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| Suzu: this bus took us everywhere for all 16 days in Ethiopia. A mighty bus. |
October 18th, 2010
Today we met as a group for breakfast, where I chose to have the French toast. It definitely wasn't what I'm used to at home; however, this isn't to say that it was not delicious. The bread here is always fresh, and our table at each meal is served too much for all of us to eat, which says a lot because we are eleven people. The French toast was made with fresh bread but battered with only egg. Seeing as maple syrup is not customary here in Ethiopia, I was advised by one of my team members to try the marmalade and it deemed to be a success- the perfect combination of this "Ethiopian" toast and sweetness.
We left for the habitat community; it takes about 15 minutes to get from our hotel to the site. The drive takes us along the city's main streets, past all sorts of shops - banana shops (a long row of stands all selling bananas and other various things), photo stores (one that does Hollywood glamour shots), and many clothing, furniture, and restaurants. Along the drive we pass many different people dressed very differently. Some in suits, some draped in shawls, a priest blessing people on the street, beggars, shoe shiners (which is big here), shop keepers- I quickly noticed that there are many more men out during the days and, as I have learned, the reason for this is that women are either working at a job or working in their homes. The streets are primarily filled with tuk-tuks, passenger vans, motor bikes, bicycles and mules pulling buggies. It is not odd to see sheep, goats, and donkeys mixed in with the traffic or lining a sidewalk. We drive on paved roads that turn into a dirt road where driving on the right side of the street seems to only be enforced when approaching another vehicle. The population of Ethiopia is very high, so there are a lot of people traveling by motorized vehicle as well as by foot. There are constantly people crossing the streets and walking extremely close to the vehicles, as well as vehicles coming extremely close to the people. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way!
As we come close to the village, we begin to see more houses. The houses here are nothing like the homes that we're use to and many areas resemble the shack like shelters in slum dog millionaire. In
fact we have also experienced similar begging children who seem to have been trained the same heart wrenching phrases- "I am hungry" "I am sick. I have no money". Some homes are made of tarps and steel siding; others have front gates that are hard to see beyond. I have only seen two two story homes since arriving here, both equipped with a high fence surrounding the property and a Security gate. Most homes do not exceed two rooms, meaning the room you enter when you enter the home and one room off of it. Washrooms are often detached from the home as a result of the lack of plumbing in the area.
As we drive, locals see the color of our skin through the windows of the bus and their reactions intrigue me. Some stare with curiosity, others glare with what appears to be resent. Some have given me thumbs up, while it is extremely common for children to notice us and yell "hello" with pride for knowing our language, while waving furiously- some children even begin to chase our bus with a look of joy on their face.
As we get closer to the site, the homes are more decrepit, with leaning walls and tarps covering holes in the tin roofs. The road is a dirt path and is very rough. School children are seen playing in the school yard, each wearing their own uniforms and playing games such as what appears to be tug of war with their bodies- holding each other in a line at the waist with two teams facing each other.
When we stop and get off of the bus, we are welcomed by a woman, who we later come to know as Mama. She embraces each of us, one at a time and repeatedly says "welcome" and "thank you" with a shaky voice as though she's about to cry. We are led down a dirt road and as we are brought around the corner of one of the rows of houses, we begin to hear clapping and ululation (like Xena does) and we see a large gathering of people, all people that live within the habitat community. As we walk closer, the people get louder. The feeling that overcame me was very powerful and many of us begin to feel the tears welt up behind our eyes. Once we've reached the group very young children approach us, one at a time, offering us roses.
Today we met as a group for breakfast, where I chose to have the French toast. It definitely wasn't what I'm used to at home; however, this isn't to say that it was not delicious. The bread here is always fresh, and our table at each meal is served too much for all of us to eat, which says a lot because we are eleven people. The French toast was made with fresh bread but battered with only egg. Seeing as maple syrup is not customary here in Ethiopia, I was advised by one of my team members to try the marmalade and it deemed to be a success- the perfect combination of this "Ethiopian" toast and sweetness.
We left for the habitat community; it takes about 15 minutes to get from our hotel to the site. The drive takes us along the city's main streets, past all sorts of shops - banana shops (a long row of stands all selling bananas and other various things), photo stores (one that does Hollywood glamour shots), and many clothing, furniture, and restaurants. Along the drive we pass many different people dressed very differently. Some in suits, some draped in shawls, a priest blessing people on the street, beggars, shoe shiners (which is big here), shop keepers- I quickly noticed that there are many more men out during the days and, as I have learned, the reason for this is that women are either working at a job or working in their homes. The streets are primarily filled with tuk-tuks, passenger vans, motor bikes, bicycles and mules pulling buggies. It is not odd to see sheep, goats, and donkeys mixed in with the traffic or lining a sidewalk. We drive on paved roads that turn into a dirt road where driving on the right side of the street seems to only be enforced when approaching another vehicle. The population of Ethiopia is very high, so there are a lot of people traveling by motorized vehicle as well as by foot. There are constantly people crossing the streets and walking extremely close to the vehicles, as well as vehicles coming extremely close to the people. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way!
