Filed under: Ethiopia | Tags: Apples, Debre Sina, Good, Goodbye, Sewers, Sheraton
yesterday i:
- said goodbye to debre sina and some amazing friends
- travelled 6 hours in the back of a landrover, a romantic thought 6 months ago … now uncomfortable as hell
- stepped in an open sewer immediately upon my return to Addis Ababa (yum)
- went to the Hilton for happy hour drinks … was a little overwhelmed by so many white people everywhere …
- went to the Sheraton Addis … the nicest hotel in Africa, owned by a Saudi Prince … and had a 200birr buffet (about $22CAD, but still more than i would spend on food in 2 weeks in Debre Sina) … nicest hotel i have ever been too … best meal i have ever eaten … and i am not just saying that because i have eaten only Bay-I-Net for the past 6 weeks … they had GRANNY SMITH APPLES …. GRANNY SMITH APPLES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! … i seriously had 15 desserts …
i will put together a real post closing up debre sina and all my many thoughts when i have some time in the next couple days … and this is broadband internet … so pictures should be coming too …
until then …
Filed under: Ethiopia | Tags: HIV, Holy Water, Paradox, Progress, Religion, Workshops
Arg. What a day!
Start with the good news. I taught my first conflict resolution workshop today. 15 minutes after the workshop, I was walking down the street when I happened upon a group of kids laughing and joking playing rock, paper, scissors. You have NO idea how good that feels!
That was the high point.
The low point, sadly, was lower than the high point was high.
15 minutes into our conversation of HIV/AIDS, as I was covering the bases of what HIV and AIDS are and how there is no cure, a hand was raised, and the following comment was raised:
“You are wrong, there is a cure for AIDS. We can go to the church and drink Holy Water.”
I take a second and respond that “While I respect each person’s right to believe what they choose, there is not one single recorded case in the history of science in which HIV/AIDS has been cured.”
Not the correct answer.
The class roars. Apparently this is not the only student to believe in the power of God (not a surprise in a culture dominated by religion in every way). One student says “My sister had HIV and went to drink Holy Water and is now cured.”
So here is my situation:
1. I know that there is no cure for AIDS. Not one single case ever. I suspect that someone who believes they are cured is likely to re-enter the community and possibly risk the lives of their lovers by re-engaging in high-risk behaviors.
2. I know that there is no way that I can convince these people that I am right and that their religious leaders, in whom they have entrusted their immortal souls, are wrong.
What would you do?
It is not in any way my place to suggest that what I believe is right, and what they believe is wrong, be it fasting, female genital mutilation or HIV. Further, if I suggest that their religious leaders are wrong, I destroy my credibility 15 minutes into a 2 hour workshop.
But, it is my responsibility to provide them with the most accurate information possible in order to protect them and help strengthen their communities.
The limitless capacity of religion to destroy lives continues to humble me!
While I am utterly dismayed at the cultural genocide that the spread of the internet will undoubtedly represent, I don’t think it can get here fast enough. Broadband wireless and the $100 laptop promise to break this precious virgin soil, sowing the disgustingly uniform crops of the West’s absentee landlords in its place. But I believe that free and open access to information (viva la Wikipedia) truly is the great equalizer. The culture may whither and die, but maybe, just maybe, the people will thrive on its detritus.
Maybe people will trust science based knowledge over the words of uneducated mystics. Maybe women will stop cutting off the clitoris’s of their teenage daughters in order to make them ‘acceptable’ as wives. Maybe a culture, tens of thousands of years old, beautiful and wonderful, with a few heart-breaking flaws, will fade like countless others into obscurity.
Probably going to happen sooner or later anyway, right?
Filed under: Ethiopia | Tags: Fleas, Foosball, HIV, Homosexuality, Oral Sex, Sickness, STI's
I was sick yesterday. It was not the nicest day of my life, though far from the worst. I took the day off food, drank about 6 liters of water and went to bed at 7:00. I seemed to pass whatever it was, as I felt pretty good today. Fingers crossed for tomorrow, as I get to talk about blood, sex and genital ulcers all day.
I figure 2 sick days in 2 months isn’t something to complain about. And on the bright side, Lindsay, Des, Medin, Becky and Laura have all been suffering from flea bites, and I have not. I chalk this up to semi-occasional bathing and rarely cleaning my laundry. More bright side: when you are sick, everybody loves you. I woke up this morning, and Jess made me Eggs, Hashbrowns and Toast, and then Laura gave me a bite sized Mars bar, which may have been the greatest single moment of my entire life. I am not exaggerating.
