Feast of the Ascension

I have lost track of the Ethiopian calendar, since I know they only have 30 days to each and every month. They add the remainder to their thirteenth month…and all is good. Today is Sunday, the feast of the Ascension.

We left Addis on Friday morning at about 5:30. Stereotypically, the seven hour journey took fourteen. But it was well worth it. We were heading to Arbaminch, south of the capital. There is a national park there and several lakes Chamo and Abayo. But more on that later.

The journey from the capital took us into a even higher elevation before we dropped into the Rift Valley. The roads were great, certainly better than any in Kenya, most in Mexico and sorry to say Kentucky or Missouri. For the length of the 500 km journey there was never a moment that there were not people visible on the sides of the road. The Ethiopian highlands are a very fertile area, exporting food to the rest of Africa during the reign of Haile Sellasie. The drought of 1984 and the starvation which ensued was probably as much the fault of the government's inability to distribute food throughout the country.

We passed through three distinct tribal areas, Guragie, Kembata, and Wolayta, each with their own style of dress and huts. The first area the Guragie was interesting as the huts were asymmetrical, made of mud and waddle, with high thatched roofs. The compounds always consisted of several structures. There always seemed to be one topped more intricately that the others. This stayed consistent the whole journey. At one point, in another tribal region the huts took on a more square shape, reflected both in the walls and roof. And finally, an area of round huts with less pitch to the roof, indicating less rainfall.

The agricultural variety was amazing: maize, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, a non-fruiting banana with a thick trunk (the inside of the trunk is harvested, wrapped, buried in the ground for a couple of months until formation occurs, then is dried and ground and made into a flat bread, called ocho). The livestock, cows, goats and sheep were ever present but feed from gathered grasses rather than allowed to graze in the open. The steep hills were terraced to maximize production. It was a beautiful landscape. We passed through several larger towns, that showed the inroads of Western influence. It was apparent from the amount of commerce traveling toward the towns that it was a market day. On carts drawn by donkeys, transported on home-made carts resembling wheel barrows, on the back of donkeys (or for the poor folk, the backs of the wife), came cow hides, clay pots, bundles of grass, bananas, bags of all shapes and sizes; cows, sheep and goats, either being herded or pulled to the market. Actually, there was very little motorized conveyance: an occasional bus or minivan and closer to town little three wheeled vehicles which basically are a motor scooter taxi.

We passed two funeral processions. Each very different. In the second area, which was decidedly Muslim, a small group of mainly men were carrying a body, wrapped in a shroud, on a their shoulders. The other was lead by a truck, carrying the body in a casket and the grieving family, followed by hundreds of mourners, all dressed in white.

The highest elevations were plowed and reading for planting. The rainy season begins next month. There were some fields of maize already planted, so if the rains come on time, they will have a head start. Further along they were still working the fields with a plow, drawn by oxen. The plow is a single large pole. Through the front a single wooden bar is inserted, which somehow is attached to the oxen. The plow end has a single or sometimes V shaped branch lashed to the center pole. Lashed to that is the plow blade which is a piece of metal, not much wider or longer than a large butcher knife. Perpendicular to the upright piece which holds the blade is inserted a small wooden rod that acts as a steering device.

As we entered into the Rift, the land changed as did the economy: less farming more grazing. The trees and the birds indicated a drier biome. However, there were bananas, for miles and miles and miles. Mammo (more on him later) said all of the bananas that are sold in Addis come from this area. Mammo, is a former student of the Brothers and because of him, we are there. He now lectures on Water Engineering at the University here. He is very talented (he played the organ today at mass).

We stopped to eat twice along the way. Breakfast at Butajira,the first stop, consisted of omelets. The eggs here are all free range so are darker yellow and have a richer flavor. The omelets were delicious. They had peppers, tomatoes and onions. Some of the kids were busy picking everything out of them without much success. I laughed. I have absolutely no sympathy for spoiled, picky eaters, especially in a country whose name is synonymous with starvation. Hopefully, someday, with maturity they will come to see the irony of their action. We had lunch at Soto. It was the last town on the good road. We stopped at a very nice tourist hotel and while studier transportation was arranged, we ate. John (Dols), Melissa, Maurice and I ordered traditional fare. The others: spaghetti, which has been their staple so far. Some have taken to eating it without sauce: again, no sympathy…and there is not Taco Bell or McDonald's. But they aren't starving or if they are, it is by choice. There was plenty of variety on the menus, ranging from chicken, veal or steak with garlic sauce. The traditional choice included Kifir (raw cubes of beef, marinated in Barbare), a minced beef dish, fried lamb and a dish with dried lamb and shredded injera. It is all served on one big plated on a layer of injera, from which all at the table share. The fried lamb was our favorite, then the lamb in injera, the raw beef and bringing in the rear was the cooked beef. All was excellent.

Taddele felt that the van in which we had been traveling would hold up to the rigors of the last 180 Km. The road, which at one time was black-top has disintegrated into little better than a gravel road. The good news is that the entire length was being worked on under the supervision of either China or Korea. Rock culverts were being laid by construction men and women. There were numerous detours, which really slowed our progress. But there were flag men at every diversion. Mammo met us in Soto with a four wheel drive from the mission, our truck which has been with us since the beginning is also four wheel drive. The van we hired, well, it was hired…I probably would have driven it on the good highway, but it was perfect for the road we were traveling, both the speed and the condition. It was a country van, opposed to a city van.

