(Debark; Dec 6-7th) We went to
training at a leisurely 9am to the most beautiful spot that I've seen yet in
Ethiopia. A large field stretched out, mountain views on all sides.
All of the athletes were immediately welcoming. About 500 meters
higher than Addis, I could feel the altitude.
Children sat around watching the
runners on the dry, hard grass. Sitting quietly, observing, evolved
into cuddling, arms around the neck of a neighbor, hands on a
friend's thigh, which further evolves into wresting and karate chops,
to begin all over again.
The athletes and spectators were very
interested in my camera. The girl runners posed with broad smiles and
dramatic poses, one pointing to the Ethiopian flag on her jacket with
pride for every shot that she could secure. In contrast, the young
boys made tough-man faces and did handstands, each one trying to top
his friends to gain the attention of my lens.
We gave out the running shoes and
shirts that Marco brought and the GGRF T-shirts and Runners World
magazines that I brought for the runners. All of the athletes were
thankful and excited to receive their loot. That evening, Marco
hosted a dinner at or hotel for all seventy (I think) of the
athletes! He put on a slide show of photos that he had taken over the
last few days. With every photo that went up, there were giggles or
hoots. Photographs are a rare thing in Ethiopia and the athletes were
overjoyed to see themselves on the screen. I sat with a group of the
girls and they tried to teach me more Amharic, interjected with
demands of “be” (eat) and them insisting on feeding me.
No comments:
Post a Comment