I can't claim to be an expert on Ethiopia. I was only there two weeks and only in the capital. I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts/memories/observations both for posterity and also to share with some of you who have never been here.
First let's give you some geographic context:
I spent two weeks in Addis, the capital, which is 7,500 feet above sea level (nearly a mile and a half!- I felt that my first couple days). It's almost ironic that given all my Africa travels that I've never been to Ethiopia before this year--especially given that my company has somewhere on the order of a dozen active projects here.
I'll recap my top ten (it's the end of year after all) points on my Abyssinian experience (in no particular order :)
1. Weather
Given the high altitude in Addis, the weather is absolutely divine! It reminded me so much of Mexico City (nearly same altitude and also surrounded by mountains, so....pollution included- though D.F. has an advantage on that in terms of getting it under control). Was basically 70 and sunny every day and about 55 or so in the evenings. We were there in the non-rainy season (see Rains in Africa post) so it was just scrumptious weather- particularly for Africa and particularly in December.
2. Food
So Ethiopian food...I was already familiar from living in Washington, D.C. (where 350,000 Ethiopians live- largest African community in D.C. and largest Ethiopian community outside of Ethiopia), so we were not lacking for GREAT Ethiopian food there. But, Ethiopian food is very unique to Africa and the world. Perhaps some of you think of Ethiopia and think famine...from the 1983-1985 famine. Live Aid was organized in the UK and the US- big concerts with Joan Baez, Madonna, Duran Duran, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, etc....raised international funds to rally against the famine).
The staple of Ethiopian food is ingera which is a type of thin fermented (i.e. yeast-risen) spongy, flat bread. In most Africa cultures that I've had the pleasure of learning about (and most cultures in general), you've got a starch that the meal centers around (think bread in Europe/US, tortilla in Central America, rice in Asia, ugali/fufu/nshima in parts of southern eastern Africa). Ingera is Ethiopia's answer to that. It's made of an iron rich flour called teff. You essentially line your plate with a few pieces and then take another few pieces with which to eat your meal (no utensils necessary!). You then dollop on a few scoopfuls of a variety of lentils, grilled meat stews (tibs), cooked veggies, and some fresh salads. A few pics below of a few of my many delicious meals. The last and the first photos feature Shiro Wat (the orangey-yellow colored soupy pea stew, basically a yummy! yellow split pea or chickpea with berbere sauce that is delicious and a staple of Ethiopians...particularly those that are fasting (see religion below). Also featured in the last photo are Senge Karya, two long hot peppers (jalapeno-type usually) stuffed with sautéed fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and shallots...I ate those without too much of a problem! Nice kick!
3. Religion
Ethiopia is roughly 60% Christian and 30% Muslim. Within Christianity nearly 45% of those are Ethiopian Orthodox. I'm not going to do the religion justice with this brief summary so read up here or elsewhere. A couple things to note...Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are strict Trinitarians- believing in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; saints and angels are important with Saints' Days being celebrated; Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast nearly 250 days a year! For Lent, for Christmas, for Epiphany...during fasting usually on M/W/F they don't eat meat or dairy and on a daily basis don't eat meat and dairy together ever and never eat pork (similar to keeping kosher). We passed by two large churches on our way to and from the office that were always ALWAYS people coming in and out to pray, go to service, lighting candles, etc. You could hear both the mosques and the cathedrals on a daily basis calling people to prayer and service. Clearly a very strong cultural footing in both Christianity and Islam.
Two interesting bits that I didn't see on this trip (next time!): (1) Arc of the covenant- Ethiopia claims to house the Arc of the Covenant (A chest described in the Book of Exodus tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed and which Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai. (2) Lalibela- is a town in northern Ethiopia that is famous for its monolithic rock-cut churches. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities and is a center of pilgrimage for most of the country. The layout and names of the major buildings in Lalibela are widely accepted, especially by the local clergy, to be a symbolic representation of Jerusalem.
4. Traffic
Like any good urban metropolis, Addis has its share of traffic. Couple that with some MAJOR construction ripping up a main thoroughfare (hello, Caterpillar tractors!), we spent our fair share of time sitting the car getting to know all the various streetside shops between the office and the Hilton hotel. Depending on the driver we took a variety of shortcuts and saw some new sites. Not as bad as some cities I've been in, but there's nothing like an hour-long commute to go about oh 2-3 miles. :/
5. Language
Ethiopia has over 90! local languages! There are 8 that are largely spoken plus English. Amharic is what I heard most. It looks a little like Arabic when written, but doesn't sound at all the same. Here's a visual...
One thing that I notice in Ethiopia and in Zanzibar is that when people want to acknowledge what you are saying...like in English when you nod or say "um-huh," in Amharic they make a sound like "huuh"- like you are inhaling or gasping with surprise or fright. When you first hear it in conversation, you wonder if something happened or if you said something scandalous, but it's actually that people are agreeing with you or following you.
