Friday, December 10, 2010
Hair cut
I finally had my hair cut somewhere else than in France, and let me tell you, it was an adventure! I went to the hairdresser on Saturday at 1.05, and I came out on the same day at 1.12, with a new hair cut! Incredible. So, how did that happened? Well, they don’t wash your hair; they cut on dry hair, and so no brushing (it save some time, doesn’t it!). It is not too bad, and it only cost me 3 pounds…
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Latest addition to the family.
We have a cat!He is called Baal, he is very cute, very affectionate and very independent. He just goes out all day long and then comes back at night to sleep, preferably on Ben’s face! Pictures to follow very soon.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
I am a star, but not a photogenic one!
I opened the Addis monthly equivalent of Time Out, and guess what, I found a picture of me!!!! A travel agent used a photo taken during the teff day and without asking anything just stuck it in the newspaper that every single Farengi read. Great. I have already received 3 emails about it, may be people will start stopping me in the street and ask for my autograph??
Learn, live, die...
Yesterday I learned something very interesting… There actually IS a reason why Ethiopians do not turned their light on at night when they drive and therefore risk death (theirs and mine) every time they take the wheel. Did you know it uses the car’s battery and therefore it is bad for the car? I really need a life insurance…
Hier j’ai appris quelque chose de très intéressant. Il y a apparemment une bonne raison pourquoi les Ethiopiens n’utilisent pas leur lumière quand ils conduisent la nuit, risquant leur vie et la mienne à chaque fois qu’ils prennent le volant. Saviez vous qu’allumez vos lumières utilisent de la batterie et réduit la durée de vie de votre voiture? J’ai vraiment besoin de souscrire à une assurance vie !
Hier j’ai appris quelque chose de très intéressant. Il y a apparemment une bonne raison pourquoi les Ethiopiens n’utilisent pas leur lumière quand ils conduisent la nuit, risquant leur vie et la mienne à chaque fois qu’ils prennent le volant. Saviez vous qu’allumez vos lumières utilisent de la batterie et réduit la durée de vie de votre voiture? J’ai vraiment besoin de souscrire à une assurance vie !
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
General trends about Ethiopians.
In my two months here, I have met my fair share of Ethiopians, and have noticed some common trends. Here is what you need to know not to get too vexed whilst living here!
Ethiopians are proud, as mentioned before in this blog. They don’t say thank you much (which is a relief after living in the UK for 3 years) and they never, sorry NEVER complain. I noticed that during our trekking. Ethiopians are never thirsty, never hungry, never tired. They are never too cold or too hot either.
Ethiopians are not ultra-sensitive like Europeans. They don’t say many compliments, except if you speak Amharic and they can be quiet blank. My Amharic teacher told me on my second lesson not to get vexed if someone came to tell me I was fat, or getting fatter…
Ethiopians are not patronising at all. It is refreshing, especially when visiting cultural sites. I always get slightly annoyed when I am going down the stairs of a 16th century castle and there is a big panel telling me that the stairs are slippery. I understand the legal motive behind it, but really, really, do I need to be told to be careful when the stairs are irregulars, steep and dangerous? In Lalibela for example, you have no reminder at all. You are going down an extremely dangerous path, around 15 meters above the ground and nobody tells you to be careful. It is nice.
Another aspect of the above is during learning activities. I experience it first hand every Monday during my tennis lesson. My teacher never really tells me how to improve but get slightly annoyed when I do the same mistake again and again and again. It does not say encouragements as such, I don’t think I have ever heard him say well done yet. When the ball is (miraculously) doing what it should, he says: “ichi”, yes in Amharic. When I finally manage to serve he acknowledges by saying, “in”… My tennis teacher is also very competitive and nicely treats me as a real opponent! His two favourite sentences are: “I am still winning” and “I am here, but where are you?” whilst throwing the ball at the opposite side of the tennis court.
Finally, French sense of humour does not work in Amharic (not that it did in English either…). So, there is no point at all trying some joke because Ethiopians already find me hilarious when I just stand in front of them, trying one or two sentences in Amharic. My vegetable lady has seen me every week for the past month and she still thinks I am the funniest thing in Addis. When I get in the shop, I can see her eyes brightening and she waits for the next stupid thing I will do, like asking for 2 kilos of tomatoes or if there is cucumber today…
Ethiopians are proud, as mentioned before in this blog. They don’t say thank you much (which is a relief after living in the UK for 3 years) and they never, sorry NEVER complain. I noticed that during our trekking. Ethiopians are never thirsty, never hungry, never tired. They are never too cold or too hot either.
Ethiopians are not ultra-sensitive like Europeans. They don’t say many compliments, except if you speak Amharic and they can be quiet blank. My Amharic teacher told me on my second lesson not to get vexed if someone came to tell me I was fat, or getting fatter…
Ethiopians are not patronising at all. It is refreshing, especially when visiting cultural sites. I always get slightly annoyed when I am going down the stairs of a 16th century castle and there is a big panel telling me that the stairs are slippery. I understand the legal motive behind it, but really, really, do I need to be told to be careful when the stairs are irregulars, steep and dangerous? In Lalibela for example, you have no reminder at all. You are going down an extremely dangerous path, around 15 meters above the ground and nobody tells you to be careful. It is nice.
Another aspect of the above is during learning activities. I experience it first hand every Monday during my tennis lesson. My teacher never really tells me how to improve but get slightly annoyed when I do the same mistake again and again and again. It does not say encouragements as such, I don’t think I have ever heard him say well done yet. When the ball is (miraculously) doing what it should, he says: “ichi”, yes in Amharic. When I finally manage to serve he acknowledges by saying, “in”… My tennis teacher is also very competitive and nicely treats me as a real opponent! His two favourite sentences are: “I am still winning” and “I am here, but where are you?” whilst throwing the ball at the opposite side of the tennis court.
Finally, French sense of humour does not work in Amharic (not that it did in English either…). So, there is no point at all trying some joke because Ethiopians already find me hilarious when I just stand in front of them, trying one or two sentences in Amharic. My vegetable lady has seen me every week for the past month and she still thinks I am the funniest thing in Addis. When I get in the shop, I can see her eyes brightening and she waits for the next stupid thing I will do, like asking for 2 kilos of tomatoes or if there is cucumber today…
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Lake Langano
Last weekend, Ben and I treated ourselves with a romantic weekend at Lake Langano. The British Embassy owns some bungalo near the lake, comfort minimum but lovely, peaceful location. It was like going to the sea... Well, except for the color of the water (brownish/redish) and for the hippos.
We swam (not long because of the fear of crocodiles!), we canooed (loads of fun), we read (whilst burning like a lobster), we grilled marshmallow on a fire at dawn, and we played baggamon... Absolutely fantastic weekend!
We swam (not long because of the fear of crocodiles!), we canooed (loads of fun), we read (whilst burning like a lobster), we grilled marshmallow on a fire at dawn, and we played baggamon... Absolutely fantastic weekend!
News on the job front
Good news! I found a job. It is irregular so far, but it pays the bill so... I am an interpret, French to English, English to French. It is very challenging (simultaneous translation), I meet interesting people, I get to eat buffets and I learn a lot about human brain (and Intellectual property rights so far).
My first conference went OK. After having to translate into French a Japanese speaker who could barely speak English, I feel pretty confident that I can do the job. Of course, it is far from being perfect: I have trouble speaking whilst still listening to what is being said, accents (especially French from Guinea) are a real challenge and I found it difficult to focus for more than 8hours. But it is a great experience, it get me out of the house and it is a JOB! Yeepi!
