Things I've Learned While Bored

·      The human body can withstand an entire jar of Nutella with no ill-lasting affects.

·      It is okay to talk to yourself if you just need to have a nice conversation in English for a change

·      You can dribble a soccer ball in a 6-foot circle for roughly 90 minutes before realizing what has happened

·      It is possible to time travel. If you stare at a wall just right, hours will fly by.

·      You can be envious of Bill Murray in Groundhogs Day because at least he has amenities.

·      Making sound effects while doing the dishes makes it fun

·      You can kill approximately 17 seconds by counting all your teeth with your tongue

·      You can never sweep your floors too much

·      When walking around town, any Roots album goes along perfectly with the flow of people, vehicles, and animals

·      Based upon my singing and dancing abilities while alone in my room, I’m pretty sure I should have been a rockstar. All I’m lacking is musical ability, songwriting prowess, and general talent.

·      If you walk around long enough, someone will invite you to coffee

·      It is not always a good idea to take a coffee invitation just because you’re craving coffee

·      Insanity workouts make the day go by roughly 14% faster.

·      The longer you can sleep in, the less time you have to find a way to kill

·      It is impossible to be unhappy while making tortillas

·      Once every two weeks, a majority of children seem to have a “scream day”. All they do is scream. Happy or sad. Excited or lethargic. They just scream.

·      Sitting with your vegetable lady not only increases her business, but also is just a pleasant time

·      If you order one drink, they will never kick you out of a café

·      The maximum I can read is about three hours at a time

·      I have yet to find the maximum amount of time I can watch movies and TV shows without tiring.

·      When a fellow volunteer starts a phone conversation “Hey (three second pause), how’s it going?” it means they are just as bored as you. And that in less than an hour, neither of you will have minutes left on your phones

·      If you think someone back home may be awake in the middle of the night for some odd reason, they are not.

·      Waking someone up back home with a surprise call is only appreciated during the first three months of a Peace Corps service.

·      Number of times going to the post office does not increase the number or letters or packages.

·      Whether it is the best day of Peace Corps or the worst, it will end in a matter of hours. Keep some perspective  

Computer, America can make you bigger, stronger, faster!

My mid-service trip back to America came and went. It was a wonderful time filled with all the things I have missed over the last 14 months. I ate an embarrassing amount of food yet felt no shame about it. I spent time with family and friends. I met seven kids that have some claim to call me aunt (or will when they can speak). And I spent countless hours playing with The Colonel*  

But the most important thing I did, in terms of the duration of my service, was getting my computer fixed. If I may be cheesy for a second, I would like to give a huge thanks to my parents. I would not have been able to get my computer working without their help. They are the greatest parents a kid could ever ask for and while it’s impossible to send a new computer to Ethiopia because of taxes and such, I feel like had I asked them to, there is a serious chance they would have flown halfway around the world to hand deliver one.

Anyways, I am thrilled to have the computer back and I have a long list of topics to write about. I want to finally post pictures from Fasika (aka, the greatest Peace Corps weekend), show off my new place, recount my adventures in a strange land call America, and brag about the summer camp nine Peace Corps Volunteers and myself put on. But for now, I thought I would answer some of the most commonly asked question during my visit home. So, sorry for the hiatus, I’ll try to make up for it!

Do you like it there?

Yes, I love it there actually! Annoyingly, about 50% of the time, my response was followed up with the person asking “Really?” Ethiopia is an amazing place. It is not the most romantic of destinations in Africa and you wont see safari animals here. But if you ever get the chance to visit Ethiopia, take it. I have completely fallen in love with this country. There are things I disagree with and drive me crazy, but the culture, people, food, landscape, and history more than make up for it. 

How hot is it?

Ethiopia has an extremely diverse climate. A region in the northeast of the country called Afar averages the hottest year round temperature in the world. Towns along the mountain ranges can be painfully cold. I personally have gone to the town of Bekoji, about 45 minutes away from Asella, slept in four layers of clothes with three blankets and still been cold*.

