Random thoughts about Addis
I love being in Addis.
I really, really do. Some people have a hard time visiting but I really feel like I have been on an adventure vacation.
Just some random details and observations...
It's early rainy season here, but it hasn't rained much so far. Then finally today, the storm clouds rolled in, the wind whipped up, the windows were shaking, dust was flying all over the streets, and suddenly it was hailing. So for about an hour or so there was a storm; the roads flooded with the quick downpour. And then it was over. Thankfully I was home at the guesthouse watching it all from inside!
Right now it's 8pm and I can hear the loudspeakers at the Orthodox Church broadcasting the call to prayer. It's also broadcast each morning. It's kind of a repetitive, haunting sound. I love the thought of people all over the city stopping at the same time and turning their thoughts to God, closing out their day in prayer.
Traffic in Addis is hilarious. Only because I am not the one driving, but still. There are not really lanes, just a big wide road and a bunch of people passing each other and swerving randomly. But somehow it all works. Every time our driver gets a phone call he pulls over right where he is to take the call because he can't think about driving and still talk at the same time. People walk in and out of the road, and there is usually a stray donkey or horse just stopped in the middle of what seems like a highway. But because donkeys are highly valued transport animals they get the right of way. We even saw a traffic cop directing the donkeys.
The whole entire city is under construction. They are tearing down slums everywhere and putting up these huge high rise buildings, lots of condos and apartments. The Chinese have come in and absolutely changed the city with all of this construction. You'll see a Chinese foreman directing the Ethiopian construction workers, and they are all working with these old pieced together shovels and pick axes. This city will be a completely different place in 10 years or so when all this construction is done. Now what happens to the people who live in the slums when those are torn down for condos... That's a whole other topic. It's awful to think about. Especially because it's basically happening to the whole city of 6 million people. A good portion of those are about to lose their home. To get a space in one of the condos the people here have to enter a lottery, and then they'll be assigned to a condo somewhere in the city. Be thankful for your freedom of choice, friends.
Ok, off my soapbox. This is a random details post.
Awesome random detail: you get frisked to go into some of the nicer coffee shops and the malls. One of my friends had no idea what was happening and thought the lady was giving her a hug so she grabbed on and hugged tight! I don't think it saved her from being frisked. So I'm getting my personal touch needs met in a whole new way. Thankfully they have lady friskers for the ladies and men for the men.
We went to the new mall today for a meal. Arcade, movie theater, playground, coffee shops, trendy restaurants. We had fries at Chicken Hut. (Didn't compare to good ole ChickFilA). I was probably the least well dressed person there. We Americans bring our scrubby Tshirts to Addis but the Ethiopians dress all trendy with their skinny jeans and blingged out shirts.
Remember how coffee was originally discovered by Ethiopian goats? Google it if you didn't know that. Totally true. :) Anywhoo, coffee is amazing here. Each day when I get back from visiting Marta, the owner of the guesthouse asks if I want coffee and the right answer is YES, so the coffee girl goes and gets the beans, roasts them in her little pan, grinds them by hand and makes me the most amazing cup of coffee you'll ever have.
Ok so that was a bunch of randomness, mostly for my own memory's sake.
As far as Marta goes, I am just visiting her daily; yesterday for 8 hours, today for 5 (8 hours was very long to be stuck in the small toddler room, but seriously she has spent her whole life in two rooms. I can't wait to introduce her to the world.) After Joe gets here and she gets used to big man Dada we'll officially take her into care full time. But for now she has claimed me. When I walk in each morning she comes to me with arms open and says, "up up up". And if I sit down she says, "up up up" because she knows someone else is about to climb on my lap with us. If I am not quick enough to get back up and someone else does divebomb our cuddle fest then she whines and starts pushing them off of me. She is 2 and she knows MINE. For now I'm pretty happy about being part of her MINE. I've waited and prayed hard to be part of her MINE. So we stand a lot and dance around and look out he window and practice naming the donkeys and dogs and boys that we see pass by. Today we did get to go outside and I brought bubbles. The kids all froze for a second; I honestly don't know if they've seen bubbles ever, but they quickly learned the fun of chasing, popping, and stomping bubbles.
My adoptive mama friends left just a bit ago. I am so amazed and thankful at God's timing. I would have never chosen this timing... I wanted Tess home forever ago. But I trust His plan completely and am so thankful that He gave me this gift of having five other families here for the week I was here alone, and then Joe is coming tomorrow. I couldn't have planned it better myself.
So I already feel myself wanting to get anxious about the timeline and getting her paperwork to get home to the boys, but I've had this big lesson recently on trusting Him and His timing and so I know He's got this one too. Already we've gotten the court decree and birth certificate in better-than-expected timing. Tomorrow we'll apply for her passport, then she needs an immigration medical exam and then we apply for the visa. If you'll pray for those last three things to be done next week that would be wonderful.
Joe is coming tomorrow morning! Can't wait to see my hubby and introduce him to his daughter. That's pretty amazing, isn't it?!?!!