We arrived at the mission about 7:30. It is run by the Spiritan Fathers, who have been in this area for about forty years. Currently, Father Skinnader is the only priest in residence. He is originally from Ireland, but has been here for nine years, before that Rwanda and before that West Africa. They have numerous buildings, which easily accommodated all of us. The electricity was on when we arrived, it went off about 10:00 pm and has been off every since. We were greeting in our rooms with a variety of small lizards (which eat mosquitoes, so are our friends). Dols had a scorpion. Don't panic, they eat mosquitoes also! The scorpions here are small, like the ones in Missouri, and have a sting no worse than a wasp. It caused a few freak outs, but will make every one more appreciative of what they have when they get home. If it doesn't…send them back.

Saturday:

We spent the main part of the day in the National Park: Nech Sar, which means white grass. The worst roads of Friday were superhighways compared to the roads in the park, which traversed the mountains surrounding the lakes in vertical climbs that could only be negotiated by four-wheel drive vehicles. I learned Minnasotan: "We almost died," translates into we engaged the four-wheel drive! The protected life in suburbia is being challenged hourly! But the rigors of the rode melted away when they spotted their first zebra. We also saw cormorants, marabou storks, Thompson's gazelle, some antelope that looked like a Topi, the much anticipated Dik Dik and millions of butterflies. Our guide said there were 69 varieties of butterfly in the park. The sun here is hot, being only a couple hundred miles north of the equator. So that was hard on everyone, but we remind them to drink lots of water. The shade and breezes are wonderful. I would guess the temperature to be in the mid to high eighties. In the sun it feels much warmer…like 100, but there isn't much humidity.

After the park, we were going to go look at the lake's famous crocodiles, but everyone was too tired, so we had lunch instead at the tourist hotel in town. It had tables set in beautiful gardens, wandering Dik Dik (which look like miniature deer) and a great menu. Fish was recommended, since we are near the lake (and it was good), so many people had fried fish and chips (French fries), but some had steak and others stuck with incredible tenacity to plain spaghetti. I formed a table which enjoyed the Tourist Traditional Menu as well as fried and grilled fish.

After lunch, people went for a stroll, showered toured the town and relaxed. All of us kids went touring around the town and visited with the locals. We talked to some of the locals, played ping pong, and attracted some children who followed us around. While walking home, we formed a huge line of us holding hands and attracted quite a few laughs from the locals. We met some kids who were playing football with their own ball. It was not an actual soccer ball, but they were having fun none the less. All of the children were very inviting and happy to include me into their game. Nigatu one of the children who understood English was happy to help organize some teams and we played for a quite a while. Later he was able to teach me so Amharic phrases such as "how are you?", "what is your name?" and "how old are you?".While I playing in the town, most of the other students went to play soccer with some of the kids behind our church. They brought their own soccer ball and attracted quite a few children. One of the children grabbed the soccer ball and ran away with it, but after retrieving it they had a good time playing in a circle. After playing for a while, they brought out some candy and things became rather violent. They were swarmed by the kids and they began to claw for more candy. Children were taking candy hiding it and then asking for more. Other kids were pushing other out of the way and stealing it from them. In order to get away they waded through the crowd and all had to help push the gate shut. After dinner at the house, Father showed us a video produced as a fundraising piece in Germany. It showcased the many initiatives, such as water projects done by the Spiritans in the area.

Sunday:

Today we had breakfast at 7:30, followed by Mass at 9:00. We celebrated the Mass of the Ascension. Although Mass was in Amharic, it was the Roman Rite, so it was recognizable. All of the music was in Amharic, the Mass was chanted, as is the tradition in the orthodox church. So traditions have mixed a bit. Father read the Gospel in both Amharic and English (Irish!), and preached in English, which was translated into Amharic by Mammo. He finished in a little under an hour.

Then the group was off to the lake see the crocodiles and hippos.

The tour of the crocodiles and hippos was absolutely amazing. It was only a fifteen minute drive to the lake and then we split into two different boats. Our first encounter was an adrenaline rush of awe and fear. We were perhaps 50 ft away from an eighteen foot long, two foot wide crocodile, on a boat perhaps a foot off the water. We also saw hippos from the same distance as well as differing varieties of birds. After the first encounter we traveled around a small peninsula and found another group of crocs, hippos, birds and too our surprise fisherman standing on small rafts pushing themselves along with a large pole. At one point we were able to fit all of them into a single picture. This was rather depressing for me. These fisherman were mere teens who were risking their lives to obtain some food. Our tour guide told us that the fisherman were killed quite often because of the proximity in which they worked with the crocs. At one point our driver turned off our motor and we drifted towards a large group of crocs, one that was easily fifteen feet long was less than twenty feet away from the boat. One of the Minnesota students, Jenny captured some National Geographic worthy photos, and Brother Taddele openly admitted his fear of the crocs.

