Meeting Lucy

Meeting Lucy is one of the 'to do' things in Addis Ababa, as strongly suggested by many. So, I planned to meet her. I was excited and I was nervous. What should I wear? Should I take a taxi or walk? I finally decided to walk and planned a rendezvous on a Saturday morning. I checked Google Maps and found that it would take 50 minutes to walk. I left the hotel at 08:00. I didn't want to be late.

On the way, I passed a market, wide busy streets, the African park, the Unity Park, and the Prime Minister's office. I walked as suggested by Google Maps. I see a local market and footpath book stores. There were many books stores and Obama's book - the promised land - seemed to be the best selling. The book reading is perhaps the symbol of the modern Ethiopian Renaissance after the 80s famine.

I reached way ahead of the schedule. I scaled the distance in 30 minutes. I waited for half an hour - watching the people pass by, watching the people pray in a church.

Finally, the clock hit nine, the gate opened and I checked in. I walked slowly, adjusted my mask, washed my hand (COVID measure), and entered. To my surprise, I did not see her. I got back to reception and confirmed Lucy's place. I was guided to the same place. I walked again. Oh! finally. To my surprise, she was smaller than I thought. Lucy! Oh! Lucy. I finally met you.

ups! wrong photo, here is the right one.

The description of Lucy says

Lucy - partial skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis

Internationally renowned, Lucy, also called Dinknesh in Ethiopia (You are Wonderful), was discovered in 1974. Lucy stood about 10s cm tall, shorter, and much less heavy than Ardi. Even for her species Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy was short and petite This and the shape of her pelvis indicate she was a female She was a young adult when she died her wisdom teeth were in place but not worn Lucy Was probably more at ease on the ground than Ardi, as evidenced by her pelvis morphology, Still, she may have been more prone to tree climbing than modern humans. As shown by her long mandible, her face was projecting forward, as in apes and unlike modern humans.

Site: Hadar, Afar Region, eastern Ethiopia Specimen number: AL 288-1 Age: 3.2 Ma

There were many other pre-historic skeletons, paintings, pottery and weapons. Visiting the National Museum of Ethiopia raised more questions about evolution and I am now more curious about excavation and its importance. I don't have all the answers but I know that -

“Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Comments

The Weekend Expedition

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." — Saint Augustine "One must travel to learn." — Mark Twain "To travel is to live." — Hans Christian Andersen Travel quotes are beautiful. They make me want to quit my job, buy a backpack, and disappear into the mountains with nothing but a notebook and an unreasonable amount of optimism. Then I remember I have bills. I also admire the people who wrote these famous travel quotes. They all lived before commercial airlines, budget airlines, baggage fees, airport security, visa applications, and the invention of the middle seat. Back then, travel was a genuine adventure. You packed your belongings, mounted a horse, boarded a ship, or simply started walking. If you returned, you wrote a book. If you didn't, someone else wrote your biography. There was no climate guilt attached to every journey. Nobody calculated the carbon footprint of a camel. There were no traffic jams stretching for fi...

My Morning, Their Midnight

Time is relative. I am not bragging about Einstein's Theory of Relativity. This is about several time zones within Kathmandu city. Five o’clock is not universally “early morning.” This morning, it was a usual morning for me. But the empty roads suggested that for many others, it was still midnight. Near the temples, devotees were already walking back from their prayers. Their day had clearly begun long before mine. I imagine they must be thinking, "Ah, the late risers are out." And the vegetable vendors? For them, 5 a.m. is practically late morning. Shops open, scales ready, transactions underway. Their workday was already in full swing while it was still dark. Then comes Thamel, lights still glowing, people spilling out of pubs, laughing, smoking. For them, the night was young. It appears Nepal’s little Las Vegas, blinking through a hangover. “Early” and “late” are not absolute words. They are relative to what we make with our own lifestyles. Time is less a clock and mor...

The Pursuit of 3:59

I registered for my next marathon. The 18th Kathmandu Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, 10 October 2026, just one day before Ghatasthapana. The following morning, Dashain will begin. Families will gather, kites will appear in the sky, Dashain dhuun and smells of the festival. And for me, if all goes according to plan, it will also mark the end of a three-month break from alcohol. What a day to resume a glass of whiskey. I am giving myself three months to prepare properly. No shortcuts. No excuses. Clean eating. Consistent running. Adequate rest. I am breaking my last year's marathon record of 4 hours and 28 minutes. This year, the target is clear: sub-four hours. The difference between 4:28 and 3:59 is not only twenty-nine minutes, but it is also going to be what I do in these three months. My run, my food, my sleep and many more, all my small decisions will definitely make a difference. In many ways, the marathon itself is the easy part. The race lasts a few hours. The preparati...

When a Job title becomes an identity

"Hello, my name is Bond, James Bond, and I am a marketing assistant." A 9-to-5 job holder, James Bond would be proudly selling a product. But James chose the right job: to become an assassin. he is still a government employee, and much of his identity as 007 is as an MI6 agent. Our surnames are based on profession. My surname is Maharjan, which means a farmer. I no more do farming; nonetheless, the surname remains deeply embedded in social identity. My surname says what my parents and ancestors used to do for a living. Many government quota systems are still based on surnames. For me, I have a profession, and I have my Business cards, LinkedIn profiles, office door nameplate, email signatures, and my elevator pitch; all reinforce my profession as the centre of my identity. Have I blurred the line between my profession and personality? I have been a job holder for more than 25 years now. A job title is useful for me. It tells people what I do. It is comforting. It provides pu...

The book Thief

I finished The Book Thief this week. The first thing that stands out about the novel is its narrator. The story is told from the perspective of Death. Rather than appearing as a terrifying force, Death becomes an observer, a collector of souls, and ultimately a storyteller. Out of the millions of lives that pass before him, he keeps returning to one ordinary yet remarkable girl: Liesel Meminger. Liesel is a foster child growing up on Himmel Street, a modest working-class street in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Through Death's narration, we witness her life, her struggles, her friendships, and the quiet moments that unfold beneath the shadow of a devastating conflict. What impressed me most was the simplicity with which the story is told. There are no grand military campaigns or dramatic political speeches. Instead, we see football games in the street, the loyalty of her friend Rudy, the kindness of the Hubermann family, and the small routines of everyday life. Most war ...

Random hits on the keyboard

Search This Blog