This is the week’s first post thanks to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
I’m in Namibia, at an 11-room beach lodge called ‘The Burning Shore’ whose only claim to fame is that Brangelina booked it for 3 months this summer so they could have a baby.
Accommodating the celebs meant the hotel had to make a number of changes. One was letting go of almost all their staff (I guess they brought their own.) The other was that they removed the wi-fi.
From what I gather in speaking to management, the hotel was wired according to Brangelina’s needs and, when they left, they took their hardware with them leaving me unplugged in the desert (”Unplugged in the Dessert” - that’s a movie, who’s in?).
As Namibia (specifically Wallis Bay/Swakopmund which is the bit I’m in) is not the highest-tech place, blogging service might not be entirely consistent for another few days. Sorry, I’m working on it. Till I can persuade management of my dire need to surf porn I’ll be chewing billtong and walking on the beach (holding hands with myself).
More interestingly, being a very small hotel (sorry ‘Beach Lodge’) it’s possible to find a evidence of previous guests if you dig deep enough. I found a couple of slips of paper behind a trash can (you have to find some way to amuse yourself when there’s no web and you’re fifteen clicks from town) which might be evidence of the thoughts behind Angie and Brads decision to name their offspring Shiloh Nouvel…
It took me a while to decipher those notes so for those with less time:
Baby Names
(must be African sounding!)Girls:
Shiloh (Namibian - beautiful, simple, I love it.)Boys:
Tsepo (Xhosa - S.African)
Olajide (Yourba - Nigerian)Thoughts B?
Back soon, quick-meeting with Namibian UNICEF rep.
Which, assuming it was penned by Angelina, puts the following in the hands of Brad Pitt. While Jolie’s ideas show an understanding of, and love for, African culture Pitt seems less… polished? Here’s my best guess at the text:
COOL!
Girls:
Kellis
Oprah (fatclever
)
Hally (2 pale?)Boys:
Samuel L.
Shaft
BlackulaLove you Angee. Gone dirt sand biking.
PS. Madoks helped me wrote this