Sunday 29 January 2012

Compassion, cake and running Ethiopian style....


Me and the boys L-R Djene, friend I can't remember the name of! Alex, Heptamo and me. 

Act like the whole universe depends on what you do, whilst laughing at yourself for thinking that what you do makes a difference 

- Buddhist Philosophy 

I fulfilled a dream of mine Saturday morning. Having being woken up at 5am-ish by my diligent racing partner Djene, we walked the twenty minutes to the bottom of Entoto mountain and started our routine run. Three quarters of the way up an affable gent, not even out of breath jogged up to us and introduced himself as Nassir. Nassir happens to be an Ethiopian cross country athlete whose competed all over the world. He also knows the famous Hallie Gibrelselassie probably the most recognizable Ethiopian runner! 

So things were going pretty well, we decided to run as a group and without fear of sounding monumentally big headed - your Brummie girl was doing England proud. At this point I'd been told I was very good and asked if I wanted to run on Sunday...

Anyone who knows me will agree I have a distinct style when it comes to coordinating myself. Not content with my running pace I tried to speed up (to show off effectively) and ended up stacking it. Big time. I ripped my leggings got blood every where and pretty much grazed anything that wasn't covered. *Cringe* 

And thus I learn't another little Buddhist tidbit: - 

Let go of the ego!  

So aside from humiliating myself in front of athletes I've been doing the antithesis of anything healthy by indulging in the cafe culture here. The Italian occupation several years back has left smidgens of little Italy all over the place. For example everyone drinks coffee and bakeries with an Italia feel are literally everywhere. Naturally as a caffeine fiend I love this! 


I'm also majorly in love with my family, the Abera's are such a close, affectionate family. Out the corner of my eye I often watch Hana and Belete (mom and dad) at meal times feeding each other and mirroring each others body language in the way only really loved up couples can and do so. They've been together years and have this amiability which is just so subtle and caring. I hope in my future I'm able to replicate such a relationship to be so in sync with someone, that you don't need big gestures because your everyday is real love. 


Naomi (who features in several of my earlier blogs) is my soul sister here and has discussed in depth with me this idea of family or career. As a woman I feel that we are somewhat of a slave to our ovaries. A completely biased, unscientific observation has led me to believe the women who travel and concentrate on their career tend not to have relationships or family. Obviously there are numerous examples of women who have achieved both the successes of family and purposeful work but I find, as far as NGO work goes (in the field I mean), it is men who are able to have the best of both worlds. 


I'm lucky to be with a man who supports me and who has been nothing but amazing when it comes to helping me follow my dreams. We're newbies in this relationship but I do feel that we've got the ingredients to perhaps go the distance. 
I hope I can be a woman who utilizes the maternal instinct within me as a strength, to be a mother to the earth as well as flesh and blood. I hope I'm able to help the world not only because it makes me feel good and purposeful but because I can better serve living beings. We are ambassadors of our time, there will be no other people to live in this period so I feel its our duty to make sure our imprint in history is a positive one. 

So here's to our past, for the now and to the future! 

Live compassionately loved ones! 

Sophia 

P.s. Here's some more photos: - 


  

In Bole with some of the gang enjoying the local park on an off day 

 

Nom nom nom!! Yummy cake in Ethiopia :) 

 

Ruta and me :) 

  

L-R Tinbit, Ruta, Hennon, Yaseira, Hermella and Papi <3 



Wednesday 25 January 2012

Working nine to five!



Welcome to the office! So this is where the fun starts...
We're officially at our placements now where we will be for the next two and a half months working on developmental projects, here in Ethiopia. I'm in the Gulele district working on an HIV and AIDS awareness project. Its the job of Dave, Workayehu and myself to devise a youth program that raises awareness as there is still much stigma and misunderstanding attached to the subject. 


Youth aren't the future they are the now


So what does being a project coordinator entail exactly? 


Good question. 


So here's the scoop - We're working towards two objectives, first to synthesize a youth club consisting of 50 young people who will be given training in HIV and AIDS awareness and our second aim is to create a band! Art is a fantastic medium for communicating important messages the Dalai Lama once said:


...when I speak I may influence a few hundred maybe even a thousand people, but a musician, writer or artist has the scope to influence millions... 


Dave came up with the brain child of calling the band 'One Love' which aside from being a nod towards Bob Marley also happens to be quite clever along the safe sex theme!! We aspire to create two holistic and sustainable programs that promote self development and eventually are community led. Youth have much to contend with but they are also great vectors for spreading a positive message and helping to de-stigmatize HIV and AIDS. 


