Title: Reflections after 1 month

 So this week I hit my one month mark. Crazy stuff. At first I
thought 1 month sounded SO LONG, but it has really flown by. One of
the volunteers is only here for a month and will leave tomorrow. I’m
definitely glad I am going to be here for longer. I want to be able to
teach the kids more than I have and really put in a lot of time to
this project and home. So, I have decided to write a blog on me, my
reflections and some exciting news after 1 month of being in Ethiopia.
    Ok, first me. I have been doing really well and I feel really good
about this experience so far. It started off difficult, but I am now
into a routine that I feel really good about. I know what I should be
doing and I know how to be the most helpful. Such a relief! At the
same time, I recently talked to my sister Laura and she encouraged me
to push myself. Now is the time where I can try new things and do
things that will be embarrassing/nerve-wracking/maybe not turn out at
all. A few of these things are: speak a full sentence of Amharic to
workers at the feeding center (more than just “how are you”), learn
more Amharic to speak to the cook at the home (she is amazing and I
want to tell her that!), go to the huge market by myself and bargain
for things, etc. The list isn’t finished yet, but I am excited to use
my time to push myself and really get a lot out of this experience.
    A few realizations I have had recently:
       -I graduated! Hahah I realize I did this back in December, but
it is really starting to hit me now. My friends are all back in
classes, taking tests, writing papers, and I’m not. It is also the
first time I haven’t been in school since I was… 3? 4? A long time.
Along with this comes the realization that my friends are all together
again. Although it makes me a bit sad, it leads me to my next
realization:
      -I am exactly where I should be! This is what I should be doing.
I love this program, I believe in the message and I really think I can
help. I signed up for 3 months because I was afraid any less wouldn’t
make a difference. I am starting to realize that my 3 months will make
an impact on these kids, which was my biggest goal of all.
   I think those are my major realizations, but I also have a few
exciting things to share. First, my mom is visiting me in March!!! I
really can’t wait for her to see everything here. We are first going
to do a trip to Kenya (that includes a safari-thing), that will be
really amazing. Then, she will be coming back to Addis with me to see
where I’m living, meet the kids, and maybe even volunteer at the
feeding center. I know she’s excited too and I’m glad that my time
abroad gives her an excuse to visit some new countries.
   The second piece of good news is much closer. We are getting 2 new
volunteers for February! I am super excited to have some fresh faces,
especially since one of the Peters is leaving. They are both girls and
will be arriving tomorrow or Monday (the 30th/31st). Yay! I am in
desperate need of some “girl talk” so I hope I get along with them.
Plus it will be nice to have roommates!
   So there are my thoughts after 1 month of this craziness. I am
constantly validated that I picked the right program to spend 3 months
in and I’m sure I will continue to be challenged.

VACATION! My weekend in Lalibela

 This weekend, The Peters and I
planned a trip to Lalibela. This is a small town in northern Ethiopia that is a huge tourist
attraction for the country. We planned to go there as a small “vacation” for
ourselves and it was everything we hoped it could be.

          In Lalibela, the attraction is the
churches. All carved into the sides of hills with stone, there are 11 churches
in the town of Lalibela
that were carved in the 12^th century. They replicate Jerusalem, and are a place
of pilgrimage for many Christians. Ethiopia has a large Christian
population, and the actual pilgrimage was rather daunting for people at that
time. We hired a tour guide (which was strongly recommended to us from all of
the books) and saw all 11 churches on Saturday. It was unbelievable! I am upset
that I can’t upload a few pictures (the internet here is way too slow), but I
would advise anyone to Google it if they get a chance. The guide books talk
about how if this was in any place other than Ethiopia, people would be flocking
to it from all over the world. As it is, the most “touristy” place in Ethiopia
is far from any other touristy place I’ve visited. We were still greatly
noticed as white people and still stood out everywhere we went. We did see many
other groups, mostly Europeans, but it was still a small town in Ethiopia.