As we come close to the village, we begin to see more houses. The houses here are nothing like the homes that we're use to and many areas resemble the shack like shelters in slum dog millionaire. In
fact we have also experienced similar begging children who seem to have been trained the same heart wrenching phrases- "I am hungry" "I am sick. I have no money". Some homes are made of tarps and steel siding; others have front gates that are hard to see beyond. I have only seen two two story homes since arriving here, both equipped with a high fence surrounding the property and a Security gate. Most homes do not exceed two rooms, meaning the room you enter when you enter the home and one room off of it. Washrooms are often detached from the home as a result of the lack of plumbing in the area.
As we drive, locals see the color of our skin through the windows of the bus and their reactions intrigue me. Some stare with curiosity, others glare with what appears to be resent. Some have given me thumbs up, while it is extremely common for children to notice us and yell "hello" with pride for knowing our language, while waving furiously- some children even begin to chase our bus with a look of joy on their face.
As we get closer to the site, the homes are more decrepit, with leaning walls and tarps covering holes in the tin roofs. The road is a dirt path and is very rough. School children are seen playing in the school yard, each wearing their own uniforms and playing games such as what appears to be tug of war with their bodies- holding each other in a line at the waist with two teams facing each other.
When we stop and get off of the bus, we are welcomed by a woman, who we later come to know as Mama. She embraces each of us, one at a time and repeatedly says "welcome" and "thank you" with a shaky voice as though she's about to cry. We are led down a dirt road and as we are brought around the corner of one of the rows of houses, we begin to hear clapping and ululation (like Xena does) and we see a large gathering of people, all people that live within the habitat community. As we walk closer, the people get louder. The feeling that overcame me was very powerful and many of us begin to feel the tears welt up behind our eyes. Once we've reached the group very young children approach us, one at a time, offering us roses.
 |
| Our welcoming ceremony; the most amazing moment of my life. |
We were then taken into one of the homes for a coffee ceremony- Buna Saat. There was a spread of food on the table consisting of oranges, bananas, cooking, popcorn, and bread. The bread was circular, about a foot wide and two inches thick. John roe, our team leader, was asked to cut the bread in a Cross (religion touches just about every tradition here). The coffee beans were roasted, starting out a light green color and roasting until they were blackened. We were each served a little cup of black coffee and were offered sugar to go with it. We were also given a choice of Mirinda (orange pop), sprite, pepsi, soda water or bottled water. We were introduced to the affiliates and we introduced ourselves individually, saying our name and where we're from. We were then taken around and shown the community and observed the different stages of the homes that we'd be working on- the chika houses. As we left the site we were seen off by many little boys waving and chasing the bus.
After returning to the hotel, Jane, Meagan, Derek, Alex, Nicole, Margaret Anne and I went for a walk along one of the main streets, making stops along the way looking for African apparel such as nice
scarves like the ones we've seen the women wearing. Megan was searching for an Ethiopian Jersey and in the process I found an Ethiopian t-shirt for Ryker and two scarves. I spent about 500 birr, which is
about $30 Canadian. We had to rush back to the hotel for 1:00pm for lunch with our team.
After lunch a few of us decided to visit a few shops that are down from the Internet cafe that some of our team mates have been using. I have not used it and don't plan on doing so, from what I've heard it's
extremely slow. There were four shops in a row all owned by the same man, he even gave a few of us business cards to come back, telling us he'd give us a good deal.
We made it back to the hotel and left on a walk with a team around Lake Tana. We saw a bunch of different birds and enjoyed the views. The water was murky, brown in color. As we walked around we all took in the sights and photographed just about everything we passed. We stopped at Lake Tana Hotel for a group social and team meeting on the patio overlooking the lake. Nicole, Meagan and I took a washroom break where we discovered that the hotel's bar had western saddles for stools and where Nicole got locked in the bathroom. Hilarious. After she was freed we made our way back to the group and as the sun began to set we began our walk back to our hotel for dinner.
After dinner I was exhausted but seeing as others were going to meet in the hotel bar for a beer I decided to join them for a short visit. As soon as I sat down, I realized how tired I really was and decided
to retire to my room. I had to set up The mosquito netting around the bed by tucking it in around the mattress. I was quick to fall asleep.
scarves like the ones we've seen the women wearing. Megan was searching for an Ethiopian Jersey and in the process I found an Ethiopian t-shirt for Ryker and two scarves. I spent about 500 birr, which is
about $30 Canadian. We had to rush back to the hotel for 1:00pm for lunch with our team.
After lunch a few of us decided to visit a few shops that are down from the Internet cafe that some of our team mates have been using. I have not used it and don't plan on doing so, from what I've heard it's
extremely slow. There were four shops in a row all owned by the same man, he even gave a few of us business cards to come back, telling us he'd give us a good deal.
We made it back to the hotel and left on a walk with a team around Lake Tana. We saw a bunch of different birds and enjoyed the views. The water was murky, brown in color. As we walked around we all took in the sights and photographed just about everything we passed. We stopped at Lake Tana Hotel for a group social and team meeting on the patio overlooking the lake. Nicole, Meagan and I took a washroom break where we discovered that the hotel's bar had western saddles for stools and where Nicole got locked in the bathroom. Hilarious. After she was freed we made our way back to the group and as the sun began to set we began our walk back to our hotel for dinner.
