computer break down

Dear all,
Sorry it has been so unbelievably long since my last blog. I have been reading some great blogs that looked super professional and suddenly I was inspired and thinking 'yes, that's what I will do....I'm going to get a super duper looking blog, and become a seious blogger'.
Then God in his gentle, humorous way let me know that that was not his plan....well certainly not for that time. You see Lucy got sick with a terrible virus. She was vomiting continuously with a raging fever, and I mean raging for 4 days. Then just as she improved one afternoon, she had 4 hours of reprieve, then the high fever began again, and had terrible tummy cramps. It turned out that the virus had left her dehydrated, which led to a urinary tract infection. It was 8 very difficult days for her and us as we did everything we could to help ease her pain and pass the time.

I read books to her, sang some songs, stroked her head, watched movies, and then in the midst of that around day 3 I gave her my computer to use and unfortunately during that time she "uber gebened" German for upchucked (I haven't learned the Amharic word for it yet!!) and that was the end of my computer!

Reading books is much safer when you may vomit but don't use library books....read your own, just in case!

 Although she was only dry reaching the liquid got into parts it shouldn't have and blew it up. I added salt into the wound by trying to turn it back on immediately instead of allowing it to dry. Please learn from this all of you...NEVER TURN A WET COMPUTER ON....ALLOW IT TO DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE YOU EVEN TOUCH IT!!!
I lost our photos for the past 9 months, our newletter template and all my school work. THe guys at school were not able to save the hard drive, but it is now on its way to Australia to see if they will have any better luck!
So instead of getting a new you beaut looking blog, and wowing you all with sad, funny, witty or amazing insights into life in Addis, I have now lost my computer, and need to borrow Shane's when it's spare to write a quick hello to you all.
So HELLO to you all, not sure when I'll be back.
Love to you all.
N

An Ethiopian bonus!

I know that in the past I have showed you the difficult side of life in Addis, but now I want you to see the best,bestest thing in this country.
Alemetu.

This is our house helper. She is a lovely single christian lady who helps me in the house 4 times a week. It was originally 3 times a week, but it is so beautiful having her come I changed it to 4 times and I have no regrets!!
It is school policy that we have house helpers at least part-time because it provides an income for a local person. So twist my rubber arm, Alemetu became ours.
She has worked for ferenjii (foreingners) for the past 15 years so she comes extremely well qualified and able. She cooks amazingly, and unfortunately the kids like her cooking better than mine now! They love her cinammon rolls best, or her chicken pot pie- (both American recipes thanks to her previous employer that we now benefit from!)
Her English is great, but maybe that's a downfall, because it means I don't need to practice my Amharic much with her!!
She comes for the afternoon, and in that time cooks us dinner, does our washing, and cleans some of the house. When I run out of goods, she walks into Kolfe the local area, and barters with the market  men, to get my vegies cheaper than I do!!
I would say that she can probably also sing and dance, but I haven't asked her to yet, so I'm not sure if that's in her repertoirre or not!
I love Alemetu. She is by far the best thing about this country!

A snapshot of Addis

Sometimes in this country, there are vivid moments that stay with you all day long, or if troubling enough, all night long! They are like snapshots that imprint themselves on your brain, and make an impression on your heart.....for good or bad! Here is one I want to share with you.

It was dusk last Sunday evening, and I was driving home from church......alone. I had left immediately after the service to prevent having to drive in the dark. I was cocooned in the small white van, and all the doors were locked, windows up. Even so I was nervous, and on edge. If I was to have an accident, crowds of onlookers circle the car, I had no language help with me, and often it is an opportunity for pick pockets, and thieves to have a field day at your expense. Praying inwardly and simultaneously looking out for cars, donkeys, goats, dogs and people, I dodged potholes, weaved through taxis, and checked my rear mirror continuously for tailgating cars!!

I had just entered the area of Mercato - a huge market area, known for crime, and the arrival destination of people entering Addis from the country, since huge lumbering buses deposit travellers there all day every day. those 'struggling' with life here in Addis can be found in Mercato. It seems to be a melting pot of all that is down and out in the city.

