I got quite a good dose of human reality on this 7 day trip...both good and bad....
Mekelle is one of the poorest cities in Ethiopia where even college-educated men and women are unlikely to find satisfactory employment post-graduation. Men typically gather during the day to drink beer, having very little incentive to seek out job opportunities. This is a mass generalization, of course, but I witnessed about 25 men sitting daily outside the house where I was staying sipping beer and yelling at each other, preventing me from taking my much needed naps (I don't sleep more than 2 hours at night since I arrived in this country...)
So it's no surprise in these difficult conditions that theft might be tempting.While walking down the streets, I forgot my camera in the side pocket of my backpack. A young hooligan grabbed it. I immediately realized what had happened and yelled out "no!". It took about 3 seconds for the entire street to join me in running after the guy and we quickly regained my camera. I was truly impressed and humbled by these people, whose genuine, kind nature shone through.
In the countryside, children ask for pens to write with and are ecstatic when they are given empty water bottles to store seeds and to source water.
I am referred to as a faringee (foreigner) and following the immediate stare-down, I am typically addressed as "sweetie" or "sista". My favorite is when their English is limited, they just point at me and say "you, you, you" which cracks me up.
I was recently hit on by a 20-something year old guy at a hotel in Kombolcha. His name tag said "Bill Boy 3", which I guess means bellboy #3. I never saw any other Bill Boy though...
He approached me while I was sipping coffee in the hotel lobby. He started by saying, "I really really really like you" (yes...3 times...) and then said, "I even like your posture". Interesting...considering I was sitting...
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My immediate travel group of 6 was more of a challenge. The leader of the trip is next in line after Gaddafi. He did not allow coughing in the car, unscheduled bathroom breaks, and insisted that 4am was the optimal wake-up time for his "soldiers". One morning he overslept and woke up at 6am. Not willing to endure the wrath of my colonel, I had been ready since 4am. When he finally arose, he claimed he was in fact up at 4am, but not all his "soldiers" were ready, so he decided to take a long shower....
My next travel companion was an insecure 40-something female who was also a pharmacist and had a good dose of medication with her. I can't tell if she was bipolar or just very unstable, but her mood would significantly shift in a matter of minutes. I was never sure if she was going to kiss me or smack me. She would disappear for questionable periods of time after dinner, only to be found laughing on her own.
The one seemingly normal person was also a yenta. She thrived on gossip and aligned with the group member willing to offer her the most sensational story.
I felt like I was living "Lord of the Flies" or an episode of "Survivor - Ethiopia". Thankfully, I didn't understand most of what was going on, but I have a new-found appreciation for the pharmaceutical industry...
Mekelle is one of the poorest cities in Ethiopia where even college-educated men and women are unlikely to find satisfactory employment post-graduation. Men typically gather during the day to drink beer, having very little incentive to seek out job opportunities. This is a mass generalization, of course, but I witnessed about 25 men sitting daily outside the house where I was staying sipping beer and yelling at each other, preventing me from taking my much needed naps (I don't sleep more than 2 hours at night since I arrived in this country...)
So it's no surprise in these difficult conditions that theft might be tempting.While walking down the streets, I forgot my camera in the side pocket of my backpack. A young hooligan grabbed it. I immediately realized what had happened and yelled out "no!". It took about 3 seconds for the entire street to join me in running after the guy and we quickly regained my camera. I was truly impressed and humbled by these people, whose genuine, kind nature shone through.
In the countryside, children ask for pens to write with and are ecstatic when they are given empty water bottles to store seeds and to source water.
I am referred to as a faringee (foreigner) and following the immediate stare-down, I am typically addressed as "sweetie" or "sista". My favorite is when their English is limited, they just point at me and say "you, you, you" which cracks me up.
I was recently hit on by a 20-something year old guy at a hotel in Kombolcha. His name tag said "Bill Boy 3", which I guess means bellboy #3. I never saw any other Bill Boy though...
He approached me while I was sipping coffee in the hotel lobby. He started by saying, "I really really really like you" (yes...3 times...) and then said, "I even like your posture". Interesting...considering I was sitting...
--------
My immediate travel group of 6 was more of a challenge. The leader of the trip is next in line after Gaddafi. He did not allow coughing in the car, unscheduled bathroom breaks, and insisted that 4am was the optimal wake-up time for his "soldiers". One morning he overslept and woke up at 6am. Not willing to endure the wrath of my colonel, I had been ready since 4am. When he finally arose, he claimed he was in fact up at 4am, but not all his "soldiers" were ready, so he decided to take a long shower....
My next travel companion was an insecure 40-something female who was also a pharmacist and had a good dose of medication with her. I can't tell if she was bipolar or just very unstable, but her mood would significantly shift in a matter of minutes. I was never sure if she was going to kiss me or smack me. She would disappear for questionable periods of time after dinner, only to be found laughing on her own.
The one seemingly normal person was also a yenta. She thrived on gossip and aligned with the group member willing to offer her the most sensational story.
I felt like I was living "Lord of the Flies" or an episode of "Survivor - Ethiopia". Thankfully, I didn't understand most of what was going on, but I have a new-found appreciation for the pharmaceutical industry...
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