Settling In

12/4/09

Settling into routine here in Dire Dawa. I have a few projects I’ve been working on. One of them is recording the stories from the fourth grade English workbook on to a CD so that the children can practice pronunciation. I’ve just finished with the 24 chapter/ stories and am now picking out vocabulary words to record.

I wrote an essay on Success and confusions people abroad may have about America. It’s written in a general sense or I would have to write a whole book. The subject itself is broad and so I only touched lightly on the subject at hand.

I have been given a local cell phone while I am working here. I wash my clothes in my sink; I eat all my meals with the Brothers and Abbas. Misrak and I go out sometimes to walk. A few nights ago there was a huge feast (on the roof of the building I am staying at) for three bicyclists from Switzerland. They rode their bikes all the way to Ethiopia as a fundraiser for water. A penny per Kilometer was what sponsors pay.

After the feast I was talking with Philippe one of the bicyclists about our current adventures. We turn to head in for the night and realized we’ve been locked out. It’s too far to jump and all three doors are locked. Philippe says, “Well I guess we’re spending the night outside.”

I wont hear none of that and pull out my cell. I hear Philippe sigh in relief and call Abba Worku to bail us out. Worku laughs and laughs and within minutes someone comes to unlock the door apologizing.

Abba Petros (the 93 year old Bishop) always makes us laugh at the dinner table. He always has some joke or funny comment. Before we eat he says the evening prayer and ends it with “and may god bless me with the appetite of Brother Simon.” He likes to say how every one is Oromo in one way or another. Then he laughs a belly laugh and his white teeth gleaming. Even I am some how of the Oromo tribe (although I’m not sure how.)

Misrak and I went to her favorite place called The Jungle. It’s three birr to enter ($1.00 = 12 Birr.) It’s in comparative to a very small Zoo (including the cages they are kept in.) The first cage has only pigeons. The second, third, fourth, and fifth have different types of birds including pheasants, roosters, and geese.

The next dozen cages have different types of monkeys, baboons, and a hyena. Then there are peacocks, and an ostrich.
We have a seat and drink juice. The juice comes in three colors one on top of the other. Mango, ambusha (a local fruit), and avocado; they make up the colors of the Ethiopian flag. When we leave I notice there are flags up now.