#pcethiopia

[abrahamlincolnneverdidthis]

Lake Chamo

After our first miserable night of sleep (if you can even call it that) in Arba Minch, the six of us rented a boat with our hosts and went out onto Lake Chamo. We eagerly searched the water for wildlife and we were lucky to see pelicans and other fascinating birds, looming crocodiles, warthogs, monkeys and FOUR hippos! It was the perfect way to escape the heat for a few hours. I was tempted to jump in the water...but those hippos were giving me a “I double-dog-dare-you,” look. So that was a no-go. But hey, at least sweating in the boat is better than getting charged by a territorial hippo.

[ajlogan10-blog]

17/30 - Water. Such a precious commodity, but one that is far to rare in much of the world. The neighborhood wells would not be open every day, but when they were open, children would run through the streets announcing to all to come bearing gerry cans.  

[trekkersunited]

Hiking Addis Alem Falls: Part 2 - The struggle to get to these falls was a mission for some of us. We stopped to bask in the warm Eithopian sun as we stared out at the falls - all the while, we knew the children from the village were not far behind. It was a sweet and rare moment to capture. #pcethiopia #g15 #g15ethiopia @peacecorpsethiopia

[ajlogan10-blog]

12/30 - It is amazing how much my town changed and grew over the two years I lived there. When I fist arrived we still had only dirt roads. It was a torn up and rocky mess but it was home. These shop fronts stayed the same over my two years - I always loved all of the color.

[ajlogan10-blog]

10/30 - The outskirts of Arekit. It is common to see herds of cattle wherever you go. It is also common to see small children tending to the herd. 

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8/30 - My little sister Jeri. I was so blessed to have these people in my life.

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7/30 - This is Umer. He owned one of the few little shops I used to frequent in Arekit. He is now an English teacher at the high school, but in the whole two years that I knew him we only spoke Amharic to each other. I never even knew he could speak English until I went back to visit my site recently. He was always there to great me with a smile and help me with whatever I could possible need.

[ajlogan10-blog]

chambalaalla illaii illaii chambalaalla

Many Americans spend their whole lives thinking there is one calendar that the whole world follows. I do not judge, I was one of those people for many years, but this could not be farther from the truth. Aside from the Hebrew calendar followed by Judaism and the Hijiri calendar followed by Islam, there are others followed by specific countries and cultural groups. I make no claim to knowing about all of them, but here are a couple.

For one, the country of Ethiopia follows a specific calendar. This system still has seven days a week that follow the Sunday – Saturday theme. One major difference, however, is that this one has 13 months. There are 12 months of 30 days each throughout the year, and then a short transition month that ranges from five to six days depending on if it is a leap year or not. The Ethiopian New Year falls on our September 11 and the holiday is call እንቁጣጣሽ (Inkutatash). It is also important to point out, it is currently the year 2009 in Ethiopia. So, whenever people tell you you can’t go back in time, I beg to differ.

In addition, within Ethiopia, there are other calendars as well. Living in the Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia one can be living on three or more separate dates. A mental experiment to be sure. Today, June 21, is the New Year in the Sidama calendar. The holiday is called Chambalaalla. The Sidama week consists of five days and revolves around agriculture and the market system. Every fifth day is market day and marks the end of the week. The calendar also consists of 13 months, though the months hold less emphasis – the New Year is marked by the coming of the new harvest and the rainy season. I have not been able to ascertain what year it is in Sidama. The holiday is marked by eating local delicacies such as emuulchoo (pronounced ĕmulchō) which is steam greens, onions, garlic, and meat served with kocho (a fermented flatbread made from enset). Local music, dancing, and a general appreciation of the local (Sidama) culture also mark the holiday.

Hawassa is the capital city of the Sidama zone, and while it is a multicultural city - you can find people from all over Ethiopia here - on the Sidama holidays the city shows its cultural pride. On that note, I am off to visit a friend for lunch – we are going to eat delicious food, drink black coffee, and be merry together. Chambalaalla illaii illaii chambalaalla! (Happy New Year!)

Chambalaalla - Inscribed in 2015 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 

[ajlogan10-blog]

2/30 - The day I became a Peace Corps Volunteer (officially). My swear in! After an arduous three month journey of learning, discovery, and discomfort my group was sworn in as PCVs in Ethiopia by the ambassador to Ethiopia. This day marks a big success in my life. I had worked for this for so long and it was as beautiful a day as I could have asked for. This day also marks the beginning of my journey as a volunteer is this beautiful country. In addition, this photo depicts the flags of two of the greatest countries I have been able to call home.

