A watched pot does, in fact, boil.

I have now been living on my own in Ambo for 6 weeks.  I have spent most of the past 6 weeks being extremely bored.  I have not been able to do any work yet because although school was scheduled to start over 2 weeks ago, classes are not yet in session.  My counterpart, who has been assigned to help me get work done, meet town and school officials, and basically support me and the Peace Corps mission is full of promises, but has proved to be unreliable thus far.  The first couple of weeks in Ambo, it was actually a relief to have nothing to do.  It was really nice to relax and catch up on some sleep after a rigorous 2 ½ months of training.  It was good to have some time to wander around town, find out where to go to buy the things I need.  After about 2 weeks though, I had slept so much that I had thrown off a normal sleep pattern.  I had no reason to get up in the morning, nowhere to go, and nothing to do, so I would just stay in bed until noon, sometimes I would fall back to sleep in the evening, then I would be awake until 3am.  I have never before been so bored.  Sure, at times I would have nothing to do back in the U.S., but then I could watch t.v., go drive somewhere, call a friend to hang out, something.  Here it’s a whole new level of boredom.  There’s only so much I can walk around town.  Plus a simple walk through town is anything but simple.  There will be stares from every person I walk past, children asking for money, people shouting out at me from across the street, “ferengi, feringi, where are you go?”  On one walk to the post office, I had a young man walk with me (uninvited, of course) and ask me all about how to get a visa to America (I have no idea, call the Embassy), why I am not married (because I neither want nor need a husband), do I want a habesha husband (absolutely not!), could he have my phone number (sorry, my phone is only for work), could I give him an English book (nope), where do I live (over there, pointing to everywhere and nowhere),  could he come to my house (not a chance in Hell, kid).  I finally ditched him once I arrived at the post office only to run into him again later that day, and have him ask again for my phone number and if he could come to my house.  I’m sure you can see how this could become quite annoying.

One thing I have done to combat my boredom is to enact a strict “no multi-tasking” rule.  I absolutely will not allow myself to do two things at once.  If I am cooking dinner, I will sit and watch water until it boils, rather than doing something else in the meantime.  Then, I will do whatever else I have to do later in order to stretch out my time.  I have also become an old lady, and I enjoy doing crosswords and other puzzles.  I have read a lot of books and written a lot of letters.  I have watched all the movies that I have, some multiple times, and you know, The Lucky One just isn’t good enough to watch over and over, but I’ve now seen it 3 times. 

Many Peace Corps volunteers have a site mate- a fellow volunteer assigned to the same town.  At first, I was glad to not have a site mate because I wanted to discover things on my own, and make my own way here.  I know that if I had someone, I would depend on that person to show me the ropes.  I am really glad that I have done a lot of things by myself.  It has not been easy, but I have managed.  That being said, there will be a health volunteer coming to Ambo in a couple months.  The new group of trainees has not even arrived in Ethiopia yet, and I have already made this person my new best friend and planned all sorts of things we can do together!  Haha  Hopefully he or she will be cool and not think I’m too nuts!

Carrying torches to light the Meskal bonfire

Bonfire, but nobody brought marshmallows! What's wrong with these people?! haha

In other news from Ethiopia, this week, we celebrated the holiday Meskal.  Meskal is celebrated by the Orthodox Church and commemorates the discovery of Christ’s cross.  Part history and part legend, the story says that Empress Helena sought to find the cross upon which Jesus died.  In order to find where the cross was buried, she lit a fire and followed the direction of the smoke.  The smoke led her to a site and after digging, 3 crosses were discovered, one of them said to be the True Cross of Christ.  Part of this cross is located at a church here in Ethiopia.  On the Eve of Meskal, neighbors come together to light bonfires, some with crosses fashioned at the top.  During this time yellow daisies are in bloom everywhere, these Meskal daisies are used to decorate the bonfires and also in homes.  It was really interesting to observe this celebration, and to see friends and neighbors come together.  As at home, Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, Meskal is the unofficial end of the rainy season.  I am very happy about that!

Another Meskal tradition- bands of men go around chanting/singing/praying (who knows?!) and collecting money

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Before furniture- living like a bag lady!

Yay! Clean and organized. Now I'm just waiting for a couch.

