I've been watching the BBC lately and have seen advertisements for a program titled "Cooking in the Danger Zone". Apparently a BBC correspondent travels to different areas of the world where people are eating foods most of us would find appalling, such as rat.
Today at the water technology center I had lunch with a colleague, "S", who has spent a great deal of time in Ethiopia over the past 30 years, and he loves all different kinds of Ethiopian food. Since the center cafeteria was serving kitfo today, a dish of lightly boiled beef mixed with butter and spices with goat cheese, S ordered that dish, and with a smile of his face. The kitfo actually looked rather appetizing, believe it or not, but still I ordered the spaghetti with a bread roll.
After lunch we ordered coffee and S told me about when he went to Vietnam. He was invited to a dinner with some public officials and they served a few delicacies, such as snake blood in a glass and roasted snake meat. He said the snake meat wasn't bad ("tastes like chicken") but he turned down the beverage. However, the worst dish S had ever been served was in the Ethiopian countryside. He went to a dinner with village chiefs present, so they slaughtered a sheep and tore it open. Then they cut out the stomach and sliced it open; it was full of grass that the sheep had eaten. There was no water to wash it off, so they wiped it off with a towel and then copped it up and served it to the guests...raw.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Networker
On Tuesday during the opening ceremony I spoke in the courtyard with one
of the trainees, named Esa, that came to the center to study mechanical
engineering. Esa told me that he is interested in getting more practical
training during the three months he'll spend at this center, since his
university education was about 75% theoretical and only 25% practical
learning. Nevertheless, he is rather motivated to succeed in life and he
told me that he hopes I might be able to provide him with any
information about graduate programs abroad or scholarships that might be
available. Esa also said that sometimes he regrets having studied
mechanical engineering in Ethiopia because there are hardly any jobs
here and he feels limited now. He hopes to one day move overseas like so
many other Ethiopians have done, and get a job in his field.
Esa is a nice young man and I can appreciate his making the effort to
network while at this training center. I wish I knew more opportunities
for people like him that I could recommend, but I did suggest that he
talk to the Ethiopian instructors at the center as well since most of
them have been overseas and are actually rather well connected.
of the trainees, named Esa, that came to the center to study mechanical
engineering. Esa told me that he is interested in getting more practical
training during the three months he'll spend at this center, since his
university education was about 75% theoretical and only 25% practical
learning. Nevertheless, he is rather motivated to succeed in life and he
told me that he hopes I might be able to provide him with any
information about graduate programs abroad or scholarships that might be
available. Esa also said that sometimes he regrets having studied
mechanical engineering in Ethiopia because there are hardly any jobs
here and he feels limited now. He hopes to one day move overseas like so
many other Ethiopians have done, and get a job in his field.
Esa is a nice young man and I can appreciate his making the effort to
network while at this training center. I wish I knew more opportunities
for people like him that I could recommend, but I did suggest that he
talk to the Ethiopian instructors at the center as well since most of
them have been overseas and are actually rather well connected.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
In retrospect
Today we went to Pasta "Resturant" for lunch. Last time I went to this place (here), the mushroom tagliatelle tasted like rotten yogurt and I thought I had sworn the place off forever, but another colleague talked me into giving it a second chance. This time, we arrived just after 12 noon and there were only 2 other customers seated. We grabbed a table and ordered a few pasta dishes to share: penne quatro formage, ravioli & tortellini combo platter, and spaghetti meat sauce. This time the dishes were fresh and, although not gourmet, rather palatable. I would hazard a guess that getting there early raises the odds that you will get something freshly cooked. If there are already a number of people there when you arrive, a strategy might be to scan the tables and order something that no one else has in front of them since--if I may hazard another guess--getting there anytime after, say, 12:45, you might be getting someone's leftovers.
