Photos from Thanksgiving 2014 Through December 18th

I was extremely lucky to be able to join a U.S. Embassy family for Thanksgiving this year.

The food was absolutely amazing.

Two volunteers and myself with our gracious host family

I am so lucky to have such amazing friends in Ethiopia

This what we do in Addis, hang out and eat a lot of "ferenji" food.

Sometimes, the best food is what we can get locally.

Such a fantastic group for permaculture design training!

The kids can be so ridiculous!

Sometimes, puppies are just the best...

... even if they might have flees

Bobby and the puppy :)

The Passing of Time

The passing of time can be such an interesting thing.  There are times in which time seems to move extremely slowly and there are other times in which time seems to fly by.  I remember being in middle school and high school and thinking that time seemed to go by so slowly.  Public school September through June and swim team during the summer was my life for the first 18 years of my life.  And then came college.  At first, it seemed to go by slowly.  But as I moved through each year, time seemed to pick up and graduation was there in a heartbeat.

When I think about being in Ethiopia for about 10 months now, it amazes me.  When first arriving in Ethiopia, I had three months of pre-service training.  Every day was a packed day with various trainings.  At the beginning of the three-month training, it felt like it could last forever.  But slowly, time seemed to move faster and I was heading to my site before I knew what had happened.

Living at site is an interesting thing when it comes to the passing of time.  I think it is similar for many volunteers.  There are periods of time when I am extremely busy and the time flies by.  Then there are times in which there is not very much work and the days seem to drag on and on.  This in part is what makes a Peace Corps Volunteer experience make it what it is.  Almost every volunteer goes through slow periods of time and fast periods of time during the two-year service.  How much of a volunteers service is made up of those fast paced periods/slow paced times really makes a difference.

I don’t think any volunteer wants to have a service that is predominantly a slow paced service.  Not to say that every volunteer wants his or her service to end quickly (maybe some do though…).  I think that often times when a volunteer is going through a time of their service that flies by, they are keeping busy and are doing something productive in their communities that may have a successful and sustainable effect on their communities.

I think that most often when a volunteer is going through a slow period, they may be in between projects, etc. and don’t have much going on.  I think though that this doesn’t necessarily mean that a volunteer isn’t making a positive impact on their community during these times of service.  I really think it depends on how the time is used.  When I don’t have much going on related to work, I try to spend my time in other ways.  I try to be out in the community as much as possible.  I spend time in the market, getting coffee, playing with the kids on my street.  I do whatever I can to be present in the community.  I think that even just being present in the community can have an extremely positive impact on the community.

Some days are a struggle while others are amazing.  Some days I am doing a lot in my community and others I am not doing much.  Some days I am traveling and sometimes I have one or two weeklong trainings with other Peace Corps volunteers.  Some days are more fulfilling than others.  When I have days in which I do not have much going on, I take advantage of the free time to either use it as time to relax or try to find ways in which to use it productively.    No matter what I do, there will always be times in which life seems to drag by and times in which it seems to go by in the blink of an eye. 

Despite the slow times and fast times during my service, I think that the two years I spend in Ethiopia will go by very quickly as a whole.  I am learning that now matter how quickly or slowly time passes, that each and every moment is precious and to try to make every moment as worth while as possible.

2014 Holidays in Ethiopia

First of all, I’d like to wish all of you Happy Holidays!

Now, I’d like to share my experience celebrating the holidays for the first time in another country without my immediate family:

Being a Peace Corps volunteer can be difficult and challenging during the holidays.  It can be challenging because you are away from your family, the country you are serving in may not recognize the holiday or celebrate the holiday at a different time, cultural differences, and even weather differences.  I have definitely missed being back home in the states with my family celebrating and there are times I get onto Facebook seeing pictures of Christmas trees and cookies and have different emotions go through me.

Despite missing home, it helps being able to talk with people via phone and video chat when possible.  It has also been great having other volunteers around for not only support but also to hang out and celebrate the holidays with me.

For Thanksgiving, there were about 60 of the 200+ volunteers in Ethiopia who were randomly picked to join U.S. Embassy families for dinner.  I was able to join an extremely nice couple and their two daughters along with two of my friends in my group of volunteers.  The two others volunteers and I were able to also meet some people who work for the Embassy and were able to enjoy a great meal.  The family who hosted us was amazing and it really felt like we were celebrating Thanksgiving back in the states.