I am also happy to report that my furniture was finished this week.  About a month ago, I ordered a coffee table, chest of drawers, and kitchen piece from a local carpenter.  Finally, with the help of my landlord and his truck-owning friend, we picked up the furniture on Wednesday afternoon.  I feel so much more relaxed and settled now that I have finally unpacked after almost 4 months!  It is a great feeling to have a clean and organized home.  I didn’t have enough money to order all my furniture at once, so this week I ordered a couch which should be ready in another month.  I look forward to being completely settled into my house soon.

100 Days in Ethiopia!

I have been living in Ethiopia for 100 days now.  Although 100 days is just a modest dent in the 2+ years I will spend here, it still feels like an achievement that should be marked by a parade down main street, a fireworks display, or at the very least-a more practical commemoration- this blog entry.  So, what have my last 100 days been like?  I can say without a doubt that they have been the most challenging 100 days of my life.  I have never questioned myself, my abilities, my motivation, or my goals as frequently as I have in the past 100 days.  I have cried myself to sleep some nights.  I have woken up in the morning excited about the day to come.  I have been frustrated, annoyed, and confused by the obstacles of adjusting to life in a developing country.  I have been in awe of the intricacies of a culture so rich in history and tradition.  I have been asked for money and been argued with when I said that I didn’t have any.  I have seen the generosity of people who have less than I do.  I have had rocks thrown at me.  I have been welcomed into the homes and into the lives of strangers.  I have been proud of my accomplishments.  I have been inexplicably humbled by just how much I do not know.  

Living here in Ethiopia has been so much more than an adjustment.  It has been a complete overhaul of anything that could be considered “normal” life in America.  I feel pushed to my limits just about every day.  Completing even the simplest tasks such as buying bread or going to the bank feel like enormous triumphs.  Every day I experience something different, learn something new, and depending on my mood, these things all feel exciting and satisfying or overwhelming and terrifying. 

New Year's Eve bonfire

As some of you may know, Ethiopia celebrated the beginning of a new year this week.  I won’t bore you with the details of the Ethiopian calendar (you can Google that on your own time!), but it basically boils down to a few key points.  Ethiopia uses the Coptic calendar, which my sources say is also used in Egypt.  The Coptic calendar is approximately 7 years and 8 months behind the Western calendar.  So on what, in America, has become as an infamous day of remembrance, September 11, Ethiopia celebrated the start of a new year filled with hope, promise, and potential.  The Ethiopian calendar consists of 13 months- 12 months with 30 days each, and the 13^th month with 4-5 days.  Local time also follows the Middle Eastern model of beginning the day at sunrise.  So today, September 13, 2012 at noon (Western time and date) will be the 3^rd day of the first month 2005 at 6am Ethiopian time.  Does that make sense?  Probably not.  It is confusing.  I typically look at my clock, and think about time in 3 ways- what time is now in ferengi (foreign) time?  What time is it in Ethiopian time? And what time is it at home?  There are a lot of math calculations, which I usually do incorrectly.

New Year's meal- the "before" picture

I spent the New Year holiday with my landlord and his family.  My landlord has been extremely helpful to me, helping me out around town since I’ve been here in Ambo.  His family is also very nice, and unless they’re really good at faking it, they always seem happy to see me.  On New Year’s Eve, I knocked on my landlord’s door around dinner time hoping that they would feed me, and also hoping to score an invite to whatever celebrations would be had the following day.  Not only did I eat dinner with them, I also took part in the traditional bonfire and coffee ceremony in the yard.  On New Year’s Day, I joined them for lunch where we ate doro wat (a spicy chicken dish), sheep meat (which 2 days prior had been peacefully grazing in the front yard), and homemade cheese with injera (the sour pancake-like bread used to eat with instead of utensils).  They also served homemade beer called talla (which is completely foul), popcorn (very yummy- like kettle corn), and it wouldn’t be a party without another coffee ceremony!

With the start of 2005, I’ve been thinking about where I was in my life back in American 2005.  I was graduating from college, leaving friends, moving back home, and beginning a career.  It was a very difficult year of transitions.   I was sad to leave my college friends, bummed to have to move back in with my parents (sorry, Mom & Dad!), and I felt so overwhelmed and in over my head at my new job.  Eventually though things got to be really great.  I made new friends, finally moved out to my own apartment, and got the hang of that full-time job thing.  I think it’s pretty fitting that it’s 2005 in Ethiopia, another year of transitions.  Things are tough right now.  I need to make new friends again, and I’m definitely feeling a bit clueless about my job.  The past has taught me that being open to learn, making mistakes, practice, and persistence leads to confidence, and I cannot wait for the day that I’ll be able to say I feel confident in Ethiopia.  Good thing I have plenty of time to get there.  Maybe in the next 100 days…

It's a lot of work, and I haven't even started working yet!

