Reality

February 25th, 2013

Well the honeymoon is over. I had seven weeks of floating through my new world, amazed at my good fortune. Now after continuing to feel low energy and tired from my recent sickness I start to see the mountain that I am attempting to climb. I see it as I start collecting my thoughts and new knowledge about my community in writing my “Community Needs Assessment”. In a way I am simply rewriting what has already been stated in various ways by various groups. It is largely a process for me to begin understanding my community and where I can attempt to help. Which is what brings me to the mountain. It has many sides all connected and all challenging. So far the aspect that seems most pressing is the relationship of cooking fuel and deforestation. There are several different groups working to address this issue and I am curious to see how I can fit into the puzzle. I go through spurts of inspiration soon to be met with bumps, gullies and chasms.

Another smaller hill I climb is the feeling of apprehension. Apprehension because I can’t speak the language. Because even when I think I understand, I don’t. Seeing the abyss of unknowns, uncertainties and feeling scared. Feeling the weight of living in a totally different culture, with so many different opinions, views, ways of being. This has been described to me a culture shock. Maybe it’s not quite shock but more of a sneak. It slips in slowly. Kind of like how right now it is sunny and raining at the same time. I can’t, and don’t want to, change it. But I guess I’ll  just  patiently let it settle in around me, like a fog. Aware of its presence while being aware of my own. Recognizing the difference and letting it be as it is. Because, just as the sun is shining now- these people are beautiful.

Beneath the shouts of “you, you, you”, “ferengi”, and “birr, birr”, behind the giggles and whispers is the urge to connect, to interact and exchange our cultures. I remember this after I have locked myself in my house to avoid the mocking children, trying to hide. But the shining sun beckons me outside. I go for a walk up my new favorite hill and encounter the other side- the beauty in little kids shyly shaking my hand, young girls timidly asking my name, a boy offering me some peas to eat, the girl inviting me into her house for buna. It’s these gestures of kindness that fill me up, open me and remind me why I am here. To experience another culture. For all its up’s and its downs.

From my quiet mountain perch overlooking Goba and the surrounding fields I reflect:

Get out,

Get out and greet the world.                                                                                                  

Climb the hill,

Sweat,

Breath,

Live.

This is it. Whatever it is.

Don’t resist, hide or

Try to change it.

Accept and experience it.

Keep moving,

Keep growing,

Keep living- always. 

Fun in the Bale National Park- my home!

High in the Alpine Plains in Bale National Park

Female Mountain Nyala (not just deer!)

On top of it all!!!

Friend Matt "petting" the giant puffball bush- very very spiney. Made of tiny flowers

Mountain Nyala in the forest

Baboons (in far distance) and the giant puffball bush

Holy Spring Water "Refugee" Camp

Typical rural housing- mud and cow patties with grass thatch roof

Kids herding cattle and the mountain we climbed to the Hora

The Ups and The Downs

Tuesday February 12th, 2013

Hello blog people! It’s been an interesting few weeks since I last wrote. Things were chugging along meeting various organizations and gathering information. Different project ideas keep rolling in which is great! Each day is different and almost never goes “as planed”. I’v learned the best plan is no plan but to go with the flow and accept whatever situation is presented. Quite often this can turn out to be a lot of fun- like going to stranger’s homes for buna or large holy day gatherings. There are at least 15 different saints in the Ethiopian Orthodox religion which means at least 15 days of celebrating by going to church and eating lots of food for a few days.

So after 2 months of 100% healthiness last week I had a bad spell of food poisoning, vomiting for 12 hours mixed with diarrhea for a few days, which left me whipped out for another few days. I finally recovered and went back to work only to go on a really fun but exhausting hike. We (Alemu- my counterpart) went to the local “Hora” holy spring’s where people come from great distances to become healed. Our driver even brought a young girl who was mysteriously paralyzed. On our return home I learned that she was going to live at the Hora until she was healed. The entrance to the Hora felt like a refugee camp. Ramshackle blue and orange tarps we set up in a large cluster housing people of various ailments. Very sad to see, especially since it is located inside the Bale National Park and technically illegal. I could see some ancient old trees getting hacked to pieces for the use of firewood. This is one problem I don’t know how to solve. Anyway Alemu and I and two “guides” hiked up through the forest up to the top of a mountain where the main source of the springs starts. I saw a Black and White Colobus Monkey and a gorgeous reddish bird among the huge trees as we climbed (it was too quick of a glimpse to fully id). The springs were small bubbling out of the rocks and were a cool mineral bubbly water. Hiking back down we saw a narrow gorge and waterfall. It felt very wild and remote- which it was.

Saturday some friends and I took the 45 minute ride over to Dinsho where the headquarters to the Bale National Park is. We then went for another big hike up into the forest, this time seeing several baboons and Mountain Nyala (an endangered and endemic large antelope with curvy long horns). Hiking up into the alpine zone (about 11,000 feet) felt a little like Lord of the Rings” – crazy puffball white spikey shrubs and gnarled dense trees. It was beautiful and so fun to see the vegetation change as we climbed through different zones. It turned into quite the exploratory adventure and by the time we got home I was again exhausted.

Sadly that night I had a fever and by Monday had a horrible headache and fever. I went to the local clinic to get tested for various tropical diseases and came up positive for Typhus- a disease spread by fleas. Luckily the disease is treated by the same drug I use for the antimalarial so hopefully it passes quickly. As I write I am feeling the best I have in several days. So lesson learned- once sick take extra time to fully recover and rest. But I did get to see some incredible things!!! So that’s what I’v been up to the past few weeks. Hugs to everyone! Write if you can!

 PS- My dad sent me a tin of WSU “Cougar Gold” cheese and its absolutely heaven!! Thanks Dad!!!