Tuesday, April 20, 2010
All good things come to an end ...
Ethiopia ... a whirlwind of unforgettable experiences. A stay in Africa should be part of everyone's repertoire ... easier said than done. Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!
The west is the best?
In some ways, "yes" ...back on Canadian soil now since late Saturday. I watched 4 movies on the way over from Istanbul. I am now even more convinced that the trick to minimizing the mess with a 7-hour time change is to sleep as little as possible during the daylight component of said journey. The movies, at least 3 of them, were crap, and Casablanca was as great as it was when I first saw it in the 60's ... here's looking at you kid.
My Sweet Thing surprised me with Golden Palace which was a treat, not as big a one as seeing her. I spoke to Nathan and saw Ben and Les Sunday. Steve and Benita dropped in for a second and it was nice to see them.
The Sens are down 2 games to 1 and I will eagerly watch game 4 tonight at 7. I am working on a deliverable for MoFED this week and hope to get signoff by Thursday. I got something from Tagel and am still waiting for some material from Dr. Paul. It will all be ready to go then, and I will parcel it off and dispatch remotely to MoFED.
My Sweet Thing surprised me with Golden Palace which was a treat, not as big a one as seeing her. I spoke to Nathan and saw Ben and Les Sunday. Steve and Benita dropped in for a second and it was nice to see them.
The Sens are down 2 games to 1 and I will eagerly watch game 4 tonight at 7. I am working on a deliverable for MoFED this week and hope to get signoff by Thursday. I got something from Tagel and am still waiting for some material from Dr. Paul. It will all be ready to go then, and I will parcel it off and dispatch remotely to MoFED.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Out of Africa ...
So Ethiopia got one last kick in before I left the country. At Bole airport I was given a boarding pass for the trip to Istabnul. They told me I would have to get the other 2 passes in Istanbul. So I get to Turkey and proceed to pass through the international transit checkpoint and am unable to proceed without a boarding pass. I am pointed to a line winding its way to the Turkish airlines transit desk. That line is so long, it stretches to India. I wait in line for a while then remember the blue Dell debacle in Addis a while back so ask someone if I am in the right line.
The line moves rather quickly, reminding me again of that Dell thing :). I get to the desk and in less than 2 minutes, become the proud owner of boarding passes. Sweet ... not so quickly. I am then told since I have a Canadian passport that I need to get a security sticker before I can proceed. The security desk serves me right away then ferenge is on his way to the next stop (actually obstacle).
I pick up some food for a price more than the GDP of a third world country and settle in to find internet. I NEED TO KNOW HOW THE SENS DID LAST NIGHT. Enter debacle #3 of the day ... there is no free WiFi in the airport and all the secure login screens are in Turkish. My Turkish is about as good as my Japanese. I cannot figure out what any of the buttons say, and click the odd one hoping I will magically be transported to a signup screen I can understand. Hah! So I am making this post offline and plan to store when I get back to Ottawa.
I bet the networks available on the moon have a multilingual interface, but not IST. ting area, I head to the information desk and ask where one can rent internet time in this airport. I am told to check in the lounges on the next floor up. I proceed there and find out yes it is indeed available, but costs 39 USD. I decide to wait until Toronto. On my way back to the waiting area, I pass another transit desk and ask the attendant if he knows where I can rent 30 seconds of time to check NHL.com. He offers for me and aI find out the Sens lost 2-1. I got the guy a Fanta and plopped it on his desk as thanks.
The farewell party for me last night was well attended. The beginning was marred by one of the biggest downpours I have ever experienced in Addis (or my life). There were small rivers running down many streets and the traffic was hideous. Dereje took almost 40 minutes to get from Dr. Paul's to Naklah. At Naklah there was Riviere Sefer :), bubbling around the establishment and I pulled up the legs of my jeans and waded through to the dry ground on the other side. The meal (as usual) was scrupmtious and the gang managed to ring up a tab of over 800 birr, a paltry sum (60 USD) for 8 people but a big one for Addis eatery experiences. Parminder from the World Bank attended and e had a very nice visit. We dropped him at the Sheraton and Dereje then dropped me at the Dulcian compound.
Melaku called and dropped in after a buffet dinner he worked at Bole 19 tennis. As usual he was his Melaku-self and stayed for a half hour or so. There was a sad but great goodbye amidst multiple shoulder dips Addis style. He was the best, and I would love to keep in touch with him.
And now the time arrives for the Addis top 10. My attention will then turn to the top 10 Ethiopian moments, followed by the 5 things I will miss about Ethiopia the most then the LEAST!!!!!
Official Addis Top 10
-----
10- Naklah Yemeni restaurant
9- The walking (and walking and walking and ...)
8- The live music we saw there
7- Kazanches or Chichinia ... 2 areas of Addis, whose names replaced "bless you" as one sneezed.
6- The climate
5- The rest of the habesha I met
4- The drivers for RSU and the people I met at Deker, Bilo's, and TDS
3- Tagel Molla
2- Metasebya, the day lady at Deker
1- Melaku
Top 10 Ethiopian moments
-----
10- Melaku and Dereje's being allowed (sometimes) to enter the secure customs area with me at the airport, then the next time the same permission not being granted. How is ferenge supposed to weed one's way through such a bureaucratic nightmare as Ethiopian customs personnel speak little or no English. Their English is more than adequate for day-to-day exchanges of information, but not great when having to explain the nuances and idiosyncracies of policy and procedure to feregie.
9- Ordering Fanta (an orange flavoured pop) and being told the establishment does not carry that brand; observing orange pop being brought to other tables. As it turns out that pop was another brand called Mirinda. Don't tell one who orders Fanta that Mirinda only is sold there.
8- Not being allowed to exit Alliance Francaise by the vehicle gate. It was staffed by 2 guards who were happy to let vehicles in and out but forced the lowly pedestrian to use the other gate. Ferenge is SO STUPID ... a vehicle gate is a vehicle gate, why do you think it is called "vehicle gate".
7- Having to get letters written twice by subject matter experts to get something done at the polics station and then at the Records office. If the wording of said letter is wrong, the authorities will reject the request. The rejection can be easily spawned by wording that makes an iota of a suggestion that habesha authority may have made an innocent mistake.
6- Eating at Family restaurant one night with Melaku and he orders some macaroni, and receives a taco salad. Those 2 dishes do not even start with the same letter :).
5- The ridiculous debacle at customs springing the blue Dell computer and the subjective application of policy by the officials.
4- Obtaining rice at the Forbidden City restaurant. It would start as we walked in the door, then anwhere from one to five times more, each request was greeted with a response that made it seem like the staff had not been asked for rice yet. Once, after 2 or 3 tries, the response was "Two?". Yes we did want 2 rice, appreciate ...
3- Asking for mustard at a restaurant and getting mayonnaise, at which point hmmmm ... I'll ask for mayonnaise and mustard will arrive? It did.
2- Being told there was no machiatto one day at MoFED and having trouble hearing the proclamation over the noise being made by the milk frother as it prepared machiatto.
1- Asking for a menu at the SELECT restaurant, being told they don't have one, then being asked what I would like to eat. Is that not why many establishments have a menu.
The five things I will miss about Ethiopia the most
-----
5- The joie de vivre of the habesha fortunate enough to be making ends meet; naturally the people I hung out with were supporting themselves just fine.
4- The simple life.
3- St. George's beer.
2- The fruit and vegetables (picked yesterday rather than trucked from CA or FL).
1- The people I was close to.
The five things I will miss about Ethiopia least
-----
5- Smoking in most bars and restaurants.
4- The incessant stream of loud noise emanating from vehicles with PA systems on the roof, music shoppes, and the plethora of night clubs all over the city.
3- The blaring of the churches at very early hours of the AM.
2- The "me first me first" attitude of the drivers.
1- ETC and ETv.
The envelope please ... the 2 biggest and most used things I acquired while in Africa ...
The Columbia vest that ST brought for me when we met for the Kenya safari
** AND **
The electric guitar I bought in merkato in August for 3,000 birr
I wandered Ataturk airport for 4 and a bit hours after clearing security. I am sitting in the lounge at gate 214 with the other poor souls bound for ice-hockey land. I am off to Toronto for the week on Monday and will drive back with ST Friday afternoon, hoping to beat the 401-a-thon of congested traffic that forms most workdays just when 3,909,000 vehicles and I try to motor west out of TO.
I will make one or more posts to this BLOG then bid farewell to Jimmy Durante's married friend and close this extravaganza affectionately called "Addis Abbeyba".
The line moves rather quickly, reminding me again of that Dell thing :). I get to the desk and in less than 2 minutes, become the proud owner of boarding passes. Sweet ... not so quickly. I am then told since I have a Canadian passport that I need to get a security sticker before I can proceed. The security desk serves me right away then ferenge is on his way to the next stop (actually obstacle).
