Milestones; Permagardening and Guacamole

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!

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 3^rd 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 5^th 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!

The final product! 

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!

Home Sweet Home; Kas ba Kas

Home Sweet Home, Kas ba Kas

Note: I might suggest a cup of coffee (bunna) to help you get through this blog; sorry it is a bit lengthy; too much to say!  Sorry about my lack of communication; internet/wifi is virtually nonexistent except at one hotel, but it doesn’t work there because everyone tries to use it/bombards it…. Que sera, sera….

To start off with two highlights from yesterday; lunch with my host family was delicious; injera with shiro wot (chickpea stew), siga wot (meat stew), and atkilt (potatoes, carrots, onions).  During lunch, the song Gangham Style, Ethiopian version in Amharic, came on the TV. My entire family proceeded to start doing the dance.; yes THE dance as in PSY.  I learned that my Dad used to be a professional dancer and he showed me some moves and was thoroughly excited as I tried to mimic them!  Dinner was equally a good time, as I “Gorsha-ed” aka fed each of my family members and two Ethiopian friends injera and shiro wot, using only my right hand.  It is very hard to gather injera and wot (stew) and make it into a neat mouthful of food using only one’s right hand, and then gracefully place it in each person’s mouth (all the while not spilling the liquid stew on them or you!).  After a few times I started to get the hang of it, but my family and I definitely all got quite the kick out of it!  Gorsha is frequently done in homes, between friends and family!

I have been in Butajira for about six days now, and already I feel so at home.  My host family is truly wonderful, and from the first day and first moment, they opened their home, heart and arms to me.  As someone who is independent and likes feeling self-sufficient, it has been hard to have people constantly cooking and cleaning for me, serving me, and always asking and making sure I have everything I need.  This is complicated by the fact that because of the language barrier I feel I can’t truly express my gratitude. However, I help out when I can, by stirring shiro wot, chopping onions, grinding coffee by hand, sorting grains, watering plants, and helping my sister with her studying.  Powerful bonding experiences that can be done even with the language barrier.  The smile on my parents face when I see something I can help with and proceed to do so, such as walking around to each family member with the hand-washing bowl before a meal is priceless.  They shout “Gobez!!!” with gusto!

Grinding coffee (buna) by hand with my sister! (It is quite the arm workout and requires a lot
of coordination and concentration!

The first Saturday morning in Butajira went as follows; while my host Dad did the laundry, beneath the three huge avocado trees (Dad in the U.S.; you would be very impressed with these shade trees! To get any sun we have to go out the front gate into the dirt path/street! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that both of your names start with Z!), my host brother and sister were helping to run the store that my family owns where they sell practically everything- from vegetables and eggs to coal and combs.  My mom was in the front of the house under the avocado trees cooking all morning starting at 3 am (which is really 9, because Ethiopian time adds 6 hours to US time.. to add to the confusion that is in place since it currently is 2007 here).. My mom made 100+ injera, and does every day; some are for us to eat and some are to sell at the store.  Fresh, hot-off-the press injera with Ethiopian spices sprinkled on for a snack , shared with my sister after class/school is beyond delicious and is something I won’t forget.

As the youngest of four children growing up in the states, it has been a great and new experience to now be the oldest of four kids (my siblings are 15, 10, and 9 months). Although I’m the oldest child in my Ethiopian family, I feel as if I’m the youngest because of how nurtured and cared for I am. They cook and serve me meals, help hang my mosquito net, and make sure I always have enough to eat and drink.   Through my sister as a translator, my parents always are asking me if I want more bread or injera, if I want coffee, if my water filter is working, etc..

My two brothers are always smiling and make each day a great adventure!

Connecting with each of my family members and making jokes together has been very special and fun; there is something wonderful about finding the connection of laughter and humor across languages and cultures.  Example: my host sister was translating something my mom said to me (because my sister is the only one who speaks English in my house), and it translated as “Hanny (what my host family calls me) is your coffee fat?”  My sister and I looked at each other and were laughing so hard, and as it was translated back to my mom, she joined in the laughter! Turns out what was lost in translation was this questions “Hanny is your coffee strong?”  Speaking of that, if you followed my suggestion at the beginning of the blog and have a cup of coffee; is it fat? 

