Oh, for the love.

Borrowing one my mom's favorite phrases for this title...it seems fitting.


It has come to my attention that my Travel blog, day 4 -Durame post has been viewed many, many, many times lately. Only one of the "viewers" has been brave enough to comment.


Here is the controversial blog post: Durame trip


And here is what "Bishir" said in response:

"Ethiopians eat for sustenance, not just for pleasure." - Who doesn't?

"They are also so heavily spiced so that they can cover up 

the taste of the gamey-ness and old-tasting meats" Completely untrue! 

Exactly WHERE in Ethiopia were you? And does this make you an 

expert to make these unfounded conclusions for ALL of Ethiopia? 

As an Ethiopian-American, I'm appalled and these generalizations are unfair. 

It’s one thing to adopt children from a country and another 

thing to be condescending towards that country without any knowledge.

I’m outraged!

I strongly suggest you review this post and include facts instead of prejudice.

Well, allrightythen.

Bishir...

This is a personal family BLOG. I am simply a mom who adopted three children from Ethiopia, spent 2 weeks there and wrote about my personal experiences. I also happen to be married to an awesome chef who is very familiar with many different areas of ethnic food, food preparation, etc, etc, etc and I mentioned in my post that the comments you were unhappy with were based on HIS observation. I just know for ME... I'm not eating a raw egg in the middle of my pizza in Durame OR Chicago.

This isn't Wikipedia's article on Ethiopian cuisine.

If you happen to have dropped by my blog in hopes of learning about authentic Ethiopian food... sorry. I'm not Ethiopian. 

I have 3 Ethiopian children who I do cook Ethiopian food for on occasion. Is it authentic? As authentic as it can be purchasing ingredients at the Merkato here that specializes in Ethiopian food products... purchased injera, and a blend of berbere that isn't quite as spicy as we had there,  but it works. 

Again...much of our experience in Durame was clouded by the emotionally-charged day we had just experienced. Did you even READ that part of the post or did you just read me injecting my "prejudice" upon Ethiopian food?

And... you commented:

"Ethiopians eat for sustenance, not just for pleasure." - Who doesn't?"

Uhm... most of the developed countries in the world eat mostly for pleasure.

Example...google "obesity rates in developed countries" and tell me the rest of the world isn't eating mostly for pleasure!

I can eat a bowl of rice for sustenance, much of the world does.

OR I can eat pan-seared Wild Alaskan salmon with a nice beurre blanc and roasted asparagus... and fill the belly as well as eat for pleasure. 

There IS a difference. 

No one eats that third slice of cheesecake for sustenance.

Besides... an actual Ethiopian-Ethiopian told me while we were there that the pleasure in their meal time comes mostly from the fellowship around the big basket of injera, not from the actual food itself- a lesson that many American families should learn.

Furthermore, my attitude was far from condescending. 

We adore Ethiopia. 

We were "ferengi" on a super-emotional-roller-coaster-trip and we were staying in one of the poorer areas of rural Ethiopia in a sketchy hotel. 

Forgive me if I came across as "condescending". Perhaps read the entire travel journal if you truly desire to see my heart for Ethiopia and my beautiful children. 

And in answer to another comment, I do enjoy Ethiopian food! I really, really liked the injera and tibs, shiro and a beef and pepper thing I forget the name of... but unfortunately- I can't eat American-ET food. It's all made with white/wheat flour and I didn't realize this when I took the littles out to eat and got very, very sick. So...now I try to just make it at home.

I resent the fact that someone who knows nothing about me other than what is found in ONE POST got "outraged" and is judging me based on such little information. 

As an Ethiopian-American adoptive mom, I'm appalled and these generalizations are unfair.  (sound familiar?)