Daily living, updated - new and improved!

I've been in country for 9 months now, living on my own for 6 months. I'd say I've pretty well adjusted to the pace and lifestyle here. I live in harmony with the daddy-long-legs and if there's ever one a little too close for comfort I just pick him up by one of his long legs and send him on his way outside with my bare hands. Never would have imagined I'd be capable of that. I'm still not friends with the bigger, hairier spiders, they must die, preferably with one quick wallop from my shoe. And I don't think I'll ever get totally used to the long days when the phone network, electricity, and water are all absent - I've lived too many years with those things to give them up easily! If one or two of them is missing I don't feel too bad, in true Minnesotan fashion I say to myself 'things could be worse.' But when all three are gone it is at it's worst! Maybe sometime in the next 18 months I will achieve enlightenment and I won't let these external forces have power over my mood, but I'm not there yet. My quality of life has drastically improved since my sisters sent me the gift of a portable shower/shower in a bag. When there's enough water I fill it up with water that I've heated on the stove, hang it up in my 'bathroom' and voila! I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's been life changing! I'm lucky to have a space to use it, I have a pretty nice bathroom setup compared to other volunteers. And life has been better when the electricity is out since I bought a kerosene stove. A few months ago I gave in and bought a traditional charcoal stove (mandija) after the electricity had been out for a number of days. They are difficult to light and painfully slow to cook with. I tried not to let it defeat me but truly some of my lowest moments so far were when I was dealing with that god forsaken thing! I probably only used it a total of five times when one of my coworkers took pity on me and set up an arrangement where she would buy the mandija from me (she didn't have one and wanted one) and I would buy a kerosene stove from another coworker (she didn't use it because she preferred her mandija). So it worked out for everyone. The only drawback with kerosene is that it smells bad and there's a really hot open flame to manage but I haven't started myself or anything else on fire yet so I think I'm doing good. Remarkably, I am not yet sick of potatoes and carrots, they've been the staple of my diet because they are in ample supply in this area. Lucky for me I love potatoes and grew up eating them regularly so I don't mind eating them everyday, it reminds me of home! Today I returned from the market with my bag full of potatoes (10 birr), carrots (5 birr), onions (10 birr) and tomatoes (10 birr) for a grand total of 35 birr which works out to be a little more than $1.50 in US dollars. And it's more than I'll be able to finish in a week. Our market also has cabbage, collard greens, peppers (like jalapeños), avocados, bananas and mangos but that's it in the way of fresh produce. I have more available at my market than some of my friends in other regions do, so I'm not complaining. I mix things up by cooking my veggies with rice (ruz), pasta, eggs (killee), beans (bekela), lentils (miser), split peas (ater), tofu, or shiro (chickpea flour). I've started drinking tea more regularly and yes, I've taken to adding sugar, of course! When the landlady returned from the market today she invited me over for honey - straight up, in a cup, with a spoon. It was the real deal, as fresh as it gets, complete with pieces of honeycomb and bees floating in it. That was a new experience! And then we had coffee with milk because one of the cows had a calf two weeks ago (he's so cute!) so there's a supply of milk - from the cow 15 feet away - doesn't get more 'local' than that. Everyone is getting ready for Meskerem, Ethiopian New Year, which is next week. It will be 2009! I knew the holiday was coming but it didn't dawn on me that people were making preparations until I saw that the neighbor brought home a rooster from the market. Her son, Murtesa, was very sweetly petting him while holding a little cup of water for the rooster to drink out of. I was hoping to catch a picture of this adorable moment between a boy and his new rooster but as soon as the camera comes out it inevitably turns into 'Glamour Shots'. So here they are posing with their new friend. But let's be real, the new friend's days are numbered. 

My neighbor, Wasilee

And her brother, Murtesa, hugging a rooster that I'm pretty sure has no interest in being hugged!

The landlady was teasing me about why I didn't buy a rooster and jokingly suggesting that next week I will buy one. As if I know the first thing about tending to a rooster! And if anyone tried to eat my rooster they would be in big trouble! The landlady and her younger sister who has been visiting have started the process of making farso (homemade beer) for the holiday. They invited me to watch and learn. I might actually drink the stuff now that I know how much effort goes into making it. The women here work so hard, I swear their work is never done.

As far as my work is concerned, I continue to go to the health center everyday and while most days are still long and slow, I can see that some things are starting to come together and I think my work will be picking up soon. I had my doubts but now I think we can say 'slowly but surely'. The staff at the health center have a weekly coffee ceremony every Tuesday, there is a rotating schedule of who is assigned to prepare the buna to make it fair. It's like a team meeting of sorts, a chance for the whole staff to connect and socialize. So this week it's me with my coworker (who also happens to be my new neighbor), Ganet, who are responsible! It's a little nerve wracking because it involves serving buna to about 15 people while they all sit around watching the preparations from start to finish. For the typical Ethiopian woman it's no big deal because they do this everyday, but not me! And of course there will be lots of commentary about whether the American can do it properly or not. It's all in good fun and I'll be a good sport about it but I'm glad that it will be another month and a half before it's our turn again! 

Love from Ethiopia!