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On the 20^th day of the ninth month in the year 2001 of the Ethiopia calendar. Thursday, May 28, 2009. The Feast of the Ascension. It is also a National Holiday marking the defeat of the MENGISTU regime in 1991.

 

Dirt. That is how yesterday began. The Brothers picked us up from the guest house where we went to the postulancy compound to help with the construction of a new building. The building with house a computer center on the first floor and dormitories on the second for visiting groups such as ours. Our task for the morning was to move dirt excavated from two rows of rectangular hole, each of which were eight feet wide by about ten foot long and probably eight foot deep … all dug by hand. The dirt had to be moved in preparation for foundation work. So, to work we went. The dirt was haul in what best described at a litter…two poles of eucalyptus topped with a sheet of corrugated iron. A few shovelfuls of dirt on top of the iron sheet and one person on each end and off they went to the every growing pile of dirt at the edge of the construction site.  It provided good exercise, numerable blisters and good reflection material. We worked for about two hours and were thoroughly tired. The normal workers, who reveled in our feeble attempts work 12 hour days for about $2.00. Reference to working at a McDonald's for minimum wage was a much easier way to go.

 

We ate lunch at the postulancy (hamburgers and spaghetti), which made everyone happy.

 

In the early afternoon, the group visited the headquarters of Catholic Relief Services in Addis. Mr. Lane Bunker, the director, shared some statistics with us. The CRS is the only international aid organization that is based in the U.S. although they do all international work. The CRS has been in Ethiopia for over fifty years. He shared these statistics with us: 36% over the age 15 are literate; life expectancy is 52 years; the gross domestic product is $800 per capita (compared to $45,000 in the USA); the human development index is 169 out of 179 (this compares how countries are developing). There are 132 staff members overseeing 33 different projects. For this fiscal year 94% came from the U.S. government. 80% of their money goes to drought relief. The rest goes to water and sanitation. Only 24% of the population has access to clean water. The also work with HIV/AIDS; food security; agriculture and livelihood management; emergency response and recovery; microfinance; Health, Education & Behavior change; and Peace and Justice. The major challenges are political climate, lack of infrastructure, regional concerns (borders with Sudan and Somalia), environmental degradation, and population growth (3% per year). The opportunities are the reputation of CRS, most of the people are Ethiopia who are working, excellent church partnership, influence beyond catholic community, reputation helps with funding and AIDS relief. He also spoke in favor of Fair Trade practices. He also mentioned that the childhood mortality rate is 15%.

 

At five, we were received by His Grace, Abune Berhaneysus D. Souraphiel, CM, Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa. The Archbishop was educated by the Brothers (as was the Minister of Tourism). He was a delightful character. He explained to us the history of Christianity in Ethiopia, the history of the country and some of the highlights of the various areas. The Brothers had also started the Cathedral School, which they operated for about 25 years. The school has 5000 students. When asked about the image of Mary, which is pretty prevalent throughout, the Archbishop remarked that the relationship began when Mary, Joseph and Jesus escaped to Egypt and being too hot there traveled to the much cooler Lake Tana region of Ethiopia, where Jesus presented Mary with the country (he said with a smile). He also spoke of the unity among the Christians  and the peaceful co-existence with the Muslims. The Orthodox Christians make up about 50% of the population, while Muslims account for 40 to 45%. Roman Catholics make up less than one percent of the population. He said no one notices them so they can accomplish more (again with a smile). He referenced the building of a Mosque very close the cathedral, and again with a smile, said he was waiting for its completion then was going to elevate the cross on the top of the cathedral so it would be higher than the crescent on top of the Mosque.

 

We returned to the pastoral center, a little late, so after dinner everyone pretty much retired for the evening. It was a long day.

 

We slept in today, because of the National Holiday. Some of us got up to go to mass, who knew it was the Ascension?  The Church, St. Michael's, adjoins the property here. The liturgy was conducted in Gis. Father Yob Tesfaye, who said mass for us the other night in the Roman Rite, presided over today's High Mass in the Ethiopian Rite. From beginning to end (although after an hour and a half, no end was in sight and we had to go to breakfast) the Mass was chanted. The was copious amounts of incense. The incense never left the sanctuary and was used at least 9 or 10 times. The congregation was blessed over and over and over. We bowed and bowed and bowed. The bells rang and rang and rang including a no less than five minute ringing of bells both inside and outside the Church at the elevation of the Eucharist. There were two priests and five acolytes. At times, the processional cross was carried around the altar, sometimes alone, sometimes with candles, sometimes with candles and incense and sometimes with all five acolytes and both priests. I found one of the most interesting movements to be consecration when Father lifted the incensor over the chalice and paten and with his other had pulled the smoke over the bread and wine, much like native Americans use a smudge. At communion time a large patio sized umbrella made of blue velvet and embroidered in gold was held over the priests.

 

After breakfast we went to the internet cafes close to the pastoral center. They were supposed to be broadband, but very few people connected. So that was disappointing.

 

After lunch, which again had spaghetti with a spicy vegetable sauce, but also a variety of vegetable dishes and slices of beef. Just a note on the beef…it is chewy. We are used to having our meat aged 20 days or so to achieve a taste and tenderness to which we are familiar. This cow was walking yesterday. It is a whole different taste and texture.