The glare of car lights were just emerging as I manouvered my way through the outside roads, and past the bus station compound. Several times, I had to brake as people moving homewards simply stepped out on to the road, expecting me to stop for them......which I did!! They were black shadows, with no detail, until I stopped for them, and then my lights shined onto their forms, revealling them as the people they were.

I had just got through the worst of the road...next to the pyramid of second hand sneakers...all mens and selling for cheap cheap, and across the road from the leather good stall, and taxi stand where women stood also, selling services I hate to think about. Suddenly I realised a dog was crossing the road, and was right in front of my van. I slammed on the brakes, to avoid it. It may have been a stray, but even so, someone would demand restitution and money from me, if it was killed. You could bet suddenly it would have an owner, who would be distraught and want compensation.

As I waited slowly for the dog to move along the roadway it crossed my mind that it was taking forever, and may have been injured. At last it moved into sight just to the right of my front fender, and to my horrow, in the rude glare of my headlights was a man.....a human being.....paralysed and inching his way across the main road. I THOUGHT IT WAS A DOG, AND INSTEAD IT WAS A HUMAN BEING!!

He was covered in a filthy, old trench-coat, with what were once cream shorts, but were now ripped, muddy and held together by string. On his hands were plastic milk bags, tied on with string, that was wound round and round his hands. His knees were also tied together and underneath them was a strip of black rubber - probably the offcut of an old car tyre. His legs were both emancipated and grotesquely deformed. As he made his way across the road, it went hand, hand, drag the knees up, hand, hand, drag the knees up. His head was down, he had a mission to perform - get across the road. He looked at nothing and no-one as he made his way.

As he cleared my van sufficiently, the car behind me made no secret of the fact it was time to move on! The honking horn immediately told me to get going....there were places to go. Quit idling in the middle of the road. And so I veered slightly left and drove around the solitary man, moving in snail-like time and motion across the busy, main road of Mercato. As I did, the tears rolled down my face,and my heart cried out to God. Made in your image...how can that be? Why Lord, why do people have to suffer like this, and what is my role in this place? Could I have stopped to help? Was I being the Priest, and Levite?? Please Lord send a good Samaritan to help this poor being. He is your child, and therefore you love him. Please show him this. 

And so I continued to drive home without mishap to my warm, comfortable apartment. To have a hot shower, dress in my comfy PJs and eat a hot meal with my family who love me. And all the while my mind and heart was inclined towards the man dragging his sorry carcass across the jagged bitumin of Mercato, alone, to who knows what at the other side. This country hurts Lord, and I have no answers.

Now it is not surprising that I have no photos of this event or man...for you or me. I hope you glimpsed some of it through the writing,and it will spur you on to pray for us, as we grapple living here, but more importantly for the Ethiopians in this country doing it tough. There are so many!! Please remember them in your prayers, and ask God to do a mighty work spiritually and also practically through his people here, to alleviate some of these common snapshots that we see daily.

God Bless
Naomi

Field Days

Last week we experienced our first field days at Bingham Academy (and definitely not our last!) They were unlike any sports days we've ever experienced. Firstly they went for 2 days not one! Because the school is R-12 and all compete it takes 2days to get everything done!
Lucy and Max were in the junior school competition which meant they finished at lunch each day. This meant I looked after them in the afternoon although there was plenty to look at and cheer about, and they didn't need too much amusing. Both of them had 4 events and a relay to do. They ran obstacle courses, sack raced or were in the 3 legged race! It was mainly for fun, although Lucy in Yr 2 was quite competitve and enjoyed getting ribbons in each race!! She takes after her Dad!

Relay racing in face paint!

Go green, go green!  Cheering their team on.

 Then Tom and Oli also had 4 events they could each choose plus a relay. Oli's favorite was high jump. He jumped 130cm and the record was 135cm. He still has one yr left in his age group so needless to say he's hunting that record down next year! He hurt his ankle on the last jump, but with strapping still did all his other events. There was no stopping him and he did exceptionally well. Again takes after Dad!

Winning the 200m in style!

Tom chose to do the 1500m because there were only 4 in the race and he figured it gave him good odds to get a placing. Afterwards (he came 3rd) he wondered if the ribbon was worth the pain of it all, and declared himself to be a short distance racer only!! It took him the rest of the day to recover, although soft drinks, ice blocks and a hot lunch helped in that!!

