Preparing for another Christmas in Ethiopia

     You know you've been in a place a long time when significant events start repeating. Paul and I are approaching our second Christmas, but this one will mark the first one, ever, not spent in the company of our children, family and friends. Last year this time we were so excited and eagerly anticipating the arrivals of first Johanna, then Aleysha, Daylan and Jenn, followed by Allison and lastly, Wayne. Living 7000 miles away from 'home' for the most has not been difficult, but with Christmas just around the corner I'm really feeling the distance.  It's a natural response I suppose. So much of Christmas is wrapped (no pun intended) up in family and friends that it's impossible to separate. Fortunately we don't have to, thanks to the marvels of technology. Christmas Day this year will involve Skype chats to Ottawa and Switzerland.  The 8 and 2 hour time  differences will not be a challenge as Paul and I are quite accustomed to working around our children's schedules. Of course on Christmas Day we have no doubt that our kids and family will be setting aside time to 'chat' with us.  It's a date!

     So what's involved in preparing for Christmas in Addis?  We attended the German and Diplomat Bazaars in search of Christmasy decorations to add to our existing stash. The German Bazaar did not disappoint as we picked up a wreath, as well as some more wooden hanging decorations. The lingering scent of the wreath evokes memories of home. Well somewhat, considering Paul and I have a fake tree at home, but still the pine smell says: "Christmas". So with the help of Aynalem I put out some decorations. Our "Christmas Tree" outside has really grown a lot in the past year. I realised I likely need more ornamental balls, but this will have to do. It doesn't feel at all like Christmas, but decorating 'helps' create the atmosphere.

Always in our hearts!

Come in, Canada for Life!

See how I've grown. Ethiopian sunshine!

White tree silhouette due to the bright sunshine and lousy photographer!

Table for Two this year.

Stockings are hung and waiting for the big day.

     Last Friday, we attended a Christmas party hosted by a Canadian Embassy friend, Celeste and her husband Jeff.  It was nice seeing evidence of  traditional decorations in keeping with 'our' customs. We were first greeted by lights flashing along the perimeter of their balcony; a welcome sight, minus the adornment of snow, of course. Their 8 foot Christmas tree was beautifully lit and decorated. I'm guessing they may have brought it from Canada. Paul and I weren't successful in finding a large tree in Addis as the prices were ridiculous, so we compromised by buying two: our cute, traditional 3 footer and our decorative tabletop white Parisian tree. Celeste and Jeff had also decorated the room with Christmas lights, wreaths and candles.  All in all a lovely setting and the Christmasy spirit was evident in the free-flowing bar and festive treats. We did lots of dancing, drinking and eating and the evening just flew by.

     Paul and I are also planning a Christmas Party dinner for his staff, but Ethiopians do not celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Ethiopian Christmas falls on a fasting day, January 7/15, so we will have our dinner party January 8th. This will be an event that Aynalem will help me with as I do my best to incorporate some ferenji traditions into the mix.

    Paul and I, knowing that this Christmas would be a first without our family, decided to do something different other than remain in Addis. Well, somewhat different since " travel planning" is something I love doing and I rarely require any prompting. Give me a destination and I am on it!  So we're taking a short flight from Addis Christmas Eve to Arba Minch. Arba Minch is a city and separate woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. We considered driving (for a nano second), but when you compare a 9 hour drive (on Ethiopian roads) versus a 50 minute flight, it's really a no-brainer. There is no doubt that the scenic route would have been beautiful, but experience has proven that driving in Ethiopia is not relaxing . We arrive in Arba Minch around 3 pm and it's a short shuttle to Paradise Lodge where we will be staying for 5 days. The Lodge is nestled between two lakes and the views are suppose to be spectacular.   I won't go into any detail as I've never been, but all reports are that Paradise Lodge is a nice place, with all the amenities, fine dining and entertainment.  We are looking forward to a relaxing atmosphere and potential outings in the area,  There's a National Park near by which has zebras. I'm not expecting it to compare to last year's safari, but I love zebras, so if there's a chance to see them in the wild, I don't want to miss it.  Going to Paradise Lodge is our Christmas present to each other.  The Lodge has Wifi, so that will be their gift to us.  We hope to share the experience of  Christmas in Arba Minch with You!

     In the meantime, as Christmas draws closer, take a moment to pause amid the hectic shopping and preparations. (Been there, too numerous to count!)  Take it from someone who is living too far away to be there, Christmas is family and friends. Don't sweat the small stuff. Savour the real joys of the season and know you are blessed to be able to share the day, the week, the year, with friends and family who love you and you them.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
love Paul and Katherine

A Christening in Addis

As most of you already know, Aynalem gave birth to a healthy baby boy October 4, 2014. Michael (aka Mickey) came into the world around 4 pm, after more than 12 hours of labour and weighed in at 3.4 kgs (7.5 pounds).  We felt very honoured to be there within 30 minutes of his birth.