But, when people ask me this question, I assume they mean where I specifically live. Asella has a wonderful “weather condition”. Throughout the year, the temperature ranges from 60-75 degrees. A majority of the time, you are looking at cozy cocoa weather.  The seasons are opposite from America. The rainy season is usually June-September (though this year it started in March and has not quit). October- February is the hottest time where it can get to be a sweltering 75 degrees. March-May is ordinarily cool with a little rain here and there.

What is the food like?

Fantastic. I have made no attempt to hide how much I love Ethiopian food. You are on the Internet right now reading this blog. Instead of reading my ramblings, use your favorite search engine to find the nearest Ethiopian restaurant. Turn off your computer, and go there. Why are you still reading this?

Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed your meal! Ethiopian cuisine is perfect for a vegetarian, vegan, or carnivore. There are a lot of lentils, chickpeas, and veggies cooked for hours with onions, garlic, and spices. Chicken, goats, sheep, and cows are commonly eaten, especially on holidays. But if you really want to know about the food, go find some.

What do you do at your school?

My official Peace Corps title is Primary School Teacher Trainer. My aim is to work with the teachers at various elementary schools in the area to develop and improve their English and methodology skills.

What do you actually do at your school?

I hang out a whole lot. I drink tea with teachers everyday. There is not a lot of interest in formal trainings, so most of the work I do has a pretty informal feel. Last year, I was able to accomplish some stuff I am proud of and hopefully the upcoming year will be the same.

I have a weekly club with teachers at my school where we practice speaking English in various ways. I also try to sneak some methodology training in there. For example, we practiced reading aloud to work on reading skills, pronunciation, and public speaking. I picked sections from the textbook for them to practice and then successfully bullied them into read aloud to their classes more often. Through this club, I also set up a Pen Pal program between teachers in Ethiopia and teachers in America. Both groups seemed to really enjoy it, so hopefully that will continue.

I observe and co-teach with teachers as often as possible. While schooling in Ethiopia has come a long way in recent years, there is still a tendency to have the kids silently work all period. I try to push teachers to include more active learning techniques in their lessons and support them in any way possible.

Last year, I had an English club for students, but it was not very successful. I was not excited or motivated to run the club and I think the students read that and as a result, they were not excited or motivated. A teacher from my school and myself were trained on a new program to Ethiopia called Grassroots Soccer. It uses soccer as a vehicle to teach kids about HIV and its prevention. I am pretty excited about it and look forward to devoting a lot of time to an important cause/program.

What is your average day like?

My average day during the school year starts at 8:30 or 9:00. I wake up, cook/eat/clean up breakfast, and arrive at school a little before the teachers’ 10:00am tea break. During the tea break, I will set up whatever I am doing that day. If I am observing a teacher, I will find him or her. If I am running a club, I will pimp it out to everyone. If I am doing nothing, I’ll just hang out and guilt the teachers into practicing English. Once I have finished the day’s task at the school, I will either go home or to a café for lunch. The post-lunch coffee is a daily requirement at this point. From there, I will either go back to school to work with another set of teachers, or do stuff around town. In the evening, I’ll cook dinner, try to weasel my way into a dinner invitation, or go out with friends. If I am out, I leave wherever I am by 9:00pm so as to avoid a run in with a hyena.

It is a pretty relaxed schedule but it often changes without notice. It is not abnormal to get to school to find out I am leading a training I know nothing about. Or, equally as likely, there is no school that day. Some days I will not go to school at all, others I will be there from 7:30-4:30. It took a while to adjust to the inconsistency, but I’ve grown to love the fact that every day is an adventure.

What is the religion?

Again, Ethiopia is fairly diverse but I will assume people want to know specifically about my town. The majority of Asella is Ethiopian Orthodox. There are also many Protestants and Catholics. The number changes depending on who you ask, but I would guess Asella has a Christian population of about 65%. The remaining 35% of the population is Muslim. These two groups coexist in Asella happily. Muslims will go to their neighbor’s house for Christian holidays and Christians will go their neighbor’s house for Muslim holidays. Though that is not the case for all people and all towns in Ethiopia, this has been my experience.

What animals are in Ethiopia?

