Click here to view our Picture GalleryFeb. 6th - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Do you know why I like Ethiopia?
Because you can be sitting with a group of people on a field in the middle of the city watching a sport tournament...and the Assistant Director of the Selam School turns to you and says, "You see that man there." You look toward a man behind you ...he is well dressed...important looking. "Yes." "That man can laugh continuously." "What?" "He can laugh for let's say 24 or 48 hours without stopping. It's like... it's like a talent!" "Really? Wow!" "Yes...maybe he will show us later."
And, then that will be that.
No more explanation.
Just a random collision of facts.
And random collisions aren't that uncommon here.
That same day a woman of about 26 to 29 approached us. "I hear you are from the USA?" "Yes," we say. And the conversation evolves.... turns out she went to college in Kansas and now lives in Switzerland, but was born in Ethiopia. Her mom came over and talked with us too. They ended up taking us out to lunch and tea that very same day... and offering their home as a place to stay if we are ever in Ethiopia again! The mother was this wonderful mix of crackling cinnamon- food smells, glitzy wealth, and unsubtle kindness. Her hospitality overwhelmed us. She was a mother in every sense of the word.
To us, Ethiopia has come to mean hospitality. This country has taught us how to be welcoming and how we want to treat our guests in the future.
Because you can be sitting with a group of people on a field in the middle of the city watching a sport tournament...and the Assistant Director of the Selam School turns to you and says, "You see that man there." You look toward a man behind you ...he is well dressed...important looking. "Yes." "That man can laugh continuously." "What?" "He can laugh for let's say 24 or 48 hours without stopping. It's like... it's like a talent!" "Really? Wow!" "Yes...maybe he will show us later."
And, then that will be that.
No more explanation.
Just a random collision of facts.
And random collisions aren't that uncommon here.
That same day a woman of about 26 to 29 approached us. "I hear you are from the USA?" "Yes," we say. And the conversation evolves.... turns out she went to college in Kansas and now lives in Switzerland, but was born in Ethiopia. Her mom came over and talked with us too. They ended up taking us out to lunch and tea that very same day... and offering their home as a place to stay if we are ever in Ethiopia again! The mother was this wonderful mix of crackling cinnamon- food smells, glitzy wealth, and unsubtle kindness. Her hospitality overwhelmed us. She was a mother in every sense of the word.
To us, Ethiopia has come to mean hospitality. This country has taught us how to be welcoming and how we want to treat our guests in the future.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home