The Last Coffee Ceremony

November 9^th, 2007

Yesterday wasn’t too exciting. We taught and my class period went by fast because they were asking so many questions. But that was because I was attempting to define words and it’s difficult to define them in English in such a way that they’ll understand. It is better if their regular teacher tells them what words mean in their own language instead. The sad thing is that they don’t have English to Oromifa dictionaries. That’s another need that should be met.

Today we went to school and took pictures of the flag-raising ceremony. Bruce and Tekle came because they had arrived during devotions. Kate taught while I talked to some teachers. Many of the local people here, including the teachers, always ask if we are coming back and we always have to explain that it’s expensive to come. Then they say that when we graduate we’ll get a good paying job and come. Well that’s not always true, but we always say maybe because we would love to return. I gave my students the test they asked for. I thought that it was pretty hilarious that they asked for one. I tried to make it easy for them, so hopefully it was. There may have been some cheating going on, but the students are so crowded in that classroom and it’s so dark that it’s hard to tell. But then again, I could be making an unfair accusation.

Then they showed Bruce, Tekle, and Kate the library, textbook room, and material room. It was interesting because it looked like there were plenty of extra books in the textbook room, but not all of the kids had them. Then they explained that there were enough for a few grades, but not all of them. I had noticed this even though Kassa had said one day that the government is finally providing the books. While they may have provided some, they still haven’t provided enough. We took pictures with the teachers and some of the students. It was really difficult trying to get out of there. I guess this is what it’s like to be a miniature celebrity. Crazy. I felt bittersweet about leaving. I was glad because I wouldn’t have to teach anymore but I was sad that I would leave all those children who had found a place in my heart.

We drove to a water pump and the coffee plantation after class. Bruce was really interested in it because he studied agriculture and economics. Later we played Frisbee and sang while Kate played guitar. The rest of the staff is in Nekemt so it was a small number of people: just Kate, Bruce, Tekle, Abraham, a guard, Tanagne and I. After dinner we made a campfire while Tanagne served us coffee. Tanagne even put frankincense on the coffee-making fire. A true ceremony. Thunder and lightening lit up the whole sky.

We leave early tomorrow morning and we have to get up at like 5:30! Ugh! I am so sad to leave Tanagne. She’s so sweet. Tonight she hugged me and cried, which humbled me because I had no idea we were such a blessing to her. I wish women could stay here with her so she wouldn’t always be the only one. At least Truwork comes around every day as well as the laundry girl (whom I still haven’t learned her name because their names are so hard to learn!). We are giving Tanagne and Truwork necklaces and notes before we leave.

It was so good to see Bruce and tell him all the things we’ve wanted to talk about concerning practicum. It was also really good to see Tekle again. I look forward to seeing Addis Ababa as well and eating different kinds of food.

Girls' Advocacy

November 7^th, 2007

Yesterday morning we realized too late that Kate and I were supposed to be in charge of devotions. Oops. So matthewos finished his from the day before.

At the school, Kate and I talked to the 5^th-8^th grade girls (and the older girls in the lower grades) for the purpose of Girls’ Advocacy. For Kate and I, it was a bit tiring saying the same thing 3 times, but it was really good. we essentially told them to pursue education, develop their skills, become confident, exercise their right to make decisions, that they’re equal to boys, that university would be helpful in many ways, how to communicate to their parents how important education is to them, not to get married young, and what occupations they could pursue. Many don’t know about occupations other than doctor or teacher. I think it was a productive time as well. One girl stood and thanked us and said it was a good opportunity for them. At the end, there was question time and some of them asked what they should do about their families’ insistence that hey only do housework. They don’t want to give them time for school and homework. We said that they should communicate to them how important school was to them and to ask if they could set aside time for homework. Another girl said she believed girls weren’t even as capable as boys in learning. I couldn't believe that these things I’ve heard about were true. They actually believe these things! It made me angry, not at the girls, but at the society who told them such lies. While I’m glad that we had that talk, I’m afraid the girls will talk to their parents and get beaten. Beating is so common around here. It disturbs me. Because that one girl thanked us, I hope that if we even helped one person there, then our purpose for being there was fulfilled. Maybe we were an inspiration to her so fight against all odds in order to pursue her dreams. That’s my hope. I felt so inadequate and like I was nobody. Who was I to tell the girls that they could do all those things? I haven’t lived their lives and I don’t know what they go through every day. Yet they listened eagerly and Kassa translated while a female teacher observed. She is had of the Girls’ Club which is held at the school.

