2nd Millennium in a Lifetime

Who would’ve thought in my life time I would celebrate the Millennium twice! Ethiopia still follows the Julian Calender and is therefore is 7 months and a bit behind the rest of the world. Here, they use both ours and their traditional calender. So realistically, we’re all on the same page.

One of the reasons why I wanted to arrive in Addis Ababa in early September was for the Millennium Celebrations. I had no idea what to expect. I imagined myself partaking in a traditional ceremony of sorts and dancing the night away in front of dozens of campfires. On the contrary, I found myself among different circumstances.

First of all, I felt like this metropolis was under siege. Every ten steps I walked I was greeted by a member of the Federal Police of Ethiopia casually holding a very real and loaded AK47. There were snipers atop buildings and on every corner. I’ve never seen so many guns in my life before! It certainly put me on edge. Just imagine, one shot would send the streets and millions of people into chaos. Annoyingly, whenever there was an important guest driving through the streets, the roads would all be closed and even pedestrians were not allowed to walk. We had to stay still as the convoys whizzed by and covered us with dust. The city was basically shut down. My friend and I had to walk 3 hours before finding a cab. Even then, we were stuck in traffic for a couple of hours. I don’t really see the need to shut down the entire city for just a few guests who fly in for just one day. Then again, the current government is not the most favorable one.

There were many festivities and things to do. However, somehow I ended up attending a Millennium Party at a local Orphanage. It’s weird how God works sometimes. If you just trust wholeheartedly, you will just fall into the most remarkable things. I wasn’t even invited because the Director of the Orphanage did not like guests nor really had the childrens’ wellbeing in mind (most NGO’s here are not run by people who have the heart for the cause they’re advocating for – it’s a business). My friend just told me to show up with a friend of a friend who volunteers there. It was simply the best Millennium I’ve ever experienced and I feel so grateful that I was given a second chance to celebrate the year 2000 in the “right” way.

Though we were hours late for the party, the kids instantly greeted us with joy. I couldn’t believe it. They had never met me before, but hundreds of kids surrounded us with unforgettable smiles! They were all very fascinated with me because I was a Chinese female. I guess we are quite rare in these parts. Even more so because I’m Chinese-Canadian. Actually, they get quite confused when I tell them I’m Canadian. Anyhow there were these two girls, Betty and Rosa, that just clinged on to me for the entire evening. They hugged me, placed my arms around their shoulders, held my hands, showed me their dormitory, introduced me to everyone; and when they were tired, they sat with me on the stairs in a comforting silence. Sometimes, communicating effectively only requires silence. Though both these girls knew a little English, no communication was more effective than silence and simply acknowledging them. They kept on asking me if I’d come again tomorrow, the day after or even the following week. It hardens me so much because I could not promise them anything. So in return, they drew me a picture of the Ethiopian flag and I drew them a Canadian flag. I’m sad. I’m not sad for those orphans, but rather I’m sad for the Canadian children who have so much already and yet don’t realize how incredibly lucky they are. These orphans don’t have anything but one another and all they seek is something genuine. In order to flourish, all of these orphans only need a sense of acknowledgment and affection. God gave all children hopes and dreams, all we have to do is show them that people believe in them. That’s all.

Filed under: Africa, Ethiopia, Life, Thoughts, Travel