Cora's Yabello

We’ve been home at Yabello for nearly three full days, and it struck me yesterday afternoon that Cora is really happy here. She and I have dropped back into a daily routine that seems to suit her very well. Watching her for the past days, she has been the healthiest, smiliest, most engaged I think I’ve ever seen her. 

As we walk down the street, she says “hi!” and “bye-bye” to anyone near enough to listen. In fact, her language is flourishing – both Afan Oromo and English – and after a Zanzibarian respite she is more open to the Ethiopia style of baby greeting (grabbing, kissing, pretending to steal her, etc). She has a best friend – Amini, which she pronounces “Ahmie” – whom she follows around like a puppy, and her other buddies, Adrissou and Osama.

Cora and Amini outside Chatu's shop

She gets her mama to herself all day long, and the neighbor ladies love to teach her new Oromo words and hug her. She sees her dad at nearly every mealtime, too. She loves her naps, and she loves to wake up and get to it! All in all, I realized that this child is adapting to Ethiopian life (and our traveling life) with grace. 

I feel so proud of her, and her happiness is rubbing off on me. It's contagious.

Our daily routine looks something like this:

Wake at 6 or 7, say goodbye to Nate (eat breakfast with him if he’s not going to a morning meeting). Change diaper and eat breakfast on the porch (wotet with eggs and bread or oatmeal or couscous). Slather on the sunscreen, get dressed. Walk into town to buy our daily eggs and bread, have a chai at the usual place.

Around 8:30/9am, come home and hang out with the neighbors (Amini and his mom Chatu, sometimes Gannett) if it’s early enough. Sometimes just hang out at home reading books, drawing, playing ball.

Chatu and Cora

9:30/10am naptime, which last almost exactly 2 hours. During her nap I take my pick of the following activities: check email/blog (if the Internet is working), take a shower, sweep the house/mop the porch, do laundry, prep food for lunch or dinner, lay around reading or napping or watching the news.

Noon – get ready to go to the junction to meet Nate for lunch. Leave via bajaj at 12:30. Lunch from 1 until 2, shop for dinner stuff on the way home if necessary.

2pm play at the neighbor’s shop with Amini while mama has buna (coffee) with the ladies and learns some Oromo words. 3pm nap.

4pm go to Kaffe Aleem to share an Express with mama. Go back home (the long way – Cora walking and greeting everyone in sight) to play outside our gate with random kids, play with mama at home, prep dinner, take a bath.

6pm Nate comes home and we eat dinner together. This week he goes back to meetings at 7:30 and Cora goes to bed. Mama collapses on the couch.