One of the boys, Salamou, asked why we were only talking to girls. I said that we were telling them to pursue education. He said, “Only girls?” And I said, “No. it is good for boys to pursue education, but many people tell girls that they should not, so we are telling them that they should.” He smiled and said ok. I can’t help but admire that kid. I never knew how teachers could have favorites, but now I know why. He’s one of those that makes you feel like you are a good teacher. He makes you want to teach.

As I reflect back, I hope that all the things that we said can come true. It is so much easier for Americans because we have more opportunities, there are more finances available, and people are encouraged to pursue education and their dreams. I want to believe everything I said! They will have so many more obstacles in their way that they will just have to try harder and not give up. I guess it’s something to pray for. I just hope the government will become increasingly more interested in the school so they will have more support and materials.

After the clinic, Kate taught (we talked through my period of teaching) and I talked to Kassa. He explained the committees and clubs that the school has. It was quite interesting. They had a Red Cross Club which is trained to carry sick people to the nearest clinic, for example.

At 3 pm we met at the school for a party. A few teachers were being transferred, so it’s a goodbye party for them and Kate and I. they had food. I had to explain about my inability to eat injera and they didn’t take it very well. eyes grew wide as saucers and I was so embarrassed because injera is their staple food. But I ate much spicy meat with some bread instead. There was a coffee ceremony as well. we played a game which was comparable to truth or dare. Each person gets a number and they go in order asking the person a question or daring them to do something that corresponds to the number. Kate had to do something that was cultural. It was a war song. She bellowed because she didn’t know what to do. she said, “I am woman, hear me roar, I will kill you!” someone else took over and did the real thing for her. I answered this question: what is the happiest day of your life and what is your saddest? I said the saddest was when my Grandma Marie died and my happiest was when Caleb asked me to be his girlfriend. They thought that was pretty funny and I couldn’t understand why. Matthewos said it was because people here don’t usually talk about things like that. I thought I had said something wrong.

Afterwards we visited Medema for coffee. We had an awesome time goofing off with her children and asking her questions about her life. her children are adorable. Truwork, the girl cleans around the compound, lives next door to Medema. She made the coffee. Medema is a very sweet mother. We hope to return to say goodbye.

During dinner I talked to Dereje and Alamo. They told me about their families. Dereje told me about all the women he almost married. They showed me pictures of their children and their wives. It was good to get to know them better and share their lives with them. As I got into bed that night I started to feel sick again. I got out of bed and puked. I’m pretty sure it was because I took my malaria pill on an empty stomach. Oops. We’ve had such a hard time with our stomachs. Even Kate had bad acid reflux that night. All that spicy food. She was burping a lot – gross! As I tried to go to sleep again I tried to think about happy thoughts to make me feel better.

This morning I taught and I don’t think I did very well. oh well, it’s almost over. We observed a 1^st grade teacher who kept talking to us and we kept encouraging him to teach instead. It seemed like he was just trying to impress us with his English or something

We heard that Tekle and Bruce will be here sometime, but we’re confused as to when. Getachew is supposed to be back today too. We’ll see. We try not to get excited about specific times because we never know if they will return when they say.

Oh yeah, I can’t forget this. Last night we got our evaluations back. Matthewos said it was difficult to do because the time was so short. But my reliability was marked down when Kate’s wasn’t. I asked why and he said that reliability had to do with being confident and facing fears. TOTALLY WRONG! I was seething. It has to do with being dependable and doing what you’re told to do and expected to do. I was at everything. I got even when Kate was sick! I’m having a difficult time forgiving because I feel like I’ve been wronged. Plus, I faced so many fears while I was here! Just by being here for one. And teaching when I’m not even a teacher! Just because I don’t talk as much as Kate does or always have answers doesn’t mean that I’m not reliable. Ah! Kate and I have different personalities, dangit! The only thing I was truly afraid of was bees. I’m so confused and hurt. We’re going to talk to Bruce and try to change it. he just doesn’t understand because of the language barrier. I mean whose language is English their first language? Kate’s and mine, duh! Kate was angry too. Sorry this blog entry was so angry, but this is how I felt. I have always prided myself on my reliability, so this was a real kick in the stomach.

Leilani, Master Self-entertainer

November 5^th, 2007

“And here we have Suzy Q, the best bowler in the land this year. Her technique is quite unique, but it works for her. She hops and she skips and we have a strike ladies and gentlemen!” Yes, Kate and I bowled yesterday. We set up 10 empty water bottles as bowling pins in the hallway and used the soccer ball to bowl them over. We commentated on each other’s bowling and made up silly stories about each other like the one above. It was almost like a real sports event, only we were in a dark hallway in which there were spider webs and other things that I’m glad I could not see at the end of it. One of the bowlers even had a prosthetic arm. We experimented with different bowling techniques. Yes, we have become masters of self-entertainment. We even made playing cards out of paper and played rummy.

