Lucy

Sunny day today and I have started the new year well!
On the eve I went to have some beers with an ex teacher whom I met on the bus once and one of his friends. It was pretty funny to see their face when I asked a Fanta lemon and mixed it with my beer (=Pica). Some things of Bilbao I am not willing to leave behind. Even if Fanta is kinda different here.
On new years we were invited by an African American who also works at the school to his house. James was also the guy who picked me up from the airport, he’s from Texas and a bit of a cowboy from time to time. He’s here for the second time, this time in a manager function and with his wife and their 2 year old son. They are so amazing, they beam with love. At the dinner we had the other day James was talking about how much they had enjoyed having their son ( Jamsie). At the ‘ party’ there were some people of their church ( Baptists) where both of them do a lot of voluntary work including preaching. They’re also learning Amharic to be closer to the people here. These other people were missionaries who have dedicated their lives to preaching and have lived all over the world, various years in South Africa during apartheid in a mixed church, now they are involved in Sudan,and here. Really interesting to talk to, also because they love food and cooking. We’ve been invited over to their house for Christmas and I get hungry just thinking about it. Non traditional food is a real luxury and delicatessen here! Besides it’s always impressive to meet people who are so passionate about their faith and seem even better people because of it. It was a really interesting afternoon and I had so much of the scrumptious pot roast that I didn’t eat in the evening ;-)
I did however make some kalimotxo (=cheap Ethiopian wine and Pepsi) before going to the traditional restaurant where other teachers (who weren’t at James’) ate. Luckily I was somewhat tipsy because one of the traditional dancers at the restaurant pulled me on stage to try and dance with her…..AAAARGGHGH . Their dances are so amazing, they do these expressive rhythmic movements with their shoulders, it’s wonderful to see ( and hilarious when you also try it)! Many people wore traditional clothes and had head jewellery or different kinds of braids then the regular during the celebration. Really impressive and a feast for the eyes.
Yesterday I finally got round to going to the National museum where you can view Lucy the pre-human they’ve found near Addis. Incredible she was only 1,1metre tall even though she was an adult! There are also all kinds of clothes, crowns and other stuff there from their emperors really strange to see, I felt like in a fairy tale, curved swords and velvet outfits.
I’ve also learned there are an incredible amount of different cultures here, people with lip plates, and markings included but these are found more in rural areas and I haven’t seen them in Addis yet. These people still use oxen and wooden instruments to plough… . It is so different here.
I just finished Paolo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ and this also has made quite an impression on me. Lucretia brought it and told me I should read it because it applied on us being here. If you haven’t read it I recommend you to do so.