After dinner I was exhausted but seeing as others were going to meet in the hotel bar for a beer I decided to join them for a short visit. As soon as I sat down, I realized how tired I really was and decided
to retire to my room. I had to set up The mosquito netting around the bed by tucking it in around the mattress. I was quick to fall asleep.
-asjm
October 19, 2010
We began our first day of work today. We were shown three plots, two of them had only been market out with string. The other had been poled, meaning that the holes for the placement of the fringe had
already been dug and the framing had begun. I was assigned to a plot that had not been dug yet. John, Terry, Derek, and I were a team. We had to dig holes for the poles. They had to be dug 80cm deep and about 1ft in diameter. I was working directly with Derek. He would loosen the dirt and I would get Down On the ground and remove the loosened dirt. We figured out that it was best to have more than one hole going at a time so that neither of us would spend any time waiting around for the other to complete their job. Keep in mind that we did not have access to the normal shovels that we would have at home, we were working with a ribbed steel pole and a wooden pole that had a sharp piece of metal wedged in one end (this was a type of shovel).
As the day went on, we learned how hot the sun gets in Africa, we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible but the heat is hard to escape.
Our team’s efforts were joined by men and women from the community. We learned quickly that if you turned for a second it was likely that your job would be taken by a local, so Derek and I were hesitant to
take any breaks out of the fear of losing our Job. One of the men that we were working with is a future home owner, his pride was evident and he was putting a lot of effort behind his work. It's an amazing experience to witness the enthusiasm of this community of people, to see the way that they mesh together for the good of each other.
With habitat, those who wish to own a home must donate their time and pay sweat equity, meaning that some of the costs are covered by their personal contribution the building of habitat homes, whether their work is on their home, other homes, or odd jobs that contribute to the building of the homes.
We break for a half hour for coffee time where the traditional coffee ceremony takes place and we are provided with a spread of snacks (popcorn, bread, oranges, banana, and cookies). Each day a different woman from our group will be selected to be the coffee lady, getting the experience of be draped in the traditional ceremony gown, and will roast raw coffee beans, pouring the coffee once it is made. Terry was the first to have this opportunity. Another part of this roll is that you are given an Armarhic name.
-asjm
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| This lady is a beneficiary of a HFH home. |
October 20, 2010
Today we woke up at 6:30, both Nicole and I could recall the strange dreams that we'd had in the night- mine was about being force needle drugs and my friend kissing someone's girlfriend, as well as two friends being mad at me for ditching a double date where I was supposed to go to a concert with a blonde boy who I'm not sure who it was, in order to go out with someone else.
Nicole's dream had something to do with trying to collect rare flowers and failing- she awoke in the night out of breathe and crying.
The moral of the story is that malaria pills mess with your dreams or that I under estimate the power of my dream catcher at home.
Before heading to breakfast I opened a letter from Ashley; it was perfect, a comic strip of our may long weekend in Northern Quebec at Jay's cottage with Jay, Costa, Jordan, Ashley, and myself. It put a huge smile on my face and made me laugh from my core.
I had a fruit cup and orange juice for breakfast as well as a slice of French toast. We left for the job site after breakfast and I was first assigned to help dig a lavatory along with Forest. We quickly learned that the soil here on Bahir Dar is much different than that that we're use to using at home. It is very thick and very heavy with moisture, surprisingly since this is the desert. I had to use a pick ax to loosen the soil, while Forest followed up with a shovel to remove the loosened dirt. We were working alongside two men, both around my age and both farmers who do this work daily. Needless to say, they put us to shame and we tired quite quickly. We were then transferred to moving tree trunks from behind the huts in the field to a spot out front of the huts that we have been working on. These wood pieces would be used for the wall support.
Next I was moved to work with Nicole, Margaret Ann, Terry, and Jane moving tree trunks that would be used for polling. We left the site shortly after noon when the sun was becoming very strong and traveled the fifteen minutes back to the hotel for lunch. We arrived at 12:45 and had until 2 o'clock to eat and enjoy some free time. Nicole and I joined Jane, Alex, and Megan for some afternoon journaling on the patio balcony until it was time to leave again for the site.
Once we returned, we finished moving the poles and then for the remainder of the day I was moving soil into one of the unfinished houses. The home needs to be filled about two feet everywhere on the
floor of the home in order to begin the process of creating the floor. The soil will later be compounded with the butt end of a heavy log, and then topped with concrete. Nearing the end of the day some little girls began to appear along with a man named Johannes. The girls were shy at first until Nicole asked to take their photo. They quickly gathered and posed together. Between trips with soil to the house, Nicole and I had a photo taken with the little girls and a couple of the very young boys. This intrigued some of the other group members to take a break and visit with the children.
The day of work came to an end as the sun got low and it was around 5 o'clock. As we were leaving the site I was approached by one of the littlest girls in the group- previously I had asked the girls their
names and one little girl was cut off before being able to tell me hers, the girls had been told to leave the area- she was encouraged by one of the older girls to approached and as she did she got very
excited, ran to me and embraced me with a very tight hug and a smooch on the cheek. My heart melted as I was taken by complete surprise to experience such affection from such a little girl who was yet to speak to me. I then asked her "what is your name" and she told me in a very timid and small voice, so small that I was unable to hear her fully or clearly- I will find out! That was an amazing experience, one that I hope I will feel forever.
