November 5th
Today was not the best day. Woke up and taught at the school. Mostly working on superlatives, and we’re trying to explain to them the exceptions, because their book doesn’t really explain them.
At lunch we had a garlic soup- very tasty but probably not the best thing to eat while living in close quarters- but it was one of the only non-meat items.
There are two fasting days per week in which there are vegetarian items available, but the rest of the days, good luck! Even in the most meat heavy restaurants, you can ask for a fasting menu on Wednesdays and Fridays, which is just another way of how religion is integrated into every day life here.
I am not doing so well with the food and the stomach issues- I’m not sure what it is. I was sick today-nauseous and tired with all of the usual stuffy head, nose, and sore throat. Probably a combination of latent jet lag, dehydration, new foods, and also being around dozens of school kids every day. Like everyday, a dozen kids or so followed us the mile through the fields, many barefoot, carrying water in plastic jugs, using plastic bags or pieces of cloth for backpacks, and took turns holding our hands. We love holding their hands but we are also careful about it because, as Connie put it, you don’t know where their hands have been.
There are so many people working in the field on the way to the orphanage. They have a half day school system so that the children can work in the fields in either the afternoon or morning, and each week they rotate. Because we are here this week, we start a couple hours early and the kids come to work on their English before their regular day, which shows how much these kids want to learn. When one of the orphans (I feel badly that I cannot spell his name and hardly pronounce it) walks with us to school he constantly asks us questions (What is a conjunction? What is a preposition?).
I feel a little bad that they are having to learn English. I think it is good to learn other languages, but it just seems, I don’t know, a little unfair that they have to learn English to even go to high school. On the other hand, Gebre from the orphanage really wants them to all learn English so that they do have opportunity.
After we got done at the orphanage I was very tired and not feeling well and so I took a nap.
Tamrat came over at 5 as promised and I interviewed him for about an hour until he had to go back to the church. It was slow going what with the language issues but generally we talked more about the structure of the church, and also his life history.
At one point JM and D came in to listen as well (and I think Tamrat enjoyed the attention). He pointed out that since they were both single, that they were free to marry each other. They just kind of laughed, so Tamrat repeated this idea for their benefit.
He told us that the congregation at the church was very happy that we had come on Sunday and that several people even left comments in the comments box saying how happy they were that we came to visit them.
At about 7 PM or so we went to eat dinner at the home of some Italians who are part of an NGO working to get better education to Ethiopian women and also to help them avoid prostitution, which is very prominent in Ethiopia. It is almost viewed as an acceptable work for women who are trying to put themselves through school.
The medical students have seen the corollary of this in the hospital, where there are many STDs and and fistulas.
At any rate on of the Italian students is working on his thesis concerning the Ethiopian transmission to democracy. They had internet at their house and so I tried again to get onto Blogger or Wordpress, and Marco saw and explained that all blogging sites have been banned by the Ethiopian government.
The Italians fed us pasta and salad washed in clean water with potatoes and beets and carrots and tomatoes and it was wonderful. Unfortunately, we (I guess I should say “I” because I think everyone else was happy) kind of got stuck there (they live in dark area and I wouldn’t have been able to find my way back and so I had to wait for everyone else to get a group taxi) until pretty late and so I didn’t accomplish much in the way of writing or ethnography.
November 6th
I’m feeling a little better, but still achy and sore throat and stomach issues. But on the whole better.
To get to the school we are driven as far of the orphanage and then we walk the mile to the school. Many of the students walk several miles.
Today we talked about Animals, mostly about chimpanzees. The kids are warming up to the idea of raising hands and responding. I think it helps that we’re completely willing to make total idiots out of ourselves in order to get the kids to laugh. We bump each others hips and have a lot of fun playing charades to help them understand the meaning of new vocabulary words. Stickers continue to be a big motivator- I’m about to run out though, so I’m thinking about what else I can use. Maybe give away pens? Candies? (is that a bad idea?) or maybe by then they will just be used to participating.
The younger children crowd around the doors and windows while we are teaching and sometimes it gets so crowded that we have to shoo them away, just because it gets loud. So today at the end of class I pretended to be a monster and really scared a few of the kids, then they realized I was playing and we started to play a little game of chase, which they loved. They are SO fast though, I can’t catch them.
Then the director came out and didn’t look too happy so I felt bad. Today even more kids than usual followed us back to the orphanage- at least 20, maybe more. One carried my notebook for me so I gave him a couple birr for it. Now I probably won’t ever be able to carry my notebook again.
At the orphanage we tried to help Connie for a little while and she made us tuna sandwiches. She is always feeding us, every time we go, even though she claims she can’t cook. So far she has made us blueberry muffins, roasted corn from her fields for us, and now tuna sandwiches. The woman is a saint.
Then the driver for the orphanage took us back. He wants to take us on a tour of the museum in town and also show us a tour of the SOS children’s village, but I’m not sure when we will have time- we are leaving on Saturday for Axum.
On the way, we plan to see rock-hewn churches and we will be with a driver who will be able to hopefully translate for us with the priest.