I pick up some food for a price more than the GDP of a third world country and settle in to find internet. I NEED TO KNOW HOW THE SENS DID LAST NIGHT. Enter debacle #3 of the day ... there is no free WiFi in the airport and all the secure login screens are in Turkish. My Turkish is about as good as my Japanese. I cannot figure out what any of the buttons say, and click the odd one hoping I will magically be transported to a signup screen I can understand. Hah! So I am making this post offline and plan to store when I get back to Ottawa.
I bet the networks available on the moon have a multilingual interface, but not IST. ting area, I head to the information desk and ask where one can rent internet time in this airport. I am told to check in the lounges on the next floor up. I proceed there and find out yes it is indeed available, but costs 39 USD. I decide to wait until Toronto. On my way back to the waiting area, I pass another transit desk and ask the attendant if he knows where I can rent 30 seconds of time to check NHL.com. He offers for me and aI find out the Sens lost 2-1. I got the guy a Fanta and plopped it on his desk as thanks.
The farewell party for me last night was well attended. The beginning was marred by one of the biggest downpours I have ever experienced in Addis (or my life). There were small rivers running down many streets and the traffic was hideous. Dereje took almost 40 minutes to get from Dr. Paul's to Naklah. At Naklah there was Riviere Sefer :), bubbling around the establishment and I pulled up the legs of my jeans and waded through to the dry ground on the other side. The meal (as usual) was scrupmtious and the gang managed to ring up a tab of over 800 birr, a paltry sum (60 USD) for 8 people but a big one for Addis eatery experiences. Parminder from the World Bank attended and e had a very nice visit. We dropped him at the Sheraton and Dereje then dropped me at the Dulcian compound.
Melaku called and dropped in after a buffet dinner he worked at Bole 19 tennis. As usual he was his Melaku-self and stayed for a half hour or so. There was a sad but great goodbye amidst multiple shoulder dips Addis style. He was the best, and I would love to keep in touch with him.
And now the time arrives for the Addis top 10. My attention will then turn to the top 10 Ethiopian moments, followed by the 5 things I will miss about Ethiopia the most then the LEAST!!!!!
Official Addis Top 10
-----
10- Naklah Yemeni restaurant
9- The walking (and walking and walking and ...)
8- The live music we saw there
7- Kazanches or Chichinia ... 2 areas of Addis, whose names replaced "bless you" as one sneezed.
6- The climate
5- The rest of the habesha I met
4- The drivers for RSU and the people I met at Deker, Bilo's, and TDS
3- Tagel Molla
2- Metasebya, the day lady at Deker
1- Melaku
Top 10 Ethiopian moments
-----
10- Melaku and Dereje's being allowed (sometimes) to enter the secure customs area with me at the airport, then the next time the same permission not being granted. How is ferenge supposed to weed one's way through such a bureaucratic nightmare as Ethiopian customs personnel speak little or no English. Their English is more than adequate for day-to-day exchanges of information, but not great when having to explain the nuances and idiosyncracies of policy and procedure to feregie.
9- Ordering Fanta (an orange flavoured pop) and being told the establishment does not carry that brand; observing orange pop being brought to other tables. As it turns out that pop was another brand called Mirinda. Don't tell one who orders Fanta that Mirinda only is sold there.
8- Not being allowed to exit Alliance Francaise by the vehicle gate. It was staffed by 2 guards who were happy to let vehicles in and out but forced the lowly pedestrian to use the other gate. Ferenge is SO STUPID ... a vehicle gate is a vehicle gate, why do you think it is called "vehicle gate".
7- Having to get letters written twice by subject matter experts to get something done at the polics station and then at the Records office. If the wording of said letter is wrong, the authorities will reject the request. The rejection can be easily spawned by wording that makes an iota of a suggestion that habesha authority may have made an innocent mistake.
6- Eating at Family restaurant one night with Melaku and he orders some macaroni, and receives a taco salad. Those 2 dishes do not even start with the same letter :).
5- The ridiculous debacle at customs springing the blue Dell computer and the subjective application of policy by the officials.
4- Obtaining rice at the Forbidden City restaurant. It would start as we walked in the door, then anwhere from one to five times more, each request was greeted with a response that made it seem like the staff had not been asked for rice yet. Once, after 2 or 3 tries, the response was "Two?". Yes we did want 2 rice, appreciate ...
3- Asking for mustard at a restaurant and getting mayonnaise, at which point hmmmm ... I'll ask for mayonnaise and mustard will arrive? It did.
2- Being told there was no machiatto one day at MoFED and having trouble hearing the proclamation over the noise being made by the milk frother as it prepared machiatto.
1- Asking for a menu at the SELECT restaurant, being told they don't have one, then being asked what I would like to eat. Is that not why many establishments have a menu.
The five things I will miss about Ethiopia the most
-----
5- The joie de vivre of the habesha fortunate enough to be making ends meet; naturally the people I hung out with were supporting themselves just fine.
4- The simple life.
3- St. George's beer.
2- The fruit and vegetables (picked yesterday rather than trucked from CA or FL).
1- The people I was close to.
The five things I will miss about Ethiopia least
-----
5- Smoking in most bars and restaurants.
4- The incessant stream of loud noise emanating from vehicles with PA systems on the roof, music shoppes, and the plethora of night clubs all over the city.
3- The blaring of the churches at very early hours of the AM.
2- The "me first me first" attitude of the drivers.
1- ETC and ETv.
The envelope please ... the 2 biggest and most used things I acquired while in Africa ...
The Columbia vest that ST brought for me when we met for the Kenya safari
** AND **
The electric guitar I bought in merkato in August for 3,000 birr
I wandered Ataturk airport for 4 and a bit hours after clearing security. I am sitting in the lounge at gate 214 with the other poor souls bound for ice-hockey land. I am off to Toronto for the week on Monday and will drive back with ST Friday afternoon, hoping to beat the 401-a-thon of congested traffic that forms most workdays just when 3,909,000 vehicles and I try to motor west out of TO.
I will make one or more posts to this BLOG then bid farewell to Jimmy Durante's married friend and close this extravaganza affectionately called "Addis Abbeyba".
Thursday, April 15, 2010
13 months of sunshine
Ah yes, that famous adage ... proliferated by Ethiopian tourist outfits. I woke up today to the sound of rain rain and more rain that started at 5AM when I got up to ___. The Sens pulled it off! Sweet. I did not spring out of bed today to check the score as I thought they were not playing until tonight. We saw Bill off late last night then I settled into an Arsenal game on DStv. They ended up losing 2-1 to Tottenham. They looked very flat during the first half so deserved what they got probably. How about the Coyotes ... a come from behind victory over the Red Wings! What will they think of next. I am hoping to see Melaku again tomorrow before I leave. He is going to the buffet at Bole 19 and I am hoping to coax him over to Dr. Paul's after that.
I get the dark gray pin-striped suit today. I mentioned to Dr. Paul that we are probably the same size and if something holds up the suit after tomorrow, he could indeed be the proud owner of a new 3-piece pin-striped jobbie.
I get the dark gray pin-striped suit today. I mentioned to Dr. Paul that we are probably the same size and if something holds up the suit after tomorrow, he could indeed be the proud owner of a new 3-piece pin-striped jobbie.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
We have ignition
Bill's dinner at Caminietto was wonderful. I had the spaghetti bitch and it was great. The server just chuckled every time one of us mentioned the name of the dish. I also got a few nice digital photo shots of the menu with the famous text on display ...
Unpredictable weather
It's odd how the weather, according to habesha, has become so weird. This is still supposed to be the dry season, changing to the rainy one in early August. Having been in Ottawa two of the supposed four months of warm weather last year, I remember how perpetually rainy and cool it was. I must have used the pool a lot less the summer of 2009 than the the previous five years we have been on Wolverton.
I am wary of the stories of global warming and the effect it will have on the climate and the sea level. This "scare" I believe is somewhere between what we are being told and a huge overblown fabrication of the big businesses that could stand to profit (in the short run) from the proliferation of this phenomenon. There is no doubt that we are all experiencing extreme weather which may end up being the ultimate disaster that we hoist upon ourselves by our continued dependence on carbon-producing fossil fuels.
Dinner is shaping up nicely tonight with a gang including Melaku naturally and Bill W. We are off to Caminietto for Italian and there are 2 items on the menu which fascinate me ... one is called "Spaghetti Bitch" as I may have mentioned before and the other is an ironic misspelling of "Assorted" ... "Assortitti"; I think I'll have both :) I spoke to my Sweet Thing today and the excitement of being back home is building. Nine months (off and on but mostly on) away from home is a strain. I have every indication that things are picking up work-wise in Canada. I look forward to being 0-400 kilometres away from home rather than the 8,000 I am now.
I am taking my "class" for Chinese tomorrow at lunch. Then Friday I am going to the fish dive in merkato with Tagel that he turned me on to last fall. It is a fitting way to end this leg of my stay in Ethiopia ... sort of where it started - hanging out with Tagel :).
