Fake Abesha Cooking

My cooking skills are not world-renowned. My Abesha cooking skills are even worse.

However, in a pinch, I can fake it enough with some American substitutes that the hubby doesn’t seem to mind (too much) because it sort of makes him think I am trying.

1. Kitfo and injera: Taco Bell meat and flour tortillas. OK, clearly, this is only for the the 3-year old. But, desperate times call for desperate measures, especially if you are newly home from Ethiopia and have no idea how to make the child eat something besides bananas and bread.
2. Ethiopian Dabbo: Boboli pizza crust. Not really close, but the shape is correct. Plus, I live near a Brownberry outlet, so the price is right also.
3. Mit’mita sauce: Frank’s hot sauce.  The hubby said it was close.  I wasn’t even trying to trick him on this one.
4. Sambusas: Lentils cooked with onion and curry powder, deep fried in wonton wrappers. Asiaopian actually.  I said it was fake Abesha cooking. I admitted that from the start! 
5. Shiro wat: refried beans with berbere powder. OK, this was a trick to get the 3-year old to eat the refried beans. It really doesn’t taste the same at all, but it is pretty much the same color and sorta the same consistency. Plus, the rest of my cooking is so crap that he doesn’t really know what good food is.
6. Roasted peas (the kind you get from the girls selling them on the side of the road): roasted peas in a bag. You can get them in the nut section of some supermarkets or in Asian food stores.
7. Doro wat: OK. This one I actually start cooking the right way. But, I don’t like skin and bones so I just throw in some semi-shredded cooked chicken breast. Also, a trick with the hardboiled eggs is to prick them all over with a pin before you drop them into the sauce. That way the sauce/berbere-ness is absorbed further into the egg. You can serve it with fresh Italian (or Portuguese-style) bread that is sorta like the ET bread you get at the shops (if you don’t have an injera source).
8. Popcorn:  Egads.  You have to make the popcorn in a pot with oil on the stove.  No microwave popcorn.

Remember:  If you are Ethiopian or looking for authentic Ethiopian food, do NOT use these suggestions.  And, do NOT ever think this is real Ethiopian cooking. 

And, if you are Ethiopian and thinking that I’m insulting your culture, I am not.  My cooking is awful all around.  You don’t even want to know how I make Chinese or Italian food.  My American food barely even passes for American.

Let me know if you’ve come across some other substitutes that might work.  Remember, we live in a community without a lot of food options.

Ahhh – Fond Memories

I was just digging through some CDs, looking for files for work.

I found the dubbed DVDs from my trips to Ethiopia.   Sitting back, comfortable in my life, watching those videos is totally different than when I first watched them when we got back.

To the parents of kids who were in the Addis center at the end of May/early June 2006:

Your kids are a riot!  I could take a lesson every day on the joy they exuded.  Just looking at the video makes me feel their (sometimes wet or sweaty) loving hugs.  You are stinkin’ lucky people, parents!!

To the parents of those 4-6 year old boys that were in the Hossana center in May/June 2006:

Your kids crack me up.  I almost peed my pants watching them stick out their tongues at the camera lens. 

To the parents of the school-aged kids in Addis in October 2006:

Your kids are the reason I married my husband.  I wasn’t sure about what I was getting into, but then when I saw how carefree and full of life he was when playing with your kids, I decided he was A-OK.  Tell them I send apologies for him having problems sharing the ball with them.  I don’t think he really meant to be so competitive in soccer against some of your kids.  Then again, if they hadn’t been so good at soccer, he wouldn’t have had to be so defensive!!

Satellite Image

This website has a really nice, detailed image of Addis Ababa.  It gives a preview into the road structures and building configurations.

http://www.itt.com/news/resources/addis_ababa_october5_2007_wv1dg.jpg 

If you open the picture with an internet browser instead of saving to your computer and opening with an photo editor, be sure to click on the icon that allows you to view the picture at full size.  The detail is quite good.

Amharic Phrases

Last time I was in Ethiopia, all I could say was Selam, Ciao and Amsegenalehu. I decided to be a little more considerate and learn more Amharic this time. These are the phrases I learned. I’m pretty sure they are correct. If not, it’s close enough to probably get people to understand you.  Just don’t put up your home up as collateral on wager that these words are exactly correct.

Also, Amharic has different letters. So, the words are written phonetically here. If you see Amharic words written differently with Roman letters, it’s just however the speaker sounds out the words.  So, I wrote the word only phonetically.  It probably will not match with how you will see it written other places.  Example: I wrote “Eh-MY-ay” for mother.  However, if you see it written down in other places, it will probably be written emaye.

All R sounds should be rolled. There are also other sounds that are not the same as in English. For instance, tenkahra or terths. The T sound is made by putting your tongue between your top and bottom front teeth and saying “T”. Don’t put the tongue behind your top teeth and say T like we do in English. (And make sure you still roll the R!) The K in Katell or Kai is a very hard K. It starts way back in your throat and sort of sound like you’re trying to get a hairball out. The best thing is to get someone to demonstrate the sound for you. 

I tried to write phonetically, but I may have missed a few words.  In general,

• AH is pronounced like AH
• A is short a.
• AY is long a.
• EE is long e.
• E (or EH) is short e
• I is long I
• IH is short i.
• O  (or OH) is long o.
• OU is like in ouch.
• U (or OO)  is ooo.
• G is a hard G.
• EW is eh followed by the consonant W sound (not oo).
• R is rolled R (like in Spanish)
• ñ is the Spanish N or like the French gn sound or ny (consonant Y) in English
• OE is kind of like the U sound in PUT (or the oo sound in HOOF if you pronounce it the Wisconsin way).
• SS just to emphasize the soft S sound.  (Just because otherwise I might’ve read it with the hard S sound).
• Y as a vowel by itself will be the long I sound otherwise it is the consonant Y
• If a word ends with EHU (like Ewedehalehu), slur the eh and oo sounds together.  They are not distinct syllables.
• There are different words/word endings sometimes depending if you are talking to a male, female, plural or formal (important person).I also found some vocabulary at the AAI website. I didn’t retype those words here.Get ready to Learn Amharic (my ferengi version of Amharic, anyway).  If there are other words and/or phrases you’d like to add to my mini Amharic-English Dictionary/Phrase Page, add your request to the comments section.  You can be anonymous if you wish.The right-hand column may have M, F or Pl listed.  This indicates the version you should use based on who you are speaking to (not yourself).Words in blue were added most recently.Also, if you go to this entry, there is a file of words that are typically used in the photo albums sent to the children (mom, dad, brother, sister, dog, house, etc.).  The downloadable/printable file has the words in English and Amharic.  The Amharic is written phonetically with Roman letters and with Amharic letters so the non-English speaking  staff at your child’s Ethiopian care center/orphanage will be able to talk to your child about the photos). 

