Journalling

Hi:
Today is Wednesday and is really the first opportunity I have had to catch up on journalling. The Choir arrived Thursday and after that the Jubilee kept us hopping. Monday was a tour day and meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly then saying good bye to everyone. Yesterday, a day of rest.

This hotel has an arrangement with Ethiopian Airlines that when there are flights that are delayed or people miss their connections, they are brought here. Almost everynight there is an influx of folks from the airport about 10:15. The last couple of days the place has been filled with Indian families and businessmen disrupted either going to or coming from India to the countries in Africa that have a higher Indian population--Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, etc. It has made access to the business centre be in high demand.

I'll start to tell you of some of our experiences, and try to keep it chronological, though words of course will not be able to truly let you know how amazing our time has been here.

As Doug gets better, he may be able to add my notes to the blog through "comment", which may make it easier.

So, Thursday:
We started out by meeting up with Wes Baker from Uganda on Wednesday evening at the Baha'i Centre. He was on his way to this hotel and we joined up for ride and dinner. It's been nice to connect with him again over a meal or
two...we first met in Seattle about 20+ years ago at a musical fireside. Since then we have been in the same place and time on several occasions, but not usually with time to chat. It's been lovely to hear him singing his way through life--he looks a lot like the guy that sings Zippa-dee-doo-dah in the movie, and he's so happy all the time that he sings in the reception area, on the bus, in the street, in the taxi. Not embarrassing, because he's so sincere about it and the song fits the occasion--and of course, with that gorgeous bass voice, who wouldn't want to hear him sing!
But, I digress. Wes suggested that we go out to the airport with the shuttle to meet the Van and the choir on their arrival. Parvin and I quickly agreed and arrangements were made easily--the hotel being so accommodating. Off we went, the shuttle driver apparently not having as clear an understanding of what we were doing there as we thought. He dropped us off and presumed that we knew what we were supposed to do, leaving us to sort through the various passes required and monies paid (about 30 cents in total for each of us) to be allowed to go into the airport. To get the passes, though, we did the typically African go here, no go there, now go over there; walking in the paved (in places) parking lot in the 28 or so degree heat. All in good time, however, and with the patience of the African. After a while, our friend, Zalalem, met up with us and asked what we were doing. He soon helped us through (we were almost through already on our own and quite proud of ourselves) and off we went to the thorough searching at security. It seems that folks are quite stirred up about the Israel/Palestine war and the next flight in was from Dubai, so they made the connection and weren't taking any chances. Eventually we were in the airport, to find that several members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Ethiopia were there with a bouqet of roses for Van and a rose for each choir member. It was a very emotionally uplifting time. For me, it was so good to see my friends with whom I have experienced so much joy; lots of hugging and laughing, as you can imagine.

There were two busses and a luggage truck for the passengers from the hotel. This being their first experience with a large group of North Americans, the shuttle drivers were dumbstruck about how big the suitcases are and how many of them there were. Plus, this is Ethiopia--the people here are not very big, whether by intention or accident of birth or poverty, they are a thin and willowy people--the pictures of the Abyssinian queens, the Queen of Sheba, the Aksium kingdom's reknowned beauties, the lithe and nubile temptresses of so many stories of the Biblical times; all live here today. I had a quiet little chuckle at the intersection of cultures, to see the faces of my new Ethiopian friends as the choir members came out in the various colours of clothing and skin, their various shapes and sizes, from the petite pale Beverly from North Carolina, standing about 4'10" from the heels of her leather shoes to the top of her coiffed snow white hair, and every imaginable shade and shape from there to Masai-descended Dick from Connecticut, so tall and wiry that he could be intimidating if he were not so gentle and so nice, with such an immediatly endearing smile.

It rapidly became apparent that the luggage and passengers were not going to all fit into the assigned spaces. Good thing the NSA members were there...they immediately pitched in and took on the driving duties for those of us left over...Parvin and I were driven back to the hotel in comfort indeed in a black SUV, stopping on the way for some little family chores, dropping off his wife, picking up water. We had a lovely time.

By the time we got back to the hotel, the lobby was full! Baggage and noisy, tired choir members, who had mostly managed to get about 5-6 hours of sleep in Dubai on the way over. Chaos! but soon straightened out and everyone off to their rooms. A room above and off to the side of the lobby was set aside for us to rehearse, with keyboard and drum set provided, and we agreed to meet there after settling in.

It took only a couple of minutes, the beginnings of a couple of songs for us to coalesce as a choir again. Many of us have travelled with Van, e.g. "The Europe Tour", and/or have sung at his Music Camps or at the Chicago Choir Festival, so we knew the repertoire. As we became more comfortable, we became louder and more joyous to be singing together again. We were directed into our signature "We Have Come to Sing Praises" and the house went up! Soon after, I went downstairs on an errand; the hotel general manager quickly and smoothly came in her quiet Ethiopian, friendly way and slipped her hand in mine. "Wow", she said, "it's beautiful! I love it! But it's a little loud. It may be disturbing some of our other guests. Do you think it would be OK to close the door?"

Back up I went and we closed the door. As night had now fallen and it was becoming cold outside, we also closed the windows. Now we have about 50 fired up choir members, singing and breathing in a long narrow room (maybe 20' wide by 50' long). We learned quickly a couple of things: Addis Ababa is at a much higher altitude than most of us were used to, so breathing deeply for singing was not so easy, and that the room was pretty much full with just us although advertised to hold 180 Ethiopians!

Van announced that he was pleased with how things were coming together and we all decided that after such an exciting time, we would all have an early night. We also knew that morning would come early and bring the beginning of the Jubilee!

I'll try to continue more later today. We are on our way to the bank to try to cash travellers cheques--about a two hour procedure. Love to you all.