After a very busy week at work, I was glad to reach Saturday and have a
day of rest. J and I slept in and then ordered breakfast to the room
while we watched the movie "Men In Black". After a while, the maid came
to make up the room so we went out for a while to return a DVD we'd
rented (500 Days of Summer) and stroll around the neighborhood. We found
a coffee shop called "Karibou Coffee" which looked pretty nice--even
though I'm pretty sure they don't have any caribou in Ethiopia--but we'd
just had breakfast so we walked on by. A few minutes later a wedding
procession passed by; in Ethiopia you'll often see a string of white
sedans driving down the road honking their horns with a camera man on
the back of a pickup truck at the head of the line taping the whole
thing. They were rolling along pretty slowly and came to a stop nearby.
Some of the members of the wedding party changed cars and then they
headed off again. At that, we headed back to our hotel and found that
the maid was finished, so we plopped ourselves back on the sofa.
We did manage to be somewhat productive though; J has been studying
English vocabulary for her TOEIC test in November and I've been making
progress on my Español for my upcoming return to S. America. Pretty
funny considering there are only other foreigners in this hotel--Italian
guy across the hall, an Arab couple at the other end of the floor, and
an Indian guy in the middle room-- so the staff say we are the Japanese
people, even though neither of us is Japanese. It's a regular tower of
Babel here!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
I think I can
My friend P was entertaining our taxi driver on the way to the Top View restaurant, located at the top of a high precipice in Addis Ababa, when the small, blue Lada reached a steep incline and its engine began to rev. I began to chant "I think I can, I think I can," but the tiny car came to a stop and the driver, apologizing, backed the car back down the hill to make a second attempt in a lower gear. When that didn't work, we did the only thing we could think of--we got out to see if the car could go the remaining 100 meters or so to clear the slope. As we exited the car, a number of young children surrounded us and we all watched the taxi inch its way a bit further to no real avail. Suddenly a few of the boys began pushing the taxi and making some progress. I was about to tell them not to do such a dangerous thing, but then I saw P throw his weight behind the small Lada as well. Still with a ways to go, I ran and joined them too, and soon enough the taxi had cleared the slope. We waved thanks to the kids and jumped back in and the driver took us the rest of the way. No doubt, it was an interesting way to work up our appetites before the meal.
(*Click HERE for an image of the Lada)
(*Click HERE for an image of the Lada)
Friendly Fire
Tonight we met a Japanese friend of mine, P, who is working in Addis Ababa on a year contract with Ethiopian Airlines. He has actually been working for Ethiopian Airlines for about 30 years, but usually is stationed in Tokyo, so this is his first long-stay in Ethiopia, but he knows this country well. Not only is P extremely well traveled, he is a fellow Toastmaster and he knows how to "work a room" whether it be 30 people or 3; he had us laughing til our sides hurt more than a few times during the evening.
We met in our hotel lobby and chatted for a while before deciding to take a taxi up to Top View, one of the finest restaurants in Addis, known for its spectacular view of the city from atop a high precipice. On the way, the taxi driver asked P if he was Chinese, but P didn't miss a beat in saying, "Me? No, I'm from North Korea. You like North Korea?" The driver must've been somewhat surprised, but seemed compelled to say yes, he liked North Korea. P went on, "Yes, we don't have much money, but we have spirit... and a nuclear missile!" Five minutes into the taxi ride, P had taught the driver to say hello and thank you in Korean, Chinese and Japanese and they were chatting like old friends.
We met in our hotel lobby and chatted for a while before deciding to take a taxi up to Top View, one of the finest restaurants in Addis, known for its spectacular view of the city from atop a high precipice. On the way, the taxi driver asked P if he was Chinese, but P didn't miss a beat in saying, "Me? No, I'm from North Korea. You like North Korea?" The driver must've been somewhat surprised, but seemed compelled to say yes, he liked North Korea. P went on, "Yes, we don't have much money, but we have spirit... and a nuclear missile!" Five minutes into the taxi ride, P had taught the driver to say hello and thank you in Korean, Chinese and Japanese and they were chatting like old friends.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Gati Thai
Tuesday, J came to the training center with me and hung out with me in
my office. At the end of the day we decided to go out for Thai food so
we had Abebe drop us off at Gati Thai, just north of Bole Road, across
from the UNHCR office. When we pulled in, it was about 5:30pm and the
place looked deserted; most people in Addis Ababa seem to eat around 7
or 9. Nevertheless, we were welcomed inside and took a table by the
window. The waiter took our order of egg rolls, green curry rice with
tofu, tom koh soup with shrimp, and a sweet noodle dish with beef, along
with a Pepsi and a St. George's beer. Soon after, a few others came to
the restaurant, and as we ate our huge meal at our leisure, the place
filled up. In the evening, Gati Thai keeps the room dimly lit with
candles on each table, so we enjoyed the ambiance. Around 7, we asked
for the bill and I asked the waiter if he could call a taxi for us.
