Filed under: Ethiopia | Tags: Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Family, Goodbyes, Lalibela, Nazaret
it’s so hard to post when so much has happened since the last post … i have been RELIGIOUS in keeping a journal (missed only 2 days so far) … but computers are not so close at hand …
sooooooooo … in condensed form … we left debre sina to much sadness … saying goodbye was as hard as expected, and there were definitely tears in some people’s eyes (though not mine, what kind of pansy-ass do you take me for :p) … i achieved the nickname “where’s brandon” as apparently my affinity for getting out in the community and spending time with locals had my fellow Canadians always wondering if i was dead in a sewer somewhere … i take this as a compliment, personally, as going to people’s homes to enjoy food and coffee and laughs will forever be one of the hi-lights of my trip …
as i mentioned, i marked my return to addis by promptly stepping in a open sewer … in sandals … mmmmmmmmmm … it was strange to be back in our neighborhood again … when i first arrived, i thought it looked pretty impoverished … what with the open sewers and the unpaved roads and the garbage everywhere … after 6 weeks in rural areas, i suddenly realize that we live in a high class suburb … and the homes are NICE … perception is everything …
its impressive how fast you get over food … after 6 weeks of Habasha Fasting food, i nearly cried when we ate the sheraton buffet (coconut spinach soup … you heard me) … but after breakfast the next morning (pancakes and omelette’s) , and some oreo’s i found at a little grocery store, i don’t even notice anymore … i actually have been getting Habasha fasting good the past couple nights … its just so GOOD …
after a few days in Addis, YCI footed the bill (read: my sponsors footed the bill) for a little weekend retreat to Nazaret … it’s the 2nd biggest city in the country, and about 2 hours south of Addis … we went to a place called Safari Lodge, which was basically a resort with a pool and a wierd UFO tower beside it … over food … NOT over swimming pools … we had some final meetings (beside the pool), played cards (beside the pool) and just generally had a good time (beside the pool) … think swimming pools aren’t a big deal ??? try not having a real shower for 2 months …
back to Addis to say more sad goodbyes to Lindsay (off to Kenya) and Medin (back to Canada) and Jess and Laura and I took off to check out some 800 year old churches in Lalibela …
we were all supposed to fly together, but they bumped me off my flight at the last minute, giving me a 6 hour stopover in a place called Bahir Dar … Bahir Dar is at the start of the Nile, and Lake Tana beside it is home to a few dozen ancient monasteries (including 1 which shows evidence of worship dating back thousands of years and where the Ark of the Covenant was said to have been stored for a few centurie) … they really didn’t disappoint, and with my incredible tour guide (who let me drive the boat … though i still had to pay the driver … seems like they should have paid me) … we zipped from 1000 year old copies of the Bible (which, I am told, tell quite different stories than the modern versions) to miraculous crosses that kill snakes just by being pointed at them … to miraculous tombs that fill up with local medicine all on their own, and have been for 500 years …
i can understand why people have been praying at these locations for so long … something about the air just feels … magical … the dominant religions have changed 3 or 4 times over the millennium, but the feeling that the air around you is somehow brighter is unmistakable …
a few hours later i was in Lalibela … a town not unlike Debre Sina … except instead of lush green valleys, they have dry, desert like valleys … and instead of joyful friendly people, they have joyful friendly people who know that tourists have money … i really shouldn’t be so negative … friendly is friendly … but somehow what was genuine elsewhere seemed like an attempt to be-friend me for my $$$ in Lalibela …
anyway … yesterday we toured the churches there, which are without a doubt the most impressive thing i have ever seen in my life … 850 years ago, King Lalibela had 11 churches carved out of the hardest rock he could find … for 850 years people have been making pilgrimages there to be close to God … and for 850 years, the churches have hardly changed …
that’s not true … some have been beaten down by the weather of the centuries … but most have not … and sharp edges and colorful frescoes can still be found most everywhere …
and now i am back … Jess leaves for Egypt tomorrow … Laura for Rwanda the day after and Becky for Latvia the day after that … and just as suddenly as we came together … my family for the past 8 weeks will drift apart …
i leave for Kenya in 2 days … i arrive in Nairobi on the afternoon of the 5th and get to finally stretch my legs as a solo traveler … if i wasn’t so sad to be leaving this beautiful land, i would be excited …
i have spoken already with many people about the possibility of coming back (and getting paid this time) … for something a little more long term … i really do feel like i am home, and that there is so much more to learn here …
but at the same time … maybe i am just romanticizing my first taste of Africa …i suppose only time will answer my questions … and i have many steps to take before a decision like that would have to be made …
i really do hope i come back some day …
and i know i promised pictures … but in the turnaround between the airport and the hot-springs shower … i forgot my memory cards at home … i should be back on again tomorrow though …
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!