 

In the afternoon, we visited the Awasa Center, which is run by the Missionaries of Charity. There are six Sisters there. Sister Martha John (which translates to love in action, appropriately), gave us a tour. Awasa is a branch house of the facility we visited the other day specifically for children with HIV/AIDS. The center currently houses 384 children mostly in the 5-7 year old range, although there are some as old as 22 and as young as one month. Three-fourths of the children are on anti-viral medicine which has recently become available in Ethiopia. Prior to these medicines the average life expectancy of the children was thirteen years. Now, with medicine they can live normal lives. Sister commented that no children died in the facility last year. She said, "we experience many miracles here." She said when the sisters first opened the facility, with five children, there was no hope for them. True to the charism of the sisters, the helped these children die comfortably, now with the advances in medicine, the sisters feel that they are no longer needed and are looking for some other organization to take over the orphanage. The government help the sisters find relatives or maybe even the parents who might have abandoned some of the children and return the children to the parents. The center has one of two machines in Ethiopia for the rapid diagnosis of HIV. We also met two volunteer doctors who live at the center with their children. We also saw a workshop where they teach the kids to weave. The sell their weavings to help pay for their education, now that they will live.  There is a school on site that will educate 1000 students. For so long, when HIV was untreatable, there was no need to educate the children. Now they ask the older one's what grade they think they should be in and then they test them. The 21 year old is there because he is finished 8^th grade.  The second we arrived we were surrounded by kids, who wanted to be held or hold a hand. Unfortunately, we just have two hands, because there were more kids than arms to hold them. The facility was clean and cheerful. But again, the beds were side by side. We also visited the clinic where there were newborns and nursing mothers. But with the Sisters and their work they now have hope. Sister Martha John asks for prayers, she is being transferred to the men's section of the center we saw the other day. She says it is hard there because two or three men die there every day. So I assured her of our prayers, so please pray for her and the work of the Sisters.

 

We are leaving Addis tomorrow. So this will be the last blog for at least four days. I hope they are now getting through.

 

As I am trying to get this sent, I am listening to country western music in an internet cafe in Addis Ababa. Small world.

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On the 18^th day of the ninth month in the year 2001 of the Ethiopia calendar. Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

 

After our 7:30 breakfast, we left the guest house for the home of the Missionary Sisters of Charity. We were met by Sister Joan of Arc. Sister was originally from France, but has been in Calcutta until last year, when she was moved to Addis Ababa. Sister gave us a quick tour of the facility which at any one time is home to between 800 and 900 people. The mission of the Sisters is to gather the sick and dying from the streets and either bring them to health or give them a gentler death. We toured the two buildings reserved for men. There were beds side-by-side, end to end…every room filled. Some beds were occupied by those too ill to go outside. There are 400 men being taken care of by the Sisters. Even though the rooms were filled with beds and the beds were all occupied, the compound was incredibly clean and well-organized. 

 

We then toured the women's section, where about 250 women stay. Again, large dormitories filled with beds. Overall the place was very clean, but still shocking to see the human need. Next to the women were adolescents with disabilities. Many of the residents greeted us as we passed, some shook our hands.

 

We then crossed into another compound. There were pregnant women who were rescued from the streets. They are allowed to stay with their newborn and other children for three months. The mother sleeps with her children in one bed…and again, the beds were packed end to end with only enough room to get through between the beds.

 

            Meghan, one of the students from Minnesota, had been asked by a waitress before our departure from the States to give her past lover some money. The Ethiopian waitress had given Meghan $50, quite a substantial amount here, so that he could get back on his feet after having heart surgery. There was a substantial amount of good fortune is meeting this waiter, only a few days before the trip, and  being able to find the lover while we were there. Although I did not witness the exchange, I heard that it was a moving experience.

 

The last section is where we spent the day. It was the home of orphaned, abandoned, and street children. Sister said they cared for 200 children. We arrived at feeding time, so a number of us help feed the children, who because of their disabilities: Burned, abused, amputated, tumors, autism, Downs Syndrome and other illnesses , needed to be hand fed. But most of the time was spent playing and holding and interacting with the kids. It is hard to describe the children. It seemed no matter the physical or mental condition, they wanted to be held. Some would just want to sit next to you, simply to hold a hand and smile. They were craving any kind of attention and glowed with joy when we gave it to them.  There was laundry hanging everywhere. One of the sisters said they employ over 200 people to help with feeding, washing and supervising the 800 residents. There have to be people in attendance 24 hours a day and there are only 11 sisters.

 

 

 

I am not a medical person, but the medical conditions we observed could probably fill a textbook. But the kids were like kids everywhere. They delighted in our company and attention. They loved to play. Some of the little kids would push other kids who lived in wheel chairs.  There were also a room of newborns. This was probably the most difficult for some people when they were asked to take a baby home to American to save their lives. It has been challenging enough to face the poverty, the beggars, but when you are holding a baby in your arms, it all becomes a bit more personal. The experience of the day has led to a lot of reflection.

 

During all of this we broke for lunch and drove to the postulancy. Brother Kassau had ordered sandwiches for us. We were treated to tuna sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and club sandwiches all served with fries.