Working for NGOs is always a challenge, coupled with only one computer, no internet and a sack ceiling for an office it makes the work infinitely more interesting! I am however stoked with everything that has happened and immensely proud of Dave, Workayehu and myself for the hours we've been putting in. I'm ever optimistic we'll be able to facilitate some real positive changes here :D 


So in other news, I'm absolutely loving the down time, Addis has a real pulse and amazing Italian style bakeries that makes time off a real pleasure. Here's some pictures of what I've been up to... 


Playing with Nai the kitten at Alex's house 


My Bezzie Alex and Nai 


The view of the Piasa district of Addis from a rooftop cafe 


Naomi, Alef, Hiwote and Dave 

 Minilik round about in Piasa 

 Me and Katherine *and Roz, Emma, Yidnek and Izzy spoiling it! 


Piasa 

So all in all life is treating me well, I'm managing to practice Yoga everyday and meditate which is really helping keep me focused and not dwelling so much on how much I miss Mr Roberts, my family and friends...oh and salad and soya milk! 

Peace, good karma and all that shalom

Love 

Sophia 

xxx

Saturday 21 January 2012

Twenty Something.

HaPpY EpIpHaNy! 

Me wearing traditional Christian Orthodox clothes for Epiphany celebrations 
 
   At twenty something there is a prescribed script in which to follow. We tend to be uncertain but aspirational, we love deeply and openly but falter frequently and we strive always amidst the confusion to shape the latter part of our lives for the better. Being twenty something is both amazing and perilous, we're often pretty hard on ourselves because there is so much we want to achieve and prove and its why I believe wholeheartedly that travel is an antidote to this constant inertia. 

Travel not only gives you physical distance it gives your brain breathing space to really mull things over. Sometimes the grass at home is greener but we need to disappear for a while to really appreciate it. 

Take for instance the missing Antonio thing (yeah you all know how much I love and miss my man), well after some yoga and a little guided meditation I realized I'm looking at this situation in completely the wrong light. Instead of feeding the displacement I'm going to do a count down, this is time for me to appreciate how lucky I am to have stumbled upon him and that I'm to do both him and myself proud by throwing my heart and soul into my work placement here in Addis. 

Ok so lets talk about Addis. Things here are pretty awesome, we've had 4 days off due to the Christian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany, its where the ten commandments come to Ethiopia. Here's some pictures of the action....
 The Epiphany procession 
 
Me and my bezzie Naomi 

 The GX Team (minus Emma and Addis)

 Me and Dave my Ethiopian volunteer counterpart 

 Praising God in Addis Ababa
 My brothers Alex and Djene <3 


So until next time folks....

Love Peace and Happiness 

xxxxx 





Tuesday 17 January 2012

Salem!

We must learn to reawaken and help ourselves awake not by mechanical aid but by an infinite expectation of the dawn 

- Henry David Thoreau 

Salem from Ethiopia! I've started with Thoreau because I feel it best encapsulates my current state of mind and how I'm regarding my time so far spent in the wonderful Addis Ababa. I've been here exactly 8 days and let me begin by saying what a city of contrasts it is! I'm living near Entoto mountain in a compound with a bucket shower and a hole in the ground toilet. I'm able to watch MTV in my room and I'm sat in a very swanky Internet cafe in a district of town that has beggars on every corner. There are not enough words to adequately express what Addis really is because it changes from day to day.

This week has very much been an admin week, having survived the 8 hour flight we spent the next four days cocooned/under house arrest in the red cross training centre, learning things like don't be out after 9pm and don't give eye contact out on the street. We've had lots of team meetings and the opportunity to fall in love with our Ethiopian counterparts. We're a cross cultural team of nineteen whom after various bonding activities have become  tight knit mini community. My volunteer counterpart is the lovely Dave (seriously) who has taken to being my personal body guard, he's literally the brother I've always wanted :) 

When I'm not being ushered around by Dave and the gang I live with the Abera's who consist of Belete (dad), Azeb (mom), Dejene (bro) Alex (Dejene's friend), the twins Hennon and Asira, then various gorgeous kids who belong to Mammi an unrelated family member who conducts the running of the household. My room is without a lock so kids invariably come and pop in and there are numerous cats who like to act out family dramas when I'm sleeping. Naturally I'm loving every minute!!!