A typical day in PST (Pre-Service Training):

• ·      Wake up at 6 am
• ·      Go for a run (running among an African sunset is magical)
• ·      Take an ice cold (I mean ice cold) shower in the shint bet (the bathroom- aka a 3 inch by 3 inch hole in the ground).  My language teacher (who is PRO, says that after a few months I will prefer a cold shower… I’ll keep you posted on that front..)
• ·      Eat a delicious and fresh breakfast; based on the day it will be dabbo (bread) with peanut butter and banana, egg fir fir (various veggies and eggs mixed up) with injera, or injera fir fir (Ethiopian spices mixed with injera), and shai (tea)
• ·      Walk to language class right around the corner from my house, which lasts between 4 hours.
• ·      Lunch break at home, followed by a bunna (coffee) ceremony; 3 small cups of strong coffee with sugar, carefully prepared.  This is a huge and very important part of the Ethiopian culture
• ·      4 hours of class related to health topics
• ·      Walk home from 5:30 to 6 pm, where there is an hour before it gets dark
• ·      Homework time, play games (cards, drawing, rock paper scissors) with my brother, help my sister at the shop and to take care of my baby brother, talk with family and help with chores
• ·      We eat dinner around 9 pm as a family (and sometimes friends/neighbors join, as a very important and prominent part of the Ehtiopian culture is sharing). Enibla: “let’s eat” is frequently heard!  They are so open and welcoming and inviting!  I think I am slowly getting the hang of eating using only my right hand and no utensils!  Some remnants have been dropped in my scarf, but my Dad looks at me and says “Chigger yeullum!” aka “No problem!”
• ·      To wrap up the evening I do some yoga, journaling, and then brush my teeth and wash my face in a bucket in my which I then dump outside on the cement.

Slowly but surely I have found a routine, and could not be happier.  I know these next few weeks will be exhausting and packed very full, but learning more and more about the Ethiopian culture is so rewarding and eye opening, and it has only been 2 weeks! I am excited to learn more Amharic so that I can be able to communicate more with my family and integrate further. As they say in Ethiopia; kas ba kas (little by little)…

New Surroundings

 1.5 weeks in, and I have had the opportunity to participate in Timket (the celebration of Epiphany in Ethiopia; a wonderful time  embracing a new culture and religious traditions, successfully (mostly successfulat least) did 2 loads of laundry in the shower, have played soccer with local children (who are so full of life- you can’t not be happy and feel full when surrounded by these children, speaking Amharic and English, taking photos, and kicking a soccer ball, mango or water bottle.  Finally, I have found myself falling in love with Ethiopia.  This was a piece of advice I got before I came; fall in love with Ethiopia as soon as you can, because when you're in love with someone or something it is easier to forgive the little things.

*Cultural note about Timket;  the night before (on Sunday evening of last week), the replicas of the Ark of the Covenant are paraded out of all of the churches, under magnificent, colored velvet umbrellas, down by the river.  People line the streets and parade through the streets with beautiful white clothing, as children are singing, chanting and clapping.  The replicas stay there overnight and then in the mornings,  there is a large celebration of chanting, singing, a sermon (all of this is in Amharic) and then at the end there is dousing with holy water.  It was so powerful to be a part of this experience.  As ferenji’s we (a group of 13 PCVs who went together) had the opportunity to stand right in front of the main “stage” where the religious leaders and men were standing and where the sermon was being spoken from and also where the holy water was sprayed from.  Standing for four hours without knowing when it would end was a bit challenging, and also being up front and center  but it was worth every minute and every hour, as the religious leaders talked with us after and shared how excited they were that we participated in this important part of their culture.  Truly an experience I will not forget.

Part of the beautiful Timket procession: Notice the incredible clothing and umbrellas!

Playing soccer and taking photos with the fun, and vibrant kids in Addis Ababa!

Things that I have discovered/observed so far;

1.     Ethiopian people are so genuine and kind; always offering to help, or assisting us in practicing Amharic, or bringing us chairs to sit in as we are sitting on the floor talking.  So kind-hearted.

2.     Ethiopia is so diverse in terms of landscape; beautiful pictures I’ve seen from previous volunteers of the four main regions; Lakes, Mountains, green jungle-like areas and more!

3.     Running has gotten immensely easier, but I am looking forward to going down a bit in elevation and away from the city smog.  I will miss seeing the magnificent African Union building on the city line while running, though.

4.     The food is delicious, diverse, and so flavorful.  In case you were wondering if it is a myth; yes, they really do eat injera a lot, practically at every meal. Luckily it is very nutritious and delicious.

The 10 days in Addis flew by, with each day packed full with a morning run, 8 hours of class/sessions on various topics, two bunna (Coffee) breaks, hour-long lunch breaks, evening soccer and/or teaching yoga class to PCVs, going out to dinner or fresh avocado or mango juice (best I’ve ever had. So great.), talking with other volunteers or playing games, and then journaling and winding down for the evening.  While it has been extremely busy, stressful at times, and a lot of change, I have already learned so much; about myself, about Peace Corps, about Ethiopia, about the health sector I’ll be working in, my host family, about Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) and about the fellow volunteers who I am getting to know more and more, each of us from a very different background and with our own unique stories, but seeing the common thread that led all of our paths to a common ground, PC Ethiopia.  It’s truly incredible.

