A Memorable Year

Sitting with no power, under the cool evening air in my compound, listening to a very fast Tigrinya conversation between elderly Ethiopian women while smelling cooking onions and roasted coffee beans seems to be a perfect example of my past year. In 2014 I graduated college and joined/swore into Peace Corps. A year ago I wrote a blog about how 2014 was my biggest year of my life to date, with those 2 very big events. However, having 2015 under my belt, I am rethinking that statement. For Christmas/the holidays this year I sent out a Christmas card/picture. I never did that in the states (well, my family did for a few years, but it was a short lived tradition), but I decided this was a fun year to update friends and family on. Below is what I sent out through snail mail:

My entire 2015 was spent in Ethiopia, with the exception of the 20 days I spent visiting America. Here is a recap of my year from January 1, 2015- December 31, 2015:

-        35 weeks of teaching (well, about…)

-        2 midterms graded

-        2 finals graded

-        8 trips to Mekele

-        5 trips to Addis Ababa

-        3 sets of trainings attended

-        12 holidays celebrated (not counting the random saints holidays)

-        9 weddings attended

-        2 christenings attended

-        1 teacher party attended

-        2 “International Day” programs run: Malaria Awareness and Girls Day

-        1 Peace Corps camp facilitated (Camp GLOW)

-        3 American holiday programs led

-        1 visit from family

-        1 round trip plane trip back home

-        2 country concerts attended

-        Countless days full of Peace Corps friends and laughter

-        Countless struggles and hard times

-        Too many to count buna ceremonies, food invitations, and happy moments with Ethiopians

-        Too many to count letters, cards, and care packages from home

-        Uncountable memories, random moments, and learning experiences

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays from Ethiopia! Love, Kelsey

I started off the year by teaching my 3 classes of 9^th graders for their second semester. I then spent my summer with my dad and brother visiting Ethiopia, going home for a much-needed vacation to America, taking kids to a Peace Corps run Camp GLOW. My last part of the year has been teaching 4 classes of 10^th graders for their first semester (3 are my original classes from last year, with 1 class added from another teacher).

As most people know by now, Ethiopia runs on a different calendar of 11 months of 30 days and 1 month of 6 days with their New Year falling on our September 11. That makes translating dates really fun over here... (Sarcasm). I still follow the “firenji calendar” when planning things, but I have my planner and computer calendars marked with their dates for when I have to talk to Ethiopians.

I measure my time here through 4 different calendars—“The firenji calendar”, The Ethiopian calendar, how far into service I am, and the school calendar, each giving me a different view of my service. It’s January 30, 2015 in firenji calendar, Tahisas 20, 2008 in Ethiopian calendar, I’m almost 18 months into living in Ethiopia and a little more than 15 months at site, and I’m about a month away from having taught for a year and a half at school. That’s a lot to keep track of and a lot of things I can use to measure the days I have been here.

Although marking days on a calendar is effective in seeing how much time has passed/how much time I have left, I have come to realize that the days themselves and the numbers attached are not enough to show a year. This past year I have come to know and learn more about my students, attach myself to my land family more, reflected on my own life and belief and views, read a lot of books and watched a lot of TV shows and movies, met new people, become more frustrated than I ever thought was possible, thought about quitting and packing up many times, but brewed some tea and come to realize how much I am still learning about myself and the world.

2015 was a year that I can’t even begin to put into words. I have learned and experienced more than can ever be expressed, especially in a blog post. My life continues to develop, change, and grow and that includes myself and my personality. I am not the same person I was on this day last year, certainly not the person I was when I swore in as a PCV in 2014.

My 2016 promises to be an even greater and life-changing year. I have the opportunity to visit Spain (my first trip to Europe and only my 3^rd country to visit) in the beginning of the year. I have 1 more semester of teaching my students and conducting clubs (although the way this school system runs, I won’t be in the classroom that much). I find out about graduate schools (I applied to 2) and that will determine my next move after Peace Corps. The biggest part of 2016 though, will be heading back to the States sometime between July and September.