Now, if I haven't grossed anyone out yet, let me share another revelation I had today. At first I thought that Italian presence here in the 1940s left a lingering influence in Ethiopia and that's why there are so many places that serve pasta here. However, the reason that pasta is so prominent here is probably that it's so low-cost to make. I'm sure there is an appreciation for Italian culture as well, given the popularity of Italian pastries, gelato and espresso makers, but the commonplace appearance of penne and spaghetti on the menu in Ethiopia now seems less like a cultural import as it is consideration for more practical matters. Of course, in retrospect, this seems obvious; after all, any college kid knows that it doesn't take a degree in aesthetics to craft an appreciation for the beauty of pasta and cheese.
Now, if I haven't grossed anyone out yet, let me share another revelation I had today. At first I thought that Italian presence here in the 1940s left a lingering influence in Ethiopia and that's why there are so many places that serve pasta here. However, the reason that pasta is so prominent here is probably that it's so low-cost to make. I'm sure there is an appreciation for Italian culture as well, given the popularity of Italian pastries, gelato and espresso makers, but the commonplace appearance of penne and spaghetti on the menu in Ethiopia now seems less like a cultural import as it is consideration for more practical matters. Of course, in retrospect, this seems obvious; after all, any college kid knows that it doesn't take a degree in aesthetics to craft an appreciation for the beauty of pasta and cheese.
Merkato
Every week in Addis Ababa people gather at 'merkato', Italian for market. This is a large area on the northwest side of town where people amass to buy and sell their wares. Although there is market activity every day, Wednesdays and Saturdays are designated as the primary days since people come from the rural areas some 30 kilometers away, bringing their goods on the backs of donkeys. Apparently you can buy anything at merkato, and it attracts both the wealthy and the poor alike. Some notables items apparently sold at merkato are non-paired, single shoes, and discarded food that is collected and then sold by the handful to beggars for about 25-50 cents. I was also told there is a movie theater at markato, although I don't know if they sell popcorn by the kernel.
It's better to go to merkato with a guide, of course, not only because the area is sprawling and one could easily get lost in the madness, but also because there are pickpockets that might target wandering tourists. Yesterday I saw a local man near merkato who certainly wasn't a pickpocket; he didn't have any pockets himself, and in fact, he wasn't wearing any pants. He was just walking along the street with everyone else wearing nothing but a long-sleeve shirt and sandals. Maybe he went shopping at a store that sold outfits one item at a time? Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they sold non-paired pants, one leg at a time. Of course this could be a local measure to avoid pickpockets--i.e. pickpockets, and everyone else, will avoid you.
It's better to go to merkato with a guide, of course, not only because the area is sprawling and one could easily get lost in the madness, but also because there are pickpockets that might target wandering tourists. Yesterday I saw a local man near merkato who certainly wasn't a pickpocket; he didn't have any pockets himself, and in fact, he wasn't wearing any pants. He was just walking along the street with everyone else wearing nothing but a long-sleeve shirt and sandals. Maybe he went shopping at a store that sold outfits one item at a time? Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they sold non-paired pants, one leg at a time. Of course this could be a local measure to avoid pickpockets--i.e. pickpockets, and everyone else, will avoid you.
Good Mango Day
In America, people talk about having a good hair day or a bad hair day.
In Ethiopia, I've been judging the day by whether the mango half we get
for breakfast is good or not. To paraphrase John Bender in the movie The
Breakfast Club, "There are two kinds of mangos in the world. There are
good mangos and there are mangos that were once good, but have become
brown and mushy... but you can still sort of see the healthy orange
mango inside." Yesterday's mango, having lost it's orange effervescence,
was uninvitingly mushy and brownish in areas, although there were a few
spots of saving grace. Luckily, today was a good mango day; the fruit
soft at the top--almost like a thick mango gelato--so your spoon easily
slices through, and down lower, closer to the skin, like a mango sorbet,
so you cut across with your spoon sideways. Breakfast at Chez Glo is
also always accompanied by a glass of juice...yup, you guessed it, mango
juice.