Our day began at 4 am with a call from Aynalem. Since Aynalem was already 10 days late (due September 24th) when my cell phone went off at 4 am, I was certain I knew the reason for her call.  I remember turning to Paul and saying in a very excited voice, "It's Aynalem! We know what this means. It's Go time!"  In my excitement I dropped the phone and then inadvertently disconnected the call.  When I called back, all I got was a busy tone. I raced downstairs and outside and seeing Aynalem, slowly walking about, left little doubt that this time she was in labour.  Ironically, the Saturday before we had had a 'trial' run to the hospital. That night it was around 8:30 pm and Aynalem 'thought' she was in labour. We made the quick drive to the hospital and waited for a few hours while Aynalem was examined it was determined that this was false labour, aka Braxton Hicks. This time Aynalem was determined to be sure, so (we learned later) she had been walking around since midnight (in pain) and only called us at 4 am when she was certain that this time she was in labour! At least with the trial run from the week before, we knew exactly where to go. The same nurse was on duty and after no time I recall her smiling at me and saying,"this is true labour". Aynalem's face and her slow measured walk confirmed the diagnosis. We stayed until we had her 'comfortably' settled into the labour room.  Knowing from experience that this could take awhile, Paul and I returned home and I'd say by 6 am we were both fast asleep.

We returned back to the hospital around noon to check on Aynalem, but she was still in labour. Judging by her body language I felt it wouldn't be much longer. We received the call at 3:50 announcing that Mickey had made his appearance.  We rushed over and there he was. So small and so perfect and his eyes were open and he looked so alert.

Baby Mickey

Just home from the hospital

Although the delivery was pretty standard (Ha! easy to talk about after!), Aynalem still had to spend the night at the hospital. This is a private hospital and they were very accommodating as they allowed Baraket, her mum and her brother Teddy to stay overnight.  Next day, around 10;30 am, Paul and I went to pick up the family and bring them home.

Ethiopian tradition states that a baby is christened 40 days after the birth, regardless of when the day falls. Mickey's christening date landed on Wednesday, November 12, 2014. Since Wednesday is a fasting day (no meat or dairy) Aynalem chose to have a celebration dinner the night before so that everyone could partake in meat and dairy.  I ordered an ice cream cake to celebrate the event. Aynalem cooked up a lovely, traditional meal, followed by a cultural coffee ceremony. Ice cream cake was our ferenji contribution!

Next morning the christening was scheduled for 11:30 am. I think I've mentioned that in Ethiopia it's a cultural phenomenon that nothing starts on time. The wedding reception Paul and I recently attended was supposed to have started at 12:30. We were advised not to come before 1:30, yet still the wedding party only arrived close to 3.  Nevertheless we got to the church close to 11:30 and then we were asked to sit in a room, with a large ceramic tub (font).  There were 2 other babies being christened and with family members, etc the room was beginning to get warm. The door was left open, as well as the window, so there was a breeze. I suspect I was just not use to wearing the requisite scarf/shawl. Paul had been asked to be the Godfather, so regardless of the heat, or the standing or the waiting, we weren't going to miss this event.

Finally the priests (there were 4 of them), wearing green and gold robes began the ceremony. There were lots of prayers, chanting, responses and waving of  the incense thurible (a metal censer suspended from chains), but since it was all in Amharic, Paul and I just mutely followed along. When it came time to actually baptise the babies, we didn't require any translation. The setting and the service though culturally so different from home was in the end, surprisingly 'similar'. The priest followed the same process which each of the three babies. When it was Mickey's turn, he took him from Aynalem and walked around the room chanting while holding Mickey up in 'Lion King' fashion. Once Mickey had been paraded about the priest then held him over the tub and with the assistance of another priest signed him with the cross and anointed his head, arms and feet with oil.  Mickey was excellent when all this going on, but when a pitcher of water (no idea if it was hot or cold) was literally poured over his entire naked body, he had had enough! He let out a cry, I think more in surprise, as the Priest continued to chant.  Mickey settled down almost immediately, as he seemed comforted by the Priest's voice. Then it was over and  Mickey was handed over to Paul who was holding a quilted hoodie blanket provided for the occasion.  Paul went to wrap him up, but not before Mickey usurped the solemness of the occasion by deciding at that moment to pee.

There were similarities and differences, but the meaning behind the ceremony was universal. We took pictures and enjoyed holding and admiring Mickey, just as the other family members of the other two babies were doing.  Like I said, so very similar.

Get ready Mickey, here it comes!

Mickey's looking to see what's coming next.

Just grin and bear it cuz it's almost over.

The Priest ties a braided necklace around Mickey's neck.

Little Angel.

Proud Godfather Paul

Mickey in the bouncy chair we bought as a christening gift.

How cute is our Godson??

Roadtrip to Awassa

It's Sunday, November 9th and Paul and I are waiting for our driver Robel to arrive.  He will be driving us, along with Sacha and Greg (her hubby) to Awassa. It's around a 4.5 hr drive so we should be arriving there close to 6 pm.  We'll be staying at the Haile Resort where Paul has been before and it's supposed to be quite nice. This is a business trip for Sacha and Paul, but for Greg and me it will be yet another opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of Ethiopia.  Greg is quite the avid cyclist
so I suspect tomorrow he will be cycling around Awassa, while I will be content to stay poolside.  I could do some touring with Robel while Paul and Sacha are at the Regional office, but for now I'll just play it by ear.