I am a little sad about leaving my contacts here in Mekelle, because I was just starting to develop relationships with them, especially Kibron and Tamrat.
I am looking forward to meeting Fisseha, though, who just arrived in Mekelle today (Fisseha is one of the main people I was in contact with prior to arriving in Ethiopia- director of tourism in Axum).
This afternoon I went back to the church- there is an evening service every night, but tonight there were far fewer people. Only about 20 or so.
I took some notes during the service, with Tamrat sitting next to me and translating for me. Afterwards, Tamrat showed me the Sunday school area, where they study the bible. I pointed to a drum that was in the room, and Tamrat picked it up and I was able to video them singing a song about St. Yared. Afterwards Tamrat escorted me back, but I am going to go back to the church tomorrow morning around 6AM to see what it is like on a fasting day to see if it is any different.
Apparently, in the mornings, people go only to pray; there is not a service like in the evenings in and on Sunday mornings. Tamrat also said he would allow me to take pictures of the church so that I could come back and show people what their church is like.
Also, Tamrat asked for help buying new clothes. I have noticed that he wears the same clothes every day (and actually, so have I, for the most part). I want to help him, he has helped me so much, but I’m not sure what would be appropriate. He sleeps in the church, and doesn’t have any income (his work involves praying with people and preaching, making announcements at the end of the service and talking with people about God, and counseling people if they ask). I know he does a lot of good things for the people in the church and he of course has been a great help to me, but what he asked for (when I asked for a specific number) is quite a lot (500 birr or a little over $50, which here is quite a lot) to buy clothes and I’m not sure what I should do or if it is appropriate for me to do so. I have already given some birr for seeing the church and always put some in the offering box (not necessarily a lot, but a little every time I go to the church). I also bought some recordings of church music from him, the same one they raffle away (everyone gives one birr and writes their name down, then one name is pulled out of the box and the cd of church music is given to that person).
There are a lot of ethical issues involved that keep coming up (should I take a photograph, should I film, should I give the church money) and while I want to help, I don’t want to be taken advantage of, and the short time frame makes it really hard to learn all of the ‘rules.’ I also want to help all of the kids that walk to school with us, and I want to buy them all shoes and a good bag for their books and buy books for the kids who don’t have one, but it’s just impossible to do it for everyone, so what do you do?
I explained to him that we are all students and that we only brought just enough money with us, but that I would talk with my husband and do what I can. He seemed to accept that we would try and help, and said that any help would be appreciated, but he also didn’t seem to believe me that 500 birr would be a little difficult for me. But I also feel like a jerk because the people here don’t have much, but what they do they are so generous with. We have been treated with such great hospitality and I have seen the hospitality in others.
To conclude the service tonight Deacon Tamrat showed me the prayer which involved saying “Jesus Christ, Lord” while holding your right hand with your left and sliding two fingers over each of the three segments of the four fingers on the right hand (not the thumb). Maybe the three segments are the trinity? (Tamrat stresses Father, Son, Holy Spirit, ONE GOD, quite a lot). Then you repeat the same thing, just saying ‘St. Mary, St. Mary.’
It is a little strange observing things like this just because it is very different from what I grew up with. I am trying to just record and observe exactly what happens to try and understand how they think about religion, or just to understand exactly what their worship consists of.
Tamrat also motioned to me at the end of the service, when the preacher was over, everyone stands up and faces the church (even the priest turns around) and everyone prays together, I believe it is the Lord’s prayer) Then everyone kneels, touched their forehead to the ground, then kisses the ground.
When the priest came up to me I was able to touch my forehead to the cross then kiss the cross at the right time.
People still have to fix my wrap for me, but they are very happy that I wear it. Tonight on the way back I got a lot of “good clothes” comments.
I think it actually makes me the center of MORE attention, because people in Mekelle are used to the occasional faranji (foreigner) but a foreigner wearing the wrap makes me more interesting, but in a positive way.

Something else that I have noticed is that Ethiopians for the most part really love America and seem to have positive feelings about George Bush. I just thought that was interesting given the general anti-Americanism in most foreign countries.
Today one of the Sunday school teachers (one of the ones I was able to videotape) asked me wear I was from and when I said Texas he said “George Bush, yes? Very good.” When he first said George Bush I was a little worried he might have a negative connotation but it was entirely positive.
He was actually one of the fewer number of people who knew right off exactly where Texas was.
Other observation: There is seriously music playing EVERYWHERE here, all the time. People just blast whatever they feel like out of boom boxes on every street corner. Usually it’s Ethiopian music, but occasionally it’s hip hop.
Beyonce came and gave a concert right before we arrived and the Ethiopians LOVED her. It was a really big deal and that’s what I say now when people don’t know where Texas is (it’s where Beyonce is from) and they generally are pretty excited about that. Apparently it was front page news and was broadcast on television everywhere.
Anyway, about 10PM is when the music finally starts to die down, but there’s a club nearby our hotel and so we hear music until midnight at least on most nights. But honestly the only time there isn’t music playing is on the walk to school, or in between songs at church. It’s amazing.