Naw Roz 2012: Part 2

The next big part of the new year here is the commencement of picnic season.  On March 21^st the city here turns into a ghost town as everyone heads out into the mountains to find a nice spot to enjoy the weather, time together and lots and lots of food!

For our spot we went about 45 minutes west of the city.  We turned off onto a side road that was backed up for miles with cars.  Most spots the local people like are packed full with other picnickers.  The spot we chose was no different!  After waiting in line for more than an hour we took this small, hillside road that was only wide enough for one car.  My first thought was how we might get back out!  Somehow it always works out, so I have learned to trust our friends here.  We chose a spot that was nestled into a shallow hillside alongside a slow moving stream.  It was a bit rocky, but we were able to find a nice place where we all could settle in and be comfortable.  The challenge for this pregnant lady was that anywhere I walked was practically hiking, and worse…there was no obvious place of privacy to make work as a bathroom facility!  At one point I hiked up a steep hill with Scott to find some refuge from the crowds behind a large rock.  Let it suffice to say that the process was not preferable!  However, everything else was wonderful.  We enjoyed some wonderful food, dancing and even playing in the water.  The boys got incredibly dirty, but had a great time doing it.

 

At one point in the day we found ourselves suddenly surrounded by sheep!  A shepherd was guiding his flock through the hillside and they completely engulfed us.  The kids thought it was so cool!  I was a bit nervous because my city upbringing did not inform me as to whether they bite, would charge us, etc, so I watched our friends closely and just followed their lead.  One of our friends picked up a baby lamb and let the boys pet it.  Although surreal, it was a really cool experience.  The shepherd was kind of a trip too!  I often find myself saying “what a life we live!”  We headed home early evening through less traffic than we had encountered at the beginning.  It was a beautiful way to celebrate such a special cultural day!

The rest of this spring continues with picnics almost every Friday.  We have discovered that Ethan loves to dance!  Pictured below is him keeping  up with a big group of guys from our center picnic last week.  He loves to get right in there and get jostled around to the music.  What a kid!  I love that my kids can have these kinds of experiences.  I am sure these next 6 weeks will bring with them a few more picnics before we head back to the states.  The springtime here is my absolute favorite and I will do all that I can to help it not go by too quickly!  Enjoy a few more pictures from our day...

Naw Roz 2012: Part 1

The traditional new year of this people group is a very special time of the year.  It’s one of the few remaining cultural holiday that is celebrated and distinctly them.  We love all the excitement and activity around two specific days: March 20 and 21.  The 20^th is new year’s eve.  There is a major road here that gets completely shut down and blocked off.  Starting mid afternoon people start to come out in mass, all dressed up in traditional clothing.  Everyone is in a great mood and the our boys get dozens of pictures taken of them.  Scott even made it on the news this year!

 

It is beautiful to see a sea of color going down as far as the eye can see.  We were blessed this year with perfect weather.  It had been raining for several days before, but by Tuesday it had cleared up and the sun was out.  The street was all decorated and there were music groups, artists, poets and actors all displaying their skills along about a mile stretch of the road.  As the day goes on you end up almost shoulder to shoulder with people as you push through the crowds.  At one point this year one of my biggest fears was realized when Zeke disappeared on us for a few minutes.  We were crossing over a median where Zeke went first.  When we turned to lift Ethan’s stroller over it we turned back and Zeke had continued on.  There were so many people I wasn’t sure how to find him.  I prayed as 4 of us looked frantically for him.  However, after about 5 minutes he just showed back up where Ethan and friend of ours were waiting.  I don’t think he ever even realized anything was wrong!  So after our heart rates calmed back down we continued on walking and enjoyed our afternoon. 

Into the early evening they light big fires here which is part of the historical tradition of the holiday.  We often only make it a couple hours because the kids are tired and hungry, but we know that some year we’ll be able to go for more than a few hours so we can enjoy that aspect.  The neighbors by our former house used to light their own fire, but the street we live on now doesn’t get into the festivities in quite the same way!  The 21^st is the day that everyone heads out of the city for a big, all day picnic.  I will write about that in part 2, so stay tuned for more pictures and stories of our new year’s adventure!