 

After lunch we went back to the orphanage for a little while. Most of the kids were taking a nap at the time, but there were still a few of them running around. There were also several woman holding and breastfeeding infants in the courtyard. Ali and Mrs. Livermore were given children to hold while we were there. The woman then explained that these infant's mothers had died and asked them to take the infants to America. From what I have heard, the experience was a sobering and disturbing one. It is not practical to take a baby home, but turning down a 3-4 month old infant is heartbreaking. Soon after the children needed to go inside for a meal and we decided to take out leave. We walked back through the orphanage and found a group of people playing soccer. This was a very enjoyable experience for me, being able to play some soccer with Ethiopians. We formed a circle with us and around 10 other residence of the orphanage. The ages ranged from young children too adults, and everyone was able to have a laugh at our not so skillful players. This was very enjoyable to me, because everyone no matter the age or skill level was having a good time.  In the Soccer ring we met two French men who had were visiting Ethiopia for the next 6 months. One of them was a Ethiopian who had been adopted as a young child and he was now giving back to the orphans of Ethiopia.

 

When we left the orphanage, Mr. Shumaker, Ryan, Ali and I (John) walked to the Ethiopian National Museum. This was the first time any of us had walked on the streets instead of driving. The side walk was like walking on jagged stone and there were pits of sewage every 50 feet or so. However, everyone met us with a bright smile and a cheerful "selame"(hello). The streets of Chicago are cleaner but the residence are nowhere near as inviting as the Ethiopians. The walk really allowed me to immerse myself in the culture, because driving is a distanced exposure. While driving it seem as if you are watching a TV, not actually driving through Ethiopia.

 

The National Museum is divided into four floors. The basement holds anthropological finds. Lucy (the real one is on loan to the U.S.) has her permanent home there. That area was probably the most organized of the museum. The first floor held items dating from the 6^th-4^th BCE. It also held furniture and historic items concerning the Ethiopian royalty that was "stolen" by the Italians (or in one case the British), but now have been returned. The next floor was devoted to fine art, manly painting. There were several older pieces, but most of it was modern. There were several pieces by an internationally acclaimed Ethiopia artist whose name I won't even attempt. The top floor was dedicated to culture and lifestyle: weaving, pottery, woodworking, farming, costume, jewelry and religious articles.

 

In the evening, the Brothers took us out to a traditional Ethiopia restaurant. The power, which had gone off shortly after midnight was still off. The restaurant had a European section and an Ethiopian section. The unadventurous half went towards the European section and had spaghetti.  Enough said. The other half chose the better section. By lantern light we explored the restaurant, each area decorated like a different area of the country. The rock churches of the north, to the caves of the south. The tables were low coiled baskets topped with clay table tops. The waiters and waitresses were dressed in traditional costume. The candle light made it even more authentic. Our orders were placed. The meal depends on the number of diners. For example if you have three people eating off the plate, you have maybe 5 preparations. After the order was taken, a waiter came to our table with a pitcher of water, scented with lemon, and a shallow bowl with a larger receptacle attached to the bottom for us to wash out hands. Then the waitress brought a large flat dish which fit perfectly in the table top that was about 20 inches in diameter. The plate was covered with a single piece of injera (Ethiopia flat bread, which is leavened through fermentation. It is pancake like in many ways) with a few rolls of the same around the perimeter. The waitress then brought a tiered serving device which held a number of smaller dishes. She very ceremoniously distributed the contents of each bowl around the large plate of injera. The diners then tear bite size pieces of the bread off the rolls of bread that have been provided and pick up pieces of the food from the larger plate. The whole table eats off the same plate, so it is a very communal way of eating. We had a cubed lamb dish, a minced beef cooked with berbere (a uniquely Ethiopian spice mixture), a dish with spinach and lamb, a stew of chicken with strips of injera and tripe. I will say it is the best tripe I have ever had, still chewy, but at least it had flavor. There was also a generous portion of Ethiopian cottage cheese, which is a crumbled farmer's cheese.

 

After dinner we had coffee, which is similar to espresso. The unusual part, was with the coffee came a burner of frankincense. So not only did you have the sensory effect of the taste of the coffee, but had the olfactory stimulation of the incense . At the end of the meal a waiter returned with the water and bowl to again wash our hands.

 

The other group joined us and to great applause, the electricity returned. We were then entertained by traditional musicians and a troupe of dancers who performed a variety of regional dances. During one song, someone from one of our neighboring tables took over the microphone. I was thinking Ethiopian Karaoke. But it turns out that the musicians were playing a Sudanese song and that the group of people next to us were from Sudan. Several of the group got up to dance. During the last dance, there was a lot of audience participation in the dancing, especially for the more uninhibited of our group: read, Mr. Dols. And with that encouragement, many of others followed. It was a good night and a much needed release.