En français ça donne: j'ai un boulot!!!!!!! vous avez devant vous l'interprete 2.0 nouvelle génération. C'est plutot stressant comme boulot mais très interessant et je suis ravie de travailler, de rencontrer des gens et de gagner des sousous!
My first conference went OK. After having to translate into French a Japanese speaker who could barely speak English, I feel pretty confident that I can do the job. Of course, it is far from being perfect: I have trouble speaking whilst still listening to what is being said, accents (especially French from Guinea) are a real challenge and I found it difficult to focus for more than 8hours. But it is a great experience, it get me out of the house and it is a JOB! Yeepi!
En français ça donne: j'ai un boulot!!!!!!! vous avez devant vous l'interprete 2.0 nouvelle génération. C'est plutot stressant comme boulot mais très interessant et je suis ravie de travailler, de rencontrer des gens et de gagner des sousous!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Lalibela – the new Jerusalem
Lalibela takes its name from the King Lalibela (the honey eater) who had 11 churches erected on this site around the 12th or 13th century. The legend says that King Lalibela was poisoned by his aunt. He was then taken by some angels during his coma and had a vision of what he thought was heaven: beautiful churches made of rocks, cunningly hidden from any enemy. When he miraculously woke up three days later, he decided to build what he saw and what is considered as the new Jerusalem.
Lalibela the town is mostly uninteresting. Weirdly enough (and that will certainly change in the next few years), it is not touristy at all and the churches are completely hidden from the pagan’s eyes. The EU did a terrible job to protect the buildings and installed some ugly giant white roofs that are difficult to ignore at first. However, suddenly, you see the first church and your heart is panting (and not only because of the lack of oxygen for once!).
The churches are divided in three groups. The first group comprised 4 churches built inside the pink/brown/red rock (depending on the time of the day), half berried in the ground. They are big, beautiful and full of symbolism. It is hard to describe and the pictures don’t stand up to the beauty of the site in my opinion. Imagine 7 centuries ago, men with no technological tools excavating the rock to build this unique site (only comparison could be Petra). The colour of the rock is stunning, the proportions of the churches are exquisite and the simplicity of the inside is simply stunning.
The 4 churches are nearly one next to the other, symbolising the body of Christ. The inside is always extremely simple, just carved inside the rock. The most beautiful one is dedicated to Mary, and is painted inside. The colours are extremely well conserved and it is beautiful. Drainage and secret passage were built at the same time as the churches. Also, the renovating work is well done and you can’t see what is new and what is old. Our guide didn’t like legendary telling so he did not tell us many stories, just that he was convince that some supernatural power helped to the building (which is tempting to believe!). Despite not liking legends, he told me very happily that as the women came after Adam and were made of one of his rib, they had to come after the man…
We then saw Saint Gorgious, from the 3rd group (but there is only one church in this group). It is the most famous one. It really comes at a surprise, completely berried under ground. It is stunningly beautiful, with a huge latin cross engraved on its roof. This one is in a very good condition, and you must follow a secret path to access it. We saw it as the light was starting to faint, it was really magical.
The second group of churches was my favourite. We saw it the day after, and I think it was good to have a break in the morning (see following post). They are higher up and historians are not convinced they were used as churches originally. The first one is dedicated to two saints, including Saint Gabriel. It was my absolute favourite. Not as berried as the other one, believers had to build a bridge to access it. You better not suffer from vertigo as it is on the verge of a big drop. Many secret tunnels exist but they are not accessible by the tourist. There is a narrow route that leads to heaven. Every year, people try to access heaven by taking the route. If they have sinned, they will fall (must be particularly painful!).
To access the second church, you must go through hell, or as our guide dramatically asked: are you ready to go to hell? A 24 meters long tunnel, pitch dark. You must walk on the right as the left side is for sinner and full of obstacle (very Indiana Jones). Ben really hated it (a bit claustrophobic and you better not be scared of the dark). I got to say, if that is hell, I am going to be very good from now on. Once you triumph from hell, you get to a very nice lighted church and finally this lead you to saint Emmanuel, a beautiful tall church in the style of the first group. The last church is really impressive as it is still attached to the rock, and you can clearly see how they used the mountain as the base for their structure.
How come Lalibela is not one of the 7th wonder, I don’t understand, it is simply one of the most beautiful sites I have seen (after Abu Simbel of course).
A bit longer than expected, but it is so hard to describe, so come and see by yourself!
Lalibela the town is mostly uninteresting. Weirdly enough (and that will certainly change in the next few years), it is not touristy at all and the churches are completely hidden from the pagan’s eyes. The EU did a terrible job to protect the buildings and installed some ugly giant white roofs that are difficult to ignore at first. However, suddenly, you see the first church and your heart is panting (and not only because of the lack of oxygen for once!).
The churches are divided in three groups. The first group comprised 4 churches built inside the pink/brown/red rock (depending on the time of the day), half berried in the ground. They are big, beautiful and full of symbolism. It is hard to describe and the pictures don’t stand up to the beauty of the site in my opinion. Imagine 7 centuries ago, men with no technological tools excavating the rock to build this unique site (only comparison could be Petra). The colour of the rock is stunning, the proportions of the churches are exquisite and the simplicity of the inside is simply stunning.
The 4 churches are nearly one next to the other, symbolising the body of Christ. The inside is always extremely simple, just carved inside the rock. The most beautiful one is dedicated to Mary, and is painted inside. The colours are extremely well conserved and it is beautiful. Drainage and secret passage were built at the same time as the churches. Also, the renovating work is well done and you can’t see what is new and what is old. Our guide didn’t like legendary telling so he did not tell us many stories, just that he was convince that some supernatural power helped to the building (which is tempting to believe!). Despite not liking legends, he told me very happily that as the women came after Adam and were made of one of his rib, they had to come after the man…
We then saw Saint Gorgious, from the 3rd group (but there is only one church in this group). It is the most famous one. It really comes at a surprise, completely berried under ground. It is stunningly beautiful, with a huge latin cross engraved on its roof. This one is in a very good condition, and you must follow a secret path to access it. We saw it as the light was starting to faint, it was really magical.
The second group of churches was my favourite. We saw it the day after, and I think it was good to have a break in the morning (see following post). They are higher up and historians are not convinced they were used as churches originally. The first one is dedicated to two saints, including Saint Gabriel. It was my absolute favourite. Not as berried as the other one, believers had to build a bridge to access it. You better not suffer from vertigo as it is on the verge of a big drop. Many secret tunnels exist but they are not accessible by the tourist. There is a narrow route that leads to heaven. Every year, people try to access heaven by taking the route. If they have sinned, they will fall (must be particularly painful!).
To access the second church, you must go through hell, or as our guide dramatically asked: are you ready to go to hell? A 24 meters long tunnel, pitch dark. You must walk on the right as the left side is for sinner and full of obstacle (very Indiana Jones). Ben really hated it (a bit claustrophobic and you better not be scared of the dark). I got to say, if that is hell, I am going to be very good from now on. Once you triumph from hell, you get to a very nice lighted church and finally this lead you to saint Emmanuel, a beautiful tall church in the style of the first group. The last church is really impressive as it is still attached to the rock, and you can clearly see how they used the mountain as the base for their structure.
