Salvador Dali Could Paint This

Sometimes it seems as if my life is a surrealist painting. The reality of my past and the reality of my present are constantly colliding. When I'm in a room, just outside the doors I can almost believe America is living and breathing. If I walk out the door I'll find myself on Tennyson Street, ready to go to my favorite coffee shop and then head to my parents to play with their puppy. Like in a dream, travel home is easy and instant. And then, when I wake up, I'm scared Peace Corps will kick me out because I'm not allowed to leave the country without their permission.

Please Send Letters Addressed to Julia

Dear Friends and Family,

It has come to my attention that my fellow volunteers have used this forum to request care packages. I think this is an excellent idea so I think I'll go for it.

As much as I would like to receive lots of tasty goodies, what I really want from all of you are letters. I really enjoy reading about your news, however mundane or old you might think it is. It is the best way for me to feel connected to home. I just went through a whole 3 weeks without receiving a single letter and it left me rather blue. I thought to myself, if I have 20 or so pen pals that won't happen again.

So be my pen pals, please!

If this post sounds rather desperate to you, well then, you are an excellent reader because that's exactly what I am.

Send letters to P.O. Box 08, North Shewa, Deneba, Ethiopia

Love, Julia, your anxiously awaiting correspondent

Swear-in Ceremony

Swear-in for the Peace Corps happened on September 20 so I apologize for the long delay in this obligatory blog post that I'm sure my fellow volunteers put up a long time ago. It was great, probably the most expensive birthday present I have ever received. So thank you, People of the United States of America for a wonderful party.

"Swear-in was like graduation, we, sat in rows and walked up on stage to shake the director's, Ethiopian and American Ambassador's hand, and receive our diploma, I'm sorry, 'certificate.'"

"This is me in traditional Habasha garb. My host mother gave me this dress just a couple of days before we left. She is so nice."

This is my favorite picture from the evening. That is Christine. She was my roommate whenever we were in Addis during training.

Everybody wanted a picture in front of the seal and flags.

Abubeker being cool. He was one of the many Ethiopians who taught us Language and Culture.

Tekaling, my language teacher.

My language class.

The neighbor compounds.

I'm in Peace Corps!!

A Battle For the Ages

Last night a great battle raged. I had heard spiders were timid, easily defeated creatures. All one need do is make a movement towards them and they scurry away. I had heard that they don't like people, because people are big and spiders are little and any living creature worth anything runs away from something a billion times its size!! Well, last night I encountered a spider, a fierce and brave warrior. A legend among spiders. It was roughly the size of my eyeball. It was cowering in a corner having invaded my space looking for warmth . . . and maybe some morsels of tender flesh? God knows how it got in, probably through the eyeball sized gap just under my door. I quickly grabbed my Peace Corps issued bug spray and shot a spray of exoskeleton dissolving acid at it. It scampered right back outside and good riddance.
    Or so I thought.
    The spider had merely ducked behind a box to gather its forces. It then charged at me with all its spidery speed. Keeping my head in battle, I managed to shoot another volley of bug spray. At which point the spider once again scampered to hide under some more of my stuff.
    After our second encounter I thought it wise to retreat to the safety of base camp and ducked into my bed where I quickly secured my fortress against invaders. Every little end of the bug net was tucked in and I was safe.
    However, the spider was not finished with his attack. He slowly crept out from his hold, knowing full well that as much as I had secured him out, I had secured myself in. I was a sitting duck. To my horror I noticed that in my haste to regroup, I had left my bug spray in the middle of the floor. The spider must have noticed this as well. Not only was I a sitting duck but I was also defenseless!
    Slowly, deliberately, the spider crawled toward me. If he kept at that speed I could possibly leave the fortress and grab my bug spray. Should I risk it? He could rush me again. Or I could grab my shoe? It was closer to the bed but I knew my skill in close, hand-to-hand combat and it wasn't great. And then the spider stopped.
    He had taken two sprays from the bug poison, was it starting to take effect? Was he dead? No! He stuck out a leg, with great effort he willed himself another inch further before he stopped again. Just when I thought him defeated, he stirred. I gave a gasp. Again he moved another inch before he stopped. And again he moved and stopped. And again, until, finally, he had made it to the edge of my fortifications. Finally defeated, the spider curled up and stirred no more.
   

My Humble Abode

This is the view from my front gate. Those buildings on the left are the Woreda Office buildings. The Woreda is basically the school district so my big boss works there.

This is my front gate. The house behind it is not mine. I live on a compound.

To get to my part of the compound you have to walk around the house.

Down this little pathway.

And voila, my house. The door that is open is mine. The other door is the kitchen (I don't use their kitchen). There is another door on the other side of the tiny window that is hiding behind the drain. Both window and door belong to my neighbor, Tigist. Directly across from my door is the back entrance to the larger house. The bathroom is round the corner from the kitchen.

This is my bed, which doubles as office space.

It's hard to see the epicness that is my bedspread so here is a picture pre-bed net.

My closet.

My medicine cabinet and vanity.

My little kitchen.

And we must not forget my one cute little window way up high. I have to use my water bottle to open it because I am not tall enough.