The trip as predicted took closer to 4.5 hrs. We took the 3 lane toll highway which is newly opened, from the outskirts of Addis to Mojo. It's a distance of  around 50 kms and continues on to Adama. The approach to the highway is slow, dusty and crowded. It reminds me a bit of the Pickering approach from the 401 to the 407, minus the pedestrians, cows and goats. You waste so much time getting to the highway that you begin questioning whether it was worth it. The 407 in my experience is definitely worth it despite the extra expense. The toll here is considered expensive (35 birr or @ $1.75) and traffic is minimal, but if only the approaches and exits could be improved.

We arrived at the Haile Resort and were greeted by 5 Star service; a very nice hotel by any standard. The resort lies on the shores of Lake Hawassa and the view from our balcony was very picturesque. The gardens are pretty and while enjoying the comfortable chairs scattered throughout you are offered another view of the lake. There is a large outdoor infinity pool and a children's wading pool. As soon as the sun sets, however, the mosquitoes come out and they are not to be trifled with. The elevation of Addis affords little intrusion from mosquitoes, but once you leave Addis you are advised to take your malaria pills. We did! Our room was equally impressive from the terracotta tiled floor, matching accessories, comfortable bed (for once!!),  large bathroom and sliding doors leading out to a balcony. Even the flat screen TV (decent size) offered pretty good channel selection.  And the WIFI worked perfectly, whether you were in your room or comfortably seated in the lounge.  The hotel also had Spa services, numerous stores (notably, nice Ethiopian leather goods!) and a good restaurant.  Al in all this was a very nice Hotel and our 2 nights there were very comfortable indeed.

The next day Paul and Sacha went to their meeting at the Regional office. Greg didn't go cycling, but had scheduled a tennis game to play. Awassa is warmer than Addis, but it's still very comfortable. It doesn't have the extreme heat of Afar. Temperatures in Afar, while we were enjoying 26 - 28 C were closer to  45 C. I spent the morning enjoying the warm sunshine and sitting in the beautiful gardens. Around 1 pm Robel came and picked up Greg and I and we joined Paul, Sacha and Seleshe (Regional Leader) for lunch. Yummy lamb tibs (like spare ribs) and bread and injera, followed by some traditional coffee.

Haile Resort, Awassa

View down the driveway

Pretty entrance

View from our balcony

Pool, too green for my liking! 

Lake Awassa in the background

Beautiful garden and trees

There are hippos out there, but I didn't see any!

The rest of the day, after finishing off lunch with a visit to a local 'coffee' shop, was spent relaxing in the picturesque gardens of the Haile Resort and in their comfortable lounge. I was revelling in the uninterrupted WIFI service. WIFI in Ethiopia is often the source of much frustration. At our home we had been without WIFI for the past few weeks, despite a barrage of calls from Meseret (Paul's Admin).  It would seem that Customer Service in Ethiopia is not 'job number 1'.  It doesn't carry the same weight as it does in North America. I recall not so long ago when Blackberry went down for 1 day. They fell all over themselves to provide 'compensation' for the inconvenience. Not so in Ethiopia!  You can complain, and in fact, Ethio Tel encourages you to register your complaint, but it doesn't seem to do any good. Service comes back on its own time line. Paul said to Meseret that we were considering not paying Ethio Tel seeing as we were not receiving the service we were paying for. She looked shocked that Paul would even suggest such a course of action. Nope, just keep paying because it actually could be worse?  I wonder about that!

Staying at the Haile was a relaxing interlude and reaffirmed my belief that there is such a thing as 5 Star Hotels in Ethiopia. After my visit to Afar I was in doubt, but no longer after two nights at the Haile. Paul and I are going to Paradise Lodge in Arba Minch for Christmas, so I'm hoping all the hype about that place is true and 5 or 4 Star prevails.

We were up early the next morning as both Paul and Sacha had meetings in Addis.  We drove back a different way, avoiding the new super highway, in favour of a more scenic drive.  Driving because of the 'quality' of roads in Ethiopia isn't the most relaxing, but it's always an adventure. Roads are equally shared by vehicles, pedestrians and livestock. Driving in Ethiopia provides a whole  new dimension to the term 'defensive driving'. You really never know what is going to come at you, so being alert and aware are your constant companions. Fortunately on these long trips we have a driver, Robel, who makes it look so easy.  He does such an amazing and competent job that all that is left for us passengers is to enjoy the spectacular view. We arrived home, early afternoon which gave me ample time to drive to the Italian Bakery to pick up a cake I had ordered for Mickey's pre-christening dinner with Aynalem, Baraket, her mum, Temesgen and of course Baby Mickey.

See next Blog for details on Mickey's christening.