As I reflect on my 2015, I am thinking of all the moments that were strung together to make my year. I have spent time with Peace Corps friends, drank a lot of beer, spent a lot of time with the power out, twirled a bunch of kids, been called firenji more times than I can count, cried my eyes out until I didn’t know I had tears left, laughed with teachers and fellow Ethiopians, taken bus rides around Tigray, been to the post office to receive some great packages from America, taken some long plane rides, been told how inspirational I am, watched my students gain great confidence in the classroom and out of it, drank more buna than I ever thought I would, and realized just how much I have learned in such a short time. My time is spent in my Ethiopian world and my Peace Corps world, with experiences, moments, and memories made differently, but equally important to me and my life here.

Every time I log onto Facebook I am reminded how much my friends back home are growing up. It seems that every day I log on to more engagements, pregnancies, weddings, and births. People are graduating from college and graduate school, working “real jobs”, moving for Fulbright, buying dogs, houses, and cars and everything else that we as a culture consider growing up. When visiting home I saw this first hand. It is a strange experience to still be single, living on my own, and teaching ½ a day in Ethiopia while everyone else seems to be doing the “socially accepted” life track. I do want to have a family, settle down, and do all of that—but I’m not there yet. That may work for most of my friends and family, and I admire that. But that’s not for me. I’m loving that my life consists of power outages and rats (actually, those I could do without), walking home in a sea full of blue uniforms, buying vegetables at market on a Saturday morning, having to swerve in a bus to avoid donkeys, seeing kids run towards me with no pants on and a wheel made of metal, or stuffing myself after 4 houses on a holiday.

Although 2014 was a life-changer, 2015 was as well, and I’m sure 2016 will be as well. I mean, every year, every experience, every moment changes who you are, some just more than others. Although 2015 had it’s difficulties, it was truly a great one. I spent it with some great and amazing people, both at home, Peace Corps Volunteers, and Ethiopians. They have all helped shape my experience here and I appreciate every single second, even the most difficult ones, because they taught me lessons and helped me change for the better (I hope!) I can’t wait to see what this next year holds and how it will help shapes me as a person and my life ahead!

The Power Of A Greeting

When I teach in the morning shift, I get to school at about 7:45 as students are arriving around the same time. Classes start at 8am, but flag ceremony where all the students in the shift gather to hear announcements and watch the Ethiopian flag be raised to their national anthem begins at around 7:50. I normally stand to the side by my classrooms and watch the blue uniforms trickle, then pour in while my fellow teachers in their white coats stand beside me with sticks in their hands, rushing the students a little bit quicker to their lines in the compound.

I stand off to the side with a smile, reminded of how grateful I am to be teaching in the morning shift when it is still cool during the day, as opposed to the afternoon when the heat can be too much to bear with 70 teenage bodies in 1 small room. I am greeted by my students and others alike with anything from a simple hello, to an energetic “Hi teacher” or “Ms. Kelsey!!”. If other teachers are around me, the students become more shy and generally won’t say any words, but will look sideways at me with a nod of their head and I have come to accept that’s their way of saying hello to me without words.

The other day I was approached by a fellow English teacher who asked why I stood out there instead of standing with the other teachers in clumps at the other end of the courtyard. I replied that I like saying “Good morning” to my students. He asked if I talk to all of them or just my own, and I said, “I will greet whoever says hi to me first.” Then he said something that will stick with me. He told me that, “A greeting is a gift from God.” I asked him why and his reply was, “It is given for free, to everyone, and without expecting anything in return.”

I get a lot of “Hello’s” here on the street that I tend to ignore, because I assume they just want to talk to the firenji. However, after hearing that explanation I realized that maybe I am limiting myself and my experiencse here by simply walking past a greeting. I might not know much Tigrinya, but I know enough to greet people. I greet waitresses when they come to take my order, which always catches them off guard, because most Ethiopians just demand something right away. I greet my students when I walk into class and that signals to them that class is beginning. I greet my compound family when I leave my room in the morning or when I come in from running errands and I am reminded how lucky I am to be living in the house I am. I greet the little kids on the street and in my neighborhood with fist bumps, smiles, and twirls every time I see them.

