Eddy goes off the beaten path…to Ethiopia

Today’s Annoyance: The “educated” but stupid

Mantra of the Day: Be grateful for what you have, whatever it is

Eddy just got back from an amazing trip to Ethiopia. I know; you don’t hear that destination everyday, right? But one of her friends decided to have her wedding in her home country and Eddy, like me, can never resist an invitation to…travel. (I’ll bet you thought I was going to say “a wedding”. Gotcha!)

Prior to Eddy’s departure, we were both shocked at the number of people who thought that there were no cars, restaurants or running water in Ethiopia. Granted, it’s one of the poorest countries in the world but how could these so-called “educated” people actually be that dumb? Even if you don’t travel a lot or know anyone from Ethiopia, try reading a book or, dare I say it, surf the Internet to learn something so you don’t insult people and sound like a complete idiot.

It almost goes without saying that Eddy had a good time. (I honestly think the woman could have a good time hanging out in a cardboard box.) Since Ethiopia is one of the few places in the world where the American dollar still has a slight bit of value, she shopped like there was no tomorrow buying gorgeous jewelry and scarves and she got dirt-cheap massages everyday. (There’s also something awesome called a Moroccan bath. Hmmm…sounds interesting.) She even had a custom-designed, traditional Ethiopian dress made at a shop called El Shaddai. It was super-inexpensive, especially in comparison to what a custom-made dress would cost in the U.S.

She did experience a little bit of culture shock though. On the one hand, the poverty was a little bit overwhelming, like nothing she had ever experienced before. There were farm animals herded along main streets and loads of people begging. On the other hand, she was amazed at the beauty and dignity of the people and their exceptionally warm spirit, in spite of what they lacked in basic needs and material possessions. She stayed at the Sheraton Addis and during her nearly two-week stay, she traveled to the hot springs in a resort town called Sodore, which is about a 2-hour drive outside of Addis Ababa.

Eddy’s recount of her trip made me curious about the country and its people; it also made me realize that dignity and respectability have nothing to do with material possessions. No matter what you have, be grateful, damn it!

[IMAGES: Courtesy of Global Jet Set Media, Inc.]

Eddy goes off the beaten path…to Ethiopia

Posted by Ava Pierce at 10:05 PM | Permalink