Ethiopian Food

We had our first experience with Ethiopian food today! We met a couple of families in Portland at an Ethiopian restaurant called Dalos Kitchen. Both families are very close to traveling - they both have referrals and are waiting for court dates. It seems like that's the most difficult part - they have pictures and information but they can't see their children!

We really enjoyed meeting them and finding out about their adoption journeys, and we loved the food! It was the first time I had ever eaten a whole meal without utensils but it was a lot of fun. Ethiopians make a sort of sour crepe-type bread that they eat with everything. They use it to scoop up the food like a spoon and it's a really important part of the meal and the experience. I think injera (the bread) is somewhat of an acquired taste - it's not bad but I didn't love the texture. Apparently it grows on you and you eventually crave it, if you tend to eat it a lot. Anyway, we had Chicken Tibbs, which is in a mild curry sauce and some lentils and vegetables, which were really tasty. I'm looking forward to trying more dishes and maybe learning to make my own!

Nothing new on the adoption process front - we are waiting for doctors visits and birth certificates before we can send stuff in. Stefan is getting more excited and we're both wanting things to move a little faster.

Here are a few facts about Ethiopia that make us even more anxious to find our child!

• One in ten children die before their first birthday
• One in six children die before their fifth birthday
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone, and there are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia.
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any other African country
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school.
• 88% will never attend secondary school.