I'm Going to Break the Rules...

... and use this blog as a platform for me to blog about Ethiopia, since I'm here now and don't think it is the best idea to set up a whole new blog for the remaining 6 days that I am here. So apologies to the Uganda crew! I know you won't be too hateful.

Salaam!!! Ethiopia is very, very, very, very different from Uganda. I don't even feel like I'm in Africa anymore. Actually, everything-- from the architecture, roads, people, language, and food-- reminds me more of the Middle East (where I can now say I have actually been-- thank you Dubai). First off, it is freezing here!!! Coming from Uganda where everyday was at least in the 80s, my thin skirts, short sleeve shirts, and sandals aren't holding up too well.

Secondly, the people here are unlike anywhere else. They are so proud of their heritage as being the only uncolonized African country. In fact, Christina was telling me that she was trying to speak English to another Ethiopian and they turned to her and said "Sorry, I don't know English. We were never colonized so we have no use for that language." Lol. Although, apparently grades 9-12 are all taught in English, not Amharic.

However, I may be biased because the set I am spending my time with is a bit more upperclass than my crowd in Uganda (i.e. we hang out at the Intercontinental Hotel as opposed to a village in Katakwi). I feel almost disconnected from the people around me, as opposed to in Uganda where I was immersed in their lives. Also, here I am the lone American as opposed to constantly being with a group of other Americans (Christina understands Amharic by now, so I'm the only one that never knows what is going on).

But overall, I am interested to see more of what life in Ethiopia is like, and explore the culture. The four girls who rent out the house I'm staying in are sweet and I learn so much from them, as well as from my temporary caretaker, Kalamoi, Christina's grand-aunt (who doesn't speak any English, but always sits with me during the morning coffee ceremony).

Coffee is worth mentioning here. Ethiopian coffee is called boonda. It is served from a small and narrow clay pot into tiny cups with no handles that you can cradle in your hand. It is so thick-- almost like syrup. Ethiopians fill almost half the cup with raw sugar, although I usually pass with just a small spoonful. The other oddity is that they put a special fresh herb in it and let that soak in more flavor. Finally, the coffee ceremony always includes a burning plate of incense. Plus, breakfast is always fresh popcorn!

So although I miss the red dirt of Uganda-- and even more all the wonderful people I became friends with there-- I am happily exchanging Ugandan pleasures for the chance to explore this new world and drink some very fantastic coffee.

Count Update

Alison's mosquito bite count: 23
Percentage of Christen's body sunburned: 20% (% reburnt)
Number of times Lacey has tripped: 36
Number of mosquitoes Jen has clap-killed: 12

More updates to come...

Clapping kills

Mosquitoes, that is. I've gotten 4 so far.

We've pretty much been chillin the last few days. Christen and I got our hair braided on Saturday. Christen was smart and got braids; I got corn rows ("pencil") and twists and now my hair is a hot mess.

Anyway, a count update:
Number of mosquito bites Alison has: 11
Percentage of Christen's body that is sunburned: 15?
Number of mosquitoes Jen has killed so far by hand: 4
Number of times Lacey has tripped: ~20?
Number of times Lacey has done her chainsaw impersonation: 4?

Inyamat (Food)

I would be the one to write the food blog :-)

We've been in Soroti for a week and it's about time that we shared with you some of the Ugandan foods that we have tried. Here is a list of some of our favorites followed by descriptions of the foods.

Matooke - Matooke is a traditional Ugandan dish. It is made from cooked plantain bananas (etaget).

Posha -A white, stiff porridge made from Maize. Apparently it is made from Maize that has been processed so that it has no nutritional value...oh well. Posha is usually served with beans.

Atap - A type of bread that is like posha, but dark brown. It's kind of sticky.

Eboo - A dish composed of pea leaves and groundnut (peanut) paste. It tastes like peanut butter, but it is green.

