1. The soil here seems very rich and black, probably really good for growing crops
2. A woman sweeps the dirt outside our classroom, she clear the dirt of grass an sheep droppings.
3. I saw a women sweeping some leaves off the dirt area in front of the church (cleanliness is important even if it doesn’t seem clean to us.)
4. The sidewalk from Imperial to school is all muddy today, it has never been this muddy after a rain, why?
5. This morning I saw two shoeshine boys give their bread to a beggar.
6. This morning a taxi drove on the muddy sidewalk to avoid the even more muddy road
7. Continually the high number of people walking along the roads
8. The extensive isolation from the rest of Addis/Ethiopia inside the Sheraton, despite being surrounded in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city.
9. On the sidewalk it was very muddy this morning. But the sidewalk on the opposite side had very little mud, I wonder why?
10. Many of the women wore pink plastic bags on their heads while it was raining yesterday
11. Thunderstorms smell the same in Africa
12. It rained. Street business and all other activity seemed to come to a standstill. The streets were empty. People were huddled in dry spots.
13. Men will pee behind a car even if there are people in the car.
14. The majority of female beggars seem to be from the same ethnic group (Tigray?)
15. Our water always seems to be out when it rains – are these things connected?
16. The trash in the streams and fields seems to come from a mentality that it doesn’t matter where you put trash. I’ve watched people throw trash on the ground behind them as they walk
17. Our electricity when out today (3rd time). My mom “melted” candles to furniture all over the house.
18. For all the dirt the rain disappears very quickly an doesn’t heave that much mud.
19. On sunny days apartments have all their wash hung out to dry on the balcony
20. Most Ethiopian restaurants have very little commercialism and have such small or nonexistent signs that they are often easy to miss.
21. Ethiopians are puzzled as to why it has been raining so much since its not the rainy season. Dead grass is being revived.
22. The dark storm clouds served as a background for an intense evening light focused on the large field, filled with boys playing soccer
23. When there is honking at the gate how do you know if its yours or someone else’s?
24. Dust, dust, dust… Yesterday on my way home I could only see half of the time because there was so much dust, you need swimming goggles in the city!
25. There are lots of open fields that separate the various houses, skyscrapers and businesses. It is nice because it makes the city seem much more open
26. There is an apartment building near Abiot Square that seems to always be displaying clothes drying on every little balcony – including underwear!
27. There are almost always VW bugs and minicoopers in the lot across from my house. People seem to push them around, driving school?
28. I trip on rocks a lot! Bridge made by connecting thick twigs together with wire.
29. Apparently windshield wipers aren’t necessary when it is raining
30. Along with having a more modest dwelling, two areas where my host family has fewer material things than my family at home are books and kitchen supplies.
31. There are a lot of old American cars and a few European cars. There are a lot of VW beetles.
32. There are goat legs in the road
33. Its often cloudy in the morning, but when it clears up it warms up: temperature inversions because of the mountains?
34. On the taxis there is only one little wiper for rain on the driver’s side.
35. Addis is always interesting – wheel barrowed goats, taxi drivers yelling Bole Bole Bole.
36. My family keeps almost all supplies and food locked in cupboards, even toilet paper
37. The steam roller goes down the street after it rains to redistribute all the mud.
38. Different ideas of cleanliness – they keep the right hand clean but then I saw a man blow his nose into his jacket, and my family sometimes throws food on the floor to feed the dog.
39. There are coffee shops and corner stores everywhere, somehow they all survive and somehow are always full.
40. Commercials on TV to bring awareness of environmental issues and to stop littering
41. It rains more than I thought it would
42. Some taxis act as buses to take kids to school
43. A lot of shelves in the supermarket barely have anything on them.
44. When there is a traffic jam on the street, Addis can be eerily quiet. No traffic noise, no taxi sidekicks yelling, silence.
1. City people are used to seeing white people but the people from the rural areas are really not used to seeing whites. They are fascinated by us as if we are circus animals
2. Servants only talk to me when the family not around
3. I’ve figured it out… my brother has a talent for finding the most annoying/naughty thing that can possibly be done at any given time, then doing it over and over while screaming higher and louder than any little girl ever could.
4. Most people are very friendly and will often shake your hand without any hesitation
5. I found out that the reason Adrienne’s brother is not in any family photos is just because he hates taking pictures.
6. Reaching across the table to greet someone is acceptable/expected.
7. Children everywhere are playing soccer, with whatever they can get their hands on that is round
8. If people recognize you they are more than happy to talk to you.
9. My family doesn’t have their drink until after the meal is done
10. Everyone knows the taxis are decorated, each individually, but yesterday when I was going home, the taxi I was in was not decorated except for a single picture up front
11. We’ve heard that people don’t tell about their dates to their parents, neither do they say much to their siblings, it seems
12. Our neighbor visited and apparently my mom told him to stay at the house while she was out – to “baby-sit” my little 5 year old sister and I!
13. Our family’s servants often are more amused when I say something correctly in Amharic then when I mess it up!
14. As my host father said, “marriage is inevitable” which seems to reflect social expectations here.
15. The group has a very tight bond and enjoys spending time together… it’s a wonderful group
16. It’s much more common to see men holding hands on the streets than women
17. My servant gets so excited to see my friends
18. I ran past some poor kids on the street, I think they heard the change in my pockets clinking together and started to run after me. I finally stopped and handed my change out to them. It was fun.
19. Elders here receive a lot of respect
20. Everyone is visiting from the states this month, for the wedding season, etc.
21. This morning my sisters did not have school and the oldest didn’t eat breakfast with us. When we were done eating my others sister cleared and cleaned the table, even getting a clean tray, to make it nice for my older sister when she came down.
22. When someone near to an Ethiopian women dies, she will often wear black for up to a year.
23. Kids laughing at the crazy farenge, not sure why but I guess we’re funny.
24. Sometimes when the taxi driver tries to cheat you the other people on the taxi will stick up for you.
25. Often after impressing the cook with my Amharic I can hear her excitedly explaining what I said to the other servants.
26.Most people that you meet here are generally very nice. Of course there are those few who are not very nice.
27. My sisters show their affection by touching each others and my hair.
28. Families treat their hired workers differently, some are a very obvious part of the compound, while others are just there to do their job.
29. There are big trucks that carry the raw hanging meat around in the back.
30. My brothers call my mom and dad by nicknames. My brothers have nicknames too, I don’t have one yet.
31. I hear the word “Izo” a lot, either on the soccer fields, on the street, in the taxi, everywhere. The word is very powerful. You don’t ask someone if they are ok, you just tell them to be strong and encourage them. I believe it has a lot to do with pride.
32. Sometimes it is hard to tell what my family wants from me, they never seem to flat-out tell me.
33. My sister comes and does her homework with me in my room
34. Other Ethiopian host families treat me as if I was their daughter when I visit people. They always ask if there is anything I need now.
35. The interesting mix of reactions by other farenge when seeing other farenge! From fully ignoring to waves and even shouts of greeting.
36. Relating to the pride we talked about recently, last night my dad was telling me how Ethiopians look completely different from every one else: “Were not black like other Africans and were not white like farenge, we’re Ethiopian
37. They wear awesome shoes here!
38. Ninni Pastry employees make sure that you only pay what you owe.
39. It seems like my mother is always either at school or is studying at home, she does nothing else.