Saturday, day and late night Easter Service

April 3, 2010

Okay, so I don’t think we can go anywhere. What we need to do is stay here, do some small trips and hang with Lulu-B. She does need us, we need to be here.

She has a little cold, which in the US might require medicine. It made us worried so we asked to have a doctor listen to her chest. They arranged for the nurse on duty to listen to her chest; it was clear, thank goodness, as the doctor's were out for the weekend. The staff was very helpful in setting up the appointment, (and she got better every day we were there!)

As it is the Saturday before Fasika (Easter), which looks to be about the same as asking to see a doctor on Dec 24; everyone is out buying their lamb or goat and running around getting ready for church, going to see family, The city is filled and has been for a few days, filled to the brim with herds of cows, sheep, goats and chickens. Very common today to see someone walking along pushing or pulling a horned supper beast. Also, people waiting for rides and cars everywhere…just the same feeling of rush, rush everywhere, just like at home on the day before Christmas….

Mitchel is a bit overwhelmed, but doing okay. Between the huge diesel generator, which I believe Anton could make more acceptable, noise wise, roaring away, then, today, for Fasika…just add one bleating sheep. Yes, our own lamb/goat animal, knowing something is up, right across the street and brought in for its last night. As Eli likes to say, as we would see them passing by, their goes someone’s dinner.

We went on errands with the staff after a quick visit to listen to Lulu-B's chest with the nurse. Her chest was clear! We drove to a neighborhood, near Toukuol, got out of the jeep, and walked up to the goat people. Because we were there, they tried to charge double! But, the cook bargained them down, picked out a goat and into the jeep it came! We dropped it off at the butcher and then we were off to buy some meat somewhere else.

And here came the funniest "lost in translation" moment. On our way to the next errand, we were told we needed to buy dog meat. Mitch and I waited in the car this time, both trying to figure out how we were going to say no to dog meat at the special Ethiopian diner. When Wendil got back in the car, Mitchel asked, meat for dogs or dog meat? The whole car had a huge chuckle. The meat was for Gabriel's dogs, the G in YBF. They needed meat for dog food. Ethiopians dont eat dog! Boy, were we worried, for about 15 minutes. It was really funny.

We have been welcomed to celebrate Fasika in several ways….tomorrow, the chef Wendil is making a special Ethiopian celebratory meal for us to share with the staff. Yea! We requested it and they are making it. We, of course, have new fresh grass cuttings, for our own coffee ceremony. Some people make a living cutting the grass, tying it up and then selling it to people for their special coffee ceremony. And tomorrow night, we are going to dinner at a Ethiopian famiily's house. We met her sister in the hotel airport and have presents to bring to the children. I also asked, and we are to bring flowers and bread. (We ended up just bringing some token gifts for the children!)

But first, Andrea and I have a special invitation. Tonight, if we can wake up at 11, we will go to church. So many people go that someone is saving a space outside the church for us to come and participate. Church will go from 11 to 3 or so, then there is a special break-fast celebration….one of our new Toukoul friends, our main conduit to all things baby and many things Ethiopian invited us to go with her mother and sister. Yesterday, anyone who didn’t work, and who is Ethiopian Orthodox, went to church and did this super fast, Namast-like prayer. Siad (Asaide), the night manager at the reception desk went to church and prayed this week for six hours yesterday, on the day they do a special bow all day long. You can go for an hour or for all day….He called to wake us to go and said, hopefully, wear nice clothes. Andrea had come prepared, so we managed to be mostly in white and our heads covered in cloth. They were pleased we dressed in white.

The service was beautiful. We met and had a special bean (maybe something like soya bean) mixture, bread, like hot crossed bun bread, and Ethiopian spice tea, just a small snack before you break the fast after the service. The fast, I think, is no meat for 55 days, just vegetarian, for Lent. Then we drove to St. Mikael’s and sat outside. The chanting was amplified from inside the church, and then we just followed along.

It was a beautiful thing, everyone in white, men and women. People coming to sit as late as 1130, and people moving over to let them find a spot. Not so crowded to be uncomfortable. Some people were outside under trees and stars, we were in these covered open huts that surround the garden of the church, many, many inside church. To be inside you need to arrive before 3, as by then, all the space is taken. Sometimes, it was call and response, sometimes it was two people singing at once….a few drums and later, a bell that repeats, sometimes the singers did small variations, slightly behind the main voice of the priest. When our service would take a small pause, you could hear the church just a bit away and the echoes of their singing. It was such a treat to be part of a tradition that stretches back to the beginning of Christianity, in my daughter’s country.

Such a beautiful Easter morning.

Happy Fasika. Melkam Fasika….I think that is how you say it!