I would not recommend coming to Ethiopia for a safari. As the country has developed, animals like lions and hippos are becoming rare. Ethiopia has many bird species from what I hear. There is the Ethiopian wolf that is kind of a big deal. There is some sort of wildcat that lives in the mountains of Bekoji and I would imagine throughout the region. There are various types of primates. All over the country there are hyenas and that’s terrifying. In my time in America, I learned there is a misconception about hyenas. The Lion King painted a very inaccurate picture. Hyenas are huge. My head could fit in their jaws. They are the size of donkeys. They will absolutely kill and eat a person without much trouble. But yeah, Ethiopia doesn’t exactly have a sexy collection of animals. 

Are you glad you went there?

Completely. A common Peace Corps slogan is “The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love”. The past year has been, without question, the hardest of my life. But the past year has also probably been the best. I have met people, seen things, and accomplished goals I will forever take pride in. Relationships with people back home have grown and become stronger. I have been stretched and change in irreversible ways. Simply put, I am a happier and stronger person for my time here.

*The Colonel

*In fairness, I am a wussy when it comes to the cold. And heat. It is a really good thing I ended up in Asella now that I think about it.

One Year 9,000 Miles From Normal

“The years go fast but the days go slow” – Random Modest Mouse Song Of Which I Do Not Remember The Name

I am very aware that I have been in Ethiopia a long time. My relationships and language skills show it. The dirt impossible to remove shows it. The new wrinkles caused by a harsh Ethiopian sun and lifestyle show it. And picture of nephews and a niece I’ve never met definitely show it. But now that I have reached that unfathomable year mark, it’s as if I just woke up and I am suddenly here. The days have all begun to blur into a haze that somehow add up to this: halfway done with an experience I am still surprised I embarked on.

There will be celebrating with my fellow G7 volunteers; it is what we do best. After all, we deserve it: ten people in our group were unable to make it to this point for various reasons. But no joyous celebrating can match the feeling inside. I made it a year living in a country I had never been to, surround by complete strangers. Yet not only did I make it though, I thrived and somehow managed to enjoy most of it. I am confident I set myself up to succeed in Year 2. I have plans I am excited about, but more importantly, I have confidence that the hard work and time I put in this last year is about to pay off. My role is set and now I just get to follow through.

To commemorate this special time of my service, I give you the top 5 moments of Year 1 (with some other moments I just could not leave out):

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Any time I am alone at my house and “Me Party” from The Muppets soundtrack comes on

• Here are the lyrics http://www.lyricsreg.com/lyrics/the+muppets+ft.+miss+piggy/Me+Party/.  I cannot help but have a solo dance party whenever I hear this song. In fact, if one song could summarize my Peace Corps experience, here it is.

Any time I get a letter or package from home

• Nothing can quickly turn a day around like a letter or package from home. Packages are great because America is awesome and stuff from there is the best. I love candy and bacon product and cheese and magazines and photos and and and everything else. But most days, it is the thoughtful stuff that makes me the happiest. Whether it is a letter, a birthday/Christmas card, or something thoughtful in a package (my Uncle Bill is king of this), those are the little things that remind me of the love and support you fine folks give me. It is impossible to not feel out-of-sight, out-of-mind when I go on Facebook and see that, predictably yet sadly, the world goes on without me. But every letter and package is a boost that shows I am still in people’s mind and I am by no means forgotten.

Any phone conversation with Joe Whelan

• Something unfortunate (or glorious) happens when two people who are both talkative and can BS for hours have to call each other. Joe Whelan and I have had exactly one short conversation during our first year here. And it was followed up with him calling me back to say, “Really, 2 minutes? That was weird.” He doesn’t have a site mate and I’m not used to so much time isolated from anyone whom it is easy to communicate with. The result is long conversations about absolutely nothing. My favorite part about these phones calls is how they end. We always seem to come full circle and even if we have more to say, the call ends there. For example, a few days ago, towards the beginning of the conversation, we started talking about lines. I like them because they mean order and he likes them because even in that order, there can be chaos (seriously, I cannot stress how useless these calls are). An hour later, we started talking about different kinds of triangles (specifically obtuse and equilateral). Boom! Geometric full circle. The call was done and we hung up.