          Along with seeing the great churches,
we got a few other commodities. HOT WATER! I took a hot shower for the first
time in over 3 weeks. We made sure our hotel had it and we were all excited. We
also indulged in Western food and restaurant eating. I got French fries (called
“potato chips”). It was awesome. Finally, we had an amazing chance encounter
with a few other tourists that led to an extremely eventful Saturday night.

          We were looking for a restaurant on
Saturday night for dinner, and we ran into two female travellers. They are both
originally from Israel,
but have both lived in the States at some point. They are travelling in Africa for 6 months and had just arrived in Lalibela. We
struck up conversation and pretty soon had a dinner invitation with them and a
Lithuanian couple they had met during their travels. Dinner was delicious and
super interesting! The Lithuanian man had been to 75 countries and told us many
stories about his experiences. He talked quite a bit about his travels in North Korea
and how different the culture and restrictions are.

          After dinner, we decided that we would
like to try tej, which is a honey wine that Lalibela is known for. The girls
called up a local they had met (friendly girls!) and he took us off the beaten
path to a small coffee shop. We were relieved to see a few other white faces as
we walked in, but it was hardly the highlight. As we walked into the big hut,
we saw traditional Ethiopian dancers! There was live music and dancing all
night, with many locals joining in. It was really amazing. The tej was alright
(more like juice than a wine), but the dancing was unbelievable. We all got up
and danced at points, but the real talent was the Ethiopian “shoulder dance.”
It is the traditional dance and it involves shaking your shoulders so they look
like they are popping out of their sockets. Youtube it maybe?

          So all in all, a great trip. It was
nice to get out of the house, see some cool things, meet some people and have
hot water! And it hailed on Saturday evening!!!! Crazy crazy.

Businessmen, chickens, babies and me all coming together

So today I witnessed a first: a boy
brought 2 live chickens into the taxi with him. I thought they were dead for
the entire ride (they only moved with the movement of the taxi), but when we were
leaving, they made a noise! I about had a heart attack. He held them by their
feet, upside down. I don’t know how this works to keep them quiet (or maybe
they were drugged?), but I had NO idea they were alive.

          From this experience, I thought it
might be cool to write a blog entry about the “taxis” we take to get into town.
The taxis are actually small buses/vans. Think of That 70’s Show. Those very
old school, hippy vans that are rounded on all sides. That is a “taxi.” They
fit 11-12 people, and are white/blue.

          Here is how it works. You are standing
on the side of the road. You can stand anywhere, or you could be walking along
the road. A taxi will pass and the “caller” (I don’t know what they are
actually called) will put his head out of the window and begin hollering where
the bus is going. The places he calls are the major stops. If you are going
that same direction, you nod and he hits the side of the van, signalling the
driver to stop. You get in and try to find a real seat. When the caller is not
yelling at someone, he will ask you for money (I have never seen a female
caller, or a female driver). It is cheap to ride these taxis. From my suburb
all the way to the Piazza of Addis, it is 4 birr, which is about 25 cents. This
is about a half hour drive total. However, halfway between my suburb and Piazza,
I have to get off of the van and find a new one that is calling “Piazza!
Piazza!” Although you can just be walking along, there are also a few major
stops, especially in Piazza or in the town half-way.

          I hope I didn’t confuse anyone with
that description. I ride these at least twice a week to get to the feeding
center. We take them all the way to Piazza and then walk about 15 minutes to
the center. But I think the most fascinating part about them is the fact that
EVERYONE rides them. It is not reserved for lower class or for commuters, it is
everybody! I really like being on a taxi that has a student, a very
wealthy-looking businessman, a baby and, maybe if I’m lucky, a boy holding two
live chickens.

          There are two other main forms of
public transportation. The first are HUGE buses, about the size of Greyhound
buses. These are cheaper than the taxis that I take, but they shove so many
people into them. The home where I’m staying prefers it if we don’t take these
because they can be unsafe, due to the amount of people. The last form is
“cabs,” which are the type of taxi we have in America; small blue/white cars with
a driver. The difference is that you negotiate your price with the driver. They
are notorious for ripping off tourists and it is advisable to not get into the
cab until you reach a fair price. From Piazza to my suburb would be closer to
150 birr (instead of 4). So although it is easier, it is not the most
economical way to get around.

