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!

Demystified

 

This past weekend the Peace Corps sent us out on what they call “Demystification Weekend”.  The 70 of us new trainees were split into small groups and assigned to a currently serving volunteer to visit their sites for the weekend.  We set off on Saturday afternoon, and traveled about 3 ½ hours by bus from Addis Ababa to Hossaina.  Our guide and host for the weekend was an education volunteer named Christina.  She lives on a family compound, and has her own 2 room cement house.  The accommodations were pretty nice, considering.  She has regular electricity, no running water, and shares a toilet A.K.A shint bet A.K.A hole in the ground and shower A.K.A bucket bath room with the rest of the compound. 

We spent all day Sunday performing an all important Peace Corps Volunteer activity- killing time.  It seems as though I will have a great deal of free time, especially in the beginning of service.  We basically wandered around town, stopping at different cafés and loitering.  Oh yeah, and we played with monkeys- totally normal!  We were quite a sight, 6 American girls walking around, and we attracted plenty of stares, laughter, and comments of “feringi” (foreigner).  Being the one who obviously does not belong and sticking out will be something I’m not sure I’ll get used to anytime soon.

On Monday we were able to visit 3 primary schools in town.  Primary schools run from 1^st to 8^th grade, and there can be a broad range of ages in students in any given grade.  The schools were about what I expected.  We were able to visit a newly built, very small school for 1^st-3^rd grades.  It was in a more rural part of town, and I just loved it.  The kids were absolutely adorable and the teachers and school director seemed very nice.  On our 2 mile walk to this school, we attracted a mob of probably about 40 kids following us.  They were cute at first until they started screaming “money” at us.  It was a little disheartening to hear these kids asking us for money.  It was sad to me that they thought that was an appropriate behavior.  Whether the kids really knew what they were doing or not is debatable.  They may have just wanted our acknowledgement.  They were certainly curious about us, but probably didn’t have the English capacity to communicate.  Regardless, on the walk back through town, I really couldn’t take a repeat of the “money, money, money” screaming at the top of their lungs, so I started what I’m going to call a game with the kids.  It began with the little boy who was walking next to me just looking at me.  I turned to him and gave him a funny look bugging my eyes out.  The kid was so scared he just about fell over.  I, and all the other kids, of course thought this was hilarious.  I turned away and kept walking, a few seconds later, he was back at my side just staring at me again.  I turned to him and reached to grab him.  He ran away with a look of terror on his face.  I almost doubled over laughing so hard.  This turned into a game of me chasing about 20 kids on a dirt road, in a long skirt and dress flats, on a sunny, hot afternoon with lots of laughter.

All in all, I found “Demystification Weekend” to be just that- demystifying.  I definitely feel as though I have a clearer picture of what Peace Corps life is all about.  I feel reassured about the living conditions most volunteers have.  I am more aware of the challenges I will face as a “feringi”, as a teacher, as an American who is used to seeing immediate results.  I understand just how important learning the language and assimilating into my community will be and how those things will impact my overall effectiveness.  To sum it up- here are the top 5 things I learned while being demystified- in no particular order…

1.    Avocado and mango juice mixed together is delicious!
2.   I will have A LOT of downtime, especially in the beginning.  Plenty of    time to catch up on my reading!
3.  You’re not an official Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa until you poop your pants. (So far,   I’m not official!)
4. I have to be ready to accept the possibility that my work may have very little impact in my community, and I might face resistance to new ideas or even just to my presence.
5. I would rather have internet than running water.

Day 1 is done!

So today began with the first step of what is sure to be a long journey.  I flew from Boston to Washington D.C. for my Peace Corps orientation (or as it is called in Peace Corps lingo- staging).  I met my first fellow trainee in the boarding line at Logan airport.  She tapped me on the shoulder when she saw me carrying my blue Peace Corps folder containing all my important paperwork.  I am sure I made a great first impression, as I had uncontrollable tears and snot running down my face.  I promised her that I would compose myself on the plane ride and catch up with her in D.C.  And so I did, by using my tried and true best method of stress relief- I went to sleep!