Before we entertained ourselves we had personal devotions and did a lot of homework. It was a very relaxing but productive day. Tanagne made us a very good lunch with chicken, which was amazing because we had requested it and had been craving it. It was nice not having anyone around to tell us to eat more, more! The men were in Nekemt all day. We kicked the soccer ball around for a while but the bees kept dive-bombing us. So we gave up. That’s one of the downfalls of our compound – the bees. There are a few hives and during the day you can always see the bees diving around and you can hear them buzzing from far off. It’s rather daunting. Since one of the hives is in the entryway to the office, Kate and I avoid going to the office during the day at all costs. Many of the men have gotten stung (or as they call it, ‘bitten’), sometimes more than one time in a day, but we have successfully avoided it so far. Every time bees come around, I become as still as possible and they eventually go away.

Matthewos returned from Nekemt with a man named Dereje whom we had met in Nekemt previously, the new driver named Alamo, and most surprisingly, his wife Gadise. She is a very beautiful woman and she is super sweet. Her English is really good too. She will stay until Matthnewos leaves for Addis on Wednesday. She had missed him very much. I’m glad she came.

On my way to school this morning my clothes stayed on, so that’s a blessing. Ha. Kate taught for her first time and she taught very well. She’s a more natural teacher than I am. Then I taught and didn’t finish as much as I wanted to. I think I’m a bit too slow, so I should speed things up. I was frustrated this morning because there was a misunderstanding about what I was teaching. It was on the plan for me to teach the last exercises in the book, but Teka told me to move to the next unit. So I started to, but the students freaked out and asked why we skipped it. Teka had to explain in Oromifa for me. Teka said that he had finished the unit on Friday when we were talking to Kassa. So I was thoroughly confused. Also, he told me to teach more exercises than I had planned for today. So I had to kind of pull answers out of you-know-where instead of being prepared. So frustrating! Kate and I should write a song about flexibility. But I guess it makes sense that I should be prepared for more than one day’s worth just in case we go through the lessons faster than I think we will. So maybe I learned a good lesson.

After class we observed 1^st grade English. It was so cute! They were so eager to learn. They are fortunate because there are only 65 students in their class and they have a better classroom. It was one of the newer ones which FH helped to build. The visibility is much better. With less students there’s more participation, more time to correct homework, and just overall better atmosphere for learning’s in some ways I wish we could have taught 1^st grade or one of the other lower grades, but at the same time it is good that we were seeing all the struggles that the school has by being in the upper grades. And it’s more challenging! Then we observed the 5^th grade English class taught by Teka which had the most participation and it seemed that there more comprehension in that class than in the other upper grades.

Then we talked to Kassa for a while about Girls’ Advocacy ‘clinic’ we are doing tomorrow. We will do it from 8:30-10:30. It will be split into 3 sessions that are 40 minutes long. Each session will be a grade: 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade. Then he will pull the adolescent girls out of the younger grades to listen to the clinic. We are supposed to share about our own lives and education and to encourage the girls to pursue education and to let them know that they have the right to make their own decisions. Usually their culture says that girls should stay at home. Also, their parents and husbands make their life decisions for them. We’re hoping to impact their lives, but not make their families angry. We’ll see how that goes.

Some 8^th grade boys from my class came to Kassa’s office. One of them, Salamaou, I had noticed from the very first day of school to be a very bright and eager student. He can speak English better than possibly all the other students in class (as far as I can tell because they don’t all talk to me). His questions in class always help me to teach better. They came to the office to learn about American culture. I told them about marriage and discipline in school. They said that from what they heard they think America is like heaven. We quickly corrected them. I told them about homelessness and crime in the US. Once again they couldn’t’ believe that there was homelessness. And once again, it shows how little America lets the world know about its problems. it was funny because one of them asked if I had a husband and some of the boys laughed shyly when they asked. It was cute. I really enjoyed talking to them. I’d much rather do that than be in front of a whole classroom with time limits and formalities. It’s so much more personal.

