Home, Sweet Home

As I sit in the room Jeff and I are staying in Addis Ababa, it has an odd mix of feeling like home and feeling foreign. Its doesn't feel like home because we aren't staying here. Our suitcases are semi unpacked since we are staying here longer than expected. We have lamps, beds, electricity (at least right now) and running water. (Addis Ababa was without water for three days prior to us arriving on Wednesday morning, but since we've arrived, its been on.) Even though we are in transition, its quite a comfortable place to be. Its not really the room that gives me a feeling of being home, though. Its the world around the room. Outside, I hear several different types of music playing loudly together with a background of cars, the murmur of peoples conversations. Somehow, this combination is a reassurance of belonging. People matter here and so much is about relationship. There is an acceptance and easygoingness that I have only felt when I have been in Africa and Haiti. Its hard to put into words something so intangible, but its a good feeling.

As we went from the airport to HQ (which is what people call the headquarters of the NGO that Jeff's parents work with) nothing struck me as out of the ordinary. I guess I've come to appreciated and value a lot of the differences in life throughout my travels and they no longer are a thing to notice. So I noticed that I wasn't noticing them. :) Of course pedestrians weave in and out of traffic with a grace that befuddles me. Of course the drivers are comfortable centimetres away from other vehicles. Of course there is a man carrying a bunch of mops over his shoulders to sell. Of course there is fresh fruit in little stands sprinkled down the streets. Of course there is a big, white gate at the compound when we enter. Of course people move at a relaxed pace. It reminds me of a book I had in my classroom called "Same, Same, but Different." It is a picture book for kids that shows the lives of two boys and highlights the similarities and differences in their lives. I feel like I get it that life here is "same, same but different" than life in Canada a bit more than I did in previous travels. Being in Ethiopia doesn't feel foreign or strange or difficult, it just is different in many good ways.

Although, there is one aspect that I feel completely out of place- and you'd be surprised at how big a deal it is. I walk fast. And I seem to have two left feet. And I have very poor spatial sense. I don't have a good sense of where I am in relation to others or objects. At home, I do pretty good with smooth side walks, walking in areas that become routine, and a culture where people walk around with big personal space bubbles around them most of the time. Here, I'm a bit awkward, to say the least! We had to get some pictures taken to get SIM cards to get phones and, on the way out of the building, I banged my head on the door. Not even the top of the door but somehow I managed to smack the lock on the door with my ear.  I'm hoping no one noticed, although I think it would be considered very rude to laugh at me if they did notice.  Walking down the street takes a lot of concentration! There are people everywhere and I constantly have to watch my feet so I don't step in the places that are less than desirable or trip on the cracks in the cement. How does everyone else look so graceful!?! I feel like I walk a lot on my toes because I get so focussed on where I am placing my feet and I start walking fast and then have to slow down before I barrel someone over! I hope that Bahir Dar will be a little less dense. :)

Travel went really well. I had a little dental adventure that started with a large filling falling out of my front tooth on Sunday morning and ended with my wonderful dentist taking me in as an emergency at 2pm on Monday and giving me a bunch of antibiotics in case it gets infected. We flew out at 8pm on Monday and had the pleasure of staying with some family friends in Toronto for the evening and then back to the airport for a 10am flight to Addis. We arrived with all our luggage and on time. I ended up needing a visa so I have a visitors visa right now for 3 months and, when we get to Bahir Dar, we'll figure out what paper work needs to get done so I could volunteer. Jeff has the right visa, which we thought I could get in on, so I think that will help with the process.

The last couple days have been spent trying to cover details that will make our lives easier when we head to Bahir Dar, which is where we will be spending most of our time. In Canada, I know a lot of the ins and outs of things and know how to figure them out if I don't. Here, we depend a lot on others to help us out. I like it because they offer us a valuable service and we offer them some employment. So, as of today, we both have working cell phones and internet. We started the process to get Ethiopian drivers licences, planning to spend the day waiting in lines to finish the three steps so that we could head out on the weekend. At our first stop, we found out, we won't have that paper work until Tuesday morning because the guy who needs to sign it didn't work today and doesn't come back in until Monday afternoon. Sigh. So much for plans. I'd really love to get going and get settled a bit more and see Jeff's mom and sisters. Thankfully, Jeff's dad has been able to be here with us and help us figure out all the details.

Tomorrow is going to be another day of details probably. We're hoping to get a water filtration system, some pillows and an electric kettle. Stock is variable and somewhat unpredictable so its a lot of checking out this place and then that.

Well, that's enough for now. Its fun to see that I've got so many people checking out this blog-- makes writing more fun :)