Happy 2004!

Yes, you read that correctly. September 12, 2011 is the start of Ethopian New year, which, due to different mathematics when creating the calendar, is 2004! We celebrated with my classmate, Helen, who made a ton of delicious food, and then led us out to our 'garden' here at the dorms (which we would call a lawn), put on traditional Ethiopian music and taught us several traditional dances. Well, I should say, attempted to teach us. I am quite certain we looked absolutely ridiculous (I believe one of my fellow DILL'ers got some video of it, I'll see if I can get my hands on it), but Helen was very supported as we flapped around in a circle about her. It was a lot of shoulder shrugging which she made look so easy!! We danced so much that we flattened our little circle of grass.

Ethiopian dances under the full moon in Italy :-) Perfetto.