In ethic evening Matthewos, Gadise, Kate, and I took a walk to the nearest water pump. We met more children and one of them was also name Gadise. On the river, there was a dam which funneled the water to one spot so that the current would be stronger and flow farther. Many people use that water for cleaning and they use the pump for drinking. We took a walk among the sorghum after we crossed some mud and stick bridges. It’s crazy how these people depend on these water sources for survival. It seems like they could easily dry up. Since it’s the dry season, the water is lower than it had been.

on the way back we met a woman who was carrying a baby on her back as well as firewood on her head and an empty water bottle in one of her hands. I couldn’t help but admire her strength. We goofed off with her and some children for awhile. She gave me a water bottle to try to carry on my head, but it wouldn’t balance. I think my head is too rounded. We laughed at my inability to balance it. she said that I should carry her firewood and I said that I’d probably fall over. More laughing. Her name was Medema. She said she liked us and invited us over for coffee. We agree to go the next evening. Then suddenly she was breast-feeding somehow, while still carrying all those things. And I thought I could multi-task! We had to avoid two bulls that were fighting along our pathway. It was pretty sweet seeing their horns clanging together. When oxen walk past, you always have to be careful to get out of the way, especially if they have big horns that can impale you.

I love these interactions with nature and with the people in their daily lives. It’s so much more fulfilling than teaching. I learn so much more about them this way too. I can’t express the joy it brings me. It makes this trip all worthwhile. I feel privileged to get a glimpse into their lives and share it with other people.

The River and the Pink Land Rover

Ooops this one didn't get posted in the right spot.

October 28^th, 2007

We took a walk to the river yesterday. It was a long walk amongst the rolling hills and various crops such as oil seeds (might have been flax), sorghum, sugarcane, teff, ground nuts, sweet potatoes, wheat, and corn. The sun was setting as Matthewos, Kate, and I walked the dirt road. As we strolled lazily, we collected a following. This is not unusual for any ferenji around here. When we neared the river I wanted to capture the moment in my mind’s eye. Children were fetching water from the river in yellow bottles. Women carried their babies on their backs. Men dug irrigation canals, cattle and goats were being herded across the river. Many people, mostly children, were bathing in the river. A rough bridge made of wood and clay enabled us to cross the river. The women were dressed beautifully with brightly colored dresses, scarves, and jewelry. Children stopped to stare. Kate took their pictures and they giggled when they saw themselves on the viewfinder.

We visited the veterinary office on the hill. It was constructed in September of this year. Unfortunately, some of the posts of the fence surrounding the office were getting eaten by termites so FH will need to figure out different way of building the fence. They’ll probably have to use metal posts instead. The people that we visited were Muslims from the eastern part of Ethiopian who migrated here 3 years ago with the help of the government. This was because of the lack of fertile land to farm and the conflict in Somalia. The people are getting a little discouraged because the development is slow-going, but FH workers keep encouraging that circumstances will improve. We walked back as dusk was falling and eventually it turned dark and I kept tripping on the uneven pathway.

When we returned we discussed politics and America over dinner. They asked about some of our ways of life and other more difficult issues. It wasn’t as surprising to me as it might have been a few years ago that they believe America often meddles where it shouldn’t. Kate and I were surprised that they didn’t know more about America than they did, but it made sense that hey would have stereotypical ideas about it. After all, we have a stereotypical mindset about Africa.

This morning we attended church at a Pentecostal service that spoke Oromifa (the local language). Kate and I agree that it was crazy! They spoke tongues all at once. The preacher was yelling. There was a small choir that sang to cheesy key board music. And they didn’t seem to try to stay in time with the music. The congregation said amen to almost everything the preacher said. The service lasted almost 3 hours! The prayers were also very long. Fortunately, I was to space out a lot and I read the Bible to keep myself entertained. The sermon was on Ezekiel 37 which is about the dry bones coming to life. Matthewos said the message was about God helping poor people. Unfortunately, Kate and I found the service annoying and loud. But it’s definitely a preference. That is one thing I have learned. We can’t judge another church for how it worships (unless it’s completely unbiblical) because there are so many styles and everyone has their own way of expressing themselves spiritually.

For lunch we ate with the school director named Kassahun and the English teacher named Tekalign. We ate at a local hotel which is a small building made of clay and wood with a tin roof. The food was surprisingly good – better than any Ethiopian food I had ever tasted before. They kept saying ‘Bi’ which is Amharic for ‘go ahead, eat.’ Although Kate and I got a little annoyed by it, we learned that it is a way that their culture expresses concern for the guests and that they care. Kate and I are used to being able to eat however much we want without anyone pressuring us to eat more. But I knew it was just a cultural difference we had to understand instead of judge. We ate so much! Luckily while I’ve been here I haven’t had to eat the injera which is the local bread because Tekle told them I don’t like it. I even feel sick when I look at it. Meals are kind of hard because they eat it for every meal. It’s their staple. But I will probably get used to seeing it. The lady who cooked made us tea and put frankincense on the fire. Those are the two smells I have grown accustomed to and that I love – coffee and frankincense.

