We have been asleep for 4 hours or so. Fell asleep to the droning of the Imam over the loudspeakers. Not loud, but there. Although I have often heard the Islamic prayers on the loudspeakers on the news , and although I was quite aware that Ethiopia is about 50/50 Muslim/ Christianity--- it simply never occurred to me that I might ever be in a place where this is common practice. All that being said, i thought it was going to be upsetting. Nope. Oddly comforting?
Anyway--we had crashed right after dinner with the other families
* here at the CHS guest house. Dinner= two small squares of pizza. One cheese. One w ground beef. Lunch was minced meat lasagna with mashed potToes instead of noodles, herbed rice and a mixture of green beans and carrots. Modest quantities. The staff here appears to eat based on how much we eat. In other words we go first and then they eat what remains. I could not get Terefu to go ahead of me.
*other families=
Steph and Mike--from Minnesota adopting 21 mo old Obama!
Apu and Carol-- fromnDC- adopting brothers berekat and erefu. Evidently berekat and Israel are friends at Hosanna.
Chris and Tricia-- don't know yet
It is wild and such a blessing to have the other couples here. Ally and I tend not to get too close to strangers too fast in normal world. But here in journey land we have found fast friends---comparing notes of zigzag timelines and shared bewilderments.
Anyway-- we are awake because the new couple just got in from the airport nd the driver was beeping to wake up the slumbering watchman outside our flimsy tin car gate-- we re in a compound of sorts and evidently a good part of town. The president of the African Union(it's a big deal) isbaround the corner. I have not learned how to tell yet. Our street is dirt, huge holes to navigate. Power has been good so far, only a few outages. Walking on the road is such a crazy circus!!
Men women dogs goats very old very young well dressed and clean filthy and ragged trucks little cars bulldozer no bikes? No curbs rocks trash nug huge shiny church littlenmarket cellphones everywhere. Aljazeera and Biggest Loser on TV. Biggest loser!? Chickens in little cages. Lots of construction, female concrete crew! 20 of them in long skirts and big straw hats shocking load after load of gravel and cement and wheelbarrow. No blaze orange or hard hats. Scaffolding of sticks. Must take forever.
Sugar is in short supply right now. Tefaro says the government tried to impose a tarrif or restriction so the business groups rebelled and stopped supplying it?
Ally and I both really struggling over not being able to communicate w Family. Based our whole comm. Strategy on being able to skype and email via WiFi. Had reports of close by hotel Millenium having reliable wifi. Walked up there this aft, it's so close, but closed for renovations( wish I could relate how absurd that notion is in context). No time to remedy right now. Must try to catch cab tomorrow evening to Sheraton or other hotspot. Our guest house has dial up ally and ibboth got to our email accnts, but neither can read the emails .Welcome to Africa:)
Up and out at 6am for 3 hour bumpy ride down to hosanna orphanage. Hard to believe we finally get to meet him. Back to sleep I hope.
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