Health Center

So this week for the most part was pretty uneventful.  Headed to the health center Monday and Tuesday this week learned how patient collections and filing worked.  Brian the current PCV here and I ran the patient check-in those two days. The 2 individuals who usually run that portion of the health center were gone and there was no one else to run it so we did. The ironic part of the whole situation is that in America if you walked into a doctor’s office and the person at the front counter was speaking to you in your own language but very broken we would ask to speak to the supervisor. However in Ethiopia there was no questions asked or no concern given that 2 Ferengi/white people were running the front counter.

Wednesday-Friday I spent out in the community visiting the different offices trying to understand what services are provided in my town. Usually the goal is an office a day, but during my walks I get stopped on a regular basis and invited to come in and have coffee.  This is all very traditional and common in my community and I try to take as many invitations as possible. I usually end up talking to some amazing people and I find more out about my town and other offices around the area. So I don't always get to my office a day.

The weather in my town is absolutely beautiful... We are heading out of the rainy season and into the dry season.  The days are very sunny with the average high temp being 80-90 degrees and at nights its also very comfortable 72-75 degrees.  So most days I walk around in skirts and short sleeved shirts or capris and a T-shirt. Ethiopia is known for its 13 months of sun and I think its living up to that. Oh by the way in the Ethiopian Calendar there are 13 months and not 12 and I just celebrated the Ethiopian New Year so its now 2004... HAHAHAHAHa!

Sham

"Life is tough wear a helmet"

Things I have learned while here in Ethiopia....

Things I have learned while here in Ethiopia....

1. You do not make friends with your compound goat or sheep as that night it could be on your plate.

2. Ga-at or Gungfo I do not like. It is similar to bread dough uncooked in a bunt form with butter melted in the middle and eaten for breakfast.

3. Always keep 1 eye on the road as you never know what is going to be there or NOT be there.

4. Habasha or Ethiopians do not understand what moles and freckles are and they will ask you a million questions as to what they are.

5. When riding in a vehicle more often than not you will have live chickens at your feet and live goats on the roof.

6. Expect to know everything and anything about anything and everything that is electronic...if it has a switch or plug you know about it.

7. Try figuring out how people in your compound are related because I sure can't.

8. Shint bet yet now? or Shint bet abey iyu? which means where is the bathroom? cause I may need it immediately.

9. While walking down the street expect many double take looks as someone is passing you. They are just as curious about you, as you are about them.

10. When in the market and some child is calling Ferengi, Ferengi or China, China and you very politely correct them (in their language) and say No I'm Habasha...The child and everyone around you will first give you a very confused look... not because you are telling them you are native but because you are talking to them in their language. They will all chuckle to themselves and then believe you.

11. Power surges at your local internet cafe are frequent sometimes frustrating. But what can you do you are in Ethiopia. Patience is a virtue! I do love Ethiopia.

12. Oh and dirt and bugs are still awesome.

--

Sham

"Life is tough wear a helmet"

New Home

To: Everyone,
So just some general information. I have officially moved up to Tigray. I live in a very rural arid part of Ethiopia, most people are of their traditional beliefs and values that they have done literally for thousands of years. Women still cook by fire, most people do not have running water and many share toilet facilities on their compounds. My language skills are such that I can make my way around the market, introduce myself, answer some basic questions, tell people my likes and dislikes, and I'm usually able to tell people where I will be going for the day. At some point in time I will probably hire a tutor but I just need to find the right person.

I have made friends with every kid that lives with in a 2 mile radius of me and they all know I'm Habasha and not ferengi. The kids like to quiz me on my vocab which is awesome for me because not only does it keep me fresh but I also learn some new things too. I have also made it a point to befriend the women that live around me as well going to different houses daily and having coffee programs. I have a sort of women support group around me because they all want to know where and what I will be doing...This is also good for me because incase they don't see me for a day they begin to worry. The women think I"m gobez (very clever) because I can talk with them. Almost No women speak english in my town and very few men speak english.  The other day I went to the market to buy some buckets and jugs for my house and as I was leaving a few of the women I met saw me and were all so proud that I could buy stuff at the market. I think more than anything they saw that I live just like them and appreciated it.

