People have all sorts of
reasons for joining (and more importantly) staying through their Peace Corps
commitment. Some want it on a resume. Others just want to get out of the
country. Some want to put off grad school for another year, and others are
using it for grad school. The reasons are as varied as the individuals that
make up a cohort in countries all over the world. Today I was reminded why I’m
here.
While making tea and
preparing to make pancakes for breakfast I smelled smoke. Lifting my kettle I
was slightly discomforted that something wasn’t burning under the circular
rungs. I glanced to the right and was comforted that my power cord was still
glowing orange and not smoldering. I assumed someone was cooking elsewhere in
the compound and the smoke was wafting in. A couple minutes later I could
really smell it and see the smoke going out my window, not in. That was really
disheartening. I glanced to check my open door, to realize smoke was going out
of that too. Turns out the electric wires running into my room through a top
window was burning through the plastic coating holding together (since the last
burning). I quickly called out to the house girls to come and help. Once seeing
large flames they shut off the power to the entire compound. The handyman
wasn’t in yet so I just had to go without power. No pancakes, but thankfully
the tea water was pretty near boiling!
My harddrive and computer
are having a non-communicative relationship for the last couple days (i.e. the
harddrive acts like it is working, but computer won’t recognize it). Without
power in my house I wasn’t wanting to waste time on a computer anyways. So that
left the prospect of an entire day without power.
After a bowl of granola (I
already had powered milk mixed for the pancakes) and my cup of tea, I headed
out to market. As school is about to get started for real this week, more
people then normal were at market. I meandered through the lines rejoicing in
the low price of carrots (1kg = 10 Birr/50 cents) and happy to get two big
braids of garlic (about 40 cloves = 35 birr/$1.75) along with grabbing a half
kilo of onions and a kilo of cabbage. It was fun seeing so many more people.
After dropping market bag
back at the house, I went to see if oil had been delivered to the suk (shop)
I’m supposed to pick it up at. Oil is rationed, so the best way to get it is to
register with the city. They will give a suk owner your monthly amount and then
you go get it. I was gone at the beginning of this month so it’s been tricky to
get any now. May have to wait a week. Anyway, outside of the suk were three of
my former 9th grader boys with a cluster of their friends. These are
the boys that I had the pick up game of volleyball with last year. One kept
trying to speak in English, even though people were laughing, to tell me that
he wanted me as his teacher. I’m only teaching 9th grade this year,
but assured him I would be doing a tutoring class for 10th graders
on weekend so they would still see me plenty.
Even though there wasn’t
oil, I headed back happily twirling kids as I went. People from the villages
only in Selekleka for market, were completely baffled by my crazy behavior, but
they laughed in it.
A couple of my friends and
I are planning on doing monthly themed activities at an orphanage/abandoned
children’s home (google Abrahams Oasis/Grace Village) with kids 5-17. In
preparation for Halloween, I am making a jack-o-lantern-like pinata. By the
time I got back from market, the paper mache coat I put on early was completely
dry (benefit of being in Ethiopia) so I put on another coat.
Although power still hadn’t
been fixed, salad sounded like a good lunch for someone who wasn’t really
hungry. Cabbage sliced small, carrots shredded were doused in lime juice and a
little salt for a great salad-- with a book.
Realizing I still had lots
of time in the day to go, I decided to finally sort my lentils. I bought the
lentils forever ago, but have put off sorting it. You see, unlike the products
packaged in plastic in the States, lentils here have to be sorted to get the
small rocks and other things out of them before one is actually able to cook
with them. I have attempted to be lazy and skip sorting, and it resulted in my
teeth protesting at the tiny rocks. Pulling out a plate and my iPad (thankfully
it was charged) I poured and started to sort out the small orange lentils.
Soon one of the house girls
came over to help. She is already having to do more chores than are needed, but
still she came to help me sort. We talked some about life, but mostly just sat
close together on my front steps, enjoying the breeze, and getting through the
Jiffy jar full of lentils.
