Ethiopia Photos Post #2 #OutAndAbout #Weather #Spirit #Road #BloggingAbroad

Here is my second post dedicated to getting a few photos up on my blog.

Photo #1:  The Weather

In Ethiopia, there are four major seasons (similar to those anywhere else).  There is a rainy season, dry season, and a couple of season in between.  The rainy season and dry season are opposite of those that we experience in in the states.  So when we get hot weather ranging from May to September, it is cold and rainy in Ethiopia.  November through February or March when we are getting snow and rain in the states, it can get pretty dry and hot in Ethiopia.

Getting some rain clouds overhead.  #weather

Occasionally though, weather in Ethiopia can be somewhat unpredictable.  Sometimes you may get the very hot and humid day during the rainy season or get a day or two of pouring down rain during the dry season.  In some places (if you are high enough up in elevation), you might even see hail.

Photo #2:  Spirit

I have had the opportunity to work with some pretty amazing students during my two years in Ethiopia.  I have seen so much fire and spirit within these kids.  Considering how lax the work culture in Ethiopia can be, it can be absolutely amazing to see how motivated these kids can be when working to reach a goal and when it comes to their willingness to learn new things.

Time for some group work!  #spirit

It also can be so encouraging to see how well they are able to work together in groups and how they are able to help each other learn (and in the correct ways because oftentimes for them, "helping" other students is what we would consider to be cheating in the states).  It is unfortunate though that this spirit I see can only be found really in a small amount of students in Ethiopia because many don't expect to go very far when it comes to their education.  It breaks my heart a little.  But then when you find those few students that have that spirit and that drive to do well in school and have set high goals for themselves, it can be so amazing to see the things that they are able and motivated to do.

Photo #3:  The Roads

It's amazing to experience how different roads are in developing countries in comparison to those in developed countries.  In Ethiopian towns, only major roads are paved.  In most towns throughout the country, the roads are dirt.  Some are paved with stones and even fewer are actually paved.

#roads

For many Peace Corps volunteers, the condition of the roads as a huge impact on traveling.  If a volunteer lives in a town that has only dirt roads and the closest paved road is miles away, it can take that much longer to get where they need to go (and even longer during rainy season because the roads turn into mud).  Even with paved roads, it can take longer than one would expect to get to where they need to go because paved does not always equal good quality.  And of course the type of transportation one takes makes a difference (but only a little).  Peace Corps volunteers generally use public transportation rather than private and the public transportation always takes a little bit longer for some reason... things like this really make me appreciate the things we have in the states!




#OutAndAbout
#BloggingAbroad