I am wary of the stories of global warming and the effect it will have on the climate and the sea level. This "scare" I believe is somewhere between what we are being told and a huge overblown fabrication of the big businesses that could stand to profit (in the short run) from the proliferation of this phenomenon. There is no doubt that we are all experiencing extreme weather which may end up being the ultimate disaster that we hoist upon ourselves by our continued dependence on carbon-producing fossil fuels.
Dinner is shaping up nicely tonight with a gang including Melaku naturally and Bill W. We are off to Caminietto for Italian and there are 2 items on the menu which fascinate me ... one is called "Spaghetti Bitch" as I may have mentioned before and the other is an ironic misspelling of "Assorted" ... "Assortitti"; I think I'll have both :) I spoke to my Sweet Thing today and the excitement of being back home is building. Nine months (off and on but mostly on) away from home is a strain. I have every indication that things are picking up work-wise in Canada. I look forward to being 0-400 kilometres away from home rather than the 8,000 I am now.
I am taking my "class" for Chinese tomorrow at lunch. Then Friday I am going to the fish dive in merkato with Tagel that he turned me on to last fall. It is a fitting way to end this leg of my stay in Ethiopia ... sort of where it started - hanging out with Tagel :).
Double trouble
As I mentioned in my post about the W/E in Ambo, there was a bit of a heated discussion at the entrance to Wenchi Lake park about the proper admission fee for 5 habesha and ferenge. The amount was finally agreed upon after about 10 minutes of chit-chat. It was mentioned to us later that day that a while back some German ferenge showed up at the gate. The attendants did not know what to charge them since one of the was rather large :). They ended up charging big German double due to his size ... talk about a hit on your self-esteem :).
Ruby Tuesday
I made plans to get a massage to assist the healing of my hip from the horse fall. It is better, but I hope by seeing someone, that process can be accelerated. Paddy Mallia, a seasoned equestrian, has been nice enough to offer some guidance about my future endeavours on the back of a similar 4-legged beast. Paddy and his brither Sean are quite the well-rounded and talented young men, having ice hockey, fencing, horseback riding ... they are too many to mention ... as part of their expertise. I just hope I can get as diverse as these 2 young people by the time I reach 90 :).
I am off to Boston spa at 9AM and hope the intervention I get there will help. I was supposed to go yesterday at 5:30PM but did not leave work until 5:10. If anyone claims the traffic in Ottawa is worse when it rains, you should see it here. At least in Ottawa there are controlled intersections instead of the free-for-all they are here. The mantra here is "Do not concede even a centimetre to another car and be delayed 10 seconds for the sake of reducing the congestion at intersections"; another familiar adage to describe them is "Me first".
Tonight there is a farewell dinner for Bill W. who is heading back to DC after stopping in Rome for a few days. He is a good soul and I hope we keep crossing paths. My Borgie (aka Jordan) informed me that he had found work recently. I have not heard anything since the news, so Mr. Borge, que passe with the new job?
I am close to packed for the trip home save my guitar and clothes I will need between now and then. My carry-on is the guitar and computers so I need to check an extra bag which will run me probably $250 USD. I may also be overweight on my blue bag. I still owe TDS 251 birr for my accommodations, having given them close to all I owe in deposits all along. I bought some treats for my "little ones" and will be getting myself a onesie before I leave. I am giving Hiruy my ZTE CDMA modem with about 150 birr on it. I am giving Melaku my EVDO card with the understanding that he return it to Dr. Pauk when the time on it runs out. I had lunch with Hiruy yesterday and he is picking me up 2 Teddi Afro CD's to take home with me.
If I want I have been invited to a buffet dinner at Bole 19 tennis Friday evening. Hiruy told me I could bring a date, so I told him I would bring Melaku :). I made arrangements to do some group tennis lessons at TCWO when I return to Canada.
I am off to Boston spa at 9AM and hope the intervention I get there will help. I was supposed to go yesterday at 5:30PM but did not leave work until 5:10. If anyone claims the traffic in Ottawa is worse when it rains, you should see it here. At least in Ottawa there are controlled intersections instead of the free-for-all they are here. The mantra here is "Do not concede even a centimetre to another car and be delayed 10 seconds for the sake of reducing the congestion at intersections"; another familiar adage to describe them is "Me first".
Tonight there is a farewell dinner for Bill W. who is heading back to DC after stopping in Rome for a few days. He is a good soul and I hope we keep crossing paths. My Borgie (aka Jordan) informed me that he had found work recently. I have not heard anything since the news, so Mr. Borge, que passe with the new job?
I am close to packed for the trip home save my guitar and clothes I will need between now and then. My carry-on is the guitar and computers so I need to check an extra bag which will run me probably $250 USD. I may also be overweight on my blue bag. I still owe TDS 251 birr for my accommodations, having given them close to all I owe in deposits all along. I bought some treats for my "little ones" and will be getting myself a onesie before I leave. I am giving Hiruy my ZTE CDMA modem with about 150 birr on it. I am giving Melaku my EVDO card with the understanding that he return it to Dr. Pauk when the time on it runs out. I had lunch with Hiruy yesterday and he is picking me up 2 Teddi Afro CD's to take home with me.
If I want I have been invited to a buffet dinner at Bole 19 tennis Friday evening. Hiruy told me I could bring a date, so I told him I would bring Melaku :). I made arrangements to do some group tennis lessons at TCWO when I return to Canada.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Settling back in to Ottawa
In April of each year, this 60-year old man's attention shifts to playoff hockey. Due to insider information and contacts I have, here are the first round outcomes as confirmed by Biff's almanac:
Washington-Montreal ... the Caps in 6
New Jersey-Philadelphia... the Devils in 5
Buffalo-Boston ... the Bruins in 4
Pittsburgh-Ottawa ... the Sens in 7
San Jose-Colorado ... the Sharks in 5
Chicago-Nashville ... the Blackhawks in 4
Vancouver-LA ... the Kings in 7
Phoenix-Detroit ... the Red Wings in 6
Remember, you heard it here first :).
Washington-Montreal ... the Caps in 6
New Jersey-Philadelphia... the Devils in 5
Buffalo-Boston ... the Bruins in 4
Pittsburgh-Ottawa ... the Sens in 7
San Jose-Colorado ... the Sharks in 5
Chicago-Nashville ... the Blackhawks in 4
Vancouver-LA ... the Kings in 7
Phoenix-Detroit ... the Red Wings in 6
Remember, you heard it here first :).
Dinner with Metasebya
Made plans to take Metasebya our for dinner Monday night. I had hoped to see her a few times before returning to Ottawa Saturday AM. We meet at the lounge in Deker house and head off to Blue Drops for a short visit. We saunter over to Le Grand Reve Belgian restaurant close to Deker. I had quipped earlier in the day that it was probably closed Mondays. Guess what! It's closed :). So ferenge suggests we go to Naklah in Welo Sefer, a muslim Yemeni outlet I am fond of.
We get a ride to Naklah and not long after we arrive, Metasebya announces that she will not eat there (in a muslim establishment that is). We later find out that most (all?) Orthodox Christian habesha would do the same ... I am such an idiot.
We have dinner and a nice visit with her then grab two cabs ... one to take her home, the other goes to TDS. I did not want to ask why she would not eat at Naklah. I found out from Dr. Paul this morning on the way to work it may have something to do with the meat, specifically the way the animal is slaughtered and meat prepared, that leads to their not wanting to consume dishes served at muslim establishments.
I am having lunch with Hiruy the tennis coach today then dinner with Melumabet and Melaku at Sangam for Indian food. I spoke to my Sweet Thing yesterday and she is looking forward to finishing the semester and making plans for the sabbatical next school year.
Melaku is lining up a therapist that I can go see today for some work on my hip that is sore from my fall from the horse Saturday afternoon. I am taking ibuprofen which is helping but it is quite sore when I do certain things like lift my left leg backwards at the knee to climb into the shower.
I made arrangements to take some group tennis lessons at TCWO Saturdays when I get back to Ottawa. 6,900 minutes until my expected touchdown at YOW Saturday evening at 8:30 EDT :).
{{PC O 2orr hk ot Uzzg2g Ygz0xjg4 k1ktotm. Nu2 rgzk igt O igrr 4u0 zngz tomnz? PC}} 6
We get a ride to Naklah and not long after we arrive, Metasebya announces that she will not eat there (in a muslim establishment that is). We later find out that most (all?) Orthodox Christian habesha would do the same ... I am such an idiot.
We have dinner and a nice visit with her then grab two cabs ... one to take her home, the other goes to TDS. I did not want to ask why she would not eat at Naklah. I found out from Dr. Paul this morning on the way to work it may have something to do with the meat, specifically the way the animal is slaughtered and meat prepared, that leads to their not wanting to consume dishes served at muslim establishments.
