Leaving impressions at the surface level, however, leaves 99% of Ethiopia undiscovered.  Like dismissing a burn victim as emotionally crippled because of scars of the skin, not getting beneath the surface of Ethiopia will leave the real beauty of their culture and people undiscovered.

If I had to sum up Ethiopia, I'd have to use the phrase shared with us by a CHSFS representative during our stay: "We are a poor country, but a rich culture". 

So true.

One thing you'll notice the beauty of Ethiopia is their reverence for the young.  Everywhere we went, we saw children being hugged, kissed, praised and instructed.  Ethiopian adults appear to have child radar, always on the look-out for the youngest around them and quick with their assistance.  For western parents, such "care" can be surprising for we come from a country where children are the sole purview of their biological parents.  No true in Ethiopia, where parenting appears to work on the proximity system, i.e. you're closest, so you're the Father!

This expression of care and community extends to relations between adults as well.  Three kisses -- left, right, left -- is a very common greeting, even between men.  If not that, then at least a hug, or the ever manly handshake-shoulder bump.  Touching is equally free.  A man holding the shoulders of a women while talking, or two men holding hands crossing the street, are both common public occurances.  So, when you're there, you can either stand away and risk the offense that such behaviour would cause, or you can go with the flow and get more love from strangers that you ever thought imaginable!

Beyond the physical, you'll also find that Ethiopia has a proud psychological profile as well.  Everyone in Addis Ababa will be quick to point out the following facts: Ethiopia is one of the longest-standing countries in human history and, despite multiple occupations, hasnever been colonized; Ethiopia is home of "Lucy", the oldest, most complete pre-human skeleton ever discovered, making Ethiopia the cradle of human existence; and Ethiopia is the home of Amharic, the native language that is based on one of humanity's oldest, and most original, alphabets.

So, when you visit, look beyond the poverty and look into the deep, rich culture that Ethiopia has to offer.  Once it gets under your skin, it will never leave you! 

On a tour of the organization's programs, CHSFS representatives highlighted their initiatives in both areas.   For example, we got to visit The CHSFS Sipara Special Mother & Child Health (MCH) Center.  This new facility, complete with a full-service hospital, went operational in October 2007.

The Sipara Center is providing services to needy families in Addis Ababa city at a low fee not even sufficient to cover its operating costs. The range of services rendered includes pre-natal care, post-natal care, wide range of reproductive health services and voluntary counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS. Sipara has five main departments with different subdivisions under each department; Outpatient, Inpatient, MCH, Diagnostic and pharmacy departments.  The facility has a full-inventory pharmacy.

In its first full year of operation (2008), Sipara provided 16,222 out patient 1322 inpatient, 1072 delivery, 9648 antenatal care (ANC), 7083 immunization services to mothers and children.  Recently, the facility has achieved a steady pediatric outpatient and emergency out patient departments (OPDs) service load of 70 patients daily, makING Sipara one of the busiest health institutions in the city.

We also had the opportunity to visit CHSFS Africa's new private school in Addis Ababa.  This institution has a campus complete with it's own stadium-sized athletic facility.  The school teaches a modern curriculum in English to over 400 students for Addis Ababa and the surrounding region.  The school provides education to families in need, as well as charges tuitions of city families seeking a top-notch eduction.  This fusion approach to the institution is one of CHSFS's attempts at a more entreprenuerial, self-sufficient model of social improvement.

The organization also maintains schools in rural regions, including a school in Ottoro.  They are currently constructing a new school in Medula, a village in the southern Tembaro portion of the country.

For more information on the activities of CHSFS Africa and how you can get involved, visit their website.

I've not posted about this fact prior, however the specific reason we've traveled to Ethiopia is to complete the adoption of our new son.  We started the process about a year ago and yesterday was the beginning of its fulfillment.  Dad (Ababa), Mom (Mama) and Sister (Enet), met our new family member for the first time at his care center in Addis Ababa.  The union was a joyful and powerful one.  Our son, being almost five, is very cognizant of his situation and of the adoption process.  Desite the unknown, he let go of his fears and greeted us with smiles, hugs and kisses.  We could do nothing but return the same.

Since the first meeting, we've been able to spend much time with him and have come to understand more of his background, cultural experience and personality.  He's willful, but quick to smile, loving, playful and very curious. In short, he's just like the rest of the family.

This morning, when a plane flew over head as we were playing with his new "kwas" (ball), he stopped pointed up and said: "Ae (look), airplane.  America."  He's ready to go and we're ready to have him home.

Adoption is not for everyone, however for us, union with this little boy has proven to be everything we had hoped for and more.  We welcome him to the family and look forward to giving him an upbringing that includes love, opportunity and boundless dreaming.

Adoption is a journey, not an event.  We're glad to be taking this journey and recommend others at least consider it.  For more information about adoption in Ethiopia, visit Children's Home Society & Family Services (CHSFS).  This agency has extremely high standards and has developed practices that are leading innovation in international adoption.

You'll notice a lot of red sauce on the plate. That's chili powder called berbere and it's a staple of the Ethiopian diet. I've not encountered anything too hot to handle, but some of the dishes certainly flirt with that line!

Ethiopian meals are eaten family style, with a twist: no utensils other than your digits and no plates; everyone eats off the same platter using pieces of injera bread.  Rip off a square, lay it on what you want, pick up by squeezing in on the four corners, then roll to make it bit-sized.