In Ethiopia, I've been judging the day by whether the mango half we get
for breakfast is good or not. To paraphrase John Bender in the movie The
Breakfast Club, "There are two kinds of mangos in the world. There are
good mangos and there are mangos that were once good, but have become
brown and mushy... but you can still sort of see the healthy orange
mango inside." Yesterday's mango, having lost it's orange effervescence,
was uninvitingly mushy and brownish in areas, although there were a few
spots of saving grace. Luckily, today was a good mango day; the fruit
soft at the top--almost like a thick mango gelato--so your spoon easily
slices through, and down lower, closer to the skin, like a mango sorbet,
so you cut across with your spoon sideways. Breakfast at Chez Glo is
also always accompanied by a glass of juice...yup, you guessed it, mango
juice.
--------------------------------------
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sound Sleep
Last night I crashed around 10pm, flicking off the BBC and pulling up
the bed covers. After the flights from Tokyo to Osaka to Dubai to Addis
Ababa, a half-day at work, running errands and a large group dinner
replete with Ethiopian red wine, I fell asleep quickly. However, I was
awoken later by a few howling dogs. I'm not sure if Max, the dog at the
guesthouse, was in on it, but there must have been 3 or 4 of them going
back and forth. Old cartoons where people would throw shoes or other
objects at the stray cats and dogs to shut them up flashed in my mind.
Well, I didn't feel like hurtling any objects out the window, but I did
wake up and fish out my ear plugs from my carry-on bag. I pinched and
rolled them and stuck them in my ears, and as the foam expanded the
sounds faded to a muffled silence. Triumphant, I laid my head back on my
pillow, which seemed a little softer and the bed a little more cozy, and
drifted back to dreamland.
the bed covers. After the flights from Tokyo to Osaka to Dubai to Addis
Ababa, a half-day at work, running errands and a large group dinner
replete with Ethiopian red wine, I fell asleep quickly. However, I was
awoken later by a few howling dogs. I'm not sure if Max, the dog at the
guesthouse, was in on it, but there must have been 3 or 4 of them going
back and forth. Old cartoons where people would throw shoes or other
objects at the stray cats and dogs to shut them up flashed in my mind.
Well, I didn't feel like hurtling any objects out the window, but I did
wake up and fish out my ear plugs from my carry-on bag. I pinched and
rolled them and stuck them in my ears, and as the foam expanded the
sounds faded to a muffled silence. Triumphant, I laid my head back on my
pillow, which seemed a little softer and the bed a little more cozy, and
drifted back to dreamland.
PR Event
Today the Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia attended the opening ceremony
at the water technology center here in Addis Ababa. There were a few
other bigwigs from JICA and the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources
(MoWR) as well. All of the center staff gathered in the lecture hall.
There was a low stage set up with a banner announcing the ceremonial
launch of our project in front of which all the officials sat. This was
timed to coincide with the fact that the first day of the courses is
tomorrow. The ministry's PR division videotaped the short speeches given
by the officials and then we led everyone out to the back of the center
where the course coordinators demonstrated some of the
machinery--including a 150m drilling rig--and model water pumps. The
Ambassador seemed to enjoy the tour but declined to join us for lunch at
the center; his driver quickly pulled up in a Lexus with a little
Japanese flag over the front wheel well and drove him away. Immediately,
another Japanese official suddenly announced he had an
"ah...ah...emergency meeting" and jumped in his Landcruiser, followed by
another Landcruiser that picked up the Vice Minister from MoWR.
Nevertheless, this actually allowed everyone who remained to feel
slightly more at ease, I thought. The other Ethiopian officials and the
JICA Resident Representative stuck around and ate with the center
coordinators, staff and trainees in the cafeteria, swilling orange Fanta
and Pepsi as they dined on finger foods like fried meatballs on
toothpicks, plain bread and rice pilaf. Everyone sat around low tables
and ate with forks and mixed their soft drinks with carbonated mineral
water. Overall, since everything was over by half-past noon, I think the
ceremony was rather successful.
at the water technology center here in Addis Ababa. There were a few
other bigwigs from JICA and the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources
(MoWR) as well. All of the center staff gathered in the lecture hall.
