For some reason, my spirit was hit this morning to make some life changes. Maybe not so much "life changes" but ways to get back on my self-improvement bandwagon. So, I shall share my five resolutions of the week with you. Perhaps you'll be inspired to resolve to do something as well :)
1. Stop drinking soda (because it's bad for you...but what's a rum & coke w/o the coke? :( ).
2. Read one English and French news article every day (because I liked to be informed and want to attempt to maintain my French).
3. Read at least one scripture every day (because my soul is dirty- just kidding; because I want a closer walk).
4. Work out at least 4x/ week (because I don't like being out of breath when I walk up the stairs due to high altitude).
5. Learn a new word every day (because I like to use big words). Today's word is ineluctable: not to be avoided, changed or resisted; inevitable.
What would you resolve to do? Five small changes?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Stepping to the Bad Side...
Ethiopian food is very distinct, different from the food of most other African countries. Partially due to the fact that the country is 40% Orthodox Christian (who fast approximately 200 days out of the year), the diet is rich in vegetables. Orthodox Christians either give up food entirely during fasting seasons and on fasting days (Wednesday and Friday) or abstain from particular foods and ingredients, including oil, butter, flour, sugar and meat. Don't be fooled; Ethiopians love their meat, too. At major holidays, animals are slaughtered and their meat is shared among several families within the community. Notice I didn't mention the word "cooked". That's because Ethiopians also eat raw meat. Not every Ethiopian and not all the time. But they do eat it. Either ground raw meat, mixed with butter, or slabs of meat cut into pieces. I was told by one of my Ethiopian co-workers that eating raw meat is addictive (after he asked me if I had tried it). For me, that was enough reason NOT to eat it because I don't need any type of addictive situations in my life. But it's part of the culture and everyone asks you if you've tried it. Mind you, Americans tell other Americans to avoid the raw meat at ALL costs, largely because it can make you sick and/or you can get tapeworm.
**I was going to put a picture of a tapeworm here but my skin literally started crawling when I even hit the Google button**
Anyway, I decided to finally give it a go. Hell, Ethiopians keep suggesting that if I keep eating Ethiopian food, I'll lose weight, so what's a little tapeworm and quick 20 lb weight loss between friends (Yes...they said that. Verbatim. I've not expressed a desire to lose weight but you gotta give them credit for being proactive about MY health. Or not). I made plans with Sema and Habtish to go to this town called Nazaret (or Adama...it's tribal name) for the best raw meat in all of Ethiopia. We meet up with one of their friends and head to the restaurant. I already wasn't sure about said friend (who lived in the US for eight years), largely because he seemed to be extra and making blanket statements about the US. For example, he says "Oregon is the most democratic state in the US". I try not to burst into laughter because that's rude. And I have no issues with Oregon. Seriously. It's green, I hear it's nice. But you can't just claim one state out of 50 to be the most democratic (and I wasn't sure he meant democratic as in the epitome of democracy or a blue state). So I ask him why he says such and he proceeds to tell me how 75,000 people gathered to hear President Obama speak when he was campaigning for office. Okay, great. But a large turnout doesn't represent democracy. Honestly, it doesn't even represent whether a state is largely Democrat or Republican. He counters that democracy is more than a word (agreed)...but people gathering don't make a state democratic either. Shoot, people gather to hear Sarah Palin speak-- that can either represent democracy or idiocy. You be the judge. Actually, don't. I'll judge for you. It's not democracy.
I digress. So we go to this meat place and they order something close to 2 kilograms of meat. I thought that was all raw meat at first. I had to state that I couldn't commit to that. I planned on trying a few slices and calling it a win. Most of the meat they brought was cooked. The raw portion, however, looked like this:
You see that white part? That corresponds to the hump on the back of the cow...which is essentially marbled fat.
Yeah..that's the good stuff.
They essentially bring you some knives, enjera and various spicy sauces and let you go to work. I was a little overwhelmed. Sema tried to convince me that it would taste like chocolate. Lies. I knew it wouldn't. It didn't have much of a taste though. Kinda like firm air. Maybe? Yeah I did it...you should know it. I can cross that off of my list. And as far as tape worm, no symptoms so far so I think I'm okay.