my office. At the end of the day we decided to go out for Thai food so
we had Abebe drop us off at Gati Thai, just north of Bole Road, across
from the UNHCR office. When we pulled in, it was about 5:30pm and the
place looked deserted; most people in Addis Ababa seem to eat around 7
or 9. Nevertheless, we were welcomed inside and took a table by the
window. The waiter took our order of egg rolls, green curry rice with
tofu, tom koh soup with shrimp, and a sweet noodle dish with beef, along
with a Pepsi and a St. George's beer. Soon after, a few others came to
the restaurant, and as we ate our huge meal at our leisure, the place
filled up. In the evening, Gati Thai keeps the room dimly lit with
candles on each table, so we enjoyed the ambiance. Around 7, we asked
for the bill and I asked the waiter if he could call a taxi for us.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
"Lost", Part V: The Season Finale
Tonight: Ethiopia presents the season finalé to "Lost".
(See Part I, II, III and IV for backstory.)
Monday night we got a phone call as promised from Amir of Emirates Airlines, although he didn't have any new updates on the status of the baggage. However, as luck would have it, J had checked her e-mail when we got back to the hotel and found an e-mail from Malaysia Airlines. It stated that a bag they believed to be hers had been located and to contact them by mail or telephone. In the subject line was a new identification "case" number, so I told this to Amir and he said he would contact Emirates' Malaysia office right away with the news.
The following morning I received a phone call from another Emirates representative confirming that they had contacted Malaysia and the contents of the bag matched. I requested that they send the bag immediately and the rep said she would call me again with any new information, but we could expect to be contacted by Bole Airport Baggage Services if the bag arrived. Sure enough, Wednesday afternoon I received a phone call saying that the bag had arrived and we should come to claim it, so after I was finished at the office, our driver Abebe drove me to pick up J at the hotel and then we headed over to the airport.
The airport security attendants would only let two of us in to claim the baggage, so Abebe went to cover any Amaharic language problems since J is holding her own with English these days. I waited outside the main doors with the security guys and chatted with them for a while until, about 10 minutes later, my phone rang; it was J and they were at the exit. I excused myself from the security penalty box and the guys waved goodbye as I hustled down the walkway toward J. Soon I could see she was standing next to her bag so I pulled out my camera and snapped a photo of Abebe, J and her bag.
After some rejoicing and welcoming the bag back from its week vacation in Malaysia, we headed back to the car and then the hotel. The bag was still in fair condition and all the contents were there, although it was apparent that the bag had been opened by the airlines, but nothing was broken. J put her things away, finally feeling she had fully arrived; the feeling that she was missing something had dissolved. The following day, wearing her own clothes which she had packed for the trip, she accompanied me to the water technology center and finally met all the staff.
(See Part I, II, III and IV for backstory.)
Monday night we got a phone call as promised from Amir of Emirates Airlines, although he didn't have any new updates on the status of the baggage. However, as luck would have it, J had checked her e-mail when we got back to the hotel and found an e-mail from Malaysia Airlines. It stated that a bag they believed to be hers had been located and to contact them by mail or telephone. In the subject line was a new identification "case" number, so I told this to Amir and he said he would contact Emirates' Malaysia office right away with the news.
The following morning I received a phone call from another Emirates representative confirming that they had contacted Malaysia and the contents of the bag matched. I requested that they send the bag immediately and the rep said she would call me again with any new information, but we could expect to be contacted by Bole Airport Baggage Services if the bag arrived. Sure enough, Wednesday afternoon I received a phone call saying that the bag had arrived and we should come to claim it, so after I was finished at the office, our driver Abebe drove me to pick up J at the hotel and then we headed over to the airport.
