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.

Peace Corps Challenges and Struggles

It is said that Peace Corps is the hardest job you will ever love.  It is true that being a Peace Corps is no piece of cake.  There are so many different things that make the Peace Corps experience hard for a volunteer; ranging from struggling with language to dealing with varied amounts of harassment.

Some varying struggles/challenges that other volunteers have experienced and were willing to share are listed below:

• ·      “Inconsistent internet access/electricity”
• ·      “No vegetables at restaurants on Saturdays through Tuesdays and Thursdays”
• ·      “Sometimes, I feel like I am living back at home when I must communicate when I will be back with the other family that lives in my compound.”
• ·      “Everything is harder – ordering food or drinks, scheduling meetings, traveling, bathing, etc.”
• ·      “I seriously shit my pants at least once or twice a week.  Partly due to the bacteria, partly due to the distance between the shintbet and my house, but mostly because the imbecilic conversance and aplomb nature of competently controlling my own sphincter…” So in other words, having diarrhea on a daily basis.

Each volunteer has such a different experience from any other volunteer.  This is very true when it comes to challenges and struggles.  Despite how much the challenges and struggles vary from person to person, there is a list of things that we all experience and struggle with on some level.

• ·      Language (In Ethiopia there is one of three possible languages you learn based on the Region you will be living in.  Some volunteers live in smaller towns that have local languages that are not taught during pre service training)
• ·      Integration (It can be a struggle for any volunteer and we all integrate at different paces)
• ·      Getting sick (from anything ranging from food to unclean water)
• ·      Slow moving culture (this is a challenge because we are used to working at a much quicker pace in the states and it can take quite a while to get a project started)
• ·      A community moving very slowly in getting to know a volunteer and in building trust with them
• ·      Especially in bigger towns, there will always be people who won’t have ever seen a volunteer before and won’t know what Peace Corps is.
• ·      With smaller towns, it is possible that everyone will know the volunteer and will know everything there is to know about the volunteer and what they do all day every day.
• ·      Being isolated or at least feeling isolated can be a common feeling among volunteers
• ·      Change in food/diet can be difficult because it is so different from what we were accustomed to in the states and there are many who do not like the food.
• ·      And of course the new culture can be difficult to adjust to.  It can be hard leaving the culture you knew behind for two years and having to learn to live with a new culture.  The Ethiopian culture can be hard to adjust to because many Ethiopians don’t necessarily understand the concept of something like personal space.  I know that this was something many of my fellow volunteers struggled with, especially during pre service training when we lived with host families.

There are so many other things that as Peace Corps volunteers, we struggle with on a regular basis to some extent.  I have learned that how we really prove ourselves as volunteers is showing that we can step out of our comfort zones, being willing to make changes and adjustments in our lives, and facing these challenges and struggles head on.  I am sure that any volunteer would agree that this is easier said than done.  As I said before, being a Peace Corps volunteer is no piece of cake.  It isn’t easy to uproot yourself from your life in the states and move to some foreign place for twenty-seven months.  The Peace Corps volunteers I have gotten to know are some of the strongest people I know and it is always amazing to me how motivated volunteers are to push through the struggles and challenges that we deal with to make some change in the world. 

On another note, I am also extremely impressed by anyone in general who is very clearly willing to step out of their comfort zone and willingly face struggles and challenges to do what they know in their hearts is the best thing to do.  That could mean, becoming a Peace Corps volunteer, moving across country from all whom you consider closest to you, or giving up a great paying job for something that will fit your strengths better.  There are so many different ways in which I have seen people willingly step out of the comfort of their lives and face immense challenges because they ultimately know that it is the best thing to do.  It is a good reminder that the best choice is not always the easiest one.

 

If the stress of the struggles and challenges of a volunteer becomes too much, their head might explode... (not really, but it sure feels like it might happen at times!)

The many different faces of a volunteer when dealing with various struggles and challenges.

A Day in the Life of A Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia

Many people have wondered and have asked me what my experience has been like so far, what it is like to be living in Ethiopia, and what my regular/daily routine is like.  Honestly, every day is different.  Every day varies based on the amount of harassment I receive, the amount of work I have to work on, errands I have around town, the amount I struggle with the language barrier, as well as which of the various moods I may be dealing with.  Some days are easier than others.  Some days I don’t feel like leaving my room.  But I try to make the most of every day, even if that means leaving my compound once and interacting with a few kids for a couple of minutes.