Feeling at home in Asella

• As mentioned in a pervious post, it takes a really long time to feel at home here. It was not until I had lived in Asella for about six months that I started feeling comfortable. But when it happened, it happened rather quickly. I know most of the names of the teachers at my school, and, more importantly, they know me and my role as a Peace Corps volunteer. The people on my compound have finally realized that I am boring. They no longer laugh when I speak the local language or peer into my window as I cook or exercise. When I walk down the street, people call out my name and say hi (in fact, far too many people know my name. I accidentally ignored my site mates until they yelled, SCHICKLING! one time). Children understand that I am not going to give them money and have begun happily settling for a quick conversation and fist bomb. Other volunteers can tell when they enter my “turf” because all the kids run up to them, fist in the air, waiting to blow it up. I truly feel like part of the community, which was one of the main reasons I joined Peace Corps.

When my sook started letting me buy stuff on credit

• Fifteen yards from my house, there is a little shop (or sook) I go to at least once a day. Often multiple times a day. The sooks owner knows me pretty well. We’ve had some times together. I love playing with his daughters. He loves the business the mere sight of me brings to his shop. We’ve made tortilla chips together in his deep fryer. As far as I am concerned, making tortilla chips with someone seals a lifelong bond. Starting a few months ago, if I bought something that was less than 20 birr (or if he was busy), he would tell me to just pay next time. While this may not sound like much, it was a great feeling. In this country, my skin color means that I will be overcharged. For everything. Nearly every time. I have to argue and barter to pay the same price as Ethiopians. It is exhausting and frustrating to say the least. So to have someone who does not abide by “forengi price” (that is an actual term here), and instead treats me like any other person is an unbelievable boost. Plus, it was a nice sign that people are starting to understand that I am here to stay for a while.

TOP FIVE:

5. Worms and all their glory!

• As some of you may know, I had worms in my belly about two and a half months ago. So why on Earth does having worms make the Top 5!?! Because every single aspect of it was hilarious. It all began when I went to dinner with three friends. Nearly two weeks later, I got a call from one of them saying he had worms and I probably do too. Two days later, another of the three called to say the same. Well, that is not exactly right. As I was talking to someone in the room with her, I heard yelling in the background, something to the effect of, “Oh dear god, oh dear god. This is awful, I feel so violated, oh god!” Sure enough, it turned out I had them as well, which led to me sending perhaps the best text message I will ever send in my life, “Laura Schickling, forever unclean! I’ve got company”.  I got the name of the medicine to kill them, went to pharmacy, paid 75 cents for a three day cycle of antibiotics, and that was that. I thought I ought to let my Peace Corps doctor know in case of any complications or side effects. Here is that conversation to the best of my memory:

Me: Hey, I have worms.

Dr: You too?

Me: Yeah, pretty much all of us in Asella have them. I’m taking the medicine though, just thought you should probably know.

Dr: Thanks.

Fast forward through specific medical questions no one wants to hear about

Dr: So, we should figure out where you got them so it will not happen again. Have you consumed any raw or undercooked meat?

Me: Oh yeah!

Dr: What did you eat?

Me: Kitfo (raw ground beef with spices and cheese) and tre siga (raw meat, literally just a chuck of raw meat). But I had both of those multiple times at multiple places.

Dr. (I couldn’t hear it, but I’m confident he chuckled and shook his head at this point). Well, that mystery is solved. I recommend you do not go back to those places.

Me: I’ll try, but it was really good.

Dr. Well, the fasting (time when it is nearly impossible to get meat for religious fasting purposes) just started. I guess you should be safe for at least 55 days. Any side effects from the medicine?

Me: Yeah, severe stomach cramps. Like I need to go fetal when they hit.

Dr: That is cause things are literally dying inside of you. That’s normal.

Me: Seriously?

Dr: Yeah

Me: Haha, oh. Thanks doctor!

Dr: (I think shaking his head again) Stay healthy Laura.

And by the time the three-day cycle of medicine was done, I was all better. But sadly, the fasting period ended. Since then, I have eaten all the same food at all the same places. That is integration, people! Two of the four of us that got worms during that time have since had to take the cycle of medicine again, which probably means I am currently a carrier. But what can I say? It is delicious and easy to cure; I’ve made my choice!