There was a low stage set up with a banner announcing the ceremonial
launch of our project in front of which all the officials sat. This was
timed to coincide with the fact that the first day of the courses is
tomorrow. The ministry's PR division videotaped the short speeches given
by the officials and then we led everyone out to the back of the center
where the course coordinators demonstrated some of the
machinery--including a 150m drilling rig--and model water pumps. The
Ambassador seemed to enjoy the tour but declined to join us for lunch at
the center; his driver quickly pulled up in a Lexus with a little
Japanese flag over the front wheel well and drove him away. Immediately,
another Japanese official suddenly announced he had an
"ah...ah...emergency meeting" and jumped in his Landcruiser, followed by
another Landcruiser that picked up the Vice Minister from MoWR.
Nevertheless, this actually allowed everyone who remained to feel
slightly more at ease, I thought. The other Ethiopian officials and the
JICA Resident Representative stuck around and ate with the center
coordinators, staff and trainees in the cafeteria, swilling orange Fanta
and Pepsi as they dined on finger foods like fried meatballs on
toothpicks, plain bread and rice pilaf. Everyone sat around low tables
and ate with forks and mixed their soft drinks with carbonated mineral
water. Overall, since everything was over by half-past noon, I think the
ceremony was rather successful.
Critical Mass
This time of year, many of my coworkers are in Ethiopia carrying out
various development studies and projects. Most of them are related to
water resources, but they range from human development to equipment
procurement to drilling operations. We all got together for dinner last
night together with some Japanese public officials and hit a Chinese
restaurant along the main road that runs through town. A quick head
count and I calculated that 1/5th of my colleagues were sitting at the
table, and that wasn't counting a few people that were not in the
capital since they were working in the more rural areas of Ethiopia, in
addition to one more person arriving Wednesday. Some people will be here
for only a week or so; others, like myself, for about a month.
We sat around two large tables with glass lazy susan centerpieces to
rotate the dishes around the table. At first we ordered a round of beers
and later a few bottles of locally produced red wine. I sat next to a
senior Japanese official who had developed a penchant for South African
wines after living there for a few years on assignment. We talked about
the different kinds of wine we liked and he recommended a few S. African
bottlers I might enjoy. Apparently he had been importing S. African
wines to Japan for a few years, although he was no longer involved in
doing so.
It was an enjoyable first night back in Addis Ababa and fun to see so
many of my colleagues congregate outside of Japan. I found everyone to
be a little more laid back and at ease than they are at office parties
in Tokyo. The conversation moved around the table along with the dishes
on the lazy susans. Since we are all posted away from our family and
friends in Japan, it was nice to have this in-group while overseas,
briefly talking about work and at length about good restaurants to visit
or interesting things we've seen. After dinner, we all crowded outside
the entrance to the restaurant and gradually headed back to our
respective hotels, some of us saying "See you back in Japan" at the end
of the night. All the people on my project were staying nearby so we
walked in the cool evening air back to our guest house together.
various development studies and projects. Most of them are related to
water resources, but they range from human development to equipment
procurement to drilling operations. We all got together for dinner last
night together with some Japanese public officials and hit a Chinese
restaurant along the main road that runs through town. A quick head
count and I calculated that 1/5th of my colleagues were sitting at the
table, and that wasn't counting a few people that were not in the
capital since they were working in the more rural areas of Ethiopia, in
addition to one more person arriving Wednesday. Some people will be here
for only a week or so; others, like myself, for about a month.