How come Lalibela is not one of the 7th wonder, I don’t understand, it is simply one of the most beautiful sites I have seen (after Abu Simbel of course).
A bit longer than expected, but it is so hard to describe, so come and see by yourself!
Monday, October 25, 2010
2010-10-24 Lalibela and Co
Pictures from the trips, I do realise there is a ot, but it was so beautiful that I can't get ride of any of them! Enjoy!
Never again until next time...
I have never walked so much in my life
I have never had so many blisters on my feet
I have never been so thirsty
I have never been so hungry
I have never been so dirty
I have never been so tired
I have never been so breathless
I have never seen something so beautiful in my life.
Jamais je n’ai marché autant dans ma vie
Jamais je n’ai eu autant d’ampoules
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi soif
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi faim
Jamais je n’ai été aussi sale
Jamais je n’ai été aussi fatiguée
Jamais je n’ai été aussi essoufflée
Jamais je n’ai vu un paysage aussi beau de toute ma vie
I have never had so many blisters on my feet
I have never been so thirsty
I have never been so hungry
I have never been so dirty
I have never been so tired
I have never been so breathless
I have never seen something so beautiful in my life.
Jamais je n’ai marché autant dans ma vie
Jamais je n’ai eu autant d’ampoules
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi soif
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi faim
Jamais je n’ai été aussi sale
Jamais je n’ai été aussi fatiguée
Jamais je n’ai été aussi essoufflée
Jamais je n’ai vu un paysage aussi beau de toute ma vie
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Bonjour comment ça va?
A few weeks back I asked the “Chief of the village” if the staff’s kids would be interested in a few free French lessons. He just got back to me and it looks like than from next week I will be teaching French to 15 children, aged 3 to 15, who does not speak English! I am extremely excited about it. Not that I have any faith in my teaching quality, but I think it would be quite fun to do, I will have to prepare for it because just the age difference might make it nearly impossible.
So if you have any children books you would like to get ride off, send them to me:
Margot Herrmann
c/o Ben Wastnage 767499
BFPO 5311
HA46 EP
UK
So if you have any children books you would like to get ride off, send them to me:
Margot Herrmann
c/o Ben Wastnage 767499
BFPO 5311
HA46 EP
UK
Teff day
I thought I would have a lot to say about that day, but it appears that it should be a quick one. I found this group, Gobaz (smart in Amharic) that organises some really fun stuff in Addis. Last Sunday we went on a teff day outside of Addis.
First pertinent question, what is Teff? Well, I am still not sure, but it looks like wheat (kind of) and it is used to make injera, the main food here. It grows a bit everywhere, you can see pictures of it in the October album. But that is all I learned on that day: I don’t know when it is harvest, I don’t know how it is stored or cooked, I don’t know if it is exported… Not very instructive.
The fun thing about this day was to see Ben talking Amharic with everybody, what a success: you really need the language to make friends. I did have a bit of success myself asking people how many sisters and brothers they had, but this is pretty much all I could say. The other very fun moment was to make my first injera, beautifully round, and then to see Ben struggling to finish his! It is a bit like crepes, except that it tastes like… well… like injera. I also learned on that day that there was a lot worse than injera: K’ojo, absolutely vile!
First pertinent question, what is Teff? Well, I am still not sure, but it looks like wheat (kind of) and it is used to make injera, the main food here. It grows a bit everywhere, you can see pictures of it in the October album. But that is all I learned on that day: I don’t know when it is harvest, I don’t know how it is stored or cooked, I don’t know if it is exported… Not very instructive.
The fun thing about this day was to see Ben talking Amharic with everybody, what a success: you really need the language to make friends. I did have a bit of success myself asking people how many sisters and brothers they had, but this is pretty much all I could say. The other very fun moment was to make my first injera, beautifully round, and then to see Ben struggling to finish his! It is a bit like crepes, except that it tastes like… well… like injera. I also learned on that day that there was a lot worse than injera: K’ojo, absolutely vile!
Sport day
Every Friday afternoon until Christmas, the embassy is organising a sport afternoon; it starts at 2 and finished around 4.30. Last week was football, and this week is Volleyball. Each “group” within the embassy is represented and apparently has a well established reputation:
-Chancery, the political: competitive
-TWS, the handyman: lovely
-The guards: ultra competitive
Etc… and of course, my team, the VIPS (Visa-Program-Spouse) who are just trying really hard not to come last (with 2 left-legged people like me, it is hard work). It is a very fun afternoon, very mixed with some lovely people. Have a look at the pictures, some people are worth it. Especially the guard’s own coach, I am sure you will recognise him. He was walking along the pitch screaming advices and encouragements.
-Chancery, the political: competitive
-TWS, the handyman: lovely
-The guards: ultra competitive
Etc… and of course, my team, the VIPS (Visa-Program-Spouse) who are just trying really hard not to come last (with 2 left-legged people like me, it is hard work). It is a very fun afternoon, very mixed with some lovely people. Have a look at the pictures, some people are worth it. Especially the guard’s own coach, I am sure you will recognise him. He was walking along the pitch screaming advices and encouragements.
Watching Wall Street in the 8th poorest country in the world
I went to the cinema. Great experience for only 1 pound 50! The movie was Wall Street, pretty good despites some terrible acting. I enjoyed the movie because the recession really affected me and it was nice to be reminded of that period in a more theatrical way. However, it felt weird thinking about it and how it nearly got me on my knees in the middle of one of the poorest country in the world.
Here I was, seated in this very small cinema, just after an advert for sponsoring children to allow them to go to school and another one on the water improvement: imagine most families now do not have to walk more than 7 kilometres to find “drinkable” water! Suddenly, the idea that the recession started with the subprime market, I should say the idea that a subprime market even exists, that people, in an other world can actually borrow money they don’t have, need to buy house and a second car, and that life is about making more money is just ridiculous.
Most people don’t own anything at all here: my Amharic teacher is dreaming about buying a car in may be 2 or 3 years, a colleague of Ben has been drawn at the lottery to buy a condo in the other side of Addis where there is still no electricity, a microfinance organisation is encouraging groups of woman to save ½ a birr (2,2cents of a pound) a week, etc.
What is the impact of recession here? Nearly none because people have no saving to invest in stock market, there is no housing bubble here and even if I am sure it affected their import/export balance, most Ethiopian would laugh if you talked about the impact on their job market (employment was high, is still high and will stay this way for a while) or inflation. I could imagine talking to my staff about a banker loosing 5 billion euros, or even some families loosing 50,000 pounds, graduates struggling to find a first job already paid £35,000pa.
It just makes you think that reality is different depending on where you live, and some relativity often opens yours eyes to what is really going on.
Here I was, seated in this very small cinema, just after an advert for sponsoring children to allow them to go to school and another one on the water improvement: imagine most families now do not have to walk more than 7 kilometres to find “drinkable” water! Suddenly, the idea that the recession started with the subprime market, I should say the idea that a subprime market even exists, that people, in an other world can actually borrow money they don’t have, need to buy house and a second car, and that life is about making more money is just ridiculous.
Most people don’t own anything at all here: my Amharic teacher is dreaming about buying a car in may be 2 or 3 years, a colleague of Ben has been drawn at the lottery to buy a condo in the other side of Addis where there is still no electricity, a microfinance organisation is encouraging groups of woman to save ½ a birr (2,2cents of a pound) a week, etc.