As we pulled away, just like every exit, the boys gathered by the bus and posed for people to take photos through the bus windows. They waved happily with great smiles, one boy yelled "tomorrow" and I yelled back "yes, we'll see you tomorrow!" his face lit up and he repeated himself with a huge toothy grin "tomorrow!"
As we pull away after another day of hard labor we are seen off by big smiles and enthusiastic waves, one boy blows me a kiss and I announce to the bus this occurrence as a personal victory. It's amazing that even with the language barriers, cultural differences and the differences in life experiences and expectations how quickly people can come together and form life changing bonds and unforgettable
memories.
For dinner we visited a local establishment and enjoyed local and authentic Ethiopian cuisine. It was quite tasty and the company was very much enjoyed. We discussed cottages, and Terry shared with us her experience of living in Mexico City. We walked about a kilometer back to our hotel and I was more than ready for my head to hit the pillow.
-asjm
Today we woke up at 6:30, both Nicole and I could recall the strange dreams that we'd had in the night- mine was about being force needle drugs and my friend kissing someone's girlfriend, as well as two friends being mad at me for ditching a double date where I was supposed to go to a concert with a blonde boy who I'm not sure who it was, in order to go out with someone else.
Nicole's dream had something to do with trying to collect rare flowers and failing- she awoke in the night out of breathe and crying.
The moral of the story is that malaria pills mess with your dreams or that I under estimate the power of my dream catcher at home.
Before heading to breakfast I opened a letter from Ashley; it was perfect, a comic strip of our may long weekend in Northern Quebec at Jay's cottage with Jay, Costa, Jordan, Ashley, and myself. It put a huge smile on my face and made me laugh from my core.
I had a fruit cup and orange juice for breakfast as well as a slice of French toast. We left for the job site after breakfast and I was first assigned to help dig a lavatory along with Forest. We quickly learned that the soil here on Bahir Dar is much different than that that we're use to using at home. It is very thick and very heavy with moisture, surprisingly since this is the desert. I had to use a pick ax to loosen the soil, while Forest followed up with a shovel to remove the loosened dirt. We were working alongside two men, both around my age and both farmers who do this work daily. Needless to say, they put us to shame and we tired quite quickly. We were then transferred to moving tree trunks from behind the huts in the field to a spot out front of the huts that we have been working on. These wood pieces would be used for the wall support.
Next I was moved to work with Nicole, Margaret Ann, Terry, and Jane moving tree trunks that would be used for polling. We left the site shortly after noon when the sun was becoming very strong and traveled the fifteen minutes back to the hotel for lunch. We arrived at 12:45 and had until 2 o'clock to eat and enjoy some free time. Nicole and I joined Jane, Alex, and Megan for some afternoon journaling on the patio balcony until it was time to leave again for the site.
Once we returned, we finished moving the poles and then for the remainder of the day I was moving soil into one of the unfinished houses. The home needs to be filled about two feet everywhere on the
floor of the home in order to begin the process of creating the floor. The soil will later be compounded with the butt end of a heavy log, and then topped with concrete. Nearing the end of the day some little girls began to appear along with a man named Johannes. The girls were shy at first until Nicole asked to take their photo. They quickly gathered and posed together. Between trips with soil to the house, Nicole and I had a photo taken with the little girls and a couple of the very young boys. This intrigued some of the other group members to take a break and visit with the children.
The day of work came to an end as the sun got low and it was around 5 o'clock. As we were leaving the site I was approached by one of the littlest girls in the group- previously I had asked the girls their
names and one little girl was cut off before being able to tell me hers, the girls had been told to leave the area- she was encouraged by one of the older girls to approached and as she did she got very
excited, ran to me and embraced me with a very tight hug and a smooch on the cheek. My heart melted as I was taken by complete surprise to experience such affection from such a little girl who was yet to speak to me. I then asked her "what is your name" and she told me in a very timid and small voice, so small that I was unable to hear her fully or clearly- I will find out! That was an amazing experience, one that I hope I will feel forever.
As we pulled away, just like every exit, the boys gathered by the bus and posed for people to take photos through the bus windows. They waved happily with great smiles, one boy yelled "tomorrow" and I yelled back "yes, we'll see you tomorrow!" his face lit up and he repeated himself with a huge toothy grin "tomorrow!"
As we pull away after another day of hard labor we are seen off by big smiles and enthusiastic waves, one boy blows me a kiss and I announce to the bus this occurrence as a personal victory. It's amazing that even with the language barriers, cultural differences and the differences in life experiences and expectations how quickly people can come together and form life changing bonds and unforgettable
memories.
For dinner we visited a local establishment and enjoyed local and authentic Ethiopian cuisine. It was quite tasty and the company was very much enjoyed. We discussed cottages, and Terry shared with us her experience of living in Mexico City. We walked about a kilometer back to our hotel and I was more than ready for my head to hit the pillow.