We sat around two large tables with glass lazy susan centerpieces to
rotate the dishes around the table. At first we ordered a round of beers
and later a few bottles of locally produced red wine. I sat next to a
senior Japanese official who had developed a penchant for South African
wines after living there for a few years on assignment. We talked about
the different kinds of wine we liked and he recommended a few S. African
bottlers I might enjoy. Apparently he had been importing S. African
wines to Japan for a few years, although he was no longer involved in
doing so.
It was an enjoyable first night back in Addis Ababa and fun to see so
many of my colleagues congregate outside of Japan. I found everyone to
be a little more laid back and at ease than they are at office parties
in Tokyo. The conversation moved around the table along with the dishes
on the lazy susans. Since we are all posted away from our family and
friends in Japan, it was nice to have this in-group while overseas,
briefly talking about work and at length about good restaurants to visit
or interesting things we've seen. After dinner, we all crowded outside
the entrance to the restaurant and gradually headed back to our
respective hotels, some of us saying "See you back in Japan" at the end
of the night. All the people on my project were staying nearby so we
walked in the cool evening air back to our guest house together.
--------------------------------------
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Good to see you again
The project director met us in the airport lobby as we exited from the
arrivals area and we headed out to the parking lot where I saw Dereje,
our driver, sitting in the car. I waved and he waved back and got out of
the car to shake hands and bump shoulders. In Ethiopia, friends often
greet each other this way, by bumping opposite shoulders, sometimes also
followed by kissing each others cheeks (a seeming European import, but
people I've spoken to insist the custom developed in Ethiopia naturally
as well). Later, when we arrived at the Chez Glo guesthouse, the staff
met us at the entrance and it was hand shakes, shoulder bumps and cheek
kissing all around. It was nice to be greeted by so many friendly smiles.
After a shower and a change of clothes, we headed off to the water
technology center. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and people
said it was nice to see me again so soon, since originally I wasn't
slotted to return until October. I grabbed one of the open offices at
the end of the hall and set up my things.
Thus far, it has been a rare opportunity for me to return to the same
foreign country twice, and I found the second impression of Ethiopia to
be even better than the first. The people here are sincere and
welcoming, and I quickly fell into a familiar rapport with most of them.
Yesterday was a slow day just to settle in and get over the jet lag, so
I enjoyed getting a coffee in the cafeteria and talking leisurely with
some of the instructors. At the end of the day, although my body was
ready to rest, my spirit had been lifted.
arrivals area and we headed out to the parking lot where I saw Dereje,
our driver, sitting in the car. I waved and he waved back and got out of
the car to shake hands and bump shoulders. In Ethiopia, friends often
greet each other this way, by bumping opposite shoulders, sometimes also
followed by kissing each others cheeks (a seeming European import, but
people I've spoken to insist the custom developed in Ethiopia naturally
as well). Later, when we arrived at the Chez Glo guesthouse, the staff
met us at the entrance and it was hand shakes, shoulder bumps and cheek
kissing all around. It was nice to be greeted by so many friendly smiles.
After a shower and a change of clothes, we headed off to the water
technology center. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and people
said it was nice to see me again so soon, since originally I wasn't
slotted to return until October. I grabbed one of the open offices at
the end of the hall and set up my things.
Thus far, it has been a rare opportunity for me to return to the same
foreign country twice, and I found the second impression of Ethiopia to
be even better than the first. The people here are sincere and
welcoming, and I quickly fell into a familiar rapport with most of them.
Yesterday was a slow day just to settle in and get over the jet lag, so
I enjoyed getting a coffee in the cafeteria and talking leisurely with
some of the instructors. At the end of the day, although my body was
ready to rest, my spirit had been lifted.
33K
The flight from Dubai to Addis on Emirates was packed, with most people,
as I found out later, traveling beyond Addis Ababa to another
destination (never did catch where). I found my seat at 33J just as the
guy sitting next to me was settling in. I sat down and opened up my
magazine to read until the plane was up in the air and the entertainment
was switched on. There was a selection of about 5 movies and I picked
the most promising one, a comedy starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer
Aniston called Marley & Me. Soon the meal cart came and I ordered the
cheese omelet, as did the guy in 33K. The drink cart followed and I
selected apple juice. 33K ordered a beer to go with his omelet...at 9:30am.