I am having lunch with Hiruy the tennis coach today then dinner with Melumabet and Melaku at Sangam for Indian food. I spoke to my Sweet Thing yesterday and she is looking forward to finishing the semester and making plans for the sabbatical next school year.
Melaku is lining up a therapist that I can go see today for some work on my hip that is sore from my fall from the horse Saturday afternoon. I am taking ibuprofen which is helping but it is quite sore when I do certain things like lift my left leg backwards at the knee to climb into the shower.
I made arrangements to take some group tennis lessons at TCWO Saturdays when I get back to Ottawa. 6,900 minutes until my expected touchdown at YOW Saturday evening at 8:30 EDT :).
{{PC O 2orr hk ot Uzzg2g Ygz0xjg4 k1ktotm. Nu2 rgzk igt O igrr 4u0 zngz tomnz? PC}} 6
Monday, April 12, 2010
A lovely last W/E in Ethiopia
The plan was to leave at 2PM for the voyage to Ambo. I found out from finance that my cheque would be ready at 2:45 so we hung around waiting. I sent Dereje to get Melaku and come back with Mulumabet too for a 3PM departure. We head north then west out of Addis. As usual while still in the city, the roads are crowded with habesha doing all the things they do in throngs all over the streets. It does not take long until we break the crowds in the city and hit open countryside.
The 1h45m trip to Ambo is uneventful except for when Dereje's ball cap flew out of the vehicle and Melaku retrieved it from the side of the road. We pass the standard assortment of small towns bustling with citizens doing who knows what. Finally in the distance we see a cluster of houses and buildings and Melaku confirms my suspicion that this is Ambo. The hotel looms on the horizon as the tallest building in the berg. We check in and I get room 301, the same number as my lodgings at TDS. I unpack and head with my guitar down into a very nice garden. The rest of the gang trickles in and I get ready for a few songs. To my horror the guitar strap amplifier is not working well, symptomatic of a weak battery or a loose connection. Proud ferenge heads up to his room, so pleased with himself for bringing an extra battery. Lo and behold, the amp is still not great so I ensure the terminals are snapped into the 9-volt battery which they are NOT. This fix does not work either and I must resign myself to finding another battery in town at the local battery dispensing establishment.
We quaff a few St. George's beer and chat in the garden and at one point the standard Ethiopian intrusion begins ... loud music that disturbs an otherwise tranquil afternoon. We visit for a bit then decide to meet in the lobby at 7PM for dinner. Prior to sustenance Melaku and I visit every possible photo store and anything else that could possibly have a battery, and there is none to be found in Ambo.
We head to the Ambo Ethiopian hotel for our dinner and enjoy a large menu with seemingly scrumptious offerings. The first two things I try to order they are out of so I settle on the mixed grill. The food arrives and all is to our liking. We discover the server is married to the front desk guy we just encountered at the hotel, and she enjoys a picture I show her of her beau. After the bill is paid we walk back towards the hotel and sit in the lobby for a bit chatting. We then hook up with the guide we hired for the trek to the lake on Saturday. After the details are ironed out and we are told to be in the lobby at 8AM Saturday, we venture across the street to a very dimly lit bar and chuckle and chat for the better part of 2 hours. Even this ferenge type had a few shots of Ouzo, rare in my history of bar-hopping. We head back to the hotel and I crash around 10:45. I leave my balcony door and window open to enjoy the cool night air. That turns out to have been a mistake as the street noise and the canine vocals are very annoying. About 3AM I finally get up and close the door/window and attempt to drift off to sleep again. I think I had 4-5 hours which turns out to be resting.
I am up for good about 6:30 and after dressing, head down for coffee and breakfast. I am the first of our party to end up in the restaurant. I order coffee with milk and french toast which are both great. The gang appears in trickles and we load up the truck and head out about 8:45 for the trip to Lake Wenchi. The drive is all dirt road and there are sections that have obviously been subject to vast quantities of rain water deluges. They are carved with fissures that remind me of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" from Cream where they mention "carving deep blue ripples through the tissues of your mind ...". As usual there is an abundance of small towns with the usual assortment of shops and throngs of people everywhere. The guide gets us to pullover and we ramble up a very steep path. At the peak of the hill we discover a panoramic view of Wenchi Lake and the landscape and waterway are quite a sight to behold. We pile back into the vehicle to finish the voyage to the place where the hike will commence.
We get to the mouth of the park, and the first of many swarms of little-ones appear. They want to sell us bundles of weeds and flowers and we agree simply to give them the pleasure of having a bit of money to show for a good day's work. The smallest of the throng looks about 2 and when the money is all given out he bursts into tears since he did not get any. I walk up to him and give him a 1 birr note amidst a large cheer and clapping from the balance of the adult habesha assembled by the administration hut for the park.
There is a lengthy discussion with the workers at the hut and we discover there are a few ways we can handle this trek. We can walk down then up; we can horse-ride one or both ways; we can walk down and horseback up. We select the third option then there is another long heated exchange about the price. When that is settled, we head off! The grade averages about 10% all the way down, taking us the better part of 90 minutes to descend the 1200 metres to the lake. The periphery of the road has clusters of huts all over the place and the natives, especially the young ones, are pleased to see us. Melaku and Mulumabet disappear into a church close to the bottom of the road, and we hang on for about 15 minutes for the receipt of some blessings from the clergy in the church. We arrive at the lake and there is a makeshift wharf and a few boats tied up to the poles emerging from the water. There is a handful of natives close to the edge of the lake and they are obviously the horsepower that will end up propelling us to the island. The boat is aluminum and the ride to the island takes 15 minutes. We climb to a small church with the roof painted in the familiar green/yellow/red of the Ethiopian flag. We hang out there for about a half hour then descend the hill to another part of the island for the voyage back to the mainland. During this trip Melaku keeps moving from side to side of the boat and earns the nickname "Cabedah" which is Amharic for "heavy". I take great joy in this new handle, my always having been a fan of nicknames.
Our boat trip ends, and we spend 30 minutes traversing the edge of the lake until we finally reach a clearing full of horses. We each choose our modus-transportation and the staff assists mounting of the beasts where required. I feel comfortable in the saddle but a little out of balance. I have not been on a horse for over 40 years. On that occasion, I was in Osoyoos BC and fell off the animal, doing no damage in the fall. I am told to sit as far forward in the saddle as I can and hold the butt of the saddle to assist my balance. The voyage begins with a guide leading each animal. Melaku and Dereje walk and the rest of us ride. Some of the land we cover is a bit hilly and we cross a handful of streams on the back of these great beasts. During the more hilly portions the guides help by assisting ferenge and habesha to maintain their balance on the horses.
Then the fun begins yet anew. During the navigation of a seemingly benign hill, ferenge loses his balance and the ground comes rushing up to said Canadian, terminating with a thud on my right hip as I hit the ground with my right foot still in the stirrup. So it's now 2 for 2 as far as horse rides go, and the guides help me up. I have a distinct pain in my right hip so walk it off as best I can. I end up walking the next while and the hip is not great. Even though it is bothering me, I can walk with little discomfort. We stop at a waterfall and it is a hot spot where the locals hang out and some wash their clothes. We walk some more then ferenge decides to try the horse again. This time it is pointed out that probably the last beast I rode was too small and therefore not strong enough for me. My only question to myself is why they let me on the horse in the first place if it was obviously too small for me.
We get to some rough terrain again and dismount, clambering up some steep embankments to softer ground then ride the horses again. We are on and off a few more times until we reach what is reported to be the end of rough going. We ride the horses to the lodge where we prepare for a well-deserved lunch. We have a choice of tibs or tibs and the repast is lovely. We head back to Ambo and return at about 5:30. The power is off all over the town and we make plans to convene in the lobby at 6:30. We want to find a DsTV outlet and watch Chelsea play Aston Villa at 7PM. Alas, this is not to be ... the hotel's generator is fixed finally and its power comes back on but teh rest of the town is still out. There is a spattering of establishments with generators but the streets are dark. We head off to a restaurant and chow down on some beef tibs. The meat was chewy and downright close to inedible. We complain to the server who says "tough" :). We then head back to the hotel and hang out in the lit restaurant. After a while the power appears to return to the rest of Ambo. We want to watch a Barcelona Real Madrid football game at 11PM but it is not on the dish at the hotel so I retire.
Sunday AM I am up early and madly check the hockey scores. Buffalo finally beat the Sens it appears. We gather for breakfast and head out to the Ethiopian hotel down the street. After an OK meal, we pile into the vehicle for the trip back to Addis. I sleep a log of the way. We stopped at a church about 45 minutes out of Addis and hang out taking pictures and visiting with the locals. It was quite a weekend and loved the exercise we got. As it turns out Lake Wenchi is quite well known in many circles.