 

One final general note.  As we drive through the city of Addis Ababa, we cannot help but notice the attention to building and development.  Infrastructure is on the mind of most Americans right now because of President Obama's stimulus package.  I've noticed several signs along U.S. city roads and highways celebrating the money given to fund re-paving, etc.  We take these projects for granted.  But these projects in Ethiopia definitely have their own character.  There are numerous high-rise hotel and office buildings going up around the city.  It's striking that the workers make scaffolds from eucalyptus wood poles lashed together.  They rise 5-6 stories in the air supporting the workers as they use 21^st century materials.  Demand for those construction materials is high.  The Brothers are building a youth center at their compound, but when they went to buy cement to lay the foundation, the line was too long to make it practical.  Because the pace of the building is so brisk, development often outstrips supplies of water and electricity.  Power outages are common (the flashlights we brought turn out to be very useful), and loss of water pressure makes going to the washroom a bit tricky.  Twice since we have been here, there have been power outages.

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On the 17^th day of the ninth month in the year 2001 of the Ethiopia calendar,  Memorial Day.

 

This morning we rose early and enjoyed our breakfast of French Toast, bread and marmalade, coffee, tea and mango juice. The Brothers picked us up at 8:00 to visit Saint Joseph's Academy for the day. Traffic was incredible, which greatly delayed our arrival.

 

St. Joseph's is nearly fifty years old and is arguably one of the best, if not the best school in Ethiopia. It educates 1500 boys from 1^st to 12^th grades. Our host, Mr. Demisse, the principal explained that St. Joseph was highest scoring school in the national exam for the last 2 years and that maybe one boy in the last 10 years has failed to qualify for the university. It is an impressive institution.

 

Yearly students are accepted in major U.S. Universities: read Harvard. The education is rigorous and academically elite. Two classes of 50 students each are accepted into 1^st grade every year. Three-hundred and fifty apply and only the most academically promising are allowed to start the program. The education is in Amharic, the national language. At the end of sixth grade, the students are tested, those who don't make the cut are asked to leave. For seventh grade another class of 50 students is added, the students are who are invited are the top scorers from the public schools. If they can't afford the tuition, they are given scholarships.  This academic culling occurs every other year. So the incentive to succeed is great. Also, at seventh grade the language of instruction changes to English. If the test results at the end of the 10^th grade are not adequate that is the end of formal education in Ethiopia. The students also declare a "major" of either arts or science.

 

The math and science curriculum is really emphasized beginning in grade 7. Every year they take Biology, Chemistry and Physics…so by the time they graduate they have had 6 years of each subject.

 

The students remain in their own classroom all day and the teachers rotate in and out. And the teachers all wear white doctor-like smocks. There were 48 to 50 students in every classroom we visited. The 10^th and 12^th graders were gone, studying for their exams which begin next week, so we visited English, math, physics and chemistry classes for 9^th and 11^th graders. Our students were very impressed that they were studying Robert Frost's "The Mending Wall". I can't imagine analyzing poetry in what is their second (or perhaps third) language. Their English was excellent and everyone was so hospitable, even before they found out why we were here! As the day progressed it even became more evident what an academic powerhouse this school was. During the classes, the teacher spent most of the time lecturing, and the boys took some notes, but really hung on every word the teacher said. There were no text books to be seen, although one of the teachers said they do have them, but that is what they do for homework.

 

After tea, a fine tradition, we met for a discussion with about 60 or so students selected from the various classes. It was a very interesting and really heartwarming exchange. Our students were excellent.  The first part of the discussion focused on our educational system, brought about by a question from one of the Ethiopian boys on the depiction of the American educational system in the movies (their only point of reference). They asked us if we knew anything about Ethiopia, someone said yes, and the we proved we know nothing…not the name of the president nor the prime minister. They are intensely proud of their 3000 year history and point out that they are mentioned in the Bible. They knew more about the United States (including the naming of all the states) than most of us. Most of the boys admitted to studying about three hours every night.  They do not have religion as a subject in school, the state mandates the study of ethics, so they were very interested in our theology classes. The discussion then moved to the difficulties Ethiopian students encounter when studying in the U.S., mainly drugs and alcohol. The discussion ended when one of their students asked our students to sing our national anthem, to which they acquiesced. And in return they sang the national anthem of Ethiopia. It was a fitting end to the academic end.

 

I am not sure who challenged whom, but we then had a game of basketball. Since their varsity was home studying for the national exam I am not sure about our 48-21 defeat. Mr. Dols blamed our defeat on the refs, jokingly; Mr. Shumaker blamed the concrete court, the high altitude, the intense sun, the fact we were not a real team…and well, you get the picture. It was high entertainment and all in good fun. Several hundred students watched and applauded every shot from both teams. When the game was over everyone players and audience alike lined up to shake hands. It was wonderful sportsmanship.

 

St. Joseph's is about 95% Christian. Over 80% of the students are Orthodox. Although even here tuition is raising next year, for elementary is it about 1800 bir a year, which is approximately $180. For secondary next year tuition will be about 2800 bir…or $280. Mr. Demisse said that $1750 pays for 4 years of education including uniforms and transportation costs. The boys wear grey pants, white shirts and blue sweaters. There basketball uniforms, however, are green and gold.

 

We returned to the guest house and after showering and a break we processed our day for about 1 ½ hours. It proved to be an excellent exchange on the spirit of welcome and hospitality we have received, but also our responsibility to the poor. Driving to St. Josephs there were a number of people asking for money.  It is pretty tough not to give a mother and her 5 month old baby something. The level of poverty, though I am sure we haven't seen the worst, is very disturbing. It calls us to reflect and appreciate all that we have and how to be responsible stewards of that which we are entrusted. That discussion will surely continue for the rest of the trip.