Speaking of genital ulcers, here’s a fun fact: it is my duty to explain that HIV can be contracted through Vaginal, Anal and Oral Sex. Only, most Ethiopians don’t actually know what oral sex is. Experience tells us that saying the words “HIV can be contracted through Oral sex” generally results in hands being raised. Guess who gets to answer the question “what is oral sex?” It is worthy of note that I tend to be a hand talker. I feel a concerted effort to hold my hands at my sides is in order.
Here’s another fun fact: In Ethiopia, homosexuality is illegal, and the only women who visit rural drinking houses are ‘women of the night.’ BUT, Ethiopia has very vibrant and colorful music, with much dancing. What does this mean? Lots and lots of drunk straight guys dancing with other drunk straight guys in dark rooms. Can’t tell you how weird that was the first night we went out. Drink in hand, checking out the dance-floor, starting to sway my hips in time with the music, when I am approached by an 5’ tall inebriated Ethiopian man getting his groove on. Then another. Then another. When in Rome, right? Also guys (including soldiers with AK47’s strapped to their backs) like to walk down the street holding hands. Not sure if I have mentioned that before.
I also have started a daily routine of having my ass kicked at foosball by the kids in the street. They have taken pity on me and now take turns being on the losing team (read: my team) with me. The shame doesn’t come in being beaten by an 8-15 year old. The shame doesn’t come in paying that 8-15 year old to beat me. The shame doesn’t even come in being laughed at in defeat by a group of 25 8-15 year old spectators. The shame comes in being beaten, consecutively, by all 25 of them. I take comfort in the fact that, as they have never seen ice, or even a freezer, I am an easy favorite if they ever want to pay me to beat them at curling.
Otherwise, life is as ordinary as possible. I have made some very close friends I will be sad to leave. I have a crush on a girl I will likely never see again, and can hardly understand (though I have never really understood any woman). I eat a lot of bananas and oranges. I dedicate lots of time to learning and sitting around thinking. I fall asleep dreaming of what could be, and wake up wishing I could sleep another hour. I look forward to the future’s uncertainty, and spend too much time dwelling on the passage of time. Some things … many things … never change.
The scenery sure is nice though.
That’s it for me. I leave for Kenya and then Sudan in a little over 2 weeks. Holy shit! (forgive my language mom, but seriously, it’s just a 4 letter word, and is extremely effective at conveying emotion)
p.s. I was kidding about the bathing and laundry. I do both whenever there is water, which ranges from semi-occasional to rare.
p.p.s. … Just one more fun fact, cause they are just so fun, aren’t they? Again, if I am repeating myself, a) forgive me, b) get over it. Ethiopia, in this region, is super conservative. Women and men do not show leg, chest, or wear clothes that draw attention to the crotch area. BUT, they do urinate in public pretty much everywhere you go. You can’t even imagine how many penises I see every day.
Filed under: Ethiopia | Tags: Food, Gender, Hospitality, Language, Self-Esteem, Workshops
How about something less opinionated ???
Good idea.
We are at about the mid-point of our training. I had a huge day today, with a Self-Esteem and Peer Pressure workshop all morning, a Problem Solving workshop in the afternoon, and an ESL workshop to end the day. There is also this brilliant little local kid I have been tutoring in English the past few days, so I spent an hour trying to explain to him the difference between lie, lied, lay, layed, laid etc.
All went very well. My self-esteem workshop that was not so good at first, and improved to pretty good in Debre Birhan, was a piece of art this time around. I went a bit long (which meant I had to dance in front of the group), but everyone seemed really engaged and their energy level was high throughout.
In previous workshops, Becky and I have taught Gender, while Jess and Laura did HIV. This time we switched it up, and I am excited to see how Laura and Jess pull off Gender tomorrow. They have this great little activity! When people first enter the room they are sat in a circle. Men are allowed to sit on chairs and wear their shoes, while women must sit on the ground and do not wear shoes. Men are fed first, and are fed by women, while women feed themselves.
The debrief involves asking people what they saw and how they interpret it. The common answer is that it is a strictly patriarchal society in which men are respected more than women. The revealed truth is that it is a patriarchal society in which the earth and food are considered spiritual. Women are the only ones allowed to sit close to the earth, and the only ones allowed to touch it directly. Women are also the only ones allowed to interact with food.
It is very powerful, and usually catches people totally off guard. The point is that gender roles and gender based assumptions are dynamic and rooted in the culture, not in universal absolutes. It’s a great way to stimulate a discussion of gender, especially in a culture where gender based traditions are so powerful, and I hope it blows them away.