We learned a lot about the school system here: what they lack and things like that. The school director said that they finally have enough books for the students because the government provided them. Unfortunately, the student-teacher ratio is about 100 to 1, which is horrible. Many girls aren’t allowed to go to school. Children often must stay home and take care of their responsibilities such as shepherding. FH can’t hire teachers because schools are government ran.

When we returned to the compound the men were singing while Getachew played guitar. Kate recorded them on her tape recorder. Then Kate and I sang while Kate played guitar. They recorded us again. We joked around and ate sugar cane. It was a good memory. Getachew and Binyam were leaving for the coffee plantation so Kate and I tagged along. We rode in the pink (like Pepto Bismol) Land Rover. This vehicle was donated by a Japanese company called Fuji and they want the whole world to know it by making it pink. The funny thing is that I was wearing my pink shirt that has a map of Japan on it! So I match. I also found out that there’s a pink school. If we had the Land Rover, my shirt, and the school all in the same spot, it would be a whole lot of pink. Ha, ha. We drove to the river and crossed it in the Land Rover! So awesome. We were in the water with cows.

When we arrived at the coffee plantation, we saw that they water some of the soil and let weeds grow, and then they pluck the weeds and plant coffee in that soil. They put mulch beds over the plants to shield them from harsh weather. Around the plantation they planted trees for wind protection because there aren’t many trees, buildings, or mountains in Ethiopia to break the wind. We played football (soccer) with a small boy- Kate, Getachew, and I.

We learned from Getachew that when he worked for World Vision they were helping an Ethiopian group, but then the society started to turn backwards. They had helped them get more sources of income so they could end poverty in that area. The society had grown physically in development and had become wealthy, so they spent their money on gambling, prostitution, and alcohol. The men’s families were going hungry while they used the money for these things. Consequently, World Vision realized they needed to teach them how to live spiritually and how to spend their money wisely. That is why development needs to be done on many levels and not just on a physical level. It needs to be done physically, spiritually, socially, etc. That group needed to learn how to use their resources wisely, how to be hygienic, and things like that to improve health and lifestyle.

A crowd gathered and asked us our names. When Getachew told them mine, they got really excited because the name Leila is Muslim and so many people there are named Leila. When we left they yelled our names, which I thought was really cool. It was so refreshing after being called “ferenji” for so long by people that didn’t even know me.

Tonight I pulled the joke “you know that gullible isn’t in the dictionary, right?” on Massamo and he fell for it! Ha. I think I’m becoming known as the joker, which is fine with me. I think they thought I was boring and weak when I was sick, but now they’re seeing who I really am. This is good because I was having an inferiority complex (inferior to Kate). I realized that I like to make people laugh.

I Hate Goodbyes!

November 3^rd, 2007

This morning we drove to Belo in the pink vehicle and the drive was beautiful. We crossed a river, crossed a bridge, saw a waterfall, and saw antelope bounding across the grasslands. I almost expected to see a lion chasing them. We brought the cat with us because and let it out at Tomasge’s home. Kate and I felt really bad because she wasn’t put into a box. Instead, she just slid around the vehicle. We were afraid she would either vomit or claw us up – like in the Disney movies! They left her because she was leaving gifts one of the beds and being a nuisance at our compound.

On the way we encountered a group of men who looked like they were pleading for a ride. They were going in the same direction as us. Then I saw that a group of men were carrying one man on a chair. Kate said he was ill. He had a blanket over his shoulders. The men pleaded once more for a ride. But Matthewos refused them because ‘we didn’t have time.’ by the time Kate and I realized what happened (because it had to be translated in order for us to understand what was going on), it was too late, otherwise we would have said something. Kate and I were so angry that he refused them because we could have at least driven them to a certain point. It would have saved them so much time. It looked like Binyam, our driver wanted to stop, but Matthewos was the one who decided. I wondered if we could have helped save a life. I was really frustrated.

We arrived at the church in Belo and some Americans from South Dakota were putting on a program for the children. They were part of a group called “Life Flight,” but FH was housing them. They did a skit in which a chair was sin and only Jesus could get the person out of it. Then they talked about the book with no words and gave them the bracelets that matched (gold, black, red, white, blue, and green). I was a little frustrated because those people already had Jesus. What they need is help with their lifestyles and with poverty. Of course we admire the work they’re trying to do, but they need tangible help. I don’t want to be too critical.

