The Power of Music (continued from MLK's Legacy of Values)

Monday, January 17th, 2011   DAY NINE
Continuing the RAE Daily Update; posted by Bill Palladino, Executive Director of On the Ground.

Food, coffee and rituals
Jacob Wheeler from the Glen Arbor Sun provides us with a view of the team from the road to Yirgacheffe.
"Imagine that you’re a poor farmer in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia — an African herdsman — living in a mud hut by the side of the road. Imagine that you walk out your doorway into the sunlight one morning, and there at 7 a.m., a bunch of “ferenges” (“foreigners” in Amharic, probably derived from “Frenchies”) in skimpy running shorts are laying there on the grass, stretching. Imagine, too, that a couple white musicians are playing guitars and singing. You think, what on Earth! This scene has likely never happened before in such a remote part of East Africa.

But that’s just what form the Run Across Ethiopia took on Day 9. Earthworks musicians Seth Bernard and May Erlewine joined the team for today’s 16-mile run, which took us into the Yirgachefe coffee region, and a mere 36 miles from our ultimate destination on Thursday. At every water and food stop along the road, Seth and May lit up the crowds of villagers and children, who clapped, danced, and engaged in the sort of cross-cultural love and understanding that music knows best. At one point, RAE harrier Nigel Willerton requested a Beatles tune as he jogged by without stopping. Seth played “All we need is love”, and out of the crowd hobbled a weary old man carrying a massive rolled-up animal skin over his shoulder. He began hopping up and down and dancing to the song.

See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqoAMBsaQsk&feature=player_embedded

Another video demonstrates the Ethiopian coffee ritual that taught the Western world how to consume its #1 addiction.  Follow this link to, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7jUCwXM3DE&feature=player_embedded

And just so you don't think we've forgotten the runners, here are few photos from the day.

Please remember these are only excerpts of posts that our team has provided us.  All of these people represent the heart of the Run Across Ethiopia, those of us still back in the States are proud of how they serve our mission.  To read full-length stories posted by our RAE Team members please visit our blog pages at http://www.onthegroundtc.org