Thought I'd post some links that I found interesting regarding Ethiopia:
- Addis Live! - This is an internet radio station serving up some Ethiopian music. They have several channels including a low bandwidth channel. UPDATE: I am only able to get the "[LOW]" bandwidth channel to work... your mileage may vary...
- Interview with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi - an interview with the prime minister of Ethiopia in regards to the turmoil currently surrounding the country. Kel and I have been following this for awhile now, and I thought the interview put a lot of insight into the news we are hearing from American journalists. Interesting read.
- Buraka -East African cuisine in Madison on State Street about half a block towards the capital from Frances Street. So far Kel and I have eaten here twice. The atmosphere is very laid back and we both *love* the food. It is a bit pricey at about $10 to $15 per person for dinner (with drinks), but the portions are very large. They suggest one entree per person, but I think that with the five people we took there this past Saturday, four entrees would have been enough. Also, the after dinner coffee is excellent as well as the Kenyan beer (Tusker).
- Yirgalem - Ethiopian Cuisine in Madison on Monroe Street. We've only eaten here once, but the food was excellent. The atmosphere is a bit more fancy, and the prices a bit higher as well. There were certain touches that were really cool though, like bringing you out steamed towels to wash your hands before you eat.
- AHOPE - AHOPE stands for African HIV Orphans: Project Embrace. Their goal is to provide a good environment for infected children and to prevent the spread of misinformation to the community. It's amazing what this organization does for these children. These chilren are able to lead near normal lives now: they are able to live to become adults, and are able to have children that are not HIV positive. We plan on going to the AHOPE orphange while in Addis Ababa to bring donations and to spend time with the children. When we get closer to our travel date, I will be posting a lot more information on what supplies we will be looking for. Go to their website and read up for more info, their blog is updated regularly.
I'm really glad that Kel and I like Ethiopian food so much. I told Kel that I want to go to an Ethiopian restaurant at least once a week after we adopt; we both agreed that this probably wouldn't be possible though given our budget. So far, everyone we've taken to the restaurants has been comfortable eating in the "traditional" manner: one large plate in the center of the table (covered in injera) and everyone eats "with their hands" (using the injera instead of utensils).
I was excited when we went to Buraka on Saturday and the table sitting next to us looked to be two elderly couples speaking a different language. All through dinner loud laughter and voices in another language could be heard coming from what seemed to be a party in the other room of the restaurant. Every once in awhile a small boy that looked to be maybe ten years old would come and talk to one of the older couples sitting near us; possibly his grandparent...
Both restaurants had art covering the walls that made Kel and I both jealous and eager to make our trip to Ethiopia. We hope to get a lot of art while in Africa to decorate the house. Our goal is to take several suitcases full of donations to the AHOPE orphange and fill these (now empty) suitcases with art and clothing. I really like the style shown on the Buraka homepage. Hopefully we can find a lot of this.