The airport security attendants would only let two of us in to claim the baggage, so Abebe went to cover any Amaharic language problems since J is holding her own with English these days. I waited outside the main doors with the security guys and chatted with them for a while until, about 10 minutes later, my phone rang; it was J and they were at the exit. I excused myself from the security penalty box and the guys waved goodbye as I hustled down the walkway toward J. Soon I could see she was standing next to her bag so I pulled out my camera and snapped a photo of Abebe, J and her bag.
After some rejoicing and welcoming the bag back from its week vacation in Malaysia, we headed back to the car and then the hotel. The bag was still in fair condition and all the contents were there, although it was apparent that the bag had been opened by the airlines, but nothing was broken. J put her things away, finally feeling she had fully arrived; the feeling that she was missing something had dissolved. The following day, wearing her own clothes which she had packed for the trip, she accompanied me to the water technology center and finally met all the staff.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Stuffed at Ajanta
After having buna at Tomoca Café, we headed back down to Bolé road at Rwanda Street. There, near my old haunt, Chez Glo, there is an excellent Indian restaurant, Ajanta. Since we were hungry and Ajanta was on my list of places to take J, we headed straight over and took a table. Not sure what was good on Ajanta's menu--they have some 150 items on it--J left it up to me to order, which I did so obligingly. First I ordered the tikka chicken and the saffron vegetable pulau rice, and then two of my favorite curries: palak paneer (spinach and cheese) and dal toor fry (yellow lentil). J wanted something cold and carbonated to drink, so I got her a 7up and ordered a Meta beer for myself.
The food came not too long after and J was impressed at the first bite; everything was excellent. After about three servings each of all the dishes, we raised the white napkin of surrender and had the rest of the dal, chicken and rice packed up to take home. The next day we took the leftovers to the center for a nice addition to the squash and onion stir-fry J had packed for lunch.
The food came not too long after and J was impressed at the first bite; everything was excellent. After about three servings each of all the dishes, we raised the white napkin of surrender and had the rest of the dal, chicken and rice packed up to take home. The next day we took the leftovers to the center for a nice addition to the squash and onion stir-fry J had packed for lunch.
There's coffee, and then there's coffee
Sunday J and I headed to Piassa where Tomoca Cafe is located. Tomoca is one of the oldest and certainly the most revered coffee dealer and cafe in Addis Ababa, and thus possibly all of Ethiopia. For a country that claims the origin of coffee itself, it is always a bit of a thrill to visit the fifty-year old cafe and enjoy a small glass of their buna (the word for coffee in Amaharic). We entered the cafe and I paid about 0.30 cents for two regular buna, took the yellow plastic chips over to the barrista at the back of the shop, and a moment later was carrying two glasses of their rich brew to a standing counter where J was waiting.
The coffee was strong and bitter, which suited me just fine, and J decided to add some sugar to hers. I usually avoid adding sugar to a good coffee since it can easily become too sweet and drown out the taste of the coffee, but tasting hers I was amazed to find that the sugar didn't dilute the taste of the coffee at all, it just balanced the acidity so that it was a little smoother to ones taste buds. Naturally, this has to do with just how much sugar you add, but I also attribute it to the quality of the coffee beans and the brewing method.
The coffee was strong and bitter, which suited me just fine, and J decided to add some sugar to hers. I usually avoid adding sugar to a good coffee since it can easily become too sweet and drown out the taste of the coffee, but tasting hers I was amazed to find that the sugar didn't dilute the taste of the coffee at all, it just balanced the acidity so that it was a little smoother to ones taste buds. Naturally, this has to do with just how much sugar you add, but I also attribute it to the quality of the coffee beans and the brewing method.
Those who wait
I had been planning to take J to the French restaurant Loti while we are
here in Addis Ababa, so Saturday we headed down to the intersection of
Bole and Ethio-China road by mini bus and then took a 5 minute walk over
to the restaurant. When I visited Loti last April I had been impressed
with their excellent leg of lamb, which I planned to order again, and J
was eyeing a pork dish on the menu that looked promising. However, when
the waiter came to take our order, he told us that they were out of both
lamb and pork. We glanced over the menu again, but in the end I decided
to come back another time. The waiter said he was very sorry, and they
would have the items soon, so I said we would come back next weekend. It
was a shame they didn't have the lamb or the pork, but it could say
something for the integrity of their food--I should hope--that they keep
things fresh or not at all. Nevertheless, we will give Loti a call next
weekend and make sure they have the dishes we want, and then head down
for some excellent French cuisine and possibly a couple glasses of wine.
