Wednesday 28 March 2012

Travelling without moving


A writers greatest fear is having nothing to write about - which is precisely what concerns me when I'm no longer in an Ethiopian context. What possibly can I write about in the UK? Perhaps periodic surf trips but even this is vastly overestimating my meager bank account! 

How can Birmingham compare to the, dirt, dust and beauty of Addis Ababa? I certainly think my ego is going to miss the heckles off my sub city, people don't tell you your beautiful everyday in the UK, neither do they cheer your pathetic jogging attempts on with words of encouragement. The subtleties of this African capital is what I'll miss the most, the way heterosexual men hold hands in public, the Bob Marley stickers in the always crowded line taxis. 

I'll miss the pleasant greetings and the way people share food or donate to beggars whenever they can. 

Conversely I won't miss the public urinating and on a more serious note the endless suffering played out in the lives of some of Addis's residents. Like I said it is dirt, dust and beauty. 


Traditional Ethiopian Eskista Dance :)

So dear blog reader, here it is, my soul laid bare. I'm frightened that on my return to the UK I'll forget about the people I swore I'd help, I'm scared of sinking into mediocrity because its the easiest option. Above all I'm terrified of being ungrateful when I know I have such a lot to be grateful for. 
And then the my mind reverberates and I realize actually this fear is good, its fodder for my dreams. This fear will spur me into action, it will make me live a life that is interesting as thus far this fear has driven me to accomplish the things I have already. 

Human beings have so much potential, we have taken our mortality as a blessing and built things beyond ourselves. Our ability to have visions have meant we fly, we swim underwater, we make impossible things possible. Our only enemy is time, not having enough time to achieve all the things we aspire to do. 

In the last few days of the GX placement I'm a flurry of activity trying to buy the leaving presents I need to get, doing debrief training to evaluate my time here and above all saying goodbye to the people who I'll cherish for several lifetimes. I hate this part I'm always rubbish at goodbyes. That being said my wonderful family, supportive friends who've sent me letters (big thanks to Michelle, Rosie and Emma) and of course my beautiful man fellow are all reasons to get my butt back home asap! 

See in you in a little while England :) 

x x x 

Tuesday 20 March 2012

RASTAFARI!



That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the colour of a man's skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil." 

Haile Selassie October 1963 to the UN  
    
 Last night during a phone call to my beloved I was reminded of the fact, that come next Sunday I will be back in England. It seems incredulous that my three month placement to Ethiopia will be concluded in less than two weeks. I'm sure all ardent travelers reach this conclusion when home time is nearing but seriously, where did the time go?! 

Obviously I'm chomping at the bit to see the important people in my life again but truth be told, Ethiopia has gotten under my skin in a way that makes me want to stay. Three months just isn't sufficient enough time to achieve all the ambitions I had before I came here. What about the street children, the homeless, the NGOs I've only just heard of? There is so much to do and with only a few working days left I'm nonplussed as to what to prioritize. 

That being said I'm goofy happy at the progress we've made thus far; art classes at Lideta Juvenile Rehabilitation Center are going down a storm and we've made a positive link for the Kechene Women potters which means that they will have stability to their business. Ethiopia has completely inspired me, I came here so uncertain about what I wanted and now feel that it's never been about 'me' its about serving others, being a vector for change by simply giving a dam. 

I've included a Haile Selassie quote as I was recently at a Rastafarian festival and felt his words really resonated with my thinking at present.

Rasta craft fair :) 

 An observant friend of mine proclaimed reggae was like medicine and I'm inclined to agree. As I looked around I was struck by the diversity of the attendees there, many were of Jamaican descent, there were of course Ethiopians but then Europeans, Americans and even one awesome Asian lady with the nicest dreads I've ever seen mingled among the Ital foods and craft stores. We personified diversity and reinforced in me the opinion that empowerment comes from diversity. 

Rastafari drumming and chatting at EthiopiaFrancaise alliance, Piassa 


I never got the opportunity to visit the Rastafarian town of Shashamene, south of Addis but am interested in the mass exodus of Jamaicans to the area, designated to them by Haile Selassie. I found an interesting article on the topic for your perusal should you have a spare minute.