My favorite greetings are the unconventional ones. The ones that are not simply a polite “Hello”, but one that leads into a conversation. One that reminds me there is kindness in people. One that gives me a smile from a child that I borrow and wear the rest of the day. There is a shop in town that I call the firenji mart, because it has a lot of foreign foods (including cheese!!). I have come to love the owner and her family. Recently a little girl has been there (I think it’s her grand daughter). I am fairly certain she has Down syndrome, but she is probably one of the cutest and sweetest toddlers I have ever met. Every time I walk into the store her face lights up, she gets the biggest smile on her face, and she runs over to me. We then make funny faces at each other while whoever is working the store that day rings me up. It’s become something of a routine, and it’s the best part of my day. That’s a greeting I love.

I fist bump kids on the street, but my high school students have seen me do it, and it’s now become a running joke with my high schoolers to fist bump me as we walk into class together. I have also started to receive more handshakes and shoulder bump greetings by my students, both in the school compound and on the street. I am amazed that my students not only acknowledge me, which is more than they do with their other teachers, but that they actually want to smile and laugh with me. Although this can make things difficult in class, because they don’t always listen to and respect me, it makes for a fun time when I’m on break or when I need a thing to remind me why I’m a teacher. Those fist bumps, handshakes, and greetings from my students and other kids make me smile. That’s a greeting I love.

In America we walk down the street without acknowledging each other. Our culture is a get from point A to point B. We use coffee to power our days, we drive cars way too fast and we don’t use our mouth to smile. Here in Ethiopia everything is much more care-free and slow. I still walk an American pace, which can drive me crazy when others don’t. My face and body are still in the mindset of getting from one place to another. But, I have learned to slow down a bit here and relax more. I have learned that greetings can take more than just “Hello” and when you see someone on the street it’s culture to actually stop and have a conversation. It might be different from what I am used to, and it can make for a much longer commute somewhere, but it also reminds me of one of the things I have loved about my service here—the sense of community.

A greeting here is not just a “Hello”. It shows the love, community, connection, and laughter that is shared amongst everyone and which I have been welcomed into. As Malala Yousaf, the brilliant young Pakistani girl says, “We human beings don’t realize how great God is. He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart. He has blessed us with two lips to talk and express our feelings, two eyes which see a world of colours and beauty, two feet which walk on the road of life, two hands to work for us, a nose which smells the beauty of fragrance, and two ears to hear the words of love.” Greeting someone might seem insignificant, but as I was reminded by a fellow teacher, it’s one of the most powerful things given to us by God.

My Grown-Up Christmas List

Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee,

I wrote to you with childhood fantasies.

Well I’m all grown up now,

Can you still help somehow?

I’m not a child, but my heart still can dream.

So here’s my lifelong wish,

My grown-up Christmas list.

Not for myself, but for a world in need.

No more lives torn apart,

That wars would never start,

And time would all hearts.

Every man would have a friend,

That right would always win,

And love would never end.

This is my grown-up Christmas list.

What is this illusion called?

The innocence of youth,

Maybe only in that blind belief, can we ever find the truth.

No more lives torn apart,

That wars would never start,

And time would all hearts.

Every man would have a friend,

That right would always win,

And love would never end.

This is my grown-up Christmas list,

This is my only life-long wish,

This is my grown-up Christmas list.

I love Christmas music. I mean- I’m not the crazy, festive person who starts listening to it in October- I’m a believer in the day after Thanksgiving through New Years Day is when it’s an acceptable Christmas music time, but I do love it all the same. I have my favorites but my top 2 are “Believe” by Josh Groban and “Grown-Up Christmas List” by Michael Buble.

Part of why I enjoy them so much is they aren’t over done like every other Christmas song. It seems like there are the same 20 holiday songs that are on every single Christmas album, and every single even remotely popular singer puts out a holiday album. I am guilty of having quite a few of them, but that doesn’t make me find them any less annoying.

Christmas music these past 2 holiday seasons have held new meaning for me though. Normally I get annoyed with the music in the States because everywhere you go, every store, every restaurant, has it blaring (and it’s normally not the good ones). Here though, there is no Christmas music. I have been listening to the songs I have on my iPod in mini buses and on my computer in my room while grading and staring blankly at the walls (ha!). The songs make me feel just a little closer to home as I decorated my room with the few Christmas decorations I received in care packages last year. Missing Thanksgiving wasn’t too difficult for me, because my siblings were not at home either, so I didn’t feel like I was really missing a family holiday. However, my siblings are going home for Christmas, and I know seeing them altogether will probably make me homesick over here.