When it works, this is the tap I get water from.

“Ya know, that kinda sounds like a lot of work.”  I have find myself saying or at least thinking this phrase quite often over my last 2 weeks at my new home in Ambo.  I have had no real, official work to do just yet, as the school year has not yet started, but every day just being is a lot of work.  Doing all of the daily tasks that are so simple in the U.S. and that require little if any brainpower or physical exertion are downright exhausting here!  Let’s take for example one of the simplest tasks of all humans (not to mention animals) - going to the bathroom.  Back in my comfortable apartment in the U.S., I could walk barefoot into my bathroom at any time day or night.  I knew that I would be able to sit on the clean toilet and wash my hands with hot water and pretty-smelling soap.  Going to the bathroom was something I barely ever gave much thought to.  Here in Ethiopia, going to the bathroom is a topic that takes up a great deal of brain space and the cause of a certain amount of stress.  First of all, when the urge strikes, I generally try to hold off on actually going to the bathroom for as long as is physically possible.  Why do I do this?  I don’t quite know.  It is only putting off the inevitable, but I guess I figure that if I can hold it for as long as possible, maybe I will have to go less frequently.   Then of course, I have to put on shoes, bring my toilet paper with me, go outside and walk to the end of the compound to the little mud room with a  hole in the ground, greeting my neighbors along the way.  Once in the latrine, shint bet (in Amharic), mana fincaani (in Afan Oromo), whatever you want to call it, my main goal it to successfully go to the bathroom without falling over or peeing on my feet, both of which I have done, regularly.  The trick is to get low to the ground, spread your feet while keeping your knees together, and pee slowly.  This is generally easier said than done!  Then I do, what for some reason feels like a walk of shame, back to my house so that I can wash my hands with cold water and dry them on a probably less than clean, slightly smelly towel.  So now that you know the intimate details of my bathroom habits, a topic I would not normally broadcast to the world, let’s move on to why my towel is less than clean and slightly smelly.

Toilet- good thing this isn't a scratch and sniff!

Another thing that is just a lot of work here in Ethiopia is doing laundry.  Washing clothes by hand is a tedious, painful, and time consuming process, which is why I hope to hire someone to perform this task for me- hopefully soon.  I think back in the U.S. I had a sweater or two that’s labels read “Hand wash only”, and if I’m being honest those sweaters probably got hand washed about once a year, no matter the frequency of which they were worn.  Well here everything is hand wash only, and given that I am walking on mud and dirt roads, clothes get dirty pretty quickly.  While living with my host family, I had 2 lovely host sisters who “helped” me wash my clothes.  By helped me, really they let me wash about two t-shirts before taking over and finishing the process for me.  I feel that to some extent, hand washing my own clothes is part of the Peace Corps experience and some sort of rite of passage.  That being said, I will probably do it once before paying someone else to literally do my dirty work.

A third thing that is really a lot of work here is cooking.  Now, I would consider myself to be a fairly good cook, and one who actually enjoys cooking.  I did, after all, graduate from culinary school and spend several years of my life cooking in restaurants- standing for hours on end, working like a manic through the busy rush, sweating from every pore, and (most of the time) loving it.  I even enjoyed cooking at home, for friends or preparing food for a party.  Here in Ethiopia, I can’t stand the idea of cooking.  It just sounds torturous to me!  First of all, there’s no grocery store or one stop shopping.  There’s a market and a bunch of small shops- which you can’t go into.  You just stand at the window, look inside behind the counter, and ask the shop keeper for whatever it is your looking for.  Normally I love grocery shopping (or any kind of shopping, really).  I love going to Stop & Shop, and don’t even get me started on Whole Foods- I could spend an hour in their produce section alone!  I go up and down every aisle, just perusing.  Here it’s just totally different.  No time to just take your time, if you’re too slow, the next customer will come up to the window and all but push you aside to get the goods they came for.  There’s absolutely no idea of a line here or any sort of orderly process.  It’s every woman for herself, and you’d better get your elbows ready!!  As far as the actual cooking process goes, I’m trying to convince myself that I just hate cooking now because my small, lopsided, 2 burner electric stove currently resides on the floor.  I’m hoping that once I get my furniture in another few weeks, and can maybe make a bit of a kitchen area in my house, that maybe it won’t be so bad.  Here’s hoping…

My kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathtub, washing machine, and dishwasher.