Tom did the hurdles and cleared them all with no bruises or scars!!

There was a staff relay purely for fun, and we put in an Aussie themed team. We all dressed up and came a commendable 3rd behind 2 very fast and serious mens teams....so we did Oz proud! There was also a Dads 400m race and Shane was cajolled into it but never again!! He held the lead the whole way with 20m to go, then the bear jumped on his back, and our Kiwi deputy pipped him at the post along with a Norweigen freak bike rider, who is super super fit! I thought considering Shane had 13 years more on our deputy he did himself proud, but after the race it was ugly!! He had to sit down for an extended amount of time due to cramping, almost vomiting and exhaustion. I got him his lunch and he felt too rubbish to even eat it!! A coke for sugar and some time laying down, and he was able to function again.................but the days of Shane Rubie, 400m extraordinnaire are over!!

Who is that dork in the Aussie singlet carrying an Aussie flag????

 What we really enjoyed was the comeraderie of the kids and their encouragement of one another. A yr 11 boy in the 100 m fell just before the finish line...and all the other competitors were there in an instant picking him up, checking was he ok. In the high jump 2 boys were going for 1st (yr10s) and as they cleared each height they clapped each other, cheered gave high 5s etc, even though they both wanted to win. When races finished there were hugs to all, hand shaking, and just a really great feeling of encouragement in everything. It didnt matter at the end of the days who won (although my competitive nature wants to tell you it was our green team by 17 points) but competing fairly and to the best of their ability and in good sportsmanship was what won out! We were really impressed and will be glad to do it all again next year!

Ethiopian paperwork!

While we've been here we have been very fortunate to have the school carry out all our official business for us like visa's, licences etc. It has saved us heaps of time, and now I realise saved us from frustration too!! We hear from others who have had problems with Ethiopian beauracracy that it can be a headache doing anything in this country and  from a small encounter I had 2 days ago I now believe them!
As most of you know Shane had a kidney stone, and had to go to hospital overnight. When we left we asked if there was anything we needed to do, and they assured us no...just go home! So we were surprised when the next day we had a phone call...and the day after that, and the day after that...that we still owed 500Birr and could we come pay it.
Shane was busy, so being a dutiful wife I agreed to do it for him, and the following took place.

ME: greetings in Amharic to cashier lady as needed- to set a friendly tone to the whole proceedings!
CASHIER: greetings back to me, and smiling face, with some English (always a good sign, that we just may be able to understand one another!!)
M: I need to pay a bill for Shane Rubie
C: you are Shane Rubie?
M: no he is my husband
C He is in hospital?
M: No, he is at home now, but was in hospital 5 days ago
C: Why is your bill not paid?
M: We didn't know we owed anything.
C: When were you in hospital?
M: No it was my husband Shane Rubie. 5 days ago.
C: HE is still in hospital?
M No he is at home now.
C: Why you not pay your bill?
This sort of conversatin goes on for another 10 minutes while the man behind me try's to help and translate the situation, and we gather a crowd of 6 or so people listening in!!
Finally I think we are proceeding when suddenly she says
C: Where is your pink slip?
M: What pink slip?
C: You cannot come into the hospital without a pinkcard.
M: I signed a pink card but the doctor must still have it.
C: NO - (she is definitely not smiling now!) you cannot go home without pink card
M: Sorry but there must have been a mistake, because we did not get a pink card when we left.
Next i have to take her to the exact bed Shane was in on level 1, to look for a pink card (like 5 days later it would still be in the room???!!!)Thankfully a nurse who saw Shane recognised me, and found his file..but alas no pink card in it. So we trudge back to ground level to the cashier window again.
C: How did you pay when your husband arrived?
M: I gave the nurse 1000 BIrr in cash (like there is any other way to pay in this country??!!)
C: Yes here is the copy receipt but where is your original white receipt for this?
M: I don't know. I don't have it.
C: Why don't you know. When you come here they give you receipt. (just like the pink card!)
M: Sorry it was 2am when we came here. I don't know what happened to the receipt.
C: No receipt I can't do your file and finish this.
M: But you have the copy there. You can see I paid. (she has the yellow duplicate stapled to the file on the front page!!)
C: I have to have original receipt. I cannot finish this with no receipt.
M: Do you want my money or not? I have it here.
C: yes you have to pay when you have the white receipt.
M: (AAAARRGGHHH) I don't know if I have the receipt. I have this money, and I can pay you now, otherwise I will go.
C: No, give me the  money and I will fix it for you. (suddenly worried she will see the money walk out the door!)

