Ethiopia: Market Day in Hawzien

November 7, 2007 – Hawzien

The day after the rock churches. Hanging out in the cluster office. We just went and saw the market here in Hawzien. Here's some video footage I took.

Hawzien Market Day Montage

While I was shooting video, Jess took some pictures.

Hawzien Market

 

Pans for Frying Injera

 

The Lids for the Above Injera Pans

 

Sewing Men

 

Spices

 

I am the Egg Man, boo boo ga joob

 

Man Bartering with us for Large Globular Citrus Fruits

 

Camels

 

Young Girls that followed us around

After the market, we walked around some and Jess and Nikki met with various people form the site team. We were taken to a traditional lunch of shiro (a sort of hummusy dish made of fava beans, garlic and peppers) and lamb diced with peppers on top of injera. It was incredible. Afterwards we were treated to a traditional coffee ceremony.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

 

Then we went and visited the government nursery.

Women Working at the Government Nursery

After that, our driver took Jess and I back to Mekelle. By the time we got back it was dark. We met with another one of Jess's colleagues at the hotel Axum, then had dinner. Somebody told me to try the spaghetti while I was in Ethiopia, so I tried it at the Hotel Axum, and it was unbelievable. Really spicy, with green chilis mixed in and kind of a "wat" sauce. More like the original Chinese noodle dish that Marco Polo originally stole from in the first place.

Sleeping Camels in Hawzien

 

 

Ethiopia: Market Day in Hawzien

November 8, 2007 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

After spending a few days in Ethiopia, I've decided that Ethiopian people are the coolest people ever. They are not artificially nice, they just treat everyone the same and have a calm disposition that I can relate to. A few times I saw people bump into each other, and they don't get mad or apologize, they just bounce off and keep going. People walk all over the road and the cars speed by, but no one gets out of the way and no yells at each other. They are one of the least racist people I have met. They recognize and acknowledge that you are a "foreigner," as they call us, but don't treat you any differently because of it. They neither act superior, nor do they act like they are oppressed, or angry to have been oppressed in the past. Not once did I see a guy harass or even gawk at Jess or Nikki (a tall blonde), nor any other women. As I was writing this last sentence, two business men came and sat down at the table with us in the lobby bar. They said hi and pushed my stuff out of the way, in a way that someone you know might come up and do, like they are very comfortable with you without even knowing you. I feel very comfortable here.

We woke up in Mekelle and flew back here to Addis Ababa. Been catching up on email and trying to upload this stuff, but the internet connection is pretty crappy. So I might have to wait til Rwanda.