It'yopiawit naw

14 October 2011

Yesterday I received my temporary residency in Ethiopia, so now instead of telling people “Amerikawit naw”  (I am an American) I can say “It’yopiawit naw” which blows their mind because I am speaking their language, saying that I’m Ethiopian while looking very un-Ethiopian. I have just completed my first week of training which included language immersion, moving in with strangers, cold showers, washing my clothes by hand, beautiful hikes, soccer and eating injera like a maniac.

My homestay family is INCREDIBLE! My mom is a midwife, and her husband is also a nurse. They have 2 children, Bobby is 22 and studying mechanical engineering at University and Redet who is 9 and the top of her 4^th grade class. They all speak English, which is a nice break when I’ve been studying Amharic for 8 hours every day. I am really impressed by how modern and progressive my family is. They ensure I’m always full of food, entertained and practicing my Amharic. I have an indoor shower and a pretty decent shint bet (toilet), but it is rural Ethiopia so the shower is cold, the water is inconsistently available and the shint bet is still a stinky hole in the ground. I am adjusting to some things better than others.

Amharic is one of the oldest languages in the world which means that nothing I have previously learned in life, except for patience, can help me take on this challenge. Amharic uses script my fingers struggle to draw, clicking “explosive” noises my tongue is not conditioned for and noises my ears cannot distinguish. Regardless, I am proud of the progress I have made in only 5 days of class.

Each day I wake up in shock that I’m here, in Ethiopia, in the Peace Corps, living with people who I didn’t know last week, but who I  call family today. With each piece of me that embraces my new life, I miss the people who I love so much at home… in AMERIKA! I am grateful for all the photos I have so I can share my friends and family with my new friends and family in Ethiopia. I have written letters, but they won’t arrive for maybe 3 weeks. If you get one from me please send me an e-mail so that I can figure out how consistent the postage is here. I won’t be in touch very much because my town doesn’t have internet, but you can bet that I’m studying Amharic, eating injera and missing my friends and family from home.