Who's been to Ethiopia?

[CharlieMopps]

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.

[Ookii]

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.

[Engels]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1113.html

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.

 

[SnakeCharmer]

Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?

[CharlieMopps]

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.

[Tarami]

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.

[Hindenburg]

Aren't there thousands (millions?) of kids in the US that could (and would love to be) be adopted?

Thought the same damn thing.

[CharlieMopps]

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.

[Hindenburg]

You shattered my preconceived notions. Thanks.

[CharlieMopps]

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.

[Signe]

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!   

(Don't name him Marvin)

[Righ]

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. :)

[Oban]

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?

[CharlieMopps]

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!   

(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.

[Oban]

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.

[Righ]

Kitfo is usually better than gored. Dulet is nasty. Tej is worth the trip. And he probably knows the coffee already.

[CharlieMopps]

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.

[Samwise]

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.

[Ookii]

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.

[Ookii]

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? 

[Oban]

I was going to post a response explaining why, but I have to eat in about an hour.

[Ingmar]

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.

[Teleku]

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...

[schild]

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.

[CharlieMopps]

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.

[Samwise]

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 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.     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.

[Tale]

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).

[Ookii]

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.

[schild]

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.

[Engels]

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!

[schild]

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.

[Teleku]

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  .

[Samwise]

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.

[Trippy]

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  .

That's the same with Guatemala.

[Oban]

That sort of thing would never happen in Russia.