I can confidently say that my Ethiopian friends were just as excited to meet my parents, as my parents were excited to meet them. I had anticipated a couple of invites for lunches or dinners, but the outpouring of invitations and repeat invitations was unreal. The menu I had planned for our 5 ½ days in town was whittled down to breakfasts and two dinners!
We visited Souwnet and Abi (he and his grandmother traveled for 5 hours in order to meet my parents), Gigi and Tambarat, Belete and Hannah, Aselef and Getachew, and Hapti. It was great that everyone enjoyed each other’s company, but I have to admit that by the end of the week I was exhausted. Constant translating is HARD WORK! Every once in awhile Gigi or Mom would look at me quizzically and then I would realize that I was translating in the wrong language for the wrong person. Talk about feeling discombobulated! Fortunately, a smile and a hug require no translation!
We visited Souwnet and Abi (he and his grandmother traveled for 5 hours in order to meet my parents), Gigi and Tambarat, Belete and Hannah, Aselef and Getachew, and Hapti. It was great that everyone enjoyed each other’s company, but I have to admit that by the end of the week I was exhausted. Constant translating is HARD WORK! Every once in awhile Gigi or Mom would look at me quizzically and then I would realize that I was translating in the wrong language for the wrong person. Talk about feeling discombobulated! Fortunately, a smile and a hug require no translation!
Gigi and Tambarat love to play cards. I’m so glad that I taught them how to play one of my parents’ favorite games (3 to Kings) as it became something we could easily do together (and required no translating on my part!)
Mom, Me, my good friend Hannah and her girls (Yordanos and Tsion)
Despite my plea of “no gifts,” Hannah and Belete gifted my parents with a traditional Ethiopian painting on hide.
Hapti considers my parents his parents and greeted my mom with a “Hi, Mom” and a gigantic hug.
Gigi did her best to fatten everyone up and she does not take “no thanks” for an answer. Here we are dining on baked spaghetti in the middle of her shop.
Seeing Abi was as much of a treat for me as it was for my parents. I had NO IDEA that he and his grandmother would be making the trip to DebreMarkos.
Souwnet, too, went against my plea for no gifts. Doesn’t Dad look great in his Habesha hat?
Mom and Dad with Souwnet, her mother (Addis), a cousin, and Abi. As you can tell, he is NOT camera shy.