I have been asked what a normal day looks like for me.  During the first three months in country when I was going through pre service training, most of my days would look like this: 

·      Wake up around 7am

·      Eat breakfast with my host family

·      Arrive for a technical training or language session at 8am

·      Shay/Buna (Tea/Coffee) Break at 10am

·      Sit through another technical training or language session starting at 10:30

·      Finish up the session for lunch (usually with the host family) at 12:30

·      Another technical training or language session begins at 1:30 pm

·      Shay/Buna break at 3:30 pm

·      Session #4 starts at 4pm

·      The fourth and final session of the day finishes up by 6pm

·      If the last session of the day finishes early enough, I would often go to the hotel and use the internet or hang out at one of my friends houses

·      I usually arrive home by 6:30 and eat dinner with my host family

·      I will spend some time with my host family after dinner

·      I head to my room by 8:30pm and study and/or work on any assignments

·      I am usually in bed by 10pm at the latest

·      Wake up around 7am and repeat my day

My first three months in Ethiopia were very structured.  Generally, I was either in a session, spending time with my host family, or studying and working on assignments with other trainees.  Every once in a while, we would have enough free time to go watch a soccer game or hang out.  This schedule was basically the same for every volunteer during their first three months in country prior to becoming an official volunteer and moving to site. To tell you the truth, the structure was kind of nice.  At first, it was a little bit of a shock to the system moving to site because that structure was gone.

In some ways, it can be a little difficult being at site because I have had to create my own schedule.  It has been nice in that my time has been more flexible and I have the option to really do what I want with my time.  My normal day since moving to site generally looks like this:

·      Wake up around 7:30am

·      Eat some breakfast and get ready for the day

·      Go to the health office for a couple of hours, visit a non-governmental organization, help/attend a training or meeting, go to an internet café, and/or run some errands

·      Around 12 or 12:30pm I will normally eat some lunch

·      After lunch I will normally, go to the health office for a couple hours, visit a non-governmental organization, help/attend a training or meeting, go to an internet café, and/or run some errands

·      Some days I will also go to a language tutoring session at some point

·      I often arrive home by around 4:30pm

·      I will relax, eat dinner, and head to by around 10pm

If I had to tell you what my normal day looks like, that would be it.  There are so many different variables to my day and one day never looks quite like another.  Honestly, there are some days in which I really do not have anything to do other than to study Amharic and read a book.  Some days are extremely busy and I will be at a training or meeting that lasts the whole day.  Unlike our first three months in country, this schedule will be very different for every volunteer based on the organizations they are working with, the projects they are working on, how motivated they are to do projects, etc.  It really varies a lot because each volunteer is different and we all have our own priorities and desires when it comes to our interests and what we want to accomplish in our sites.

There are also many other things that affect the life of a volunteer.  During pre service training, we all had different experiences because we all had different host families with differing lifestyles, religions, etc., lived in different areas of town, learned different languages, and were split up by sector (environment/agriculture and health).  Since moving to site, we have been living in vastly different regions of the country with different customs and traditions, have been speaking different languages, have been living in towns of very different population sizes (ranges from 2,000 to 100,000), and differing resources and organizations to work with.  The various factors go on and on.  No volunteer has exactly the same service.  Even volunteers serving in the same country have very different experiences.

So here is the short answer to the question:  what does are regular day look like?

Many days are routine in that I wake up, go to the health office or other non-governmental office (to do a training or plan), take care of any errands, go home, relax, make dinner, and go to bed.  But in reality, no day is ever like another.  Even the smallest thing can happen to significantly change my day or my who experience here in Ethiopia is a Peace Corps volunteer.

Painting Murals during PST

Language Trainings

Laundry is always a regular chore.

Playing games like UNO with friends always provided a much needed break during PST.

Big Group sessions during PST.

It's always fun going to community events like soccer games.

Meskal

Recently, Ethiopia celebrated a holiday called Meskal.  Meskal is an Orthodox Christian holiday that celebrates the finding of the true cross.  Meskal generally falls on September 27^th (September 28^th during leap years).  According to the cross-cultural workbook that was received during the first three months in country (pre service training), Meskal commemorates the discovery of the cross by the Empress Helena (Ileni), upon which Jesus was crucified.  Also, many of the rites observed on this holiday are said to be directly connected to the legend of Empress Helena.

On the eve of Meskal (September 26^th), tall branches are tied together and yellow daisies called meskal daisies are placed at the top of the branches.  During the day or night the branches are lit, usually in front of a compound or in large city centers to symbolize the actions of the Empress who, when no one would show her the holy tomb, lit incense and prayed for help.  The cross-cultural workbook goes on to say that the smoke drifted and beneath it she dug to find three roses, one of which was on the True Cross of Jesus.  Meskal also signifies the physical presence of part of the True Cross at the church of Egzaibher Ab (also known as Ghision Murium), which is located 483 Km north of Addis Ababa in the Wello zone.