Back in Addis I watched the ManU/Blackburn scoreless draw then most of the Liverpool/Fulham 0-0 natch as well. I had a nice Turkish dinner then headed back to the hotel to finish a quiet evening. The highlights of the trip to Ambo were:
1) Ambo
2) The Wenchi crater 7 hour/9 kilometre hike
3) Horseback riding
4) Ferenge falling off a horse
5) The company
At one point I found Mulumabet, Melaku, and Dereje all on their cell phones at the same time. I asked them if I should call them or if they are willing to speak with me in person ...
The 1h45m trip to Ambo is uneventful except for when Dereje's ball cap flew out of the vehicle and Melaku retrieved it from the side of the road. We pass the standard assortment of small towns bustling with citizens doing who knows what. Finally in the distance we see a cluster of houses and buildings and Melaku confirms my suspicion that this is Ambo. The hotel looms on the horizon as the tallest building in the berg. We check in and I get room 301, the same number as my lodgings at TDS. I unpack and head with my guitar down into a very nice garden. The rest of the gang trickles in and I get ready for a few songs. To my horror the guitar strap amplifier is not working well, symptomatic of a weak battery or a loose connection. Proud ferenge heads up to his room, so pleased with himself for bringing an extra battery. Lo and behold, the amp is still not great so I ensure the terminals are snapped into the 9-volt battery which they are NOT. This fix does not work either and I must resign myself to finding another battery in town at the local battery dispensing establishment.
We quaff a few St. George's beer and chat in the garden and at one point the standard Ethiopian intrusion begins ... loud music that disturbs an otherwise tranquil afternoon. We visit for a bit then decide to meet in the lobby at 7PM for dinner. Prior to sustenance Melaku and I visit every possible photo store and anything else that could possibly have a battery, and there is none to be found in Ambo.
We head to the Ambo Ethiopian hotel for our dinner and enjoy a large menu with seemingly scrumptious offerings. The first two things I try to order they are out of so I settle on the mixed grill. The food arrives and all is to our liking. We discover the server is married to the front desk guy we just encountered at the hotel, and she enjoys a picture I show her of her beau. After the bill is paid we walk back towards the hotel and sit in the lobby for a bit chatting. We then hook up with the guide we hired for the trek to the lake on Saturday. After the details are ironed out and we are told to be in the lobby at 8AM Saturday, we venture across the street to a very dimly lit bar and chuckle and chat for the better part of 2 hours. Even this ferenge type had a few shots of Ouzo, rare in my history of bar-hopping. We head back to the hotel and I crash around 10:45. I leave my balcony door and window open to enjoy the cool night air. That turns out to have been a mistake as the street noise and the canine vocals are very annoying. About 3AM I finally get up and close the door/window and attempt to drift off to sleep again. I think I had 4-5 hours which turns out to be resting.
I am up for good about 6:30 and after dressing, head down for coffee and breakfast. I am the first of our party to end up in the restaurant. I order coffee with milk and french toast which are both great. The gang appears in trickles and we load up the truck and head out about 8:45 for the trip to Lake Wenchi. The drive is all dirt road and there are sections that have obviously been subject to vast quantities of rain water deluges. They are carved with fissures that remind me of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" from Cream where they mention "carving deep blue ripples through the tissues of your mind ...". As usual there is an abundance of small towns with the usual assortment of shops and throngs of people everywhere. The guide gets us to pullover and we ramble up a very steep path. At the peak of the hill we discover a panoramic view of Wenchi Lake and the landscape and waterway are quite a sight to behold. We pile back into the vehicle to finish the voyage to the place where the hike will commence.
We get to the mouth of the park, and the first of many swarms of little-ones appear. They want to sell us bundles of weeds and flowers and we agree simply to give them the pleasure of having a bit of money to show for a good day's work. The smallest of the throng looks about 2 and when the money is all given out he bursts into tears since he did not get any. I walk up to him and give him a 1 birr note amidst a large cheer and clapping from the balance of the adult habesha assembled by the administration hut for the park.
There is a lengthy discussion with the workers at the hut and we discover there are a few ways we can handle this trek. We can walk down then up; we can horse-ride one or both ways; we can walk down and horseback up. We select the third option then there is another long heated exchange about the price. When that is settled, we head off! The grade averages about 10% all the way down, taking us the better part of 90 minutes to descend the 1200 metres to the lake. The periphery of the road has clusters of huts all over the place and the natives, especially the young ones, are pleased to see us. Melaku and Mulumabet disappear into a church close to the bottom of the road, and we hang on for about 15 minutes for the receipt of some blessings from the clergy in the church. We arrive at the lake and there is a makeshift wharf and a few boats tied up to the poles emerging from the water. There is a handful of natives close to the edge of the lake and they are obviously the horsepower that will end up propelling us to the island. The boat is aluminum and the ride to the island takes 15 minutes. We climb to a small church with the roof painted in the familiar green/yellow/red of the Ethiopian flag. We hang out there for about a half hour then descend the hill to another part of the island for the voyage back to the mainland. During this trip Melaku keeps moving from side to side of the boat and earns the nickname "Cabedah" which is Amharic for "heavy". I take great joy in this new handle, my always having been a fan of nicknames.
Our boat trip ends, and we spend 30 minutes traversing the edge of the lake until we finally reach a clearing full of horses. We each choose our modus-transportation and the staff assists mounting of the beasts where required. I feel comfortable in the saddle but a little out of balance. I have not been on a horse for over 40 years. On that occasion, I was in Osoyoos BC and fell off the animal, doing no damage in the fall. I am told to sit as far forward in the saddle as I can and hold the butt of the saddle to assist my balance. The voyage begins with a guide leading each animal. Melaku and Dereje walk and the rest of us ride. Some of the land we cover is a bit hilly and we cross a handful of streams on the back of these great beasts. During the more hilly portions the guides help by assisting ferenge and habesha to maintain their balance on the horses.
Then the fun begins yet anew. During the navigation of a seemingly benign hill, ferenge loses his balance and the ground comes rushing up to said Canadian, terminating with a thud on my right hip as I hit the ground with my right foot still in the stirrup. So it's now 2 for 2 as far as horse rides go, and the guides help me up. I have a distinct pain in my right hip so walk it off as best I can. I end up walking the next while and the hip is not great. Even though it is bothering me, I can walk with little discomfort. We stop at a waterfall and it is a hot spot where the locals hang out and some wash their clothes. We walk some more then ferenge decides to try the horse again. This time it is pointed out that probably the last beast I rode was too small and therefore not strong enough for me. My only question to myself is why they let me on the horse in the first place if it was obviously too small for me.
We get to some rough terrain again and dismount, clambering up some steep embankments to softer ground then ride the horses again. We are on and off a few more times until we reach what is reported to be the end of rough going. We ride the horses to the lodge where we prepare for a well-deserved lunch. We have a choice of tibs or tibs and the repast is lovely. We head back to Ambo and return at about 5:30. The power is off all over the town and we make plans to convene in the lobby at 6:30. We want to find a DsTV outlet and watch Chelsea play Aston Villa at 7PM. Alas, this is not to be ... the hotel's generator is fixed finally and its power comes back on but teh rest of the town is still out. There is a spattering of establishments with generators but the streets are dark. We head off to a restaurant and chow down on some beef tibs. The meat was chewy and downright close to inedible. We complain to the server who says "tough" :). We then head back to the hotel and hang out in the lit restaurant. After a while the power appears to return to the rest of Ambo. We want to watch a Barcelona Real Madrid football game at 11PM but it is not on the dish at the hotel so I retire.
Sunday AM I am up early and madly check the hockey scores. Buffalo finally beat the Sens it appears. We gather for breakfast and head out to the Ethiopian hotel down the street. After an OK meal, we pile into the vehicle for the trip back to Addis. I sleep a log of the way. We stopped at a church about 45 minutes out of Addis and hang out taking pictures and visiting with the locals. It was quite a weekend and loved the exercise we got. As it turns out Lake Wenchi is quite well known in many circles.
Back in Addis I watched the ManU/Blackburn scoreless draw then most of the Liverpool/Fulham 0-0 natch as well. I had a nice Turkish dinner then headed back to the hotel to finish a quiet evening. The highlights of the trip to Ambo were:
1) Ambo
2) The Wenchi crater 7 hour/9 kilometre hike
3) Horseback riding
4) Ferenge falling off a horse
5) The company
At one point I found Mulumabet, Melaku, and Dereje all on their cell phones at the same time. I asked them if I should call them or if they are willing to speak with me in person ...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Give me a "U", give me an "E" ...
It did not take long to get caught up in the whirlpool of activity here over football, the most watched spectator sport in the world. The tournament involves a number of football associations all over Europe, and each association has a rank that determines the number of teams in this tournament. I have followed Arsenal and Manchester United over the past few weeks as they compete; I watched them both get eliminated, the former Tuesday evening and the latter last night.