6. Coffee
Ethiopia is the 7th largest global producer of coffee and nearly 25% of its population is dependent on coffee exports for its livelihood (which account for about 10% of the GDP). Coffee is dark and strong! In the Hilton Hotel where I stayed they had a woman conducting the traditional coffee ceremony every day. In the ceremony, coffee beans are roasted and ground and then steeped in boiling water and then served. No milk here- but LOTS of sugar. Think super sweet espresso. Accompanied with popcorn or peanuts...it's something not to miss.
7. Shoulder dancing
My last night in Ethiopia we went out for a "cultural night." Ethiopian food accompanied with a "show" of sorts of different types of music and dancing from various regions in Ethiopian. Three Anglo-colleagues and one Ethiopian went to Habesha 2001 for the evening. Each region definitely has its own distinct "flavor" and in all my ignorance it was hard to tell all the differences, but I did get to watch a few pretty great "shoulder dances"- where the dancers essentially shake and gyrate their shoulders to the point where you feel like a chiropractor should be called! Here are two links to two videos (one that is hideously embarrassing of me!).
8. Calendar
While it might be 2012 to many of us, in Ethiopia it's only 2005!
The Ethiopian calendar (also called the Ge'ez calendar, is the principal calendar used in Ethiopia and also serves as the liturgical calendar for Christians. It is based on the older Alexandrian or Coptic calendar; it adds a leap day every four years without exception, and begins the year on August 29 or August 30 in the Julian calendar. A seven- to eight-year gap between the Ethiopian and Gregorian calendars results from alternate calculations in determining the date of the Annunciation of Jesus.
Like the Coptic calendar, the Ethiopian calendar has twelve months of 30 days each plus five or six "holy" days, which comprise a thirteenth month. Hence Ethiopia's tagline "13 months of sunshine"!
9. A smidge of history
Ethiopia is considered the site of some of the earliest homo sapiens...dating back more than 3.5 million years! Earliest records show documentation of Egyptians visiting Ethiopia in 3000 BC. Ethiopia takes pride in never having been colonized. Though it was occupied by the Italians for less than a decade pre-WWII. Italians had their influence in the coffee trade/industry. While not colonized Ethiopia endured its share of civil wars and even genocide. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was formed in 1991 and followed in 1994 with a new constitution and bicameral legislature and judicial system.
10. Ethiopians at home in Boston
After my 24 hour journey home, I couldn't wait to be home in my apartment. And wouldn't luck have it...my cab drive from the airport home- Ethiopian. My bagger at Whole Foods that afternoon Ethiopian- likely a very well educated, professional in Ethiopia, now bagging groceries and giving Amharic lessons to many a gringo couples' adopted Ethiopian children. And on the way to the airport for Xmas- Ethiopian cab driver. All were excited to learn of my travels and we shared stories. If it's one thing I really appreciate about my travels, it's about how small it has made my world and how many more connections I have with so many different people.
First let's give you some geographic context:
I spent two weeks in Addis, the capital, which is 7,500 feet above sea level (nearly a mile and a half!- I felt that my first couple days). It's almost ironic that given all my Africa travels that I've never been to Ethiopia before this year--especially given that my company has somewhere on the order of a dozen active projects here.
I'll recap my top ten (it's the end of year after all) points on my Abyssinian experience (in no particular order :)
1. Weather
Given the high altitude in Addis, the weather is absolutely divine! It reminded me so much of Mexico City (nearly same altitude and also surrounded by mountains, so....pollution included- though D.F. has an advantage on that in terms of getting it under control). Was basically 70 and sunny every day and about 55 or so in the evenings. We were there in the non-rainy season (see Rains in Africa post) so it was just scrumptious weather- particularly for Africa and particularly in December.
2. Food
So Ethiopian food...I was already familiar from living in Washington, D.C. (where 350,000 Ethiopians live- largest African community in D.C. and largest Ethiopian community outside of Ethiopia), so we were not lacking for GREAT Ethiopian food there. But, Ethiopian food is very unique to Africa and the world. Perhaps some of you think of Ethiopia and think famine...from the 1983-1985 famine. Live Aid was organized in the UK and the US- big concerts with Joan Baez, Madonna, Duran Duran, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, etc....raised international funds to rally against the famine).
The staple of Ethiopian food is ingera which is a type of thin fermented (i.e. yeast-risen) spongy, flat bread. In most Africa cultures that I've had the pleasure of learning about (and most cultures in general), you've got a starch that the meal centers around (think bread in Europe/US, tortilla in Central America, rice in Asia, ugali/fufu/nshima in parts of southern eastern Africa). Ingera is Ethiopia's answer to that. It's made of an iron rich flour called teff. You essentially line your plate with a few pieces and then take another few pieces with which to eat your meal (no utensils necessary!). You then dollop on a few scoopfuls of a variety of lentils, grilled meat stews (tibs), cooked veggies, and some fresh salads. A few pics below of a few of my many delicious meals. The last and the first photos feature Shiro Wat (the orangey-yellow colored soupy pea stew, basically a yummy! yellow split pea or chickpea with berbere sauce that is delicious and a staple of Ethiopians...particularly those that are fasting (see religion below). Also featured in the last photo are Senge Karya, two long hot peppers (jalapeno-type usually) stuffed with sautéed fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and shallots...I ate those without too much of a problem! Nice kick!
