Ethiopia Trip Journal Entry #5

7-13-2009

So today was another truly awesome day. The kids were a treat to be around, like always. They come up with new ways to make me laugh all of the time, they are hilarious. The only real downer about today had to be that I felt sick for the first time all trip, but thankfully I am feeling much better now, even though I still feel extremely exhausted.

Have you ever conversed with an infant before? I ask because I never had until today. The topic of conversation wasn't anything to write home about (or journal about for that matter), but the interaction was awesome. So to answer the previous question, I can now say that I have conversed with an infant. It all started because I was feeling sick by the time we arrived at little AHOPE, so not wanting to collapse while playing with the kids, I went into the infants room. It was quite relaxing just sitting on the floor with them while they played. It was also pretty uneventful. Though that all changed when a little girl looked at me and uttered a peculiar sound, "Aaa" was basically what she said (not a hard "A" sound like Fonzy from "Happy Days," but a softer "A" sound) so naturally I said it back to her (this exchange went on for a few minutes). Then out of nowhere she changed the dynamics of the conversation by making that noise when you kind of flick your bottom lip, so of course I went along with the new topic (I didn't want to be deemed a boring conversationalist). This exchange has pretty much summed up my experience in Ethiopia. I say that because it wasn't anything fancy or forced, it just happened naturally. All of my experiences with the kids here has been something that has happened naturally and they have all been great.

These kids are so amazing. I honestly wish I were more like them. They have been dealt an awful hand in life, but they still have fun and go on with their lives. They are so sweet and funny and full of life. No matter what has happened, is happenening, or will happen to them in life they just keep smiling their infectious smiles and laughing their contagious laughs.