Head and Toes - Ethiopian Journey - Blog Post no - 51

A fascinating aspect of the Ethiopian culture, was almost zero usage of dairy products. For a Ethiopian coffee Macato, a bit of milk is added. Ethiopians were not very fond users of milk. I am sure that children drink milk, but milk is not conspicuously consumed in the public places like restaurants and hotels.

Coming from a culture that puts so much emphasis on milk and milk products, that was definitely intriguing. Curd or Yogurt was totally unheard of. Butter milk too was an alien product. So Indians had to survive on self prepared curd (yoghurt) and the curd (yoghurt) starter culture was shared among the Indian community.

The cow milk in Bahirdar was slightly coloured and would set as curd (yoghurt) that had a sticky feel and a funny taste. Brought up on buffalo milk in India which would set as nice chunky curds (yoghurt) , it was difficult to get accustomed to the sticky and liquidy curd (yoghurt) in Bahirdar.

Butter was used for cosmetics. Ethiopians have wiry and strong hair. The girls were fascinated by braids. They would intricately braid their hair into some elaborate hair dos. These elaborate braids needed strength and stiffness. So the maidens of Bahirdar would apply enormous amount of butter into their hair and over a period of three to four hours’, braid their hair to some very stunning hairstyles.

They would decorate their masterpieces by adding shells and beads. After some time, butter would become dry and the girls would have a hairstyle that would last for the next three to four weeks. The girls would show off their hairstyles in the mango park or would promenade near the city centre. The most stunning hair styles would receive appreciative glances and whistles from the local Ethiopians and stares, gasps and whoops of surprise and awe from the foreigners.

But the only problem with the entire process is that at a close distance one could smell the butter from the hair. But somehow it did not bother the other Ethiopians. Once a particular hair style was in place the girls would sport it for two to three weeks before it was replaced with another one. It must be quite tough to sleep with a stiff braided hair but the women did not mind.  I admire the pains and trouble that women of the world take to make themselves more beautiful and appealing. 

Ethiopians are fastidious about cleanliness about another part of their body – their feet. It was fascinating to watch Ethiopians of all ages, hues, religions, and social status take tremendous care of their feet. The process of cleaning their feet is an elaborate process that started with the heels, a through scrubbing of the feet and followed by a very minute emanation of their toes and the entire feet. And it is done with tremendous concentration and focus. It they could afford most Ethiopians preferred to wear protective footwear like shoes or sandals.

As a student of sociology and anthropology I was very curious about this compulsive pedicure that all Ethiopians seem to indulge periodically. Why so much care for feet. A foot fetish? No chance, not by so many people. Even working class seemed to spend lots of time in cleaning their feet! A little bit of research threw up a logical reason.  Bahirdar, Ethiopia was infected by a deadly worm called Mujeli or Guinea worm.

Guinea worm is one of the most horrifying worms of the world. It can enter the body though impure water or though the feet. The almost daily inspection is to detect if the feet is infected. The worm appears like a small black wire in the toes of the feet. Most Ethiopians are experts in removing this small black worm with a very hot needle.   

If undetected the worm develops and grows in the body for over a year. After a year the worm creates a local ulcer and the worm emerges out. The worm takes ten days to completely exit the body. When the ulcer gets formed the person can’t move and there is excruciating pain. I have seen pictures where the patient is tied to a pole and the worm is slowly wrapped around a stick, one or two inches an hour. 

And the patient keeps screaming in pain all the time. It is a torture of unbelievable magnitude. There have been reports of some 4 to 5 feet guinea worms! There is no cure for guinea worm infestations and many patients have got paralysis because of this deadly worm. That is the reason why Ethiopians are scared to death of the Mujeli. They hear the word Mujeli and the record of Ussain Bolt, the world champion runner for the 100 metres dash will be smashed by any average Ethiopian. They would run for their lives.