Now I have to wait in the room for about an hour while people come and go, paying their money and handing in pink cards and white receipts......while I have no idea what she's doing fluffing around, talking on the phone, looking at the computer, talking to others. Finally a senior looking lady comes from upstairs and calls me over
Lady: Do you have a pink card?
M: No, I told the cashier we were never given one.
L; Everyone gets a pink card when they come in, and when they leave.
M: Well not us. I signed a pink form, but no-one gave me a card
L; Maybe you have lost it.
M: (going slightly crazy now) Maybe the Dr still has it?
L: Maybe......where is your original receipt?
M: Now I have to explain over and over again the whole process etc and that they have taken my 500 Birr and can I go?
L: No we have to wait for a new receipt
More waiting and waiting and finally
L: I have printed out your receipt but will keep it until you bring me the white original receipt so we can finish your file. Please bring it tomorrow to this office.
M: Can I mail it to you?
L: NO it will get lost. You bring it to me and I will give you full receipt and details for everything.
M: Ok, thankyou....have a nice day, more kind goodbyes etc etc to keep goodwill, just in case I find the white docket, and have to come back to get my detailed receipt that they are holding ransom!!

Needless to say on arriving home and searching my bag that I took to hospital I found the white receipt and took it in 3 days later (I refused to go back next day, because I needed to calm down first)  Thankfully they gave me the detailed receipt which we can now claim on health insurance.....if I didn't need it I would never have gone back!!
The second visit took only half an hour and involved only 2 people and lots of smiling and goodwill because I had returned!!
HOWEVER FOR THOSE OF YOU WONDERING, I NEVER FOUND A PINK CARD, AND NEVER WILL, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT GIVEN ONE.

 So there you have Ethiopian processes and protocol in a nutshell. For a laid back culture, they sure are pedantic about following procedure.

Til next time
Naomi

December holidays

Hi everyone, well here we are on the last 2 days of our 3 week holiday time, and I’m finally getting the chance to blog! We have had a wonderful break, so I’ll tell you a few of the highlights!

1. Our first Camping trip – we tried out our new tents and mats and went to a forest called Menagasha about an hour away. We went with 2 other families and for the most part had fun! Not so fun when our sleeping mats went flat due to holes we didn’t know about, and not fun when an hour walk turned into 3 hours with tired small children, however the rest was great. We had a campfire, cooked marshmallows, played games, relaxed and felt a million miles away from the reality of life in Addis – a crowded, busy, polluted 3^rd world city.

2.Oli’s birthday – Dec 21. We gave him a party with 8 of his friends, most of whom live on compound. He turned 11, and I made a cake in the shape of the number!!!! Shane designed an “amazing race” around compound and had 3 teams all competing in challenges involving school people. They had to paint canvases in the art room, kick soccer goals on the oval, play a computer game in the lab, count class photos in the admin block, and the piece de resistance- climb up the rock climbing wall blindfolded! It was lots of fun, and they all rose to the challenge. Then just our family went out to eat Korean here because Oli wanted Sushi – I have no idea where he gets that desire from.....not me that’s for sure!

3. Christmas Day – we joined with 3 families in the afternoon and some singles on campus and we tried out cooking a whole sheep in a home-made besser brick oven. Shane and the boys played chefs while the girls made salads, and it was delicious. The fun part for the kids was seeing the lamb slaughtered and gutted the day before. They were fascinated by all the bits and especially loved seeing the stomach emptied of grass (the stench was something to imagine!!!)  then the man washed it out, then filled it up with all the other innards to take home with him.......just like a handbag........but a stomach bag!!! They didn’t blink an eye at the whole process and were happy to eat, what they had played with 3 days earlier when it was alive!!!