4. Swearing-In

• Pre-Service Training was ten of the most difficult weeks of my Peace Corps service thus far. It is the process of adjusting to a completely foreign life. I ate unfamiliar food. I fell in mud. Often. I lived with strangers whom I could hardly communicate with. I felt sick at least 50% of the time. Access to my family and friends was cut off except for one day a week. Most of my waking hours were spent in technical trainings or languages classes. But two things helped me through PST.  I relied on the friends I had made, and the hope that things would be better once I moved to my permanent site. The difficulty of those ten weeks made swearing-in inexpressibly meaningful. Standing beside 67 people that helped me through one of the most challenging times of my life, raising my right hand to swear an oath to my country and an organization I truly believe in, full of optimism of the adventure the next two years would carry, I joined the ranks as a Peace Corps Volunteer. 

The next two on the countdown were both fantastic holidays and one does not rank above the other. There is a blog entry about Christmas, so if you are interested in more detail, find that post. Logically, it is probably around December or January. They are both good examples of how Ethiopian and American holidays become especially meaningful while away from home.

2b. Christmas Dinner

• There is an 80’s fundraising song called “Do They Know It Is Christmas In Africa” or something to that effect. I would recommend looking up the lyrics; it is an amazingly offensive song. At least in Ethiopia, it was well known that it was forenji Christmas. My boyfriend Eric was in town for the holiday, which made it all the more special. For lunch, we went to one of my favorite Ethiopian eateries where he sampled some injerra and tagabeano. It is always fun to experience this place through a new set of eyes. While he said he liked the food a lot, he did not initiate eating more of it. For Christmas dinner, two Peace Corps Volunteers were sweet enough to host a few local PCVs and Ethiopian friends. The highlights were the eggplant Parmesan and chicken. To this day, it is one of the tastiest meals I have had in country. There were lot of silly moments throughout the night and it was a great evening with some great people. After dinner, we went to a local bar where the festivities continued. In classic Ethiopian form (or maybe just Asella form) the owner was kind enough to give us a case of beer as a Christmas gift. The generosity of some people never ceases to amaze me.

Overall, what made the day so special was the sense of family. Christmas is a time that will always remind me of my family. Even with Eric there, I expected my first Christmas away from home to be difficult. And had it not been for the wonderful people I am surrounded by, it would have been. I know I often hark on the camaraderie and sense of family here, but I cannot speak highly enough of it. There are a lot of tough times where you just want to throw in the towel. If not for the support of fellow volunteers, I would not be here. Christmas dinner exemplified all this.

2a. Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) weekend

• My god, where to start? Fasika is the biggest holiday of the year for a majority of Ethiopians in my area. Leading up to the holiday, there is a 55-day fast where Orthodox Christians do not eat any animal products. As you can imagine, when Fasika hits, it is game on! While Sunday was technically the holiday, it was a weekend long event. Saturday happened to be a friend, Abel’s, birthday. During the morning, I went with him and his brother to buy a goat. The animal market is a big open space and was packed for the holiday. There were easily a few thousand people and far more animals. Goats, sheep, and steer seemed to everywhere I looked. In my mind, I was a natural at selecting the animal. In reality, I just grabbed the goats where my friends grabbed them and said insightful and helpful things like, “this one feels tender” or “that one is cute. We cannot get a cute one”. Eventually, the boys parted from me since the price of a goat went up exponentially once the seller saw me. Occasionally, Abel would come up to me with a goat on a rope and tell me to hold it. I am still pretty sure he was just messing with me, but I held those ropes like a champion (again, in my mind). After a while, the boys found our goat, paid, and we left the market.

Later in the day, I went to their house to watch the slaughter. While I have seen a slaughter before, never in Ethiopia. I feel it is important to watch at least one if you are going to eat meat. The process did give me a respect for the animal. The actual killing was a very quick process. The animals suffered as little as possible (but that’s relative I suppose). The boys then completely skinned and butchered the animal. Both Abel and his brother learned the process from their father. It was impressive to watch and made me appreciate the father/son tradition. There were some silly photo ops with the goat carcass. When I get my computer working, I will most definitely post a bunch of picture of the weekend. I decided to pose with the goatskin (head still attached) and Abel was such a gentlemen, he washed blood off the horns for me. My site mate Kelly pose as casually as possible for a photo- with goat testicles hanging a few inches from her. And while removing the lung, someone had the bright idea of putting a cigarette in the valve. When I put it like that, I guess the respect for the animal kind of stopped when it died. And for dinner, we had the freshest meat possible. It was delicious. A PCV who lives close to Asella, Lisa, made eggplant Parmesan and the two combined for a bizarre yet terrific combination. We sang Happy Birthday to Abel to cap off the night.

