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Title: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 01:49:21 PM
My wife and I are adopting a Kid from there. LOTS of paper work, more money than I want to think about, and I have to fly to Africa. I know nothing about Ethiopia, or their customs.

I keep thinking of the episode of Star Trek where dude accidentally trips over a flower bed and then finds out they have the death penalty for disturbing the garden.

Anyone been there? Know anything about what I should expect? Do they actually have Jets that go there? Or am I going to land in a cargo plain filled with goats and chickens, ala Indiana Jones? Do they have any of the Civil war stuff going on there like in the rest of Africa? Do I have to worry about being kidnapped or anything?

Seriously, I've never been anywhere further than Mexico, so this is going to be quite the trip. Any tips at all would be great.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Ookii on March 19, 2009, 01:55:03 PM
I can understand asking people so they can relate their personal experiences but 80% of the stuff you're requesting can be found by a Google search.

You have to put in a little effort first.

Oh, doro watt, kitfo, and tibs ftw.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Engels on March 19, 2009, 01:56:30 PM
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1113.html

Quote
Warden Message
March 19, 2009

Security Alert – Dire Dawa, Harar, Jijiga and the Somali Region

The Embassy reminds American citizens to avoid travel to the cities of Dire Dawa, Harar, and Jijiga, including the areas surrounding these cities, and to the Somali Region of Ethiopia.  American citizens who do travel to or reside in these areas are advised to avoid public gatherings and public places, including hotels, and should avoid using public transportation and transportation hubs.  The Embassy reminds Americans that there is still a heightened state of alert for these areas, as was noted in the warden message and security alert of June 6, 2008.  U.S. Embassy employees are prohibited from travelling to these areas except for essential travel, which is reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis only.


 


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: SnakeCharmer on March 19, 2009, 02:00:50 PM
Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 02:01:50 PM
yea yea, did all that already. I was hoping someone had been there. I'll certainly be checking the travel alerts before we leave (which wont be for at least 6 months)

Should I dress like I'm from Europe (however you do that) or something? I mean, we HAVE to go, so... any tips on how not to get shot would be nice.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Tarami on March 19, 2009, 02:05:10 PM
yea yea, did all that already. I was hoping someone had been there. I'll certainly be checking the travel alerts before we leave (which wont be for at least 6 months)

Should I dress like I'm from Europe (however you do that) or something? I mean, we HAVE to go, so... any tips on how not to get shot would be nice.
Don't be white.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Hindenburg on March 19, 2009, 02:16:13 PM
Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?
Thought the same damn thing.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 02:24:47 PM
Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?

On that fact you are completely wrong. In my entire state the non-profit we are going  through (LSS) did 30 domestic adoptions (white kids) are done per year and less than 20 "Biracial" (black kids) adoptions are done per year. There is a lottery twice a year just to be chosen to be shown to prospective mothers...  and you have to be chosen by the birth mother. My wife and I are older (for people adopting we are older) and would most likely not get chosen by a birth parent. They are looking for young, wealthy couples (neither of which we are.)

In an international adoption, the kids have no parents at all, they are in orphanages, and will stay there for the rest of their lives (edit: rest of their childhood... lol) if not adopted. But International adoptions have lots of criteria you have to meet. We only meet the criteria for 2 countries, Ethiopia and Russia. Russia Requires you to go there for almost 3months (not doable with my job) My wife is 37, and most countries have an age limit of 40. If we wait in a domestic program (it takes 6months to a year just to get accepted) we could end up being to old to adopt from any other country. You can not be in an international program and a Domestic program at the same time.  Basically if we "try" to get a kid from the USA we would most likely end up not getting a kid at all.

And if you are wondering about why we don't meet the criteria, it's because the criteria is kind of strange for each country. For example, India requires you to get a particular passport... it takes 5 years to get the passport. Some countrys only adopt to people of certain religions. Some countries do not recognize divorce. Some countries are just very very very expensive.



Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Hindenburg on March 19, 2009, 02:27:06 PM
You shattered my preconceived notions. Thanks.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 02:31:15 PM
You shattered my preconceived notions. Thanks.

I was very surprised to find all that out myself. The social workers told us that the change is due to most mothers keeping their children now. It's not like the 50's and 60's when there was a stigma on unwed mothers.

Our social worker said flat out to us "Every baby in this state that's put up for adoption is placed. If you want to save a needy child, going international is the way to go."