To mainly my father and people like him who need a direction in life. Here are the job descriptions I have received from Peace Corps...
Act as a community focal person or mentor for People Living with HIV and Aids and Orphans and vulnerable children's groups at the health center and in the community. Assist these groups with training's or Income Generating Projects. Help to build up the capacity and support networks in these groups. Work with the health center on community out reach and conversation with schools and Non governmental organizations. Also help in supporting activities of health extension workers. Help with promoting VCT campaigns and increasing awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other health issues facing people in Ethiopia. Provide training and technical support to all health center staff in regards to computer technology. Specifically giving the health center staff sufficient knowledge to use computers effectively in the health field. If the PCV can help them with developing a better data tracking and patient record keeping, this would also be beneficial. While all of this is good it may or may not be my actual job with in my community. I definitely think the technology thing in my health center is needed as they have computers but no training on how to even use word.

To my mother and people like her who do not always need a plan or direction in life. The last month or so I have figured out how the market works, made friends with as many people as possible and relearned how to eat here. I have gotten furniture made cause you don't go to your local RC Willy here and pick out a bed, desk, or table and chairs. I have also learned how entertaining our compound cows and chickens can be all while dodging flees, bed bugs, mosquitoes, beetle like bugs, and daily power outages.

So back to relearning how to eat here. Firstly, I do not have running water or a fridge nor do I plan on purchasing one. I have water on my compound but I have to carry it up to my house. Everything I eat here is super fresh and I usually go to the market to buy produce 3 times a week; that is always an experience. There is very little MSG or processed foods in my diet. Nor is there an opportunity to just make yourself the typical go too sandwich. No lunch meat here! I do not eat much meat here either. Meat here hangs off a wooden rack in some sort of very small metal/open air building; which they call a butcher shop. You never know how long the meats been hanging there or how many flies have landed on it. And you do not ask your local butcher for a cut of New York style steak. He just gives you what ever is convenient at the time. Fat and Grissel here are considered a delicacy... but in my town just getting meat at a meal is considered a delicacy. Chicken is also not an option because you do not go to your local super market and pick out a bagged chicken for dinner. Usually you go to the market and purchase a live chicken and the oldest male of the family does the initial slaughter and the women does the rest of the prep work.

So moral of the story is Sunday-Friday I am your traditional vegetarian. Saturday I try to head into Mekele the nearest largest city find a ferengi restaurant to get some cheese and meat.

One of the most important aspects of being a PCV is integrating into the community and PC has given us 3 months to begin that integration process. This is what makes Peace Corps different from other organizations that send people to developing nations. Right now my main responsibility as a PCV is integration and learning how to live day to day. The simple task of going out and buying sugar which we would find as mundane in the states can take an exorbitant amount of energy and time. These little daily accomplishments are huge and it is important to take the time to enjoy these little daily successes.

Just a fun side story... Went to MyChow (2.5 hours south of me) to meet up with a couple of other current PCV for the day. I got up and got going at 6:30am and stood on the side of the road to flag down a bus headed in that direction. By the way this is normal. Got there spent the day. Mary and I rocked the market her speaking Amharic and me speaking Tigrinian. They speak both languages there.
Anyway ended up missing the last bus back home spent the night with the current PCV there. The next day got up to head back home and after changing buses twice in the bus station and pulling out and backing back into the bus station I finally made it home.

It is always good to hear from home and I really do appreciate the updates. I'm using internet cafes until the current PCV in my town leaves and can give me his CDMA so I can use internet on my computer and that will be a few months.  Pictures will probably have to wait until then to be downloaded.