We had dinner beforehand at the Greek Club, with plans to hit Blue Drops for the match. It was closed so we went to Bole Rock sports bar. For 20 birr each, we entered to a close to full house with ManU already up 2-0 with 5 or so minutes gone in the game. There were a handful of TVs with a giant 30 foot screen jobbie garnishing the most attention. ManU subsequently went up 3-0 then all h__l broke loose in the second half. The German team scored twice, bringing the match total to 3-2 and the aggregate score (the two games they have played together) to 4-4. ManU did not muster much offense in the second half and it seemed like forever that the ball was in their end during those 48 minutes. It was electric in the bar and after the elimination of ManU, someone offered me his sympathy as ferenge was wearing the AIG ManU jersey. I will take on the Liverpool game in the Europa league against Benifica (Portugal) tonight that starts at 10PM.
We had dinner beforehand at the Greek Club, with plans to hit Blue Drops for the match. It was closed so we went to Bole Rock sports bar. For 20 birr each, we entered to a close to full house with ManU already up 2-0 with 5 or so minutes gone in the game. There were a handful of TVs with a giant 30 foot screen jobbie garnishing the most attention. ManU subsequently went up 3-0 then all h__l broke loose in the second half. The German team scored twice, bringing the match total to 3-2 and the aggregate score (the two games they have played together) to 4-4. ManU did not muster much offense in the second half and it seemed like forever that the ball was in their end during those 48 minutes. It was electric in the bar and after the elimination of ManU, someone offered me his sympathy as ferenge was wearing the AIG ManU jersey. I will take on the Liverpool game in the Europa league against Benifica (Portugal) tonight that starts at 10PM.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
A relatively small debacle
The likelihood that my last expenses cheque may arrive after I am gone loomed larger today. Someone suggested that I give Bezeba Arefaine signing authority on my account so I looked into it. We went to the Arat Kilo branch of the Commercial Bank where my account lives. We were told we needed a form filled out and signed. The form must be run through the records and documents official organization of the Government then the bank can act upon the request.
So off we go to the appropriate government department close to my office. We are approached by 2 people the second we show up and I do not have a clue who they are. I them remember back to when I was negotiating with customs over the Dell. We ended up at the Kezanches police station at one point, needing a letter written by yours truly and stamped by the police to show to customs. A "letter writing expert" did the work for us and these people today were representatives of the same. We entered the Records office nonetheless, and ended up in room 105 to see a gentleman behind a desk. Bezeba spoke with him for a while, then off we went with the guy from outside. We traversed the street and ended up in a small cluster of offices packed with computers, printers, photocopiers and tons of people.
A woman at a keyboard took my passport and passbook, and edited a document for about 15 minutes. The end result was an 80 birr letter to the bank in triplicate that had to be processed by a handful of people elsewhere in the same Records building we had come from. Then the fun began. Within the next 45 minutes we saw no less than 9 people in offices 205, 302, 305, 306, 215, 202, 204, 306, and finally 205 again. There were so many stamps, signatures, notations, and more stamps on the paper such that one could hardly distinguish the colour of the paper. At one point I signed the forms on both the English and Amharic sides and printed my name.
We finally ended up in the cashier's office and paid another 51 birr. Thinking I was done ... not quite. There was one final visit back to room 205 where the process ended, well sort of. Back to the bank to see the customer service head that we saw when the whole process started. We ended up upstairs where a teller processed the request, the bank manager gave his approval, signatures were done and we departed. Eureka ... Bezeba now has authority to deposit and withdraw from my account. By the way, to bring about this end result, his name had to be registered on the forms as Bezeba Arefaine Abbey :).
In summary, there were:
9 offices visited
16 signatures written
131 birr extracted from ferenge
29,892 stamps plopped onto 5 forms
12 ink pads used up completely
8 photocopies made
78 thank-you's given
12 amahsagenalu's given
3 uttering of my approvals to effect the signing authority declaration
118,902 stairs climbed
4 false-ends proclaimed to the process by Bezeba
Throughout all this, there were no animals harmed and NO non-kosher food consumed. Now if the cheque arrives after I leave, Bezeba can cash at the bank.
In the big picture, on a scale of 1 to 10, the customs blue Dell debacle was about a 17; today's was a 3.
So off we go to the appropriate government department close to my office. We are approached by 2 people the second we show up and I do not have a clue who they are. I them remember back to when I was negotiating with customs over the Dell. We ended up at the Kezanches police station at one point, needing a letter written by yours truly and stamped by the police to show to customs. A "letter writing expert" did the work for us and these people today were representatives of the same. We entered the Records office nonetheless, and ended up in room 105 to see a gentleman behind a desk. Bezeba spoke with him for a while, then off we went with the guy from outside. We traversed the street and ended up in a small cluster of offices packed with computers, printers, photocopiers and tons of people.
A woman at a keyboard took my passport and passbook, and edited a document for about 15 minutes. The end result was an 80 birr letter to the bank in triplicate that had to be processed by a handful of people elsewhere in the same Records building we had come from. Then the fun began. Within the next 45 minutes we saw no less than 9 people in offices 205, 302, 305, 306, 215, 202, 204, 306, and finally 205 again. There were so many stamps, signatures, notations, and more stamps on the paper such that one could hardly distinguish the colour of the paper. At one point I signed the forms on both the English and Amharic sides and printed my name.
We finally ended up in the cashier's office and paid another 51 birr. Thinking I was done ... not quite. There was one final visit back to room 205 where the process ended, well sort of. Back to the bank to see the customer service head that we saw when the whole process started. We ended up upstairs where a teller processed the request, the bank manager gave his approval, signatures were done and we departed. Eureka ... Bezeba now has authority to deposit and withdraw from my account. By the way, to bring about this end result, his name had to be registered on the forms as Bezeba Arefaine Abbey :).
In summary, there were:
9 offices visited
16 signatures written
131 birr extracted from ferenge
29,892 stamps plopped onto 5 forms
12 ink pads used up completely
8 photocopies made
78 thank-you's given
12 amahsagenalu's given
3 uttering of my approvals to effect the signing authority declaration
118,902 stairs climbed
4 false-ends proclaimed to the process by Bezeba
Throughout all this, there were no animals harmed and NO non-kosher food consumed. Now if the cheque arrives after I leave, Bezeba can cash at the bank.
In the big picture, on a scale of 1 to 10, the customs blue Dell debacle was about a 17; today's was a 3.
Ambo this weekend
Leaving Friday afternoon for a weekend out of Addis. We are going to Ambo is where the superb fizzy water is bottled that I have been consuming steadily since my arrival here last August. In the scheme of things, this is a big town. In 1994 it had over 27,000 people so it has to be much larger today. It has a cosmopolitan university offering study in computer science and veterinary science amongst others. There is a lake very close to the town where we will go hiking at least once. The weekend is designed to be R&R, suggested by yours truly for my last weekend here before a trip back to Canada.
I have been seeing a lot of Bill W. from DC who has been here for a few weeks. He is leaving next Wednesday, spending a few days in Rome, then heading back home. I would love to cross paths with him again. I will be dragging him to Naklah before he goes.
I have been seeing a lot of Bill W. from DC who has been here for a few weeks. He is leaving next Wednesday, spending a few days in Rome, then heading back home. I would love to cross paths with him again. I will be dragging him to Naklah before he goes.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Last Sunday in Addis
It was my second last in Ethiopia, but next weekend I will be in Ambo with Dr. Paul and a few others ...
As expected Sunday was an action-packed day. It started with a boring breakfast at TDS then a quick stroll down to Bole 19 tennis for another coffee. Melaku mentioned Saturday that he was playing doubles at 9AM but he did not show. I sat around enjoying the sun for about an hour then headed back to the hotel. Yared and I spoke and we made plans to meet at Arat Kilo at 11AM. I visited with Binyam in the TDS cafe for a few minutes then prepared for the walk to the meeting spot.
It is about a 45 minute walk and lots of stuff to see. The first stretch is boring, then Kesanches all the way to the palace is a hustle bustle of shops. I sat on the stairs at the post office and waited for Yared who showed up about 10 minutes later. We walked back towards the palace and hung a right at the first intersection. We entered a restaurant after passing the familiar carcasses that hang in a butcher's shop. Yared ordered and a plateful of raw beef arrived. There were three kinds ... some was laced with fat, some had a thick layer of fat on one end, and the last was fat-free. There was lovely sauces with the fare, especially a very runny horseradish-like one. Some of the meat was chewy but after the mouth's juices attacked it for a while, it was easy to break up and swallow. We chowed down for about an hour then I grabbed a 60-birr cab ride back to TDS.