Now, if we want a 10 year old with a prison record, they can help us out.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Signe on March 19, 2009, 02:39:44 PM
Your profile says you're 33.  How is that older?  Geez.  I think that sounds like the perfect age to adopt a kid.  Good luck with everything!   :heart:

(Don't name him Marvin)


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Righ on March 19, 2009, 02:41:29 PM
No shortage of flights to/from Addis Ababa. Buy a Lonely Planet guide - its a country with many cultural differences depending on region. Safety will largely depend on where you have to go and how well prepared you are. Yes, there's war and violent crime in abundance in most of the country. Unless you're planning on hiring protection, avoid the Somali tribal areas to the East. Have access to a lot of cash (but don't carry it all) - bribery is often part of official business, and while its not as corrupt as West Africa it's much more upfront than you're used to. Get in the habit of asking before taking photographs of anything. In particular, DO NOT take photos of ANY form of official government building, military or otherwise. Provided you stick to well worn paths and pay a few bucks for the services of somebody local to guide you, you are unlikely to encounter crime more serious than petty theft. However, if you act like a distracted and befuddled tourist and stray into places you shouldn't you could end up in the newspapers back home. So, fairly safe for your purposes but not a country to prat around in. Pretty much any city in Africa takes a higher level of street smarts than most Euro/US folks bring. Start reading. :)


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Oban on March 19, 2009, 02:44:39 PM
Maybe find a new social worker or do some more research?

As for Ethiopia, wow, it is a depressing place.  You know it is in Africa, right?

Yes, they do fly jets and the majority of the time they do land at the airport.  The Sheraton is not bad in Addis Ababa if you are used to third world shit holes.  Do you know where you are going?



Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 02:46:56 PM
Your profile says you're 33.  How is that older?  Geez.  I think that sounds like the perfect age to adopt a kid.  Good luck with everything!   :heart:

(Don't name him Marvin)

My wife is 37, that's the problem.
Throw into that the fact we've only been married 3 years and it disqualifies us from 3/4s of the countries out there.


Maybe find a new social worker or do some more research?

As for Ethiopia, wow, it is a depressing place.  You know it is in Africa, right?

Yes, they do fly jets and the majority of the time they do land at the airport.  The Sheraton is not bad in Addis Ababa if you are used to third world shit holes.  Do you know where you are going?



Not yet, they haven't finished processing us yet. 6months to a year from now they will. We are with the largest, oldest and I think best agency in the country.

They do provide a guide/translator and housing. Part of the deal is they want you to learn about the culture before you adopt. Eat the food, meet the people, that sort of thing.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Oban on March 19, 2009, 02:54:48 PM
Part of the deal is they want you to learn about the culture before you adopt. Eat the food, meet the people, that sort of thing.

That is probably going to be more difficult than the actual parenting part of the whole adoption process.  Two popular things that make me gag, dulet and gored gored.  Enjoy.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Righ on March 19, 2009, 03:05:04 PM
Kitfo is usually better than gored. Dulet is nasty. Tej is worth the trip. And he probably knows the coffee already.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 03:35:37 PM
Part of the deal is they want you to learn about the culture before you adopt. Eat the food, meet the people, that sort of thing.

That is probably going to be more difficult than the actual parenting part of the whole adoption process.  Two popular things that make me gag, dulet and gored gored.  Enjoy.

See, now this is the kind of advice I need. If they server Dulet or Gored Gored, fake a tooth ache.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Samwise on March 19, 2009, 03:42:27 PM
I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once, and thought everything we had was just incredibly bland and goopy.  I wouldn't call any of it offensive, but after being told how authentic this place was I have no urge to visit Ethiopia for the cuisine.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Ookii on March 19, 2009, 03:42:45 PM
Part of the deal is they want you to learn about the culture before you adopt. Eat the food, meet the people, that sort of thing.

That is probably going to be more difficult than the actual parenting part of the whole adoption process.  Two popular things that make me gag, dulet and gored gored.  Enjoy.

See, now this is the kind of advice I need. If they server Dulet or Gored Gored, fake a tooth ache.

Unless you like raw beef or liver!  They sound yummy yummy to me.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Ookii on March 19, 2009, 03:43:41 PM
I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once, and thought everything we had was just incredibly bland and goopy.  I wouldn't call any of it offensive, but after being told how authentic this place was I have no urge to visit Ethiopia for the cuisine.