           When I rode the taxis by myself last weekend,
I felt very accomplished. It is a very local thing to do, and I love knowing
where I need to stop, how much it should be, and when I need to switch taxis.
Definitely a sign that I am becoming a pro!

Those Sensitive to the Feeling of Animals: Don’t read on

Animal cruelty. Man, it’s crazy. I’ve only been here for a few weeks,
but I have definitely seen that this is a strong pattern. Individuals
raising animals will often walk them along the street, so you see
several herds of cows, goats, donkeys, etc while riding the taxis to
and from Addis. But this week I saw a very clear example that was hard
to watch.
I was standing outside of a bank in Addis waiting for another
volunteer to exchange money. You can always hear the animals and
owners before you see them. The sound of the whip is loud, so I knew
they were coming down the street, right next to me. I looked over and
saw a young boy whipping a goat. This is not new, but the shape that
the goat was in surprised me. It had lost a lot of its hair and could
barely stand on its own. The boy would whip it while it sat there
(unable to do much else), then the boy would give it a big kick to
move it a few inches. There were two other healthy goats walking with
them, who were just trying to stay out of the way of the whip. When
the goat still could not walk, the boy grabbed its front leg and began
dragging it down the street.
I have seen this before also. It’s hard to watch when the owners grab
the legs of the animals and start walking with them, and the animals
struggle to keep up. But this was also different; the goat could not
even keep up and was on its back/stomach, literally sliding along. The
boy would get the goat a few feet before stopping, whipping it,
kicking it, then dragging it again. I just sat there, unable to do
anything while they went down the hill and out of my sight.
It’s hard to pass judgement, when I realize that if this goat doesn’t
get to where it needs to be, this boy may not get paid, eat, etc for
the day. But it is also very hard to watch these helpless animals
constantly being bullied. Along these same lines, there is an
abundance of dogs here. Out of control. Apparently about half of them
have owners, while the others just wander the streets. To keep down on
the numbers, the city officials will poison meat and leave it out at
night. In some parts of town, in the morning you see dead dogs lining
the sides of the streets. Luckily I have only seen a few of these so
far, but it is sad. Again, I understand why the need to do it, but
it’s just not fair that the dogs are never really given a chance.
Alright, there it is my vegetarian entry. On the positive side (might
as well end on a high note), I am pretty sure I got complimented at
the feeding center this week. The woman in charge cheered when I came
in and then kept saying “Gobez” (good job) to everyone around us and
looking at me before I had done anything. I said thank you (in
Amharic) and she smiled. Good sign. Then she began talking to the
woman next to her about my clothes and shoes (I think…), so they lost
me again. Oh well, small victory! Yay!!