Turkey!!!

Desserts!

Our host family was awesome!!

The day after Thanksgiving, my sitemates and I hosted another Thanksgiving where about 20 volunteers came and celebrated together.  I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit stressed and overwhelmed at tines… But it was a ton of fun.  It was a great group of volunteers hanging out together and we had chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, Mac & cheese, among other things.  So good and totally worth it.

For Christmas and New Years, I am not sure what will happen as of yet.  Sometimes as a Peace Corps volunteer, it can be hard and realistic to plan far in advance sometimes.  There are times in which you may do something at the last minute.  All I know is that I will do what I can do to celebrate and spend time with friends (other volunteers) around Christmas.

The downside to the Holiday season when living in another country as a Peace Corps volunteer is this:

You aren’t able to celebrate with your family and friends back in the states, you might get a little homesick, and you might miss decorations, Christmas trees, Christmas/Holiday music, and holiday foods and baked goods. 

The upside to the Holiday season when living in another country as a Peace Corps volunteer is this:

You get to experience celebrating the holidays within the context of a new country and celebrate some new holidays, celebrate with and be supportive of other friends/ Peace Corps volunteers, and create new fun traditions for the holidays.  Also, lots of care packages (maybe)!!!!!

*Also as a side note, if you’d like to send me a care package (especially because it is the holidays), here is my mailing address.  I don’t mind getting holiday care packages after Christmas if you want to send something but can’t get it sent out early enough.  It’s the thought that counts!!

Caitlin Rahn

P.O. Box 304

Woliso

Southwest Shoa Zone

Oromia Region

Ethiopia

Overall, it has been a good experience celebrating the holidays in Ethiopia (despite how much I have missed home at times).  I have been able to celebrate with other volunteers, share my traditions from the states with host country nationals, and learn so much about the culture and traditions of Ethiopia (and in what ways they are similar and different than the culture and traditions of the states).

Up to this point, that has been what the holidays have been like for me here in Ethiopia.  At times, it may be hard to celebrate the holidays here… but I have learned so much and this experience is really helping me to appreciate things in the sates so much more.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Ethiopia!

*If you have any specific questions about holidays, traditions, food, or any other aspects about the Ethiopian culture, please feel free to ask!  I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have.  This is definitely partly what my blog is about in addition to sharing my experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Also, any questions may help in prompting a future blog post.

Seasons of Ethiopia

The seasons of Ethiopia are changing often and can be very unique to this country.  Ethiopia is located just above the equator; so when it gets hot, it can get very hot.  In a sense, the seasons in Ethiopia are similar to those in America but are flipped.  For example, during the “winter” months when it is cold, rainy, and snowy in the states, it can be very hot, dry, and dusty in Ethiopia.

Here is what the four seasons are called in Ethiopia:

Kiremt – the rainy season

Belg - the hot, dry season (there is some rain)

Bega – the very hot season

S’edey- there is some rain and it is very green

During January and February, we experience bega.  I first arrived in Ethiopia beginning of February, so the end of the very hot season was what I first experienced.  Also, the Ethiopian holiday called T’imkat (Ethiopian Epiphany) is during January.  March through May is belg.  My pre-service training was during these months.  It was fairly hot and dry majority of training.  Towards the end of training, we did have a few rainy days.  In regards to holidays, Easter occurs during this period of time in April.  As a side note, Easter is called Fasika in Ethiopia.  

June through August (and also the 13^th month of the Ethiopian calendar) fall during the kiremt season.  These few months were the first few months that I was living at site.  Kiremt is the rainy season, so my first few months at site could be a bit gloomy at times.  It was interesting to experience the cold and rainy season during this time of the year because I am used to the hot weather that we have in the states during these months.

During the months of September through December is the S’edey season.  I think what I have struggled the most during this season is that it is the holiday season with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years (as well as other holidays) and I generally associate this time of the year with cold weather, rain, and snow.  There are quite a few holidays that occur during this season.  The Ethiopian New Year occurs between the 13^th month of the Ethiopian calendar and September.  There is also Meskal (finding of the true cross) and Genna (Christmas).  As a side note, some of these holidays such as the Ethiopian Christmas fall on a different day than when we celebrate Christmas.  Although the Ethiopian Christmas falls during December of the Ethiopian calendar, to falls during January of the Georgian calendar.