On the actual day of Fasika, I was in paradise. I cannot describe how much I love Ethiopian holiday food. I was like a kid on Christmas morning in the days leading up to the holiday. Even among PCVs, this is pretty abnormal. But I cannot help it. The prospect of eating three or four giant delicious meals in one day is thrilling! For breakfast, my site mates Joe, Kelly and I ate at their landlord’s. It was a great start to the day with dorowot (spicy chicken stew), cooked dulet (liver and intestines chopped up like ground meat) and some siga wot (meat stew). Afterwards, we celebrated one of the family’s two daughters birthday. It was quite the event; there was funfetti cake. GREATEST HOLIDAY EVER! And it was only 9:00am at this point.  We rested and digested, then went to round two. Telahun and company, as always, had amazing food. The dorowot and kitfo (see number 5) were spectacular. I ate an embarrassing amount of food, but don’t regret a thing. If Telahun ever opens a café or restaurant, I’ll consider extending for a third year here. His food is that good. There was another round of resting and digesting, and then off to the bar we always end up on holidays. It was a festive atmosphere that made me love the holiday more. We met up with Abel, Lisa, and company there and celebrated the best we could. Afterwards, we all went back to the house we had breakfast at and had another go of it all. It was just as good, if not better, the second time around. With a heavy food coma, I manage to stumble to Joe and Kelly’s spare bedroom and collapse, dreaming of all the glorious food I consumed in the pervious 48 hours. I cannot emphasis how much I love Fasika. It may be my favorite holiday. Ever.

1. Ethiopian scores in African Cup Of Nations game 1 vs. Zambia

• The top spot goes to a quintessential Ethiopia moment. Last year, the African Cup of Nations took place and Ethiopia qualified to play for the first time in over thirty years. They were handed a rough group with Zambia (last tournament’s champion), Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. Burkina Faso and Nigeria would go on to play for the championship, not a good sign for Ethiopia. But before that all happened, Ethiopia played their first game against Zambia. I have never experienced such full community support for a team before. Every person in the country knew their schedule and was talking about their chances. People who never watched a soccer game before were suddenly diehard fans. It seemed like every little boy was wearing his Ethiopia jersey. Every night, the Ethiopian TV station had reports on the team and other aspects of the tournament.

The night of the game, myself and other volunteers went to a local bar (see number 2a and 2b) to watch. The place was so crowded, people started sitting on the floor. There were men, women, and children all brought together to support their country. When the game started, there was a buzz in the room. You could feel thirty years of anticipation as everyone watched their boys play. Ethiopia came out flying in the first half. They were the dominant side against a team who won it all the pervious time around. Whenever Ethiopia had a scoring chance, the whole room lifted to their feet, hoping to see Ethiopia’s first goal. Halfway through the first, there was a foul in the box and Ethiopia received a penalty kick. Everyone stood up in hope that this would be the moment they had been waiting for. The keeper made the save but the room stayed just as lively.  Towards the end of the first half, it finally happened. Ethiopia scored on a beautiful play and the room erupted with thirty years of pent up excitement. Everyone hugged each other, praised the players, and saluted the team with a drink. The atmosphere was like nothing I ever experienced before. While Zambia would tie it up in the second half and the game would end in a draw, all the people watching knew that Ethiopia was the better team. There was optimism about the team and in the following days, the national team was all people talked about. It was a memorable time and something I would never have been able to experience without being here.

I never thought I would say this, but I truly am excited for my second year here. So thanks Ethiopia for the good times! I cannot wait to see what Year 2 will bring.

