Ethiopia: the journey, the wonder, and the screw-ups...PART 3

Read parts 1 and 2 here and here

7/14/09

6:30am

Couldn't sleep again last night. Woke up around 3am listening to the rain on the tin roof. Then the Muslim call to prayer at 5am. Got up then and went downstairs to get on the computer to check my emails to see what Jenni had to say. Caleb and Damian went with me since they couldn't sleep either. Couldn't connect. Stupid dial-up. Between having a terrible internet connection, and power going out whenever it feels like it, it sure is hard to stay in contact with the US. I hope Jenni gets that phone thing figured out on her end today.

I was thinking more about the option of staying here till the 29^th and how that might not be a very good idea. We have no guarantee whatsoever that this knuckleheaded adoption agency is gonna have it together enough by then that we will even get an appointment. Then I will be stuck here for another 15 days. The other thing is that I don't have enough cash with me to stay that much longer.

Of all the 100s of hoops and steps we had to go through for this adoption I can't think of even 2 that went as planned. Everything that (adoption agency) could possibly screw up they managed to do without effort.

I don't understand how that (agency director) can blame this completely on (agency personnel).

If she sent the itinerary, which I thought she had done, to (agency personnel), why didn't (agency personnel) figure it out that we were not supposed to be here? Maybe (agency personnel) didn't email (agency personnel)...I have no idea.

I wasn't much impressed with (an agency personnel) yesterday. Other than being pretty she sure didn't have anything else going for her. Not a warm friendly person at all.

Jenni is gonna be mad that I said she is pretty. Oh well....Kidus and Biruk's caregiver was pretty too...actually much prettier than (agency personnel).... and much nicer.

I hope to speak to (agency personnel) today when we go to drop off the other bin and I am going to try to get some answers about when they expect to have the results of boys' medicals. I wonder if they did them immediately after passing court or if they waited till last week?

I am gonna shower and wash some clothes now.

8:38pm

Before I get started on the events of the day I have to recount something about last evening. I was down on the computer in the lobby late last evening trying to get on my email again without success. I came back up to our room and tried to open the door but it was locked, so I beat on it because I knew Chad was in there. We never lock the door while we are in it so I thought it a little strange that it was locked. I could see through the textured glass the someone was coming to open it and when it swung open there stood a woman with another woman standing behind her across the room. I stood their staring at her...totally shocked. I must have looked like a schmuck because I was trying to look past them to see where Chad was. What was kind of partying was he doing while I was out? Then it hit me. I was on the wrong floor. I apologized for bothering them. They laughed and I did the disappearing act.

OK..moving on...Elias picked us up at 9:30 this morning and we went to the infant house to deliver the bin of donations that was theirs. While there I spoke with (agency caregiver))...I saw (agency personnel) but didn't speak to her. I told (agency caregiver) that I need to know more information about the medicals and the chances of the kids not being ready for the July 29^th Embassy date before I can make and informed decision about whether to stay another 14 days or to go home on the 17^th. He assured me as best as he could that there were not going to be any problems with the medicals.

I want to believe him, and do somewhat, but am not 100% satisfied. We have got too much misinformation in the past for me to be suckered very easily.

I also asked him if (agency personnel) would want to go over our paperwork right away to make sure that everything is there. He said to wait. I don't know why.

I walked out of his office and saw Caleb and Damian sitting in front of the infant house. They said Chad was inside so I went in and there he was in the back bedroom holding different babies and talking/playing with them. I dragged, yes dragged, him out kicking and screaming. I think Kristin (Chad's wife) may open his suitcase and find several small Ethiopian babies tucked under the clothes.

From there we went to find some shops to buy some things. I bought 15 half kilos of the best smelling coffee ever for 615birr ($51.25). We then walked across the street to find some dresses for my girls. I got Jenni, Bella, and Mia dresses for 500birr after Elias bartered back and forth with the shop owner for quite a while.

I like Elias. I like Elias very much. Elias is a good guy. I like Elias.

I almost bought a coffee pot today too but passed it up...will have to get that later.