In Woliso, the Meskal celebrations began on the eve of Meskal with a service in the football stadium beginning around 3pm.  There was a large procession that paraded to the stadium.  My sitemates and I followed the procession which we found to include groups of kids banging drums and dancing, people dressed in traditional clothing and even a marching band (I was extremely excited to discover that there are marching bands in Ethiopia because I was in my high school marching band).  Of course, it was noticed that there were ferenji (foreigners) present as the three of us walked into the stadium and we were led to the area of seats reserved primarily for military and other very important community members.  As a side note, as a ferenji, I have noticed that I usually receive the “royal” treatment like this or get attention that is not really appreciated (such as staring and being asked for money).

Now back to the Meskal celebrations…  The service was surprisingly organized for what we would expect of a program in Ethiopia.  Despite some technical difficulties with the speaker system and the being people everywhere, the program itself when fairly smoothly.  There was some music from the marching band, a lot of singing (from Church members as well as from the kids participating in the service), as well as a skit, prayers, as well as other speeches that for the most part were incomprehensible for those of us with limited Amharic skills.  As per usually, we were only able to make it through a bit over two hours of the service, because honestly, it can be a little hard to sit there that long and not be able to understand much of what is going on.  Despite not sitting through the whole service and not understanding much of what was being said, the service itself was cool and I really did enjoy it.

At the end of the service (around nightfall), the burning of the cross began.  There was a cross brought to the stadium for the service and the burning began here.  As mentioned above, there were tall branches with daisies located in front of almost every compound throughout Woliso.  The burning first began in the stadium.  Once the fire started, torches were lit and the burning slowly spread through town as each pile of branches and daisies were lit on fire using the torches.  It was a really cool thing to experience.

And on the day of Meskal, like so many other holidays, people spend time with their families and eat a ton of food.  It seems like the most common food that is eaten for almost every holiday is duro wat and kitfo.  Duro wat is a dish with chicken and has a sauce that is made up of tomatoes, unions, burbory, etc.  Almost all wat-based dishes are made up of those ingredients.  Kitfo is a dish with ground raw meat with a lot of different spices.  Also, traditional Ethiopian drinks such as Tej are also commonly made and drank on holidays such as Meskal.  Similar to the other two major holidays that I have already experienced while being in Ethiopia, Easter (Fasika) and the Ethiopian New Year, during Meskal, I visited multiple homes throughout the day and was fed at each place.

*As a side note for those who have never been to Ethiopia (especially if you are considering traveling to Ethiopia at some point):  Many people can be very welcoming, especially when it comes to holidays.  I have learned that they love to invite you in and feed you (no matter how many houses you have already visited and how much you may have already eaten).  In Ethiopia, it is considered rude not to feed your guests.  Also, many will also give you at least one or two cups of coffee after the meal.  And be warned… in many parts of Ethiopia, it is common to drink coffee with salt and/or butter.  So don’t be surprised if you visit Ethiopia during a holiday and can’t make it through the day without eating an improbable amount of duro wat and drinking at least five or six cups of coffee.  It would not be surprising if you were ready to pass out from a food coma by the end of the day.

What I love about Meskal is that it is one of the many holidays unique to Ethiopia in which you can really see the culture that is specific to this country and the pride that people so clearly have for this place.  It is amazing to see how Ethiopians celebrate and see their culture shining through the celebrations because it is distinctly different from what you would generally think of when you think of a country in Africa.  I think that is one thing that I really do love about serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia.  Despite Ethiopia being in Africa, it is so distinctly different in culture, holidays, language, etc. from other African countries and what would be thought of when thinking of an African country.

I’m not gonna lie, some days are a struggle and at times the thought of going back to the states crosses my mind.  But I think the struggles make me a stronger person and I learn so much about myself when I am faced with one struggle or another.    Granted, I did know that these two years in Ethiopia would not be a cakewalk.   I love the holidays in Ethiopia because it reminds me of how unique and different Ethiopia is from other countries and I definitely see the better side of Ethiopia during the holidays.  Holidays never fail to bring out the culture of Ethiopia and bring out a very welcoming side of the people.  I can usually see the culture of the country and see how welcoming people can be on a regular basis, but I think these things are more evident during holidays and other special occasions.  Also, I have noticed that it seems like I receive less harassment during holidays.

I have always loved celebrating holidays, and one of the highlights of my experience so far is learning about the holidays that are specific to Ethiopia and being surrounded by the unique and exciting ways in which people celebrate here.  With each new holiday I experience here, I become that much more excited about being able to experience the next one.