I ate my meal and continued watching Marley & Me, forgetting about 33K
until the flight attendant came around to collect the trays. She took my
tray and then reached over to grab the next one. She had a rather
surprised look on her face so I glanced over and saw that 33K and pulled
his blanket completely over his head to sleep, so I was essentially
sitting next to Casper the ghost. Nevertheless, the guy seemed to be
sleeping peacefully so I didn't pay much mind to it and continued
watching the movie. However, later, as the credits were rolling, I
noticed a stench wafting in and realized that 33K must have expelled all
the gas in his body and it was now slowly and steadily seeping out from
underneath the blanket. To a certain degree I can understand that
other-people's-flatulence is something passengers must deal with, but it
usually dissipates into the circulating cabin air rather quickly.
However, since Casper was trapping it under his blanket, I was getting a
steady stream of digested cheese omelet and beer. I quickly ejected
myself from my seat and shuffled up the aisle to stand next to the
lavatories where the air was fresher.
as I found out later, traveling beyond Addis Ababa to another
destination (never did catch where). I found my seat at 33J just as the
guy sitting next to me was settling in. I sat down and opened up my
magazine to read until the plane was up in the air and the entertainment
was switched on. There was a selection of about 5 movies and I picked
the most promising one, a comedy starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer
Aniston called Marley & Me. Soon the meal cart came and I ordered the
cheese omelet, as did the guy in 33K. The drink cart followed and I
selected apple juice. 33K ordered a beer to go with his omelet...at 9:30am.
I ate my meal and continued watching Marley & Me, forgetting about 33K
until the flight attendant came around to collect the trays. She took my
tray and then reached over to grab the next one. She had a rather
surprised look on her face so I glanced over and saw that 33K and pulled
his blanket completely over his head to sleep, so I was essentially
sitting next to Casper the ghost. Nevertheless, the guy seemed to be
sleeping peacefully so I didn't pay much mind to it and continued
watching the movie. However, later, as the credits were rolling, I
noticed a stench wafting in and realized that 33K must have expelled all
the gas in his body and it was now slowly and steadily seeping out from
underneath the blanket. To a certain degree I can understand that
other-people's-flatulence is something passengers must deal with, but it
usually dissipates into the circulating cabin air rather quickly.
However, since Casper was trapping it under his blanket, I was getting a
steady stream of digested cheese omelet and beer. I quickly ejected
myself from my seat and shuffled up the aisle to stand next to the
lavatories where the air was fresher.
Looking for trouble
After landing at Addis Ababa airport, I got in line at Immigration. I had filled out a landing card on the plane writing down my name, passport number, visa number and type, purpose of trip, etc. My visa was a "VB" type, and I couldn't remember if I had gotten the business or the visitors' visa. I wrote my purpose was tourism just to be on the safe side, but my coworker, who also had a VB visa, wrote his purpose was business. Thankfully we both passed through Immigration without incident, so maybe VB stood for either visitors or business purposes.
Next, we picked up our luggage and stood in line to pass it through the x-ray machine at customs. As we lined up, we noticed dozens of people exiting the baggage area without having their luggage checked. I thought maybe these were passengers from a domestic flight, but couldn't be sure. In any case, we stayed in line and I put my luggage on the conveyor belt. The customs attendant viewed the contents on his screen and then asked me open up my large bag. I unzipped it and he pointed to my toiletries bag. "What's this?" he demanded, so I unzipped it and he glanced inside seeing toothpaste, a bar of soap, a razor and other essentials. He didn't inspect it further, but instead started pointing to other objects and picking them up asking in rapid fire "What's this, what's this, what's this?" and promptly putting each item back down: a non-translucent plastic bag containing over-the-counter medicines marked only in Japanese, a camouflage-colored bag containing writing utensils, a stapler and such... and then he pointed to a book. None of these things would be incriminating, but I wasn't looking forward to the hassle that this could potentially blow up into. However, he put each item down immediately, not waiting for an answer, and when he asked about the book, which I thought was exceedingly obviously a book, I just stopped and waited for him to continue inspecting my bag. Instead, he seemed to suddenly lose all interest and walked back to his x-ray machine and continue checking bags, since the line had been getting longer. I stood there abandoned for a second wondering if I should unpack the things he had asked about and wait for him to come back.