Pronunciation	Meaning
THE ESSENTIALS (in my opinion)
Ah-woh (or OW!) Also, you can do a little intake of breath while you lift your eyebrows to “nod” yes.	Yes
I-deh-LEHM (starts with long I sound) Also can say Iyyyy.	No
Shin-TEH-BAYT?	toilet?
Chigger yeh-LEM	No problem.
GO behz	Clever (or “Good Job!) Often said to a child who does something to please you or succeeds.
Seh-LAHM	Hello (Peace) – standard greeting
chou (like ouch)	Bye (just like in Italian)
AH-mah-say-guh-NAH-loh	Thank you.
WOO hah	Water
GREETINGS/PLEASANTRIES
Seh-LAHM	Hello (Peace) – standard greeting
Seh-LAHM neh way?	Are you in peace? (a greeting)	M
Seh-LAHM nesh way?	Are you in peace? (a greeting)	F
in-DEM-min ah-DEHRK?	How did you spend the night? (greeting)	M
in-DEM-min ah-DERSH?	How did you spend the night? (greeting)	F
in-DEM-min walsh?	How was the day?	F
in-DEM-min wahlk?	How was the day?	M
in-DEM-min neh?	How are you?	M
in-DEM-min nehsh?	How are you?	F
in-DEM-min NAH-choo?	How are you? This is used for plural casual OR plural formal.	Pl
in-DEM-min NOHT	How are you? This is formal singular.
Deh-na-NEHSH?	Are you fine? (greeting)	F
Deh-na-NEH?	Are you fine? (greeting)	M
Deh-na-NAH-choo?	Are you fine? (greeting)	Pl
Deh-na-ñAY	I’m fine.
DEH-na	Fine
If someone asks you How are you? (A sentence that starts with in-DEM-min) then answer Dehna. If they ask you Are you fine? (sentence starts with Dehna) then answer Dehna-ñay.	Formal should be used with old people (grandparent age), people in any job that requires a college degree, politicians, priests, ferengi, etc. However, the “formal people” may tell you to go ahead and use casual with them.
chou (like ouch)	Bye (just like in Italian)
NOHR-ee	You arrived! It is a greeting said when you enter a room.	F
NOHR	You arrived!	M
Bugs ear.	Response to someone saying Noor. “By God” This is actually a contraction/slur of Exabier.
SIH may ___	My name is ___
SIH meh mah no?	What is your name?	M
SIH mesh mahn no?	What is your name?	F
Hah geh REH-heh yeht NO?	Where do you come from?	M
Hah-geh REHSH yet no?	Where do you come from?	F
In KWAHN deh-na meh TASH	Welcome	F
In KWAHN deh-na meh TAH	Welcome	M
Yah-YAY-roo hoo-NAY-tah in-DEHT-nehwoo?	How is the weather?
AH-mah-say-guh-NAH-loh	Thank you.
ih BAH kesh	Please (to a female)
ih BAH keh	Please (to a male)
AHZ nah lehu	Sorry
YAH suh deh GEH	Blessing said for a child that sneezes. (or just a general blessing)	M
YAH suh deh GEHSH	Blessing said for a child that sneezes.	F
Yeh mah REH	Blessing for an adult that sneezes	M
Yeh mah RESH	Blessing for an adult that sneezes	F
AH-bit	Said after someone calls your name. Kinda like “yes?” or “What?” or (in my house) “Hunh?”
PEOPLE
Bahl OR bah-lay	Husband
Meest	Wife
Wehn-DIHM	Brother
uh-HEHT	Sister
GAH-shay	uncle (or a term for man whose name you don’t know)
Feh-REHN-jee	Non-black Foreigner
tih-KOOR	Black (used for a black foreigner)
AH-beh-shah	Ethiopian (and maybe or maybe not the Eritreans)
AHN chee	Hey You (don’t be surpised if you hear this yelled at you)	F
AHN teh	Hey You!	M
AH kist	aunt
ah GOHT	uncle
Shih- MAH-geh-LAY	Old man
Ah-roh-GEET (hard G)	Old woman
YEH nay LEEJ	my child
YEH nay WEHN deh LEEJ	my son
YEH nay SEHT LEEJ	my daughter
hih TSAHN LEEJ	baby
lee JOHCH	children
IN-nay	Me
eh reh deht	helper
Mah-no yeh-nay eh-reh-deht?	Who is my helper?
PLACES
BAYT	home
mehn yah TAH bayt	bedroom
shihn teh bayt	bathroom
KOO shihn uh	kitchen
SAH lohn	dining room
SAH lohn	living room
yeh-MAHK-ee-nah BAYT	garage (but if you say garage to an English speaker in ET, they will likely think you are referring to a auto repair place)
yeh-MAHK-ee-nah MUHN-gehd	driveway
basement	basement
tihn-nihsh meh-NAH-feh-SHAH	backyard/grassy area (small park)
postah sah-TEHN	mailbox
teh MEHR teh BAYT	school
yeh-meh-GIHB mahg-JEE-yah-BOH-tah	food store
yeh-lihbs mahg-JEE-yah-BOH-tah	clothing store
MAH deh yeh  (try to make the consonant y sound the last sound, kind of drop of the last eh)	gas station
yeh-meh-GIHB BAYT	restaurant
library	library
sah-GOOR ahs-tah-kah-kY	hair salon/barber
yeh-SIH-RAH BOH-tah	work (job place)
meh-NAH-feh-SHAH	park
meh-WAHN-yah BOH-tah	swimming pool
BAYT-tah Christian	church
meh KRAHB	synagogue
mahs-GEEDT	mosque
pohs tah BAYT	post office
keh TAH meh	city
geh TEHR	countryside
yeh-ihn-seh-SAHT BAYT	barn
tehl-ihk yeh-EHR-shah BOH-tah	farm
MEHR cah doh	open market
hah-KEEM BAYT	hospital
SOOK	local shop (small, small)
FOOD/DRINK/EATING
Waht	Stew
DOH-roh	Chicken
SHEE-roh	Yellow peas
Yeh-meh-SIR	Lentils
SIH-guh	Beef
DAH-boh	Bread
Ah-NAH-nahs	Pineapple (Fanta Ananas soda is tasty)
LOH-mee	Lemon
BIR too kan	orange (color and fruit and name)
Lohz	Nuts
Oh choh LOH nee	Nuts
KEE tah	Flat crispy bread kinda like a pizza crust
WOO hah	Water
MAH her ber AH wee	Mixed platter (when you order a meal)
beh KOH loh	corn
bah KAY lah	beans
FAHN deh shah	popcorn (or a nickname for a smiley girl)
shy	tea
BOO nuh	coffee
BIH lah	EAT!	M
bee	EAT!	F
SHOO kah	fork
SOO kwahr	sugar
SIHND eh	Wheat
TAH-Fahch (try to emphasize syllables equally)	sweet (or delicious – doro wat can be tafach)
meh RAHB	hungry
eh REH boh hahl	Are you hungry?	M
eh REH boh shahl	Are you hungry?	F
