It Really is a Small World!

It really is a small world

            From Loveland to Mezezo and beyond, my Mom and Dad came to visit Ethiopia from April 29-May 9, 2016, and it was an incredible 11 days that we spent together.  What a treat it was to get to share Ethiopian culture and beauty with my parents, the two people who have been my rocks the past 24 years and who have raised me to be the person I am, and who have instilled in me the values that made me want to do Peace Corps in the first place. Plus, they are two of the people who have continually supported me throughout the ups and downs of this adventure (while there are inevitable downs in any adventure we embark on, I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything.  The ups definitely are winning)!

          Here is a brief history of Lalibela to paint a picture for you and give you some perspective.  Strong believers in the history say that the 11 churches were built in 23 years (carved from a massive stone/stone mountain), which was possible since people worked nonstop and even to the death, and then an old worker was replaced by a celestial one.  However on the other side of the spectrum, the churches are so diverse in style that some say they were built over a period of over 100 years.   What makes some of the 11 churches unique is that they are completely free standing from the rock, which is similar to some structures in Jordan and Egypt.  It is also said that these churches were build to represent a “New Jerusalem,” and one reason this is said to be true is so that people wouldn’t have to journey so far to go to Jerusalem.

One of the 11 churches, and it is called "st. George" church, it is one of the most well-known!

One of the 11 rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. It is covered by a new structure built by UNESCO several years ago, in order to preserve it.

            During the last few days of our trip, we travelled to Lalibela, which is in the Amhara region, in the Northern part of Ethiopia.  Lalibela is a place where there are historic rock churches that were created in the 11^th century, when King Lalibela was ruling.   Lalibela is a main tourist attraction in Ethiopia and a UNESCO heritage site.  On our flight to Lalibela, we met a man named Hans, who come to find out, went to high school in Loveland, Colorado! We spent two days touring Lalibela with him, and it was a great reminder of how small the world really is!!

The amazingly beautiful lodge we stayed at for two days! Look at that view!

My mom and Dad, Kabir, and our new friend Hans at our beautiful lodge!

           

At one of the churches, there is a part that was said to represent going from Hell to Heaven.  This involved being hunched over and making your way through a 50-meter rock tunnel that was completely PITCH BLACK. You can’t see a thing, and so with one hand on the “roof” and one hand on the wall, you slowly make your way, trying not to let claustrophobia overcome you!  When you emerge into the light 50 meters later, it represent Heaven, and boy was it a relief to reach this holy and bright place!

            

Making our way to the St. George Church (pictured above), by navigating this narrow "alley way!"

Local artwork being painted onto hide, and the pictures tell biblical stories.

Biblical stories portrayed in painting onto animal hide!

Striking a pose in one of the 11 rock-hewn churches!

            Visiting Lalibela was really powerful.  There is so much history and various beliefs and stories behind this world wonder and visiting it allows you to see it with your own eyes and listen to all the sides of the stories and draw your own conclusions!  In case you won’t get the chance to visit Lalibela, hopefully this blog provided some insight and information and now you can ponder; how were these 11 churches really built and carved from a massive stone? Were they carved and made by humans; by angels; by both? How many years did it take? 

A Birthday for the Books!

 

            For many reasons my 25^th birthday was one I will never forget!

            While visiting with a wonderful family in Southern Ethiopia in a place called Arsi Negelle, they surprised me by doing a unique tradition that is done for special guests and events.  This included my parents and me being seated on a bench and watching while the men killed and skinned a goat, and then the women cooked it.  Stop reading if you don’t want the graphic details; the stomach was emptied and cleaned, along with the intestines, and then prepared.  We then proceeded to eat it for dinner (just the meat, not the other organs). This was quite an experience to say the least; one that I never will forget.  It was a great honor, since goats are expensive and only prepared for special events and guests.

 

Let the skinning begin...

And it continues, after being hung in a tree to make the process easier.

The final product!

Many people (myself not included) enjoyed raw meat with a local spice; a delicacy here!

The rest of the meat was cooked on an open fire on a large metal pan.