I really, really do. Some people have a hard time visiting but I really feel like I have been on an adventure vacation.
Just some random details and observations...
It's early rainy season here, but it hasn't rained much so far. Then finally today, the storm clouds rolled in, the wind whipped up, the windows were shaking, dust was flying all over the streets, and suddenly it was hailing. So for about an hour or so there was a storm; the roads flooded with the quick downpour. And then it was over. Thankfully I was home at the guesthouse watching it all from inside!
Right now it's 8pm and I can hear the loudspeakers at the Orthodox Church broadcasting the call to prayer. It's also broadcast each morning. It's kind of a repetitive, haunting sound. I love the thought of people all over the city stopping at the same time and turning their thoughts to God, closing out their day in prayer.
Traffic in Addis is hilarious. Only because I am not the one driving, but still. There are not really lanes, just a big wide road and a bunch of people passing each other and swerving randomly. But somehow it all works. Every time our driver gets a phone call he pulls over right where he is to take the call because he can't think about driving and still talk at the same time. People walk in and out of the road, and there is usually a stray donkey or horse just stopped in the middle of what seems like a highway. But because donkeys are highly valued transport animals they get the right of way. We even saw a traffic cop directing the donkeys.
The whole entire city is under construction. They are tearing down slums everywhere and putting up these huge high rise buildings, lots of condos and apartments. The Chinese have come in and absolutely changed the city with all of this construction. You'll see a Chinese foreman directing the Ethiopian construction workers, and they are all working with these old pieced together shovels and pick axes. This city will be a completely different place in 10 years or so when all this construction is done. Now what happens to the people who live in the slums when those are torn down for condos... That's a whole other topic. It's awful to think about. Especially because it's basically happening to the whole city of 6 million people. A good portion of those are about to lose their home. To get a space in one of the condos the people here have to enter a lottery, and then they'll be assigned to a condo somewhere in the city. Be thankful for your freedom of choice, friends.
Ok, off my soapbox. This is a random details post.
Awesome random detail: you get frisked to go into some of the nicer coffee shops and the malls. One of my friends had no idea what was happening and thought the lady was giving her a hug so she grabbed on and hugged tight! I don't think it saved her from being frisked. So I'm getting my personal touch needs met in a whole new way. Thankfully they have lady friskers for the ladies and men for the men.
We went to the new mall today for a meal. Arcade, movie theater, playground, coffee shops, trendy restaurants. We had fries at Chicken Hut. (Didn't compare to good ole ChickFilA). I was probably the least well dressed person there. We Americans bring our scrubby Tshirts to Addis but the Ethiopians dress all trendy with their skinny jeans and blingged out shirts.
Remember how coffee was originally discovered by Ethiopian goats? Google it if you didn't know that. Totally true. :) Anywhoo, coffee is amazing here. Each day when I get back from visiting Marta, the owner of the guesthouse asks if I want coffee and the right answer is YES, so the coffee girl goes and gets the beans, roasts them in her little pan, grinds them by hand and makes me the most amazing cup of coffee you'll ever have.
Ok so that was a bunch of randomness, mostly for my own memory's sake.
As far as Marta goes, I am just visiting her daily; yesterday for 8 hours, today for 5 (8 hours was very long to be stuck in the small toddler room, but seriously she has spent her whole life in two rooms. I can't wait to introduce her to the world.) After Joe gets here and she gets used to big man Dada we'll officially take her into care full time. But for now she has claimed me. When I walk in each morning she comes to me with arms open and says, "up up up". And if I sit down she says, "up up up" because she knows someone else is about to climb on my lap with us. If I am not quick enough to get back up and someone else does divebomb our cuddle fest then she whines and starts pushing them off of me. She is 2 and she knows MINE. For now I'm pretty happy about being part of her MINE. I've waited and prayed hard to be part of her MINE. So we stand a lot and dance around and look out he window and practice naming the donkeys and dogs and boys that we see pass by. Today we did get to go outside and I brought bubbles. The kids all froze for a second; I honestly don't know if they've seen bubbles ever, but they quickly learned the fun of chasing, popping, and stomping bubbles.
My adoptive mama friends left just a bit ago. I am so amazed and thankful at God's timing. I would have never chosen this timing... I wanted Tess home forever ago. But I trust His plan completely and am so thankful that He gave me this gift of having five other families here for the week I was here alone, and then Joe is coming tomorrow. I couldn't have planned it better myself.
So I already feel myself wanting to get anxious about the timeline and getting her paperwork to get home to the boys, but I've had this big lesson recently on trusting Him and His timing and so I know He's got this one too. Already we've gotten the court decree and birth certificate in better-than-expected timing. Tomorrow we'll apply for her passport, then she needs an immigration medical exam and then we apply for the visa. If you'll pray for those last three things to be done next week that would be wonderful.
Joe is coming tomorrow morning! Can't wait to see my hubby and introduce him to his daughter. That's pretty amazing, isn't it?!?!!
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