--
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet

New Address in Ethiopia

Hi Mom and Dad,
Made it into an internet cafe...I'm thinking I'm going to wait untill Brian leaves and see if he will give me his CDMA for internet use on my computer. I will try and find an internet cafe on Saturday when I go into Mekele until he leaves. I'm doing well still trying to set up my house but I'm adjusting to life here. I'm keeping a running e-mail again so when I get a chance I will send it out.
I'm still healthy and enjoying it. I can't wait to finish getting furniture in my house as I'm still living off the floor. I sent in the mail about a week ago a CD in a package. It is video of life here hope you get it. Guess we will find out really how the mail system here is.
Take care
--
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"

KEY!!! PC= Peace Corps
PCT= Peace Corps Trainee
PCV=Peace Corps Volunteer
Habasha=Ethiopian Person (Not derogatory)
Ferengi=Foreigner (literally) I think it means white person and can be
derogatory depending on context.
Counterpart= person I will be working with up in Tigray (PC set us up)
Boona=Coffee in Amharic
Boona Ceremony = Coffee Ceremony (includes 3 mini cups of coffee and
all is hand made over fire usually lasting approximately 2 hours)
Shint Bet=bathroom (Ethiopian Style)

To Everyone:

So here is an update on my life here in Ethiopia. These last couple of months have been pretty amazing! Last time we talked I was heading up to Tigray for my site visit. And OMG what a visit it was. I can officially say that I have had the full on Peace Corps experience with that trip. My host family has been amazing and I will never forget them, they were wonderful.

Let's start with my Tigray trip because it really is a great story! I found out in Ethiopia there are volcanoes because there was an ash cloud that was covering most of northern Ethiopia and PC could not fly us up there. So PC decided that the new PCTs needed a crash course Experience in Ethiopian Public Transportation in the biggest city in Ethiopia which has well over 8 million people living in it. At 4:00am in the morning all PCTs were picked up from the hotel and shuttled over to an unknown location where we met up with our counter parts in the cover of night. (oh by the way there are no street lamps in Ethiopia (ha what a joke that was ). By 5:00am we were heading to Merkado (Bus station). Where we were literally pushed away from the front gates unless we had a ticket…Luckily we did! But there was definitely still some pushing and shoving. We make it past the gate man and into a bus holding area with me and about a million other of my closest Habasha Friends trying to find one bus. OMG the best descriptive words I have for public transportation in Addis is a catastrophe, calamity, also could imply a group of monkey wrenches have been thrown into the situation by a bunch of knuckleheads.  The word I would really like to use is not appropriate for the public viewing.

Me and my counter part who I met the day before and who has my life in his hands, finds our bus up to Tigray. Trust … hahahah!!! Did I still mention it is pitch black outside and there is minimal lighting in this area. We get my bag on top of the bus and we find our seats. Little did I know what was in store for me. I sat for 15 hours on a bus in the very back where there were 5 seats and 6 people sitting there. I sat on a crack and in between 4 Habasha men and one other Ferengi. A bathroom break comes at the leisure of the bus driver and is an area with enough bushes for about a 100 people or so. Luckily I was a little constipated at the time so no issue on my end. However, I did find out it is way more socially acceptable to throw up on a bus than in America. When you wave at the bus boy, he will quickly pass you back a plastic bag to throw up in and then it gets tossed out the window. I did not have this problem but I watched it happen on multiple occasions.

Oh, just a side note so there are varying levels of transportation in Ethiopia. This means quality of care or ride. A salam bus ticket is the most expensive and is probably similar to greyhound transport in America. Then it is broken down into levels 1-3… 1 being better than 3. A Level  1 bus is comparable to about a very old school bus with the exception of everyone having an individual seat except the people in the back row. Also on a level 1 there are only about 8 people sitting in the isles on little wooden stools. After a level 1 there more people in the isles and the quality of the bus diminishes significantly like rusted out roofs, bald tires etc. All Ethiopians believe you can get Tuberculosis from moving air. So you ride with all windows closed and its about 85 degrees outside and about 90-95 in the bus. That’s probably generous on how hot it was.  I was on a level one bus…and I will never again travel by any level again especially if its long distance.

