Working

9/6

I have to say I am pretty happy with myself right now.  I have never been much of a cook, but I can whip something up if I really have to.  However, as far as I can remember I have only three times in my life made bread from scratch, and one of those times I used my blender to do the kneading for me.  The other two times have been in Ethiopia using a "dutch oven" style of baking since I lack anything like an oven.  The first time I didn't activate the yeast (did you know you have to do that with non-instant yeast?), and I cooked it a bit too hot and burned the bottom a little.  It was still edible and reasonably good.  This time though I did it perfectly, the bread turned out great, it was well cooked, tasted good, rose well, I even gave an extra loaf to my landlord who at least said it was really good.  Considering my first ever bread was a focacia bread I think I did really well.  On top of that I am considering trying to work with local people to start a bakery, and since the electricity here is completely unreliable it will be a brick oven style thing so at least having some small experience in making bread I think will come in handy. 

When I gave the bread to my landlord she invited me to dinner as well.  Even though I had already eaten I didn't want to be rude by turning her down.  It was pretty good, and I think I am starting to get used to the style of enjera made in this area.  It is weird because I almost never eat it, but it hasn't been so bad recently.  Don't get me wrong, I do actually like enjera for the most part, but the kind made in my area is cut with a lot of barley and it usually takes on a more sour taste than other enjera, so it has been a while getting used to it.  But it was nice to have dinner with her, her little baby, and her maid who was cooking for us. 

On a more general note, I found out today that a date has been set for my first training I will perform.  I am to do training on the banana disease in the gorge (Balo Habebe) on September 8, since I still have not figured out the Ethiopian calendar I really don't know when that is, but it should be soon.  I think the new year, Ethiopian new year is September 1st, is in just a few days so it will be eight days after that happens.  I am a little confused about what exactly is going to happen on New Years, but I think I have been invited to spend it with one of my counterparts, and there may or may not be a camp fire at my office so I guess I will just wait and see.  I am going into town on Monday to do some beekeeping with Devin and James is coming up to get some practice.  This will probably be the last time I see Devin in Ethiopia though as he is finishing his service.  Along with him Bre, Emily, and Laressa, are all leaving the area so it is going to get interesting not having any forenji less than two bus rides away.  When I come back though it will be hard core getting ready for projects, I will be bringing back an almost completed hive that we created during IST, I have to finish that, get the bees to put in it, and get the place I am going to be keeping them ready, then I have to get final approval to do my training so I can get started with the date planning, etc.  Plus school is about to start and I will be starting my clubs shortly after that.  Stuff is finally getting started and it is exciting. 

So here is my thing to consider: I ate some of my bread with the apple butter mom sent me (it is amazing thank you!), and I thought about it.  Really the only sweets we get here are coffee and tea, because they really do put that much sugar in it, and "biscuits" which are basically crackers/cookies with a bit of icing in the middle.  Otherwise the candy here isn't really worth speaking of, there is no ice cream except in the big cities, and even that "cakes" have basically no sugar in them so it is basically just bread.  So while it is probably good for our health, I would really love to just have a bag of darkside skittles, or a cup of fro-yo now and then.  So the next time you are chowing down on a cupcake, or munching on a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie, just think about us poor people in Ethiopia without the basic un-necessities.  That is all.