10 My First African Sky (11022009)

Yesterday included many firsts, my favorite of which being the African sun, sky, stars and moon. The plane flew in as the sun was setting and it was beautiful. I kept talking about it and then, Mr. Ib Santab on the plane said I could switch seats with him so that I could sit next to the window and take better pictures. From the plane, I had my first glimpse of Africa. I looked out the window and saw a great big wide river winding through the land near some big mountains in the heart of the city. When the plane was coming in to land, we actually circled the city three times (so I got some good looks at it!) because of tailwinds and who knows, I guess we missed it the first time. :)

Before coming, I tried to come up with what my expectations were. I knew things would be different than my expectations (more on that soon), but there were definitely some things I didn't know to even have an expectation about!

Here are some things I have made note of in just the first 12 hours upon arrival... some I expected and some I did not:

• The moon was brighter here than I have ever seen it. Yes, it was a full moon, but seriously.

• The city lights were dimmer than our city lights.

• The city roads, from the plane, didn't seem as organized. Some were, but not all. It looked like some roads were lit for awhile and then not and then lit again.

• Most people here are black. I know that is something I should have known, but for some reason I didn't really think I would be stand out so much since I am white. I know many of you are saying: "I could have told you that!" but it is so much that way that today, as I was touring around on my first full day here, I saw two other white people and stared at them, asking my friend what they were doing here. I am already used to being around black people and I like it.

• Bananas are better here. No lie.

• Water has to be boiled and filtered before I can use it. We keep a big jug in the bathroom for brushing our teeth. It feels funny to "wash" my hands and then be told I need to dry them off really well or there could be amoebas in the wetness. (Dry hands are safe.) It is also really hard to keep your mouth tightly closed in the shower. Once when I thought I got water in my mouth, I rinsed with Listerine upon getting out and drying off. It was the most anti-everything item I had to prevent sickness. :)

• The air is DRY. Beginning literally within an hour of being here, my hands and lips are so dry. Part of this is being in Africa and part of this is being at 8000 feet above sea level. I am in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, and it has an altitude you can feel.

• This morning I went outside and felt like the sun was as strong as it would be if I were standing on the beach on a sunny day with the sun reflecting off of the water. It was bright and, though not super hot, strong.

• Dogs bark all night long. Really. It is like in "101 Dalmatians" when one dog starts and the rest continue. Right now, there are several at once barking all at the same time that I can pick out. I guess it becomes background noise for people living here.

Aside from the above thoughts, many of my expectations were accurate, sadly. I know I can't say much about it when I have only been here a day (this post was started this morning and is being finished tonight), but I have seen a lot to take in as it is. I really will write more about all of this and how my expectations and heart have been involved. I am processing it all right now and sadly, I don't even think I can process it. It's not like pain, deformity, hunger and poverty have a place they can go in my mind so that each of these things are justified. Justification is making something right. All I can say now is that I know it just isn't right.

Love you all and wish you could be here, for so many reasons,

Laura