My Home in Asko, Ethiopia

So I thought I would take this blog to describe the place that is my
home for the next 3 months. The Mercy Ministry Happy Children’s Home
is in Asko, Ethiopia. This is just a small suburb on the outskirts of
Addis. The neighbourhood where I live has compounds all around, like
apartment buildings and is mostly residential. There is a school next
door that looks like two big apartment buildings and has TONS of kids
running in and out all day.
When you walk through the gates of the MMHCH, there is a small yard.
Sometimes my supervisor, Eyob, parks his car there, but in the absence
of his car it is the space for “play time” for the kids. The size… hmm
well I don’t think our Suburban could fit, or if it could, just
barely. There are clotheslines and a small metal shed to the side,
where the children use the restroom. Straight ahead is the children’s
classroom and sleeping areas. The classroom is small with a few tables
and desks. It has dry erase boards that we desperately try to keep the
kids from writing on with Sharpies. Attached there are two sleeping
rooms, one for boys and one for girls. They are filled with bunk beds
and tiny shelves for their clothes.
If you walk up a few steps, you are in the main hallway. In this part
of the house is where the director and his wife live (although they
are off doing missionary work right now, so Eyob is staying there).
There is a small living-room type area, and a room with their beds,
etc. The kitchen is also on this floor and is very quaint. There is a
refrigerator and a small stove. No oven, but somehow they make
delicious and interesting meals everyday (for over 20 people!)
Lastly (ok, I’m starting to bore myself) is the upstairs, where the
volunteers stay. On this floor there is a small day room that has a
table, a few benches and plenty of books. This is where the majority
of my free time is spent and all of our meals are eaten in this room
(just the three volunteers eat together). Also on this floor are the
two rooms for the volunteers (boys and girls) and two bathrooms.
Lastly, there is a small office where the employees of MMHCH do
administrative work.
Alright, that was pretty descriptive and I hope it gives you a good
sense of my home. There is running water, but there is not enough
pressure inside of the house for it to come out of any sinks or for
the toilets to flush (I have no idea how that works). So we use a pipe
outside to collect water and we manually flush the toilets, by pouring
water into the bowl to push everything down. Also, the toilets can’t
hand toilet paper, so we throw it all in the garbage. Makes the
bathrooms a bit smelly, but it is really nice to have a toilet! Also,
with no pressure there is no shower, so we engage in “bucket showers,”
which are exactly as they sound. They’re a bit cold, but nothing too
bad. Actually, I think one of my fellow volunteers hasn’t showered
yet, and we’ve been here for 2 weeks…
There is electricity, although sometimes it goes out. Apparently this
is a problem for all of Addis. I asked Eyob about new public
transportation, and he said that they were thinking of having a subway
system, but with the power outages, there was no way. I can’t even
imagine if a city in the US suddenly couldn’t have public
transportation because of a lack of electricity… (and Addis is just as
bustling with people).
Alright, this is it. I’m sorry for the length of this blog entry, I
always get bored reading other people’s long entries but since I’m not
near a computer a lot, I thought I would take advantage. Anyway, have
a great week everyone!

Ammeseganalo (Thanks!)

Lisa's computer is too slow....So Luke is posting it for her!

Salam! I’ve been in Ethiopia since Friday morning. The
first few days we used to rest, see Addis and go through orientation. We first
worked with the kids yesterday and it was so great! The language barrier is of
course a bit frustrating, but other than that it was really fun. They are so
cute and really eager to learn. There are 18 of them and they are between the
ages of 6-10. They live in this home for 1 year, where they are given an
education. That way, they can go to schools next year and be up to speed with
the other students. Most of these kids have been found through a women’s
shelter, and a few are from the streets. They call the house a “rehabilitation
center,” but it is more of a temporary lift up for the kids.

    This morning we
started by teaching the kids a bit more (yesterday we assessed what they
already knew and today we taught them “ch” “sh” and “th” sounds). It is pretty
difficult to teach when the kids all speak Amharic, but again, it works. A lot
of hand motions, crazy acting out and facial expressions. Which, is what I’m learning
is good for communicating with anyone here. You can really say a lot without
words.

  This afternoon we
came into Addis and did our first experience with the feeding center. It is
essentially a soup kitchen that serves 700 people every lunch. They do it in 4
separate rounds and it gets a little crazy. I spent time serving and folding
the njara (which is like a big pancake and the traditional food of Ethiopia). It
was actually really cool and I’m excited that we will get to be there twice a
week.

  Other than that, I
am still adjusting to the whole situation and my lack of contact with many
people. I am here with 2 other volunteers (both boys named Peter), which I am
really happy about. However, sometimes I want new people to talk to! I’m sure I’ll
get used to it or make new friends. We might be getting a new volunteer in
February (fingers crossed that it’s a girl).

Alright, that’s it for now. This internet is crazy slow and
I don’t want to keep the others waiting. Also, Merry Christmas! The Ethiopian
Christmas is this Friday, January 7^th. The largest religion here is
Christianity (followed closely by Islam), so it’s a big holiday.

Ciao!

ps. Lisa didn't mention this but she saw a monkey running around in her village!!!