Ethiopia. As I mentioned already they are incredibly friendly, but
their friendliness can be a bit of a shock to Americans. We are used
to walking down the street without anyone saying anything or even so
much as looking in our direction. This does not happen here in
Ethiopia, especially when you are one of only 9 white people in the
entire village. Ethiopians love to stare, they love to yell out your
name (or if they don't know it, they yell "ferengi" or "china"), they
love to introduce themselves, and the kids will honestly follow you
for miles, not caring where you are going.
Last week, we decided to go on a hike and there were probably 20 kids
who walked with us for the entire hike. The children holding your
hand for the entire walk is not out of the ordinary either. Also, men
with arms around each other or holding hands is not uncommon here in
Ethiopia, but homosexuality is actually against the law. Yesterday, I
had an elderly man grab my hand in the market and he would not let go
the entire time. Ethiopia is definitely the place you want to go if
you are trying to step out of your comfort zone.
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