Isabella Good Morning

For 5 weeks I lived in Ethiopia, immersing myself in Ethiopia culture and hoping to teach english and American culture to young Ethiopians. In addition to coming up with class activities and curriculums, getting a grasp of the complicated city and the taxi routes, embracing Ethiopian food, I formed a wonderful bond with my host family which proved to be among the most rewarding aspects of my trip.

Although the weather was rainy and cold, having my host brother greet me each morning saying cheerfully, "Isabella, good morning", was the most wonderful way to start the day. Each morning we all woke up early to get ready for our respective days. One of my host moms prepared herself for work at a clinic, Linda, my host sister would get ready for her day at summer school, my other host mother tended to the household chores and I would prepare myself to teach classes for the day. Every other day I would eat fresh bread made in the special Ethiopian oven, another added bonus. Each evening I would eat dinner with the family. When there was electricity we would watch TV or a movie, though I much preferred the nights when there was no electricity and we would play endless hours of cards and listen to the radio playing both american pop songs and traditional Ethiopian music. One weekend my host sister and I went on a day trip together outside of the city to visit a beautiful lake and go boating among beautiful scenery.

One of the most touching moments of my trip was when the sixth graders and I were acting out the Greek Myth about Icarus. After our first class on the myth, I wasn't entirely sure the students had enjoyed it, so the next day I came in with an Ethiopian folk story. Upon hearing that we would no longer be acting out Icarus' fall from the sky the students protested in outrage. Two of the boys got out of their seats and ran through the pouring rain to retrieve the book of greek myths. It was at that moment that I realized that the students enjoyed and appreciated their time with me. I also understood how much my students valued and cared about their time in school and how much they wanted to learn. This not only inspired me to teach them with as much energy and creativity as I could, but it also encouraged me to be as passionate about learning as they were and also as curious.