Ethiopia: Well it has been a long journey to get to Nairobi. What should have been a 24 hour journey has turned into 3 days.
Just a few thoughts…
You know you are the foreigner when, you are sitting at the gate in the Washington Dulles terminal and you are surrounded by people groups of every ethnicity and language except for your own.
You know you are in another land entirely when you are waiting for your shuttle from the Hotel to the airport and a donkey trots by and then a few minutes later a flock of sheep is herded down the street.
You know you are going to have to delete from your mind the carcass of an animal hanging in a shop window in Addis Ababa before you can eat meat at dinner. (Too bad our minds don’t have a delete button like our computers do). I was successful at that and was able to eat the tasty beef and vegetable stir fry and rice at dinner at the hotel.
You know you are really tired when you are used to sleeping in a bed that is very soft (double pillow top) and yet you have no trouble sleeping in a bed that is like a rock.
You know you have a new normal, when there is little water pressure in your apartment and you think that is the “norm” when it’s not, or that the waterfall outside the window is ‘normal’ when it is really your water cistern on the roof, leaking (hence no water pressure).
You know you are in another country, when everyone around IS speaking English, but you have no idea what they are saying, (the syntax is different not just the accent).
You know that it is different when you fry all the outlets in your apartment when you plug something in.
You know driving will be different when you THINK someone is coming at you in the right lane, until you realize you are in the left lane (it is even worse at night).
You know you are in for an adventure when your mind flashes back to scenes from all the countries you have visited, comparing them to the one you’re in. Surprisingly (or not), none of those past images are from the U.S. . In the states, we are truly blessed to live in a country rich in resources, plenty of food, public education, and with personal rights and freedoms that most others in this world do not enjoy. If you are from the States, stop now and thank God for all of those things that you have, the rights you have, and the protection your government gives you in so many ways, such as personal security and safe food and water.
I am sure there will be more of these later, so….. I am fine; the food so far is fine, although we haven’t really gone to a true Kenyan restaurant. The apartment is on the 2nd floor so I only have to walk up one flight of stairs, but it is at the bottom of very steep hill and we have had to walk up it a few times already, but it is great exercise. We have a small two bedroom/two bath apartment, with lots of windows, a tiny kitchen, and the school provided a little furniture. We still have to buy a dining table, I need a desk and a dresser for my bedroom, but that can wait until necessary. We have spent the week shopping for all the other things (kitchen stuff, hangers, trashcans, COFFEE MAKER, blankets, pillows, groceries, and a car).
We did find a car, that if it checks out with the mechanic we will buy, 1999 Nissan Sonny, but the missionary who is selling it, will not be leaving until Aug 14, but that will give me a chance to get more used to being on the left, and possibly having a driving lesson with another teachers. But that may mean taking the school bus to school the first week.
Today I will go to the school for the first time and get to work in my classroom, so I’ll have to do another post on that. I’ll also post pictures when I can, but I don’t have internet at home yet (at an internet café right now). Today we are also going to the Giraffe Center in Karen, and the Elephant orphanage (featured on National Geographic).
The scenery is absolutely beautiful and since it is near the rain forest, reminds me of Costa Rica, sounds like it too. I wake each morning to a cacophony of birds outside my bedroom window. (I’ll post the great view another day.) We are at a higher elevation, and I do get winded more easily and find myself taking deep breaths. No asthma issues so far, although a little of a runny nose, so we will see if that continues as I get used to the new environment. The people are very friendly and welcoming, and it is more a relational oriented society rather than a time-oriented society so if someone says they will be here at 10:00 it could be 12:00 before they get there and they don’t consider that late. Then they will spend 30 minutes getting to know you, before getting down to business.
I still do need financial support if you are willing some things are much more expensive than back home. For example my bottle of shampoo yesterday costs $10 U.S. Dollars (USD). Lotion was about the same. See the How you can help page if you haven’t yet.
Be blessed, Pam
Pam's Calling 