Christmas in Africa

Christmas in Africa

 

My dearest bloggers as Christmas approaches I am filled with a multitude of emotions. This is my first Christmas ever away from home so it is all a little strange. Firstly Ethiopia celebrates Christmas around the 7^th on January (our Epiphany, their Epiphany is at the end of January and they just celebrated their New Year in September) so forgive me if I am a little all over the place. It doesn't help that the cd I have on is currently playing 'Caledonia' you are calling me home, and if I should become a stranger you know it would make me more than sad….. yadda yadda. Also I hear that it is snowing in Britain and could be the first proper white Christmas in years. The BBC website is rubbish for photos! I was hoping to brag about having a warm, sunny Christmas with the possibility of a BBQ, but it is unseasonably cold in Addis for this time of year. I am using two thick blankets and a hot water bottle and African houses are not designed for the cold. I did manage to burn my shoulders walking up the hills around Addis on Saturday for a picnic for Maureen's birthday though.

 

But it is strange here, hardly a decoration to be seen, except in ferengi restaurants, which I can no longer afford to eat in and after my marathon trip I can eat and pee anywhere now!! So no real sense of Christmas here and all my colleagues will be working on Friday. I miss hearing carols on the radio, seeing the shops decorated (no real shops here, only shacks – must get a camera - ) trashy Christmassy films on the t.v. my fire roaring while I wrap presents at the last minute, whisky and a good glass of red wine. But of course I miss family and friends most of all. It doesn't help that Frances sends me emails and cards from Hannah telling me she cries as she misses me so much. But to get an email or a card through the post keeps my spirits up. What I missed most on my Grand Ethiopian Tour was emailing. I thought that strange till I realised that what I miss most is sharing my experiences with those who are interested in my life. And emailing and blogging keeps me connected to you all, which is so important. Sharing and communicating with each other is what counts.

 

So I have to thank you all for your communication and a special thank you to those of you who have already sent stuff for my ELIC schools. It's brilliant. There are doublers of cds which is brilliant as I am trying to furnish two different schools (outside of my Ministry duties) which will make it easier to divvy up the goods if there are doubles. Films, audio and music cds are all welcome as are posters. When I am missing home (as I am right now greatly) knowing you are sharing in my experiences and supporting me in my work gives me great strength. Have no doubt about that. I am discovering that the most difficult thing about my placement here is being on my own. I don't mean lonely – I am not lonely, I have great friends and a happy and healthy social life (getting tennis racket soon too – yippee) but being on my own. My colleagues are infuriating, but I must have patience and learn to work with them in their environment and not 'impose' my ways on them, and the difficulties of the environment, like sanitation etc, are not that difficult. What is hard is to find the strength in myself to keep positive in the tough days. It can be difficult to have a bad or frustrating day and come home and find the power is out, or my vegetables have gone off, or there is no milk or teabags and I have to go out and speak in what little Amharic I have just to get a cup of tea. I cannot simply go round to my mums, or Gill's or Clare's for a 'free' dinner and chat and let off steam. Also as I am the only ferengi in my department I have no-one else who can understand my frustrations at work. So when I get an email or a little something through the post it gives me joy and great strength and I feel less alone. So a very special thank you for all my little cards and gifts. If I am this thoughtful over the Christmas period, heaven help what I'll be like when the New Year comes in!!!

 

So just to finish (finally) I will be having Christmas dinner with my friends: David and Maureen, Nancy, Trish, Tara, Vicki, Jamie and Mary, Mary's brother, Adam and Jillian and Me. We are having a secret santa and cooking a couple of chickens. I think we'll buy ours at the ferengi supermarket as usually folks get their chickens live from the markets and I am not sure I am all that good at plucking feathers or strangling necks, unless it is my colleagues!!!!

 

So: HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

Lots of Love Joanne x

 

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