An awkward moment, however, was when the friend of Sema and Habtish offered me "Gusha". Apparently, gusha is a cultural tradition of feeding someone. He grabbed some raw meat in enjera, dips it into some spiciness and holds it in front of my mouth. Sema and Habtish are chuckling and saying "You have to eat it". I did see him wash his hands so I'm not ABSOLUTELY disgusted and I had heard about this tradition. I didn't want to be rude so I ate it. He sits down and explains that it's how someone says "I like you". He then tries to quickly follow up with "It's how we say welcome". I mention that I've eaten out with Sema and co. and none have them have offered me gusha. He goes ON to explain that its also what people in relationships do as well as married people to say "I love you". Cue my awkwardness. I was like..um...what? What the hell did I just do? He literally tried to give me gusha two more times. I'm looking for some sort of support from my friends but they are offering no assistance. Mind you, he's been winking at me throughout lunch. Awkward awkward awkward. So he goes back to "this is what married people do" and I try to explain that in America, married couples feed each other cake at the wedding. I also explain that usually a lot more has transpired between the two people before they start feeding each other...like learning the other person's last name. Just a suggestion. Anyway, no more gusha or raw meat for me (I hope). The sad part is that cooked meat supposedly loses some of its nutrients; so theoretically this raw red meat should have been rich in iron. But all I wanted to do the next day was sleep :(
**I was going to put a picture of a tapeworm here but my skin literally started crawling when I even hit the Google button**
Anyway, I decided to finally give it a go. Hell, Ethiopians keep suggesting that if I keep eating Ethiopian food, I'll lose weight, so what's a little tapeworm and quick 20 lb weight loss between friends (Yes...they said that. Verbatim. I've not expressed a desire to lose weight but you gotta give them credit for being proactive about MY health. Or not). I made plans with Sema and Habtish to go to this town called Nazaret (or Adama...it's tribal name) for the best raw meat in all of Ethiopia. We meet up with one of their friends and head to the restaurant. I already wasn't sure about said friend (who lived in the US for eight years), largely because he seemed to be extra and making blanket statements about the US. For example, he says "Oregon is the most democratic state in the US". I try not to burst into laughter because that's rude. And I have no issues with Oregon. Seriously. It's green, I hear it's nice. But you can't just claim one state out of 50 to be the most democratic (and I wasn't sure he meant democratic as in the epitome of democracy or a blue state). So I ask him why he says such and he proceeds to tell me how 75,000 people gathered to hear President Obama speak when he was campaigning for office. Okay, great. But a large turnout doesn't represent democracy. Honestly, it doesn't even represent whether a state is largely Democrat or Republican. He counters that democracy is more than a word (agreed)...but people gathering don't make a state democratic either. Shoot, people gather to hear Sarah Palin speak-- that can either represent democracy or idiocy. You be the judge. Actually, don't. I'll judge for you. It's not democracy.
I digress. So we go to this meat place and they order something close to 2 kilograms of meat. I thought that was all raw meat at first. I had to state that I couldn't commit to that. I planned on trying a few slices and calling it a win. Most of the meat they brought was cooked. The raw portion, however, looked like this:
You see that white part? That corresponds to the hump on the back of the cow...which is essentially marbled fat.
Yeah..that's the good stuff.
They essentially bring you some knives, enjera and various spicy sauces and let you go to work. I was a little overwhelmed. Sema tried to convince me that it would taste like chocolate. Lies. I knew it wouldn't. It didn't have much of a taste though. Kinda like firm air. Maybe? Yeah I did it...you should know it. I can cross that off of my list. And as far as tape worm, no symptoms so far so I think I'm okay.
An awkward moment, however, was when the friend of Sema and Habtish offered me "Gusha". Apparently, gusha is a cultural tradition of feeding someone. He grabbed some raw meat in enjera, dips it into some spiciness and holds it in front of my mouth. Sema and Habtish are chuckling and saying "You have to eat it". I did see him wash his hands so I'm not ABSOLUTELY disgusted and I had heard about this tradition. I didn't want to be rude so I ate it. He sits down and explains that it's how someone says "I like you". He then tries to quickly follow up with "It's how we say welcome". I mention that I've eaten out with Sema and co. and none have them have offered me gusha. He goes ON to explain that its also what people in relationships do as well as married people to say "I love you". Cue my awkwardness. I was like..um...what? What the hell did I just do? He literally tried to give me gusha two more times. I'm looking for some sort of support from my friends but they are offering no assistance. Mind you, he's been winking at me throughout lunch. Awkward awkward awkward. So he goes back to "this is what married people do" and I try to explain that in America, married couples feed each other cake at the wedding. I also explain that usually a lot more has transpired between the two people before they start feeding each other...like learning the other person's last name. Just a suggestion. Anyway, no more gusha or raw meat for me (I hope). The sad part is that cooked meat supposedly loses some of its nutrients; so theoretically this raw red meat should have been rich in iron. But all I wanted to do the next day was sleep :(
Pretty in Pink
When you live in a developing country, where products and services are cheaper and the dollar is strong, you're allowed certain luxuries that you may not afford if you were living at home. People here have cooks, maids, nannies, and guards. Some even have masseuses that come to their homes to give them a massage while watching the Redskins play the Lions (or whoever). I pay my help $100 a month and that's apparently more than what most Ethiopians (who also have domestic help) pay. It's not about expatriates being bougie or an neocolonialist effort (b/c I wouldn't have no parts of it!); it's the culture. Everyone has house help.
Anywho, as much as I appreciate someone around to keep my garden green and cut up my fruits and vegetables, I am most appreciative of the low cost of goods and services, primarily services. Why, you ask? Well, I clean up after myself. I actually enjoy cleaning when I'm not forced to do it (bad childhood memories). I like pressed clothes and have no real issue with ironing said clothes in the morning. Laundry? Not a problem as long as I don't have to go to a seedy laundromat located between a seven eleven and a liquor store...and in the same shopping center as a Chinese-Sub-Wings-Pizza restaurant (thanks DC). And it's only me so its not like I would have a lot to do even if I didn't have help (I like to think of it as helping with local economic development).