Sorry for the double post.

Goopy may describe the cuisine (I would prefer stewed), but it is certainly not bland by any stretch of the imagination.

Did you check yelp first?  :awesome_for_real:


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Oban on March 19, 2009, 03:53:24 PM
I was going to post a response explaining why, but I have to eat in about an hour.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Ingmar on March 19, 2009, 04:06:17 PM
I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once, and thought everything we had was just incredibly bland and goopy.  I wouldn't call any of it offensive, but after being told how authentic this place was I have no urge to visit Ethiopia for the cuisine.

Was it Blue Nile on Telegraph in Berkeley? I haven't eaten there in probably 10 years but it was always pretty good in my experience.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Teleku on March 19, 2009, 04:40:36 PM
Only time I've had Ethiopian food was at a restaurant off of Telegraph (might have been the one you mention, can't remember the name).  I thought it was fucking great.  Really need to go back...


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: schild on March 19, 2009, 05:04:01 PM
Faking a tooth ache with ethiopian will be hard since it's all babyfood. Odds are the toothless populace takes to it quite well. Enjoy this experience, I say! You may never want to do it again, but war stories are always good. I should tell you about my time in Vietnam.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 19, 2009, 05:51:07 PM
funny you should mention that, Vietnam was one of the other options for us. Adoptions there are relatively cheap to (unlike Guatemala's $30k price tag) But some government legal hiccup recently closed all adoptions out of the country.



Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Samwise on March 19, 2009, 06:45:38 PM
I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once, and thought everything we had was just incredibly bland and goopy.  I wouldn't call any of it offensive, but after being told how authentic this place was I have no urge to visit Ethiopia for the cuisine.

Was it Blue Nile on Telegraph in Berkeley? I haven't eaten there in probably 10 years but it was always pretty good in my experience.

It was New Eritrea (http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-eritrea-restaurant-and-bar-san-francisco) in the Sunset.  I was taken there by some friends of friends who said it was the only place they ate anymore because all other food was too ordinary or something.   :oh_i_see:  We might have just gotten the blandest thing on the menu because it was their favorite thing; it was a big bowl of bland glorp for the whole table and some bland rubbery bread to try to mop it up with.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Tale on March 19, 2009, 07:33:24 PM
Probably because Ethiopia = traditional home of famines. Any food is good food, even mystery gloop.

As a schoolkid in the 1980s, if you needed a joke about losing weight, being hungry or collapsing like a dead person, you said something about Ethiopians. Bob Geldof's "Band Aid" movement and the US song "Feed the World" (USA for Africa) was about feeding Ethiopia.

In today's context it's between Somalia (pirates and anarchy) and Sudan (Darfur).


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Ookii on March 19, 2009, 08:47:08 PM
Probably because Ethiopia = traditional home of famines. Any food is good food, even mystery gloop.

I don't want to derail this thread with a discussion on Ethiopian food, but seriously don't knock it until you try it.  It's fantastic.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: schild on March 19, 2009, 08:49:09 PM
Probably because Ethiopia = traditional home of famines. Any food is good food, even mystery gloop.
I don't want to derail this thread with a discussion on Ethiopian food, but seriously don't knock it until you try it.  It's fantastic.
It's fantastic and some of it is poopy, both in taste and aesthetic. Just like ANY ethnic cuisine.

Their bread, it sucks ass.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Engels on March 19, 2009, 10:10:49 PM
There are about 9 etheopian restaurants within 2 miles of my home, thanks to a huge Etheopian and Eretreian immigrant population. For every good restaurant, there's a bad one.

But really, if you don't like injera bread, something is WRONG with you!


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: schild on March 19, 2009, 10:13:15 PM
Quote
But really, if you don't like injera bread, something is WRONG with you!

It's not bread, it's a sponge with a creepy consistency. It's like baby food bread, just like the rest of their food. Just not my thing.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Teleku on March 19, 2009, 11:06:42 PM
funny you should mention that, Vietnam was one of the other options for us. Adoptions there are relatively cheap to (unlike Guatemala's $30k price tag) But some government legal hiccup recently closed all adoptions out of the country.
Uh, yeah.  The "Hiccup" was the US Embassy releasing a report saying they found massive evidence of abuse in the Vietnamese adoption system.  Agencies where kidnapping babies to sell, hospitals forcing mothers who couldn't pay the bills to give them the baby to sell, etc.  The Vietnamese governments response was "Fuck You" and they closed off all adoptions to the US.