Back to the story…
The bus stops in a little truck stop in a town just inside of the Tigray border for the night (11 hours later). By this time I had been traveling for about 12 hours. The counter parts go and get the 8 Ferengi our rooms. The agreed price was 40birr however when the hotel staff sees we are white our hotel price doubles almost instantly.  There was about an hour and a half of arguing and debates that occurred, with multiple
counter parts and multiple hotel management. Our counter parts get our room prices back down to 40 birr. There was also much debate by the hotel staff about who was sleeping with whom and in which room. In Ethiopia a woman can not share a room with another woman. So all the ferengi women had to become married to the ferengi men we were traveling with. Hahaha! We all ended up moving around in our rooms…

I slept in a full sized bed with 2 other of my closest white female friends. (In American dollars we paid approximately $4.00). I will let your mind wonder what a $4.00 a night hotel looks like. The next day, I make it to Audi-gudim its about 8:00am…oh by the way the bus left at 3:30am that morning. My counterpart and I go to my compound and drop my stuff off, he then proceeds to take me to have boona at his house. After Boona he takes me back to my compound and pretty much leaves me for the day. At this time I should let you know my counterpart speaks almost no English and I speak 2 days worth of Tigrinian. Luckily I had packed some food with me for the trip, that was dinner and breakfast the next morning, No idea where to get water or how to buy it. I was able to find my shint bet. Success!

Where I will be living in Tigray is not bad. Each room is about 6 Shamara steps by 6 Shamara steps. I do have 2 rooms that consist of 4 walls a roof and a floor. In Tigray everything is made out of stone (similar to slate). I do have electricity one light bulb and one outlet in each room. I’m thinking the plan for room set up will be a bedroom and the other a kitchen/dining room. The whole compound is probably about 3 acres. There is a large main house on the compound where the owners live, and then in a separate building that has 4 rooms in a row. I will be renting 2 of the rooms. There are 4 cows, 3 donkeys and some chickens that also live with me on the compound. I’m thinking the compound family has 4 children all of whom I hung out with during my time in Tigray. Because I spoke no Tigrinian and they spoke again no English the kids taught me the barn yard animals, how to count, and what the bugs were called. It was awesome.

My Counterpart picked me up the next day around 9am we wandered all around Audi-gudim meeting different officials, where I was going to be working (2miles from my house). I got a bank account but of course there was issues and a process. Audi-gudim has about 8,000 people living in it however everything is just really spread out. There are no cars so everyone walks everywhere. I would say from one side of the town to the other is about 8 miles by 8 miles on the main drag. So I will be walking a lot these next couple of years. Thank God I brought my walking shoes. I have upgraded to one Asphault road though. The following day consisted of similar type items. By day 3 of my trip in Tigray I was finally able to meet up with the current PCV (Brian) in Audi-gudum. He was stuck in Addis because of the ash cloud. Thank god he was there! He showed me were I could get real food and how to buy a few needed essentials. The Café that will
be my second home is owned by a guy named Gary who speaks English pretty well.  Day 4 of my trip was Thursday and Brian took me to Mekele where I met up with the other Tigray PCT. We spent the night in Mekele because the next morning PC was flying us back to Addis. I hope I fly every time I have to travel. It was great!!! Never again will I do a 15 hour bus ride.

PC picked us up at the airport and decided again that the new PCTs needed another experience with public transport. Our bus driver drives up into the bus station which is just a dirt landing block for buses and mini buses. He realizes these fereng do not have enough knowledge to bargain for a bus and get to Assela. So he finds us a bus to Assela including cost. All of us ferengi get our bags loaded on the mini bus we get in and the bus driver says, “I take you to Nazerith then you find another bus to Assela.” Ha!!! What a mess that was. Luckily the PC Bus driver had enough sense to make a phone call to PC headquarters and he got us a chartered bus by PC.