The past 2 nights we have been invited to the houses of some of our trainees for the traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. The food, the coffee, the company and the hospitality are second to none. It’s so cool that these people have only one room to call home (between 3 of them at that), yet they are more than willing to invite 7 “for-en-gees” and 15 fellow trainees to squeeze in together for a celebration of life and friendship. We cram together on the floor as food is passed around, incense is burned and 3 small cups of coffee are served to each person. It continues to amaze me how little the language barrier matters among friends, as we sit and laugh for hours, though we hardly understand each other.
Tonight we went to a friend’s house for dinner. Home-cooked Ethiopian food is even better than what you get in Restaurants. After dinner, as the coffee was being served, they brought out the bread. Oh my God! Picture a Frisbee made out of bread. Now make that Frisbee 6 inches tall and nearly a meter across. This comes AFTER a huge meal in which your plate is continually topped up for you with whatever you may be lacking. I repeat. Hospitality is second to none!
Much love to all from Debre Sina, Ethiopia!
Filed under: Ethiopia | Tags: Consumption, Gas Prices, Oil, Poverty, Predictions, Sustainability, Women
Gas prices are going up. I read somewhere that they are over $1.03/barrel. In Canada, people complain (and rightly so) when the gas prices go up. Now they spend $10, $20, $30 more per week on gas. $1000 a year EXTRA is a lot, there is no denying it.
In Debre Sina, Ethiopia, a meeting on International Women’s Day begins as a celebration of solidarity in woman-hood. Children read poems and old women speak proudly of the lives they have lived. Though the language is not mine and I only understand the rare snippets I have translated for me, I can feel the mood in the room, and the dignity around me. One lady speaks, and then another, and then another, and like the changing of the fall leaves, suddenly the colour of the room is different. There is fire, frustration, anger and desperation in the voices that cry out to the assembled mass.
I ask my young friend what they are talking about. She says “they say, the prices are too much.”
A bar of soap that was 2.50birr is now 5birr. A kilo of tef, their staple food, was 3birr. It’s now 6birr. What is the cause of inflation so rapid it literally challenges people’s ability to meet their day-to-day needs?
Gas prices.
I wonder, is the continuing escalation of the price of oil set to become the new status quo? We are not going to get more oil. There is some under the earth. We have stuck giant straws into our home and have spent nearly a century sucking it dry with all our might. Sooner than we think, it will be (for all intents and purposes) gone. This is the price of industrialization, the cost of progress, and the reality of our modern world.
What happens to the price of oil when we are really starting to run out? What happens to the billions of people (our entire species, give or take) who rely on oil every day to get them what they need to live? What happens when the price simply becomes too great for the billions who live on dollars a day? When the price rises so high that the poor can not afford oil, what will determine who gets it? Will it be the power of the dollar, or the power of the gun? There are about 5.5 billion people living in 2nd and 3rd world countries (though by then the number will probably be closer to 8 or 9) who likely believe that they should have the oil.
What are they, the poor, willing to do to get it?
What are we, the rich, willing to do to stop them?
As far as my grossly limited experience tells me, the world looks up to the West. They wear our clothes, know our celebrities and watch our television and movies. Perhaps, in the interests of self-preservation, it is time we start showing them a world that, at the very least, resembles something sustainable. Our love affair with consumption and its bastard children called luxury and gluttony and sloth, is a model for countless billions. They idolize what we have, and really who can blame them?
Comfort is comfort, right?
What do I think? Glad you asked. Protecting our world (as we know it anyway) means changing our lives, not our fucking light-bulbs.
Get a job close enough to walk to – exercise makes you healthier, happier and you will live longer. Most people die in their cars, after all. If that doesn’t convince you, you will re-claim the months of you life that you spend commuting, and save thousands of dollars on gas/vehicle repairs.
Start buying locally grown food – your life is not any better because the apple in your hand is from Chile.
Stop buying crap you don’t need because you think it will make you happier or will make people like you more – if she doesn’t like you now, she won’t like you any more in a new shirt. Try loving yourself as you are. Also, buying things does make you happier … for a couple of days. Want to be happier all the time? Try helping somebody. You can make a difference in somebody’s life today, and it won’t cost you a penny! Or sit on your ass and watch TV. That might work too.
God I’m preachy!
Want to know what I really think?
Lots of people will die before we run out of oil. Then we are going to run out of oil. There will probably be a big war first, and lots more people will die. Then lots more people will die because we will have run out of oil. Humanity will soldier on, evolving with the changing planet, for a few hundred thousand years. Then something big will happen and we will all die. Then the earth will go on doing its thing for a few hundred billion years. Time changes direction. Cue the big crunch. The end.
I bet you a thousand bucks I am at least 99% wrong.