So maybe it was for the better  :awesome_for_real:.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Samwise on March 19, 2009, 11:27:35 PM
Quote
But really, if you don't like injera bread, something is WRONG with you!

It's not bread, it's a sponge with a creepy consistency. It's like baby food bread, just like the rest of their food. Just not my thing.

And somehow despite being spongy, it's utterly nonabsorbent.  Which makes it the worst thing possible to try to eat a big bowl of glop with.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Trippy on March 19, 2009, 11:38:18 PM
funny you should mention that, Vietnam was one of the other options for us. Adoptions there are relatively cheap to (unlike Guatemala's $30k price tag) But some government legal hiccup recently closed all adoptions out of the country.
Uh, yeah.  The "Hiccup" was the US Embassy releasing a report saying they found massive evidence of abuse in the Vietnamese adoption system.  Agencies where kidnapping babies to sell, hospitals forcing mothers who couldn't pay the bills to give them the baby to sell, etc.  The Vietnamese governments response was "Fuck You" and they closed off all adoptions to the US.

So maybe it was for the better  :awesome_for_real:.
That's the same with Guatemala.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Oban on March 20, 2009, 02:01:56 AM
That sort of thing would never happen in Russia.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Merusk on March 20, 2009, 03:59:32 AM
but war stories are always good. I should tell you about my time in Vietnam.

Man, I bet they didn't know what hit them, what with the US having pulled-out years before.   :awesome_for_real:

Mistakenly eat some dog?


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Nevermore on March 20, 2009, 05:39:29 AM
I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once, and thought everything we had was just incredibly bland and goopy.  I wouldn't call any of it offensive, but after being told how authentic this place was I have no urge to visit Ethiopia for the cuisine.

Sorry for the double post.

Goopy may describe the cuisine (I would prefer stewed), but it is certainly not bland by any stretch of the imagination.

Did you check yelp first?  :awesome_for_real:

Yeah, I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once in Ann Arbor of all places.  It was quite interesting.  We had some kind of sampler platter and it was divided up into 'real Ethiopian' (*very* spicy) and bland versions of the same things.  Oh, and the honey wine was nice.  It wasn't too sweet like other meads I've tried.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Signe on March 20, 2009, 06:28:43 AM
Righ's spent a lot time in Africa and there are so many things that sound as if they would be awful.  Depending on whatever is happening at the time, I'd still give something a go even knowing it's probably terrible tasting.  Just to give it a go!  Anyway, I think you're choosing a wonderful place to adopt.  The survivability rate of children there is terrible.  You would probably be literally saving a life.  I hope it all works out perfectly perfect! 


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: kaid on March 20, 2009, 07:18:54 AM
The one ethiopian meal I have eaten was VERY spicy. It was pretty good but they had some kind of evil bond villian type of ethiopian spice in it which I dubbed the delayed blast fireball. It tastes really nice for about 30 seconds just a bit peppery and then your eyebrows catch fire and you start calling for your mommy.

I don't remember what the name of that spice is but I strongly suggest unless what you are eating is very bland to take small bites first and swish it around a bit to make sure you don't spontaneously combust from taking a big mouthfull before the effect kicks in.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Paelos on March 20, 2009, 07:50:28 AM
My guess is the spice was Mitmita, which is pretty damn spicy. That's a common one they use.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: SnakeCharmer on March 20, 2009, 08:26:50 AM
Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?

On that fact you are completely wrong.

Interesting stuff.  If you listen to commercials and such, you'd think there's no shortage of American kids up for adoption. 

Anyhoot.  Good luck!


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 20, 2009, 08:45:26 AM
Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?

On that fact you are completely wrong.

Interesting stuff.  If you listen to commercials and such, you'd think there's no shortage of American kids up for adoption. 

Anyhoot.  Good luck!

Well, I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea and turn them off to US adoptions. If you're in your early 20's on your first marriage, and are making decent money, you'll probably get a kid in under 2 years. But at our age, and with my wife having a previous divorce, it makes us "Undesirable" to prospective parents.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Samwise on March 20, 2009, 08:58:07 AM
It also depends on what sort of kid you're looking for.  As Charlie said earlier, if you want a 10 year old with a prison record, the waiting list is probably not so long.  Most people don't have the constitution to take an already-fucked-up kid into their home and try to fix him, though.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Merusk on March 20, 2009, 09:34:32 AM
Another alternative if you're Catholic is to go through one of the many Catholic agencies.  One of my coworkers just adopted a son 18 months ago that way. They started looking about 9 months prior to that and found a couple who were very young and realized (to their credit) they could not handle raising a child.  They met the birth mother, went through everything and got him a few days after she gave birth.