The trip to Metasabya's commenced about 1:45, grabbing a cab and getting the driver to speak to her to get directions. She did not live near the airport as was suspected, but rather west and a bit south of the airport just off the road to Debrezeit. She met us at the road and walked to her house which took about 10 minutes. We were greeted by a sister and a few brothers, Mother, and some of the help. Matthias was there whom I had met at the little party I threw at Blue Drops before leaving Addis in December. There were two other brothers and it was remarkable how the sons and daughters all resembled the Mother. We sat in the living room and the refreshment-wave descended on the dwelling. There were a few kinds of beverages, including my favoured cold Ambo, as well as a juice that turned out to be made with honey and bananas.
The injera appeared with a deep-maroon sauce and a separate pot with beef and peppers. I ate a bit but was not really hungry. We chatted and visited as much as we could and had a lovely time chatting with the family. Another brother appeared with two friends, and they ended up at the table munchung on the injera and stuff I had devoured. The television was on with ETV the whole time we were there. The proramming it shows seems to mesmerize habesha as it is on lodu wherever I seem to go. Jirka (Dad) showed up as he got home from work and poured some Ouzo as well as arak, distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses. Both were very alcoholic. In a way I was afraid to finish a glass as another one would be poured immediately. The hospitality was second to none and the family was very warm and welcoming.
About 5 it was time to depart. One of the brothers disappeared to get a taxi, but returned empty-handed exclaiming none were to be found. We walked to the street and started heading towards the pedestrian overpass when a cab appeared. Metasabye flagged it down and the trip back to TDS began. I went to Blue Drops about 6:45 and waited for the beginning of the Roddick-Berdych match for the Miami tennis title.
That started just after 8PM and did not disappoint. By mid-way through the first set Berdych seemed in control. Roddick won the first set 7-5 and then he really took over and won in straight sets. Tuchou and Goldie left Blue Drops about 9 and I sat in the closed establishment and finished watching the match myself. I left the guard a 10 birr tip and headed across the street at the end of the telecast.
As expected Sunday was an action-packed day. It started with a boring breakfast at TDS then a quick stroll down to Bole 19 tennis for another coffee. Melaku mentioned Saturday that he was playing doubles at 9AM but he did not show. I sat around enjoying the sun for about an hour then headed back to the hotel. Yared and I spoke and we made plans to meet at Arat Kilo at 11AM. I visited with Binyam in the TDS cafe for a few minutes then prepared for the walk to the meeting spot.
It is about a 45 minute walk and lots of stuff to see. The first stretch is boring, then Kesanches all the way to the palace is a hustle bustle of shops. I sat on the stairs at the post office and waited for Yared who showed up about 10 minutes later. We walked back towards the palace and hung a right at the first intersection. We entered a restaurant after passing the familiar carcasses that hang in a butcher's shop. Yared ordered and a plateful of raw beef arrived. There were three kinds ... some was laced with fat, some had a thick layer of fat on one end, and the last was fat-free. There was lovely sauces with the fare, especially a very runny horseradish-like one. Some of the meat was chewy but after the mouth's juices attacked it for a while, it was easy to break up and swallow. We chowed down for about an hour then I grabbed a 60-birr cab ride back to TDS.
The trip to Metasabya's commenced about 1:45, grabbing a cab and getting the driver to speak to her to get directions. She did not live near the airport as was suspected, but rather west and a bit south of the airport just off the road to Debrezeit. She met us at the road and walked to her house which took about 10 minutes. We were greeted by a sister and a few brothers, Mother, and some of the help. Matthias was there whom I had met at the little party I threw at Blue Drops before leaving Addis in December. There were two other brothers and it was remarkable how the sons and daughters all resembled the Mother. We sat in the living room and the refreshment-wave descended on the dwelling. There were a few kinds of beverages, including my favoured cold Ambo, as well as a juice that turned out to be made with honey and bananas.
The injera appeared with a deep-maroon sauce and a separate pot with beef and peppers. I ate a bit but was not really hungry. We chatted and visited as much as we could and had a lovely time chatting with the family. Another brother appeared with two friends, and they ended up at the table munchung on the injera and stuff I had devoured. The television was on with ETV the whole time we were there. The proramming it shows seems to mesmerize habesha as it is on lodu wherever I seem to go. Jirka (Dad) showed up as he got home from work and poured some Ouzo as well as arak, distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses. Both were very alcoholic. In a way I was afraid to finish a glass as another one would be poured immediately. The hospitality was second to none and the family was very warm and welcoming.
About 5 it was time to depart. One of the brothers disappeared to get a taxi, but returned empty-handed exclaiming none were to be found. We walked to the street and started heading towards the pedestrian overpass when a cab appeared. Metasabye flagged it down and the trip back to TDS began. I went to Blue Drops about 6:45 and waited for the beginning of the Roddick-Berdych match for the Miami tennis title.
That started just after 8PM and did not disappoint. By mid-way through the first set Berdych seemed in control. Roddick won the first set 7-5 and then he really took over and won in straight sets. Tuchou and Goldie left Blue Drops about 9 and I sat in the closed establishment and finished watching the match myself. I left the guard a 10 birr tip and headed across the street at the end of the telecast.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter weekend celebrations
This town has been busy all weekend preparing for and enjoying this very special few days. When at Blue Drops last night, Tuchou was busily preparing a sweet table to satiate the voracious appetite for cakes and pastry these people have, accentuated during religious festivities. As I entered TDS last night, I was invited to join the coffee ceremony. There was grass strewn all over the floor as well as gobs and gobs of popcorn as there always is on holidays.
I chatted for a while with a new mother from Ireland. They are in Addis for 6 weeks to finalize the adoption of a habesha child. They are staying at the adoption agency's guest house near here. She mentioned they have been in the adoption process for almost 3 years. She has been told that people just getting started with adoption are now reporting it noticeably longer from start to finish. Apparently adopting African children is still not as complicated as trying in Asia, but starting to look as if it will become as time consuming.
I am walking up to Arat Kilo to meet Yared for lunch. I will truck somehow back to TDS and head over to Metasabya's for 2PM. The Sony Ericsson men's final is on tonight at 8PM EAT and I hope to watch it at Blue Drops.
I chatted for a while with a new mother from Ireland. They are in Addis for 6 weeks to finalize the adoption of a habesha child. They are staying at the adoption agency's guest house near here. She mentioned they have been in the adoption process for almost 3 years. She has been told that people just getting started with adoption are now reporting it noticeably longer from start to finish. Apparently adopting African children is still not as complicated as trying in Asia, but starting to look as if it will become as time consuming.
I am walking up to Arat Kilo to meet Yared for lunch. I will truck somehow back to TDS and head over to Metasabya's for 2PM. The Sony Ericsson men's final is on tonight at 8PM EAT and I hope to watch it at Blue Drops.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
A typical day in Addis
It started earlier than I had hoped and was chowing down on breakfast by 7:30 at TDS. I headed back upstairs, played guitar, and watched a DVD for a while. I ended up walking down to Bole Africa to got go Fantu supermarket then headed over to the Green View restaurant for a pizza lunch. Left the hotel with Melaku about 2:15 off to the Hilton to watch a huge Barclays football game between Manchester United and Chelsea. They made Man U almost look silly and beat them easily. I then ended up at Blue Drops for the Arsenal/Wolves game which was scoreless until the end of regulation time. There were 5 minutes tacked on the end of the game and at about 95:07 Arsenal scored then the game ended shortly thereafter. Yes 95:07 is past the end of the 5 minute for-injury-time-out period, but the game always goes a bit over that time.
Tomorrow is action-packed with a lunch with Yared from the office then a visit with Metasabya and her family, she being the woman who works days at Deker Inn. I also watched the Sony Ericsson women's final from Miami before heading home tonight and Clijsters easily beat Venus Williams. Venus had a lot of stuff wrapped around her knees and she must have been out-of-sorts somehow as her unforced errors were so unlike the way she usually plays.
Tomorrow is action-packed with a lunch with Yared from the office then a visit with Metasabya and her family, she being the woman who works days at Deker Inn. I also watched the Sony Ericsson women's final from Miami before heading home tonight and Clijsters easily beat Venus Williams. Venus had a lot of stuff wrapped around her knees and she must have been out-of-sorts somehow as her unforced errors were so unlike the way she usually plays.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Who would'a thunk
As my latest sojourn in Ethiopia reaches the last 2 weeks, I cannot help thinking back to the experiences I have had over the past 8 and a bit months. I think when the dust finally settles from this extravaganza, I will be able to offer some advice to persons who may end up asking for guidance as they prepare for work on the dark continent,
There is no doubt from the ferenge I have met that people either seem to be here for extended periods of time (as in 2-3 years at a time) or short 3-6 week stays. My "sentence" here is somewhat out of the ordinary. I have met ferenge here from the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Italy, Israel, Albania, Greece, Germany, France, Belgium, and Sweden. I have met people from countries whose residents do not, according to habesha, fall into the ferenge category ... Japan, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritius, Chad, Mali, South Africa, India, Tanzania, Pakistan, Lesotho, Nigeria, Yemen, and Sudan. I am sure I have missed a few.
