A Venture into the Countryside

I made it to the country for the first time today. It was wonderful—open expanses of land dotted with livestock, strikingly green and red fields and fluffy white clouds moving over distant blue mountains. There were fewer people around, too. Hearing the wind moving in the Eucalyptus trees was incredibly restful, after the constant noise of the Addis Ababa. And I feel less concerned for people in the country, too—they at least belong to a family or community that knows and cares about them. Even the bare-bottomed toddler standing at the side of the road near our destination was under the watchful eye of a nearby male relative.



Enough analysis, more facts! We left in the morning for Bingham (Sam's school) to check out library books. A 30 book limit, so we will return next Wednesday for more. Our haul included the Light Princess, by George MacDonald, which I will read to princess-obsessed Kate and a Tintin comic book to tempt Sam. Then we took off for the country—a pottery shop that offers Ferengis (foreigners) or wealthy Ethiopians from Addis a place to relax, eat outside and even spend the night. It's in a young Eucalyptus forest*, the moss covered spaces between the trees kept immaculate. Pole lined paths led to the pottery shop, a tea house, a clearing for eating in, a swing and an astoundingly fairy tale-like cottage. We explored and admired the cottage, then ate a lunch at the gravel floored clearing where the attendants waited on us hand and foot, bringing us benches, tablecloths and cushions, plates and silverware. One young man was sorely disappointed that we had not brought meat along for him to BBQ, he had donned a white lace-lined smock for the occasion!





After enjoying a leisurely meal, in which my surprise treat of Skittles was a highlight, I perused the shop and bought 2 pieces of dark brown, almost black pottery. Then we enjoyed coffee in the tea house, just finishing before it started to rain. On the drive home we stopped only to barter a picture of some local children (for candy, which I keep in my camera bag for just such an occasion). It was at least as beautiful coming back as it had been while sunny, the thunder clouds rolling in above the mountains and water pouring down to make the paved road a river.



Then at home I read a whole Tintin to Kate and Sam (my poor voice!), then retreated to my room to read while the girls watched a movie. Then read the Light Princess to Kate after dinner—it's a bit over her head as far as vocab. goes, so I will have to read ahead to know which parts to skip or rephrase. Mindy was enthusiastic about the idea of me making a booklist of my childhood favorites to help them with the summer library reading, so I will plan to do that. Both Mindy and Chris thanked me separately for all the time I have spent playing with and reading to the kids so far. Mindy thanked me this morning, giving me credit for the kids' good behavior with our guests last night and Chris this evening, saying that they were blossoming under my attention and that it was great for Mindy to have a break. So those were very nice bookends to my day.



*Eucalyptus trees have been imported to Ethiopia in recent years to try and stem the rapid deforestation. Wood is still a primary source of fuel here and is also used for many items that in the West are made of plastic or steel: for example, the scaffolding around the many new buildings going up are made of disconcertingly flimsy looking Eucalyptus poles. One only hopes that the numerous ladies carrying huge loads of Eucalyptus poles and branches in to Addis is a sign that the native trees are being left in peace.