[ajlogan10-blog]

On the way to Chencha in the Gamo Goffa zone of southern #Ethiopia you can find many works of wearable art. #pcethiopia #culture #art

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Tried to teach Yidu how to play tic-tac-toe but it turned into squares instead. Oh well, we still had fun! #peacecorps #pcethiopia #goal2 #play #family #culture

[abrahamlincolnneverdidthis]

Arba Minch wasn’t a Synch

In the early twilight hours, the girls and I set off for our next destination: Arba Minch, the land of 40 springs. Location: Just about as close to the Kenyan border as Peace Corps would allow. One of our friend’s land-family had a sister who lived in Arba Minch, and generously offered to host us for our stay.  Upon arrival, my friends and I were instantly bogged down by the heat and humidity and somehow, it only got worse after the sun went down. As we were sitting in our host’s living/dining room waiting for dinner to be ready, each of us was gleaming with sweat and trying to distract ourselves from the stifling heat and swarming mosquitos with a couple competitive games of Catan (which I won…if anyone was wondering). But alas, the distraction wasn’t enough to thoroughly enjoy our meal. While the fish soup was delicious in a way that homemade dishes only can be, the heat of it (both in temperature and spice) set our tongues ablaze and bodies in heat-stroke territory. We all felt obligated to be polite and finish our ‘Fire Fish Soup,’ while mutually commiserating with each other through eye contact. How we got through that meal without laughing…or tears…is still a mystery to me. We then started getting ready for bed, only to realize that the 6 of us would be sharing a tiny room with two twin size mattresses. We embraced it in the beginning—we were PCVs after all; we could handle it. But ohhhh, were we wrong. If we thought the living room was stifling, it is nothing compared to our bedroom. The window was only able to open about 3 inches because a wardrobe blocked it from being opened any further, so the fresh air was hard to come by (and we were desperate for it). And because the window was screen-less, those nasty little mosquitos found it much too easy to find their way into our room to bite every inch of our skin and buzz around in our ears to the point of insanity. Luckily for us, we found a racquet-shaped bug zapper readily-charged to massacre as many mosquitos as possible every hour throughout the night. In just one swing, the zapper popped and crackled continuously like a sparkler. Jumping around and swinging the racquet around was the comic relief we needed to make it through that first night…and the second. It was pure satisfaction…and the only satisfaction we got in those dreadful hours. Unfortunately, the mosquitos weren’t the only bugs wreaking havoc among us. The three of us on the floor mattress were laying on it perpendicularly, so that only about half of our bodies were off the floor. And that mattress was riddled with bed bugs. I had had my bad case of bed bugs many times over the two years living in Sheno, but this episode was in an entirely different league. Out of the 6 of us, it seemed like I was the most sensitive to them and to put it lightly…it looked as if I had contracted small pox. Ask the masseuse that gave me a full-body massage at the resort on our 3rd day…she was reluctant to touch me, fearing that she too would contract these hideous spots. The 343 bites (yes, we made it a competition and counted) that I had acquired over our two-night stay covered my calves, ankles, lower back, hands, arms, neck and face. Basically, anywhere where my clothing shifted while sleeping, exposing my skin. Thinking about it in such detail now is giving me the heeby-jeebies, so I apologize if it’s having the same effect on you. Originally, we were supposed to stay 3 nights, but we couldn’t bare it. Instead, we told our hosts that we had changed our plans to head home a day early…but really, we splurged on a ‘luxurious’ hotel where I had MY OWN twin mattress with a BED NET. And for the first time in days, we were able to get a solid, good night’s sleep.

For weeks to come, I would wake each morning with the fear that malaria would surface, or I would come down with another bout of typhus. It felt as if the gallons of mosquito repellent or malaria meds that I had cautioned myself with didn’t make a difference; I was bit so many times that I was convinced that that would be how I ended my Peace Corps service. But...that fate never came to be, and for that, I can look back at this experience and laugh at this miserable experience (almost fondly). After all, it is now one of my favorite stories to tell.

[abrahamlincolnneverdidthis]

After we had all turned in our final grades for our final semester in May 2016, a group of friends and I decided to go on a girl’s trip down to SNNPR, Ethiopia’s most southern region. Our first stop: Hawassa, SNNPR’s capital.  We enjoyed sunset drinks on the lake, sunbathing and playing Catan by the pool at Haile Resort, GELATO (an incredibly rare treat in Ethiopia), the most incredible fresh fruit juices (avocado/mango/guava), beautiful scenery and a trip to the Monkey Park, where we had Colobus monkeys hopping around on our shoulders after feeding them peanuts. It was hard to believe that a tropical resort town was such an easy weekend getaway destination for so many volunteers. The envy was real. And with all due respect, Trump, this is no #shithole country.  Special shout-out to #CundiffCreative for some of her beautiful shots.

[ajlogan10-blog]

22/30 - There is always time for laughter and for making new friends.

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21/30 - It cannot be overstated the importance of the coffee ceremony in Ethiopian culture. Here is a layout for a celebratory/party style of the ceremony. There is a charcoal stove with a metal skillet for roasting the beans, baskets on each side to hold the popcorn and bread to be eaten with the coffee, and the small table where the cups and saucers sit when the coffee is poured. The ceremony is not only for parties or ceremonies, people hold these coffee presentations daily in their homes.

[ajlogan10-blog]

14/30 - Arekit Secondary and Preparatory School. While teaching is definitely NOT my future vocation, I have some many great memories from this place. Working with fellow teachers and students was worth every gray hair! Life long friendships were built and lasting impacts made, I would not trade this for anything in the world!