Archived Blog
Language school transitions
Haven't written here for a couple of weeks, there's been a few goings on around here! I would have written sooner but the internet and power here has been a lot less reliable recently. Apparently, the power corporation has been sending too much voltage, which has been causing some of the lights to start smoking. Some of the residents have been turning off all the power at night, in case anything catches on fire. Anyway, the internet and power seems to be back to normal today! We'll see how long that lasts. :-)
So as I mentioned, a few weeks ago, my current Amharic teacher, Adisu, has left the school. I have to say that I was gutted to see him leave! I really liked his teaching style, he kept things fun and light-hearted, but also pushed you enough with new things, encouraging us to try things like writing about our day etc. Since then, I've had two different teachers. At times, these transitions feel like taking a step back. Talking to others at the language school, however, shows that I am not alone in this frustration; everyone agrees that transitioning between classes is definitely the hardest and most frustrating part of language school. It takes at least a week to get used to a new teacher, classmates, etc. However, I've been getting used to my latest teacher again, and am enjoying learning the language with my new class. I had to write out my life story yesterday, so I got some help with an Ethiopian friend. The sentence structure in particular is extremely different from English. My friend laughed and said that reading my Amharic reminded him of when he first started writing essays in English, and the difficulties that he had trying to write in proper English. Oh well!
I've been looking into a number of opportunities recently for moving off the SIM HQ compound and out into the community. One couple in particular, an Ethiopian guy and his Canadian wife are very close to renting a house for a year, and would like some company/help with the rent. The house is in a convenient location, spacious and with a small garden area, for a relatively affordable price. They are proposing asking one of the other Ethiopian staff to come and live with them too. I am seriously considering their offer, for one thing it would be great to have more opportunities to speak Amharic, as well as being the move into the community that I always considered essential for cultural integration here. Please remember me in prayer as I consider this and other potential accommodation opportunities.
Last weekend was the Bingham Academy staff retreat which I was invited on. We all set off for the SIM retreat centre, situated beside a beautiful crater lake. It is a very picturesque and relaxed setting, perfect for lazing around all weekend, and swimming in the lake. It was nice to get to know some more of the Bingham staff who I haven't seen yet, as well as enjoying hanging out with those I do. Some pictures:
I was reminded of the last time I was here 7 or 8 years ago when, at night and during a power cut, I was walking blindly down these steps. I did not anticipate them taking this turn, and ended up falling down this ledge.
We went hyena hunting on Saturday evening, unfortunately, smart phones aren't the best at taking photos in the dark. Anyway, this is a photo of a hyena. You'll have to trust me on that.
More photos if you're interested!
On Monday, I was feeling pretty rough after a BBQ that I'd had with some friends on Sunday evening, possibly some of the sausages weren't cooked quite enough. Even if things looked cooked the whole way through here, it sometimes isn't enough, some of the bugs here seem to take a bit more time to die!! Cooking times that would be fine at home, sometimes doesn't cut it here. Anyway, its just one of the things about living here, unfortunately! Very thankful that it was only a 24 hour thing.
All for now,
Niall
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