Injera and Wot-The Foundation of Ethiopian Food
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
This is how injera is cooked.
This is a large stack of freshly made injera. Yummy!
This actually isn't wot because it doesn't have a sauce. It's Tibs!!! My favorite!!!
Sometimes in language school, we take a break from regular language learning and do something cultural. So a few weeks ago, we learned all about making Ethiopian food and all of the words in Amharic that go with it. Every October my language school does this with its students because after the rainy season (which ends in September) people are usually still tired from being inside so much when it rains. There’s a saying in Amharic that says something like “If you eat meat from the bone, it will give you strength” or something like that.
Some of us practiced bargaining for sheep. Some of us slaughtered the sheep, which is traditionally done by the men of the household (YAY!). And some of us chopped vegetables. I opted for the last one only because I don’t like to be that in touch with my meat before I eat it! We also learned about how to make injera from our wonderful Serataynya (maid) Tsige (which means grace or mercy in Amharic). Then we ate fresh injera, which is soo tasty!! I love it when it’s fresh. We had a good time eating, cooking, talking, and eating some more!
So, a bit of information about Ethiopian food….Ethiopian food is always eaten with injera which is a flat, spongy, sourdough, crepe-like bread. The injera tastes sour, because it ferments for a few days before it is cooked. Injera is made from teft (a very small, fiberous grain) flour, water, and yeast. On top of the injera there are different kinds of wot and or cooked vegetables and or meat. Wot usually consists of meat or sometimes vegetables, with a sauce. My favorite is Tibs–fried lamb(usually), spicy green peppers and onions with spices. Yum Yum!!!
Meskel Flower (The Cross of Christ Flower)
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Well, I should have posted this a few months ago, but alas, I have not had as much time to blog as I wanted to. This is a Meskel flower. Meskel in Amharic (the most commonly spoken language in Ethiopia which I’m learning) means cross as well as the verb “to hang.” This is because Jesus hung on a cross when He died for our sins. Hopefully you can see that on each one of the petals of this flower there are tiny orange marks. People in Ethiopia have decided that these marks look like the wounds that Jesus has from being crucified on a cross, hence the name Meskel flower. There is also a holiday in September that I wrote about previously called Meskel, which is a celebration of the cross of Christ. Meskel flowers are in bloom in Ethiopia around September/October. The name of the month that is at the same time as September is called Meskerem which is the first month of the year on the Ethiopian calendar since Ethiopian New Years Day is always on September 11th. I have a few friends here who are named Meskerem since that’s the month in which they were born.
So, there’s a little cultural/language information for you. I think it’s interesting. Some might think it’s boring. Hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless! : )
Cute Baby!!!
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
E. in his habesha lebs (traditional Ethiopian clothes), 4 months old
This is the cute baby that I’ve been watching this week while his mom is away. He has someone to take care of him during the day and I watch him at night. Yes, that means that I get to wake up three times a night to feed and change him. It’s a lot of work, but he’s so cute and such a good baby!! He only cries when he needs something and after that he’s pretty happy! Taking care of him is giving me a new respect for my parents who got up in the middle of the night to take care of me. Thanks Mom and Dad!
Issues with Formatting on This Blog
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
So, sometimes I’ve noticed that when I post things on my blog, things get rearranged in funky way and there’s nothing I can do about it. At least not that I’ve found. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
A Sickly Day Trip To A Resort
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
I know you can't see our faces, but I like this picture because I blend in quite well with my chocolate-skinned friends!!
Most of us in a group picture
twilight reflection on the lake
Okay, the actual day trip wasn’t sickly, but I’m pretty sure that I got a parasite from the restaurant at the resort. I should never, ever, ever eat any kind of salad in this country, no matter how nice the restaurant looks!!
Anywways, I’d been wanting to get away to this resort so when I heard that my friends were going, I took the day off from school and work and went with them. Koriftu is one of the nicest resorts in Ethiopia and for one day, I decided it was okay to splurge. A one day membership includes a meal, swimming in a pool, and kayaking on the lake. It was a very fun day of hanging out and just chilling with my friends. It’s always good to get out of Addis for a bit and relax!
Being Back…
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
As I told some of you, when my plane touched the ground in Addis Ababa, I almost started crying. I was so happy. I loved being home in California, but it really felt more like a vacation, a break inbetween living in Ethiopia. I was so excited to rearrive in Ethiopia again! Out of all the places in the earth, this one feels the most like home to me right now.
Life, however, is quite different from when I left. I’m not working at the same school. I live in a different place with different people. I go to language school every morning and part of the afternoon, I tutor students in English, teach piano lessons, and help out with my church’s youth group. These are all things that I did not do when I was living here and working full time as an English Conversation teacher. I’ve had to develop my own routine and schedule and be much more proactive than I was before about making a life for myself.
So, it feels new, normal, and a bit different. I’m used to the way things work here. Now I just have to get used to the way my life works here!
I Am So Blessed With GREAT Family And Friends!!!!
