Meskal Celebrations

Thursday night was the celebration of the Finding of the True Cross in Ethiopian Orthodox belief. They celebrate the story of Princess Helena (Constantine's Mother) who came to Israel and found the cross that Jesus was crucified on. Every year, the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians build a giant bonfire known as a Demera to help reenact the story. The story goes that Helena lit a fire, and the smoke arched through the sky and pointed to the place where the cross is buried. Thus the Ethiopians also build a fire to commemorate this day. We went to the downtown center, where most of the citizens of Addis come to celebrate. There could easily have been a million people there. They were handing out candles when we got there, and right before the bonfire was lit everyone lit their candles and the square erupted in light. Then the Patriarch lit the bonfire, and the fireworks started. I made it back to my homestay just in time to light the demera that we had there. It was smaller, but more intense because I was so close. The children/younger generation of the neighborhood are in charge of the meskal celebrations, and after the bonfire everyone sat around and ate lots of meat.

Addis Ababa

The city is much more modern than I would have possibly imagined. There are loads of tall buildings, and so much traffic I have trouble dealing with it. However, the Ethiopian approach to crossing the road is much like the college approach; walk out and make the traffic stop. However, that only works when the traffic is moving slow. If its going fast you still walk out, but just dodge the cars as they pass. I feel like walking on State's campus definitely prepared me for city life. The major road in Addis is known as Bole Road, and is where the up and coming business class hangs out. The guest house I will be staying in for most of the semester is located just off of Bole, so i should have lots of places to hang out. I think my favorite part of the city is the taxi service. There are three types of public transportation, taxis, minibuses, and buses. The taxis are more expensive and I tend to take the minibuses. They fit about 12 people in a minivan size vehicle. Needless to say, my knees don't really fit in the seats. I tend to have to sit at an angle, or get the back edge seat that has more leg room. I have been told not to take the buses because they are always packed, and you can get stuff stolen really easily. There was actually a goat that road in the minibus with us one day. It is less money for the sheep to ride though, since it sits on the floor. Overall, Addis is a very exciting city, and I could see myself living here in the future. Nick would be a big fan as well, seeing as everything is always chaotic, just how he likes it. Hope everyone is doing well back in the States.

Food in Ethiopia

I plan on posting about different aspects of my experience now instead of what is happening on a day to day basis. I will begin with the food because it is a crucial part of the experience. The base of every meal is injera, a sourdough pancake basically, this is used to scoop up the food. The meat is typically cooked in a spicy sauce of onions, and lots of oil, known as wot. Meat is a main part of the diet, and eating it is seen as a pleasure. I helped slaughter a sheep on the day after the millennium, and we have been having mutton in pretty much every meal. It is actually tasty, a little fatty for my liking, but I am getting used to it. Also, meat on the bone is very important to a meal as well, and I have been practicing actually cleaning a bone of the meat, Nick you would be proud of me. No more leftovers on the chicken bones. I also had raw meat at a restaurant we went to with my family. I think it was beef, but I am not sure. I now can argue the rare vs. well done argument, and I must say raw meat is more chewy then well done meat. I had to drink to get it down, cause chewing did no good. But, now I can say I did it, and I haven't gotten sick yet, so don't worry. It was a pretty fancy restaurant as well. Pasta is also very popular here, as well as pizza since the Italian invasion in the 1930s. I had penne for lunch that looked like it was freshly made. Probably some of the best pasta I have ever had.
Mikael, my homestay brother, and I cooked Shiro wot, a vegetarian dish for one of the fasting days. I now know what I was doing wrong when cooking wot at home. It needs a lot more onions, and a lot more oil. Plus you are supposed to let it cook for a long time. I am prepared for when I get home. That is all for now, be looking for another blog soon.

Millennium

The Millennium passed without any big surprises. I got to help slaughter a sheep, which is a new experience. I also ate chicken neck, bone and all.

I haven't really started classes yet because we have been on holiday for the new year, but they will start officially Monday. Life is good in Ethiopia. Nothing much to report this time, but I will keep everyone updated.

First Week (Addis Ababa)

I have been in Ethiopia for a week now, and seem to be adjusted to the new environment and culture. Orientation went very well, we got to see a whole lot of the city including the Emperor's old palace and the St. George Cathedral. We have started into our Amharic lessons hard, and I seem to be learning quite a bit in a short time.

I moved into my Homestay family's home on Saturday, and they are very nice and have made me feel like part of the family. The Father is an engineer who studied in Germany, and the two children are out of college and working in the city. Mikael is the brother and we played soccer yesterday with the rest of the kids in the group. We basically climbed a mountain for an hour to get to the field. I am pretty sore today. Everything is going very well, Addis is much more modern then I or anyone else would have thought before I came. I definitely feel completely safe; just like I was in New York. I will post again soon.

Leaving Charlotte