eh REH boh AH cheh hwahl	Are y’all hungry?	Pl
meh TEH maht	thirsty
TEH-geh-kuñ	I’m full.
koh loh	roasted barley (a snack)
meh sah	lunch
COLORS
BIR too kan	orange (color and fruit and a girl’s name)
KI. Long I sound, you really need to force the K sound from your throat.	Red
Seh-MY ah wee	Blue
BEECH ah	Yellow
Ah rahn GWAH day	Green
Nehch	White
boo NEE	Brown
ti KOOR	black
WAY ehn tehj	purple
ANIMALS
AH-zoh	Crocodile
AHN-behs-sah	Lion
Goo MAH ray	Hippo
lahm	cow*
beh RAY	beef (ox)
behg	sheep
fee YEHL	goat
fah RAHS	horse
ah HEE yah	donkey
behk LOH	mule
DOH roh	chicken
WOO shah	dog
dih MEHT	cat
WOEFF	bird*
CLOTHING
Koh FEE yah	cap
yeh shoo RAHB koh FEE yah	hat  (sweater cap)
mah nehs sir	glasses
yeh tseHI   mah nehs sir	sunglasses
yahn get libs	scarf
shirt	shirt (t-shirt style)
sheh mees	button up shirt
kah nah TEE rah	short sleeve shirt
shoo RAHB	sweater
yeh TOOTS mah see YAH zhah	bra (boob holder)
yehj gwahnt	gloves
moo TAHN tee	underwear (girl or boy)
goord KEH mees	skirt (half dress)
KEH mees	dress
moo loo KEH mees	long dress
soo ree	trousers
goord soo ree	shorts
jeans	jeans
kahl see	socks
NEH teh lah   CHAH mah	flip flops
adidas / sneaker	athletic shoes
yeh SOOF     CHAH mah	dress shoes
kahr ah vaht	tie
SOOF	suit
yeh bah hel LIBS	cultural clothes
yeh moh wah nyah LIBS	swimsuit
ye suh HAHT	wristwatch
kuh BAHT toh	belt
yeh leh leet LIBS	pajamas
yeh shint    meh teh beh kee yah	diapers
jacket	jacket
mah lee yah	soccer jersey
yeh zeh nah LIBS	rain coat
KEES	pocket
zih NAHB	ring
yahn get	necklace
zip	zipper
yeh jeh BOHR sah	purse
yeh JOH ROH get	earrings
yeh KES LIBS	priest clothing
NUMBERS
Ahndt	1
HOO let	2
Sohst	3
AH-raht	4
AH-mist	5
SIH dist	6
SAH Baht	7
SIH mint	8
zeh TEHñ (make up some crazy sound between the short e and the long i sound. I can’t figure out how to write it.)	9
AH sir	10
AH sir ah ANDT	11
AH sir ah HOO leht	12
AH sir ah SOHST (keep going for the rest of the teen numbers)	13
HI ah	20
HI ah ahndt	21
HI ah HOO leht	22
Seh LAHSS sah	30
Seh LAHSS sah AHNDT	31
ahr BAH	40
HAHM sah	50
SIHL sah	60
SAH bah	70
sah MAH nee yah	80
zeh TEH nah	90
MEH toh	100
HOO leht MEH toh	200
ahnd eh SHEECH (the CH sound is like the CH in German Ich liebe dich.)	1000
HOO leht SHEECH	2000
SIMPLE COMMANDS
Tew	Stop it. (Like “don’t do that anymore”)	M
Tay	Stop it.	F
Nah	Come	M
Nay	Come	F
TOH-loh na!	Come quickly.
Tehn ya	Sleep!
Ah tin KAHñ	No touching me. (said to a male)	M
Ah tin KEEñ	No touching me.	F
Ah tin KOU	No touching him. male to male
In-eh-HEEDT	Let’s go.
HEED TEHN yah	Go to sleep!
heed	go!
wu TAH	get out!
Koom	stop (like stop walking) – there is some difference between when to use Koom and when to use tew, but I can’t understand it.	M
KOO-mee	stop	F
mah RAHM ehd	Walk!	Pl
teh RAHM ehd	Walk!	M
teh RAHM eh JEE	Walk!	F
SAH-meñ	Kiss me! (Use this at the orphanage!)
MEHM-taht	Kick! (casual kick)	Pl
MIH-tah	Kick! (the same word is used for kick and hit. somehow you are just supposed to know which one you are referring to)	M
MIH-chee	Kick!	F
Kwahss MEHM-taht	Kick the ball!
MAY-ahz	Catch!	Pl
YAHZ	catch	M
YAH-ZHJee	catch	F
MEH-wehr-WEHR (don’t forget to roll all the Rs!)	Throw!	Pl
wehr WEHR	Throw!	M
wehr WEHR-EE	Throw!	F
mahn-keh-bah-LEHL	Roll!	Pl
AHN-keh-bah-LEHL	Roll	M
AHN-keh-bah-YEE	Roll	F
meh-ROHT	Run!	Pl
eh-ROOT	run!	M
eh-ROO-chee	run!	F
Beh LOOT	KICK! (power kick)	Pl
BEH-la-ohw (slur the last 2 sounds together, put the w sound at the end)	KIck! (power kick)	M
beh LOO waht	KICK (power kick)	F
Bell	Say (Sort of like Speak Up!)
zihm Bell	Don’t say (be quiet).
Sahk	Smile!
Ah-tuh SAHK	Don’t smile!
BIH lah	eat!	M
BEE	eat!	F
ENDEARMENTS
Lehb	Heart
YEH-nay hae-waht	my life (term of endearment)
Beh-teh-leh-ku Ewedehalehu	I love you big	M
TAH-Fahch (try to emphasize syllables equally)	sweet (or delicious – doro wat can be tafach)
yeh-nay tahfach	My Sweet (term of endearment)
yeh-nay tseh-HI (long i)	My Sunshine
FAHN deh shah	popcorn (or a nickname for a smiley girl)
Meh CHEM Ahl rehs SAH shem	I never forget about you.	F
Yeh-NAY woo-ehd	My treasure
Beh TAHM	Too much, a lot, very
AHN-chee yeh-NAY nehsh	You are mine	F
AHN-teh yeh-NAY neh	You are mine	M
AHN-chee NEHF-say nesh	You are my soul.	F
AHN-tay NEHF-say neh	You are my soul.	M
YEH-nay AHN-teh GOH-behz LEEJ-neh	You are a smart boy.
eh wed eh HA lehoo (slur the last part together)	I love you.	M
Eh wed eh SHAH lehu	I love you.	F
ah FIHK er HAH lehu	I love you – ROMANTIC! (Don’t say to your kids.)	M
ah FIHK er SHAH lehu	I love you – ROMANTIC! (Don’t say to your kids.)	F
yeh-nay FIHK-er	My Love
yeh-nay MAHR	my Honey
wair -AYN-yah	Chatterbox  (Ok, not really an endearment but it is a nickname.)
yeh-NAY nih-gist	My Queen
yeh-NAY nih-gooss	My King
OUTDOORS
tseh HI	sun
DAH mehn nah	cloud
koh KOHB	star
CHAH rah KAH	moon
seh MY	sky
sahr	grass
zahf	tree
ah behb bah	flower
ze nahb	rain
wehnz	river
HYK  (long I)	lake
tah rah rah	mountain
ah fir	dirt
beh reh HAH	desert
mahn get	road
CHAH kah	forest
koot kwah toh	bush
yah til kilt boh tah	garden
beh reh doh	snow
HOLIDAYS/CELEBRATION
ah dees   ah met	New Year’s
en koo tah tahsh	New Year’s
fah see kah	Christian – Easter
geh nah	Christian – Christmas
