Eccentric Graces: Eritrea and Ethiopia Through the Eyes of a Traveler

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About Eccentric Graces: Eritrea And Ethiopia Through The

Product Description Prologue: This is a travel narrative about Eritrea, a tiny sun-drenched country along the Red Sea, and Ethiopia, its giant southern neighbor and former colonial overlord. Among the oldest civilizations on earth, these two African countries can boast over 2,000 years of recorded history. Eritrean and Ethiopian histories interlock, yet still maintain distinctive features. Eritrea's past revolves around foreign incursions and occupation, as well as ongoing trade and cultural mingling with Mediterranean and Arabian worlds. Ethiopian history speaks of imperial glory and dominance, and for great swaths of time isolation, as its Christian kingdoms held out in highland strongholds while Islamic and pagan militaries swirled around them. Today, both countries, having just emerged from a thirty-year war, are dirt poor. Many citizens live on less than one dollar a day and both nations receive millions of dollars annually in food and development aid. But, with many well-trained professionals among local and exiled populations, rebounding economies, the rule of law, and rich histories and cultures to draw upon, Eritrea and Ethiopia represent the brightest hope for democracy and growth in Africa in the new millennium. From the Back Cover "This long-awaited travelogue gently brings the pulse of Eritrea and Ethiopia to life. No one eager who is to know them should miss it." -Frank Smyth, journalist There are some places that hound the imagination of a traveler years before they actually have the opportunity to visit. This is how the ancient lands of Eritrea and Ethiopia beckoned to author Julia Stewart. Breathtaking landscapes, attractive citizens, intricately spiced foods, a gently culture and rich history-it was all waiting for her. all of these things, Stewart came to experience and appreciate with abundance. What she did not predict were several mysterious happenings: harassment at the hands of "union buster," an impromptu running of the bulls, coming face to face with abject poverty, and her own reactions to these unpredictable events. Stewart's travels to Eritrea and Ethiopia are of a current vintage, unlike those of famous explorers of an earlier period such as Richard Burton and James Bruce. Her travels took place during a post-war era when tremendous changes were occurring in the political and social lives of the people. Stewart found many surprises, good and bad, and she shares them all with her readers. Despite a sometimes arduous adventure, stewart's fascination for Eritrea and Ethiopia has not ceased. About the Author Julia Stewart lived in Nairobi, Kenya, for six years where she worked for Interaid International and the United Nations' world Food Program. Over the past decade she has traveled and worked in 14 African countries. she is the author of four books and currently resides in Westerville, Ohio. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Part 1 Eritrea - Asmara - Two well-dressed eight-year-old boys, weaving through cars parked along Liberation Avenue, hurled banana peels at a pair of poorer boys. One of the targets rubbed his forehead where he had been hit; a distressed look swept across his face. An elderly man arrived on the scene, but only in time to see banana peels-incriminating evidence-at the feet of the poorer lads. The old man scolded the victims and ordered them to pick up their rubbish. The boys bent over, meekly protesting, and cleaned up the mess. As I was watching this vignette of Asmara street life several flashily attired teenagers walked by. One of the girls smiled and said, "Hi, honey!" I screwed up my face, "Honey?" They all laughed the waggish laugh of teenagers throughout the world. In the dirt courtyard of a vast apartment building with cracked windows and rusted shutters, four little girls jumped rope. The girls eagerly waved hello. I entered the fenced compound and appealed to them with hand gestures to turn the rope high. Surprising myself as much