Happy New Year from Addis!

It's definitely been a few years since I've celebrated New Years outside of the US. What a better place to start than a country which doesn't celebrate it!  I don't mean that Ethiopia doesn't have a New Years Eve, they certainly do - it's just a few months before ours.  This is due to their not switching to the Julian calendar as did the rest of the world, which I mentioned in my previous blog. My experience on New Years Eve day exemplifies more or less how I've found this incredibly unique experience here to be so far.

On New Years Eve day, I accompanied Menachem to develop a couple of pictures.  As we were waiting he told them that it was our New Years that night, to which they replied "Oh wow! Which country celebrates New Years today?"  He broke it to them in Amharic (which he inspiringly speaks quite well) that it was actually the entire world that had New Years that night, and the Ethiopia was a bit of an oddball.  While they were still in a bit of shock, he added that the year for us was 2013, to which their response was utter amazement, as if we had actually just travelled back in time to their year, 2005.  In the afternoon, due to a fire, or just due to the way things are here, (no one really knows) patchy blackouts were occurring around town.  Yet, just when I was resigned to having New Years in the dark, the power miraculously returned.

Despite the fact that much of the country did not really know or care that the rest of the world was celebrating the coming of a new year, we managed to do pretty well for ourselves, going to a couple of expat type places, with midnight being brought in the company of a mix of Ethiopians, Ethio-Americans, and Farinjis (whiteys). 

Since last blogging I have gotten to know Sam, my other roommate a bit better, and have finally met Dr. Rick, who I find to be incredible. (Of course he is after adopting 5 Ethiopian children as well as pioneering a massive pursuit of fixing back and heart deformities in the country.)  Although I am still trying to figure out what my specific tasks will be in the coming weeks, I do know that I will be helping the incoming short-term college trip the JDC has arriving in just over a week. During that time I'll be able to fly with them to Gondar to see some other parts of the country. In addition, I have been helping Menachem out with odds and ends of medical organization, paper work, and clinics. I intend to help Sam with that as well now that he's back. More to come on that next week I hope.

Addis has also gotten smaller to me since I've figured out my way around during the past week, although I must say there are certainly a larger number of beggars than I anticipated. I am also proud to say that I have gotten better at eating with enjira, the pancake that accompanies all foods. (I won't divulge my secret technique unless specifically asked.) I have also definitely learned some more Amharic, and hopefully my vocabulary will pick up a bit from here.

One of the highlights of the past week was watching a traditional Ethiopian band/dance group at a place called Fendika. It is quite hard for me to describe what traditional Ethiopian dancing is like, so please look it up yourself, or check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6QwxL_Ar2g  There's a lot of shoulder type shimmies, and each region has their own variation.  It was incredible and I'm very excited to go back there again!

More to come as I continue to try more foods and attempt to make myself useful!