Date: February 20
(back-dated due to lack of internet)
Milestones;
Permagardening and Guacamole
Slow and often
nonexistent internet has left me with little communication back home over the
past few weeks, but all is well and wonderful here in Ethiopia. I am healthy and very happy. Each day I continue to learn so much, have
culturally enriching and eye-opening experiences, and my sense of normal is in
constant motion. An ice cold shower now
is (almost) normal, along with frequent
power outages, using a shint bet, passing donkeys, monkeys, and goats on the
way to and from class each day, and helping cook dinner on a charcoal stove.
Intensive language
class 20 hours a week has allowed to be able to now talk about myself and
friends/ family in terms of age, location, likes/dislikes and occupation. I can
also buy items from a store (suk) and fruits and vegetables from a suk. We had a mock language proficiency interview
last weekend, where we had to answer all sorts of questions in Amharic and have
a 15 minute conversation. A tricky part of the language is that there are also
different greetings for males, females, elders, and groups of people. It is exciting to be able to communicate more
and more with my host family, and to expand my vocab! I frequently tell my family members that they
are “Balamuya,” which translates as Pro (professional!), because they truly are
in every way. My host siblings have
picked up on it and we use it back and forth with each other. Those of you who
know me know “pro” is my favorite phrase, ad so I’m keeping the phrase strong
from across the world!!
A week of
permagardening 2 hours a day taught me the art of a “permanent garden”- 5x5
meters, strategically dug and designed, to capture the biblical rains of
Ethiopia, save it, utilize it, and provide healthy food for families. It is a manageable, close-to-home (literally
a few feet) solution to food insecurity, using only a simple tool; a hoe. We also learned how to create a compost pile
using all local materials, and are equipped with the knowledge to start doing
so when we get to our site in early April! Step one; collect brown material such
as dried tree leaves, teff straw, etc.. (as it will be the dry season) for our
compost pile. It was also quite the
spectacle for the town, to see 60 Peace Corps Trainees carrying hoes through
town!
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| Our permagardening group with the final product after a week of afternoon permagardening training! |
A really neat (one of
many, many) part of Ethiopian culture is the buna (coffee) ceremony. It is done 1-3 times a day, and it is a time
for talking, sharing and socializing.
Neighbors or friends are invited, and together drink 1-3 cups of buna
(the cups are small and called sinis).
The first is the strongest (fattest if you’ve read my earlier posts!),
and the second and third get progressively weaker, with the last being intended
for children. They start by washing the
green, unroasted coffee beans, then roast them over a charcoal fire, then grind
the roasted beans by hand using a metal stick and a wooden chalice/bowl, and
then pour water and ground beans into a gabana (the black, round Ethiopian traditional
coffee “pot”) and wait for it to boil.
An incredible flavor and also experience, as people share stories and
jokes, and laugh together. The
ceremonies can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours!
Long days where I am
always alert, physically and mentally, navigating new dirt roads, greeting kids
that eagerly run up to me and initiate a fist bump, visiting health centers,
and more, leave me feeling physically and mentally exhausted, but at the same
time it also leaves me feeling motivated and intrigued, as it stretches my
limits, tests me and makes me a stronger person. I have learned to really value personal and
alone time; about an hour a day to myself; journaling, going for a run,
reading; things that help me feel at peace.
One of our trainers
said that perhaps the biggest challenge of Peace Corps is to keep the peace in
ourselves amongst everything that is going on around us that is new and
changing and challenging and also exhilarating.
This truly is a challenge and something I’m working no daily, finding
newfound strength as I do so.
Recent Milestones:
1.
Built my
first tippy tap (an outdoor hand washing station, using two “Y shaped sticks”,
a straight shorter stick balanced in between with a jug of water attached, a
bar of soap on a string, and a bed of rocks to catch the water. An incredible contraption that can prevent
disease spreading and also diarrhea, a major killer in the 3rd
world.
2.
Hit the
half way mark in Pre-service training (PST); we swear in as PCVs in early
April!
3.
Ate my
first lunch where not one other person spoke any English; Amharic speakers only-
and was able to communicate, make jokes and laugh!
4.
Ate
spaghetti using only injera as a utensil and my right hand.
5.
Survived
my first bout of stomach illness (what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger)
6.
Along with
12 other PCTs (and pro Ethiopian children and men) I built a shint bet and hand
washing station for a primary school.
7.
Taught two
90 min classes (via a wonderful translator) to 5th grade Ethiopian
students; the first topic being role models, the second being good
communication skills.
8.
Drank my
first cup of salted coffee; I was expecting it was to be with sugar and so it was a bit of a surprise, and it was also in
someone’s house who I did not know, and therefore I had to use my nonexistent
acting skills and act natural (Alex, you know how good I am at this, ha.)
9.
Cooked “American”
food with Jesse, one of my wonderful friends and fellow Peace Corps Trainees. We made burritos; guacamole, modified refried
beans and all! And by burritos I mean that we didn’t have time to make
tortillas so we used bread, but it still was delicious… We also made Tortilla Espanola (sliced
potatoes and egg)! We discovered that logistically it is a bit tricky to cook,
due to lack of space, utensils and a sink, etc.. but we feel confident that
once at our sites we will get the hang of it slowly but surely!
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| The final product! |
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| Cooking Tortilla Espanola! |
In times where I am
feeling down and discouraged, I remember my purpose and why I chose to do Peace
Corps; I am here to learn from the people, build relationships, learn something
about myself, and to discover what I truly value. It can be easy to overlook these as the days
are packed full and the challenges are continuous, but I feel constantly
reminding myself is a way to stay on track and make the most of my experience!
Stay tuned, as this
coming Thursday I will find out my site placement, which is the rural place I
will live for the next two years! I will then travel there for a week starting
next Saturday; they say first impressions are everything, especially here…. Wish
me luck!
I miss you all; thanks
for your love and support!