here in Addis Ababa, so Saturday we headed down to the intersection of
Bole and Ethio-China road by mini bus and then took a 5 minute walk over
to the restaurant. When I visited Loti last April I had been impressed
with their excellent leg of lamb, which I planned to order again, and J
was eyeing a pork dish on the menu that looked promising. However, when
the waiter came to take our order, he told us that they were out of both
lamb and pork. We glanced over the menu again, but in the end I decided
to come back another time. The waiter said he was very sorry, and they
would have the items soon, so I said we would come back next weekend. It
was a shame they didn't have the lamb or the pork, but it could say
something for the integrity of their food--I should hope--that they keep
things fresh or not at all. Nevertheless, we will give Loti a call next
weekend and make sure they have the dishes we want, and then head down
for some excellent French cuisine and possibly a couple glasses of wine.
Water Treatment Visit
On Friday we took a day trip to the capital of Oromia, Adama (also known
as Nazare) to visit a water treatment plant. The Awash River flows
through this area, and where the river turns sharply, they have set up a
number of raw water pumps to supply the facility. The setup is similar
to what you would see in Japan or other countries, with the water going
through a series of sediment pools to clear out any large and then
smaller particles before it goes through a treatment process with chlorine.
The purpose of the trip was for water supply engineers in training to
see an actual example of water treatment, meet with the chemist and pump
technician, and ask any questions they may have. The students were all
eager and taking notes during the 90 minute tour, and it was interesting
for me as well.
We finished the visit just after noon, so J and I headed to the town
center with Dereje and had a late lunch. Since it was Friday, a day of
fasting in Ethiopia which means Orthodox Christians do not eat animal
products, we had a vegetarian meal of enjera, wat and vegetables, which
was filling and tasted good. Following an after-meal macchiato, we got
back on the road for the 2-hour trip back to Addis. Reaching our hotel
just before 5pm and J and I collapsed on the sofa for a while.
as Nazare) to visit a water treatment plant. The Awash River flows
through this area, and where the river turns sharply, they have set up a
number of raw water pumps to supply the facility. The setup is similar
to what you would see in Japan or other countries, with the water going
through a series of sediment pools to clear out any large and then
smaller particles before it goes through a treatment process with chlorine.
The purpose of the trip was for water supply engineers in training to
see an actual example of water treatment, meet with the chemist and pump
technician, and ask any questions they may have. The students were all
eager and taking notes during the 90 minute tour, and it was interesting
for me as well.
We finished the visit just after noon, so J and I headed to the town
center with Dereje and had a late lunch. Since it was Friday, a day of
fasting in Ethiopia which means Orthodox Christians do not eat animal
products, we had a vegetarian meal of enjera, wat and vegetables, which
was filling and tasted good. Following an after-meal macchiato, we got
back on the road for the 2-hour trip back to Addis. Reaching our hotel
just before 5pm and J and I collapsed on the sofa for a while.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
"LOST", Part IV
See Part I, II and III for backstory. We are entering the final stretch!
On Monday morning I printed out the online case file created for J. Looking it over on paper, I realized that there were a number of mistakes that could be preventing the location of the bag; not only had they mistaken the color of the luggage, the flight call letters were for the wrong airline--Ethiopia (ET) instead of Emirates (EK), and the last two numbers for the luggage tag were wrong. So we headed over to the airport and showed the mistakes to Baggage Services. They updated the case file and said it would take two or three hours for the system to complete the new search.
Next we headed up to the Emirates "upstairs office", where a very nice guy named Amir told us to take a seat, listened to the details of the case, and wasted no time in trying to do everything he could to remedy the whole debacle. First thing he did was to issue the "incidentals compensation" which J was owed since she was a passenger away from her home address and her luggage was delayed for over 3 days. Then he emailed the Emirates offices in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur directly with the correct information so they could also conduct the search internally. I was also pleased when Amir agreed with me that Baggage Services had completely botched the job and he took special note of the name Zeb written on the bottom of J's claim document.