After that he, my friend Elias, took us again to a great Ethiopian restaurant and we ate some great food and some food that wasn't so great. One that I didn't like was some kind of beef with onions and peppers...the beef was terrible. Tough and full of sinew and cut up bones. I wanted to spit the whole mouthful back out. But managed to calmly take the bones piece by piece out of my in an indiscreet manner. Another was called Black Cabbage. It tasted like the green stuff we get at Cafe Lalibela but had big chunks of very tough beef in it. The lamb was great. Just as good as the Doro Wat or Sega Wat.

We made total pigs out of ourselves all for 160birr ($13.33). That was at 2pm and we haven't eaten since.

Elias likes to tease Caleb about his fear of Ethiopian food....due to him throwing it up one time after getting sick at home.

After lunch we went by the Emirates office to find out how much it would cost to change our flight home. They told me it would be $200 per ticket. For some reason I thought it was going to be $300.

After that we then decided to come back to the Yeka and figure out what to write (agency director). I put together the email on my laptop and had Chad look it over. We made a few changes on some of the wording and I then went looking for (another adoptive family) to get their input. I wanted them to give input...whether or not I was asking too much, too harsh, not being clear enough. (They) thought it was great and after talking for awhile about all the frustrations with (agency) I went in to get on the computer in the lobby to get on the internet.

Wasn't happening.

The stupid phone line has been dead all day. I asked the receptionist to call me a taxi to take me to an internet cafe so I could send the email.

He got here at 6:30, I got in and he started driving. I asked him if he speaks any English.

Yes.

But not intelligible to my ears.

He drives like crazy...not as good as my friend Elias though. That guy is good. He got on his phone and is talking loudly, holding the phone to his ear, because that's where you are supposed to hold your phone, but its on speaker phone with the volume turned all the way up.

I can tell he is asking someone where to find an internet cafe. We park somewhere on the edge of the street and he gets out and starts walking...fast. I follow, weaving in and out of the people. I try not to make too much eye contact so as not to get bombarded with people begging for money. It is dark there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of people in the several hundred yards that we walked. My driver kept asking stall owners and pedestrians where to find the internet cafe. Everyone keeps pointing the same direction down the street and around a corner. We keep walking that way until people start pointing back the way we came.

We turned around and I finally spotted it...a little hole in the wall place that is about 8x10 with 8 computers along the walls. I waited my turn and finally someone got up and I took his spot. Typed in www.gmail.com and waited. And waited. And waited some more. It took at least 5 minutes to even load the first page where I can log in. I stuck in my thumb drive that had the letter to (agency director) and copied and pasted my letter into Gmail and poof! It disappeared. I had to start all over. 3 times. It took me 45 minutes to send an email that would have taken all of 15 seconds at home. Hey, its Ethiopia.

I sent it to (agency director) and Ccd (agency personnel)and Jenni. I really hope that (agency director) finds it in his heart to do the right thing. That being, of course, to pay for all our expenses during our extended stay.

While I was looking at my inbox I saw an email from Jenni but didn't even bother to try to open it on the terribly slow connection. Tomorrow I am gonna go to the Hilton for internet. I've been told they have a high-speed wireless connection. WOOHOO!

Oh yeah, after telling Elias about our new situation of staying here and extra 15 days and having to look for cheaper lodging, he made a phone call and took us to his friends mother's house who rents out rooms. We drove through a very nice neighborhood and up to the house. A young girl (14) let us into a very nice upper-middle class (for the USA) house. She would be willing to give us 2 bedrooms, private bath, living room w/tv, and kitchen for $75 a day.

No can do. That is gonna eat up our money too fast. We are trying to find something for around $45-50. We are paying $75 where we are right now...I am trying to negotiate a better deal with them so we can just stay here. I hope to speak to the person who has the authority to do that tomorrow.

Another Oh yeah,... we tried to go see Kidus and Biruk today but were told to come tomorrow. Will probably do that in the morning.

BTW....we have been pronouncing Biruk's name wrong. Very wrong. Don't think it will work in the USA. br-OOK.... with a rolled r.

Its 9:53 and I am hittin' the hay. Hope I can sleep better tonight