of a house, tugs mischievously at the roof, whips young trees about and whirls furiously as little dust-devils, the flora (grass, flowers, trees) across Namibia blooms alluringly, inviting the wind to sweep up, carry along and pollinate as far and wide as possible. Part and parcel of the bigger plan behind this magnificent process is collateral damage; our fertile winds pollinate even human eyes, noses, throats, sinuses and will settle uncomfortably in the Eustachian tubes.
Hayfever in Namibia is suffered silently and borne by the afflicted in good spirit. Hardly anyone stays at home or applies for sick-leave during this time. As a matter of fact, Namibians are so gungho and at home in the great outdoors, a sufferer of hayfever is often the first to volunteer for a hike through the bush in Spring, completely aware of her/his seasonal affliction. While everyone oohs and aahs around a two-hundred year-old, hoary-barked, majestic Erioloba acacia showing off its crown of round yellow blooms, and briefly contemplate on the brevity of human life, these magical moments could often be interrupted by the sounds of rhythmic sneezing, loud hoots into tissues, knocking noises from the backs of throats and watery eyes. We take it in our stride.
Please note allergic rhinitis (hayfever) is not actually a fever but an allergy with symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing and eye irritations. Most Namibians suffer from 'seasonal rhinitis' but there are those unfortunate enough to suffer from 'perennial rhinitis' throughout the year (allergens including dust). It has been noticed that concentration is severely affected by the onset of allergic rhinitis. The type of rhinitis (hayfever) common to Namibia is pollinosis for the aforementioned reasons. Antihistamines (in nasal sprays, eye-drops and syrups) offer the best relief to sufferers of hayfever and in severe cases, steroids are prescribed.
There's nothing one can do under the circumstances short of commanding hayfever sufferers to desist with inhaling the fragrant, Spring air which is naturally, saturated with pollen at this time of year. And, every single Namibian home has a homemade remedy to treat their afflicted. I've witnessed souls force-fed like ducks on a foie gras farm with honey potions rumoured to be 100% natural and containing pollen from the immediate vicinity. Eating honey is yummy on occasion but to do so every day under coercion is a challenge for anyone. The only thing to do is grin and bear it; wait for the season to pass, the winds to settle, for flowers to shrivel and fall softly to the ground, and all varieties of pollen no longer float about en masse through living-room windows, into bedrooms, to settle on cotton pillowcases, tissue boxes...it's no use, pollen is everywhere.
Our virulent strain of hayfever aside, Namibia is truly splendid in Spring.
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