Thoughts on our trip

I was just hit with the flu so I haven't updated as much as I've wanted to but I'm on the mend now. I've had some time over the past while to think about our trip...and about Ethiopia in general...here are some things I've learned:

• I really like Ethiopia. This probably sounds dumb, but I was scared that it would be smelly and that the food would be gross and that I'd get sick...but it was nothing like that. Sure, there were some obviously bad smells near certain gutters, or by garbage dumps, but mostly it was a pleasant smell. It reminded me of camping (which I like), since there are so many little fires being used for cooking, etc. The food was quite good - we had traditional Ethiopian food twice and it was actually pretty good, and there were always good pasta options at every restaurant. The food at the guest house was great and I didn't get sick at all.
• They have great fruit in Ethiopia. I wasn't expecting to have such fresh pineapple, mango, papaya, bananas, etc. all grown in Ethiopia. The fruit we get in Canada has been picked before it's ripe, and doesn't have as much flavour - the fruit in Ethiopia was great. I had a huge fruit salad every day at the guest house, and enjoyed the 100% fruit juices at various restaurants
• I love their coffee ceremonies. I don't really like coffee...unless it's a latte, but Ethiopian coffee with some (OK, a lot) of sugar is actually quite good. The whole process of roasting beans and drinking the coffee takes at least an hour - but I really enjoyed the 3 times we were able to have this. It certainly beats the drive-thru coffee mentality we're used to here.
• The people in Ethiopia are fantastic. The staff at the KVI guesthouse were amazing - we all felt like family. I'm looking forward to going back and seeing them all again. People we didn't know were great, too. I thought we might feel unsafe or stick out like sore thumbs, but the majority of people either ignored us or just said a friendly hello. The kids, especially, loved coming up to you and saying "Hi" and shaking your hands. There were a few nights we walked down a street in Addis after it was dark, no other "faranji" (white person) in sight, yet we felt perfectly safe and at ease. Granted, in the tourist/souvenir shopping areas people were a little more assertive, but at no point did I ever feel unsafe.
• The weather was great. It was unseasonably warm in Ethiopia (from what I understand). Most days were in the low 30s, but it always cooled down at night. The guesthouse never got hot, which was also great for sleeping.
• The people are very modest. Ethiopians are gorgeous - they have beautiful, big eyes, and a huge percentage of people could be on the cover of magazines...yet they are very modest. The women ensure their shoulders and knees are always covered. Although there were times I would have loved a tank top because it was so hot, I really appreciated that they could be beautiful without having to bare it (almost) all like North Americans do. When we were there we all put out our magazines to share with the other families. Another family had adopted siblings and requested to remove some of the magazines. Although these were all "appropriate" magazines by North American standards (fashion magazines, etc.), I couldn't help but be embarrassed by them when I saw them through the Ethiopians' eyes.
• The travel and time change was really hard. I have traveled a lot in my life - to Europe, around North America...but going to Africa nearly knocked me out. I felt tired all the time, and the fact that I got sick when I got home is probably due to my body going on strike after what I put it through. I absolutely DREAD the flight and time change again...and have minor panic attacks thinking about doing it on the way home with Mebira. I almost lost it when it was just two of us, but having to look after a child on the way home who is going through so much...it really terrifies me! I will fully be relying on God during that trip...and maybe a few drugs as well. :-)

Well, those are enough deep thoughts for today...more posts to follow soon!