There sure has been an interesting cross-section of foreigners. I am beginning to formulate the one single piece of advice that I would give westerners toying with the idea of working in the third world. I don't think that tidbit of advice will change between now and my return to Canada, so here goes ...
"Make sure your expectations of the way things are going to work in the third world are realistic."
The systems, all the way from infrastructure (i.e., the support systems for cities) to how they work with government agencies (e.g., procedures one must follow to do something as seemingly mundane as pay a water bill), are like nothing you have or will ever experience in the west. You cannot imagine how immature these countries are from an organizational stand-point and how rigid they can be and unwilling to progress. For example ...
In Ottawa, the restaurant may be out of soap in the washroom --> in the third world the washroom has no running water and when it does, it's a trickle.
In Ottawa, on very rare occasions, some of the sewer systems get overwhelmed with heavy rain --> in the third world, puddles a foot deep form since there are no sewers. A wave of water 12-18 inches high wafting down a main thoroughfare are common after torrential rain they get.
In Ottawa, the ATM is out of service for 5-10 minutes here and there, almost always working --> in the third world, the bank machine has not worked for 3 weeks and anyone who you ask at the financial institution does not have a clue when it will be fixed, if ever.
In Ottawa, you call the front desk at the hotel to get an extra sheet delivered and it usually takes 15-20 minutes --> in the third world, you may politely ask 4 or 5 times and the sheet is still not delivered. Why? I have not figured that one out yet though I think it's a shortage of personnel on shift and their need to concentrate on more strategic issues at the hotel than my top sheet.
These 4 predicaments/facts are a good sample of why one needs reasonable expectations when working/travelling in the third world. Dr. Paul's advice when I was planning arrival in Addis Abeba in August was "bring some hiking boots". That was the best advice I received and many times have considered myself lucky to not be face down in a mud puddle after finding myself with inadequate footwear to contend with the deep puddles and seas of mud formed by the latest downpour.
There is no doubt from the ferenge I have met that people either seem to be here for extended periods of time (as in 2-3 years at a time) or short 3-6 week stays. My "sentence" here is somewhat out of the ordinary. I have met ferenge here from the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Italy, Israel, Albania, Greece, Germany, France, Belgium, and Sweden. I have met people from countries whose residents do not, according to habesha, fall into the ferenge category ... Japan, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritius, Chad, Mali, South Africa, India, Tanzania, Pakistan, Lesotho, Nigeria, Yemen, and Sudan. I am sure I have missed a few.
There sure has been an interesting cross-section of foreigners. I am beginning to formulate the one single piece of advice that I would give westerners toying with the idea of working in the third world. I don't think that tidbit of advice will change between now and my return to Canada, so here goes ...
"Make sure your expectations of the way things are going to work in the third world are realistic."
The systems, all the way from infrastructure (i.e., the support systems for cities) to how they work with government agencies (e.g., procedures one must follow to do something as seemingly mundane as pay a water bill), are like nothing you have or will ever experience in the west. You cannot imagine how immature these countries are from an organizational stand-point and how rigid they can be and unwilling to progress. For example ...
In Ottawa, the restaurant may be out of soap in the washroom --> in the third world the washroom has no running water and when it does, it's a trickle.
In Ottawa, on very rare occasions, some of the sewer systems get overwhelmed with heavy rain --> in the third world, puddles a foot deep form since there are no sewers. A wave of water 12-18 inches high wafting down a main thoroughfare are common after torrential rain they get.
In Ottawa, the ATM is out of service for 5-10 minutes here and there, almost always working --> in the third world, the bank machine has not worked for 3 weeks and anyone who you ask at the financial institution does not have a clue when it will be fixed, if ever.
In Ottawa, you call the front desk at the hotel to get an extra sheet delivered and it usually takes 15-20 minutes --> in the third world, you may politely ask 4 or 5 times and the sheet is still not delivered. Why? I have not figured that one out yet though I think it's a shortage of personnel on shift and their need to concentrate on more strategic issues at the hotel than my top sheet.
These 4 predicaments/facts are a good sample of why one needs reasonable expectations when working/travelling in the third world. Dr. Paul's advice when I was planning arrival in Addis Abeba in August was "bring some hiking boots". That was the best advice I received and many times have considered myself lucky to not be face down in a mud puddle after finding myself with inadequate footwear to contend with the deep puddles and seas of mud formed by the latest downpour.
The rain is merciless
As I mentioned in my last post, there is such a crowd at church on Good Friday that chairs are set up outside to accommodate the throngs of attendees. So naturally one would expect it to be dry? Not a chance. It poured this morning for 10-15 minutes and it was quite heavy. I was under the impression that the service commenced today about 9AM so hopefully the congregants were not soaked.
As expected, it's Tagel and me at work. I am getting a lot done since there is nobody else to distract me. Checked up on WTP tennis and there is a men's semi-final on at 6:30PM. Now I will look at the Sony Ericsson web site to confirm the time. Since DST started in North America in early March and the UK last weekend, Ottawa is now 7 hours behind me and London is 2. The times advertised on DStv are CAT (central Africa time) which is 1 hour behind Addis. As if I am so busy the incorrect time would affect me :).
A mere 21,459 minutes now until I return to family and friends. I have enjoyed the news Shauna about the Generous Cuff.
{{PC Kpk 5v1 l2ly 0opur 0oh0 0olyl 3v1sk il h wvz0 sprl 0opz 0oh0 q1z0 3lu0 vu huk vu huk vu huk hm0ly 5v1 mpn1ylk v10 3oh0 p0 zh5z 5v1 ylhsp6lk 0olyl 3hz uv opkklu tlzzhnl. 0oh0 tprv3hi5 jhu il 2ly5 0ypjr5 PC}} 7
As expected, it's Tagel and me at work. I am getting a lot done since there is nobody else to distract me. Checked up on WTP tennis and there is a men's semi-final on at 6:30PM. Now I will look at the Sony Ericsson web site to confirm the time. Since DST started in North America in early March and the UK last weekend, Ottawa is now 7 hours behind me and London is 2. The times advertised on DStv are CAT (central Africa time) which is 1 hour behind Addis. As if I am so busy the incorrect time would affect me :).
A mere 21,459 minutes now until I return to family and friends. I have enjoyed the news Shauna about the Generous Cuff.
{{PC Kpk 5v1 l2ly 0opur 0oh0 0olyl 3v1sk il h wvz0 sprl 0opz 0oh0 q1z0 3lu0 vu huk vu huk vu huk hm0ly 5v1 mpn1ylk v10 3oh0 p0 zh5z 5v1 ylhsp6lk 0olyl 3hz uv opkklu tlzzhnl. 0oh0 tprv3hi5 jhu il 2ly5 0ypjr5 PC}} 7
Clinched
I know everyone (except LHR) is pleased that the Sens have clinched a playoff spot. I am off to the office today at 9. Tagel and I will probably be the only soles there. I am hoping the weather will be nice so I can walk home. I watched Sony Ericsson women's tennis last night ... Venus beat Bartoli. We had hoped to see Henin play, but found out it was not on until 3AM. Melaku mentioned there is such a crowd at the church on Good Friday that he and the majority of patrons sit outside. He invited me to call him sometime this afternoon if I wanted to meet him for a bit of the service. I have always been curious so may take him up on the offer.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A Good Friday
The government is off tomorrow for probably the biggest holiday of the Christian Orthodox year. I was thinking of going to church with Melaku before I found out it went from 5:30AM until 9AM. As is the case in schull, there are times when one cannot come or go from the sanctuary. I was told the times that is in effect are significantly longer than is the case in my faith.
It has been unusually wet here lately, with some torrential downpours having been hoisted on this berg once a day at least every other day for the past 10. I had a meeting late yesterday evening with a contact in Toronto for some work. There is nothing definite, so in the contracting world, there is basically "nothing".
The Sabres are pulling away from the Sens. I just wish we had back-to-back games or something with them to quickly gain some ground. We are heading for 5th place in the conference which works for me. Naomi is staying another year in Korea and will be home in Ottawa the third week of May. I would love to see her if I manage to be there :). I found out what the ManU supporters' pub is in Ottawa and may go there for some ball when I return.
It has been unusually wet here lately, with some torrential downpours having been hoisted on this berg once a day at least every other day for the past 10. I had a meeting late yesterday evening with a contact in Toronto for some work. There is nothing definite, so in the contracting world, there is basically "nothing".
The Sabres are pulling away from the Sens. I just wish we had back-to-back games or something with them to quickly gain some ground. We are heading for 5th place in the conference which works for me. Naomi is staying another year in Korea and will be home in Ottawa the third week of May. I would love to see her if I manage to be there :). I found out what the ManU supporters' pub is in Ottawa and may go there for some ball when I return.
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