-asjm
October 21, 2010
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| Traditional Ethiopian cuisine. |
Last night I did not sleep well. There was a lot of noise coming from the reception area and I had some excruciating heartburn that would not subside.
We met for breakfast at 7:30 and I had orange juice and scrambled eggs. Terry and John were late coming to breakfast so I had some extra time before having to leave for the site, so I went back to my room to rest and take some anti-acid.
When we got to the work site we were given our choice of tasks, Nicole, Jane, Margaret Anne and I were chosen to move polls closer to a house that needed them. We were helped by two of the people from the community. This job was perfect because it didn't stress my sore muscles. Today I'm realizing muscles that I didn't realize I had, from my legs to my back, shoulders, arms, and hands.
Today I was selected as the "coffee lady". Kifle, our new organizer from the Addis Ababa office, explained that it was me wedding day. I was named Marray, with a roll of the tongue for the "r". It means "my hunny", I was named by one of the local men whose name means forever, which is the word that I have tattooed on my wrist. The woman who dressed me kept telling me "Qongo" which means beautiful. Forever also told me that I look very beautiful. The experience was interesting; I was dressed in a white gown with a white scarf tied around my hair. I roasted coffee beans and served coffee without making much of a mess. Success!
After being relieved of my duty, I joined the others in compounding the floor of one of the houses. They had two of us working with one compound, compacting the dirt on the ground. The tool was a paint bucket full of concrete with a thick tall branch. After pounding the entire ground to the point that it is flattened and dense, we Begin adding more dirt for another layer. This will then be compounded again
and this process will continue until the floor has reached the base of the chika walls, which is about two feet from the original surface of the floor.
We leave for lunch and I have a plate of cooked vegetables with some rice. The veggies were carrots, potatoes, cabbage and jalapenos. I pick out the jalapenos and after tasting the rice avoid it as well, today it tastes off, slightly sweet like rice pudding. We enjoy some conversation and admire the large birds that we can see outside- they're black with some white markings and have a very broad and large
beak.
I have some time to rest my eyes and take the opportunity. I only have 30 minutes, but even with the 10 minutes of rest that I got I was out cold and rejuvenated once I woke.
Once back at the site we're split into three groups and are assigned to a home to begin the chika process. I was teamed up with Jane, John roe, and forest. I really enjoyed doing he chika, you got to throw balls of mud and straw at a man on a ladder who then slathered it on the Wall, much like plastering. He would add straw to the wall and spray some water on it with his hands, then begin another layer. I walked and saw each houses work, each of us were working on a different step of chikaing. It was a lot of fun and a great experience.
We broke for coffee time and Emmabitz was there helping us with our Armarhic. She's very outgoing and very helpful with teaching us. After coffee time we were told that we're finished for the day. The
chika was very co-sha-sha (dirty) and since we'd already begun cleaning ourselves.
As we left, I was approached by tomas, a ten year old boy who lives in the village. He has been around every day and speaks quite good English to us. He brings us his school work and shows us the songs that they're learning at school. He is in grade 6 and is already quite familiar with the English language. Him and a group of younger boys are often around, they are all very polite and like to show off their
English. We give them our empty water bottles when we're done with them and they take them joke to their mothers. They use them for storing water for drinking, cooking, washing, and making drinks. One
of the drinks that the community has shared with us is a sweet drink that consists of water and wild honey. It is an acquired taste, very sweet and pretty refreshing.
When we stopped for coffee time I saw Tomas and his friend and gave each of them a water bottle, they both soar thank you, while tomas' friend stopped and said "thank you very much"- this was very significant because most of the children just run off to give their mothers the bottle, as well, tomas' friend is quite shy and his English is not very strong, but he stopped to take the time to make sure that his appreciation of my gesture was clear.
The boys and girls love to have their photos take and then they like to see the photos of themselves on the screen of the camera. They laugh and discuss the photo in Amharic. Earlier in
the day, Tomas saw that I had put an elastic band around my water bottle, so he gave me another one. He gave me a Green elastic that I said I would wear on my wrist, I showed him this later.
On my way to meet my team and get on the bus, I was falling behind the group because the kids wanted more photos and they wanted to see them each time. As I walked to catch us, Michael, tomas' best friend who is is in grade eight and is 14 years old came to me and touched my arm, showing me the wooden cross that he wears on his neck. He then pulled an identical pendent from his pocket and told me that he'd like me to have it. He them scooped away my hair and went to tie the necklace around my neck. I told him that that was very nice of him and "Ama-Sega-Nalo" (thank you) he responded coolly with “No Problem,” a response that he'd heard me use earlier and had mimicked me when I gave
him and Tomas some water bottles. This gesture was very touching and I’m very happy to see that I'm connecting with the children.
We returned to the hotel at around 5 o'clock and met for dinner at 7. Kifle took us to the lake Tana hotel for a buffet style meal. It was delicious. I was seated beside Kifle and we had a very good
discussion about Pets In Canada. He can't believe that Chili lives inside my home and sleeps in my bed. He says he wants me to rename him "lucky dog". I explained that we register our pets and have to keep
them on a leash in the city. Here in Ethiopia, dogs roam free in the country and within the city streets. Most dogs are wild and are not "our friends". However, he explained that in some cases families will
have a dog for security. During the day the dog will roam, but at night it will stay in the yard and "yell" when there is an Intruder, alarming their master of a threat. Kifle explained that there is an
issue with thieves in Ethiopia so families do this as a precaution to protect their things.