Since Amir was on the case and J now had some cash in her pocket, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the shopping center. Amir promised to call me that evening to confirm the reply from the other Emirates offices, and would continue to contact me by telephone with any new information or at regular intervals, whichever came first; this guy had obviously aced his hospitality test in Airline school. As we exited the upstairs office, I looked ahead and saw a half-dozen window washers hanging from the rafters with squeegees in hand. "Ah, I think I see a future job for Zeb!" I announced, and we had a laugh.
15 minutes later we were at Friendship Shopping Center and J was checking out some new tops and trying on a pair of jeans. Next we hit a shop for J to buy face wash and face lotion, which she had been sorely missing. Lastly, we stopped at the grocery store on the basement level and picked up a few things to cook at home since our hotel room has a modest kitchenette. Feeling hopeful, we headed back to the hotel and awaited news from Amir.
On Monday morning I printed out the online case file created for J. Looking it over on paper, I realized that there were a number of mistakes that could be preventing the location of the bag; not only had they mistaken the color of the luggage, the flight call letters were for the wrong airline--Ethiopia (ET) instead of Emirates (EK), and the last two numbers for the luggage tag were wrong. So we headed over to the airport and showed the mistakes to Baggage Services. They updated the case file and said it would take two or three hours for the system to complete the new search.
Next we headed up to the Emirates "upstairs office", where a very nice guy named Amir told us to take a seat, listened to the details of the case, and wasted no time in trying to do everything he could to remedy the whole debacle. First thing he did was to issue the "incidentals compensation" which J was owed since she was a passenger away from her home address and her luggage was delayed for over 3 days. Then he emailed the Emirates offices in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur directly with the correct information so they could also conduct the search internally. I was also pleased when Amir agreed with me that Baggage Services had completely botched the job and he took special note of the name Zeb written on the bottom of J's claim document.
Since Amir was on the case and J now had some cash in her pocket, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the shopping center. Amir promised to call me that evening to confirm the reply from the other Emirates offices, and would continue to contact me by telephone with any new information or at regular intervals, whichever came first; this guy had obviously aced his hospitality test in Airline school. As we exited the upstairs office, I looked ahead and saw a half-dozen window washers hanging from the rafters with squeegees in hand. "Ah, I think I see a future job for Zeb!" I announced, and we had a laugh.
15 minutes later we were at Friendship Shopping Center and J was checking out some new tops and trying on a pair of jeans. Next we hit a shop for J to buy face wash and face lotion, which she had been sorely missing. Lastly, we stopped at the grocery store on the basement level and picked up a few things to cook at home since our hotel room has a modest kitchenette. Feeling hopeful, we headed back to the hotel and awaited news from Amir.
"Lost", Part III
See Part I and Part II for backstory
On Friday we returned to Addis Ababa, still with no word from Baggage Services at Bole Airport. Our assistant K had called everyday and was told there was no new information but there was always the (rare) possibility that the bag could arrive on the next flight in. Luckily I had brought most of the essentials and J had taken to wearing my undershirts when we were in our room, so her new clothes were still relatively fresh.
Saturday evening my coworker M was headed back to Japan so we accompanied him to the airport. After bidding him adieu, we headed over to the baggage claim where there was a desk for delayed luggage. We spoke to a well-mannered young guy about what was being done to find the luggage since nothing had turned up yet. He told us that the file J created on Wednesday when she arrived was being used to search a global network, and he had no doubt the bag would eventually be found. He also suggested that since the bag had been delayed for more than 3 days that we fill out a report of the contents of the luggage. We realized that we really needed to get online and look up more information on how this whole search operation worked and what our rights were, so before giving them any more information we decided to go over to talk to an Emirates representative to see if there was anything they could do.
We didn't know where the Emirates office was so we just went to check-in, where we said hello to M again since he was still waiting in line. Nevertheless, we found a few Emirates service assistants that looked like they had some time on their hands anyway; two girls and three guys, trying to spray each other with a big ol' bottle of duty free perfume--luckily one of them was more interested in doing his job and came over to assist us. After pressing upon him the stresses of being abroad with no luggage, he radioed his office and informed us that since a flight was leaving in an hour, all staff were out of the upstairs office for the next hour; however, he assured us that we would be able to claim an "incidental compensation" because the bag was delayed for more than 3 days. Somewhat reassured that we were not simply being swept under the carpet, and since we'd already been at the airport for nearly 45 minutes, we decided to come back the next day and just fill out the baggage contents report back at Baggage Services.