 

A dinner of soup, rice, beef (I think), boiled potatoes and spinach followed. Everyone ate well since our last meal was at tea-time and that consisted of bread, cheese and fruit.

 

After dinner we divided the gifts and supplies we had brought for the various schools, pulling out some things for the two orphanages we will be visiting. This was followed by Mass at 8:00 pm. We met one of the resident priests on our way into the house in the afternoon and he generously offered to say Mass for us whenever we like. He was very nice, welcoming and just a kind and generous spirit. He commented that is doesn't really matter what time of day we encounter Jesus in the liturgy, it is the fact that we want to that is most important. He wore all white with a fabulous embroidered stole. He kept his head covered for the whole mass. After mass he explained that it was really a tradition borrowed from the Eastern rites, a celibate priest wears the head covering, while the married priests do not. He wears a black version during the day, but the tradition is to wear white during Mass since every Mass celebrates the resurrection. He explained that at one time, they ever wore them to bed. We are learning much.

 

Everyone was pretty much ready to go to bed as Mass ended. It was a long day. Tomorrow will be the same.

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On the 16^th day of the ninth month in the year 2001 of the Ethiopia calendar, we arrived in Addis Ababa.

 

But I will start at the beginning. Airplanes, as all things mechanized, break down. It just happens. But when one is waiting for a plane and within the four gates, three out of three aircraft are delayed because of mechanical failure, it is something like the alignment of the stars indicating a great portent. My plane originated in Denver failed its first test spin, so it was back in the shop. They weren't even going to decide what to do until 1:00…but a plane finally did arrive and I departed Kansas City at about 3:30.

 

Betsy, coming from Denver had her first flight cancelled. There was a lot of phone conversation…instead of, "can you hear me now," became, "where are you now?" John and the group from Minneapolis was the first group to arrive at O'Hare at about 1:00. David and the group from Chicago reached the airport at 3:00. Betsy made it from Denver a little after four. And I got to the gate as they were boarding at 5:20. I was reasonably sure my luggage would not be so lucky.

 

The fifteen of us were London bound. Our 6:05 departure netted us dinner, which was pretty much the first thing we did. Some people actually had a choice between chicken or cheese pasta. The cheese pasta must have been a heavy seller, so some people just had chicken thrust on them. But it was a full flight and will all the anticipation, few in the group slept. An hour before arrival in London we were delivered a breakfast of yogurt and a sweet roll of sorts. Hot towels would have been nice, but we were in economy. The god of wind was with us and pushed us to an hour early arrival in Heathrow.

 

For Heathrow, everything went very smoothly. London was clear and 54 degrees when we arrived. We flew right of the center of the city giving those with window seats an unparalleled view of  the tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the rest of the sites in the historic city center. We arrived and departed out of terminal one. There was virtually no line at either security or re-ticketing. We had plenty of time for window shopping all the duty free shops, eating, and a brief orientation (since that didn't happen in Chicago). A little irony, they were out of English muffins at the place the teachers decided to eat, no kidding. A hint to future travelers, if you can get to gate 36 on a layover…it has recliners! Between the six hour time difference and the now almost 7 hour layover, thanks to the early arrival, everyone was fairly exhausted.

 

The flight to Amman, Jordan was also full. The airline was bmi, I only know that is British Midland because I looked it up. It is a cheeky little airline where the stewardesses wear beef-eater hats. Lots of little kids, including several toddlers who plagued the back half of the plane for most of the flight by running up and down the aisles, even venturing into the forbidden territories of business class. We were all sitting together in five rows pretty much over the wing. The lunch was, you guessed it: chicken. The students played, "guess the vegetable".  For us in the know, it was diced turnips, parsnips and rutabaga. I think not too many of the vegetables were consumed. It was about six hour flight and an incredible lesson in geography. As the pilot described our route, I tried for a mental picture…and failed. Basically we flew diagonally across Europe to Turkey, took a sharp right at Cypress, crossed Lebanon and landed in Amman.  You have to have a map with names on it. That may be a little out of order, as I said, I was lost! Add two more hours to the time difference…we are now up to eight.

 

Fortunately, most of the plane emptied at Amman. We were rewarded with a new flight crew of 5 and only three new passengers. We were left with 3 people in business class (with their two stewardesses) and no more than 15 or 20 people in economy besides us. Each one of us had a row unto ourselves. Alleluia, alleluia! After a snack of a tiny pizza with a sausage and, yes, chicken kabob, everyone slept for the duration of the four hour flight to Addis.

 

We arrived in Addis a little after two in the morning. Same time zone as Amman. Immigration was painless. Betsy and I still needed our visas, again, painless. My bags were there. Again, Alleluia. However, there were 3 or 4 bags missing—all from Minneapolis. A search was launched. After the initial…they are still in Chicago, there were discovered on the curb in the Addis airport…they never were put on the luggage belt! That was a bit of a delay, but Brothers Betre, Kassau and Taddele were patiently waiting for us. They had a pick-up for our luggage, which we filled. They did ask us if this was a permanent move we had so much stuff. We arrived at the diocesan guest house about 5 a.m. to the sound of the Orthodox Churches beginning the chants that signal the beginning of their 3 hour liturgy. The sites and sounds of the city are amazing.  The students are paired up in rooms. And us old folk each have our own. They are self contained and pretty nice. Someone said there were bells…I heard nothing!