Now, just to note, when traveling, I try to follow a code of not looking for trouble, which means that if you don't want any trouble, don't be so cautious that trouble finds you. My policy is to look for no trouble and head in that direction instead. I glanced to my right and saw the exit was unobstructed about 30 feet away. So it didn't take me another half-second to come to my senses, close up my luggage, throw it on my cart and stroll out of the customs area. I broke my rule ever-so-slightly by glancing back to see if I was making a clean getaway, but luckily I had and the customs attendant had seemingly forgotten all about me.
Next, we picked up our luggage and stood in line to pass it through the x-ray machine at customs. As we lined up, we noticed dozens of people exiting the baggage area without having their luggage checked. I thought maybe these were passengers from a domestic flight, but couldn't be sure. In any case, we stayed in line and I put my luggage on the conveyor belt. The customs attendant viewed the contents on his screen and then asked me open up my large bag. I unzipped it and he pointed to my toiletries bag. "What's this?" he demanded, so I unzipped it and he glanced inside seeing toothpaste, a bar of soap, a razor and other essentials. He didn't inspect it further, but instead started pointing to other objects and picking them up asking in rapid fire "What's this, what's this, what's this?" and promptly putting each item back down: a non-translucent plastic bag containing over-the-counter medicines marked only in Japanese, a camouflage-colored bag containing writing utensils, a stapler and such... and then he pointed to a book. None of these things would be incriminating, but I wasn't looking forward to the hassle that this could potentially blow up into. However, he put each item down immediately, not waiting for an answer, and when he asked about the book, which I thought was exceedingly obviously a book, I just stopped and waited for him to continue inspecting my bag. Instead, he seemed to suddenly lose all interest and walked back to his x-ray machine and continue checking bags, since the line had been getting longer. I stood there abandoned for a second wondering if I should unpack the things he had asked about and wait for him to come back.
Now, just to note, when traveling, I try to follow a code of not looking for trouble, which means that if you don't want any trouble, don't be so cautious that trouble finds you. My policy is to look for no trouble and head in that direction instead. I glanced to my right and saw the exit was unobstructed about 30 feet away. So it didn't take me another half-second to come to my senses, close up my luggage, throw it on my cart and stroll out of the customs area. I broke my rule ever-so-slightly by glancing back to see if I was making a clean getaway, but luckily I had and the customs attendant had seemingly forgotten all about me.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Didn't want the flight to end
I guess not many people fly from Osaka to Dubai (UAE) on Sundays; there
were more open seats than passengers on my flight. That meant that I had
34H, along with seats I and J too. Emirates is a great airline with
friendly service, tons of amenities and entertainment. There are large
screens on the back of every seat (which is common for international
flights these days), but they had hundreds of movies, TV shows, whole
CDs, and mostly new releases (I watched Yes Man and Bedtime Stories).
There was also a power outlet for a laptop, not to mention a USB slot if
you wanted to view your pictures on the screen (say, on the way back
from vacation). And since I had 3 seats, that meant I could watch a
movie on one, have flight information displayed on another, and the
third seat was used to pile up all the extra blankets, pillows, empty
wine bottles... :) Apparently we had caught a good tail wind because we
arrived almost an hour early. I reluctantly exited the plane to wait for
my next flight in the airport.
were more open seats than passengers on my flight. That meant that I had
34H, along with seats I and J too. Emirates is a great airline with
friendly service, tons of amenities and entertainment. There are large
screens on the back of every seat (which is common for international
flights these days), but they had hundreds of movies, TV shows, whole
CDs, and mostly new releases (I watched Yes Man and Bedtime Stories).