That evening I searched Emirates and Malaysia Airlines' homepages for information on delayed luggage and found some documents in legal-speak about our rights (with lots of references to the Montreal and Warsaw Conventions; Wha?!), but also found an online search engine for luggage provided by the carriers. We entered her case number and last name and her file came up, showing her flight information, the type of bag, and so forth. We also saw they had entered the contents we reported and were feeling a bit better informed at least, but then I noticed that the luggage color they had listed was wrong; it was beige and brown, not black. However, it was late and there was little we could do then and there, so I bookmarked the page so I could print it out at the office on Monday if need be.
On Friday we returned to Addis Ababa, still with no word from Baggage Services at Bole Airport. Our assistant K had called everyday and was told there was no new information but there was always the (rare) possibility that the bag could arrive on the next flight in. Luckily I had brought most of the essentials and J had taken to wearing my undershirts when we were in our room, so her new clothes were still relatively fresh.
Saturday evening my coworker M was headed back to Japan so we accompanied him to the airport. After bidding him adieu, we headed over to the baggage claim where there was a desk for delayed luggage. We spoke to a well-mannered young guy about what was being done to find the luggage since nothing had turned up yet. He told us that the file J created on Wednesday when she arrived was being used to search a global network, and he had no doubt the bag would eventually be found. He also suggested that since the bag had been delayed for more than 3 days that we fill out a report of the contents of the luggage. We realized that we really needed to get online and look up more information on how this whole search operation worked and what our rights were, so before giving them any more information we decided to go over to talk to an Emirates representative to see if there was anything they could do.
We didn't know where the Emirates office was so we just went to check-in, where we said hello to M again since he was still waiting in line. Nevertheless, we found a few Emirates service assistants that looked like they had some time on their hands anyway; two girls and three guys, trying to spray each other with a big ol' bottle of duty free perfume--luckily one of them was more interested in doing his job and came over to assist us. After pressing upon him the stresses of being abroad with no luggage, he radioed his office and informed us that since a flight was leaving in an hour, all staff were out of the upstairs office for the next hour; however, he assured us that we would be able to claim an "incidental compensation" because the bag was delayed for more than 3 days. Somewhat reassured that we were not simply being swept under the carpet, and since we'd already been at the airport for nearly 45 minutes, we decided to come back the next day and just fill out the baggage contents report back at Baggage Services.
That evening I searched Emirates and Malaysia Airlines' homepages for information on delayed luggage and found some documents in legal-speak about our rights (with lots of references to the Montreal and Warsaw Conventions; Wha?!), but also found an online search engine for luggage provided by the carriers. We entered her case number and last name and her file came up, showing her flight information, the type of bag, and so forth. We also saw they had entered the contents we reported and were feeling a bit better informed at least, but then I noticed that the luggage color they had listed was wrong; it was beige and brown, not black. However, it was late and there was little we could do then and there, so I bookmarked the page so I could print it out at the office on Monday if need be.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
El Roie
El Roie is the name of the restaurant here at our hotel. Although we usually order room service in the mornings and eat breakfast while watching the BBC or checking email, today we headed down to the restaurant and had breakfast there. We were interested to try some things on the menu we hadn't had yet, like the "foul" and the "fateira", but didn't think we'd have much luck asking over the telephone. So we grabbed a table, asked for a menu and then asked what those two items were. The waitress told us that "foul" was beans, and when asked for more detail she said it was a bean soup, with black pepper, and was popular with guests from Sudan. The "fateira" was like a big chapati, she said; luckily I was familiar with the Indian fried flatbread. We ordered both items, and a couple of macchiatos. The "foul" soup actually ended up tasting pretty good, as did the fateira, which was served with sweet honey.
"Lost", Part II
On long flights, it's good to dress in comfortable clothes. However,
most people don't imagine that they will be wearing that same outfit for
the next week when the board the airplane. Similarly, J didn't expect
she would be roaring down the road to Awasa wearing beat-up old
sneakers, black velour pants and a green, zip-up Ambercrombie hoodie.
Before leaving for Awasa, she changed out of the off-white, high-neck
shirt she had on and borrowed a red t-shirt that I had, and although she
looked pretty comfy, hip-hop is not her usual style.