After the service we had lunch at the Belo compound. The food was really good. It was spaghetti. We had a great time talking to the Americans. I think I talked their ears off. It was so nice to just chat with and joke with people who understand our sense of humor. Josh, one of the younger people, said that we talked like we’d been here for a while. And that’s after only being here for two weeks! Now I understand why Robert from Canada talks so slowly and with such diction. He’s been here for 2 years. We were sad when we had to leave the Americans.

On our way home it started to rain, so the red mud roads were super slippery within seconds. We slid over the road. We only got partially stuck once because we had a Land Rover, unlike last time when we had a small Toyota which had to be wrenched out of the mud manually. Binyam kept insisting that we sing. There was some sweet thunder and lightening too. I was glad I brought food because if we got stuck for good, we’d have something to eat. Kate and I kept yelling things like “yeehaw, yeah!” because it was like off-roading to us. We stopped at he waterfall to take pictures and of it and of the Gumu women who walked by. They hold their belongings in nets connected to each end of a stick which is slung over their shoulders.

Gumus are also called Benyshangles and they are darker than the Oromo people. They live right next to they Oromos and they came from Sudan. The Oromo and the Gumus do not get along. The Amhara oppress the Oromo and the Oromo oppress the Gumus. Matthewos is afraid that racial tension will become so bad that there will be genocide there some day. There are peace talks, but earlier this year Oromos met with some Gumus and the Gumus killed 10 people that came. Then the Oromo government sent troops to kill even more Gumus because of the small massacre. So it has terrible potential. Kate said that it takes humility to reconcile. Humility is the key to solving almost all problems. Be humble and forgive and move on. Easier said than done.

During and after dinner we had a good discussion with Matthews about the homeless of America. He didn’t know and couldn’t’ believe there was homeless there! So we said that people don’t have a realistic view of America, just as America doesn’t have a realistic view of Africa. He said he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it. America doesn’t show the world its own problems.

We said goodbye to Binyam last night because he is returning to his family. It was sad saying goodbye to him even though we are happy that he will see his family. He is such a good father and husband. He is so tender and caring. When we were at the hospital he was so comforting to Kate. He’s always helping us. He’ll be missed for sure. Whenever he talks on the phone with his wife and daughter he looks at their photo waves at it, and talks to it. It’s so cute! It must have been difficult for him because he didn’t know English or Oromifa very well, so he could only talk in Amharic with the men on the compound. Now we’ll get a new driver.

My Most Embarrassing Moment Revealed

November 2^nd, 2007

This morning was a whirlwind and I needed to scream. We went to school at 8:30 to see the flag-raising. Each grade lines up neatly for it. A different child is selected each day to raise the flag and they sing the Oromo anthem while it’s being done. The kindergarteners were so cute because they waved to us practically the whole time. I sometimes wish I could teach the younger ones.

It’s really disturbing because the teachers actually do use the sticks to whip the children! The first day that I was at class, I walked in just as they were whipping the late children on the leg with a piece of plastic. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and wondered what I was doing there. One girl cried and Matthewos consoled her by saying, “auzosh.”

Before my class started we asked Teka for next week’s lesson plan. Kate and I can’t even explain our frustration with how communication was going. Although we’d explain that we weren’t actual teachers, he still didn’t seem to get a clue. We wish there was more communication between FH in Uganda, FH in Addis, FH here, and the school. We just need to clear expectations from the beginning. Maybe that’s asking too much. I don’t know. Then we talked to Kassa for a while. He explained that he needed a lap top for the school because eventually they will get electricity. Personally I think they need copiers as well. He’s going to make a list of things they need. Hopefully Kate and I can figure out a way to get these things to them. He told us not to send things to the government for them because the government can decide to do whatever they want with the things we send. All of the needs of the school are so overwhelming. I hope I can fulfill those wishes somehow. Kassa said I didn’t need to teach my second class because I was too tired. I wasn’t too tired, but I didn’t mind not teaching. I think he just wanted to talk to us longer. During the class I did teach today Teka left partway through, so I was alone with no one to translate if they didn’t understand me.