yeh lih deht kehn	Birthday
mehl kahm lih deht	Happy Birthday
tim kaht	Orthodox – baptism
may day	Liberation from Italians (May 23 – ET calendar)
gehn BOHT hI ah	first day of new governmental regime (ehadige)/ end of Dergue
mes kel	Orthodox cross was found Day
eid al adha	Muslim – Festival of the Sacrifice
eid al fitr	Muslim – end of Ramadan
ADJECTIVES/DESCRIPTIONS
Tin-nish	Small (a little)
Tell-ick	Big (a lot)
MEHT-foh	Bad
ehbdt-deh-SOU	Crazy (psychiatrically) Don’t use jokingly!
Tehr OO	Good
Tehr OO Beh-TAHM	Very good!
TOH-loh	Quick/ly
Mook	Hot
MAH zihn	sad
meh KOH taht	mad
dih KAHM	tired
HI lehn yah	wide awake (have strength)
I nah fahr	shy
KOO roo	proud
meht-FOH SHIT-tah	stinky (Bad smell)
MAH fer	embarrassed
KAHZ kah zah	cold (temperature)
Tehn-KAH-rah	Strong
Dess TEHN ya	Funny or Happy
DEHS tah	Happy or funny
Kuhss	Slowly (Patiently)
KOHN-joh	Beautiful
GO behz	Clever (or “Good Job!)
ah HOON	now!
BODY PARTS
tsah GOOR	hair
RAHS	head
I-n (long I)	Eye
Ah FENCH uh	Nose
CUHM for	Lips
ahf	Mouth
Terths	Teeth
Goonch	Cheek
JOH-roh	Ear
ahn GEHT	neck (front)
ehj	arm
meh DAHF	palm
yehj eh TAHT	fingers
Lehb	Heart
Hoed	Stomach
jahr BEH	back
KU lah	Circumcised penls (adult)
KEET	butt
eh GIHR	leg (includes leg and foot)
eh GROHCH	legs
yeh gihr TAHT	foot
TAH tohch	toes
Hoed ayn ah meh MEHñ	My stomach hurts.
_____ ayn ah meh MEHñ	My ______ hurts (is sick).
yeh TOOTS	b00bs
KOH dah	skin
ahn GOHL	brain
meh LAHSS	tongue
mahn JEH RAHT	neck (back side)
ahn JET	intestine
gool beht	knee
ehmss	girl privates
MISCELLANEOUS
ZAHR ay	Today
NEH geh	Tomorrow
teh LAHN teh nah	yesterday
Kan (short a)	Day
ah HOON	now
Kah -tell-OH	Next
Ehn-DEHG-uh-nah	Again
ChAH mer	More
BECK ah	Finished (enough)
eh REHF	Drop it/Leave it/It’s over (used when having a conversation that you want to be finished)
In NUH	And
Kayss	Orthodox priest
Soft	Toilet paper (even in English it is called “Soft”)
ah-MOHN-yahl	I feel sick.
BIHCH uh	Only
Yet?	Where?
	If you are playing the Battleship:
AHL-tah meh TAHM	He was Missed.
Tem-meh-TWAH	He got Hit (actually Kick)
YAHN-tah-TEH-rah	Your turn
Tah-kah-TAH-tah-yaht	Watch her (if she is cheating!)
Tah-kah-TAH-tah-yewu	Watch him!
LIB-dahsh	F.U. (male to female) Apparently this can only be used in the mode of actual physical command for the specific action, (someone will F you, not a general “sod off”)	F
Menalsh?	What did you say?	F
Menalk?	What did you say?	M
Chigger yeh-LEM	No problem.
Chigger AH-leh	There is a problem.
en DEHT	How?
AHL geh-BAHN yehm	I don’t understand
HOO loom	all
MAH-kee-nah	Car
gih deh GIH dah	Wall
teh MER teh bayt	school
OW toh boos	bus
dih BOOL bool	circle
ahr rah toom gohn eh kool yeh hoh nah (OR you can just say SQUARE)	square
sost mah EH zehn	triangle
guhn ZEHB	money
kwahss	ball (but everybody knows this refers to a soccer ball or toy ball – but not volleyball or tennis ball)
	balloon
eh-GEHR Kwahss chah-WAH-tah	Soccer (directly translated it means Feet-Ball-Play)
WAY-yah Ah-beh-sha neh-gehr	Oh, the ways of the Abesha!!
WAY-yah Ferengi neh-gehr	Oh, the ways of the foreigners!
EH shee	OK (you’ll hear this a lot)
EHM bee	Not OK
LEH mehn tah lihk SAH leh (exhale a heavy H sound at the end)	Why are you crying?	M
LEH mehn tah lihk SHAH lesh	Why are you crying?	F
IN-nay ih-FEHL-ih-gah-loh…	I want…
mihn tih-FEHL-ih-gah-leh	What do you want?	M
mihn tih-FEHL-ih-gee-ah-lesh	What do you want?	F
MIHN ihm	Nothing.
GO behz	Clever (or “Good Job!)
eh-nih-GEH-nah-ñAH-lehn	We will meet.
MEHL-kahm GOO-zoh yeh-HOON-eh-lih	Have a good trip.	M
MEHL-kahm GOO-zoh yeh-HOON-eh-lesh	Have a good trip.	F
beh AH mah REEN yah	in Amharic
geh neht	heaven
SCHOOL
teh-MAIR-teh-BAYT	school
ahss TAH mah REE	teacher
keh fill	class
teh MAH ree	students
hee sahp	math
ehn glee zee ñAH	English
science	science
tah reek	history
ah mah reen yah	Amharic
hah bah rah TEH seb	geography
moo zeek ah	music
sport	sports/gym
eh rehft	break (recess)
keh fill gee zee	class period
black-board	chalkboard
chalk	chalk
meh seh hahf	text book
err sahss	pencil
eh skrih bee toh (sounds like Spanish to me!!)	pen
shahn tah	backpack
mahss-tah-wah-shah   dehb-ter	notebook
yeh BAYT seh RAH	homework
yeh dehm beh libs	uniform
ah leh kah	monitor
gwah dehn yah	friend
gwah dehn yohch	friends
meh geh rehf	beating with a stick after making a mistake
QUESTION WORDS
Mah no?	Who is that?
Mah no goh-behz/tehn-kah-rah/kohn-joh?Start with Mah-no and fill in an adjective afterwards.	Who is clever/strong/beautiful?  substitute whatever adjective you want after who is
Yeht no?	Where is it/he? (male or objects)	M
Yeh TAH lah?	Where is it/he?  (I can’t figure out the difference of when to use yet no or yet tahla.  They seem to be interchangeable.  If you want to ask about a person, start with his name or position first.  e.g.	M
Abaye yeht no?	Where is Dad?	M
yeh-nay mah-KEE-nah yet no?	Where is my car?
Yeh TAH lehch?	Where is she?	F
Mommy yeh-TAH-lehch?	Where is Mommy?
Yeht neh?	Where are you?  (Like if you are talking to a person on a cell phone)	M
Yeht nesh?	Where are you?	F
mah chay	When?
leh mehn	Why?
sint no?	How much?
yeh-HAY min-deh-NO	What is this?
YAH min-deh-NO	What is that?