3. Religion
 |
| Ethiopian Coptic Cross |
Ethiopia is roughly 60% Christian and 30% Muslim. Within Christianity nearly 45% of those are Ethiopian Orthodox. I'm not going to do the religion justice with this brief summary so read up here or elsewhere. A couple things to note...Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are strict Trinitarians- believing in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; saints and angels are important with Saints' Days being celebrated; Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast nearly 250 days a year! For Lent, for Christmas, for Epiphany...during fasting usually on M/W/F they don't eat meat or dairy and on a daily basis don't eat meat and dairy together ever and never eat pork (similar to keeping kosher). We passed by two large churches on our way to and from the office that were always ALWAYS people coming in and out to pray, go to service, lighting candles, etc. You could hear both the mosques and the cathedrals on a daily basis calling people to prayer and service. Clearly a very strong cultural footing in both Christianity and Islam.
Two interesting bits that I didn't see on this trip (next time!): (1) Arc of the covenant- Ethiopia claims to house the Arc of the Covenant (A chest described in the Book of Exodus tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed and which Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai. (2) Lalibela- is a town in northern Ethiopia that is famous for its monolithic rock-cut churches. Lalibela is one of Ethiopia's holiest cities and is a center of pilgrimage for most of the country. The layout and names of the major buildings in Lalibela are widely accepted, especially by the local clergy, to be a symbolic representation of Jerusalem.
4. Traffic
Like any good urban metropolis, Addis has its share of traffic. Couple that with some MAJOR construction ripping up a main thoroughfare (hello, Caterpillar tractors!), we spent our fair share of time sitting the car getting to know all the various streetside shops between the office and the Hilton hotel. Depending on the driver we took a variety of shortcuts and saw some new sites. Not as bad as some cities I've been in, but there's nothing like an hour-long commute to go about oh 2-3 miles. :/
5. Language
Ethiopia has over 90! local languages! There are 8 that are largely spoken plus English. Amharic is what I heard most. It looks a little like Arabic when written, but doesn't sound at all the same. Here's a visual...
6. Coffee
Ethiopia is the 7th largest global producer of coffee and nearly 25% of its population is dependent on coffee exports for its livelihood (which account for about 10% of the GDP). Coffee is dark and strong! In the Hilton Hotel where I stayed they had a woman conducting the traditional coffee ceremony every day. In the ceremony, coffee beans are roasted and ground and then steeped in boiling water and then served. No milk here- but LOTS of sugar. Think super sweet espresso. Accompanied with popcorn or peanuts...it's something not to miss.
7. Shoulder dancing
My last night in Ethiopia we went out for a "cultural night." Ethiopian food accompanied with a "show" of sorts of different types of music and dancing from various regions in Ethiopian. Three Anglo-colleagues and one Ethiopian went to Habesha 2001 for the evening. Each region definitely has its own distinct "flavor" and in all my ignorance it was hard to tell all the differences, but I did get to watch a few pretty great "shoulder dances"- where the dancers essentially shake and gyrate their shoulders to the point where you feel like a chiropractor should be called! Here are two links to two videos (one that is hideously embarrassing of me!).
8. Calendar
While it might be 2012 to many of us, in Ethiopia it's only 2005!
The Ethiopian calendar (also called the Ge'ez calendar, is the principal calendar used in Ethiopia and also serves as the liturgical calendar for Christians. It is based on the older Alexandrian or Coptic calendar; it adds a leap day every four years without exception, and begins the year on August 29 or August 30 in the Julian calendar. A seven- to eight-year gap between the Ethiopian and Gregorian calendars results from alternate calculations in determining the date of the Annunciation of Jesus.
Like the Coptic calendar, the Ethiopian calendar has twelve months of 30 days each plus five or six "holy" days, which comprise a thirteenth month. Hence Ethiopia's tagline "13 months of sunshine"!
9. A smidge of history
Ethiopia is considered the site of some of the earliest homo sapiens...dating back more than 3.5 million years! Earliest records show documentation of Egyptians visiting Ethiopia in 3000 BC. Ethiopia takes pride in never having been colonized. Though it was occupied by the Italians for less than a decade pre-WWII. Italians had their influence in the coffee trade/industry. While not colonized Ethiopia endured its share of civil wars and even genocide. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was formed in 1991 and followed in 1994 with a new constitution and bicameral legislature and judicial system.
10. Ethiopians at home in Boston
After my 24 hour journey home, I couldn't wait to be home in my apartment. And wouldn't luck have it...my cab drive from the airport home- Ethiopian. My bagger at Whole Foods that afternoon Ethiopian- likely a very well educated, professional in Ethiopia, now bagging groceries and giving Amharic lessons to many a gringo couples' adopted Ethiopian children. And on the way to the airport for Xmas- Ethiopian cab driver. All were excited to learn of my travels and we shared stories. If it's one thing I really appreciate about my travels, it's about how small it has made my world and how many more connections I have with so many different people.
1 comment:
I want to see your Paris field trip!
xo,
Sheila
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