More Cute Baby Pics–I Miss Living With a Baby!!!
Monday, December 28th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Ready to go for a walk Smiling In the Johnny-Jump-Up!! (Sorry it's out of focus, but he still looks cute!)
So Sweeeeettt!!!
In the Johnny Jump Up. Sorry it's out of focus, but he still looks cute!
DOC (Daughters of Christ + 1)
Monday, December 28th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Okay, I don’t know why this picture turned out so small. Anyways, this is DOC–Daughters of Christ + 1 (that being the only guy, our leader Jared). DOC is a group of college-age ladies who study the Word together and share their lives with each other. We meet about once a week. Personally, I love doing this kind of stuff with women. It has been such a joy and a privilege to share life with them, to get to know them better, and to share who and what Jesus is to us. I look forward to continuing with this group when I return.
A Trip Outside of Ethiopia!
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
A crusader castle which was built on top of Roman ruins.
View from the Crusader castle
Kind of looks like Southern California, huh?
Well, I’ve wanted to visit this part of the world for over a year now, and I’m so glad that it finally worked out for me to do so. Just getting the opportunity to go there has been quite difficult. It was wonderful to visit some friends and go to a part of the world that I’d never been too before. It was also so good for me to take a risk and face some of my irrational fears.
Language School
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Here I am with my Phase 2 Amharic Class. I love these people!!
I have been in language school for the past two months. It has been a wonderful time of growing in my Amharic Language Skills and getting to know some wonderful people who are motivated to learn this very important Ethiopian languge. I have been learning Amharic for three to four hours a day, five days a week. I will stop intense language school next week and just receive tutoring two times a week. This will allow me to have more time to volunteer with some of the ministries around town that I have been longing to help out with. I will also get more opportunities to practice Amharic I know with habeshaoo sowoch (The Ethiopian People)!!
I have truly enjoyed struggling with this language, and I will continue to. I think everyone in my class has had a pretty good attitude about learning (or teaching) Amharic. We’ve laughed a lot! We’ve learned how to tell our life stories in Amharic. We’ve learned how to ask questions in Amharic when we don’t understand or need more clarification.
The wonderful thing about learning Amharic and speaking it around town, is that people often tell me that I’m doing a great job with my Amharic, even when I only speak a few words or sentences. This encourages me that much more to speak the language with people. When I speak Amharic, I feel like a whole new world opens up to me here in Ethiopia. Learning a language can be so empowering!!
Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge that my teacher H. (sitting to the left of me in the picture) has been great!! She is a wonderful teacher, confidante, and friend. I am so thankful for her!!!
Injera and Wot-The Foundation of Ethiopian Food
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
This is how injera is cooked.
This is a large stack of freshly made injera. Yummy!
This actually isn't wot because it doesn't have a sauce. It's Tibs!!! My favorite!!!
Sometimes in language school, we take a break from regular language learning and do something cultural. So a few weeks ago, we learned all about making Ethiopian food and all of the words in Amharic that go with it. Every October my language school does this with its students because after the rainy season (which ends in September) people are usually still tired from being inside so much when it rains. There’s a saying in Amharic that says something like “If you eat meat from the bone, it will give you strength” or something like that.
Some of us practiced bargaining for sheep. Some of us slaughtered the sheep, which is traditionally done by the men of the household (YAY!). And some of us chopped vegetables. I opted for the last one only because I don’t like to be that in touch with my meat before I eat it! We also learned about how to make injera from our wonderful Serataynya (maid) Tsige (which means grace or mercy in Amharic). Then we ate fresh injera, which is soo tasty!! I love it when it’s fresh. We had a good time eating, cooking, talking, and eating some more!
So, a bit of information about Ethiopian food….Ethiopian food is always eaten with injera which is a flat, spongy, sourdough, crepe-like bread. The injera tastes sour, because it ferments for a few days before it is cooked. Injera is made from teft (a very small, fiberous grain) flour, water, and yeast. On top of the injera there are different kinds of wot and or cooked vegetables and or meat. Wot usually consists of meat or sometimes vegetables, with a sauce. My favorite is Tibs–fried lamb(usually), spicy green peppers and onions with spices. Yum Yum!!!
Meskel Flower (The Cross of Christ Flower)
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Well, I should have posted this a few months ago, but alas, I have not had as much time to blog as I wanted to. This is a Meskel flower. Meskel in Amharic (the most commonly spoken language in Ethiopia which I’m learning) means cross as well as the verb “to hang.” This is because Jesus hung on a cross when He died for our sins. Hopefully you can see that on each one of the petals of this flower there are tiny orange marks. People in Ethiopia have decided that these marks look like the wounds that Jesus has from being crucified on a cross, hence the name Meskel flower. There is also a holiday in September that I wrote about previously called Meskel, which is a celebration of the cross of Christ. Meskel flowers are in bloom in Ethiopia around September/October. The name of the month that is at the same time as September is called Meskerem which is the first month of the year on the Ethiopian calendar since Ethiopian New Years Day is always on September 11th. I have a few friends here who are named Meskerem since that’s the month in which they were born.
So, there’s a little cultural/language information for you. I think it’s interesting. Some might think it’s boring. Hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless! : )
Cute Baby!!!
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
E. in his habesha lebs (traditional Ethiopian clothes), 4 months old
This is the cute baby that I’ve been watching this week while his mom is away. He has someone to take care of him during the day and I watch him at night. Yes, that means that I get to wake up three times a night to feed and change him. It’s a lot of work, but he’s so cute and such a good baby!! He only cries when he needs something and after that he’s pretty happy! Taking care of him is giving me a new respect for my parents who got up in the middle of the night to take care of me. Thanks Mom and Dad!
Issues with Formatting on This Blog
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
So, sometimes I’ve noticed that when I post things on my blog, things get rearranged in funky way and there’s nothing I can do about it. At least not that I’ve found. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
A Sickly Day Trip To A Resort
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
I know you can't see our faces, but I like this picture because I blend in quite well with my chocolate-skinned friends!!
Most of us in a group picture
twilight reflection on the lake
Okay, the actual day trip wasn’t sickly, but I’m pretty sure that I got a parasite from the restaurant at the resort. I should never, ever, ever eat any kind of salad in this country, no matter how nice the restaurant looks!!
Anywways, I’d been wanting to get away to this resort so when I heard that my friends were going, I took the day off from school and work and went with them. Koriftu is one of the nicest resorts in Ethiopia and for one day, I decided it was okay to splurge. A one day membership includes a meal, swimming in a pool, and kayaking on the lake. It was a very fun day of hanging out and just chilling with my friends. It’s always good to get out of Addis for a bit and relax!
Being Back…
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
As I told some of you, when my plane touched the ground in Addis Ababa, I almost started crying. I was so happy. I loved being home in California, but it really felt more like a vacation, a break inbetween living in Ethiopia. I was so excited to rearrive in Ethiopia again! Out of all the places in the earth, this one feels the most like home to me right now.
Life, however, is quite different from when I left. I’m not working at the same school. I live in a different place with different people. I go to language school every morning and part of the afternoon, I tutor students in English, teach piano lessons, and help out with my church’s youth group. These are all things that I did not do when I was living here and working full time as an English Conversation teacher. I’ve had to develop my own routine and schedule and be much more proactive than I was before about making a life for myself.
So, it feels new, normal, and a bit different. I’m used to the way things work here. Now I just have to get used to the way my life works here!