Luckily for me, I have that Christmas music to keep me going.

“Grown-Up Christmas List” always gives me goosebumps, because it’s less about Christmas and the holidays than it is about a wish for the world to just get along. I recently read books about the Congo wars and extremism after 9/11 (I know, I really know how to choose happy topics). Between those and then the recent world events from suicide attacks to mass shootings, from famine to refugee crises, I sometimes forget how people can even be good.

I have a lot of times over here that remind me how lucky I am to be living the life I lead, and how I really have nothing to complain about. I do have my difficult days, but they are nothing compared to most of the rest of the world, including my own community. This song reminds me that it’s not just big things like wars that make life difficult, but things as “small” as not having a friend to lean on, or having love end. I am lucky because not only am I living my dream and helping others, but I have lots of friends and family to lean on, my life is full of love (not romantic, but every other kind), and my life is put together.

As this holiday season approaches, I am forced to look at my own life and realize how many others have to face insurmountable odds to just survive. I had to explain to teachers at my school the other week that in America we do have mass shootings, hunger, poverty, homelessness, and sickness, because they were under the impression that it is a perfect place. It makes me sad to see how many people suffer at the hands of others. Sometimes when watching the news or hearing things I begin to lose faith in humanity. But then, I hear a heartwarming story or see something in my own life, and it reminds me that the entire world isn’t bad. There are more good people out there that want to help others than people that want to do harm, and that I can’t let a few bad apples ruin the entire batch. That can be difficult to do, especially when we live in a world that has so many problems.

But then I am reminded of quotes by 2 extraordinary people:

“I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite… Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”- Nelson Mandela

“Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country- this is my dream. Education for every boy and every girl in the world. To sit down on a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish”- Malala

They both faced difficulties I could never dream of, but they both still have the courage, passion, and love to face the world and realize that it could be something more. Being reminded that even people who have every reason to hate the world and other people are able to look beyond actions and words and see the true heart in people and humanity, that for me is the biggest inspiration this holiday season.

So as I sit here in my room in Ethiopia, fairly close to a disputed country border, surrounded by neighboring countries with issues from human rights to terrorism to famine, getting ready to go teach a class where many of my students go hungry, and some of my girls will be married soon, I am reminded just how lucky I feel as my own person.

As I listen to other Christmas songs I realize that most bring up children’s joy, and I began to think how children are a perfect example of how the world can be great. I love kids, so I have a more positive outlook on them than some people, but I think everyone can pretty much agree that happy children around the holidays make things much better. As Nelson Mandela so eloquently put it, hate is taught. I truly believe that. No one is born hating someone else- the hate in the world today is shown and taught to humans as they grow up.

This means that children who have grown up around love are going to have that in their life and outlook. Although holidays here are not the holidays I celebrate back home, the joy in children’s faces is the same. They amuse themselves with much less here. A tire, a piece of a wire, and a balloon will entertain children for days here, where as in the US it’s a much more commercialized society. That being said, I think the joy children get from the holidays is a reminder to myself to never lose that holiday spirit. When you believe in something magic, that helps you become happier. So as I look around at the children around me, and remember the kids I worked with back in the states, it evokes in me my childhood memories and spirit. And I am once again taken back to how it felt to be a child looking at twinkling lights, stars, wreaths, presents, and ornaments and how the joy I felt about the world would never leave me.

As I wrote in my Thanksgiving blog, for me the holidays are about so much more than wrapping paper, music, peppermint, snow, or even church services. When I see different things I am reminded of holidays growing up and home, especially bells, candles, and luminarias. You know you are from New Mexico when brown bags filled with sand is more of a holiday sign than anything else… The holidays for me hold family, friends, warmth, love, hope, and joy. Even when things are difficult here, when I’m struggling through something, or when I’m reminded of how messed up the world can be I listen to Christmas music and it warms me on the inside. And I am reminded that every day is a blessing- that the entire world isn’t bad, and that love will always win. And we all need to remember our childhood belief in the good in people and that there is some magic all around.