The final thing I’m going to write about that’s just a lot of work here is bathing- the good ol’ bucket bath.  Because this is another tedious and time-consuming process, I usually break mine down into two stages- hair and body.  Typically I don’t do them both on the same day because quite frankly it’s a pain in the ass.  Plus, with water being in short supply, it can be difficult to know when enough water will be available.  Although, it is surprising how little water is actually needed to get “clean”.  I say “clean” because I don’t really ever feel fully clean.  I suppose maybe I should just say cleaner.  To wash my hair, I fill a tall bucket with cold water, kneel on the floor, dunk my head into the bucket as much as I can, and use a small pitcher to get my hair all wet.  Then I shift over to a wide, shallow bucket to shampoo, condition, and rinse.  Then I wrap my hair up in my previously mentioned smelly towel.  This process probably takes about 15 minutes, and can be quite uncomfortable from kneeling and bending like that.  As for washing my body, this I have found, after splashing water all over the place, needs to be done in small sections.  For example, usually I start at the top- shoulders, armpits, arms, back, and chest, then move down to belly, bum, and lady parts, then upper legs, lower legs, and finally feet.  This is all done while squatting low inside the wide, shallow bucket, trying to maneuver my body to keep as much water inside the bucket as possible, and using a pitcher to wet and rinse off the soap.  I bathe inside my house, so again the key here is to get as low as possible in the bucket as to not get everything around me soaked.  Now that I am on my own, I can heat up my own water, without feeling like a diva, which is a very pleasant change from cold bucket baths.

Basically all things water-related are a lot of work- having a limited supply of water, boiling and filtering drinking water, washing anything.  Access to clean, safe water seems like a basic human right, but is unfortunately a major issue all over the world.  It is most definitely taken for granted in the U.S. and in other developed countries.  I know it was something I certainly didn’t appreciate enough.  So now, here when something sounds like a lot of work, and I just don’t really feel like doing it, I simply don’t.  Sure, maybe I should care more that my hair is unwashed, that the bottom of my jeans are muddy, but really it’s not a big deal.  It will all get taken care of, eventually…

Peace Out PST!

This week marks the official end of PST (Pre-Service Training).  I am no longer a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee), but can now be called a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer).  Many volunteers claim that PST is the most difficult part of their entire service.  I can only hope that this is true for me, and that the next 2 years will be easy in comparison.  Although the past 2 ½ months have been mentally and emotionally challenging and exhausting, I have had an overall wonderful experience.  I really enjoyed my time with my host family and with my fellow trainees.  Over the past few weeks, the realization that I will soon be all alone at my permanent site in Ambo, became all too real.  So, I really tried to embrace the things that otherwise would have been annoyances such as a lack of personal space or alone time.  My host siblings were really awesome, and I know that all they wanted was to spend time with me, but I could barely get a second to myself.  I ended up “going to bed” by 8:30 or 9:00 every night just so I could have a little time alone to read or study or write letters.  My host brother, Dawit is a really sweet kid.  He came in my room the most to check out all my stuff or play a computer game on my laptop.  One time, I was just sitting on the edge of my bed reading a magazine, and he just sat down next to me and watched me read.  Another time, I was crouching down to look in the mirror to put on some makeup, and Dawit came in and saw me and just held the mirror up for me.  Again, it was a really sweet gesture, but potentially annoying when you just need a little space.  In the back of my mind, I just had to tell myself “enjoy this moment because soon enough you’ll have more alone time than you know what to do with.”

One thing I am definitely glad to be done with (for a while at least) is training sessions all day every day!  Language training was obviously helpful and necessary, but my brain was complete mush after Affaan Oromo for 8 hours a day.  Technical training was also helpful, especially for those of us without real formal teaching experience.  However these sessions also made for quite long days.  Medical and safety trainings were always entertaining.  We learned everything from how to not become an alcoholic to how to not get AIDS, malaria, typhoid, shisto, rabies, scabies, raped, robbed, or in other words- don’t die in Ethiopia.