Now, time for a language lesson!  For those of you who are curious about what the months are called in Amharic, here is a list below:

September - Meskerem

October – T’imk’imt

November - Hidar

December – Tahisas

January – T’ir

February - Yekatit

March - Megabit

April - Miyaziya

May - Ginbot

June - Sene

July - Hamle

August - Nehase

The 13^th month – P’agume

With the 13 months of the Ethiopian calendar, it definitely has proven to be a challenge at times to schedule events, activities, etc. with people I work with at times.  They are on a different calendar than I am, so it has proved be very important to make sure that both parties are clear on the day.  I do not have an Ethiopian calendar of my own, so sometimes I have to rely on others to give me the correct corresponding days.  Mixing up days has not seemed to be a problem as of yet.  I have learned though that if something such as the date is mixed up, it is extremely important to be flexible and patient.  Both can be hard to do at times though (I am sure almost any volunteer could agree with that).

Despite how different the seasons and calendar here are in comparison to those in the states, it has been a great experience learning more about the Ethiopian culture, similar holidays, different holidays, etc.  It is something that I may grow accustomed to over my two years of service.  Despite how much I miss the seasons, holidays, and traditions that I have left back in the states, it has been such a good experience living in a country where such things are so different.  It has been amazing learning about and living in a new and different culture and it has allowed me to grow as a person and learn more about myself as well.  As each season of Ethiopia changes over to the next, I change a little as well (and I hope that at the end of my service, it has overall been a good change).

Rainy Season

It can be very pretty as rainy season ends and the dry season begins.

Meet Bobby

Meet Bobby....

Bobby is the six year old son of my landlord and landlady.  My site mate and I live in the same compound and when she first moved in (I moved in months later) Bobby was actually a bit afraid of her.  He was about five at the time and probably had never seen a white person before.

But about a year later (now with me having lived in the compound for about six months), he has completely changed!  He is very comfortable with both of us.  He knows our names.  When we say hello to him and ask him how he is doing, he has no problems responding.  In fact, he will come over and sit with us when we are doing something.  If I leave my door open, Bobby will even come over and hang out with me.  He will ask to take pictures on my camera and sometimes will have me play some of my music or a movie for him.  Sometimes he will pick things up and ask me what they are in English and/or Amharic.

This can be great for me because it gives me the chance to practice my Amharic and even learn some new words from him.  I learn a lot from this kid (even if I don't realize I am learning something from him) and I honestly think he helps me grow as a person and improve things like my patience and flexibility.  

As a side note:  I think that my landlord and landlady might like me even more because I hang out with Bobby.

A little bit more about Bobby:

He is a very energetic kid who is curious about everything.  Despite living in Oromia (regional language Oromifa), he is speaks Amharic.  I am not sure if he is learning any Oromifa or not.  As I mentioned above, he is six years old.  He is attending one of the primary schools in town (I am guessing this is his first or second year of school based on his age).  He has two older brothers and an older sister, all of whom attend school in Addis Ababa.  Based off of this, I am guessing Bobby's parents will also be sending him to school in Addis Ababa as soon as he is old enough to go.  I honestly hope that this will happen after I am done with my service because it is really nice to have a kid running around the compound.  

I am really jealous of all those volunteers that have a ton of kids on their compounds to play with and those who have people on their compound who are in secondary school and/or are around their age and are able to become friends with them.  But hey, it is still fun to have Bobby living on the compound.  It can be so fun running around and kicking the soccer ball around with him.  

It is amazing how much you can learn about the kids in Ethiopia (I am sure other volunteers, even those serving in other countries could agree in regards to the kids in their countries).  You can learn so much about what their lives are like at home, school, etc.  I learn something every day.  Some kids can stress me out so much and others can help me to de-stress with their energy and curiosity.

I am grateful to have Bobby living on my compound because, despite how frustrated I can get with him always picking things up in my room and asking about them, he is ultimately a great kid who has taught me so much.

A couple more pictures of bobby:

Communication

There are so many different forms of communication.  There is language (word of mouth, which can take so many different forms), body language, facial expressions, hand gestures, etc.  The list could go on and on.  In some ways, communication has never been more important since moving to Ethiopia for my twenty-seven months of Peace Corps service.  Communication can be difficult when moving to a third world developing country where the host country nationals speak a language you have never heard being spoken before in your life.  It can be hard to communicate with those back in the states due to unreliable Internet and network access.  It can be just as difficult to communicate with Peace Corps staff and other volunteers in country for the same reasons.  It can be hard to communicate with host country nationals purely because of the persistent language barrier.  I have also realized that the difference in culture in some ways has created a barrier in understanding between host country nationals and myself, causing some difficulty in communicating at times.