            The same afternoon, I went to Hawassa, a beautiful oasis with a Lake, and beautiful flowers and landscape, a large change in scenery from my home in the mountains of Mezezo (which I also love, though!).  We spent time relaxing at a restaurant overlooking the entire lake, only interrupted by monkeys that try to steal your sugar packets (therefore the restaurant provides you with a stick when you order, in order to fend of the rascals)!  Then with my parents, my boyfriend, and I took a boat ride on the waters of Lake Hawassa.  The water and surrounding areas were completely still and quiet, which was a nice respite from the chaos of Addis!  During the boat ride, where the only passengers were my boyfriend, my parents and me, my boyfriend proposed!  It was absolutely a perfect and unforgettable day

The proposal, with a  beautiful backdrop of Lake Hawassa.

Newly engaged and couldn't be happier!

            Proposing is not in the culture of Ethiopia, and therefore my boyfriend (fiancé!) went above and beyond his Ethiopian culture and even managed to keep it a secret from me, and asked my Dad for his blessing and permission to propose! I was blown away by the beautiful proposal and I couldn’t be happier to be engaged to Kabir!

Kabir let out a shout of joy after I said yes:)

Children at work, and at play…

             

I am continually in awe of the strength and tenacity of the people in Ethiopia.  As I've said before, but I think it's worth reiterating, life here is very challenging but also very beautiful.  Each day I am inspired by the Ethiopian people, and I was reminded of this during my parent’s visit, while they commented on both the work and the play of children. 

Adorable children in Mezezo!

   Especially in the rural areas, there is a lot of work to be done, since everything is done by hand instead of machines. Grains have to be bought at the market, taken home, sorted, and then taken to the mill by loading the grains into bags and onto the backs of donkeys.  Grass and wood is carried home from far away areas, and the animals need to be grazed and herded. Therefore everyone has to pitch in and do their share.  People of all ages, including children are seen carrying heavy loads on their heads, herding animals and balancing on and steering donkey carts!

A heavy load and a strong, young boy!

Impressive balancing act!

He even turned back to check on the foreigners taking his picture! 

Herding the goats!

            The children also find time to relax and play, making toy cars and trains out of empty oil bottles, using the lids as wheels and playing a variety of hopscotch.  My parents brought bubbles and the children LOVED them! It was the first time they had seen bubbles and they were all extremely amused!

Such creativity, making train cars out of plastic oil bottles!

An up-close shot of his innovative train cars!

A photo shoot during a break from chores:)

Hopscotch!

The bubbles were a huge hit all around!

Life Without Mirrors

         

Two beautiful girls who ran up to my parents and I alongside the road and loved having their pictures taken!
Such cuties:)

In rural Ethiopia, mirrors aren’t common, and this was something my parents pointed out to me during their visit (they were here from April 28-May 9 and we had a wonderful time!).  It was fascinating to have them share their opinions and observations with me throughout the trip, because many things that have become commonplace to me, after living in Ethiopia for 16 months, were very different and notable for them.

My Dad, the unofficial cameraman for our Ethiopian adventures and travels, along with my Mom and myself, noticed how children, as well as adults, were very eager to see themselves in pictures on the camera.  Many of them don’t see themselves on a regular basis in a mirror, if ever, and so seeing themselves is quite a treat.  Since my parents don't speak any Ethiopian languages, they didn't have a way to communicate other than using myself as a translator, and so they found that taking pictures and showing them was a great way to make connections and bond, without having to use any words.  It was a powerful experience for them as well as for me, as my parents laughed and smiled with my Ethiopian friends and family! It is something I certainly never will forget!

Smiles all around as I show some children their photos :)

My Dad showing photos to a group of children and adults!

Perhaps you are like me; often when I see pictures of myself I think critically about my appearance; and say “Oh dear, can we please try that again?” or “Not my best!”  However the people here are just delighted to see themselves in the photos and as they see their own faces on the camera display screen they are simply beaming and full of joy.  This was a valuable experience for me!

People all ages were all smiles after seeing their photos:)

In the States, where outer beauty is often a focus, especially with advertisements and the media, there is a culture of the importance of how we look externally.  It is refreshing to be in a place where, especially in the rural areas, there isn’t media and advertisements, let alone ones that emphasize and promote outer beauty.  Here, people are thrilled to see themselves, and they each are so beautiful, both inside and outside. 

This was a wonderful reminder of life, what is important, and how different perspectives, places, and cultures and sharing of these can really make the world a better place and can bring us all together a little bit more.

It left me thinking, how different would life be without mirrors?