Update 1/19/09:  Here’s another good resource for learning Amharic online.  http://ethiopia.limbo13.com/index.php/amharic/

Table of Contents

My entries were added in no particular order so some of them may be hard to find. Here’s a list of the entries/topics.

POSTS FROM MAY/JUNE 2006 TRIP This is at the beginning of the blog.  If you want to read straight through about the adoption trip, start here. AHOPE Biggest Regret Care Center Physical Set Up Care Center Schedule – Toddlers Crown Hotel Crown Hotel – Post Party Disclaimer Embassy Day, Hilton, Souvenir Shop Families’ Dynamics Friday Outing – Lions Goodbye Ceremony at the School Guesthouse Amenities – Physical Guesthouse Amenities – Services Guesthouse Basics The “New” Guesthouse (updated 7/07) Guesthouse Food Guesthouse Other Visitors Guesthouse-Care Center Walk Language Mosquitos MY Schedule for the time in Addis Packing List – Used, Unused, Forgotten Playing with the Other Kids Rain Random Bits-n-Pieces Really Nice Teeth Religion Rotary Meeting Signs Souvenir/Craft Shopping Things I’d Do Differently Travel – Ethiopian Airlines/Travel with Son Travel – Visa and Exiting the Airport Travel – Short (?) Layovers, Last Flight of the Day Trip South – Accommodations Trip South – Evening Activities Trip South – Fauna Trip South – Flora Trip South – Homestead Trip South – Hossana Care Center Trip South – Meeting the Family Trip South – Memorable Encounters Trip South – Motivation Trip South – Our Driver Trip South – Our Translator Trip South – The Roads/Roadside Trip South – Travel Arrangements Trip South – Views Vehicle Emissions, Dust What About the 19 Month Olds? POSTS – GENERAL ADOPTION,  NON-TRIP A Cow Says “Ehmbwahhhhh” Amharic Phrases Amharic Words for the Photo Album CHSFS and ASI Difference of a Year Ethiopia or Adoption Related Books Ethiopia Quiz Ethiopian Culture Camp Giving Back to Ethiopia Images! Nicknames Waffling is a Sign

POSTS FROM OCTOBER 2006 TRIP Abesha Prices Airplane Seat Assignments American Boys Don’t Wear Pink Shoes Bahar Dar – Biking Bahar Dar - Monasteries Berbere Yoplait Billboard – Hip Hop Cookies Billboard – Hiwot Billboard – Holyland Beer Billboard – Side of Truck Braids Bugs Bunny Hutches Can’t Look, Can’t Not Look Child Stalker Cooking Injera Diet Coke Sighting Dinosaur Bones! DV & Cosmo Shops Effects of War Ferengi on Tour Uniform Flippin’ the Ethiopian Bird over Soapstone Foot Melodrama Fruit and Stands Giardiasis Gondar-Restaurant Hey Returned Parents! Hosanna Hotel Hotels I’ll Take “Scary Things” for 2 Birr, Alex. Internet Cafes Jackie Chan or Ah-nold? Kidiste Selassie Lake Langano Resort Area Lalibela Lalibela – Dining with Ferengi Lalibela – Rock Hewn Churches Lines and Porters at Bole Maherderawi Mini-buses National Museum – Axumite Artifacts National Museum – Lucy National Museum – Modern Artwork New Hosanna Center Night Out on the Town Pizza Primary School Visit Quadruped Transportation Quest for an Injera Cooker Real or an Ad? Shinshicho and Hadero Photos Snickers Satisfies So Gratifying! Strollering Sugar Cane – Oral Workout Taking Your Other Kids to Ethiopia Tattoos  THE Backpack The Black Minority The Merkato Those Kodak Moments Tis Abay TV Visiting Birthfamilies Visiting the School Welcome Back to Bole International!! Why Do White People Read? Wondo Genet Hot Springs

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Ethiopia or Adoption Related Books

My reviews of some of the books I’ve read are given below. I’m no literary scholar. I don’t want to have to concentrate too hard when I read a book at home. Keep that in mind when you determine the value of my reviews. And, these are all MY opinions. Generally the books have gotten positive reviews from others (otherwise I wouldn’t have read them in the first place).

Fafi’s Sheep by Netsanet Kidnemariam. A children’s book. It was OK. It took an awfully long time to get through the book and the life lessons that seems to be, “listen to your mother!” I think because it took so long and wandered, it lost its potency. Recommended after you finish the others.

Held at a Distance: My Rediscovery of Ethiopia by Rebecca Haile – The author immigrated to America as a child and the story is of her return to Ethiopia for the first time twenty-five years later. She does a great job of incorporating a lot of different things into the story. She gives historical information (political and religious), her life as an Ethiopian child in Minnesota, her life as an Ethiopian child in the American School in Addis, the contrast between her father the historian/academic and her uncle the engineer/road builder. I think one of the most impactful aspects of the book is what seems to be the conflict within herself about being an Ethiopian returning to her home and having been in America for so long that she is sometimes a Ferengi in her home country. I think the reason I like this is because this resonates so greatly with me about fears, concerns, and hopes of how it will be for my son to return to Ethiopia as an adult and/or teenager. Really recommended.

Love in the Driest Season by Neely Tucker – A couple’s process of adopting a child from Zimbabwe. I enjoyed this book. It was a quite easy read. I had a lot of “oh yeah” type of moments from my time in Zimbabwe…from mannerisms to references to geographical features. It also had the side benefit of making me appreciate the ease of an Ethiopian adoption. Recommended.

Silly Mammo by Gebregeorgis Yohannes. A children’s book. I hated it. Not recommended.

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu – An Ethiopian immigrant’s experience in America. I don’t understand why this book got good reviews. Usually I read a book in 2-5 days, depending on my life events that week. This book took 4 weeks. Why? Because every time I picked it up, I put it back down shortly thereafter due to boredom. Maybe I don’t understand the literary aspect of it, but I expect a book to evoke emotion. The only emotion I got out of this was apathy. Even the narratives about violence barely made me react. Not recommended.