Tomorrow I will meet and move in with my host family, where I will live until early April.  I am feeling extremely excited, as well as nervous, because I can’t wait for this culturally enriching experience but am nervous because of the language barrier and difference in culture.  I am embracing it all.  I am taking it day by day though, and have found that this is the only way to do it.  Practicing and teaching yoga have taught me to be in the present moment, and this I am truly carrying with me through my PC Journey.  The internet situation is unknown for now, but I will have very limited access if any, and so a note to all; no news is good news! I will be thinking about all my wonderful family and friends and support network back home, and I thank each of you who are reading this blog.  I feel your constant love as I am embarking on this endeavor!

A quote as food for thought, that nicely sums up how I am feeling;

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.” –Rumi

I can’t wait to see the person I am becoming and will become.

Bunna: The Small Things.

Bunna: The Amharic word for coffee. Each mid morning and afternoon of training (which is carefully and wonderfully scheduled down to every hour by a color coded chart provided by Peace Corps), we have a 30 minute bunna break.  At this time, the volunteers gather outside of the hotel and enjoy shai (tea), bunna (coffee) and an assortment of savory and sweet delicious treats prepared for us. Sometimes, a group of volunteers with go for a short walk during these breaks and see; locals with little shoe polishing stations set up on the sidewalk (not at all like the DIA shoe polishers), many local dogs roaming the sidewalks, beautiful trees, the busyness of the big city, and perhaps (or definitely) some smog.  It is very prevalent here, with older cars exacerbating the issue. However this doesn't take away from the charm the city has. After a full day of sessions ranging from safety and security training, language class, Ethiopian history and more, there is time to teach a yoga class to some fellow volunteers before dinner at King's Hotel.  Injera (the spongy bread made from teff) is always served, along with a delicious array of items, served buffet style.  The servers are all extremely kind and enjoy hearing us practicing our Amharic as we order an "Ambo" aka sparkling water, and greet the servers by saying "Selam naw," which means hi how are you?

Let me back up and tell you about the hotel: King's hotel is the nicest non-ferenji hotel in Addis.  Ferenji hotels, with ferenji being amharic for foreigner, are like the Sheraton, which is even fancier that US hotels.   The King's Hotel is quite nice though, with hot showers, a cute little balcony, and twin beds with mismatched and colorful comforters.  There have been no spider or bug incidents,, yet...  We are advised to lock our expensive belongings when leaving the room however, as a precaution.  

Each morning so far (3 days and going strong), I have gone for a run at about 615 am with  1-4 other fellow volunteers.  It is still dark out, and so dressed in full length running leggings and dri-fit t shirt (to be conservative and culturally appropriate with attire), I meet other volunteers (including Tim a health volunteer from NH and Jane and Trevor a couple from Missouri), in the lobby of the hotel and venture out on a run; a 4.5 mile loop that a previous volunteer helped us map out.  A few points to make about running here: 1) We are at almost 8,000 feet in Addis.  2)There is a lot of pollution.  3) There are significant rolling hills.  4)It is incredible to run here, a place where distance running is so prominent.  The run was equal parts challenging and exhilarating.  Our lungs were burning, but it was so great to get to see different parts of Addis and to get our bodies moving after the long flight and hours of sitting and absorbing a lot of information.  We saw about 30 other local people out running!! We even saw a group of about 10 people, perhaps a sports team, doing pushups, situps, and plyometrics on the sidewalks.  We didn't even get any weird looks-- that we saw :) 

The weather during the day is PERFECT here by the way-- about 73 and sunny, with a cool breeze; seriously the most wonderful temperature!  

This experience is helping me to realize that it is the small things in life: The small things like a 3 year old Ethiopian girl passing me on the sidewalk and reaching out to squeeze my hand with a huge smile on her face, watching the vibrant pink and orange sunrise over Addis Ababa while finishing a morning run, being unplugged from technology, great conversations with the diverse, and incredible group of fellow volunteers, and last but not least, bunna. Ethiopia is blessing me each day in unexpected ways and I look forward to the days, weeks and months to come! But for now, I will focus on a piece of advice given by a PC staff member: "Take it one day at a time, and remember that you are the author of your own PC adventure and service." Let the writing begin.....

<3 H.

Two of the other incredible volunteers: Ciera and Elaine, with the city surrounding us, balcony style.

An additional simple thing: seeing donkeys casually carrying heavy loads down a mountain.