Yes, I am alive!

The internet here in Ethiopia is incredibly and painfully slow andrefuses to load this page. However, my mother suggested that I juste-mailed the posts to her, and then she'd upload it. Clever.

So, gosh, what has happened in the last month?
Well, our apartment with its cooking facilities turned out to be two rooms with one of those small things you bring out camping. When wearrived it had a bed, two plastic chairs, a plastic knife and some cutlery. We spent two weeks living out of our suitcases, but now, oh now we have got a drawer, and not one but TWO tables and THREE woodenchairs. We are very happy. There is no running water inisde the house, but a tab outside in the court yard. The bath room is in a seperate building outside and consists of a porcelain hole in the ground and a cold shower next to it, but in Ethiopia, this is actually quite fancy. Everyone uses squat toilets here as the area is predominantly Muslim,and I got used to it after a day or two.
We visited some of the teachers from the school, and none of them have had indoor toilets, running water, more than two rooms or a stove, so I guess we are living as average Ethiopians. It is actually very nice.

The school is also very nice and the Ethiopians themselves are very warm and welcoming. The young children a the school act as if we are rock stars, and Aske and I dread having to pass by the 1st-3rdgraders during recess. They all come running toward us: "Aske! Maria! How are YOU!" and they touch us, kiss us, try to hold our hands and touch our hair... Oh, they are actually very sweet and charming all of them. Sometimes it can just be a bit overwhelming having 40-60 of them trying to touch you at the same time...Especially if you are in a hurry, but if we have lots of time, then we try to talk to them and hold their hands and bend down so that the little girls and boys can kiss our cheeks. Yes, they are actually very charming all of them.

Aske and I teach a class called "spoken English" together. We teach the 7th and 8th graders. There are around 40 students in each class and three 7th and three 8th grades. We don't have any textbooks because it is SPOKEN English and we don't really know what to do, but so far we have taught them how to give directions, and then we'll see what we can come up with in the future. Apparenlty this is quite a fancy private school by Jimmaean standards, and the pupils are known as being clever and quick learners - all is good:)

I like it very much here in Ethiopia, and, eventhough I can only take cold showers and have to use different toilets, I find myself falling more and more in love with this country and its people for every day that passes. It is all truly amazing. You should alll be here and see the red gravel roads stretch out in front of you and the marvelous green mountains in the distance. You should all feel the incredible hospitality, warmth and humour of the Ethiopians - Yes, when are you coming to visit me?
Unfortunately, we have tons of things to correct for tomorrow, so I'll have to end ithere. I will try to write again shortly. Bye everyone,take care, I miss you!

Lots of African loveMaria