Kassa’s daughter hung out with us most of the time and she was really cute. He and his daughter talked us to the compound and on the way we asked him about the hitting. He said that he knows it’s bad to hit the children, but there are reasons why it is still done. One is because most of the parents hit their children in order to discipline them. Consequently, they don’t think that the children are being disciplined if they ask them if they got hit that day and they didn’t. Secondly, a lot of the children will not obey unless they are hit because that is how they’ve always been disciplined. Kassa holds meetings with parents and tells them about the repercussions of hitting their children, so hopefully it will some day become an obsolete method of discipline in the home and in the schools. Sometimes changes have to be made slowly. I can’t help but wonder if it would be effective to stop the hitting immediately.

This afternoon we drove to the pink school and also saw Desta’s water project. Desta is in charge of water and sanitation. We saw an adult class which was being taught literacy. The building they were using used to be an office but it was changed into a classroom. A couple boys had some small balls which they were using for football and volleyball. I played volleyball with one of the boys. He was pretty good and it was a lot of fun. Then we went to the water pump which is the source of water for all the people in the area. Crazy! I think we interrupted a man showering. Luckily, he had shorts on. Then we played football (soccer) with tons of children. We played with a real football this time. One of the children was hilarious. He was probably the smallest child there and he kept stopping the ball and picking it up. He wanted to be the center of attention at all times. He would get low with his hands on his knees. We decided he was a natural goal keeper. Whenever I tried to give him a high 5 he would duck. He probably thought I was going to hit him, which is really sad. Finally, I was able to show him that I wasn’t going to hit him and he gave me a high 5. I love playing with the children and I wish I could do it more while we’re here. That is when I am happiest.

I hear the baying of the donkeys. They always sound like they’re dying or being tortured. Kate and I joke that we can’t sleep until we hear a donkey baying. It’s like our good night call. Andy gave us an assignment to find out which animal you would rather or rather not meet on the road. So far donkeys and cattle seem the most annoying. But goats seem to scurry pretty fast. I think I would rather meet a goat and would rather not meet cattle. I’m going to miss not seeing animals around, just hanging out in the middle of the road, when I return to the states.

Oh and how can I forget this?! Kate and I were on our way to school. A clinic right sits outside of our compound and men and women are always standing and sitting in front of it. Children were walking to school in front of me and behind me. Suddenly, my skirt falls to my knees! I quickly pull it back up. Kate sees me tugging on it and is like, “what?!” I start laughing hysterically because it’s hilarious. But at the same time, I start crying because I’m humiliated. And they weren’t the kind of tears that come from laughing too hard. They were tears of humiliation. I was thinking that the children wouldn’t respect me and that people would think of me of the white laughing-stock of the school from that day forth. I wanted to go back to the compound and crawl back into bed. But I didn’t. Kate consoled me and laughed at the same time. We both were in shock, but thought it was hilarious at the same time. Luckily, I was wearing my spandex under the skirt. I couldn’t believe that this would happen to me in a society where showing your thighs is completely taboo.

Now you wonder, ‘how did the skirt fall down?’ there are many factors which contributed to this untimely disaster. First, the skirt was already a loose skirt. Secondly, the skirt hadn’t’ been put in the drier for months so it has slowly gotten bigger. Thirdly, I had lost a little bit of weight since I had arrived there because of my dislike of the food. People always ask me if I have a most embarrassing moment and I usually say I don’t. But now, thanks to that skirt (which I haven’t worn since), I have one. I can tell you that I now do not ever wear a skirt without spandex underneath them.

Hospital Horrors

November 1^st, 2007

Yesterday morning Kate woke up really sick. She had terrible, deep, sharp stomach pains. So we decided to go to Nekemt. It was Binyam, Getachew, Matthewos, Kate and I. I told Massamo to tell the school director and Teka why we weren’t coming to class. So we left on the bumpy road some time after 7 am. It was torture hearing and watching Kate next to me she would clench up her body every few minutes. We were all praying, but she was saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” the whole way. Afterwards she described it as probably being as painful as labor contractions although she’s never felt them before. I felt so bad and wanted to do something for her. I held her hand when a bad ‘contraction’ came, she would squeeze it harder. Since we were all so worried, it was a very serious and long drive.