We arrive at the Raz Hotel in Addis where the chartered bus is waiting for us and they want us to instantly get on the road to Assela.  However, the 8 Ferengi had been going since 6am and we needed a lunch break, perhaps a shint bet and even some water. So we told them we needed one hour to eat and get our needs met and then we were on our way.

Spent the night in Assela. It was probably the first night in one week that I felt truly at ease and slept soundly. Again the Ferengi women had to become married to a Ferengi man in order to get a room. New adaptations around every bend.  Made it back to Haruta the next day with a new found appreciation for my host mothers cooking and the comforts of my host family’s home.

So I talked to my sister in Boise and she asked me a very valid question that I thought you all might be interested in. She asked "What is my daily routine in Haruta."I wake up every morning at 5:30am to “Call to Prayer” which is music from the mosks around town. Usually most people only wake up to one however because my house is in the middle of town I hear 2 “Call to Prayers” one from each mosk. Thankfully “Call to Prayer” only lasts about 30min unless it is Sunday or Friday…In which “Call to Prayer” lasts several hours. I now know how all this works in the morning so I plug in my head phones when I wake up and then fall back to sleep until about 7:00am. I usually role out of bed and start the getting ready process. Which is very similar to camping in America. My Shint bet and sink are outside. There is a shower but it is such a process that I only shower occasionally. Everything is literally made out of dried mud. So when you get it wet it really is just a mess. My host family has 60 chickens on there compound that they get eggs from so they let me make scrabbled eggs every morning for breakfast, I also get to make homemade salsa to go along with it. I have Tigrinian Language class from 8:30a-5:00p every day. There are 2 breaks and 1 lunch break that occurs each day. All Ethiopians take these breaks and everything in town closes down, including banks post offices and any shop during these times. You go home for lunch because it is an hour and a half. After school I usually do some studying, I eat dinner and then have a two hour boona ceremony. So by the time all this occurs it is around 10pm and time for bed.

I lucked out because Haruta has a very temperate climate and is constantly between 65-80 degrees even at night. This is not the case in all training sites. On the weekends the Haruta PCT have what we call Haruta Programs where we go hiking around Haruta and then cook food. Usually American type food, So far we have had hamburgers and French Fries, Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, & Chicken Tacos. One weekend we had sheep fest at Jean's host parents house. They killed a sheep and we ate it with rosemary. It was very good. I was not around for the killing but showed up later for the food. I was very thankful for this.  Pretty sure the Haruta PCTs are some of the most tight knit people in Ethiopia.

I can wash my clothes by hand now. I hate doing it! Mom just so you know my shirts are still white. One last note most Ethiopians become vegans every Wednesday and Friday… They call these fasting days. So I eat no animal product on those days except for my eggs. Also during my training my host family fasted for about 1 month. Other than religious beliefs I’m not really sure why. So Ethiopians pretty much eat the same things daily and they really do “Eat to live.” And I feel I fully understand the meaning of that statement now. And unless you have lived in another country for a period of time and lived with the locals an American does not truely understand the meaning of this statement.

I am in Addis getting ready to swear in as an actual Peace Corps Volunteer tomorrow. I made it past my Language test and survived PC Training.

2011 Peace Corp

A Happy Group,  Peace Corp Members Ethiopia 8-2011

Also known as the hardest part of Peace Corps usually it involves bed bugs, fleas, food poisoning & many intestinal issues. So I think I’m going to make it. On a side note I did not have all of these ailments but I did have a few.

After being her for a while I realized I have a cheese addiction problem.  I found out that most Peace Corps volunteer who come into Addis, all want cheese and or Ferengi food. So a group of us treck across Addis on foot to find some of the best Ferengi food. It is at a restaurant called Island Breeze. We are sitting there waiting for our food and a couple people get up and walk away.  They left literally whole plates of untouched food and us being the most deprived ferengis in Ethiopia get up and steal a couple of their chicken strips and the most amazing honey mustard. We did eventually get our food but I'm not going to lie that was the first chicken strip I have had in many a months it feels like.