  She's in her early 40's and he's in his mid 40's and the only nightmare was her worry that the birth mother would change her mind within the allowed timeframe. (I think it's the first 6-9 months.)   She said it was a lot less hassle and nowhere near as frustrating as the other adoption routes that they'd looked in to.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 20, 2009, 10:52:48 AM
Actually, our second choice was "Catholic Social Services" which is the catholic agency. They are very large and well respected as well, and you don't have to be catholic to adopt through them. In the end, we went with Lutheran social services, simply because we got more referrals for them. I'm sure CSS is just as good though.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Teleku on March 20, 2009, 10:54:36 AM
Is there a "Pentecostal Social Services"?  :awesome_for_real:


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Khaldun on March 20, 2009, 11:17:37 AM
You're going to Addis Ababa?

I haven't travelled to Ethiopia, but I've spent considerable time in southern Africa and some time in east Africa.

Basically, I would say "smart casual" dress is probably fine most of the time; maybe bring one suit just in case there's a more formal meeting. Most male professionals in the capital would wear a suit to work. Cut your hair short, be clean, be polite. Loud Americanness is pretty off-putting to a lot of middle-class urban Africans--I've found most of the Ethiopians I've met to be relatively soft-spoken, low-key, a bit shy.

Keep your wits about you: there are a lot of scams aimed at travellers and foreigners. You'll almost certainly be hit up for money in both subtle and unsubtle ways. It helps a lot if you have a trusted local contact who can quietly tell you when you may need to pay up and when you shouldn't.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Ingmar on March 20, 2009, 11:19:58 AM
It isn't really supposed to be absorbent, you use it more like a tortilla to grab the stuff up.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Khaldun on March 20, 2009, 11:20:15 AM
No shortage of flights to/from Addis Ababa. Buy a Lonely Planet guide - its a country with many cultural differences depending on region. Safety will largely depend on where you have to go and how well prepared you are. Yes, there's war and violent crime in abundance in most of the country. Unless you're planning on hiring protection, avoid the Somali tribal areas to the East. Have access to a lot of cash (but don't carry it all) - bribery is often part of official business, and while its not as corrupt as West Africa it's much more upfront than you're used to. Get in the habit of asking before taking photographs of anything. In particular, DO NOT take photos of ANY form of official government building, military or otherwise. Provided you stick to well worn paths and pay a few bucks for the services of somebody local to guide you, you are unlikely to encounter crime more serious than petty theft. However, if you act like a distracted and befuddled tourist and stray into places you shouldn't you could end up in the newspapers back home. So, fairly safe for your purposes but not a country to prat around in. Pretty much any city in Africa takes a higher level of street smarts than most Euro/US folks bring. Start reading. :)

All good advice. Especially: look like you know where you're going, don't go wandering around at night at random, and don't take photographs of anything even remotely official looking. Don't ever, ever fuck with military or police, under any circumstances. Addis is by all accounts fairly safe: if there's any chance you might travel elsewhere in the country, consult a reputable local travel firm and consider getting a guide or having them prepare an itinerary for you. Don't get anywhere near the Somali or Eritrean border under any circumstances whatsoever.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Tale on March 20, 2009, 12:35:18 PM
Buy a Lonely Planet guide
...
Start reading. :)

+1. That's what I would do. I have used Lonely Planet guides to cross post-communist Eastern Europe on a bicycle, then Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, China by train. Later I used their guides to backpack solo from Singapore to Sumatra, Java and Bali in Indonesia. Also for a trip around Fiji, away from the tourist areas. I even buy them for Australian states when I go on a domestic holiday.

If I was going to Ethiopia, the first thing I would do is pick up the LP guide. They're not cheap, but they are full of "the knowledge". It's worth reading all the introductory chapters (food, history, local customs, culture, etc) and then the appendices (medical, what to pack, language, etc) in addition to the chapters on places you are going.

