In IT the power has been
working really well! We have had six computers that have worked for the full
three hours that we have been in the class. It’s awesome. A miracle really.
Only a couple times in the past month has the power been out.The kids have been
learning Microsoft word, adding text and formatting it, adding word art,
inserting a table and a picture. It is astounding to see the improvements that
the kids are making! A month ago they did not understand how to click the
mouse, how to save a document, or how to turn off the computer. They are learning
very quickly. This week we started on Microsoft Powerpoint. Their computer
skills are still very low but are improving quickly.
I wish that I could be
meeting more often with the girls, but I can’t be taking away from their study
and class time. It is a lot of fun to meet with them! Last week we had an
impromptu dance party. They were nervous for the boys to see so we went into a
classroom and they taught me the gorage and the oromia dance moves. Some of
them were incredibly good, I can’t get over how fast they can move their head
and neck. Try nodding your head up and down as fast as you can, then make it
about three times as fast and to the beat of Ethiopian music. This is what the
Oromia dance is like. Awesome!
Fesika (Easter) was on
April 15th. We celebrated by slaughtering a sheep in the
driveway…well actually Steven and Eyeru hired someone to do it for us. It was
pretty bloody. What a way to wake up! I spent an hour helping Eyeru cut up some
of the bigger pieces of meat and watched as she divided it up to prepare
different dishes. Two months before Easter is a fasting period. Harbu Chulule
had no meat at all available. Animals are therefore more expensive to buy for
Easter. Driving to Addis we saw a van with probably 40 chickens hanging off the
back of it. That afternoon we had a coffee ceremony with popcorn and
traditional holiday bread. Fantastic!
The orthodox have some
really interesting ways to celebrate Easter. In the week leading up to Easter, people
did not wear shoes, and they also didn’t greet people with the usual handshake
and shoulder bump. The reason for this I was told is that they are trying to
remember Christ’s sacrifice for us, as well as the pain and suffering that he
went through. On the day before Easter people tie grass around their foreheads
to represent the crown of thorns. It is so neat to be living in a place with so
much tradition mixed in with day-to-day life.
Before David and Janessa
left we went on a trip to Hararin Eastern Ethiopia. It is a really unique city
surrounded by a wall that was originally designed to only let in people who
were Islam. Since then there are people of many different religions living
together inside the wall. They won a peace price from UNESCO for being a place
where people of many different religions live together with no problems. My
favourite thing about the city was seeing the clothing that the people wore.
They were really brightly colored. All the men wear something called a shirit.
It is like a big tube scarf/blanket and is brightly colored. The women all wear
really brightly colored moomoos. Our guide was laughing because kids say moo
moo when they are scared of something. Example… a spider is on the floor, they
will point at it and say moo moo! Harar is also the home of the famous Hyena
man. Just on the outskirts of town, he brings a big bucket of meat and feeds
wild hyena’s every night. There is a tradition that once a year they will put a
big bowl of porridge out for the hyenas. If they eat the whole bowl, it will be
a good year for the farmers and a prosperous year for the town. If they do not
eat the porridge, then they pray really hard to improve their fortunes. It is
the Ethiopian version of Ground Hog Day. We got to feed the hyenas. The Hyena
man would put a piece of meat on a stick that we were holding, either in our
hand or our teeth and the hyena would jump up to grab it. It was pretty scary
being a foot away from wild hyenas, but such a great experience! Harar was also
a fun city to walk around and explore. They had a big market and really small
streets. It reminded me of Zanzibar with its tiny streets and winding pathways.
I was sure glad we had a guide to show us around. I would have been lost within
30 seconds trying to find my own way around those twisting alleys. We also got
to stay in a traditional house. They have brightly colored pots and serving
dishes covering the walls because if there was ever a wedding or celebration
where they had guests over, it was considered shameful to have to borrow dishes
from a neighbor.
I have now been in Harbu
Chulule for three weeks by myself. The culture is such that when people find
out I am staying by myself they feel so sorry. It has been really good though.
I have amazing neighbours and the towns people are very friendly and make sure
I never feel too lonely. Work at the school has been going really well. I love
the students! They are going to be difficult to leave.
