Ethiopian convivality experience

To those loyal followers who know of my lack of conviviality in Flat 14 Langerry, you will be pleased to know that I had a fully community experience at a little Ethiopian “restaurant” in Central on Thursday.  We planned to meet our Finnish friends a few others at the “Ethiopian restaurant” that other international students talk about.  Our flat of five women and one other Johnnie rode in the cab to central assuming that the cab driver would know the location of the famed quasi-restaurant.  Apparently, he had never heard of it.

We were navigating by the direction of one text which had a street name and description of “a kiosk” for the store front.  After asking some men hanging by a storefront, one phone call to Suvi, and the cab driver saying, “Ummm, can we go now, it’s really not safe to just sit here,” we stopped at the “Mini Stop” on Rose Street, walked through the convenience store to two dining rooms and a kitchen which smelled divine.  The dining rooms had tables with maroon and white table clothes and clear plastic covers.  We had brought our own drinks and sipped while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. 

When our group was complete, we each took some of the Ethiopian sour dough flatbread, that, after some research, I surmise is “injera.”  The porous white bread was rolled and pull off in pieces to eat the variety of dishes with our hands.  The chef was a beautiful woman in a cut-off blue plaid vest and the most infectious smile.  She brought out about 9 bowls of mixtures that we put on our plates and two other meat dishes that we devoured in about fifteen minutes (about twice the length of time for the average American meal).  I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.   This was one of my favorite experiences in South Africa.  The food was great and we were in great company.  Ya-hoo!

I wish you could see her smiling eyes

The other end of the table.  You can see a lot of the bowls with the different flavors we could "dip" into.  From the left- a cabbage dish much like sauerkraut, but not so sour, red lentils, African potato and butternut, my favorite orange dish that I have no clue what it is, yellow lentils and then two of the meat dishes.  In the bottom left of the pic you can see the white flat bread rolls.

Suvi demonstrating using the piece of bread to dip.

Chowing down.

My plate was kinda full :P

The aftermath

Suvi and Sari, our Finnish friends.

Some of my rooommates- Taylor, Laura, Katie and a German friend Sarah

Roommate Heather with her friend Giovanne and his brother Marcello.

Everyone doin there thing, and Kevin bein' a little weird and all-powerful with the arms, ha.

The convenience store view from the restaurant

The kitchen and one of the helpers

Another view of the kitchen

And another