There are rival guidebook makers, but this is the brand I have found works like a reliable piece of equipment. They've had a few scandals where somebody didn't actually go to the places they wrote about, but the reason that's a scandal is it's normally such reliable info.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Oban on March 20, 2009, 12:48:53 PM
Oddly, there is no Michelin Guide for Ethiopia.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Signe on March 20, 2009, 12:57:56 PM
The Lonely Planet ones are way more fun to read, anyway. 


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: chargerrich on March 20, 2009, 01:01:30 PM
I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant once, and thought everything we had was just incredibly bland and goopy.  I wouldn't call any of it offensive, but after being told how authentic this place was I have no urge to visit Ethiopia for the cuisine.

Wait wait... hold up.

Okay, are you guys saying that they actually have a food "style" in Ethiopia? I would think in Ethiopia they would eat anything and flies are in abundance.  :ye_gods:

On a serious note, may God bless the people like you, because there is no freaking way you would ever get me to go through that to adopt a kid; and I love kids!


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: chargerrich on March 20, 2009, 01:06:46 PM
funny you should mention that, Vietnam was one of the other options for us. Adoptions there are relatively cheap to (unlike Guatemala's $30k price tag) But some government legal hiccup recently closed all adoptions out of the country.



$30k for a kid!? Really? For a homeless kid who is starving that your trying to "resuce"? YOU have to pay 30k? Really? And thats the fee, not including all the money you will spend to go there, get the child, travel back and raise him for up to 18 years?

Sounds like the interest of the kid is quite a ways from the top of the "adoption agency's" priority list.

I may burn in hell for saying this, but that bullshit... not the kids fault I know and your heart is sure in the right place (or something like that). I hope you do not get screwed.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Cyrrex on March 20, 2009, 01:06:58 PM
Good on you, dude.  I know that adoption is a partly selfish action, but even still I consider it to be one of the greatest and noblest things a human being can do.  For real.  Shit, I'm getting weepy.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: Hindenburg on March 20, 2009, 02:03:45 PM
Good on you, dude.  I know that adoption is a partly selfish action, but even still I consider it to be one of the greatest and noblest things a human being can do.  For real.  Shit, I'm getting weepy.
Compared to giving birth, it most certainly is.


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: CharlieMopps on March 22, 2009, 06:19:09 AM
funny you should mention that, Vietnam was one of the other options for us. Adoptions there are relatively cheap to (unlike Guatemala's $30k price tag) But some government legal hiccup recently closed all adoptions out of the country.



$30k for a kid!? Really? For a homeless kid who is starving that your trying to "resuce"? YOU have to pay 30k? Really? And thats the fee, not including all the money you will spend to go there, get the child, travel back and raise him for up to 18 years?

Sounds like the interest of the kid is quite a ways from the top of the "adoption agency's" priority list.

I may burn in hell for saying this, but that bullshit... not the kids fault I know and your heart is sure in the right place (or something like that). I hope you do not get screwed.


I believe that corruption was one of the reasons they shut down their program. I think there's either a little, or even a lot of that in every adoption. But the way I've chosen to look at it, the Kids not the one ripping me off... the situation the kids in is ripping me off. I'd gladly pay $30k to prevent a kid from growing up in an environment like that.

Thanks for the lonely planet suggestions. Going to Amazon right now!


Title: Re: Who's been to Ethiopia?
Post by: The Drizzle on March 28, 2009, 08:13:02 PM
I made a short stop in Addis Ababa during my long-term stay in Djibouti.  I had several of my troops pass through there on my way to Dire Dawa. 

You're going to Addis Ababa?


Basically, I would say "smart casual" dress is probably fine most of the time; maybe bring one suit just in case there's a more formal meeting. Most male professionals in the capital would wear a suit to work. Cut your hair short, be clean, be polite. Loud Americanness is pretty off-putting to a lot of middle-class urban Africans--I've found most of the Ethiopians I've met to be relatively soft-spoken, low-key, a bit shy.

Keep your wits about you: there are a lot of scams aimed at travellers and foreigners. You'll almost certainly be hit up for money in both subtle and unsubtle ways. It helps a lot if you have a trusted local contact who can quietly tell you when you may need to pay up and when you shouldn't.


The quote above is good advice for the region.  You WILL stand out - there's very little you can do to avoid that.  The recommendation to get a trusted local contact is prime advice; unfortunately, there will likely be a plethora of people on the street that will be willing to "show you around" for some scratch.  Finding a decent one to handle your business for you will take a bit of doing, though.   The local US (UK?) Embassy should also be a great help.