4. New Years Eve- after the successful lamb roast the boys went a step further and bought 2 whole pigs to roast! We had over 100 people (staff and families and visitors) come and celebrate at school. We made teams and played games like quoits, bocce, putt putt and throw the Frisbee through the hoop. All the time we could smell the pig roasting so by 5pm our mouths were salivating and finally we had a feast – crackling and all. The best pork I’ve ever had, and the first in 7 months. There was not a vegetarian in the house that night!! Then we sat around a fire chatting, and singing, until.......about 9pm when most of us boring oldies and with kids went home to bed!!

Kids learnt a trick - you put flour in your mouth and spit it at a flame and whoa!

5. Bowling – we discovered there is a bowling alley in town so we took the kids to try it out. They had free socks for us to put on, shoes without laces, and only big sizes so Lucy and Max wore their own shoes. They had bumper lanes, but when max hit it on the end it fell off! Shane was so strong that when he hit a strike the whole machine froze and had to be fixed, and we had our own man to record our scores on paper!! It was so funny but still to this day I swear there was a definite lean to the left of the alley!!

6. Swimming – we lashed out big time and paid a stack to swim at the Sheraton Hotel. We went for the whole day to get our money’s worth, and lay on bright yellow lounges it the sun, and swam in the warm pool. The kids spent 4.5 hours out of 5 in the water and came home burnt, but it was a great day. Felt like I was in a movie and with the rich and famous.....but then we drove home and saw the beggars, dirt and grime around us, and felt slightly guilty for the pleasure we had just experienced.

So now we’re at the end of our holidays. The many sleep-overs and movie nights will stop for our kids. Back to planning and homework and an 11 week term that looks busy to say the least. We feel ready though after relaxing and enjoying Addis.

Chow for now.’N

We have Issues!!

This ball is very strange!

Hi there everyone,
Sorry it has been so long since I last posted but we have serious issues here........................with our internet!! We have been without the internet for 3 weeks now, and heard just today that it could be a few more months before we have it again!
How am I writing this? Well we have borrowed a friends stick to let you all know what is happening and to check our emails briefly. We hope to but one of our own next week because we have discovered its hard to live without technology once you get used to it.  Aparantly most of Addis has been without it. They are building the first ever train line in Addis and when beginning the work cut a telecom line in the city. So most of Addis has been affected and there is no knowing when the problems will be fixed.They have said it is a matter of priority, and we are not that!
So a very quick update before I go. We had thanksgiving with friends here at school - ate potato and marshmallow together. A very weird combo! Then we played American footy..another strange thing, give us Aussie rules any day.

Thanksgiving lunch under the school gazebo

 Shane and I have been working hard writing mid-year reports, checking fellow teachers and posting them on the computer. We also celebrated Christmas with all the Ethiopian staff who invited their families to a Saturday lunch we put on for them. There were over 400 people eating together! Its called Christmas Gibsha.
 We are excitied to be involved in a new venture here. The children at the dump that I help on Saturdays a few times a month, are entering into a sponsorship program. We are starting a program that should see the orphans housed, and about 150 kids fed, clothed, and educated. We have  helped the church to secure a sight to begin the project and house the orphans. It will be called Korah Kids, and we are so excited to be part of something that will change lives for the better. What a privilege.
Our kids are going great. They are looking forward to Christmas - even though it will be different here. We don't have set plans, but will be on campus and probably share lunch with people. Our boxes haven't arrived so nor have our decorations or stockings etc. so it will be low key! Max is in a christmas play that Shane saw today and I'll see tomorrow. He said it was really cute, so I'm looking forward to it, and unlike Daddy, I'll at least take the camera!

Christmas Gibsha with our National friends.

Shane is coaching soccer - what a joke. What he doesn't know he makes up. The kids have sports day early next term, and are practising events. I still teach English to the local poor girls in our community - so there is never a dull moment during our  weeks.
If I don't get hold of a stick for a little while, I'll say
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL AND  A BLESSED NEW YEAR.
Love Naomi

We celebrated Ethiopian Day at school and dressed accordingly!