"Plant your love and let it grow"

23 January 2012

            A month into my 27 at site and I’m finally beginning to feel comfortable. I’ve got somewhat of a routine now, and I’ve gained enough endurance to make it through the day without an afternoon nap. I’m even getting anxious and ambitious scheming up projects. What a transition! Regardless of how clever my ideas may be without language, integration and understand my efforts are trivial. So instead I am taking baby steps, appreciating the small things, and as a result of such patience I believe I will make bigger strides in the months to come.

The first and most important step is easier said than done:

Saying “YES!”

To coffee with strangers

Meeting and training invitations (even if I can’t understand the language)

Accepting hugs from children and kisses from old ladies on the street

Agreeing to drink home-made beer concoctions (with food I’m not as brave)

To playing ping-pong against the elementary school teachers

Invitations to eat lunch (I’m never allowed to pay and it makes me uncomfortable)

To the countless awkward proposals from disrespectful men who want to immigrate the U.S.

(just kidding on that last one!)

            Next, I remind myself that even though it can be overwhelming, the attention that I’m receiving might dissipate and I need to take advantage of people’s interest while I’ve got such a captive audience. With this I go to meetings, job shadow and listen to every invitation and idea even if I’m not too keen on it or don’t think that it is plausible. Who knows!? I’ve heard from other volunteers that sometimes the most unlikely projects turn out to the most successful and rewarding. Just today I was given a tour of the public library and cultural museum… we’ll just say it has a lot of potential. Basically all the university textbooks that have lost their campus value end up in small towns libraries in developing nations (who knew?)! I haven’t found too many American’s, let alone Ethiopians, that read macroeconomics, organic chemistry or accounting textbooks for fun. No wonder there isn’t much of a reading culture here!

(If anyone is interested in organizing a book donation please contact me)

            Expanding the library’s inventory never crossed my mind, and it would definitely be a large, but worthwhile project. Being a PC volunteer, no matter if your focus is health, education or environment, means being a community member so I shouldn’t be narrow minded when it comes to picking projects.  After all, my family is full of devoted library patrons (what an understatement)!

            Learning new hobbies such as crocheting, making grass baskets, taek wondo (it’s huge here!), and playing the harmonica are other ways I’m developing a sense of fulfillment and getting to know people in my community. I’ve also been re-igniting my long lost love of soccer by playing at the high school a few days a week. My teammates include teachers and students both young and old. It should be no surprise that I am the only woman on the field. Probably the only females some of these men have seen play soccer in person, let alone played soccer with. Fortunately, everyone is welcoming and enthusiastic about my participation (when I play poorly they kindly say “B, you are not lucky today” and I correct them by saying.. “yeah, I’m terrible”). On the side lines though, I’ve had a conversation correcting the myth that men are biologically stronger than women… if only my athleticism could speak for itself (maybe after I get in shape?). Regardless of my huffing and puffing, I love playing with these guys and slowly getting back in shape.

            Little by little I am planting seeds and sowing them. My circle of friends is growing, I’m out of my compound most of the day instead of hiding inside reading and sometimes I even hear “B” when I walk down the streets instead of “china” “mister” “you, you, you” or “ferengi”. Becoming more integrated in my community has helped alleviate my homesickness (somewhat) and given me that patience to work through the challenges and frustrations that are an inevitable part of life here.