The only thing I'm not loving is that my gorgeous, wonderful man fellow (that's you Ant) who I muse over all the time (sorry guys) is not here with me. People don't do long distance for a reason - because it sucks! That being said I'm seeing my time here as a perfect opportunity to acknowledge how happy I am with the darling Mr Roberts and well - how much I love the dude!!! (He's probably reading this so I'm going to stop gushing now - that and your all probably wanting to vom with this outlandish display of verbal affection)!!

So until next time (which could be a while as Addis has the WORST Internet connection in the world.) 

Love and light me beauts 

xxxxx

Saturday 7 January 2012

10,000 hours to PERSEVERE the Beyonce way.


Forgive me for being over zealous on the whole blog writing front I'm just trying to update as frequently I can, while I still have a reliable Internet connection!

Two days until Ethiopia.

I am the proverbial rag doll in the washing machine trying to organise myself for a life changing three months ahead...
 The last few days have been difficult, not only because I've been fighting off the usual January bugs, as well as doing last minute prep, but also because the realisation of leaving my man, my family and my wonderful friends has really sunken in.

Luckily Beyonce was at hand to help me out.

I'm a woman who endorses female power, I scrape mud off and count the bruises, I bake and I stand for things like, compassion, animal rights, tolerance and gender equality. I believe men and women have the capacity to stand side by side
as equals and tackle the world and its problems together. 
I'm lucky because I'm in love with a real man, the kind of man who can support me while I go do humanitarian work even though the distance sucks. The kind of man who has his own stuff, does his own stuff, has his own life but still asks me how I am at the end of the day.

So why Beyonce? Because Beyonce embodies female power, much like Marge Calhoun doing it for the 1950's surfer girls, Beyonce I see as a real innovator. Its a funny thing for a folk/reggae fan to confess feeling admiration for such a commercially successful artist, but that is exactly what she is- an artist. Beyonce writes her own songs, manages herself, runs a business. She is showing women around the world that you can aspire to anything you truly dream of if you remain a stoic to the cause. She also happens to love the sea and summarises beautifully how I feel about the ocean in the video below.

If you have a few minutes watch it, not only does it have tofo tofo dancing in it,(she flew three guys from Mozambique over whose dancing video she watched on you tube), she talks about chasing the dream and never giving up.

Pretty inspiring stuff if you as me, whether you like her music or not!



Apparently it takes 10,000 hours to become a master of something. If you did two hours of a said activity, six days a week for about 20 years this is how long it would take to become good at it. So learning from Marge Calhoun and listening to Beyonce I'm going to start chasing my dreams and live my life to the fullest.

...10,000 hours of surfing please.

Until next time loved ones.

Namaste

X

Tuesday 3 January 2012

[Insert philosophy here]

HaPpY NeW yEaR!


As my emotional exfoliate the blog, naturally, is going to be a place of philosophy and reflection particularly on the precipice of a brand new year. It seems a shame that we reserve acknowledgement and profundity for one night especially when its such a good, wholesome practise to stand still for a moment and look around.

For me 2011 was a 'pritt stick and tape' kind of year and in 2010 I made a promise to make 2011 all about positive change...
 Now in respect to you dear reader, I'll be honest- Not all of 2011 was uber fantastic but here's a rough summary of why it was good anyway...(and definitely ended on a high)! 

1) Surfing saved me. I got on a plane to Senegal Africa and lived and worked as a yoga teacher in N'Gor surf camp for a while.
It rocked.


One of my favourite photos I took in Senegal.

2) I did boring mundane jobs that taught me about the deliciousness of ordinary things such as work colleagues, everyday life stories and the art of meditation whilst doing methodical tasks.

3) I learnt that a single career is not the be all and end all. Nurturing spiritual growth, compassion and being multifaceted i.e. pursuing lots of different avenues of interest makes you a well rounded individual!

4) I got heart weary, thought the romance had leached out of me a la Silent Spring. So I renewed myself, got busy living, found happiness in other things then literally stumbled upon someone I could love for a very long time.

                                                                            
The hazards of drawn on moustaches.

5)Best of all I learnt to use fear as fodder for dreams.

2012

As of January 9th I'll be on my way to Ethiopia - a pretty awesome way to start the year! Despite being a long term carrier of the 'Travel Bug' I have to say I've been somewhat evasive about this trip. This is largely because things at home have infinitely improved. Typical. Just when things get good you have to leave again! I am feeling philosophical about this however, my 3 months volunteering really is going to be a compassionate crusade. And what Buddhist can turn down that!

So I will keep you posted. And in the mean time if you'd like to comment please leave a message or contact me on: sophia.cant.surf@gmail.com

Peace, Good Karma and all that Shalom!

X