Yesterday was our “Addis Day” where 67 wide-eyed ferengi (foreigners) were let loose in Addis Ababa to purchase necessities for our homes.  Many things are easier to find here in the capital city or are of a better quality than what we can find at site.  I ended up spending waaaay too much money, which is typical for me in the U.S., but is a little worrisome here.  What did I spend all my birr on?? Who knows?!  It will all work out, I’m sure.  The big highlight of Addis Day was eating some good food!  After 10 weeks of eating injera with my hands, getting some familiar food and using a fork was a welcome respite.  I had a surprisingly delicious chicken quesadilla.  Mexican food in Ethiopia, whoda thunk?!

Today we commenced our official Peace Corps service with a Swearing-In Ceremony at the U.S. Embassy.  It was a very nice ceremony where I promised to “support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and that “I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps. So help me God.”  Some pretty heavy stuff…  I think I can do it!

Tomorrow, I will head out to Ambo.  I am excited to see my house and start getting settled in.  I want to take a couple days to just relax and unwind, then I look forward to meeting more people around town and in my primary school.  I am quite nervous though about being on my own.  I’ve been surrounded by my amazing Peace Corps friends and my host family for the last 2 ½ months.  I’ve had the Peace Corps scheduling my every movement during training.  Whatever will I do when I’m left to my own devices?  I guess I’ll be figuring that out very soon!

Gonna learn 'em some good English

Over the past two weeks, we have been practicum teaching at a local primary school.  These two weeks have been extremely beneficial and informative but also completely exhausting.  I would attend my Afan Oromo language class from 8am-12, go home for lunch with my host family, teach and/or observe teaching from 1:30-3:30, then lesson plan and prepare teaching materials for the following day in the evening.  We taught English classes for grades 2-5.  It was a lot of fun but very challenging.  The students were generally eager to learn and to participate in class.  Classroom management and instruction was especially difficult in the lower grades where I could only communicate in English, and these students know very little English.  In the beginning, it was difficult to prepare lessons without really knowing the levels of the students in each grade. 

As the two weeks went on, I learned that even if I thought I was speaking slowly and clearly, it probably wasn't clear enough for these students for whom English is their second or possibly third language.  Speaking slowly is certainly something I can appreciate myself as I struggle to understand people who talk to me in rapid-fire Amharic or Afan Oromo.  I also learned the importance of modeling and demonstrating the behaviors I wanted the students to perform.  Classrooms in Ethiopia are generally teacher-focused. The teacher stands at the front of the class and lectures for 40 minutes while the students copy from the board into their exercise books.  There is also a lot of memorization and not a lot of independent thought.  For example, during the first week of practicum, we co-taught. My teaching partner, Joe and I taught a 4th grade class where we brought in a map of Ethiopia, a map of the U.S., and a map of the world.  We wanted to teach the students some words to describe directions.  We focused on near and far from and some different landmarks in our town of Sagure.  Joe and I had each drawn a map of the town, labeling our homes, and our intention was for the students to draw their homes and neighborhoods.  Every student in the class ended up copying our maps rather than creating their own.  We could not figure out how to communicate to them they were not to copy ours, but make their own.

These two weeks of teaching has absolutely given me a new appreciation for all teachers, especially those who teach in a foreign language and for those who teach with tattered, ineffective textbooks, limited training, and few resources.

So there are some really cool things about this experience so far, learning a new language is exciting and challenging.  Observing a new culture is interesting.  Meeting really awesome fellow Peace Corps volunteers has been a blessing.  There are also a lot of things that really suck about this experience.  Missing family and friends is tough.  Dreaming about American food that I can't have is a bummer.  Being eaten alive by fleas and/or bedbugs is pretty gross.  Not being able to leave my house without feeling like a zoo attraction with people calling out to me, stopping what they're doing to just stare as I walk by, kids throwing rocks supposedly to get my attention-- that's all exhausting.  All of that being said, one thing that is sure to make any day better is getting mail from home!  A simple card, letter or package from home just brings a smile to my face and brightens a tough day.  I have new address in Ambo, so you can send things there from now on.  P.O. Box 406  Ambo, Ethiopia
Trust me, cards and letters are enough, but if you're so inclined to send a package here are some suggestions:
1. Flat rate boxes from the post office are probably the most cost-effective way to go.  The small boxes ship for about $17, the medium for $35, and the large for $60.
2. You can send up to 20 lbs. for the flat rate, so pack those boxes full in order to get your moneys worth!
3. Don't waste space with a lot of paper or bubble wrap unless you are sending something very breakable.
4. Don't send anything too expensive- there is a chance it may not make it to me.  So far, though I have been receiving mail without any problems.
5. Make sure the post office stamps 'Airmail'
6. Send post cards in envelopes, otherwise they'll probably be stolen before they make it to me.
Some package suggestions:
Yummy snacks- not all junk food though (just some! :))
Small bottles of hand sanitizer
Baby wipes
Crystal light
Anything that can be cooked by just adding water- pasta, oatmeal, etc
magazines/a new book
cds/ dvds
anything else you think I might like!