What is the impact of recession here? Nearly none because people have no saving to invest in stock market, there is no housing bubble here and even if I am sure it affected their import/export balance, most Ethiopian would laugh if you talked about the impact on their job market (employment was high, is still high and will stay this way for a while) or inflation. I could imagine talking to my staff about a banker loosing 5 billion euros, or even some families loosing 50,000 pounds, graduates struggling to find a first job already paid £35,000pa.
It just makes you think that reality is different depending on where you live, and some relativity often opens yours eyes to what is really going on.
Cars à gogo
So long no see! I haven’t written for a long time and I may have lost my only fans! (yes that is for your dear parents). But I do have a few experiences to share with you guys.
First of all, I wanted to inform you that I have now driven in Addis. We went to the cinema with Ben last Tuesday to see Wall Street (not bad at all, see below), and I had just received my Ethiopian driving lesson. Actually, I am not sure we can say it is mine because despites the fact it is displaying my photo, it is in the name of Mariget Ulice Nermin… Yep! Fortunately, thanks to the diplomatic plates, nobody should ask any questions.
So, I drove the 8 seater Toyota 4X4 in the most dangerous place in the world in terms of road accidents, and I manage to not kill anybody. I avoided other cars, dogs and people and I did not get lost. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the feeling (extreme stress), but it was a bit less worse than I had imagined and I think I will soon be driving all by myself in the city all the time.
This is because to be perfectly frank, having your own car in Addis is a luxury:
-I tried the buses: you have to wait for a long time to then be stuck with numerous people who to be honest have not washed for a long long time, and often a few chicken or half unconscious goats (looks like a description of a Brixton bus, doesn’t it?).
-I tried the blue donkeys: no spaces at all, you have to fight to get in and they are dangerous drivers. I personally believe it is because they really think the religious icon you inevitably found on every cars is protecting them.
-I tried the taxis: my big favourite, you always have cars that are hardly working and I think you might go more quickly by just walking next to the car. The comfort is really basic, and you might even have a seat bell if you are very lucky, but there is crap music and beautiful fake fur seats. Often, the driver can’t speak any English and having a conversation with them is fun (using hand, drawing, and my broken Amharic). But taxis are expensive, and despite my bargaining skills, I don’t really want to pay 3 pounds every time I go out.
-I tried horses: you can’t park them and they are scared of the cars (understandably), the dogs and even the wind.
-I haven’t tried walking yet, may be this is the solution!
First of all, I wanted to inform you that I have now driven in Addis. We went to the cinema with Ben last Tuesday to see Wall Street (not bad at all, see below), and I had just received my Ethiopian driving lesson. Actually, I am not sure we can say it is mine because despites the fact it is displaying my photo, it is in the name of Mariget Ulice Nermin… Yep! Fortunately, thanks to the diplomatic plates, nobody should ask any questions.
So, I drove the 8 seater Toyota 4X4 in the most dangerous place in the world in terms of road accidents, and I manage to not kill anybody. I avoided other cars, dogs and people and I did not get lost. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the feeling (extreme stress), but it was a bit less worse than I had imagined and I think I will soon be driving all by myself in the city all the time.
This is because to be perfectly frank, having your own car in Addis is a luxury:
-I tried the buses: you have to wait for a long time to then be stuck with numerous people who to be honest have not washed for a long long time, and often a few chicken or half unconscious goats (looks like a description of a Brixton bus, doesn’t it?).
-I tried the blue donkeys: no spaces at all, you have to fight to get in and they are dangerous drivers. I personally believe it is because they really think the religious icon you inevitably found on every cars is protecting them.
-I tried the taxis: my big favourite, you always have cars that are hardly working and I think you might go more quickly by just walking next to the car. The comfort is really basic, and you might even have a seat bell if you are very lucky, but there is crap music and beautiful fake fur seats. Often, the driver can’t speak any English and having a conversation with them is fun (using hand, drawing, and my broken Amharic). But taxis are expensive, and despite my bargaining skills, I don’t really want to pay 3 pounds every time I go out.
-I tried horses: you can’t park them and they are scared of the cars (understandably), the dogs and even the wind.
-I haven’t tried walking yet, may be this is the solution!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Malkam Meskal
Last Sunday night was a special celebration in Ethiopia. It was the day of the New Cross. Despite the fact that I still don’t really get why there was a party, Ben and I had loads of fun. We went to Mescal square (the Ethiopian equivalent of Place de la Concorde in Paris, or may be Trafalgar Square in London) on Sunday around 4.30. It was packed with people, may be 100,000, may be more. Loads of policeman to ensure security, a few religious dignitaries, some politics, and a sea of people on the other side. We had to fight our way to the top of the hill to try to see the street (I could not see a thing), but here we were, at the heart of the Ethiopian community, hearing speeches in Amharic (apparently translated into English, but may be not the same English than you and I spoke), hearing people clapping and singing every so often and really wondering what on earth this was all about.
After a good hour and a half of speeches, the music started. Music? I am not sure that is how to best define what we heard, someone singing/screaming with a very high pitch Pepe de la Matronne voice, with no instrumental background. But as I was thinking what on earth am I doing here (lämin, lämin? = why in Amharic), the magic started to happen. As the sun went down, hundreds of people lighted up candles and the square just illuminated itself. People started singing and clapping, and people sat down. The Ethiopian around us tried to move around to make sure we could see the stage (where nothing really exciting happened), but I was fascinated by the sea of lights (see pictures). A very small fire work lit up the sky, and Ethiopian got very excited. Of course, it was not Guy Folk or a 14 of July, but I felt emotional faced with the small, one by one fire work. I realised what it represented for all the people here, the immense joy they felt, the feeling of communion and regeneration: may be this year would be a better year. People around us were so nice, trying to help me take pictures, smiling and excited that foreigners assisted to their national party. I think they were very proud.
The apogee of the party was the lighting up of the bond fire. After 20 minutes of screaming, it was a real show: a huge bond fire illuminated the square with people screaming and dancing. We left with every body else in a complete chaos (as you would expect), and saw on our way home that the party was only starting. Every 20 meters, neighbours were preparing their more modest bond fire, singing and dancing around the fire.
What an evening! I really enjoyed the simplicity yet the strength of the event. I felt really happy and touched by the pride of the Ethiopian people. I wished I could describe the evening better, but it is a one time experience which is hard to depict. I hope it made you curious and that you guys want to come next year to celebrate the new cross with us!
After a good hour and a half of speeches, the music started. Music? I am not sure that is how to best define what we heard, someone singing/screaming with a very high pitch Pepe de la Matronne voice, with no instrumental background. But as I was thinking what on earth am I doing here (lämin, lämin? = why in Amharic), the magic started to happen. As the sun went down, hundreds of people lighted up candles and the square just illuminated itself. People started singing and clapping, and people sat down. The Ethiopian around us tried to move around to make sure we could see the stage (where nothing really exciting happened), but I was fascinated by the sea of lights (see pictures). A very small fire work lit up the sky, and Ethiopian got very excited. Of course, it was not Guy Folk or a 14 of July, but I felt emotional faced with the small, one by one fire work. I realised what it represented for all the people here, the immense joy they felt, the feeling of communion and regeneration: may be this year would be a better year. People around us were so nice, trying to help me take pictures, smiling and excited that foreigners assisted to their national party. I think they were very proud.