To deal with sanitation, it's custom and ritual for everyone coming to the table to wash their hands. Once you're there, however, all bets are off. Fingers get dirty and no one considers it rude. Just wash again after and you're good to go.

Our guide was fond of telling us that Ethiopia is therefore known as the "land of 13 months of sunshine", because of the calendar and the great weather.  He did slip in that Ethiopia has a bit of a rainy season, which they call -- no surprise -- "the rainy season!"  We found out exactly what the rainy season was all about on our drive back from a mountain top overlooking Addis Ababa.

Untitled from Scott Laughlin on Vimeo.

On the first day, Red Jackal staff made sure we understood all points of Addis Ababa, the country's capital city.   You can't understand Ethiopia if you don't understand the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, so our first visit was to Trinity Church -- the final resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie and a memorial to the company's historical struggles to remain independent.  Next was a tour of the city's two major museums -- the Ethnographic and the National.  One gives you a sense of the country's long history and diversity while the later shows important exhibits such as Lucy, the oldest and most complete example of pre-human remains ever discovered.

We then went to the Merkato, the world's largest open-air trading market.  Merkato is a maelstrom of buying and selling activity that could overwhelm any consumer.  Think analog eBay!  Our drive by visit brought us a selection of local spices and resident prices.

We capped the day with an early dinner at Finfine Restaurant, a wonderful example of traditional Ethiopian dining culture.  A typical platter or injera and stews, eaten with hands, filled our bellies and got us drowsy enough for an early night's sleep.

The second day gave us exposure to the rural countryside.  Less than an hour south of Addis Ababa lies the "crater lake" region.  As it sounds, seven lakes formed by the country's ancient volcanic activity sit nestled in the foothills of this rural area.  We drove directly to the shores of four of these lakes, viewed, hiked and exchanged stories with local residents.  During this trip, we experienced a taste of the country's natural beauty.  Beyond landscapes, we saw many of the country's avian citizens.  Ethiopia has several bird species unique within its borders, from the smallest of humming birds to large, horn-billed creatures.

If you are interested in touring Ethiopia, start by checking out the offerings of Red Jackal Tours.

Tiffany Jones, in Green on Right

We had the opportunity to meet Tiffany in person during our visit to AHOPE and were pleased to hear some of her stories and observations first-hand.  After just a few minutes with her, it became clear that we, with our duffle bag donation, were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can be done!

If you have a moment, do catch up with Tiffany by email or comments to her blog and let her know how motivated you are by the action she took to find her place in the global giving community.  

HIV is a devilishly efficient killer in Ethiopia and a crippling social problem with which the country must contend. One of the most visible results of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Ethiopia is the number of youth orphaned every year from dead or dying parents. Organizations close to the issue now place the number of orphaned youth in Ethiopia at between 5 and 6 million. A large minority of these orphans are unwitting victims of HIV/AIDs.

An unfortunate few of those orphans are direct victims of their mother's disease as well, contracting AIDs as a matter of birth. The newborns of AIDs moms cannot be diagnosed definitively until about 6 months as an otherwise healthy baby may have anti-bodies from their mother in their blood stream. After 6 months, however, the diagnosis becomes clear and for many it is unfortunate: they have their parents' HIV.

Between the stigma of HIV and the practical realities of specific care requirements, these children, although placed in orphanages, have very few options. That's why AHOPE exists: to give these kids an organization dedicated to their care and increasing the odds that they will find a good home and go on to lead normal, productive lives.

AHOPE for Children is a non-profit organization whose mission is to serve orphans infected with HIV. In Addis Ababa, AHOPE's two pleasant, well-staffed Children's Homes care exclusively for orphans who are HIV+ and have no extended family to care for them. Many of these children are now finding their forever families through adoption.

AHOPE has also started a Community Outreach Program which educates the public about the issue of HIV-infected infants and works to enable orphaned children to remain within their extended families and culture, while receiving medical care, education, food, and other services.

We had the opportunity to visit one of AHOPE's centers and were greatly moved.  I don't think I have to beat the drum very hard to get the point across.  The people who are working there and the children they assist deserve your thoughts and prayers.

AHOPE is in need of continuing financial support, as well as donations of goods and medicines.  If you have the opportunity, please consider sponsoring an AHOPE child or including AHOPE in your charitable giving.  And, if you plan to visit Ethiopia and are flying to Bole, consider packing up a duffle bag of needed supplies and dropping it off during your travels.

I start every morning with a few small cups of freshly brewed coffee lovingly prepared by a coffee vendor right in the lobby of the hotel.  This purveyor delivers the nectar of the caffeine bean in the traditional style of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony.  

The ceremony involves actually roasting green beans over charcoal on site, then grinding them in a mortar and pestle.  The grinds are then placed in a traditional coffee pot and set to boil over another charcoal-filled brazier.  Once boiled, the pot is set to rest at the foot of the artisan to let the grounds settle.  The results are poured into a very small cup and complimented with at least a teaspoon of sugar.  Warm milk can be requested by those that prefer their morning concoction more dilute.  (They also have a salt and butter preparation, however that one's a bit too local for me!)

The result could not be any more fresh or intoxicating!  Ditch Starbucks.  We need some Ethiopian coffee gals in the United States.