After a year of living in what I would lovingly describe as an Ethiopian starter home, I decided I needed a change. My old place served its purpose well. It was close to my school, had some lovely shops near it, and lead to some good laughs. But there were just too many things I did not like about it to stay there another year. I could not have handled another year of sharing a shint bet with up to 15 people, having strangers stare into my room as I simply watched a movie, or.. how shall I put this... sharing a thin wall with a female entrepreneur who worked from home.
So I moved into what I would argue is the best living situation in all of Peace Corps Ethiopia. Sure I do not have a spare bedroom, western toilet, or hot shower. But it is still the best. I now live in a compound that only has four other residents: a mom, a dad, and their two daughters. I am the fourth Peace Corps volunteer who has lived on the compound, which means they are totally unimpressed by my forenji-ness. There is a wonderful sense of family here that I have been missing for the last year. I drink coffee and eat with the family several times a week. I help the little girls with their English homework. I watch Ethiopian dramas with my landlady. They have a hot shower I am free to use whenever I wish (in fact, last time I asked to use it, they looked at me like I was being silly and said, "We are family. This is your home too.") To summarize, it is perfect. Absolutely perfect.
My adorable little patio. The rooms I live in are free standing, meaning I do not get woken up in the morning by loud neighbors. I have used the table and chairs a few times, but I am really looking forward to the end of rainy season. It will become a delightful place to read, play cards with friends, or play with the kids.
My front room. This is where I spend most of my time because it is where the food and TV are (that's right, I have a TV now. I thoroughly enjoy just melting my brain with some MTV). I still have my comfy bench and a new spare bed. I can actually have people over at my house and offer them a place to sit! The doorway leads into my bedroom...
This was my attempt at a 360 view of the room. Like before, I have tons of pictures up on my walls, along with all the cards I have received over the last 16 months. I opted to have a mosquito net this time around. It is nice to fall asleep with a little piece of mind knowing that no critters can get me.
And finally, people seemed really interested last time around, my shint bet. There are some amazing features I'd like to point out. First, the door does not close. Really Laura, that is a good thing? Yep, it never smells, I do not have to touch anything, and the rain washes it out for me. Secondly, I am pretty much the only one who uses it. You know you have been in Peace Corps too long when you brag about having your own private hole in the ground. The family has a western toilet they usually use. But every once in a while, someone uses it. Which leads to amazing feature number three, there is a water tap in the shint bet. What does that mean!?! Well, it means hypothetical reader, that there is no excuse for people to not clean up after themselves. It is always clean in there and that is all you can really want in a shint bet.
If you want to see more, feel free to come visit!
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