The apogee of the party was the lighting up of the bond fire. After 20 minutes of screaming, it was a real show: a huge bond fire illuminated the square with people screaming and dancing. We left with every body else in a complete chaos (as you would expect), and saw on our way home that the party was only starting. Every 20 meters, neighbours were preparing their more modest bond fire, singing and dancing around the fire.
What an evening! I really enjoyed the simplicity yet the strength of the event. I felt really happy and touched by the pride of the Ethiopian people. I wished I could describe the evening better, but it is a one time experience which is hard to depict. I hope it made you curious and that you guys want to come next year to celebrate the new cross with us!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
What is it to do when it rains?
The rainy season, I have mentioned several times already, is a pain. You wake up, it is bright, sunny and warm, by lunch, clouds of rain have accumulated in the sky, and you can be sure that in the afternoon, it is going to become very very dark and rain is going to fall from the sky. This is exactly what has just happened. i just came back from some shopping when it started. I know have understood that there is no point going out under this type of rain, you get wet even under an umbrella. So I cuddle up on my coach, in a primark cover, light up a fire (yes, all by myself!) and except that I am missing chocolate (especially M&Ms at present), I feel pretty cosy!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Travelling in Ethiopia
Two weeks ago, I arrived in Addis Ababa, and I seem to settle in just fine. I already can’t wait for the rain to stop, I eat injera at least once a week, and I don’t even look at the giant turtles with amazement anymore! I have already learned crucial lessons about Ethiopia and Ethiopians and I spent last weekend travelling in the countryside. So here is what I learned and feel free to have a look at the pictures for more details:
1. My worse enemy, like in India is needing the loo. Toilets are mostly disgusting. They are what we called Turkish toilets with no flush and basket on the side for your used toilet paper. They stink horribly and shelter weird bugs. In addition, they are often completely in the dark which does not help. So, tea drinkers, well don’t before to travel! Funny thing is that toilets are called Shinte bet which I think sounds lovely!
2. Ethiopians are really smiley and polite people. When you meet them, you should always ask how they are, how their family are and also shake their hand. You shake with your right hand or wrist if your hands are dirty. When they give you some money back, you should collect it with your right hand whilst holding your wrist with your left hand.
3. Begging is illegal in Ethiopia. Ethiopians seem quite generous and always give to beggars but you can get fined for it. It is better to buy food for them and when you go out of Addis, take pens for the kids. Poverty is less overwhelming here than it was in India because beggars insist less than in India and you see a bit less kids. People try to sell something rather than just ask for money, it is still overwhelming at first and you should get used to see people sleeping in the street, way to skinny and kids that should be in school trying to make a few birrs in the street.
4. Whatever nationality you are, you are a forenge for Ethiopians and they happily shout it at you in the street with a huge smile. The best answer is to shout Shabitats at them, which apparently means Ethiopian. They also shouts (I strongly believe they think we are all deaf) every sentence they know in English. So the other day, a young boy came to me to say very proudly: “Why, that is not your business”!
5. Have your camera ready. Some amazing things happen on the road: cows on the highway, several monkeys crossing just in front of the car, amazing faces, even if you should avoid taking pictures of Ethiopians unless they agree, woman or kid carrying several time their weight in wood or leaves…
6. Ethiopians are proud, very proud. I like that because, well I am French so I understand the feeling!
7. Don’t drive if you can avoid. Roads are chaos and they are dangerous potholes on every road. Ethiopians have no idea that cars kill and cross whenever they want. It is the same rule than in India, the bigger you are, the more power you have. So priority works as follow: the normal car yields for the 4X4 which yields for the bus, which yields for the truck which can do whatever it decides!
8. Don’t eat anything you are not sure the provenance of and wash your hands before you eat (I haven’t felt sick yet, touch wood, so it works!).
9. Don’t trust Ethiopian’s maps or people indicating you the way, they have no idea but will tell you to go straight, just in case.
Once the rules are learned, travelling in Ethiopia is easy. People are really nice and proud of their country and happy to give you a tour and information. It is surprisingly green because of the rain, and there is amazingly beautiful thing just an hour from Addis.
1. My worse enemy, like in India is needing the loo. Toilets are mostly disgusting. They are what we called Turkish toilets with no flush and basket on the side for your used toilet paper. They stink horribly and shelter weird bugs. In addition, they are often completely in the dark which does not help. So, tea drinkers, well don’t before to travel! Funny thing is that toilets are called Shinte bet which I think sounds lovely!
2. Ethiopians are really smiley and polite people. When you meet them, you should always ask how they are, how their family are and also shake their hand. You shake with your right hand or wrist if your hands are dirty. When they give you some money back, you should collect it with your right hand whilst holding your wrist with your left hand.
3. Begging is illegal in Ethiopia. Ethiopians seem quite generous and always give to beggars but you can get fined for it. It is better to buy food for them and when you go out of Addis, take pens for the kids. Poverty is less overwhelming here than it was in India because beggars insist less than in India and you see a bit less kids. People try to sell something rather than just ask for money, it is still overwhelming at first and you should get used to see people sleeping in the street, way to skinny and kids that should be in school trying to make a few birrs in the street.
4. Whatever nationality you are, you are a forenge for Ethiopians and they happily shout it at you in the street with a huge smile. The best answer is to shout Shabitats at them, which apparently means Ethiopian. They also shouts (I strongly believe they think we are all deaf) every sentence they know in English. So the other day, a young boy came to me to say very proudly: “Why, that is not your business”!
5. Have your camera ready. Some amazing things happen on the road: cows on the highway, several monkeys crossing just in front of the car, amazing faces, even if you should avoid taking pictures of Ethiopians unless they agree, woman or kid carrying several time their weight in wood or leaves…
6. Ethiopians are proud, very proud. I like that because, well I am French so I understand the feeling!
7. Don’t drive if you can avoid. Roads are chaos and they are dangerous potholes on every road. Ethiopians have no idea that cars kill and cross whenever they want. It is the same rule than in India, the bigger you are, the more power you have. So priority works as follow: the normal car yields for the 4X4 which yields for the bus, which yields for the truck which can do whatever it decides!
8. Don’t eat anything you are not sure the provenance of and wash your hands before you eat (I haven’t felt sick yet, touch wood, so it works!).
9. Don’t trust Ethiopian’s maps or people indicating you the way, they have no idea but will tell you to go straight, just in case.
Once the rules are learned, travelling in Ethiopia is easy. People are really nice and proud of their country and happy to give you a tour and information. It is surprisingly green because of the rain, and there is amazingly beautiful thing just an hour from Addis.
What altitude does to you...
A very small blog between two job applications on altitude. Addis Ababa is between 2300 et 2500 meters above the sea level, and the compound must be closer to the 2500 (at least I hope so), as a result, I am loosing my breath every time I go to the stable and I can’t talk and walk. Yeast does not rise the same way and my only attempt to make bread was not a success, I will leave this delicate task to Almaz, my great cook. Things cook a lot faster here, but they don’t grill, which is quiet surprising. Altitude also keeps you awake at night first ( or may be it is the Ethiopian coffee?), so most night, I wake up around 2am and can’t get back to sleep, which is unusual for me. So I wake up fine and then suddenly in the middle of the day, I feel very tired, and then I am fine again.
When my luggage finally turns up, I need to start running, how funny is that going to be if I can’t even walk slowly? I will let you know soon (hopefully). By the way I am running a 10K in November. Apparently, everybody in Ethiopia does it (even the ambassador), and there is so many people that you can’t really run (good news!) at the start and at the end.
