The excitement of aspiring achievement has been mired by a consistent schedule of day-on-day-off power. This power problem will solve itself after the rains begin their torrential down pour (as power in Ethiopia is hydro-generated), but then effectiveness will once again decrease as a result of the torrent.
I've felt myself drift like a high cloud over Dessie. My cloud is distant, but at the same time attached to my town by proximity. In the United States, I would base my interactions with friends on the conservations I had. Conversation was the driving force that held social interactions together. I've found it difficult, to the utmost degree, to connect with my neighbors. My conversation skills are so lacking that an intellectual conversation in Amharic is a hyperbolic fantasy.
It was one of these situations where I wanted to rain down on Dessie that pushed me out of my shell. A young man had asked me on a couple of situations to meet with his family and have lunch/drink bunna. I am generally on my way to do something when these invitations come, so I generally continue on my way and apologize for the inability to attend. This kid was so persistent in inviting me over that I agreed to go over to lunch at his house. So he ends up coming to my work an hour and a half before the agreed time. I tell him that I'm not hungry yet and we can go at 12:30pm. We show up at his mom's house and we start our conversation. The usual thing. What are you doing in Ethiopia? How long have you lived here? Where in America are you from? What did you go to college for? Why don't you want a masters? So the conversation went as expected, but then the real reason for the invitation came out. This story started out about his work. He wanted to be a truck driver. To get a driver's license, he tells me, it costs 5000 birr ($500 - it doesn't). His mother would be able to pay 2500 birr, but he needed the other 2500 birr to get his license. Would I be able to pay the remaining 2500 birr. To which I responded, no I am a volunteer, I am only giving my time to Ethiopia. But do you know anyone who can give me the money? No I'm sorry, most Foreign Aid doesn't work that way. The organization I work with doesn't give money to help the communities, but rather the time of volunteers. The rest of the conversation and meal were awkward and I am almost left from how hurt I felt in that situation.
I will not give up without rain. I need the clouds to connect to the land through rain. I need the rain to grow seeds and take up root in Ethiopia and through Ethiopian culture. I will continue to send down drops in hopes that they hit the ground in a torrent. It's not easy to live in such a different culture to my own, but I know I can acclimatize to Dessie. It's 8,500 feet up. That's really close to the clouds.
My town has reached international news, but not for a good reason. The full story is here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8129220.stm. Definitely not anything to be worried about, as for my safety. I haven't seen any overt changes in Dessie besides more soldiers being in town. I think I would be right in saying that Ethiopia is one of the countries with the greatest ability for Islam and Christianity to meld well together in society. Therefore, it is even more astonishing to see this conflict arise.
jon, do you have good enough internet service to skype?? what about access to a video camera for video skype??
Posted by: libby! | July 12, 2009 at 04:14 PM