The Beekeeper of Lalibela by Cristina Kessler. A children’s book. I liked it a lot. It had 2 great lessons for kids to learn. And it is written in Amharic and English. Really recommended. Get it from www.Ethiopiareads.org.

The Hospital by the River by Dr. Catherine Hamlin – The story of the Hamlins, both doctors, who eventually build the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa. I know this book was written as a pseudo-autobiography, but the title of it made me think it was supposed to be mostly about the Hospital. The first few chapters retelling the Hamlins’ geneaology bored me a bit, but I really enjoyed how historical events of Ethiopia were made more real by presenting her take on them. Examples of this include an account of weekly forays of food delivery to the people that were thrown in jail by the Derg or hiding to avoid being his by bullets flying during the seizures of people/buildings. The best part of the book, for me, was the stories of the women (and pictures) who had fistulas and how the repairs affected them. I’m very glad she didn’t candy-coat everything and told of some of the women they were unable to help due to the severity of the fistulas. The name dropping (I knew Ambassador XX, we had dinner with Princess YY, we stayed at the home of Gajillionaire ZZ, etc.) was tiring. Recommended, but don’t put it on your priority list.

There is No Me Without You by Melissa Faye Green – The story of a woman, Haregewoin, who works to take care of HIV+ children in Ethiopia. This book was easy to read and did a good job of presenting facts about HIV/AIDS by humanizing them into one person’s story. There were some instances of poor editing. I actually had to check my spot in the book to see if I had accidentally lost my page or if I was reading the same thing twice. Beware, though, this book will make you want to go and scoop up all the kids you can. I got this book as a gift from a friend, a very good choice for a gift. Recommended.

Tsehai Loves Learning. OK, this is not a book, but… This is a DVD of some puppets that sing and dance in a low-budget version of Sesame Street. I think it’s a good deal for the money. And, mostly because of this DVD, my 2-year old can count to ten in Amharic. They do have a clip on the internet that you can watch as a preview.

Let me know if there are other books you think I should read. I’m pretty frugal, so the books really need to be worth it (or available at the public library).

Added 8/14/07:

28 Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. Very powerful book. The author does an amazing job of giving uniqueness and similarities to each person’s story. She makes each person’s life and life experience matter. It was hard for me to stop reading even though I was overcome with a huge range of emotions. Best book I’ve read this year, by far. Most recommended.

Added 8/20/07:

Digging to America by Anne Tyler. This is the story of two American families (one is American WASPy-like, and one is of Iranian heritage) that adopt two Korean baby girls. The story hits on a lot of different subjects, adoption, first generation immigrants, second-generation families, and a lot of relationship stuff. I found myself smiling about the different types of people I recognized from the book in our own adoption journey. If you read the book and don’t know anybody who is a Bitsy, then it’s you! Recommended.

Exotic Ethiopian Cooking by Daniel Mesfin. This is a cookbook of Ethiopian recipes. It is written, I think, for Westerners. There is a lot of really interesting stuff in the beginning of the book about Ethiopian culture related to food, coffee, and social situations. (I actually think that is the best part). The book also has a lot of vegetarian recipes. It must be a good book because I was just planning to show my friend the book, but then she appropriated it as her birthday present (that’s fine, I just expect some homemade treats from the book’s recipes in return). I have 3 other books with Ethiopian recipes, one in Amharic that my husband somehow thought would be helpful to me (?), one that is basically a Home Ec book for Ethiopians (has a few good recipes but also includes how to prepare Cornflakes), and the Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors (I like the variety of international recipes and the few Ethiopian recipes are pretty good). Plus, I also look up stuff online. I think I will buy a few more of the Exotic Ethiopian Cooking though, with the intent to keep one for myself (with my name written on the book edges!) and the rest to give as gifts. Recommended.

Images!

Don’t Eat My Buchela

This blog has some great photos of Ethiopia…and not just the typical scenic or Lalibela church photos.  I think they are little snippets of life.  They are a glimpse of everything from the shops to a man carrying baskets to people walking from church to city and countryside views. 

There’s a lot of other interesting stuff, but if you just want the ET pictures, go the sidebar and under Archives by Subject, Click on Ethiopia.

 My faves:

• Kinship
• Wood
• Ethiopia’s Future (second photo down)

Ethiopia Quiz

The Ethiopian Millenium has some good information related to Ethiopia’s history. 

You can check out some people who have made great contributions to Ethiopia.

Plus, you can take a quiz and see just how much you know.  I got 70% on the PRE-test.  I plan to check everything out and then see if I can get 100%.

Giving Back to Ethiopia

In the last year or so, I’ve come across several organizations that would be great ways to get involved and help out your child’s first home.

AHOPE - An orphanage/community that cares for HIV+ children.

Kembata Women’s Self Help Center -  Works on several different projects (reduction of female genital mutilation, women/children’s health, business/trade development for women, environmental preservation) in the Kembata region of Ethiopia.

USAID’s Farmer to Farmer program -  Offers 2-6 week all expense paid trips (no salary) for people involved in agri-business to help transfer farming/agri-small business development/marketing experience to Ethiopians.

Ethiopia Reads – Sponsors a free library in Addis Ababa, as well as a bookmobile/donkey cart in Awasa.  Right now they are sponsoring a “Take a Book” program to stock their libraries.  If you can’t make a financial donation but are going to Ethiopia, please take a book or two or three or twenty-three to donate to their library programs.  If you have space to carry some books, please do so.

I’ll try to update this as I come across other organizations that do good work in Ethiopia.  If you have one of your own favorite organizations that does good, please leave a comment or email me. 

Trees for the Future – As you will see (or have seen), Ethiopia has a serious problem with the use of wood for fuel and the resulting erosion.  This organization is working to address the problem, plus there are opportunities to get involved when you are visiting Ethiopia.  I think planting some trees/vegetation would be a very simple way to help give back to your child’s country.

Children of Ethiopia Education Fund – The organization’s goal is to improve the lives and futures of girls in Ethiopia.  Plus they also want to provide opportunities for people in the United States and around the world, who have been more materially blessed, to give of themselves.  You can sponsor a child to go to school or support the construction of a school.  You can also experience some Ethiopian culture and support their projects by attending a Mesgana dancers performance.  You can buy tickets for their Chicago August 4, 2007 performance online.

Shinshicho and Hadero Photos

Links below will take you to full-size photos of images taken in the towns of Shinshicho and Hadero in the Southern Region of Ethiopia.

Hadero photos were taken in October 2006.    When opened, click on the link “Hade.”  32 photos available.

Shinshicho photos were taken in May and October 2006.  When opened, click on the link “Shin.” 18 photos available.

The “New” Guesthouse

Here are pics from CHSFS’ new guesthouse (2007).  I haven’t been there, so I don’t have much to report on its whereabouts, activities or amenities. 