When we finally arrived there, a crowd of people, probably close to a hundred of them, was waiting to get in. they all stood outside the gate of the hospital pressed up against the gate. Matthewos got out and talked to the guard and we were instantly let in. then as we walked into the building there were crowds of people in the hall. There was almost no walking space. Since Kate could barely hold herself up, she was being helped by Matthewos and they could barely get through the crowd. I felt so bad because those people were probably there for a long time and they probably wouldn’t get helped that day, and we, as white people, just waltz right in and get helped. It made me feel like it was a case of white privilege. I hope it wasn’t. I mean, she really did need to get helped quickly, but how many of the people needed to be helped just as bad? They probably walked there from miles and miles around since it’s the only hospital for miles around. They probably carried their sick loved ones there. Who knows how long and how many trials they had to overcome to get there? Yet they didn’t complain as we passed them. So as we walked into one of the rooms, I started to cry because of the moral dilemma and overwhelming feelings I had. The floors were dirty, parts of the building were falling apart, and it smelled strange. But I guess all hospitals kind of have a weird smell. There were nurses and doctors everywhere in their white coats. Since there were a lot of young people, I think that some of them might have been medical students.

Kate was asked a few questions, but not many. Then all of a sudden they were ushering her into another room and a nurse was pulling out a needle. I didn’t hear what it was so I was really confused and started freaking out in my head. “What are they doing with that needle? What is it? Is it clean?” They pulled Kate behind a curtain. I went in with her and held her hand. Getachew held her while they pulled down her pants a little and stuck the needle in her behind. Later I found out it was a pain killer. Kate said that she had noticed that the nurse didn’t have gloves on and hoped that she would clean the area that the needle was thrust into. She did clean the area, so that was good. But she still wasn’t wearing gloves.

Then they ushered her to another location and said she needed to use the bathroom. At first we were shown to some tin huts in some tall grass, but Matthewos said that that would be too traumatic for her right now. So they showed her into a nurse’s bathroom. She gave a stool sample, which I would not have wanted to do if I was her. We went to the doctor’s office and he asked her what her symptoms were. It was difficult for us to understand his English, but we got through. It was kind of awkward because there were maybe 5 men in the room and he lifted up her shirt. He just showed her stomach, but still, I felt like it would have been a bit awkward for her. We waited patiently as they tested the stool. Kate’s painkiller was working, so she was much more coherent at this point. Now she was just sleepy and wanted to go to bed. Finally the results came and the paper said ‘many motile bacteria’ so they told her to take supro which she already owned, so that was good. She’s just not supposed to take it unless a doctor tells her to. It took us forever to finally reach the compound, but when we did, Kate slept for a long time and woke up feeling a lot better. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much of an appetite.

As Kate rested, I went to the coffee fields with Getachew and Binyam. As Getch paid the people, I sat in the Land Rover for 2 hours. At first I sat there uncomfortably while people crowded around the Rover and stared at me. But eventually I realized I was going to be there a while, so I interacted with the people out of the window. There were many children that I talked to especially. Binyam didn’t know much Oromifa, but he helped to translate a little. I learned a few words in Oromifa, such as ‘kotu’ which means come, ‘mucha’ which means baby, and ‘inyaata’ which means food. There was a small boy who was super cute and I kept touching his hair. He kept ducking. Then a note was passed to me. I looked around to see who it was. It was a girl who quickly hid behind a tree. The note said:

Can you talking Oromo language?

No matter. Try try.

What your name?

- and –

My name is Mulu Daneli

I keep it in my journal. I was touched by her desire to get to know me, but I couldn’t understand why she kept hiding. I tried to get her to talk to my face and she finally did when I said, “Mulu, kotu” (Mulu, come). I let some of the children touch my hair which was really exciting for them. On the way there we picked up some women who Getch said were arguing about whether my hair was real or not. Ha ha! It feels funny to be such an anomaly to the people. It was a really great time to just hang out with the people. Sometimes I feel so separated from the people when we are in our compound.

This morning I taught the class about adverbs. Exciting, exciting. Sometimes I wondered why the heck I was up there and sometimes I was fine. But I felt so inadequate. I love talking to the children on a more personal level I wish I could do that more. I don’t like standing in front of people, telling them things, and acting like I have all the answers. I had tea with some teachers and returned home.

I played Frisbee with some of the men from my compound and from the Belo project. I love watching people’s reactions and seeing how they catch the Frisbee. It’s so entertaining. One man hops into the air with his legs together every time he catches the Frisbee no matter how low or high it is thrown to him. Getch seems to get stuck on one leg as he reaches for the Frisbee. He often makes funny noises as well. Binyam likes to have it tossed to him high so he can leap up into the air and catch it with two hands. Matthews comments as he throws it, like, “ok, here we go. Yeah. Nope.” I can’t even describe it.

We said goodbye to Massamo and Getch because they are going to Addis. Getch will be back sometime next week, but we’re not sure when. I was really sad that they were going because those were the two whom I felt most comfortable with and had many good conversations with. We joked around with them a lot too. It feels like people we get to know best are always leaving us.