So this weekend, Eric arrived from Toronto! It was so nice to finally meet him. He is super nice and he brought us crepes from France to have for his breakfast here! They were delicious! I also discovered that we have a mutual love for movies – so it will be nice to catch a few flicks while in Addis.
On Saturday, we all went for dinner with Sehen to this place called Blue Café which had very yummy pasta! On Sunday, our landlord let us know that he would be putting in water reserve tank which will ensure that we will always have water. I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but on the weekends, running water has been in short supply. So yay for continuous water and yay for daily showers (the simple pleasures really)!
On Sunday night, I joined my landlord, Terefe and his family to attend the annual fashion expo organized by Next Design in Addis, featuring up-and-coming fashion designers displaying their clothing creations. Let me just, Terefe, his wife Yeshi, his sons, Abel, Neti and little Baumlik and his daughter Melat have just been fabulous – they have been so welcoming and really kind. When we moved in, Yeshi promised us that she would look after us just as our mothers had. In fact, she has asked us to call her mom. The children are also really kind, helpful and happy! Little Baumlik (the youngest, in Grade 3) always opens the gate for us if he is playing outside. When we thank him, he tells us, “It was my pleasure.” After three weeks in Africa, it is nice to feel like part of a family. It helps, especially when you miss your family and friends at home. Thanks Terefe, Yeshi, Melat, Neti, Abel and Baumlik for making us feel so welcome!
Anywhoo, back to the story. Melat, is one of the designers featured at this fashion show event (she has been in this intensive design program for the summer before she starts university in the fall) and it was quite an interesting experience to see all of clothes and the trends in Addis! As many of you know, I am sort of a clothes fiend, so I was certainly in my element. Also, my friend Priya introduced me to Project Runway last year, so I was super excited to see if there would be any over-the-top clothing creations or over-the-top personalities.
While in New York, I really wanted to attend a Fashion week event/show at Bryant Park, but you pretty much have to be uber-connected to get into such a shindig! So, this was, officially, my first fashion show. Let me say that these up and coming designers did not disappoint. There were some lovely creations and such rich fabrics and colors. Melat’s creations were lovely.
But you mostly go to the fashion shows to see the fashion mis-fires – the dresses and outfits so out to lunch that you swear they will stay there until dinner. And boy, some of these designers did not disappoint. There was the dress made out of the burlap sack (my landlord emphasized that the dress was made of a potato sack). Oh, and let me not forget the dress made out of gold doilies laminated into a cape with silk roses in between each one. Oh or the white dress with the huge sombrero that one model wore with a huge feather. There was also a black dress with a huge metal spider web on the back…wait a second….I think the black dress made the model the spider sitting on the web….
I am so sad that I was not allowed to take pictures during the show – it would have been such a treat – there were some “interesting” creations.
There was also a panel of judges who gave out awards at the end of the night. The show lasted about 3 hours and had a few dances interspersed throughout the action. I also discovered that there is an official rap song about Ethiopia which got people of all ages in the audience clapping to the beat. I.must.track.down.this.CD. It was played about 2 times during the show and so was SexyBack (the Justin Timberlake song). It seems like the designers picked the songs they wanted played when their models walked out on to the runway.
Once I figure out how to post some pics, I will put them up to show you the runway and the group pictures we took after the show! Thanks to Terefe and co. for a fun night!