When my luggage finally turns up, I need to start running, how funny is that going to be if I can’t even walk slowly? I will let you know soon (hopefully). By the way I am running a 10K in November. Apparently, everybody in Ethiopia does it (even the ambassador), and there is so many people that you can’t really run (good news!) at the start and at the end.
Friday, September 17, 2010
My driver Abel
I know I am late in my postings and I should try to keep it chronological, but I have to do a small posting on my driver Abel. Recommended by the driver of a friend of mine, Abel is pretty much unique. He is a cameraman (or may be that is the only job he knows in English so he says so, who knows...). He is 29, married with one son of 4. His English is as good as my Amharic and let me tell you, our conversations are very amusing. He perfected the art of saying OK at the right time like if he actually understood what I said. He is a great teacher and already taught me to count, the day of the week and we are on small sentences such as I live in Addis, or we can meet at 3.30 (I haven’t perfected these yet!).
Abel is a real Ethiopian, he speaks in Ethiopian time, so if I want him to pick me up at 10am, I have to translate it to 4 Ethiopian time. First time I got it wrong and had to wait for an hour, not fun. He was late on our first meeting, so he always completes my schedule by a “OK, 4 sharp” which is hilarious when he says it. He does something funny with his eyebrows at the same time which makes it a really serious business. When I stupidly asked him what his name meant, he looked at me like if I am a complete ignorant and asked me: Do you know the bible, old testament? Yes, of course, Abel and Cain, silly me. But now, every time I asked him what a name means, he has the same answer and I am pretty sure that “Tadhu” does not come from the bible!
I got to say I was not a big fan of him. First he was late, then he really can’t speak English and he does not know much about Addis. But he is growing on me, because he tries hard and I would be really lost in Addis without him. Today, we met at 8.30 ethiopian time, sharp; we did 3 times Bole road (a huge huge street) to find a art gallery to print some pictures that I could not find after what he took me to the place where he goes… which appeared to be just under the gallery, we had a good laugh. And then came a unique moment. Michael Jackson came onto the radio and we sang together Billy Jean!!!! You can’t imagine how I felt. I don’t know the lyrics, he does not know English but we were both mumbling at first and then frankly singing. Ah, Michael Jackson, internationally renowned and I felt a bit less lonely. He just won a one month contract with the Embassy!
On another note, thank you so much for the one reading me and for your lovely messages, it means a lot for me (Papa, maman, je suis super impressionée!!!)
Abel is a real Ethiopian, he speaks in Ethiopian time, so if I want him to pick me up at 10am, I have to translate it to 4 Ethiopian time. First time I got it wrong and had to wait for an hour, not fun. He was late on our first meeting, so he always completes my schedule by a “OK, 4 sharp” which is hilarious when he says it. He does something funny with his eyebrows at the same time which makes it a really serious business. When I stupidly asked him what his name meant, he looked at me like if I am a complete ignorant and asked me: Do you know the bible, old testament? Yes, of course, Abel and Cain, silly me. But now, every time I asked him what a name means, he has the same answer and I am pretty sure that “Tadhu” does not come from the bible!
I got to say I was not a big fan of him. First he was late, then he really can’t speak English and he does not know much about Addis. But he is growing on me, because he tries hard and I would be really lost in Addis without him. Today, we met at 8.30 ethiopian time, sharp; we did 3 times Bole road (a huge huge street) to find a art gallery to print some pictures that I could not find after what he took me to the place where he goes… which appeared to be just under the gallery, we had a good laugh. And then came a unique moment. Michael Jackson came onto the radio and we sang together Billy Jean!!!! You can’t imagine how I felt. I don’t know the lyrics, he does not know English but we were both mumbling at first and then frankly singing. Ah, Michael Jackson, internationally renowned and I felt a bit less lonely. He just won a one month contract with the Embassy!
On another note, thank you so much for the one reading me and for your lovely messages, it means a lot for me (Papa, maman, je suis super impressionée!!!)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ethiopie first week
More pitures.The house and garden you see are mine!!!
Thank you so much for all your messages.
Addis Ababa, the new flower
Addis is a bizarre city. First some quick facts:
History: founded in 1886 by emperor Menelik II
Population: 3,384,569
Altitude: between 2300 and 3000 metres
Its name means new flower in Amharic, but believe me, it has nothing in common with a flower: it is ugly, very very polluted, no green whatsoever, very muddy during rainy season at least and it is in perpetual construction. At this point, you must think, great place to live! Well, actually it is. The town as a “je ne sais quoi” which make it vibrant. People are really lovely, shops are welcoming, there is tarmac everywhere (something that should never be taken for granted, ask my friend in Tanzania) and there is an intense yet not overwhelming activity. There is a lot of markets, vegetable shops, people doing stuff in the street such as washing your shoes, selling tissues or socks, walking somewhere in stilettos or in a more traditional outfit. I have been quite a few times now and I am still amazed by how I feel every time.
My first time, I went in bus (yes mam, in bus!!!!!!!) all by myself. And not once I felt threatened or just uncomfortable because of my European status. I was in a very crowded stinky bus, with only one fear, to miss my stop: Harat kilo. The trip costs 2birr (8cents), and they stopped only a few time. Each time, a guy shouts the name of the stop. A piece of cake! I walked to a “supermarket” (a small shop with a bit of everything) to find some cotton buds (apparently a rare thing in Addis), bought something for the pleasure to say thank you in Amharic and make a few people laugh, walked up to Sediest kilo, the next round about, stopped by the dry cleaner to pick up Ben’s suits, had my photo taken for my visa, visited the national museum where Lucie, our old ancestor is, and came back to the embassy. People said hi, someone came to introduce himself, I made a few people laugh (especially in the museum, apparently I have more success than Lucie! Age before beauty isn’t it?) and I felt great walking by myself. I actually really like Addis, it is surprising at time, very colourful, a bit daunting because so big, but it is a real adventure, I will meet a lot of nice people and despite the poverty and the people who are mutilated, I don’t feel too overwhelmed. I think it is less tough than India and people are not over you all the time.
I have since done my shopping all by myself and bought my first cross (negotiated down to 100 birr!, £4). The vegetable shop is my favourite place. The guy knows me now and every time he greets me by Ben’s friend (gwadannya). I buy a lot of fruits and veg for more or less 150 birr (£7) and he chooses them one by one (2kilos of tomatoes chosen one by one can take some time). The supermarkets are a bit unremarkable and expensive I found. The westerner’s favourite, Bambis, is Greek-owned, so you can find tahini and olives but it is seriously missing of nice chocolate, so if you ever fancy sending me something…
I got an emergency leak in my bathroom and a man explaining in half Amharic half English that it is because of the overflow, I have to go!
History: founded in 1886 by emperor Menelik II
Population: 3,384,569
Altitude: between 2300 and 3000 metres
Its name means new flower in Amharic, but believe me, it has nothing in common with a flower: it is ugly, very very polluted, no green whatsoever, very muddy during rainy season at least and it is in perpetual construction. At this point, you must think, great place to live! Well, actually it is. The town as a “je ne sais quoi” which make it vibrant. People are really lovely, shops are welcoming, there is tarmac everywhere (something that should never be taken for granted, ask my friend in Tanzania) and there is an intense yet not overwhelming activity. There is a lot of markets, vegetable shops, people doing stuff in the street such as washing your shoes, selling tissues or socks, walking somewhere in stilettos or in a more traditional outfit. I have been quite a few times now and I am still amazed by how I feel every time.