Great Eye Opening experiences around every corner. I love it!!! I really do Love Ethiopia and how stuff works here. It has been great learning how other countries function. Hope all is well at home...Keep in touch with me as I do love hearing stories from home even though I'm so far away.

I really am trying to get you all some photos I have so many I want to share. I am just having technical difficulties here...So please be patient.
--
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"

Almaz, Me and my Host Father & Host Mother

Haruta Scenery

Front Yard of Host Families Home



My Host Family's Home



Shint bet, shower bet, & the chicken coop

 

Kitchen and also another room where my host sister sleeps

Shint bet, shower bet, & the chicken coop



Beautiful waterfall just outside of Haruta we all hiked too



Beautiful waterfall just outside of Haruta we all hiked too

Haruta Scenary





The street outside my host family compound





Almaz and me

Andy, Jill, Kevin, Jean, me, Joanna, Katie, Chris, Leah... The Haruta Peeps of Ethiopia except Mary as she is taking the Picture

Joanna and Gary

Katie, Mary, Jill, Joanna

July 4th, Hamburgers & Fries

Our Tour Guides for one of our Hiking Programs Outside of Haruta

Group picture with random Ethiopians while hiking

Jill & Andy's Host Brother Jumping Rope

Living Room in my Host Family's Home

Door in my room.  Pretty Amazing!!!

My Room for the first 3 months as a Peace Corp Trainee

Haruta



Monkeys at Sodere

Streets of Haruta.  The steel cover was a shoe shine place



Haruta City Bus stop

Animals on the street

There are swimming pools in Ethiopia..ok Just one

Farming

Farming



 

May 26, 2011

Wanted to let you know I made it in to Addis alright and am checked into my hotel. The peace corps has taken care of us very well. All meals are in the hotel so I haven’t had to pay for one yet.

Today we got our walk around money about 1600 Birr. None of which I have used.  Tomorrow I will be getting a cell phone. They are having someone come to the hotel to sell phone cards and then also a phone. So I will hopefully get you all that information soon. We are also getting the rest of our immunizations tomorrow including our anti-malaria meds.

The group is pretty much cooped up in the hotel because they don’t want us going out yet even in small groups. It for our own safety. Not sure we will get out much for the next couple of days because they want to give us all of the safety and security information before venture out into their world. As the Medical Advisor said we are “fragile.”

Today was mostly orientations… Jet lag is killer when trying to listen to speakers. Because our group is so big they are having us stay in the capital for 10 days more than any other group. My satellite site Huerta Ethiopia. It sounds like it’s a good sized city… however there are no paved roads so its dusty. There is a health center there and it is only 23km from Assela. 10 of us are going to that particular satellite site.  

May 26, 2011
I was having internet troubles but I got it fixed. I am e-mailing in the lobby of the hotel. It is called Kings Hotel. It is probably super nice for here. But is more like a motel back in the states. It sounds like e-mail is going to be the cheapest way for us to communicate. I can call you but it does get expensive. The exchange rate hear is so nice. I haven't really had to assimilate much yet because I am around a bunch of americans and this hotel is one of the nicer ones in the city.


I will try and e-mail you my phone number tomorrow when I get it. I'm not sure internet will be as accessible as this in my satellite site.


Take care
Love Sham


June 4, 2011
Hello to everyone back in the States,

I finally got information on my host family today. Here was the description I received.
Site: Huruta, Ethiopia
Family: Aregu (age60), and his wife Meaza (age 49), are teachers. They have a daughter Feven (19) who is a student. Almaz (14) who is a housemaid.
House: Big compound with different trees, lantrine toilet, room inside the main house, no shower but a privet room to take a bucked shower; there are hens in the compound.
Wednesday and Saturday are market days in the town; there are public transportations like minibus, bus and cart.