  

  

 

I don’t think you should be too worried about your accommodations.  Good thing I didn’t stay there or my son would’ve had quite a let down after reaching my house in America.  Ma, where’s the satellite TV? (How about an antenna and 4 stations?)  Fireplace?  (How about a wood stove with ash burns in the carpet?)  Polished dining room table?  (Polished?  Would you settle for shiny from the hardened maple syrup residue?) Matching leather furniture?  (The only matching leather things we have in this house are your brother’s soccer shoes.) Hardwood floors? (Chipped laminate wood is pretty dang close!)  Gorgeous (living) plants? (How about synthetic plants? Less maintenance.)  3-4 decks? (Almost!  How about a front stoop, a side porchlette/steps and a cement pad behind the garage?)

Thanks to Cindy and Jayme for the photos.

A Cow Says “Ehmbwahhhhh”

One of the fun things about other cultures is learning how their animals “talk” differently.  Well, actually, I’m pretty sure the animals talk the same, it’s just that we interpret the sounds differently.

In Ethiopia, this is what some of the animals say:

Cow – Ehmbwahhhh

Sheep  – Ehmbahh

Goat – Mehh Mehhhhh

Chicken -  Back Back Back

Rooster – Coo Coo Looooooo

Frog – Quahck Quahck (Omigosh, I did NOT know Ethiopia frogs were bilingual in American Duckese!!)

Horse – Meeee ee eee eeee

Donkey – ah HEE  ah HEE ah HEE

Dog – WOW wow wow

Cat – Meow

Snake – Tss Tss Tss

Mouse – Tss Tss Tss

Pig – Wehnk Wehnk

Ethiopian Culture Camp

EACSA (Ethio-America Community Service Agency) is holding their annual cultural camp near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on August 3-5, 2007.

Last year I went because another family guilted me to agree to go. Basically, they dangled their adorable, clever, charming 3-year old spitfire in front of me and said, “if you want to see her, you have to go to this.” So, I did…begrudgingly.

I am SO glad we went and I’ve let go of my previous animosity towards the blatant bribery/arm-twisting of the aforementioned family. Unlike some of the other events we’ve gone to where it is basically American parents (usually white) with baby, toddler and pre-schooler Ethiopian children chatting to each other, this was different.  There was a mix of ages there.

Some of the Ethiopian kids were teenagers and had been in America for years. It was great to have a perspective of what my son’s life might be like in 10-15 years and to hear about some of the issues they are going through.  It was also great to have some teenagers welcome my toddler with open arms (giving me a break).  My almost 6-year old loved it when the old kids (the 10 year olds) let him play with them.

 

There were families who adopted children from several different agencies. It’s amazing the different experiences we had and the different “target” groups of children in their orphanages.

And, there were real, grown-up <<GASP>> Ethiopians. There were adult Ethiopians who immigrated to America as adults. Some were adoptive parents, some were not. But, they were all kind, sincere and very helpful.

In general, all the families sought out learning about the others.  And, everyone seemed to look out for everyone else’s kids.  Or, maybe that was just me letting everyone else mind my kids for me…

They had sessions that included how to make shiro wat, hair care, coffee ceremony, a talk with the older kids about their ties and responsibility towards Ethiopia and goals for the future.

There were competitive soccer games, both adult and children versions. There was a delicious Ethiopian dinner catered by an Ethiopian restaurant. And, there was dancing. Lots of kids dancing and some shake, shake dancing lessons from the adults.

   

They had some non-Ethiopian specific activities available like swimming, volleyball, a scavenger hunt, crafts and marshmallow shooters.  There were playground areas for the smaller kids.

 

The weekend events are set up for flexibility. If you can stay from Friday evening through Sunday, great! If not, just come when you can. Some people just came for dinner and dancing last year and seemed to enjoy themselves.

I highly recommend this event to everyone.  Well, actually I don’t.  If you are a high maintenance person, a whiner/complainer, that person who has to melodramatically tell everyone in great detail about the trials/tribulations of their adoption experience, or someone who just plans to come so they can check off the “maintains Ethiopian culture” on their child’s annual update for Ethiopia, you should not come. I don’t want you being a buzz kill for everyone else.

Come if you are going to enjoy the camping experience.  Come if you want to intermingle with Ethiopians.  Come if you want to learn and experience some bits of Ethiopian culture.  Come if you don’t mind a weekend where events happen on Ethiopian time.

Click here for a link to the registration form.  If the link doesn’t work, right click on it and then click Save As.

Difference of a Year

       

One year ago today, I received the referral of my son. Not really. I saw a 16-month old (estimated) boy on the Waiting Children’s list and called about him. Twenty minutes later, I had info and a picture.

In that time, there have been quite a few changes. Some changes are physical and superficial, some are much more impactful.

• He is now 18 pounds heavier and 6 inches taller.
• His forehead gash is gone, replaced by several chicken pox scars that have yet to fade.
• His hair was thin and quite straight and is now long and curly, except for the parts his older brother trimmed for him.
• He wasn’t standing unsupported, but now he runs, climbs, jumps and generally terrifies me with his daredevil personality.
• He screamed at the drop of a hat to get his way. Now that he can communicate, his screaming is much rarer.
• He used to eat until he couldn’t see food anymore. Now, he eats until he’s full, until something more interesting comes along or his brother gets up from the table.
• He was terrified alone in a room. Now, he still does not like to be left in a room by himself, but he willingly goes to other rooms and will play solo.

Some things are still the same.

• He smiles all the time.
• He is a big charmer (or that could also be “manipulator” depending on what kind of mood I’m in at the time).
• He needs to be the center of attention and is jealous of me giving affection to others.
• He wants everything that somebody else has.
• He can’t fall asleep by himself.
• He lives in a home with people that adore him.

Some people state that they “can’t remember how life was before” their child came to be with them. I can.

• The house was quieter.
• The house was cleaner.
• There was less laundry.
• It was much faster to get ready in the morning.
• It was less effort to drop off/pick up at daycare.
• It was easier to have a night out.
• There were fewer loud fights.
• The cat was not afraid of short people.
• There were less snotty noses and poopy pants.
• Life was much more boring for my older son.
• The bathtub floor was less wet on bath night.
• We had to rent a neighbor kid to have a fun campout in the living room.
• Nobody followed and emulated my older son.
• There were less cookie crumb trails from the snack cupboard to the living room.
• There was much more space in my bed on Sunday mornings.
• There were fewer suffocating hugs.
• There were fewer squeals of laughter.
• There were less slobbery kisses.
• And, there was a lot of unallocated love just waiting to be used up.

Braids

I had braids put in my hair before we made a trip to Hosanna.  I think it would’ve looked a lot better if I’d have had those small black rubber bands instead of the extra thick yellow one you see.

The braids were quite nice for keeping my hair from whipping around as we drove with the windows down.  Of course, since the road was not paved all the way, my hair was coated in a nice even layer of dust by the time we arrived in Hosanna.  So, regretably, I removed the braids and flushed 1.8 lbs of Ethiopian soil from my hair.  I did contemplate just rinsing and leaving the braids in, but the knots in the back of my head made sleep quite uncomfortable.

I got my braids done for free, but you can go to a salon and have it done for only a couple dollars (if that). 