Houston, we have a problem

Reflecting on my last blog, I was wrong. The biggest fear of any Peace Corps Volunteer is that our laptop will break. No more Internet at home, escaping for hours through movies and tv, or working out in the privacy of our home. I know this now because my computer died 36 hours ago. I have been going through the 5 stages of grief. But I keep reminding myself I'll be home in 82 days and can get it fixed then.

People back home have been helping me try to find ways to fix it from here. In my mind, this is exactly what it must have been like for the folks involved with Apollo 13. The impossible task of fixing something while being epically far away, with few resources. Sadly, I think they had a better chance of success than I do.

Anyways, thought I would post an explanation for the radio silence that will commence. I'll still post blogs, but any sort of bi-weekly photo is now impossible. I am going to read so many books in the next 3 months!!

(Perhaps annoying) reflection on the Boston bombings

Though they are rarely in the forefront of our minds, there are a few things that make a Peace Corps volunteer fearful. It is not about the food we have to eat knowing it will likely make us sick. It is not about the harassment we face daily. It is not about our personal safety and it is not about political happenings in country. One of the few things that make every volunteer fearful is the idea that something could happen at home while we are so far away. Car accidents. Illnesses. Death. And yes, some sort of major attack or event on US soil.

This past week, I cannot help but imagine what it must have been like to be a Peace Corps volunteer as major historical events unfolded. I had the good fortune to meet some folks who were volunteers in Ethiopia during the 1960’s. They all mentioned the lack of communication with home. Many of these people went an entire 27 months without talking to family and friends. They found it impossible to hear current news. One volunteer remembered hearing the Beatles for the first time and thinking, “These guys are pretty good” not remotely understanding their stardom.

So what was it like to be so passionately moved by the words of JFK, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” that you move halfway around the world and then find out he has been assassinated? How long after his death did they finally hear the somber news? What was the experience of volunteers serving during September 2001? How could they not only believe this atrocity happened, but cope with it? I myself only received a minor minor taste of it. But being 9,000 miles from home and seeing footage of bombs exploding in my homeland was enough to make me never want to find out what those moments must have felt like.

I love America. It is a wonderful place and through its fault, I have a greater appreciate for it than I ever thought possible. I was allowed to enjoy my childhood by being able to act like a kid. I received a high-quality education affordably. I was able to pick my profession. I was able to move to Ethiopia simply because of the language I was taught as a child. A fellow volunteer once said,  “Peace Corps is about taking young idealistic people who think they know better than America and turning them into the most red-white-and-blue, flag waving, America-loving fanatics. Mission accomplished Peace Corps, I cannot wait to have yearly 4^th of July BBQs.

We are so incredibly lucky to live in a country where the bombings in Boston are national news because it happens so rarely. Where an entire city shuts down for a manhunt because no one is willing to let him get away with this horrific act. Where people come together, from all 50 states, to support brothers and sisters whom they will never meet. We are so incredibly lucky to be known as a country where this sort of thing does not happen. Where throughout the world, people living in violent countries send their prayers and condolences because they want to imagine America is a better place than this.

A young girl from Afghanistan shows her support to a family, thousands of miles away, who just lost an 8-year old boy

A card made by Ethiopian children in Bekoji mourning the lost of a child they have no practical reason to care about

Being a Peace Corps volunteer is about experiencing life through a different lens. It is about living as an Ethiopian for 27 months, learning their culture, and allowing that to influence you. As I reflected on the tragedy that transpired in Boston, I was surprised to find how my views have changed. The overriding theme I could not get out of my head was something that never would have occurred to me a year ago.

In the time since the bombings in Boston, there are have several similar instances of death and destruction around the world. In Iraq alone, the same day as the Boston bombing, there were 15 separate car bombings, which killed 55 people and injured 200 more. But things like that are expected to happen there, I suppose. The people in those areas are so numb that they no longer feel the heartache and loss. And as the world was focusing on our tragedy and Prime Ministers and Presidents from around the world denounced the appalling events in Boston, no one stopped to reflect that in our world, this is a terrifyingly common occurrence- just not in our country. 

Americans are dealing with their own grief and I have nothing but respect for that. But, under normal circumstance, I doubt these incidences would have elicited any response from Americans. Sure, there are always pockets of people affected, but for the majority of people in our country, these types of events go unnoticed. Class time in elementary schools will not be spent writing cards to children killed in countries where the phrase, “routine bombing” exists. No little girl in America will make a sign for the child in Afghanistan or in Iraq or in Pakistan or in… who was killed due to senseless violence.

