It's been a great two weeks!

Hi

I can’t believe I have been here two weeks!  I finally have my internet set up after several trips to the Ethiopian telecommunications office.  A little tale to illustrate the bureaucracy of Ethiopian government:  One branch ran out of the SIM card, another lost power while we were waiting so couldn’t finish the transaction, another branch didn’t have the right card and then finally, we went back to the one which lost power and I got it.  But wait, then I have to buy credits to load it from a different store (mind you I bought the actual card at a whole other store).  A simple lesson here – nothing is as simple as it seems it should be!   So hopefully communications from me will become more regular.

A lot of you have been asking about my living situation so I thought I’d share some pictures.  For now, I am living with an American woman named Alli who has been here for 5 years.  She has adopted two Ethiopian boys, aged 2 and 14 months.  They are absolutely adorable and I have been enjoying my time with them.  I even got to babysit one evening.  They are great snugglers. J  Alli is a teacher at the International Community School and has a full-time nanny for during the day.  There are also two guards who change shifts every 24 hours.  Having a guard is very typical in Ethiopia and they also do landscaping, small errands and basic maintenance around the house.  In July, I will then move into a 2 bedroom apartment with Eden once Anna leaves to go back to the US.  Below is a picture of Alli’s home.

 

My room is very basic but it has everything I need.  Something that I have yet to adjust to is the amount of cockroaches here.  They are tiny and light brown but can be found in the kitchen and bathroom.  I have started to turn the light on for a few seconds before entering the room in hopes that they scurry before I see them.  One of the first nights I was here, I went to brush my teeth and there was one on my toothbrush!  Eww!  So I just threw it out, got a new one and started keeping my toothbrush in my room in a cabinet.  Then the other night, there was a cockroach on my toothpaste so I went to my room and used another toothpaste with hopes the cockroach would leave by the time I got back.  Nope – still there!  So I just grabbed the whole tube and put it in the sink and turned on the water.  It ran away then!  I try not to scream as to not wake anyone up but it honestly takes every muscle in my body not to!  I’m sure, with time, I won’t even think about it but honestly, that has been the hardest thing to adjust to. J

Here is a snapshot of the view outside of the back of Alli’s house. 

Over the weekend, Alli and I (and the boys on our backs!) hiked up the mountain you see in the very background.  It was great to be in green nature as you can tell everything is very dry right now.  The altitude in Addis is about 8000 feet – about 3000 feet higher than Denver so if you have been there and quickly went for a run or had a beer, you know what I am experiencing.  People have told me that it will take a few months to get fully adjusted to it  but until then I breathe heavily while hiking and am silly after one beer. ;)

The rainy season has just started but will pick up in June and last until August.  Right now, it is usually really nice in the morning, sunny and bright and about 75 degrees.  By afternoon, the clouds have moved in and there is a major thunderstorm.  Usually you can wait out the storm instead of venturing out in it but sometimes you just have to carry on.  The storms bring cold air.  Last night I had a sweatshirt, long sleeve shirt and 3 blankets on me since there is no heat in the house!

Last, but certainly not least, I greatly appreciate all the comments on which football team I should choose.  I have decided to go with Arsenal!  They won the first game that I watched as a true fan which is always fun.   They beat Manchester United 1-0.  It’s fun to have a team to root for (and to talk about!).

I’ll include more next week on my work and other discoveries, but know that all is good.  I am totally at peace here and enjoying most moments wholeheartedly.  Thanks for all your comments and e-mails.  I really appreciate them!

Love,

Lisa 

P.S.  If you made it this far, you’ll be happy to know that the picture of Alli’s house and backyard is totally bogus.  I’ll post my real house and local spots next week but figured I’d kid you for a bit. ;)