What to write, what to write… I constantly find myself struggling to find that perfect blog post topic; something inspiring, amusing, and maybe a little educational all at the same time. Blogging seemed to be so much easier the first time around- during my first Peace Corps post all my experiences were new and fresh and I was eager to share my stories… Not that I no longer have stories to tell, I just forget that there might be someone out there who wants to hear them. So, with a little concern that I am being too boring and mundane, I decided to step back a little bit and describe my daily life here in Ethiopia.
Each morning I wake up around 7, 7:30-ish (well, that’s a li e, I wake up at about 6, try and convince myself to go for a run, and usually go back to sleep until 7). Most mornings I wake to my 16 year old host sister blaring music while she does her chores; this wouldn’t be so bad, other than Celine Dion, Backstreet boys, and Justin Bieber aren’t quite on my usual playlist. Depending on the song, I wake up in either a really great mood, or a really bad mood. After some morning chores of my own (making breakfast, doing dishes, getting water) I am off to the office or one of the schools, or, on some mornings, I pack a bag for a hike.
As I walk to work every morning I am usually greeted by numerous kids. Some have FINALY learned and remembered my name, while some have remembered parts of my name and made up their own so that I hear choruses of “kiki!” or “noko!”, or, one of my favorites, “Neekwa!”. Even these are a huge improvement from the “Ferenji!”, “You!”, and “Money!” (I even had a few kids call my ‘Ali Babua’, which I am still trying to figure out). It always amuses me that most kids are dying to shake your hand, or even touch your arm- which, when the smaller ones are covered in snot and dirt, isn’t as cute and endearing as you might think. Needless to say, I have introduced the fist-bump in my town, if for no other reason than sanitary purposes.
So, afternoon in my town I am usually back at my house, reading, sketching, or watching a show (what would I do without my computer??)- the area is, in my opinion, the perfect temperature; it gets cold at night so that sleeping inside with a blanket is comfortable, but hot during the day, so that most people relax during the hottest hours, and I don’t feel guilty not being productive. Some afternoons I sit and chat with my host family, sharing a bunna (coffee) ceremony and some injera and shiro (injera being the local flat bread, kind of like a large sour crepe, and shiro being a thick chickpea sauce). Some days this turns in to one of my least favorite games of “what’s this in Tigrinya?” where a certain lady in my compound points and asks what everything is called to test my Tigrinya skills. This wouldn’t be so bad other than some days she points out the most bizarre things and then ‘tisks’ at me when I don’t know what the names are. One day she pointed to each individual plant growing in the compound and asked for their names, which, of course I didn’t know, after which she dramatically told me that the previous volunteer was so smart, and she knew them, and I am not smart like her. That was one of those days I wanted to either yell at her or cry- neither of which is a good idea- so I instead hung out in my house the rest of the day. That is one thing both of my Peace Corps experiences have in common: life is an emotional rollercoaster.
Around 3 or 4, I usually make an attempt at being productive again, maybe heading to the office, a school, touring a dairy or poultry breeding farm, or conducting an interview for my CNA report (Community Needs Assessment) for Peace Corps. Some days I do none of the above and go hiking on the cliffs behind my town. Every now and again (usually those days when work isn’t going quite how I hope) I need that hour to spend hiking over the cliff side and finding that secluded spot for journaling or sketching- it helps me remember there is more to my experience here than work: for me it’s also about learning to take time to appreciate life and to see beauty in the common things. While I do hope to do valuable and productive work while I’m here, I have to remind myself it’s the people I meet and the interactions we share that can really make or break a Peace Corps service.
To finish my day, I’m usually home by 6, some evenings I go out for a walk with a friend or to a coffee house and we have tea and play dominoes or talk about work, and then, after I grudgingly do an hour of the Insanity workout (it does make every day feel like I did something productive!) I’m in bed and spending a little time on the internet by 9:30.
So there you have it, my typical day in Ethiopia; I have to admit I am enjoying my slow and relaxed lifestyle here, even if I do get a little impatient some days for work to pick up. Soon I am off to Addis Ababa again to attend our IST and receive information on funding sources and technical training. My plan is after I return, to start a few projects with the tree nurseries around town , one in composting, and two, to find funding for an improved irrigation system (right now were still using a well and buckets). It could get exciting! 
One of the churches just outside my town is crawling with these Grivet monkeys; I spent the day there with a family feeding the monkeys injera and Kolo (roasted barley) right out of my hand!!
I remember the days... Completely understand how you feel when being compared to the previous volunteer, some of the most frustrating times in your service. But keep your head up, looking back, the fact that you got so frustrated makes you laugh.
ReplyDeleteI read them! It's funny that your life isn't all that different in some ways. The being rudely awakened by bad music and trying to be motivated to run and the being told you're not as smart as the previous person (wtf! Don't listen to that) and the p90x (I'm thinking of starting). Anyway love your posts:)
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