I am very thankful for the fact that there is not many children living in the home as I come from a small family anyway. I am also thankful for the fact that both of my host parents are teachers and employed. In this culture this tells me that they think more modernly than a traditional family unit. The family also values education as my host sister at the age of 19 is still in school which is very uncommon here as women could be married off at the age of 12. I wonder if my host sister speaks English as I am finding that the more education an individual has the more likely they speak English.

From now on I’m not sure how often I will have access to the internet. It may only be once a month until I make it through Peace Corps Training (3months). At that point in time I will get a per diem/stipend to buy an internet card that will give me much more internet access on my personal computer. It works similarly to cell phones having internet in the states. I also found out talking to current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) in country that I will have electricity daily because I have a cell phone and I have to be able to charge it because the Peace Corps must be able to get a hold of me. This is a safety precaution. So those of you who thought I might be with out electricity are incorrect. But it does take a load off my mind as well.


On a much more enjoyable note… The owner of the hotel owns a second hotel about a ½ hour from my original hotel and he decided we needed to all go and have pizza. So he arranged for all 70 of us PCVs to go and have melted cheese! I was a VERY HAPPY CAMPER! I have a feeling I’m going through cheese with drawls. Because it takes a lot of electricity to run a refridge here there is no cheese because it must be refrigerated.   He also arranged to have traditional music and dance played there as well. It was fun to not only get out of our hotel but see what there music and dance was like. Overall, I have not really been too deprived when it comes to food. At one point in time Ethiopia was infiltrated by the Italians so many of their food items came over and stayed here in Ethiopia. So it is very common to see pastas, marinara, meatball and other Italian items. Don’t worry dad I still haven’t tasted a better marinara than the one I make.


I can not wait to get out of Addis an not only meet my host family but hopefully my boogers will stop being black. There is a lot of smog here as there is in large cities in America.
Hope everyone is doing well,

--
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"

June 16, 2011
To everyone back in the States,
So I’m back in Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia) and I have internet. Thought I would drop everyone a line. I have spent the last week and a half in the rural town of Huruta. Dirt & Bugs are awesome! Oh by the way I’m in Addis on some sort of counter part workshop.
Just recently I got my site assignment for my 2 year tour with the Peace Corps. I will be in the Tigri Region of Ethiopia (North/Central Ethiopia). I’m about 20 min north of the capital of Tigri. There is 8,000 people in Augidum and I will be working with a health center there. I am about a 3 day trip from the capital of Ethiopia (Addis). Due to the fact that I will be in Tigri I am now learning the Tirgrinian language. This is language number 3 for Sham. Ahh!!! To much information at once. I’m going to spend the next week in Tigri at my site wish me luck on my 3 day bus journey. We would normally fly however there was a volcano that erupted north of Ethiopia and the ash cloud has made all airlines in the north shut down.

My host family in Huruta is awesome! I have a beautiful compound that contains avocado, mango, & papaya trees. There is also several coffee bushes. So I get freshly made coffee that is so much smoother than the stuff we get in the states. I have my own room which is fly free. There are also 60 chickens that live with in my compound, eggs are readily available. The chickens live in there own chicken coop and are well taken care of. 

Just a little side note coffee in Ethiopia is a 2 hour ceremony (process) here. Not only do we do this once a day but twice a day. Time is irrelevant!!! As my host mother put it “Time is Gold in America.” The pace of life here is so much slower and when you have 2 hour coffee ceremonies it really doesn’t matter.

Ok…back to Huruta… I do live in a Mud house but it is not a hut. In my mud house there is a decent sized living room with lots of over sized 1980s furniture. Ethiopia is where all 1980s furniture goes. Then there is 3 smaller rooms, one is my room, the other is my host parents room, and the 3rd is a room where they prepare food. Also located with in the compound is 2 other mud houses my host parents own. One of the houses holds my brother, sister, & house maid and the other mud house is a chicken coop, Lantrine (hole in the ground or in Amharic a Shint Bet), & a very very cold shower.

