Breakfast at the guesthouse

For short periods of time and when staying in the right room, the SIM guesthouse is a great place to stay.   The biggest challenge is the lack of cooking facilities.  The guesthouse provides 3 meals a day but if you actually eat these 3 meals, you will be certain to gain weight.  We did it one day this week and I still wasn't hungry the next day.  When you see what they serve for breakfast, you will realize why.

Each morning, the bell rings at 7:15am (7:30) on weekends and the tables are set.  We have checked in for each breakfast because we are up anyways and they really are tasty.  If you order tea or coffee once, you get it every day after that.  The oldest 3 kids learned quickly that all they had to say was "shy efelagallo" and they got tea....everyday.  Here is what we had for breakfast yesterday.

 First course: fresh fruit platter

 Second course:  roasted wheat porridge.  This is a great hit with all our kids.  They like it better than oatmeal.  They also learned after the first day that they take half as much as they want to because there is more food to follow.

 Third course: tea or coffee.

 Fourth course:  today's special is rhubarb muffins.  Other days may include waffles with syrup and rhubarb sauce, coffee cake or toast and scrambled eggs or egg souffle.

 Fifth course: boiled eggs.  They bring it out gradually so just when you think you are finished, another course appears.  One has to learn to hold back.

Sonia is a great little eater and enjoys her breakfasts immensely.  Although we are enjoying breakfasts, we try not to sign up for more than one more meal each day because it is just too much food.  Also the etiquette of being served can be quite interesting to say the least.

The last couple of days, Rolf has been working through meal times (taking short breaks instead) and so I have been at the table with our 5 children alone.  This would be fine in our own home but now I am in a public venue.  Yesterday's supper was quite eventful as Nadia decided that "no way" was she going to eat her pasta.  In typical 2 year old manner, she was determined not to eat a bite. 

Since dessert is also served at each meal and is placed in front of you, I told Nadia that she would not be able to have icecream until she ate atleast 2 bites.  "No way" was her reply.  Well the ice cream came and the server placed it in front of her.  I pushed it to the side sure that she would give in.  She didn't and began whining.  So I removed the ice cream from the table under the scrutiny of the server.

We calmly continued eating (with another couple at our table) and Nadia continued crying.  The server intervened.  "You must give her ice cream." he said in Amharic.  This began a conflict in disciplinary action.  "I have 7 children, you must give it to her."  In the end, I lost.  He prepared a new bowl of ice cream and gave it to her.