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Ethiopia by E-mail

Subject: Good evening from Addis
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:58:56 -0500
From: Pat Rollin parollin9923@hotmail.com

We had a pretty good week. I did not work at Gemini on Monday because of the Muslim Holiday which turned out to be on Tuesday. So this week I only worked at Gemini on Friday. Jim started his new class with the first year students on Monday and had Tuesday off because of the Holiday. Wednesday I spent part of the day with Nathan and Jim at the University because we were supposed to see Nathan's Villa. I had a phone call on for Abel on my mobile phone while at AAU. I was not sure what his father's name was so I called Mikiyas at Gemini and finally got to talk to Abel and found out he had lost his wallet on Christmas in Meskal Square. So he called the person back and they met so he could get his wallet back. Our business card was in the wallet that is why the guy called us. Jim was in class and after he got out we went to the bank and out to eat and came home. Nathan got to see his villa on Thursday and then was given the keys on Friday. So on Saturday Jim, Nathan, Yonas and Thomas went shopping in the Mercato to get some of the things he needed for the villa. He got blankets, pots & pans, silverware and dishes etc. Then they took them to the villa.

I was at home cooking lunch because Yordie and Beti were coming over to visit and have lunch. We had Mac & cheese, Mexican and banana bread. They really enjoyed the banana bread. They all finally got here and then we ate and went to the Market and bought all of the stuff we needed to make Making Buna Buna(coffee). We came back to the apartment and they showed us how to make coffee on a charcoal brazier. We started the charcoal on fire by heating it on the gas stove. Then we transferred the charcoal to the brazier and roasted the coffee beans. Then we ground the beans in a mortar and pestle. Which is a piece of tree that is hollowed out and they had to burn it out with a little bit of charcoal and you put the roasted beans in and you take a metal rod called Zena Zena and pound the beans into a fine powder. You have to fan the charcoal in the brazier and then you put the powder into the coffee pot with hot water and boil it until it steams. Nathan and Jim drank the buna and said it was very good. But it is a lot of work to do. It only cost us about 36 birr ($4) to buy the stuff to make Buna. The beans cost us 15 birr (about$2) for a half a kilo of fresh green beans and 2 birr for the charcoal which came in a small plastic bag. We have included a picture of Yordie & Beti teaching Pat to make Buna. I am not sure how often Jim will get buna made the traditional way. I am going to try making it on the gas stove.

We will be going to church in the morning and then go to Nathan's to do a little work there.

Jim & Pat

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