My first time, I went in bus (yes mam, in bus!!!!!!!) all by myself. And not once I felt threatened or just uncomfortable because of my European status. I was in a very crowded stinky bus, with only one fear, to miss my stop: Harat kilo. The trip costs 2birr (8cents), and they stopped only a few time. Each time, a guy shouts the name of the stop. A piece of cake! I walked to a “supermarket” (a small shop with a bit of everything) to find some cotton buds (apparently a rare thing in Addis), bought something for the pleasure to say thank you in Amharic and make a few people laugh, walked up to Sediest kilo, the next round about, stopped by the dry cleaner to pick up Ben’s suits, had my photo taken for my visa, visited the national museum where Lucie, our old ancestor is, and came back to the embassy. People said hi, someone came to introduce himself, I made a few people laugh (especially in the museum, apparently I have more success than Lucie! Age before beauty isn’t it?) and I felt great walking by myself. I actually really like Addis, it is surprising at time, very colourful, a bit daunting because so big, but it is a real adventure, I will meet a lot of nice people and despite the poverty and the people who are mutilated, I don’t feel too overwhelmed. I think it is less tough than India and people are not over you all the time.
I have since done my shopping all by myself and bought my first cross (negotiated down to 100 birr!, £4). The vegetable shop is my favourite place. The guy knows me now and every time he greets me by Ben’s friend (gwadannya). I buy a lot of fruits and veg for more or less 150 birr (£7) and he chooses them one by one (2kilos of tomatoes chosen one by one can take some time). The supermarkets are a bit unremarkable and expensive I found. The westerner’s favourite, Bambis, is Greek-owned, so you can find tahini and olives but it is seriously missing of nice chocolate, so if you ever fancy sending me something…
I got an emergency leak in my bathroom and a man explaining in half Amharic half English that it is because of the overflow, I have to go!
Day 1: Sur les chapeaux de roue!
D1, 10am (ie 4 ethiopian time, yes it is confusing but you better get the time right as early as possible or spend your time waiting for people). So 10am, on Saturday morning, I got invited for a nice ride in the mountain behind the compound. I haven’t horse ride since I was 12, but I am hoping it is like biking, you never forget. So here I am, wellies and hat on, riding Kapena, a lovely stable horse. The view of Addis from the top of the hill is stunning. It is a really really big town, very polluted and not that pretty, but in the middle of the green forest, strolling on my horse, I am not that bothered. The thing about Addis (I am anticipating on my next post) is that after a few hours, you don’t care about the pollution and the construction and the ugly buildings because it is such an easy place to live in. But let’s go back on top of the hill, where I am with a few FCO people, riding in a nice forest. The hill is lovely, loads of sheeps (apparently, there is a sheep market somewhere), donkeys, young children picking up grass and climbing up trees to pick up the eucalyptus leaves. They look like monkeys; they go up with just their hands and feet and wave to us!
As I am enjoying the view and the peacefulness of this moment, my colleagues decide it is time for a bit of trot… Well, I mustn’t have looked too glorious because after one minute, the guides decide to put me on a lounge. It is not like biking after all and my bottom hurt for 2 days afterward. But my instructor taught me how to follow the move of the horse, and by the end of the promenade, I was feeling a lot more confident. Despite the rain (yes, it is raining season and you should never, never go out without an umbrella), I had a great time and what a wonderful way to start my stay! I am pretty sure you will hear about Kapena and my horse riding progress in the near future.
As I am enjoying the view and the peacefulness of this moment, my colleagues decide it is time for a bit of trot… Well, I mustn’t have looked too glorious because after one minute, the guides decide to put me on a lounge. It is not like biking after all and my bottom hurt for 2 days afterward. But my instructor taught me how to follow the move of the horse, and by the end of the promenade, I was feeling a lot more confident. Despite the rain (yes, it is raining season and you should never, never go out without an umbrella), I had a great time and what a wonderful way to start my stay! I am pretty sure you will hear about Kapena and my horse riding progress in the near future.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
From Addis with Love.
Getting through the custom in Ethiopia is a really fascinating experience and teaches you a lot about the country and the people. All excited about the perspective to see my Ben, I did not expect that it would take me half an hour to get through the gate to Zion! Here is what I learned from this:
1) In Ethiopia, nobody queues (coming from London, it is a whole new experience)
2) In Ethiopia, not that many people actually speak English
3) Having 5 people behind the counter does not speed things up
4) Having 6 people behind the counter does not speed things up either
When I finally got my stamp, I just couldn’t wait to see Mon Ben, and here he was, handsome as ever, grinning as Cheshire cat and just as fantastic as when I left him more than 2 months ago.
He drove me back to the compound in our white 4X4 Toyota cruiser, avoiding buses, donkeys, sheep, pedestrians and the eventual potholes. The compound is just AMAZING, green grass, weird trees, strange birds, huge turtles and lovely guards. Our house is 5 minutes away from the gate which is nice because I don’t feel too enclosed. It s big, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 study, 1 living room, 1 dining room, a big kitchen and a beautiful garden full of colours. It feels very cosy and there is flower everywhere.
For lunch, I meet our two employees, Almaz (life in Amahric) the cook and Tadu the cleaner. They are lovely with a good level of English and very very efficient. Rachid our gardener is old, don’t speak a word of English and is just so sweet I wish he was my grandfather. It is hard to believe he actually manages to take care of the garden by himself. After a lovely lunch I toured my new propriety. Man, it is just fantastic, it is big, there is a golf course, a small swimming pool, a stable (yes I did say a stable!), a tennis court and some beautiful buildings. I think Ben and I are going to be very happy here.
Traduction française à suivre…
1) In Ethiopia, nobody queues (coming from London, it is a whole new experience)
2) In Ethiopia, not that many people actually speak English
3) Having 5 people behind the counter does not speed things up
4) Having 6 people behind the counter does not speed things up either
When I finally got my stamp, I just couldn’t wait to see Mon Ben, and here he was, handsome as ever, grinning as Cheshire cat and just as fantastic as when I left him more than 2 months ago.
He drove me back to the compound in our white 4X4 Toyota cruiser, avoiding buses, donkeys, sheep, pedestrians and the eventual potholes. The compound is just AMAZING, green grass, weird trees, strange birds, huge turtles and lovely guards. Our house is 5 minutes away from the gate which is nice because I don’t feel too enclosed. It s big, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 study, 1 living room, 1 dining room, a big kitchen and a beautiful garden full of colours. It feels very cosy and there is flower everywhere.
For lunch, I meet our two employees, Almaz (life in Amahric) the cook and Tadu the cleaner. They are lovely with a good level of English and very very efficient. Rachid our gardener is old, don’t speak a word of English and is just so sweet I wish he was my grandfather. It is hard to believe he actually manages to take care of the garden by himself. After a lovely lunch I toured my new propriety. Man, it is just fantastic, it is big, there is a golf course, a small swimming pool, a stable (yes I did say a stable!), a tennis court and some beautiful buildings. I think Ben and I are going to be very happy here.
