Adventure's in Addis

So I’v been in the city of Addis Ababa for a week now I’m starting to get the hang of it. Addis is almost a different country in itself. In the more developed parts of town I see modern snappily dressed men and women eating cheese burgers and drinking beer, and lines to get on the mini buses. (The norm for most transport is to shove and squeeze in any way you can to get on and get a seat.) The rest of the city is a bustling mix of shops selling fruits and veggies, shoes and everything else typical of a developing country capital. Sadly there is a high amount of homeless people, especially young children and it’s hard having to be cold to them, or dealing with them following and begging for 10 minutes. I am also building up my street sense in knowing the kid selling gum is by shoving the box at me is really reaching into my purse. Balege leba! Rude thief!

Anyway today was a particularly memorable day. We finally had a day off which coincided with a women’s only race celebrating women’s rights. About 20 of the female PC volunteers went, wearing our race t-shirts and had a blast. I have never been in a race before and was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm. We hooted and hollered till our voices were scratchy and bounced and danced till our legs were jelly. Wonderfully fun to see all the women out supporting each other and increasing awareness of women’s rights. Some of the Muslim women even ran the race in their head scarfs and were obviously having a great time. The “race” was only 5km and went through the downtown “ritzy” part of Addis which was also neat to finally see and explore. Now I’m relaxing in the shady grass finally enjoying some free time and quiet.

The past few days were spent in training building a permagarden. Good, useful information that hopefully I can take back to my site and share. It really is an incredible thing if it works- the ability to grow lots of vegetables in a tiny space by reusing waste materials (i.e. compost). Another inspiring session was taught by a PCV about seed saving and now I have a handful of good seeds that will grow in these sometimes harsh conditions. Good timing because I just recently learned that the program that funds my being here- “Feed the Future” is partially funded by Monsanto. Scary! I have heard from other volunteers that sometimes being a PCV sometimes has very negative unintended consequences for developing countries, paving the way for western exploitation. I will do my best to be aware of my impacts and hopefully only create positive change. Fortunately all of our counter parts (the person we are assigned to work with at the Agriculture office) also attended the training and hopefully heard the message that natural fertilizers and seeds are 100x better than chemicals.

I’m working on the final pieces of my CNA report and will do a short presentation on my project ideas tomorrow. I have one more week of training in Addis, with an additional 3 days for a new group I just joined. I am now an (elected) member of the Peer Support Network, a group of volunteers who help with trainings and offer support to fellow volunteers. I am excited at this chance to learn more social/counseling skills and hopefully continue to grow and help others. I’m sure it will also push my comfort zone and force me to do some more public speaking but it’s all good in the long run right?

Now I’m going to go enjoy city life by taking a hot shower and maybe even go out for dinner and eat some yummy ferengi food like Chinese, Mexican or a pesto Panini sandwich…and ice cream! Oh the joys of delicious food the big city!

 So the journey continues this time with more sunshine and flowers in the city named “new flower”.

 (photos coming soonish)...

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!!!

A few older photos

The "monument" in Hawasa

Dr.Seusse flowers, Bekoji

Bekoji Market

Sunset on Lake Hawasa

Hippos in Lake Hawasa (with a very good zoom lens)

People were bathing and swimming not so far from the hippos. The guide said "They understand each other"

Happy me with Hippo's in the background

BreAnn and I about to get eaten by the giant Malabou stork at the fish market

A few random photos

My compound family and an outdoor buna ceremony in my yard

Classic rural Muslim women bringing wood to market

Me in my Nut'ela at Timket

My shower bet (house) and the compound rooster

Drumming in the Timket parade

Water nymph on the Tekona River

Rural Ethiopia, east of Goba

Priests in the Timket parade. They were lucky to have the sun shades- it was hot!

Timket Celebrations

Timket Celebrations                                                                                      Sunday January 20, 2013

Qwan Adarasatchu! That’s the greeting for most holiday’s and this weekend I sure said it a lot. The past three days have been a big Orthodox Christian holiday, Timket, celebrating the baptism of Jesus. Friday afternoon Alemu (my counterpart) and I attended the big procession parade following a line of priests and church kids up to the river about 2 kilometers away. All the women were wearing their traditional clothes, white dresses and nut’ela white head scarves. I wore mine to attempt to blend in…it didn’t work, but they loved the fact I was wearing one. There was lots of drumming and signing as we walked up the road. The parade went a little slow because there was a team of teenagers sweeping the cow poo off the road so they could lay down a red carpet for the priests to walk on. The parade ended at the river where there were lots of prayers and songs.

Saturday (Kidame) I went with my new friends Winsht (sadly I can remember her name cuz it sounds like wine sh*t), and her mom Deminich. They were all dressed up in their fanciest and we walked up to the river then joined the procession as it went back down the road to Goba. At one point I was with a big group of women who were singing, clapping and dancing their hearts out. I joined in and we had a lot of fun. I’m getting pretty good at the banshee cry (high pitched lalalalala), which indicates happiness.  The parade ended at a church where everyone gathered outside for more prayers. Again it was really fun but very hot. My nose got burned and I was pretty stinky when I got home. Unfortunately we have been out of water for the last few days so taking my weekly shower was not an option.

Today I opted out of the continued celebrations (today they climbed a big hill to a far away church) and instead enjoyed a quiet morning at home. In the afternoon I went for an exploratory walk this time walking downstream from town. I was delighted to find a path that follows the river as it goes into a canyon. After wondering down the canyon for a ways I sat in the grass by the stream wishing I could dangle my toes. Peace Corps medical team warned about getting a nasty disease shistostomiasis (sp?) from fresh water. I know we will get treated before leaving Ethiopia no matter what so it is tempting to enjoy the water while I can. I’ll do some more research on this…

Walking back I was a wacky ferengi when I gathered some cow dung and forest dirt in a bag to bring home to start my garden. Today I finally planted a minimal experimental garden of spinach, cilantro and parsley. I’m not sure how it will turn out in this very clayey soil with little sun but I had to try. Plus having fresh greens would be great. The only greens available are kale and cabbage. So go eat a salad for me please!!! (I’m still working on getting photos posted. Just know that the longer it takes the more great photos I have to post). Chao!