The cheap things that I do appreciate (and can't do for myself) are beauty services. I'm not a diva (but I am the female version of a hustler). I was never really one of those people who had to get a fill-in every two weeks or making bi-weekly visits to the salon (though..that perm adventure might have turned out differently if I had). That's just not my style. But there are things that I like to get done that make me feel...girly. Feminine I think is the grown-up version of that word. But I couldn't afford these things when I was in the US. Shoot, I couldn't afford them when I was in Kenya. But now, I can go in to a salon and get a manicure and pedicure for around $10. I can get a massage for less than $20. And I'm talking about a good, scrong hour massage for less than 20 bones. Shoot, I can barely eat dinner in the states for under $20 (if I'm not careful). I realized last night, as I was getting my pedicure, that I like getting pedicures. I have no man here that I'm rubbing my feet against and even when I got pedicures in the States, my BF rarely noticed (which might be a good thing because I can't say that I would take "Awww..your feet aren't scraping me like a Brilo Pad tonight" very well). I just like for my feet to be soft. I like to look down at my open toe shoes and see freshly painted toes looking back at me. Not that I have talons without a pedicure but my toenails do get long. And while that may be the style for some people (the toe nails that come over the end of the toe), I prefer mine a bit shorter.
So, I've gotten used to getting my nails and toes done and even treating myself to the occasional massage (which I've been told by a health professional that I need to do more often because I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders. When I get stressed, I get tension headaches and it. is. bad.). And even though there are people here who can do different designs on your nails, I've also learned that I'm really simple when it comes to this. I wear some funky things sometimes (sometimes unintentionally) but there's something about just plain nail polish that makes me smile. This is literally the ONE time that I like pale, neutral colors. My favorite right now is pink (no green). I really like shades of pink on my nails. Makes me feel like a southern belle (I actually don't know why but I feel like there should be all kinds of "southern" sayings about women that involve what a lady does and doesn't do). My mom is not very big on these things so I don't know where it comes from. It just makes me feel prettier (cause when you look this good etc etc). Amazing what a few extra Birr in your pocket will allow you to discover about yourself.
Anywho, as much as I appreciate someone around to keep my garden green and cut up my fruits and vegetables, I am most appreciative of the low cost of goods and services, primarily services. Why, you ask? Well, I clean up after myself. I actually enjoy cleaning when I'm not forced to do it (bad childhood memories). I like pressed clothes and have no real issue with ironing said clothes in the morning. Laundry? Not a problem as long as I don't have to go to a seedy laundromat located between a seven eleven and a liquor store...and in the same shopping center as a Chinese-Sub-Wings-Pizza restaurant (thanks DC). And it's only me so its not like I would have a lot to do even if I didn't have help (I like to think of it as helping with local economic development).
The cheap things that I do appreciate (and can't do for myself) are beauty services. I'm not a diva (but I am the female version of a hustler). I was never really one of those people who had to get a fill-in every two weeks or making bi-weekly visits to the salon (though..that perm adventure might have turned out differently if I had). That's just not my style. But there are things that I like to get done that make me feel...girly. Feminine I think is the grown-up version of that word. But I couldn't afford these things when I was in the US. Shoot, I couldn't afford them when I was in Kenya. But now, I can go in to a salon and get a manicure and pedicure for around $10. I can get a massage for less than $20. And I'm talking about a good, scrong hour massage for less than 20 bones. Shoot, I can barely eat dinner in the states for under $20 (if I'm not careful). I realized last night, as I was getting my pedicure, that I like getting pedicures. I have no man here that I'm rubbing my feet against and even when I got pedicures in the States, my BF rarely noticed (which might be a good thing because I can't say that I would take "Awww..your feet aren't scraping me like a Brilo Pad tonight" very well). I just like for my feet to be soft. I like to look down at my open toe shoes and see freshly painted toes looking back at me. Not that I have talons without a pedicure but my toenails do get long. And while that may be the style for some people (the toe nails that come over the end of the toe), I prefer mine a bit shorter.
So, I've gotten used to getting my nails and toes done and even treating myself to the occasional massage (which I've been told by a health professional that I need to do more often because I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders. When I get stressed, I get tension headaches and it. is. bad.). And even though there are people here who can do different designs on your nails, I've also learned that I'm really simple when it comes to this. I wear some funky things sometimes (sometimes unintentionally) but there's something about just plain nail polish that makes me smile. This is literally the ONE time that I like pale, neutral colors. My favorite right now is pink (no green). I really like shades of pink on my nails. Makes me feel like a southern belle (I actually don't know why but I feel like there should be all kinds of "southern" sayings about women that involve what a lady does and doesn't do). My mom is not very big on these things so I don't know where it comes from. It just makes me feel prettier (cause when you look this good etc etc). Amazing what a few extra Birr in your pocket will allow you to discover about yourself.
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