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Over the past two months of being home in the states, I have realized over and over again that I am blessed with wonderful family and friends. I was already a pretty relational girl before I moved to Ethiopia and now that I’ve been influenced by a more community-oriented culture, I am even more so that way. My whole goal this summer has been to see and or talk to people who I know and love and who love and support me. I can’t say what a huge blessing it’s been to connect with so many people and really feel and see their support of me in such tangible ways. Everytime someone is just a bit interested in hearing about Ethiopia or thanks me for sending emails or posting on my blogs, I am reminded that I am not in this all by myself and I’m so grateful. Thank you to all family and friends, whether I’ve seen you or not. Your love is definitely being felt!!
My Quilt at an Art Show
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
My quilt and I @ the art show
This summer, as some of you know, I have been in the process of making a quilt for my grandparents. I finally finished it about two weeks ago and got to show it at an art show. Unfortunately, the artist statement I wrote, as well as the title, was not printed in the way I would have liked. So, without further ado, here is my artist statement….
The Cross Makes All The Difference
“I know that the cross of Christ has made a huge difference in my life,
But when I think about the difference the cross has made in my family, it scares me to think of where we would be without it.”
-my mom
I guess I will start by saying that this quilt was originally not intended to be in this art show. It is intended to be a gift for my grandparents (my mom’s parents) which I will give them at the end of this month. I also never intended for this quilt to have so many crosses, but sometimes in the creative process things happen that the artist wasn’t expecting.
The pictures were taken in front of my grandparents’ home when all of their grandchildren were kids. My family and I usually celebrate Thanksgiving with my mom’s parents who always have lots of leaves to rake from their gingko tree at that time of year. It is a tradition for all of my cousins and I to go outside and rake the leaves and play in them, which is where the pictures come from.
My mom and her brother and sister grew up in a very dysfunctional home. Their father, my grandfather, grew up in a home of nine children whose own father was an abusive alcoholic. My grandfather, to this day, has never dealt with the issues surrounding his painful childhood. Since he didn’t deal with these issues on his own, he took them out on his own wife and children.
I grew up with a mother who was processing this rather difficult childhood. She sought lots of counseling, prayer, and anything to help her heal and make the pain go away. I was always so thankful that she got help for her issues and sought God, unlike my grandfather. This made all the difference in our family.
I have learned from my mother that the cross of Christ can make a huge difference in a family and that cross is the only reason that anyone can heal. She has taught me that whenever you have issues, you should always go to God. Without Him our family would probably not be intact and several of us would not be speaking to each other. Actually, it probably would have come to a point when we would vow to never spend Thanksgiving with each other and not take these beautiful pictures of us being together.
So, it seems rather appropriate that the cross of Christ and these hearts (I originally intended to make them leaves) made their way into this quilt. Because of God’s great love through the cross of Christ, most of my cousins and I have been able to have much happier childhoods than our parents. Because of the cross of Christ we have been able to forgive each other and love and accept each other for who we are. Because of the cross of Christ in the midst of our pain, we have come to know God better in a way that we wouldn’t know Him otherwise.
My grandfather now has Parkinson’s disease and miraculously has accepted Christ. Thanks to the Holy Spirit and good medication, I have seen a lot more compassion and kindness in his heart in my last visit with him.
Being Home–The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Ok, I hope you’re able to view these pictures better than you could on my last post. So, these pics show you most of the GREAT things about being home in California—seeing good friends, seeing family members, spending time backpacking with my sister in the redwoods, seeing the Pacific Ocean which I’ve really missed, celebrating our freedoms on the 4th of July, eating good tasty food like cheesecake, IN-N-OUT hambugers, and Mexican food, etc. etc. I’ve loved connecting with people and I’m so thankful for all of the wonderful people I have here in California who love me so much. It has been great to be home in California!!!
THE BAD—Well, I still really miss my Ethiopia–my students, my roommate, my church, and all of the friends I’ve made there. Sometimes I wish I could be there instead of here and that’s the truth. I am way more used to being in Ethiopia than California. California feels so very very individualistic at times and I miss the sense of community I had in Ethiopia. It’s just not the same. I’m just being honest. And I knew this going into it. I knew that moving to Ethiopia would mean that I would always be missing somebody and someplace. It’s just par for the course when God calls you to be in another country for any given length of time. These are the facts.
THE (downright) UGLY–Oh, the comments people make can be so very very frustrating, but the top one was “Are there black people in Ethiopia??” It makes me mad and sad that someone could be this ignorant, but then that leads me to pray for this person and hope that God will change their heart and open their mind which in turn builds my character. (If you’re interested, other comments include “Is that friend you have in Ethiopia black?” “Africa is so unsafe. Did you feel safe there?” (Africa is a huge continent and it’s really inaccurate to say that an entire continent is unsafe. Would it makes sense to say that the whole of Europe or North America is unsafe?))
I Miss My Roommate!!
Saturday, July 4th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
celebrating the end of the school year
Cindy and I have been like family to each other this year. We’ve helped each other when we were sick. We’ve shared our frustrations, joys, pains, and tears with each other. I said goodbye to her on Wednesday and I didn’t cry then, but now that I’m without her I realize just how much I miss her. So, thank you Cindy for a great year of being roomies together. Miss you and see you soon in The Netherlands and Ethiopia!