There are 7 of us women in Huruta and there was definitely some questions about how to use the shint bet. So the only Female Language Teacher in Huruta had to take all 7 of us women on a field trip to the Shint Bet to explain how to use it. Needless to say she was rolling around on the ground laughing at all our questions. She has no idea how much she changed those frengi (foreigners) lives.
Questions included: Which way do we face?, how far do you pull your pants down, and where does the toilet paper go? Why do I keep peeing on my shoes? There was many more but that just gives you an idea as to really how clue less we were.

Check out this link on You tube:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koUWaAr-itY

During our language training breaks there is something amazing here called a Juice Bet(house). In which we go get freshly puréed avocados, mangos, papayas, and pine apple juice. It was like a little bit of heaven in my mouth. You can get these flavors layered or just one at a time.
Last weekend I tried to wash laundry by hand and my host brother and maid were again rolling around on the ground laughing. They did eventually show me how to do it properly but of course they had to get a good laugh in first. If I were them I would have done the same thing. I’m not going to lye it was really hard work!!! To my mother, my shirts came out super white. So I feel like it was an accomplishment.
Finally before I say goodnight…I’m having an amazing time here in Ethiopia and I love being in the Peace Corps. The people are awesome and the staff of Peace Corp Ethiopia have really taken care of us all. Since I have been in Addis which is only one night now I have been able to have a cheese steak, pizza, and chocolate, all amazing little pieces of heaven I can NOT get in Huruta.

To my parents I love you and I am still alive. You can always call me it just might take a few tries before you get through.

--
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"

June 17, 2011
Mom,

I think I am ready for you to send me a box hopefully you can. This
might be the biggest box you ever send me because I want you to put in
it a gift for my host mother.

Can you please send...
My contacts...They are in my bathroom behind my mirror middle shelf
left hand side.
The sanitation here is good enough that I can use them and won't have
a problem. I can drink the water in Huruta.
and a bottle of saline solution & a contact case... PLEASE!!!

I can get saline solution in Addis but one to start off would be awesome.

So my host mother loved my head lamp and was wondering if you could
get her one. I think it would be super practical for her. Because they
cook dinner in the dark.

Hand wipes (wet wipes)
Fake flowers that you would get at Micheals. They love that type of
thing here. Funny I know but its the truth.

Mad Gab if possible

Oooo & some packages of tea... that I left in my room

That will be all for now. You can send it to the P.O Box number in the
information I left you. I believe that information is in one of the
tabs at the back.


Thank you so much
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"


June 16, 2011
Mom,
Just so you are not to concerned about my health. I have the one and only PA (physicians Assistant) at my satellite site in Huruta and she is going to follow me up to Tigray (This is how you actually spell it) for my 2 year service (shes about 25 minutes from me). She is 25 years old and very with it. I love her and she has become our care taker if we have had any medical issues in Huruta. She is at least a good go to person if you have any questions. I know she brought all needed essential medical supplies with her. So don't worry about me.

She is also in my language group so her and I are spending some quality time together.

On a very comical note in Peace Corps it is very socially acceptable to talk about all bowel movements, puking and any gas related issues any time or anywhere. hahahaha!!! 

But the medical staff here in Ethiopia is very good and very westernized. We have gotten most of our imunizations and we have had personal one on one interviews with the head doctor on staff. Not to mention a 24 hour 7 days a week  phone number that we are to call  if we have any issues. 

--
Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"


June 17, 2011
Subject: Happy Early Fathers Day

So I'm shooting you an Early Happy Fathers Day e-mail because I will
be on the road for fathers day and I really don't know what day or
time it is.

Here in Ethiopia it is the year 2003 & June 10th. It is a totally
different calendar.

I should also let you know that 6:00am American time would be
considered 1:00am Ethiopian time. There time schedule is very
different.

So anyway I'm sorry for not being there on Fathers day. But I hope you
have a good one.

Take care,
& your right you guys don't need to call me every week.

Sham
"Life is tough wear a helmet"