Nicknames

Some nicknames seem to be pretty common in Ethiopia.

For girls, these are some nicknames:

• MEE-mee (Mimi)
• MEE-too (Meetu)
• Eh-moo-YAY (Emuye)
• MEE-tah (Mita)
• Mah-MEET (Mamit)

For boys,

• Mah-MOOSH (Mamush)
• Ah-BOOSH (Abush)
• Ah-boo-YAY (Abuye)

Also, modifications can be made to given names.  Adding ish or sh on the end of the first part of the name indicates closeness or love.  For example,

• Birtukan becomes Birtush
• Tsintayo becomes Tsintish
• Tesfaye becomes Tesfesh
• Abraham becomes Abresh

You can also add “ye”or “uye” to the end of the first part of the name to indicate my.  For example,

• Temesgen becomes Temuye
• Bizunesh becomes Bizuye
• Tesfanesh becomes Tesfuye
• Denbelo becomes Denbuye
• Minteamir becomes Mintaye
• Tekle becomes Tekleye

You can add u (pronounced oo) to the end of the first part of the name to endear the person to you.

• Bamlak becomes Bamlu
• Tsege becomes Tsegu
• Tinsae becomes Tinsu
• Zernesh becomes Zeru
• Eskedar becomes Esku
• Mitike becomes Mitu
• Tariku becomes Taru

And, some are just the first part of the name (or adding a “ey” or “ay” sound on the end) similar to what we do to American names.

• Sisay becomes Sis
• Biniam becomes Bini
• Asnakech becomes Asnee
• Mengestu becomes Mengay
• Tsehayenesh becomes Tsehaye
• Hiwot becomes Hiwotay
• Meseret becomes Messy

The names given are just some examples.  Some names have more than one common nickname.

• Addis can be Addu or Addisiye.
• Mekdes can be Mekedu, Mekediye or Mekedish.
• Muluken can be Mulu, Muluye, Mulay or Mulish

Why Do White People Read?

The Blue Tops Restaurant is basically across the street from the National Museum in Addis. It does have several blue roofs, ergo the clever naming of the restaurant. We were baton frisked before we entered. The indoor area of the restaurant was quite humid.

Fortunately, there was a patio that I asked that we were able to enjoy. The menu was quite Euro-American-Wannabe. I ended up with a ham, cheese and black olive sandwich though that wasn’t what I thought I was ordering. I ended up giving the olives to my son because the thought of eating them myself makes me gag. He also did not enjoy the food we ordered for him and chose to eat his own creation of black olives and black pepper on a bun.

The ice cream was quite icy rather than creamy. All in all, it was an overpriced restaurant clearly targeted at the tourist crowd. I would not go there again.

Now, on to the title of this post. In the photo in the background, you can sort of see a Ferengi with his head facing down. He was reading a book. When this poor unassuming man opened his book, I was immediately pelted with the question of why the Ferengi who eat by themselves in a restaurant always have a book to read. Uhhh? Cuz that’s what we do? I don’t know. Maybe we are such multi-taskers the idea of just eating or just reading does not make sense? Maybe the Ferengi want to expand their learning and doing so while riding in the cratered roads on a bus to Southern Ethiopia is not conducive to avoiding car sickness? Maybe because, unlike the Abesha sitting by himself in this restaurant right now, the Ferengi are not comfortable blatantly staring at others (OK, by “others” I mean “me”) while they wait for their food to arrive?

Amharic Words for the Photo Album

The linked documents list common words that you might want to use to label the photos in the photo album for your new child.  (Link is at the bottom of this entry.)

Left column is the American word, middle is the phonetic pronunciation of the Amharic word and the right column is the word in Amharic letters.

You will find the Amharic words for

Mom
Mother
Dad
Father
Brother
Sister
Grandma
Grandpa
Aunt
Uncle
Cousin
Our Family
Our Home
Your Bedroom (M)
Your Bedroom (F)
Our dog
Our cat
Your new school (M)
Your new school (F)
We love you. (M)
We love you. (F)

It should make it easier for the nannies with limited English skills to explain your photos to your new kids.
MS Word Version:

http://ethiopianadoptiontravelogue.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/amharic-words.doc

Adobe Acrobat Version:
http://ethiopianadoptiontravelogue.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/amharic-words.pdf

If you have other words you’d like to see, leave a comment and I’ll ask my husband to translate.

(And, yes, I know one column is entitled “American word.”  Sorry, I can’t help it.  I’m an egocentric American. )

Update 9/18/07:  I was given the wrong translation for grandma and grandpa before.   (The old version was actually step-mother and step-father).  It is corrected now.

I’ll Take “Scary Things” for 2 Birr, Alex.

I didn’t actually witness this myself, but…. 

Yes, that is a Santa.  I think it is plastic, although it does sort of have the appearance of those dried/shrunken potato-head Grandma dolls we had to make in 3rd grade Art class.

Now, I know in America some parents get the royal-rip off by paying $5 (or more) to get a photo with Mall Santa.  But a least Mall Santa won’t instigate nightmares for the next 3 weeks.  To get a lifetime memory with this Santa, it costs 1 birr PER photo.

This photo was taken at Meskel Square on Ethiopian Christmas Eve.  Sorry if you missed your opportunity this year.  There’s always next year.

Kidiste Selassie

After the National Museum, we visited the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The actual name of the church is Kidiste Selassie. It is one of the most important Orthodox churches. Some of the Orthodox churches restrict entry of non-Orthodox people. However, for 25 birr plus guide fee, you can enter this one.

I’m not sure I have all of the details correct as our guide spoke English so fast I could barely understand him. The church itself is extremely impressive. As you walk up to the front, there is a large patio area. It is called the Mercy Plaza. There are also four statues on the plaza representing Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

When you enter a church, typically the men enter on the left side, women on the right side and priests from the back. However, to accommodate the tourists, they allowed us to enter freely. Before we went in, we removed our shoes.

Inside, the church was very ornate. The church had stained glass windows representing the most important parts of the bible and Ethiopian history on them. It wasn’t uncommon in the Orthodox churches I visited to see the Bible intermixed with Ethiopian history.

The stained glass windows had been specially ordered from Belgium, so it surprised me a bit that so many of the people were all Nordic looking. I would’ve expected that they could’ve added enough tint to the “flesh” colored glass mix to at least make Jesus look like he was not born in Oslo or Flanders.

The guide explained each of the stained glass windows to us. 

Haile Selassie and his wife’s tombs are in the front of the church, off on the left side.

Haile Selassie was deposed by Mengistu Haile Mariam. Shortly thereafter, in 1975, he died under mysterious circumstances while imprisoned. In 1991, his body was exhumed from a makeshift grave that was under a latrine (or under the president‘s office, depending which story you believe). His remains were taken to a church.

In the 1990s, his wife, Empress Menen was entombed at the Holy Trinity Church.

Seven years later, Selassie’s remains were entombed next to his wife at the Holy Trinity Church also.

There were also a lot of tombs around the church, many for soldiers.