Everyone finished their food and drinks and then we headed back the hotel. Nicole and I went downstairs to see some traditional Ethiopian dancing. They shake their shoulders like they're free from their bodies. There was a man playing a one stringed instrument, a man playing a drum, a woman singing and a man dancing. They incorporated our names in their songs. We left, leaving them 30 birr on our way out.
-asjm
chika was very co-sha-sha (dirty) and since we'd already begun cleaning ourselves.
As we left, I was approached by tomas, a ten year old boy who lives in the village. He has been around every day and speaks quite good English to us. He brings us his school work and shows us the songs that they're learning at school. He is in grade 6 and is already quite familiar with the English language. Him and a group of younger boys are often around, they are all very polite and like to show off their
English. We give them our empty water bottles when we're done with them and they take them joke to their mothers. They use them for storing water for drinking, cooking, washing, and making drinks. One
of the drinks that the community has shared with us is a sweet drink that consists of water and wild honey. It is an acquired taste, very sweet and pretty refreshing.
When we stopped for coffee time I saw Tomas and his friend and gave each of them a water bottle, they both soar thank you, while tomas' friend stopped and said "thank you very much"- this was very significant because most of the children just run off to give their mothers the bottle, as well, tomas' friend is quite shy and his English is not very strong, but he stopped to take the time to make sure that his appreciation of my gesture was clear.
The boys and girls love to have their photos take and then they like to see the photos of themselves on the screen of the camera. They laugh and discuss the photo in Amharic. Earlier in
the day, Tomas saw that I had put an elastic band around my water bottle, so he gave me another one. He gave me a Green elastic that I said I would wear on my wrist, I showed him this later.
On my way to meet my team and get on the bus, I was falling behind the group because the kids wanted more photos and they wanted to see them each time. As I walked to catch us, Michael, tomas' best friend who is is in grade eight and is 14 years old came to me and touched my arm, showing me the wooden cross that he wears on his neck. He then pulled an identical pendent from his pocket and told me that he'd like me to have it. He them scooped away my hair and went to tie the necklace around my neck. I told him that that was very nice of him and "Ama-Sega-Nalo" (thank you) he responded coolly with “No Problem,” a response that he'd heard me use earlier and had mimicked me when I gave
him and Tomas some water bottles. This gesture was very touching and I’m very happy to see that I'm connecting with the children.
We returned to the hotel at around 5 o'clock and met for dinner at 7. Kifle took us to the lake Tana hotel for a buffet style meal. It was delicious. I was seated beside Kifle and we had a very good
discussion about Pets In Canada. He can't believe that Chili lives inside my home and sleeps in my bed. He says he wants me to rename him "lucky dog". I explained that we register our pets and have to keep
them on a leash in the city. Here in Ethiopia, dogs roam free in the country and within the city streets. Most dogs are wild and are not "our friends". However, he explained that in some cases families will
have a dog for security. During the day the dog will roam, but at night it will stay in the yard and "yell" when there is an Intruder, alarming their master of a threat. Kifle explained that there is an
issue with thieves in Ethiopia so families do this as a precaution to protect their things.
Everyone finished their food and drinks and then we headed back the hotel. Nicole and I went downstairs to see some traditional Ethiopian dancing. They shake their shoulders like they're free from their bodies. There was a man playing a one stringed instrument, a man playing a drum, a woman singing and a man dancing. They incorporated our names in their songs. We left, leaving them 30 birr on our way out.
-asjm
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| The local children; they made every second worth while. |
October 22, 2010
We left the hotel a little after 8, after meeting the kiwi team. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast. When we got to the site we began compounding the ground of the same house as yesterday. We were then moved to moving rocks that would be used to build a foundation around the home and for a step into the home. Margaret Ann was the coffee lady today and the kiwi team joined us for coffee. We took a photo of the two teams together. We all then went to visit the local school that was built by the kiwi team last year. We took many pictures! When we got back to the site we continue to carry rocks, we met Amanit Wassi. She's adorable.She followed Nicole and I around for the rest of the day. She showed us that she can count from one to ten, name her body parts, and she learned our names. Later in the day she brought us her little brother
who is six, she is 7. She introduced me to her other sister and her friends.
After lunch we worked in three teams mixing concrete and building the base of the toilet. The kids came out and sang for us and taught us some Amharic words. We ended the work day with the team working
together transferring dirt to one of the houses in order to level the area around the base of the home- this needs to be done before the chika is applied to the interior and exterior walls of the house.
Once returning we had over an hour of free time before meeting for dinner with our team and the kiwi team. Nicole and I journaled on the balcony while Jane, Megan, and Alex enjoyed some beverages. We moved inside because the mosquitoes were bugging Nicole. Kifle joined us and I showed him some photos of my home and my family.
