Trent's First Blog Post

Hi, my name is Trent.  I am nine years old and in fourth grade.  This is my story of my trip to Ethiopia:

We went to the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, to adopt my little sister Penny.  When I was in Addis, I was expecting it to be actually worse than I saw it was.  It was better than I thought it would be.  When we drove on half the roads they were dirt and I expected that.  But some of the roads were like real roads, like pavement, and I thought all the roads would be dirt.  I knew it was a poor country but I thought it would look poorer than it did.

The orphanage was a lot bigger than I expected.  There were a lot more kids than I expected too but I knew that all the kids that were there are already being adopted by families so that made me happy.  When I was waiting to see Penny for the first time, I was actually really nervous because I didn't know what her personality would be.  I hoped it would be happy and I was kind of right - once we got to know her.  Once we took her back to our guest home, she actually started to smile and talk a little bit.  She started saying amaye and abate to my mom and dad.  The third day I taught her how to say "Addis Ababa".

When we went to the US Embassy, I didn't think it would be fun and it wasn't fun.  We had to wait there for a long time.  Penny wasn't happy when we were there either.  Before we got to Ethiopia, when we were in Washington D.C., my mom and dad got me a lego set that I played with most of the time we were there.  We had to stay at the guest home most of the time so we had to think of things that we could do with Penny.  We stayed on the balcony on the second day and she started to talk and laugh and look off the side.  I think that was the best time we had with her in Ethiopia.

I knew what Ethiopian food would be like because we have had it here.  My mom has made it since we got home too.  Since we've eaten it a lot, I really like it.  My favorite Ethiopian food is Injera.  Injera is like a floppy pancake that is really sour and thin.  People there dip it in beans and meat stews after they rip a pice off of the pancake.  You might think I'm crazy, but I just eat it plain because I like how it tastes.  I do like dipping it in stuff but I like it even better just plain.  Most of their food is spicy.  I'm not sure why but it is.  And I like spicy food, so I was already used to it.  Some of the foods are sour too.  Like some of the stuff that they dip the injera in, like lamb and things like that, I don't really enjoy.  I didn't try everything.  I just stick with the stuff I know I like.

The plane ride was NOT shorter than I expected.  It was exactly like I pictured it: long and boring.  Oh, but I didn't picture it with a TV at each seat.  I thought I would have to use just what I brought with me so that was a really good thing.  I didn't really use my iPod or my ds.  I just used the tv for like the whole flight.

So, the time I had in Ethiopia was a really good time.  I will always remember it forever and ever.  I would love to go back some day, when my parents take me again.  And, if you like spicy foods, lots of different cultures and meeting new people then you should go too.