I should be able to post some pics once I have my own internet connection in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

Home Stay

I have been living with my host family for the past 2 ½ weeks in a town called Sagure.  Prior to meeting our host families, the Peace Corps performed a home-stay skit for all of us volunteers to prepare us for meeting our families.  As with most Peace Corps precautions, I believe that their intent was to scare the crap out of us.  The skit showcased a “typical” Ethiopian family, very nice and accommodating, but a bit overbearing by American standards.  For example, they showed the host family hand-feeding the volunteer (a common practice and sign of affection), they washed her feet, and literally tucked her into bed.  They spoke very fast in Amharic, and the volunteer just looked completely lost and overwhelmed.  As I sat watching this production, the voice inside my head was screaming “No!!! Don’t make me go!”

Fortunately, I have been pleasantly surprised by my host family experience thus far.  They are extremely kind and helpful.  They have hosted 2 volunteers in the past, and I feel very lucky that those girls probably “broke them in” for me.  My host dad is named Melese, my mom is Welela, and they have 4 children.  My sisters, Wodest is 15 years old and Eyerusalem is 14, and my brothers, Dawit is 12 and Hailesilassie is 9.  It took me about a week to get those names down!  And I’m still not confident that I pronounce them correctly!  It is a very odd and awkward feeling to be living in a stranger’s home, but this family has certainly tried to make me feel at home.   My host dad and sisters speak English quite well, so communication has been fairly easy.

 One of the first nights in my new home, as I was sitting in the living room with my family, feeling a bit shy and out of place, my host dad asked me, “Are you scared of you family in America?”   Huh? I was so confused.  Surely I must be missing something.  Does he mean do I miss my family? Am I scared for my family?  I asked him back to clarify, “Am I scared of my family? Afraid?” “Yes.” He replied.  “No, I’m not scared of my family,” I said back.  “Good.” He said. “Then you should not be scared of this family. You are part of our family now.  As long as you are in Ethiopia, you are my daughter.  You are the same to me as Wodest and Eyerusalem.”  Wow! I was so amazed.  What a kind and generous sentiment!  It brought tears to my eyes for sure.

Speaking of tears, every day here is an emotional roller coaster.  I am in either language, cultural, or technical training all day Monday through Friday and half days on Saturday.  At the end of each day, I am mentally and emotionally drained.  I can spontaneously start crying for no apparent reason.  My brain has been working in over-drive trying to absorb as much of this crazy and confusing new language as possible.  Although, I have just switched languages from Amharic to Affan Oromo and so far, it seems a bit easier to understand.  Plus I am the only student in my language class, which definitely forces me to work harder.

So what have the big adjustments been so far???  Well, the food for one is um, interesting.  We eat injera morning, noon, and night at my house.  In case you haven’t had injera, it is a staple in the Ethiopian diet.  The only food I can think of to compare it to is maybe a very thin, spongy, slightly sour pancake.  They use it to put their food on and also to scoop it up and eat with instead of silverware.  It is an acquired taste.  I was choking it down the first week, but now it’s not too bad.  Although, there is a lack of variety in food choices, so I am looking forward to cooking for myself.  I would l kill someone for some gold fever wings right about now!! 

 Another major adjustment is all things bathroom related.  Showering, going to the bathroom, even washing my hands or face takes at least twice as long as it would with running water.  I don’t even want to confess how infrequently I have bathed in the past couple of weeks!  It’s just too much work to get up super early, squat in a bucket, and attempt to get clean with a pitcher of cold water.  Don’t even get me started on the toilet situation, or no toilet situation!  Let’s just say it’s pretty gross and leave it at that.

 

This weekend, I will be traveling to my permanent site where I will live for the next two years after training.  The town is called Ambo, and I will spend one week there, just getting familiarized with things.  I am very excited to check it out and start meeting new people.  Hopefully I will be able to update you all on my adventures in Ambo, depending on internet availability.

Nagaan taa’aa!