By Caleb

One thing I have noticed about the people in Addis Ababa is how friendly they are. When you walk down the street at least five or six people will wave, say hi, or say Salem (hello in Amharic). People that know English always ask you how you are and how you like Addis. Once when I was sitting at the Internet “café” (there is no food) a man named Freedom introduced himself, asked me about Addis, how it compared to the states, and about myself. In Seattle I rarely just pick up a conversation with a random stranger and talk to them for a couple minutes.

The guards at the gate try to say hi as best they can every time I walk by. Once at about 10:00 at night I was walking past the guard and he had a big gun and a mask over his face. At first I was scared, but then he waved and pulled down his mask to show that he was smiling. The hospitality of the Ethiopians is amazing!

Playing soccer with my new friends!

As we previously mentioned, we are staying on the campus of Hope University, which is located in the Jemmo neighborhood on the outskirts of Addis Ababa.  We have learned that just 5 years ago, this area was primarily teff fields.  Now it is home to an emerging public housing community and many small businesses ( a number of which were started by micro loans from the government) that seamlessly intertwine with the vestiges of a rural community.  We hope these photos show a bit of this beautiful community we are so lucky to be a part of!

Right outside the campus gate.

Max, Noah, and Caleb run/hike up this mountain in the morning to catch the sunrise.

The boys need an internet fix.

Soccer, soccer, everywhere

Playing in the courtyard of our apartment building

Hope University campus auditorium

Hello from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!

It is incredible to think that we left Seattle only 7 days ago. Since then we have been to Dubai (see Noah’s upcoming post aka “A Love Letter to Dubai”) and settled in our living quarters at the International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia (ILAE). We will write more about ILAE another time, but if you are interested in learning more, their website is www.ilacademy.org.

It is hard to distill in a few paragraphs all that we have experienced, but we have gone from being in awe of the efficiency, ease and architectural wonders of Dubai to having the most heartwarming welcome in Addis. It is incredible to walk around and have so many people stop and say hello (most say “salem” which means peace).

We are living on the campus of Hope University (ILAE is housed here) and are learning how to cook with two pots, get around in a neighborhood where we don’t speak the language, and share one very small bathroom among five people.

Some other things we are learning so far:

1. We all can get along for long stretches of time.
2. But, stretch it too long, and the fireworks begin.
3. It is best to do all you can when the electricity and water are working – this includes cooking, showering, and using the toilet!
4. However, sitting in our apartment with the doors open, the breeze blowing through, and the sounds of ILAE kids (and often Caleb, too!) playing soccer outside, we are perfectly content without power and water.
5. That local vendors and cab drivers start with the farengi (foreigner) price and you have to negotiate no matter how intimidated you feel.
6. It takes a long time to get anywhere in a city of 7 million people on roads without lanes, stop lights, and where you share the road with goats, cows, and horses.

Comments:

Thanks to everyone for their nice comments on our first post. We are still learning WordPress so don’t yet know how to publish them, but know they made us smile and please keep them coming.

Travel Tips:

Thanks to Becky Sherman and Bree Dusseault for the hook ups on eye pillows and ear plugs.   They have been essential in a city where the nighttime sounds include wild dogs, donkeys, and hyenas and the local church and mosque amplify morning prayers starting at 4:00 AM.

What About Photos?

We have taken quite a few, but with intermittent internet access, it’s a bit challenging right now. Expect some soon!

We are so glad you are reading this.  On February 10th, we depart from Seattle on a six month journey.  Inspired in part by Noah’s emerging desire to travel, Romi’s eagerness to visit her homeland, Caleb’s passion to see an FC Barcelona game, and Sue and Max’s crazy notion to spend six months with our kids, we are off, not to return until August.  Our itinerary includes stops in Dubai, Ethiopia, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Italy and destinations yet to be determined!