Happy New Year!

Nothing like going to a new calendar system to make one reevaluate the way she looks at life! Usually on September 11th there is gloom and a sense of remembrance. Not here, where it is New Year's day of the Ethiopian year 2007. The last time I celebrated the entrance of 2007, I was at Sydney Moberg's house with Sophie (exchange sister from Germany) and other girls where we brought enough sparkling apple cider for us each to have a bottle. I watched Titanic for the first and only time through that cider bottle that would haunt me during basketball practice the next day. That year I would play 1:29 in the state championship basketball game where we place second, go to San Fran and Hollywood on family vacation, play summer basketball, help kickoff FFA at Santiam, and dislocate my knee is basketball. With plenty of Young Life, practices, campaigners, and spirit weeks it made a full year. What's going to be new and different with this one?

When I think about New Year celebrations in the states, it usually revolves around New Year's Eve. Eating great food with the family. Playing games and such till 9, when we watch the ball drop in New York and my parents go to bed. Then hanging out with brothers or friends till midnight creeps across the country to finally reach the West Coast. The next morning we all sleep in and groggily come to breakfast of Dad's great cooking. Occasionally we talk about resolutions knowing they aren't always going to last the full 365 days. Compared to the other holidays it's pretty low key.

There is nothing remarkable about New Years Eve here. In fact my host family was confused when I used the phrase. To them, it is just a day to prepare for the following day. Preparations for me meant washing dishes. However, this allowed me to watch the new preparations going on. After chopping enough onions to fill a three- gallon bucket and putting those to simmer on the fire with oil, water and spices, the scene was cleared for the two roosters to be prepared. Seeing as how these roosters had waken me up at five that morning, I wasn't all that heart-broken when they were killed, plucked, blown like balloons, smoked, cut, washed, cooked and added to onions. The process did take forever and I only stayed for the first washing (meat is washed 15 times according to host mom), but it was pretty interesting. On a side note, I realized how sturdy my stomach is.

New Year's Day is a holy day. The first lesson I learned is that sleeping in is an American cultural trait. At seven my dear host mom banged on the door making sure I wasn't sick. At eight she did it again and, after asking if I wasn't sick, stated bluntly, "Get up. Get dressed. Eat breakfast." Alrighty then. Breakfast was doro watt or roosters in tasty onions with injera. Afterwards I was given a traditional Ethiopian shirt and told to shower and change. I was eager for this. The shirt is absolutely beautiful and mostly white. The rest of the morning was spent watching church services on TV. My family had already gone to church in the morning when I slept. During the afternoon I helped make popcorn (i.e.,  I got to wave the tin plate back and forth in front of the small opening in the charcoal stove to keep it hot.) We added sugar to it. Then we just hung out waiting for neighbors to come visiting. Community is a very integral part of this culture. At seven we went and visited one of our neighbors before going for a walk under the stars.

Today is host family appreciation day. Monday I take my language placement exam. Tuesday I head to Addis for more meetings. Friday I swear in as an official Peace Corps volunteer at the US embassy. Saturday I travel to my site to stay! 2007 is going to be busy and full of challenges. It is going to be interesting and entertaining to see how I learn and grow this year.