There was also a power outlet for a laptop, not to mention a USB slot if
you wanted to view your pictures on the screen (say, on the way back
from vacation). And since I had 3 seats, that meant I could watch a
movie on one, have flight information displayed on another, and the
third seat was used to pile up all the extra blankets, pillows, empty
wine bottles... :) Apparently we had caught a good tail wind because we
arrived almost an hour early. I reluctantly exited the plane to wait for
my next flight in the airport.
This was in great contrast to my experience on the way from Tokyo to
Osaka. I got to Haneda airport later than I had planned due to a train
delay, so I was literally given the very last seat on the plane--all the
way in the back, a window seat, two people deep. The flight was short,
but I asked for a Sprite when the drink cart came my way. The flight
attendant told me she only had Coke and filled a dentist-sized paper cup
to the brim and passed it over by placing it in the middle of her palm
and presenting it like a peace offering. I took the cup, but as soon as
she removed her hand, the flimsy cup collapsed. I could do nothing more
than pinch my fingers together to keep the cup from plummeting onto the
lap of the girl sitting next to me, but quite a bit of sticky, brown
cola still overflowed and spilled onto her skirt. I let out a gasp and
the flight attendant immediately went into groveling mode, trying to fix
the mess by throwing wet towelettes at it. The wet naps were
surprisingly absorbent though, so I was spared too much shame and my
fellow passengers waved their hands in forgiveness.
Hmm...come to think of it, maybe someone radioed ahead and made sure I
was given my own row on the following flight?!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Preparations
My latest assignment will begin this Sunday when I leave for Addis Ababa again. Apparently the work I managed to accomplish in between blog posts was valued enough that I was asked to return.
Despite the short notice, I've pretty much gotten everything in order for my trip. I even made time to go for an annual health check-up, which I went to this morning. I'll get the full results back later, but so far everything says "healthy".
Over the past month we had a training seminar at our office and I received a lot of helpful information for work. Using the manual we were given, I have prepared much more this time than before. Plus, it helps that this will be my second trip to Ethiopia and I know what to expect. For example, I plan to bring ear plugs to foil the stray dogs' attempts to wake up the neighborhood at 4am. I'm also bringing a floppy disk drive, since we are forbidden by our company to use USB flash memory drives due to the risk of computer viruses. It was a real challenge to exchange information with our Ethiopian counterparts without having Internet at the center and not being able to use USB memory (plus some people didn't have CD-RW drives).
In any case, I'll take tomorrow off work to get some extra things done and pack early so I can send my luggage ahead of me to Haneda airport. My flight leaves Sunday evening so I'll get to Addis around noon on Monday, April 27th. Wish me luck.
Despite the short notice, I've pretty much gotten everything in order for my trip. I even made time to go for an annual health check-up, which I went to this morning. I'll get the full results back later, but so far everything says "healthy".
Over the past month we had a training seminar at our office and I received a lot of helpful information for work. Using the manual we were given, I have prepared much more this time than before. Plus, it helps that this will be my second trip to Ethiopia and I know what to expect. For example, I plan to bring ear plugs to foil the stray dogs' attempts to wake up the neighborhood at 4am. I'm also bringing a floppy disk drive, since we are forbidden by our company to use USB flash memory drives due to the risk of computer viruses. It was a real challenge to exchange information with our Ethiopian counterparts without having Internet at the center and not being able to use USB memory (plus some people didn't have CD-RW drives).
In any case, I'll take tomorrow off work to get some extra things done and pack early so I can send my luggage ahead of me to Haneda airport. My flight leaves Sunday evening so I'll get to Addis around noon on Monday, April 27th. Wish me luck.
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