Chapat - A fried, flat bread that is also called Chapati. Lots of streetvenders make chapat and sell it as a snack for people passing by. According to Jen, it is also used in Chinese cooking to make scallion pancakes.

Enanasi - Also called Jackfruit. A huge green fruit which you cut in two before picking out the fruit. Apparently the inside is gluelike so you have to oil your hands before preparing it. Yellow fruit inside tastes good in fruit salad.

Ematunda - Also called passionfruit. I'm not sure what it looks like on the outside, but the slightly sour seeds are popular in fruit salad (you can put the seeds inside jackfruit mmm). Passionfruit juice looks kind of like mango juice, but is my new favorite juice.

Mango - Mango trees are everywhere and it's mango season right now. You can go right up to the trees and aim for the yellow ones. You then have to bite off the top and peel the fruit with your teeth (be careful of getting the juice all over your clothes).

Pineapple - Pure deliciousness.


Important Updates:
Number of Mosquito Bites on Alison's Body: 7
Percentage of Christen's Body Covered by Sunburn: 20%
Number of Mosquitoes Jen has Killed by Hand: ?
Number of Times Lacey Has Tripped: 15

Leaving from Kampala; Arriving in Soroti!

The next day we prepared to leave for Soroti, which involved a trip to a Westernized shopping plaza where we exchanged some US money into Ugandan shillings, bought a 60,000 UGS phone (about $30) and grabbed a few waters in the oddly home-like grocery market. While we were supposed to be on the road by 12 noon, we actually didn't leave until 3:30 PM (everything runs a little late in Uganda).

But finally we were on the paved road from Kampala to Soroti. I made friends with our driver, Charles, while I sat in the front seat and he maneuvered potholes expertly. The drive was over 4 to 5 hours. We saw storefronts painted with the advertising for different cell phone networks, in bright blues, pinks, and yellows. At roadside stands, workers would rush our van handing fresh fruit and vegetables or meat on a stick through the windows for sale. Everyone fell asleep at one point or another, Jen's head bobbing in place, and Lacey sprawled across a seat with her head cuddled between her backpack and the seat. We crossed the Nile, its source being only a few km away.

We arrived at our guest house, Golden Arch, rather late in the evening (around 8). We settled into our beautiful rooms, outfitted with mosquito nets, fans, and our personal bathrooms with water heaters. Jerry cans sat in the corner for holding water when the plumbing goes out. Again, a huge meal ensued complete with the traditional posha and beans, chipotai, greens, fruit salad with jackfruit, and passionfruit juice followed by African coffee and tea.

Uganda!

On Thursday afternoon, we arrived at Entebbe Airport, where we slowly made our way through the confusion of getting screened for swine flu, obtaining our visas, and (effectively not) going through customs. We met Matt (our graduate mentor and former program manager) and Edward (the head of the MFP program at Pilgrim, the NGO we work with) at the airport and went to Kampala (the capital). There we had a nice (huge) dinner, visited Pilgrim’s head office, attempted to brush our teeth with bottled water, and got some much-needed sleep. Under mosquito nets, of course – Jen’s favorite contraption, but Lacey’s nemesis. After Lacey had meticulously tucked her bednet, she realized she still had to get inside the net... with the lights off. Alison's headlamp was put to good use. It was quite an adventure.

5-star hotels, malls, man-made islands, and a 7-star hotel. That’s Dubai in a nutshell. After our 12 hour flight from New York to Dubai, we got to spend a night in the city, courtesy of Emirates. We were each provided with a nice hotel room, dinner, light refreshment, and breakfast for our long layover there. We took a nice bus tour of the city at night, and got to see the plethora of 5-star hotels, the tallest tower in the world, the largest hotel in the world, the Arabian Sea, as well as the only 7-star hotel in the world. After that, we stayed up watching music videos in Arabic. I’m really excited that we all got a little taste of Dubai.

Check out our other blog at cuewb.org/uganda for more details on Dubai (it's more entertaining).