Since moving to Ethiopia, I have realized how much more important it is between family and friends back in the states and myself.  Yet, it can be harder.  When I was back in the states, it was so easy to send text messages or making calls at any given time without any problems.  Since arriving in Ethiopia, it has been more difficult because it is unrealistic to send text messages and it can be hard to make phone calls because (1) it can be very expensive and (2) the network is not always very good.  I have relied so much more now on using Facebook, sending emails, and writing/sending letters in order to communicate with people.  I have noticed that it is surprisingly more difficult for not only myself but also for everyone in the states to communicate now.  It was just so much easier to make national calls and texts.  The communication between myself and everyone in the states definitely requires a two way street in which there is effort taken on both sides.  Being in a third world developing country can make communication extremely difficult because despite how much I still heavily rely on Internet and phone network, these two services are often extremely unreliable. 

Considering how difficult this is now, I can’t even imagine what it was like for the volunteers who were here in the ‘60s.  Despite having phone network and internet access somewhat regularly (really based on where you live; some people live in areas in which they rarely get either), it can even be hard to communicate with Peace Corps staff as well as other volunteers at times.  Unlike in the states where we have multiple phone services (Verison, AT&T, T-mobile, etc.), Ethiopia has only one phone service.  This is partly why the network can be an issue at times.  Since there is only one phone service, everyone in Ethiopia who has a phone is on the same network.  This can make it hard to get calls out to other people and may at times lead to the network crashing.  I have gone a couple weeks at a time with bad network and have been unable to make a single call.  This can be a potential issue if I ever need to get in contact with Peace Corps staff or Vis versa.

Letters can be a pain to write and send sometimes, but for some reason it can be one of the things that I have looked forward to the most while living in Ethiopia.  It can be so nice to receive mail (expected or unexpected), especially because internet and phone network can be unreliable and it is a nice way to receive people's support.

I have briefly talked about this in my post titled Barriers, but there are definitely communication issues that stem from language barriers between myself and host country nationals.  There are over 90 different languages in Ethiopia.  The national language is Amharic.  Two other major languages are Oromifa and Tigrinian.  There are many different zonal and tribal languages throughout the country as well.  During PST (pre service training; our first three months in country), we are taught Amharic, Oromifa, or Tigrinian based largely on where we will live for our two years of service.  I learned Amharic during this time.  I am in a fairly big town only two or three hours away from Addis Ababa, so many people speak Amharic. 

We used a lot of diagrams and pictures when we were learning language during PST.

But my town is located in Oromia and the regional language is Oromifa.  It seems like there are at least just as many people who speak Oromifa as there are who speak Amharic.  There are also many who know at least some amount of English.  It is difficult for me because I want to focus on Amharic because that is the language I originally learned and it is the one language I can really use almost anywhere in the country.  But many people also think I should learn Oromifa because I live in Oromia and there are also many people who want to practice their English whenever they speak with me.  It can be very difficult having three languages thrown at me.

Sometimes it isn't clear if the kids speak Amharic, Oromifa, or some sort of combination of both... but it is still fun to try to speak with them and take pictures of them.  Side note: for some reason kids love having their pictures taken! 

Communication can be very difficult when living in a third world developing country because it takes a whole lot more effort communicating with people back in the states on both ends.  It is also very difficult communicating with other Peace Corps volunteers and staff because of unreliable communications within country.  It can be difficult communicating with host country nationals because of the language barrier.  But communication is important.  I have learned that it requires some give and take from both parties involved in the process of communication.  It oftentimes requires some level of patience and flexibility. 

I have found communication has been very challenging many times throughout my service thus far.  But I have been challenged to improve my communication skills as well as become more patient flexible, and have the ability to adapt.  I won’t lie, I have been in country for about nine months and communication in all aspects has been very difficult at times.  I am sure that the next 18 months won’t be any easier in regards to communication.  I learn and grow more every day and not only will it make the next 18 months potentially easier in some ways, it hopefully my communication skills will help me later in life when I am back in the states.

A Quick Glance of my Ethiopian Home

Below are a handful of pictures I have taken around my site.  I can post more pictures on my blog upon request.