Communication Issues

Well, after a restless night before, I think I had the best night sleep since we got here.  I don’t think I woke up more than once.  I think Karen’s prayers were answered as I don’t remember hearing the dog barking at all.  The morning routine always seems to be the same now.  Ibssa woke up at usual 6:30 and climbed into bed with us for another half hour of in bed but just for playtime.

Breakfast was the same routine also.  Ibssa had his cereal Honeynut Cheerios, peanut butter toast and juice.  It always seems to take an hour to eat as he eats a lot and wants to ham it up a bit while he eats. 

Showering, brushing teeth and getting dressed seems to take almost an hour because again he can find play in everything.  One of the things he likes doing is wetting his hair and brushing it, just like dad.  Too bad his hair is too short but it is funny.  The other day he got the razor and put on his cheek (just like dad).  By the time I got to him he already had a little scratch.  It has been quite a while since we kid proofed everything.  I’m sure when he get back to Canada, it will be a whole new experience.   

We were supposed to get picked up at 10:00 to have a tour of the city with Marcos.  By 10:30 we thought we would give him a call and sure enough it sounded like he forgot and said ten minutes he would be here.  After another hour and a half and a couple of calls, we postponed our trip until tomorrow.  He was working on his car and was having issue after issue.  It was probably best that we give him the time.

As Karen mentioned in a previous blog, the orphanage was supposed to set up a meeting with Ibssa’s birth mother and Karen.  Karen emailed the orphanage director but there was no reply so we assumed it wasn’t happening.  Well as with a lot of things here communication is difficult.  The orphanage called at about 12:15 to say Ibssa’s birth mother is at the orphanage waiting.  So we arranged a ride for Karen and Ibssa and I stayed behind.  I fed Ibssa lunch and then set him down for a nap.

Karen will write this part as I wasn’t there.

  I got to the orphanage and was ushered into the familiar room where they bring visitors.  There were two women in the room.  I knew immediately which one was Ibssa’s mother because Ibssa looks just like her.  She was almost a head shorter than me and very petite.  She went to shake my hand but I immediately grabbed her for a full out hug. 

 While waiting for an interpreter, I gave her the bundle of pictures that I had accumulated before coming to Africa.  I also gave her a picture of Paul and I.  She slowly went through them and I could see her starting to tear up.  She kept a few and then handed the pile back to me.  I kept gesturing that I wanted her to have all of them but she didn’t understand. 

 Finally a young man that I hadn’t seen before came in to be our interpreter.  He spoke Amharic to the other lady, who turned out to be the nurse at the orphanage in Harar where Ibssa’s mother lives.  They quickly determined that she spoke Oromo and not Amharic so we had to search out someone else to interpret.  This was quickly becoming very complicated…..and still no sign of Elizabeth, the director.  They finally brought in the man who manned the front gate, but he didn’t speak English.  So, I had to tell the first young man what I wanted to say, he told the gate man, and he told Ibssa’s mother….good grief. 

I was very gung ho in letting them know how much we already loved Ibssa and what a gift he is to us.  I went on to say how happy and friendly he is.  Her response was thank you…and then “are we finished”.  Oh man, I was quickly realizing that my vision of our first meeting being a lovely conversation between two loving mothers quickly loosing air like a deflating balloon.  I asked about family…there are none.  She did ask that I get the care that Ibssa needed for his favoured left side.  I told her that I have a daughter who is a physiotherapist and that he will definitely get the help he needs.  She seemed satisfied and then once again said, “are we finished”?  I asked if I could take her picture to show Ibssa when he was older.  I was told not right now, we had to go through Elizabeth.  I guess our conversation was over.  The young man said I needed to speak with Elizabeth before I left.  I knew I had to pay for these arrangements.  So, they left me alone with Ibssa’s mother.  It felt very awkward.  Being who I am when I am stressed food came to my mind so I routed through my bag and found a couple of granola bars and offered them to these women.  They both took them……and we waited some more. 

During this time the children whom we had grown to be friends with kept popping their heads in and out of the room.  In particular it was the group of young girls that were friends with Claire’s daughter.  They were full of smiles.  What beautiful children they all are.  Finally Elizabeth showed up.  She seemed more concerned about Ibssa than our motherly visit.  She thought Ibssa may have some issues since he had been in the orphanage for so long.  I said no, he was very happy and doesn’t seem to miss the orphanage at all.  She told me that his mom was expecting to see Ibssa.  No one told me…..oh wait, maybe in that difficult to understand phone call earlier they may have said that, but I barely got the just of that call…all I knew was I had to go to the orphanage.  Elsa told me I had until tomorrow afternoon to bring Ibssa there, but in the same breath, she was saying it may confuse Ibssa to bring him there….good grief.  She finally decided it would be better if the mother came to the guest house….but again, we would need an interpreter or two to communicate.  I said we could stop by in the morning.  She said she would call and let me know if she could get a driver.  As of now still no call….I guess we are going in the morning. 

 Communication is the toughest issue here in Ethiopia.  People say they understand, but they really don’t.  It gets frustrating.  I will definitely have more patience for people I meet in Canada that don’t speak any English.  Oh well, now that you have heard my rant, back to Paul.

We all received a call late this afternoon, Thursday will be the tentative day that we should be able to apply for children’s passports.  One step closer to coming home.  If all goes well and the timing is similar to past couple’s experiences, everyone could be travelling home in about 3 weeks or so.  There will be more praying for that.

Karen made shepherd’s pie (with her fresh meat from yesterday’s trip) for supper with bruschetta – very tasty.  Ibssa had eaten about ½ hour earlier and was extremely excited to know he could have leftover injera again.  As a sad note, that is all for the injera.  We’ll have to work on getting more.  We invited Candy and Rob for supper as now they are here as well.  They had been at Afroland but once they seen our place, they decided to move.  Now there are 3 Canadian couples here and we total 11.  We may have to put up a Canadian flag up but it might get confused for the Canadian embassy.

The four of us had tea and a little social time while Ibssa played until about 7:30.  It was time to get Ibssa settled down for the night.