 Awesome reggae artists doing their thing! 


Before I forget here are the much anticipated Women's run we did on March 8th. It was a really great day for empowerment and gender equality. 

Girls rule the world! 

Ethiopia and its beautiful people have opened my eyes to the possibilities of life and the importance of striving to make positive changes in this world. Laying my cards on the table here part of me is terrified at the prospect of returning to Birmingham having no job, nothing defined and certainly no money! That being said I am brimming with hope and ambition and have ideas about what direction I'd like to go in. At some point there will be a Masters in International Development completed and I want to pursue the idea of 'Cafe Africa' my own business, that not only pays my wage but works to improve livelihoods in Africa. Its still on the drawing board but I feel I have enough connections and more importantly the passion to pursue this. I've also decided to begin making and selling t-shirts on the Real Women have curves and surfboards design. The overall brand will be called 'Ras Desta' the word 'Ras' being a nod towards Rastafarians' and 'Desta' the Amharic word for happiness, there's a story about this I'm too tired to explain but rest assured it has meaning! 

Right folks, my bum is going numb from sitting in this internet cafe for so long so I'm going to get going post haste!  

Until next time! 

Love + Peace + Surfboards 

<3 

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Community


What does community mean to you? In a individualist driven world it is often incredibly hard to define, some might say it is a collective, others would suggest it has more to do with residency and local areas. In my opinion community means so much more than the usual definitions; community is complete synchronicity with people from all walks of life in a manner which encourages equal opportunities. More over communities are realistic, they have break downs occasionally and require work but fundamentally are like a chemical reaction in perfect equilibrium. 

What community defines you? Take for instance the subject of this blog - The surf community. This is motley crew of fringe people (those on the outskirts of society), or at least the stereotype expects this. Conversely surfers can also be 9-5 business men who have wives and 2.4 children! 



Whilst in Ethiopia I am gaining new insights into what community can mean. Family and friends are the life blood of the Habesha people, when out walking on the street you shoulder bump and slap your friends on the back asking them about their day. It is also a very tactile culture, men hold hands, women kiss both cheeks everyone says hi to children. In many ways its idyllic. It is no coincidence that Bob Marley called Ethiopia Zion (heaven on earth), the shining jewel in the Ethiopian crown is its people, people who see kindness as routine as brushing your teeth.
 Perhaps the most touching thing I've seen is when a person passes away, in this instance complete strangers give money to the grieved regardless of their financial situation.

     Dear blog readers I thought you might enjoy a popular Ethiopian singer Jonny Ragga as a brief interlude between paragraphs!

Today I'd like to tell you about the female community! In Addis Ababa the Women First 5K race happened to mark International Women's Day March 8th. Thousands of Habesha and forengies alike turned out in our matching red t-shirts to promote gender equality. It has to be one of the highlights of the trip, not only because Halie Gebrelselassie turned up but because some many proud, confident women ran to symbolize empowerment. Pictures coming soon! 

So to tie all loose ends I'd like to finish this post with a nod towards an empowered professional female surfer. 

'My name is Keala Kennelly and I have a story that no man wants to hear. Because I am a woman in the world of professional surfing. I am supposed to be invisible. And yet I see and feel and love exactly the same things you assholes do. Probably more.'


Keala Kennelly is a professional female surfer who broke the world record in 2005 for being the first woman to be towed in at Teahupoo (a really, really big scary wave to you and me)! In a male dominated area she has dominated and more than proven that the female persuasion can rule a nation! Go Keala!! 

Its hard to believe that in 3 weeks time I'll be back in Birmingham. I vividly remember at the start of this placement finishing the first phone conversation to Antonio (the beloved man fellow) and just crying my eyes out - how quickly 12 weeks can go! All of a sudden I'm contemplating England again! Ethiopia has been a life changing experience, I came here an indecisive girl very much in love, I'm leaving a confident woman who also happens to still be very much in love with her boyfriend! 

Thank you Ethiopia!