The main home, where Hapti’s aunt lives, is a three-room structure. One room contains a bed, the second room is filled with gotas that store the stockpile of grains, and the great room is lit by 2 bread-box sized windows (sans screens) and ringed by a mud ledge. The mud ledge is covered with animal skins, which serves as seating during the day and a sleeping platform at night. Except for the bed, there is no other furniture. Outside is another structure that is called the “mad beyt,” which is where food preparation occurs.
As you can see by the pictures, there are quite a number of family members. I have yet to learn all the names or relationships, but hopefully one day I will make sense of the puzzle that they represent. I have found them to be a shy family---much harder to get to know than the Ethiopian families I know in town. One day, after exhausting my Amharic repertoire, I decided I could sit and smile no longer. So…I jumped in to help with the corn shelling. I think I took them by surprise by the fact that I wanted to help and that I knew how to shell corn. They were very concerned that my “delicate” hands would be damaged by the task. Me….delicate?!? Ha! I will admit to you that my thumb was sorer than I remember it being as a kid, but I would never tell them that! Between the corn shelling and the photo shoot (they absolutely love seeing their image), I do believe I won them over as evidenced by the fact that they didn’t want me to leave and insisted that I return the next weekend. I seriously think that they would be pleased if I came EVERY weekend!
The Family
Hapti’s aunt
A view of the mad beyt
Yes, there really is a calf in the house. He comes and goes as he pleases and at one point even settled in for an afternoon nap.
Shelling corn
Tables and chairs aren’t necessary when you have a sack of grain and a moseb! The moseb is a unique part of Ethiopian dining culture and is used to serve injera.