I attempted to read a book,
but got distracted by the beautiful day outside. Around 5, I decided it was
late enough I wouldn’t be sunburnt, there would be kids to twirl, and I could
get dinner somewhere if there was still no power when I returned to my house
after a quick walk. I grabbed a bag with a couple pens and birr and headed out
on a walk. Although it was dustier I decided to take the back road out toward
the elementary school so that I could walk on the concrete one with lights on
the way back.
As I was walking one of my
darling little friends popped out of a house with a kid sibling strapped to her
back. Milion is one of the 5th grade girls that would walk with me
to school last year. This summer she helped my parents find the perfect jebina
(clay coffee pot) at the market. She is always smiles. She soon had me talking
to her 6 month old little sister Marron on her back. In that time a little kid
came behind her to come and get a twirl. Mom also came out of the house to
laugh while holding a large golden chicken. After twirling I had the littlest
holding one of my hands, another girl with a chicken on my other side, and
Million talking in her fast Tigrigna in front of me.
She asked me if I liked
coffee. I said “Yes.” She asked if I liked corn. I agreed again. She asked
where I was going. I told her I was just going on a walk to the school. She
informed me that I was going to go to her house first. This seemed to make the
littlest, who I eventually learned was Katim, happy and constantly smiling up
at me as she held three of my fingers.
Million proudly showed me
her house after her mom unlocked it. There was the dumping and flapping of
protesting chickens with the house cat getting upset. I was offered a seat
while Mom got the beans roasting for coffee. Marron was placed on my lap though
they had to put a piece of plastic to protect my skirt incase she needed to
empty her bladder. A shy little one sat next to me. We soon were talking and
enjoying ourselves. Andom, the father, was surprised but happy to see me when
he entered a little bit later. He quickly caught onto my name and was asking me
all sorts of questions. Katim got ahold of his phone and started playing
tigrigna music which got us all dancing. Even Maron bobbed her head along with
the rest of us.
Buna ceremony is three
rounds of coffee, though Andom taught me the word for the fourth round which is
only for very special occasions. Through the rounds the girls and I drew
pictures to be translated into English and Tigrigna. A teacher friend came to
visit halfway through. We ate roasted corn. Maron fell asleep after nursing and
Katim got irrated when the phone’s battery ran low preventing more music to
play.
Before I left, I was given
two ears of corn to eat for dinner back at my house. I was also invited to come
back tomorrow at 8:30 (2:30 pm forengi time) to get my hair braided and have
more coffee. Andom walked me part of the way home, but Million made sure I got
back to my gate okay and didn’t forget tomorrow and she would come and get me.
Power hadn’t been fixed in
my house as I hadn’t been home to open the door. I wasn’t really worried about
it. I ate some peanut butter and Oreos (good thing I still have some stashed
from Mom & Dad) so that my malaria meds wouldn’t upset my stomach in the
middle of the night, but planned to bed shortly after. However, when I went to
the bathroom for the night, I commented to the housegirls that I still didn’t
have power. Mulu told me to tell Mama or Teklay Haimonot, the handyman, who
were still sitting around. I told them not to worry as I was tired and just
wanted to get some sleep.
As I was munching on
another Oreo, landfamily’s oldest son who is visiting, asked what was going on.
I quickly explained that I didn’t have power and he sent Teklay Haimonot in to
fix it. After turning the breaker off, stripping the wire, twisting them
together and securing with plastic, I had power again!
Some days are rough. Some
days I question what I am really doing here. I want to be teaching, but school
hasn’t started. What is my purpose outside of my major job? Today reminded me
that I live in a wonderful place with fabulous people. People that help me with
dull chores like sorting lentils. People who give me coffee and corn when I
didn’t know what I’d eat for dinner. People who I can have quick messages with.
People who have skills to help give me power. People to brighten my day. People
to remind me that I joined Peace Corps for them.
I joined to met people. To
broaden my horizon on the human race and cultures that we create. To live a
life different then my own to become familiar with others’ normal lives. I
joined to see God reflected in others. I joined for days like today.
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