We met in the lobby for dinner and Marty, the kiwi team leader, took us to a restaurant a block from our hotel. Nicole and I order sprice juice, which is a mixture of fresh juices, our order was evidentially forgotten, so we had to reorder. It was delicious and worth the wait, layer guava and avocado juice-
surprisingly sooooo good!
As it turned out, when our drink order was misplaced, so was our food order. I ordered a fasting pizza (green potato, ppineapple, tomato sauce and mushroom). I had them add cheese to the pizza. About an hour after everyone else was done eating (26 people) our pizzas came, but not until after the power went out, which is apparently very common to happen in cities In Ethiopia. I had them package my pizza because I was no longer hungry.
On the walk home I gave to boys some of my pizza, they were around 10 years old and alone in the streets at 10 o'clock, barefoot and alone. They were very happy and thanked me with sincerity.
Before going to bed I opened a letter from Nicole, number 3, it read "Smile... You're helping people who cannot help themselves." I found this very suiting to the situation.
-asjm
October 23, 2010
We were up and ready to go for six, but Kifle slept in so we were a little late leaving. Today's agenda was a four hour bus ride to Gondar, which is in the northern part of Ethiopia. As we quickly learned, the more Northern you travel in this country the more beautiful it seems to get. The landscape is breath taking. The land formation is nothing like I've seen before. The plant life is incredible. All in all, Ethiopia redefines all that I've known to be beautiful. It quickly becomes normal to catch yourself and others taking in sights and acknowledging them with difficulty simply because it's hard to describe what you're seeing, to label its beauty without feeling like you're detracting from its real beauty.
We pass through towns and are reminded that we're not in paradise, there is still poverty. I have seen Donkeys lugging more than their body weight, dogs roaming free without collars and children playing on the street without anyone else to be seen for miles. But here is a beauty in this as well, the kids are smiling. The donkeys are extremely valued by their attendants. The dogs are living like dogs, but amongst communities, roaming, resting, relying on pack mates and they are seen sun bathing, gnawing on huge bones. Everything seems to have its place.
 |
| An incredible view on the way to Bahir Dar. |
Even though it isn't what I'm used to seeing and there are some things that could be improved, these people have a system. They live as a community. It seems that for most they live with a purpose and their belief in Jesus gives them the strength that they need.
As we enter Gondar, we go for coffee. Nicole and I order sprice, which is a mixture of fresh juice that is layered, we get mango and avocado. It is amazing and we decide that this has to be done every day for the rest of the trip. We visit a gift shop and I buy a bag and a scarf. We then go visit a palace. I took a ton of pictures until my battery died, and then Derek let me use his camera.
After the castle, we went to the top of Gondar to goah hotel, which is only 35$ per night Canadian. We could see a panoramic view of the city and it was phenomenal. We ate a table d'hôte menu, mushroom soup, a penne pasta, the banana cake that tasted nothing like bananas. The server was very good - the food came out with good timing. Alex's came with a fly drowning In his sauce, but he just shrugged it off even though the server insisted on getting him a new plate.
After lunch we went to visit a church that was the last standing church of its kind, the others were burnt down. The walls were covered in paintings of the story of Jesus and the other wall was paintings of
the story of Mary.
Next we visited the baths, also very cool- see photos. It is a beautiful stone building surrounded by an empty moat made of stone; however, the moat is filled with water once a year and there is a
celebration and everyone swims.
I met a very nice Italian couple who asked where I was from. I told them I am Canadian and they asked "from Canada or Quebec" - that made my day.
We left for the hotel and on the way back to bahir dar we were held up because a bridge had collapsed and the new route that had been made was congested. As we waited we decided to get out and take photos- locals appeared and showed us the English that they knew - "I like
bread".
The new route crossed the river that the broken bridge/dam was built over. The river was shallow enough to drink over, but on the opposite site of the river there was a steeper hill and a truck had begun to jack knife when driving up the hill ( a gravel hill). Our driver has been very good and took a run at the hill, taking the right side of the hill while we all stood and watches with nervous reactions. He made it up over the river and over the hill. Once back on the road I shared really good conversation with Jane, I told her a lot about myself and my family, opening up quite a bit to my surprise.
We returned to the hotel and went to the summer land hotel, which we'd been to before, for dinner. I wasn’t too hungry so I ordered a mixture of papaya and pineapple juice with a bowl of vegetable soup. I took rolls from the table and gave them to people I passed on the streets, and then I headed to bed.
-asjm
As we enter Gondar, we go for coffee. Nicole and I order sprice, which is a mixture of fresh juice that is layered, we get mango and avocado. It is amazing and we decide that this has to be done every day for the rest of the trip. We visit a gift shop and I buy a bag and a scarf. We then go visit a palace. I took a ton of pictures until my battery died, and then Derek let me use his camera.
After the castle, we went to the top of Gondar to goah hotel, which is only 35$ per night Canadian. We could see a panoramic view of the city and it was phenomenal. We ate a table d'hôte menu, mushroom soup, a penne pasta, the banana cake that tasted nothing like bananas. The server was very good - the food came out with good timing. Alex's came with a fly drowning In his sauce, but he just shrugged it off even though the server insisted on getting him a new plate.
After lunch we went to visit a church that was the last standing church of its kind, the others were burnt down. The walls were covered in paintings of the story of Jesus and the other wall was paintings of
the story of Mary.