Absolutely, take the time to mourn the lost of American lives. Allow yourself to feel saddened and angered by this cowardly act. But, if we can learn one thing from this, it is to appreciate the outrage you are feeling. Appreciate that you and your country are feeling this loss and pain so deeply. Appreciate the fact that you are not desensitized to this. But also, next time you are flipping through the news and you hear about mass casualties in country where violence is to be expected, take a second to feel that too.

Awkward Family Photo?

On Sunday, my landlady and her husband had a celebration after her son was baptized. It is Orthodox tradition to baptize a baby boy when he is 40 days old and a baby girl when she is 80 days old. Until then, mother and baby are secluded to their bed. People come to visit, but mom and baby are bound to the house. Needless to say, my landlady was pretty happy. They were kind enough to not ask me to go to church at 6am. Instead, I was just invited to eat and drink when they got home at 10am (awesome). 

At a certain point, a photographer came to the house to take "professional" photos. It quickly became clear things were going to turn into "Get Your Picture Taken With a Forenji" so I retreated to my house after taking pictures with the people I actually knew. I also lent someone my camera to take pictures with. While loading the photos onto my computer, I came across this gem.

There is so much gold going on in this photo that I could not help by proudly post it. Let me break this down for you.

• A photographer was posing people in the most bizarre ways all day. Besides this, my favorite was when one man used the pipe to do the "Captain Morgan" pose while another knelt down right beside him. He face was completely in the others crotch. No one laughed but me, oppps.  
• After this, they told me to put my sunglasses on. They believed it made me look more American or something (I think it is because when you are this cool, the sun shines on you 24/7)
• This is a woman who lives on my compound. She is not my favorite...
• I am at least 4 inches taller than her
• I'm pretty there is not a big age difference
• This "special area" is normally reserved for washing clothes and dumping out dirty water
• We are standing over where an old shint bet (hole in the ground for one-zies and two-zies) used to be. It has been long since concreted over but they need to ventilate the gas it produces. That pipe is to ventilate it. What I am trying to say is, it's a poop pipe
• My face perfectly captures how I am felt in this moment
• I literally volunteered for this

Best Texts

As I do from time to time, I am going to throw out the disclaimer that many PCVs are crazy, offensive, and probably drink too much. You cannot exactly be normal if you decide to work for free for two years in a country you have likely never been to. Once you are here, things only get worse. You lose all sense of tact and say things that you never would back home. I mention this because this blog shows how volunteers actually interact with each other. Be warned and if you don't like something you read, I tried to tell you...

This idea has been floating around with some other PCVs on their blogs so I thought I would take a crack at it. I feel confident that I bring out the worst in people and associate myself with horrible people (one of these is from an Ethiopian!) So, here it is, the top 15 texts I have received in the past month or so. They are in no particular order but seem to get more offensive and bizarre the further down you go. For the sake of suspense, I suppose I'll number them.

15. “I ran barefoot through glass to try to get a free ticket [to Addis], but it turned out to just be plastic”

14. “We are at the Harar place getting inappropriately drunk”

13. “Can you send me any bad words you know in any Ethiopian language?”

12. “Haha, ass tape!”

11. “Sorry, I’m a bad AA sponsor”

10. “Yesterday my habasha [Ethiopian] friend with limited English just kept telling me ‘shower’ over and over again. I bathed for the first time today in two weeks. So dirty.”

9. “I really hate this place right now”

8. “Yeah, they are changing our name to Gun Corps, per congress and Texas. You guys are the guinea pigs”

7. “Did you remember to bring your undies?”

6. “I’m practicing my jump kick, get ready…”

5. “It is my threeeeee year anniversary in drunks”

4. “Taco party may be this century’s greatest utterance”

3. “Oh god. 22 months and you think nothing can touch you. Until it penetrates your colon”

2. “How does one go about properly disposing of a plastic bag containing his or her own feces?”

 1. And the winner by a mile: “Hmmm. Beer and dinner vs. social life. I was suppose to go to a funeral”