Traditional Meal/ Feb. 18th

This is a Pepsi/7 Up place most of the others are Coke/ Miranda places. We sat on short chairs around a table basket like thing. They bought out an an aluminum bowl with a pitcher of water. You got a squirt of soap and then they poured water over your hands catching it in the bowl. Then they brought the food. The Plate was as big as the basket table top, maybe 24 -30 inches across. With little piles of different kinds of food around the edge and a large meat dish in the middle. There were dancers that should have been in the Olympics. They were to wild to describe. There were singers too, in between the dances to give them a break.

They brought food a second time. You don't eat with forks and spoons you eat by tearing off pieces of a pancake like thing and scooping or pinching it. The little girl at our table really knows how to do it she doesn't miss a drop. They say that no one eats with their left hand because that is the hand you wipe with.

After dinner we rewashed our hands. The first time we air dried, the second we had a towel.

I don't know how the dancers can keep up. They are so full of energy. Some of the kids are trying to keep up and are winded. After the performance the dancers came out to the audience and danced with people at the tables. Allen age 7 got called up on stage to dance with them, You Tube material. One dancer caught me on the way back from the bathroom. I couldn't do much. They giggle and gangle their necks and shoulders like I've never seen before.

By the time the day was over we had been on the bus for at least 6 hours. The driver didn't know where he was going most of the time. We made several u turns.

We were up and on the bus by 8 am. Didn't get to bed till 11 pm. To early. To late. Again we waisted time going all over town picking up people here and then back tracking. We went to several shops. The shop where we bought clothing at was #13 my favorite number. we bought 10 scarves, 2 shawls, 1 dress with scarf, 2 bedspreads and 4 shams for about 2800 birr or less than 210 dollars. It was all bartered. Abel did a great job they wanted us to pay twice that much.

I bought copper bracelets at one place, baskets at another. Abel negotiated he didn't think he did a good job but he did. Gretchen wanted a coffee set. They wanted 530 to begin with and he got it down to 230, less than 20 dollars. The sun was getting to me so I went back to the bus. One family had to go to the airport at 3:30pm. We went to Bethany for final passports, etc.

Again we ran all over Addis. We suggested that they drop us off about 2 blocks from our corner. Abel had thought of that idea and told the driver so we all agreed. Bill didn't think we could carry everything. He doesn't know how I know how to pack. We made it back I'm sure hours before we would have if we stayed on the bus. We had to be to the airport by 6 for a 10 pm flight. The driver still almost missed our spot. He made a u turn in front of the supermarket. We got back to the guest house and took our stuff up to our room. Gretchen and Bill went to the market to get personal stuff and lunch. I stayed with Yohanna. All of a sudden here came Anya. Her parents were at the embassy with Malowi. She wanted me to help her with her ipod. Ipod ignorant. Told them maybe when G and B came back. She and Eaman came out and watched some TV and I let them have some soda, Miranda. Hopefully their folks won't mind.

G and B came back with lunch, chips-fries, and cheeseburgers with Swiss cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. I ate the meat it was very spicy. My stomach hasn't been right for the last two days. Not looking forward to the plane ride home. I put my things into my small suitcase and one larger one. Maybe I didn't mention it before but one of our bags never made it to Ethiopia, but that is another story or maybe blog. I put some of B and G's things in my suitcases. I zipped up my bracelets into a see thru pouch in the lid and carefully packed my bowls. When I got home I was missing a bracelet and the middle bowl was broken, with a piece loose in the bottom of the suitcase from the middle of the bowl. MAD MAD I am not very happy with any of the airlines we flew on.

We got everything packed. I can't believe that they let Bill's BIG bag go thru and when we weighed everything it said it was less than my bag. I couldn't even pick up his. Their scale was WRONG. We got everything down stairs ready to load on the bus. The doctors and Texans kids all passed the embassy appointment . Elizabeth started cooking. I told her what I gave the kids and it was OK. They did a great job while their folks were gone. Elizabeth was making massed potatoes and Mama soup, milk, potatoes, corn ? The kids haven't eaten very well this week and she is worried about them especially Anya

They have planned on going to the same place we went last night but don't think the kids will like it. We all told them we thought they would.

Abel came a little early and brought me soda bottles to take back to the US. How nice. I am sad that we weren't able to give Abel a monetary gift. He worked so many hours at least 8 per day 7 days a week. But most days he worked overtime and only got paid for 56 hours. Today he took us shopping, a family to the airport at 3:30, us at 6:00pm and then Emily, Terri and Elliott at 4 am. when does the man sleep? No days off, no overtime, No complaints, no vacations, just a little time on Sunday to go to church. He is a Methodist!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gretchen had taken a nap, Bill had juiced up the electronics. I took pictures. Abel,the driver and Bill carried the bags to the gate. It was very tearful saying goodbye to Yonatan he came running out not wanting to be forgotten. The airport was just a few blocks away. Abel and the driver wouldn't let us push the carts. They took us up to the gate as far as the could go. we shook the drivers hand and thanked him.

When we left Abel we hugged, and hugged and hugged and cried and cried and cried. He is a true brother. And we will never forget him. I have a box ready but don't understand all the rigmarole on how to send it. You will get it soon Abel.

Had to have bags checked and weighed again. Had to keep little stuff with us. we had to buy water again. It's a racket. We sat in a bar for a while. Bill ordered ice cream and 2 hot fudge sundaes. We SAT SAT SAT SAT SAT SAT SAT SAT SAT. I have no idea what they were doing but ours weren't hot fudge sundaes either. Just choc and vanilla ice cream no hot fudge to be seen. Looked at the ticket from the 5 bottles of water at $1 each. the ticket said $50, boy will their cash register be off later. I paid the right price.
Custard like ice cream again, not my favorite. G and Y fell asleep on the table. B and I looked at photos on the computer. Didn't go through security until 1 hour before the plane was to leave, no bathrooms in there.

Finally we went in, I got patted down. Not one Ethiopian woman got patted down. I was some what insulted. I don't think they treated us very well, us Americans, on the way home. Definitely  while we were there we were truly their guests and treated as royalty but now we weren't going to spend anymore money in their country.


I think I will end for the night. It is my goal to be done with this before school it over, I have 10 more journal pages and then a little bit to share from after we got home. My blog will probably change then to the wedding and what went on and VBS and G and B's trip to Haiti . Hope you keep reading. You know how I love to talk.