Next we visited the baths, also very cool- see photos. It is a beautiful stone building surrounded by an empty moat made of stone; however, the moat is filled with water once a year and there is a
celebration and everyone swims.
I met a very nice Italian couple who asked where I was from. I told them I am Canadian and they asked "from Canada or Quebec" - that made my day.
We left for the hotel and on the way back to bahir dar we were held up because a bridge had collapsed and the new route that had been made was congested. As we waited we decided to get out and take photos- locals appeared and showed us the English that they knew - "I like
bread".
The new route crossed the river that the broken bridge/dam was built over. The river was shallow enough to drink over, but on the opposite site of the river there was a steeper hill and a truck had begun to jack knife when driving up the hill ( a gravel hill). Our driver has been very good and took a run at the hill, taking the right side of the hill while we all stood and watches with nervous reactions. He made it up over the river and over the hill. Once back on the road I shared really good conversation with Jane, I told her a lot about myself and my family, opening up quite a bit to my surprise.
We returned to the hotel and went to the summer land hotel, which we'd been to before, for dinner. I wasn’t too hungry so I ordered a mixture of papaya and pineapple juice with a bowl of vegetable soup. I took rolls from the table and gave them to people I passed on the streets, and then I headed to bed.
-asjm
 |
| Blue Nile Falls |
October 24, 2010
Loud talking Asians kept me up all night, so I'm tired.
Breakfast wasn't even that great, cheese in cheese omelettes here is over powering.
We drove to the Blue Nile falls, visiting a market on the way where I bought seven scarves for 500 birr. We made our way and parked the bus, walking through fields to get to the Nile. We had to take a boat over the river and we walked about 20 minutes. Along the walk we are stopped by many children wanting us to by their goods. And once we get to the falls we are each automatically assisted down the muddy hill by different men and boys. We experienced the natural shower and were half way to our knees in mud. After rinsing off, we made our way back and bought some sugar cane to try along the way- delicious.
Lunch was at 1 and I got green pea soup which looked and tasted so bad and inappropriate to describe - nasty. So gross.
We took a boat to the peninsula where we viewed a Monastery and some crowns and other ancient artefacts. The area was beautiful and I was able to get some very good photos.
-asjm
Loud talking Asians kept me up all night, so I'm tired.
Breakfast wasn't even that great, cheese in cheese omelettes here is over powering.
We drove to the Blue Nile falls, visiting a market on the way where I bought seven scarves for 500 birr. We made our way and parked the bus, walking through fields to get to the Nile. We had to take a boat over the river and we walked about 20 minutes. Along the walk we are stopped by many children wanting us to by their goods. And once we get to the falls we are each automatically assisted down the muddy hill by different men and boys. We experienced the natural shower and were half way to our knees in mud. After rinsing off, we made our way back and bought some sugar cane to try along the way- delicious.
Lunch was at 1 and I got green pea soup which looked and tasted so bad and inappropriate to describe - nasty. So gross.
We took a boat to the peninsula where we viewed a Monastery and some crowns and other ancient artefacts. The area was beautiful and I was able to get some very good photos.
-asjm
October 29, 2010
Our last day in bahir dar has arrived. I'm both excited and sad to get on my way. This experience has been unlike any other that I’ve had. This morning we're scheduled to paint the interior of 6 houses in the span of two hours. We are going to have a traditional lunch prepared for us on site by the affiliates. As well, we'll be presenting the school with the basketball net that we made and basketballs, giving the children Canada pins and candy.
Tonight will be generally low key, with dinner being held at the hotel in order for us to break off as we wish to do our packing and anything else we wish before leaving in the morning- our flight is scheduled to leave at 11am.
After eating Lunch that was prepared on site, we were each presented with a certificate from Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia and we were presented with gifts of thanks and a speech from the community. John said a few words as well, we then went outside for some photos as a team and then with the affiliates, then finally with the community members. They broke into song and before we knew it we were surrounded by laughter, song, Dance And make shift drumming done with a Jerry can.
We all left and walked to the school where the children crowded around
us and we all sang together.
-asjm
Our last day in bahir dar has arrived. I'm both excited and sad to get on my way. This experience has been unlike any other that I’ve had. This morning we're scheduled to paint the interior of 6 houses in the span of two hours. We are going to have a traditional lunch prepared for us on site by the affiliates. As well, we'll be presenting the school with the basketball net that we made and basketballs, giving the children Canada pins and candy.
Tonight will be generally low key, with dinner being held at the hotel in order for us to break off as we wish to do our packing and anything else we wish before leaving in the morning- our flight is scheduled to leave at 11am.
After eating Lunch that was prepared on site, we were each presented with a certificate from Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia and we were presented with gifts of thanks and a speech from the community. John said a few words as well, we then went outside for some photos as a team and then with the affiliates, then finally with the community members. They broke into song and before we knew it we were surrounded by laughter, song, Dance And make shift drumming done with a Jerry can.
We all left and walked to the school where the children crowded around
us and we all sang together.
-asjm
 |
| A finished chika home. These homes have two rooms, two windows, one entrance, and a separate latrine behind the home. |
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