The Staging event took place at a hotel in Washington D.C. from noon-7pm.  It was actually not as stressful as I had imagined.  We weren't too overloaded with information.  (Not today at least, but I am sure that day is to come!)  It was really great to meet most of my fellow trainees.  There are 70 of us from all across the U.S.  We will all be Education Volunteers in Ethiopia.  Some people seem to have lots of experience living abroad and some significantly less.  We did several group activities, and it was so reassuring to realize that we all have the same fears and anxieties.  We are all nervous about learning a new language and not being about to communicate.  Luckily, I am not the only one who has barely studied my Amharic.  We are all worried about fitting in and wondering "what if nobody likes me?".  We also all have the same hopes and aspirations for our Peace Corps service.  We all care about promoting peace and friendship.  We all want to be effective volunteers and teachers while also learning and assimilating into a new culture.  It was such an encouragement to be in a room full of people who can completely relate to my experiences and every emotion I've had along the way for the past several months.

The past few weeks have been so difficult saying goodbye to family and friends- everyone I love, packing for 2 years in just 2 suitcases, wondering if I've made the right decision to go to Africa.  I know that things are about to get a whole lot harder before they get better, but I am happy.  I am finally getting to do what I've been working towards for the past 15 months!  I feel confident (for the moment) and excited and ready to take on the challenges that lay ahead. Is it lay ahead or lie ahead?? I can't wait to be an English teacher! I'm gonna learn 'em kids some real good English! Watch out Ethiopia!

You're doing whaaaat?

So, I have a confession to make... I've always thought that people who kept blogs were self-involved narcissists. I mean really, who has that much time to devote to talking about themselves? And who really believes that their life is so interesting that other people care to read about it? Ha, well I guess I do now!  This blog will be a way for my family and friends and anyone else who stumbles across it to keep up with me while I am thousands of miles away from home, volunteering with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia.  Hopefully you will find it interesting, and hopefully I will have a few followers!  Hopefully at least my parents will read this.  Hi Mom and Dad!  I don't know quite what to expect upon my arrival in Ethiopia on June 5, 2012, but I am hoping to have semi-regular internet access and be able to update my blog every couple weeks.  Well here goes nothing-- my first blog entry...

I love telling strangers that I am moving to Ethiopia.  I love to see their reactions- the shocked and confused looks on their faces, the questions "Why?", "What will you do there?", and "Aren't you scared?".  The answers I can provide to these questions are much too involved for a short interaction with a stranger, so I try to sum them up in a few words.  "Why?"- To volunteer with the Peace Corps. "What will you do there?"- I will teach English.  "Aren't you scared"- Yes!  But now my friends, I will attempt to answer these questions for you.  The answers are complicated and may not make sense to everyone, but they are my truth.

Why am I moving to Ethiopia?  Because I feel deep down in my soul that this is absolutely the exact thing that I am meant to do at this moment in my life.  Because I desire to be a part of something bigger than myself.  Because I believe that I can make a difference.  Because I have a dream to live in Africa.  Because I want an adventure.  Because I love to travel and experience new cultures.  Because I love and care about helping other people.  Because I want to live somewhere long enough to see and be a part of positive change and progress.  Because I want to get my hands dirty and do the work that is necessary to bring progress to a developing country.  Because I believe that everything in my life thus far has prepared me to do this.

What will I do in Ethiopia?  I will serve as a Peace Corps Education Volunteer.  My official job title is Primary English Teacher.  What that means exactly, I do not know yet, but I will soon find out.  I will live like Ethiopians live.  I will learn and attempt to speak their language.  And hopefully I will have a wonderful adventure!

Am I scared?  Yes! Hell yes, I am absolutely terrified, but not of the things you may think.  I am not scared of living in a developing country.  I am not scared for my safety or my health.  I am not scared of bugs or other crawling things.  I am not even scared of living without electricity.  Well, ok maybe I am a little scared about not having my Blackberry within arm’s reach.  The thing that I am scared of is that I will be missing out on life here with my family and friends, not being a part of holidays, birthdays, celebrations, or even just the day to day routines.  I am terrified that being alone and so far from all I know may take me a really dark and lonely place emotionally.   I am scared that I might not have what it takes to actually do this.  Right now, my fear is tempered with anticipation and excitement.  I pray that I will be able to keep my fears at bay, and I just hope that everything will be ok and that this will be a truly positive experience.

Thank you for reading my first attempt at blogging!  Thoughts, comments, and emails are always welcome!  Please continue to check in as I continue to bear my soul for all to read...  3 weeks from today I will be on my way to my African adventure, until then I'm gonna live it up with the ones I love!!!