Oh goodness! I have finally arrived in Ethiopia and getting here was definitely a test of my patience. My trip over involved airplane bathroom explosions, rerouting to Amsterdam, delayed flights, running through the Paris airport, and a lesson on Jesus, war, and global health from my good friend Julian on Ethiopian airlines. Overall quite the memorable 48 hours!
Luckily when my final flight landed, I went through customs easily and headed out to meet Sandy (one of 4 of my lovely roommates). When you land in Addis, you have to walk out of the airport to a parking lot to find a ride either from a friend or a taxi. So I awkwardly stood on this curb, surrounded by luggage that was soaked and reeked of hand sanitizer, the only white girl in sight, awaiting my ride. When Sandy and I finally reunited, we walked on home to our house near Bole. We live about 10min away from the airport which is very convenient but a tad noisy.
Our house is in a beautiful neighborhood where the streets are covered with morning glories. Our housekeeper, Fraye, comes three times a week to clean, rearrange our belongings to where she sees fit, and iron our underwear. We are definitely spoiled! My room, more like a closet actually, is very reminiscent of a dorm room which is kind of fun. I have decked it out with my colorful Walmart bedding and pictures of all my loved ones taped on the walls (I knew that surgical tape would come in handy...).
I have spent my first day and a half here wandering around getting the lay of the land and trying to get set up with internet and a phone. I have been fairly successful and most of you should be hearing from me soon! Addis is a pretty remarkable city. It's such an interesting dichotomy between poverty and wealth. There are herds of goats, donkeys, and other evidence of rural agriculture life along with Mercedes and women walking the streets in designer high heels. The streets are lined with fruit stands and various dilapidated shops along with electronic stores and coffee shops. The coffee here is amazing by the way due to Ethiopia's past as an Italian colony. It has been a treat to sit out on the streets and sip a Macchiato while watching the crowds go by.
The poverty and hardship evident here is also pretty remarkable. Women with infants lay on the streets hoping for money and children beg for food. It's hard not to be shaken by it. I have also seen so many medical ailments, such as the one man with a horrible case of lymphedema and another with club foot as they wander the streets in search of money and food. I am curious to see how the hospitals work and are run. Should be quite the learning experience!
Last evening we went to an Ethiopian restaurant for my arrival and the food was incredible. We ordered beef tibs, which is scraps of beef grilled with spicy peppers, along with shiro, a bean curd mixed with butter, all served on injera, a sour pancake like bread that you use to scoop up your food and eat it. We also ordered the fasting platter (the city fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays meaning that they don't consume any animal products and are essentially vegan), which was also delicious. I have a feeling I will have no trouble finding good food here!
Well, that's it for now, but I will try to update every few days or so, so check in regularly!
Luckily when my final flight landed, I went through customs easily and headed out to meet Sandy (one of 4 of my lovely roommates). When you land in Addis, you have to walk out of the airport to a parking lot to find a ride either from a friend or a taxi. So I awkwardly stood on this curb, surrounded by luggage that was soaked and reeked of hand sanitizer, the only white girl in sight, awaiting my ride. When Sandy and I finally reunited, we walked on home to our house near Bole. We live about 10min away from the airport which is very convenient but a tad noisy.
Our house is in a beautiful neighborhood where the streets are covered with morning glories. Our housekeeper, Fraye, comes three times a week to clean, rearrange our belongings to where she sees fit, and iron our underwear. We are definitely spoiled! My room, more like a closet actually, is very reminiscent of a dorm room which is kind of fun. I have decked it out with my colorful Walmart bedding and pictures of all my loved ones taped on the walls (I knew that surgical tape would come in handy...).
I have spent my first day and a half here wandering around getting the lay of the land and trying to get set up with internet and a phone. I have been fairly successful and most of you should be hearing from me soon! Addis is a pretty remarkable city. It's such an interesting dichotomy between poverty and wealth. There are herds of goats, donkeys, and other evidence of rural agriculture life along with Mercedes and women walking the streets in designer high heels. The streets are lined with fruit stands and various dilapidated shops along with electronic stores and coffee shops. The coffee here is amazing by the way due to Ethiopia's past as an Italian colony. It has been a treat to sit out on the streets and sip a Macchiato while watching the crowds go by.
The poverty and hardship evident here is also pretty remarkable. Women with infants lay on the streets hoping for money and children beg for food. It's hard not to be shaken by it. I have also seen so many medical ailments, such as the one man with a horrible case of lymphedema and another with club foot as they wander the streets in search of money and food. I am curious to see how the hospitals work and are run. Should be quite the learning experience!
Last evening we went to an Ethiopian restaurant for my arrival and the food was incredible. We ordered beef tibs, which is scraps of beef grilled with spicy peppers, along with shiro, a bean curd mixed with butter, all served on injera, a sour pancake like bread that you use to scoop up your food and eat it. We also ordered the fasting platter (the city fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays meaning that they don't consume any animal products and are essentially vegan), which was also delicious. I have a feeling I will have no trouble finding good food here!
Well, that's it for now, but I will try to update every few days or so, so check in regularly!
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