 

We woke about nine for breakfast (realize this is still all on Sunday) not the next day.  We are trying to rapidly acclimate to the 8 hour time difference. Breakfast was bread and crepes with honey. The Brother picked us up and took us on a city tour. Addis is home to almost 7 million people. The official number is more like 5 million, but I believe the 7. It is modern and clean. It is surrounded by mountains and is lush with vegetation. The Pepsi and Coke signs speak of a small world, although their labels sport Amheric. "Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore!" We passed many embassies, including the new one under construction for the U.S. We also passed the millennium hall. Ethiopia celebrated is two-thousandth year as a country in 2007. There is an unbelievable history.

 

Our first stop was at the Church of the Holy Trinity, built by the King Haile Selassie, his name actually means "Power of the Trinity." He was born Tafari (I probably didn't spell that correctly) but it is the root of the Rastafarians, Ras (meaning head) and his last name…get it? The church is Orthodox. We removed our shoes, as is the custom as we were allowed special entrance for a private tour. The tour began by the men sitting on the left and the women on the right…our first lesson. The church has two banks of stained glass, on the left, the old testament; on the right, the new testament. The window closest to the sanctuary depicts the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon, their son was Minilik, the first king of Ethiopia in about 1000 BC. The church is a memorial to the patriots who died liberating Ethiopia from the Italians, they are buried under the church. Haile Selassie and his queen are buried near the sanctuary. Also on display in the cathedral are the chairs used by the king and queen. After the church we received a tour of a small museum, housing many of the treasures of the cathedral. There were many incredible hand lettered illustrated manuscripts dating back 500 years. There were beautifully embroidered vestments, intricate chalices and crosses and other paraphernalia mostly donated by the last two kings.

 

We then we up Intoto mountain, past the church of St. Mary, which was really where Addis Ababa (meaning, beautiful flower) began. The view over Addis was really nice. There was another group of tourists, mostly from England enjoying the view. And there were kids, lots of kids.

 

The Children surrounded us while we were on the mountain, allowing us to talk to them and explaining what some of the significance of the surrounding area and telling us about their lives. However. Each child was truly hoping for gifts or money. Explaining several major land marks and how difficult their life and struggle to get too school. Ali, one of the students from Minnesota, gave out some gum to the kids. She was swarmed by them and some of the children began to fight over the pieces. the gum eventually ran out and many children were left with nothing.  Several teenage children talked to me and each one seemed to have the same rehearsed story. When we began to leave the children started asking for money and begging for money. It was one of the most awkward moments of my life. I had some money but they were all rather large bills and nowhere near enough for the several dozen children. On the way down from the mountain our van was swarmed by children and several kids jumped on to the back of it yelling and begging for money. Other ran along the side of the van holding onto our open windows and asking, begging for anything. That was the most disturbing experiences of my life.

 

The tallest building in the city is only 25 stories.  From there we went to the Brothers house for lunch…pizza! After lunch we went to the Lion Park. The lions on display were for the most part black maned males in their prime. They were magnificent, although their surrounding were less so.

 

We were back to the Brother's house, which shares a compound with the postulancy (the Brother's house of formation for young Brothers). We had left-over pizza and played cards as we talked with the Brothers.  The most important activity on this day was to stay awake!  So many of us wanted to crawl into bed, but in order to acclimate our bodies to the new time zone, we had to keep busy and then get good rest on Sunday night. We arrived back at the guest house about 9:00 pm. That would be 3:00, Ethiopian time where the morning begins at 7:00 am, being 1:00 and ending at seven, which is also 1:00…there is day and night and that is that.

 

We spend tomorrow at St. Joseph's school in Addis where we will attend classes and meet with students…and have a friendly international game of basketball in the afternoon.  Tuesday we are scheduled to work at a shelter run by Mother Teresa's sisters and visit the National Museum. Wednesday we are doing some work around the compound of the moving dirt nature followed by another service project at yet another orphanage in the afternoon.

 

The following day we are visiting a CRS (Catholic Relief Services) project, but we are still working on the specifics of that.

The at the end of the week we will be off to Arbaminch if you are following our travels on a map, it lies to the south of Addis.

 

We are all well, just really tired.

 

 

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On to Ethiopia

So another adventure begins. It is hard to believe that another school year is almost over and that by next week our newly formed group will be in Ethiopia. With only three days to go, the frequency of e-mails flying back and forth increases. So much to do and so little time in which to do it! But there will be plenty of time to sit in the next few days, either in airports or on airplanes, so starting out tired might be an advantage!

Between bouts of "what was I thinking," and images of a much younger and thinner Sally Struthers on Save the Children infomercials, I am beginning to really look forward to the experience. It really is an anticipation of next year and the prospect of sharing all the information with the O'Hara community. It is strange being twinned with a school we know so little about. So I look forward to building that relationship.

Hopefully, we will be able to add to the blog as we go. So check back frequently.