Watching Videos

I've been camping out on YouTube for the past few hours watching video after video about Ethiopoia. This video-view includes shoulder popping Ethiopian-pop, Italian-Ethiopian 'reconciliation' videos, press interviews with Meles Zenawi (Prime Minister), and most interestingly food videos featuring the star of Ethiopian cuisine, Injera (pronounced injara). Injera is a type of bread and because I am the curious type, I ended up google(ing) it. I was pleased to discover that because the grain has several benefits farmers in Kansas are beginning to grow Teff, the grain used to make injera. The farmers there have found that Teff cut for hay without harvesting the seed is like, and I quote, "cotton candy for horses."

I was rather amused by that so I thought I'd share. Maybe I will be able to mail some Teff to the Kressin household as a gift. I think that's exactly what horses are missing, horse catnip.

oh! on an unrelated note I still haven't packed and everything is piling ever higher in my living room. I was so confident that I would easily slide under the 80 pound rule when I first got my assignment, but now I am not so sure. I keep getting advice like: "bring a hobby." and "if you have a skill you've always wanted to learn, bring the required texts/materials" and I keep taking things on like a harmonica; yeah, I said harmonica.

T-minus 4 days! ARE YOU PUMPED?????

Skype is illegal in Ethiopia

So, I found out today that Skype is illegal in Ethiopia. This is kind of a bummer because I had planned to use my laptop to not only e-mail, but call mom and dad in the states. Now I'll be lucky to call them at all. Its kind of a bummer, I am going to hope I can use Teamspeak. If I can, I'll have to very carefully, teach mom and dad.

By the way, I only have 6 more days left until lift off! I am so excited.

Reading List

I have stopped trying to prepare for Ethiopia. This is not to say that I am ready, unafraid, or confident, but I am resigned to the idea that Ethiopia will be there when I land. I am busy spending time with relatives, friends, and the dog.

I finished work yesterday and I now have recaptured around 50-60 hours a week. I have been putting around the house thinking of things I want to take. My mental packing list is comical, books and books and books are all I seem to want packed. I am reasonably confident that my fluctuating weight will render all clothes unnecessary. I think of things like: "I bet they don't have harmonicas..." or "What if I end up in a philosophical conversation without the resource of the internet..." and "I wonder if my host family would like basketball, I should probably pack my baseball gloves."

Here are the books I plan to pack. They mostly consist of all the material I avoided reading in philosophy classes and a few needed emotional strengths.

Philosophical Essays - G.W. Leibniz
Capital Vol. 1 - Karl Marx
The initial Dragonlance trilogy - Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Redwall - Brian Jacques
Where The Wild Things Are - Maurice Senedak
Meditations - Descartes
Sartre - David Drake
Cunning - Don Herzog

From what I have read, I wont really have any downtime to read until I am at my assignment, because mostly at night, when work is done, things can be a little lonely. I am unsure if I'll ever get to that point, but I figure at least I'll have books nearby which will comfort me all the same.

I am off to play a rousing game of lickface with Josie (the name of our dog, in case you are worried and maybe you still are)

A rumbling preperation

I am standing in the Kitchen at home. I just got home from work. I have been working late and my commute is an hour and ten minuets one way. It's easily 3:30 in the morning. I am munching on a turkey sandwich and reading the paper -this for me, is par for the course. I look down at a napkin, with a little brown stain in the corner and some initially indiscernible writing on it. October 4th!, Richard Foxberry (names are changed to protect the innocent), call, church, Don, and Oct 4th again. Now individually all of these words seem meaningless, but in my mothers impeccable style the facts are crystal clear.

My mom has this thing when she writes down notes that she uses anything nearby. She loves writing on things that aren't intended for writing: cardboard boxes, junk mail, tupperware, and of course napkins. She writes notes to help her remember important things, because she firmly believes she has Alzheimer's, even though we all know she doesn't - we play along. She will write pieces of a story while she is on the phone and each piece will be vigorously underlined in the greatest of "uh-huh" time-killing manners. So there the words were. "October 4th!" accompanied by a beautiful double swoop underline, Richard Foxberry with a single straight line, "call" circled, "church" triple underlined, "Don" no decoration, and finally "Oct 4th" vigorously underlined by a dark black scribble that nearly tore the napkin.

I could guess at the meaning, but I knew the feeling. I just kind of looked at the napkin and I'll admit I cried a little bit. By a bit I mean I kind of sobbed. By sobbed I mean I balled. It was a combination of being tired, having a lot on my mind, and knowing that my "dream" is so close. I was looking around for something to wipe my face and blow my nose and I just started laughing.

The napkin was the only thing nearby.

I laughed pretty hard and I understood that everything was going to be alright. I made a mental note to call Richard in the morning, mom had mentioned that he had been to Ethiopia before and I should talk to him. He went to our church and Don was his neighbor, but I am still leaving on October 4th.

October 4th to Ethiopia!

A peaceful beginning

Yesterday, I was in Minneapolis Minnesota and I finally received a phone call from the placement office after missing the first. I was asked a few questions about my experiences, my feelings, and my commitment. After endless minuets of rambling responses, I was asked if I had any questions for her.

"Am I invited?"

"Yes."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

with a hint of laughter, "You're welcome."

That my friends, is what finally enabled me to talk about my experiences. I have been applying for the Peace Corps for the past year and finally, I was invited and placed. I am now currently waiting on an invitation packet that will tell me where I am going and more of what I am doing.

I have been reading blogs, journals, and the general internets as a coping mechanism with the long and arduous waiting process, but I was afraid to lend my own voice to the conversation for fear of rejection. But now I know. Now, I am free and lite. Its a giddy feeling, but I am just grateful for the opportunity to serve.

I am opening this blog to keep my friends updated, to tell my story, and to be a little creative. Please bare with me as I learn the art.

Next update, when I receive my packet.