Traduction française à suivre…
A380, and the battle is over
In different sectors, you often have two big champions fighting one the other for customers. Generally, they manage to gather unconditional fans. Example, a Coca-cola fan will prefer to drink an orange juice than to settle for a Pepsi and a McDonald’s lover will rather have a pizza than stopping by a Burger King. In the flight industries, there were Airbus and Boeing… until the A380 signed the undisputable victory of Airbus. I am a huge fan of this plane as I spend six hours comfortably seated, with leg room, watching movies and eating loads. I even manage to sleep! I arrived on Friday at Bole Airport, Ethiopia, ready for some adventures!
Dans la plupart des industries, deux géants s’affrontent réunissant dans leur camp des fans inconditionnels. Exemple: quelqu’un qui boit du coca-cola changera de boisson plutôt que de prendre un Pepsi, un amoureux de Quick préférera manger une pizza plutôt que d’aller chez Mcdo. Dans le monde du voyage, il y avait Airbus et Boeing… Puis l’A380 est arrivé et avec lui la victoire indiscutable d’Airbus. Je suis devenue une partisane de cette petite merveille après six heures de confort incroyable pour un avion, de film à volonté et d’espace pour les jambes. J’ai même dormi! Bref, c’est sans courbatures que je suis arrivée vendredi à Bole Airport Ethiopia.
Dans la plupart des industries, deux géants s’affrontent réunissant dans leur camp des fans inconditionnels. Exemple: quelqu’un qui boit du coca-cola changera de boisson plutôt que de prendre un Pepsi, un amoureux de Quick préférera manger une pizza plutôt que d’aller chez Mcdo. Dans le monde du voyage, il y avait Airbus et Boeing… Puis l’A380 est arrivé et avec lui la victoire indiscutable d’Airbus. Je suis devenue une partisane de cette petite merveille après six heures de confort incroyable pour un avion, de film à volonté et d’espace pour les jambes. J’ai même dormi! Bref, c’est sans courbatures que je suis arrivée vendredi à Bole Airport Ethiopia.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Fasten your seatbell
Bye bye, baby bye bye !
I got to say, I am very exited about going to Ethiopia. Firstly because I haven’t seen Ben for two months, and secondly because, well, it’s a new adventure, in a fascinating country, meeting new people and hopefully learning a bit more about myself and the wonderful world surrounding me. However, saying goodbye to France first, and then to London, made me feel slightly nostalgic about the few past years. I know it is often far away that we realise what we loved about a certain place or certain people but for me, it is going back to Aix for the summer, and coming back to London which gave me an epiphany, I really really love those places!
Will I found in Ethiopia small cafés full of people arguing endlessly about political problems? Will there be amazing food and the most succulent wines? Will I have long conversations with my friends about what it means to go abroad and leave all that behind? I’m gonna miss Londoner’s ability to be happy about anything and French’s capability to grumps forever, I’m gonna miss going to the supermarket and actually wanting to buy everything in there, I’m gonna miss my friends of course: (Ewelyna grumps about the district line, Georgie improbable stories about dead people (eurk!), Charlie’s “fanchement”, Max’s amazing gossips, Laetitia’s tax advice, Simba’s conversation, Mason’s derange pas…), but I am also going to miss the City itself: smiley people in shops, London Bridge area, the afterwork pub, the parks, Greenwich, law jokes (yep, a bit lame but still going to miss it!) etc…
All I can say is that I will be back, and in the meantime, I am ready for some adventures!
J-2 avant le grand saut, et j’ai vraiment hâte d’atterrir à Addis Abeba. Ben m’a beaucoup manquée pendant ces deux mois, et l’idée de faire tous ces voyages me met l’eau à la bouche. Je ne suis jamais allée bien loin en Afrique et ce sont deux années d’aventures, un pays fascinant, de nouveaux amis qui j’espère m’attendent en Ethiopie. J’ai hâte de me confronter à ce nouvel environnent et de comprendre mieux le monde qui m’entoure. Ceci dit, quitter la France (cher pays de mon enfance) et aussi Londres ne sera pas facile. Mon été à Aix et ces quelques jours à Londres ont été fabuleux et ça va beaucoup me manquer.
Qui sait ce qui m’attend en Ethiopie, vais-je trouver des petits cafés où l’on parle politique jusqu’à 2h du matin? La nourriture paternelle/maternelle et les bons vins français seront-ils remplacés? Et comment vais-je faire sans mes très chers amis qui m’ont beaucoup soutenue avant ce départ? L’enthousiasme de mes copains voyageurs, les bons conseils de ma famille, les aventures de Marie, les aiguillettes de poulet d’Olivia, le rire de Lauren, les souvenirs partagés avec Lucile, et bien sur le soutien indéfectible de mes parents et sibyllins vont énormément me manquer.
Dans deux ans, je serais de retour, mais en attendant, bring it on !
I got to say, I am very exited about going to Ethiopia. Firstly because I haven’t seen Ben for two months, and secondly because, well, it’s a new adventure, in a fascinating country, meeting new people and hopefully learning a bit more about myself and the wonderful world surrounding me. However, saying goodbye to France first, and then to London, made me feel slightly nostalgic about the few past years. I know it is often far away that we realise what we loved about a certain place or certain people but for me, it is going back to Aix for the summer, and coming back to London which gave me an epiphany, I really really love those places!
Will I found in Ethiopia small cafés full of people arguing endlessly about political problems? Will there be amazing food and the most succulent wines? Will I have long conversations with my friends about what it means to go abroad and leave all that behind? I’m gonna miss Londoner’s ability to be happy about anything and French’s capability to grumps forever, I’m gonna miss going to the supermarket and actually wanting to buy everything in there, I’m gonna miss my friends of course: (Ewelyna grumps about the district line, Georgie improbable stories about dead people (eurk!), Charlie’s “fanchement”, Max’s amazing gossips, Laetitia’s tax advice, Simba’s conversation, Mason’s derange pas…), but I am also going to miss the City itself: smiley people in shops, London Bridge area, the afterwork pub, the parks, Greenwich, law jokes (yep, a bit lame but still going to miss it!) etc…
All I can say is that I will be back, and in the meantime, I am ready for some adventures!
J-2 avant le grand saut, et j’ai vraiment hâte d’atterrir à Addis Abeba. Ben m’a beaucoup manquée pendant ces deux mois, et l’idée de faire tous ces voyages me met l’eau à la bouche. Je ne suis jamais allée bien loin en Afrique et ce sont deux années d’aventures, un pays fascinant, de nouveaux amis qui j’espère m’attendent en Ethiopie. J’ai hâte de me confronter à ce nouvel environnent et de comprendre mieux le monde qui m’entoure. Ceci dit, quitter la France (cher pays de mon enfance) et aussi Londres ne sera pas facile. Mon été à Aix et ces quelques jours à Londres ont été fabuleux et ça va beaucoup me manquer.
Qui sait ce qui m’attend en Ethiopie, vais-je trouver des petits cafés où l’on parle politique jusqu’à 2h du matin? La nourriture paternelle/maternelle et les bons vins français seront-ils remplacés? Et comment vais-je faire sans mes très chers amis qui m’ont beaucoup soutenue avant ce départ? L’enthousiasme de mes copains voyageurs, les bons conseils de ma famille, les aventures de Marie, les aiguillettes de poulet d’Olivia, le rire de Lauren, les souvenirs partagés avec Lucile, et bien sur le soutien indéfectible de mes parents et sibyllins vont énormément me manquer.
Dans deux ans, je serais de retour, mais en attendant, bring it on !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)