As an uncultured, gawking tourist doing really touristy things, I was struck by how the presentation of all this history was mixed with little bits of modernity. One example:
In this photo, you see an Ethiopian priest (most of Ethiopia is Christian, of the Coptic variety inherited from Egypt - or so my guidebook tells me) wearing sunglasses. Why? Well, because tourists love to take pictures of ancient crosses, and when the priest holds them up, the flash from the cameras hurts his eyes.
Another example:
In this scene, the guy on the left has written Bible verses - in old "Ge'ez" script, a precursor to Amharic - on a stretched-out piece of cured goat skin. This is in imitation of the handmade Bibles that Ethiopians used to use, but don't anymore. Presumably, this piece that he's making will end up in the hands of a tourist.
I'm not sure what my point is here, but it's strange to consider all the various butterfly-effect economic/social factors that may lead to a replica of an Ethiopian Bible page (made in the middle of a poverty-stricken village) being bought and then hung on a wall hanfway around the world.
So on the right of the picture: one kid, slightly taller than the rest, is leading the rest thru drills on the Amharic alphabet. Whenever any of them messes up, he takes this big stick-whip thing and gives the offender a hearty whack.
I'm not sure what my point is here, but it's strange to consider all the various butterfly-effect economic/social factors that may lead to a replica of an Ethiopian Bible page (made in the middle of a poverty-stricken village) being bought and then hung on a wall hanfway around the world.
So on the right of the picture: one kid, slightly taller than the rest, is leading the rest thru drills on the Amharic alphabet. Whenever any of them messes up, he takes this big stick-whip thing and gives the offender a hearty whack.
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