When we got to Awasa, night had already fallen but there were a couple
of shops across from the hotel that were still open. We quickly checked
into our room and then walked over with Dereje, who helped us
communicate with the shopkeepers. J decided that since she hadn't packed
any skirts, she would get one for (what she thought would be) the day or
two until her luggage arrived. She picked out a long, loose skirt that
had dark blue elephants and flowers on it (made in Thailand, go figure)
and after stopping at two more shops, she had a long-sleeve brown shirt
and some black slip-on shoes. Looking pretty cute in her new digs, we
thanked Dereje and then headed off to have dinner with a group of
Japanese volunteers that my coworker M had arranged to meet and had a
fun evening.
most people don't imagine that they will be wearing that same outfit for
the next week when the board the airplane. Similarly, J didn't expect
she would be roaring down the road to Awasa wearing beat-up old
sneakers, black velour pants and a green, zip-up Ambercrombie hoodie.
Before leaving for Awasa, she changed out of the off-white, high-neck
shirt she had on and borrowed a red t-shirt that I had, and although she
looked pretty comfy, hip-hop is not her usual style.
When we got to Awasa, night had already fallen but there were a couple
of shops across from the hotel that were still open. We quickly checked
into our room and then walked over with Dereje, who helped us
communicate with the shopkeepers. J decided that since she hadn't packed
any skirts, she would get one for (what she thought would be) the day or
two until her luggage arrived. She picked out a long, loose skirt that
had dark blue elephants and flowers on it (made in Thailand, go figure)
and after stopping at two more shops, she had a long-sleeve brown shirt
and some black slip-on shoes. Looking pretty cute in her new digs, we
thanked Dereje and then headed off to have dinner with a group of
Japanese volunteers that my coworker M had arranged to meet and had a
fun evening.
Why did the donkeys cross the road?
This morning in the car we had to slow down for two donkeys crossing the
road with loads of hay on their backs. They were crossing at the
crosswalk actually, and were hustling it pretty fast. Unfortunately
there was a fence between the road and the sidewalk and one of them
miscalculated his trajectory. One made it to the other side safely while
the other stopped and stood looking at the fence, unable to make the
four steps sideways that it would take to get past the fence. Drivers
are used to such things, so the poor guy was not in any eminent danger,
but I imagine he was feeling a little embarrassed about the whole thing.
road with loads of hay on their backs. They were crossing at the
crosswalk actually, and were hustling it pretty fast. Unfortunately
there was a fence between the road and the sidewalk and one of them
miscalculated his trajectory. One made it to the other side safely while
the other stopped and stood looking at the fence, unable to make the
four steps sideways that it would take to get past the fence. Drivers
are used to such things, so the poor guy was not in any eminent danger,
but I imagine he was feeling a little embarrassed about the whole thing.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Indifferent Eggs
The room service breakfast menu has a few attractive items, such as
french toast and pancakes, but I've been tempted since arriving here to
order the "Eggs indifferent style". I always assumed it meant they could
prepare eggs in your preferred style, and hence I suggested J ask for
"over-easy" the other day. In response, she was given orange juice and
an omelet, but today I thought I'd try my hand at ordering the eggs.
However, when I dialed the restaurant and asked what styles they could
prepare the eggs, I was told that it was a set dish: scrambled eggs
mixed with vegetables and tomato sauce. Well, it didn't sound bad so I
ordered it anyway, but was somewhat amused that the name on the menu was
pretty accurate; although I wanted eggs over-easy, when they told me
they didn't have that, I was pretty indifferent and got over it easily.
Plus, they really weren't half bad.
french toast and pancakes, but I've been tempted since arriving here to
order the "Eggs indifferent style". I always assumed it meant they could
prepare eggs in your preferred style, and hence I suggested J ask for
"over-easy" the other day. In response, she was given orange juice and
an omelet, but today I thought I'd try my hand at ordering the eggs.
However, when I dialed the restaurant and asked what styles they could
prepare the eggs, I was told that it was a set dish: scrambled eggs
mixed with vegetables and tomato sauce. Well, it didn't sound bad so I
ordered it anyway, but was somewhat amused that the name on the menu was
pretty accurate; although I wanted eggs over-easy, when they told me
they didn't have that, I was pretty indifferent and got over it easily.
Plus, they really weren't half bad.
Ethiopia Presents: "Lost", Part I
This is a story that deserves to be told in parts. Not only because it
took place over a week, but because we experienced it by getting new
information in small increments during that time.
took place over a week, but because we experienced it by getting new
information in small increments during that time.
When J departed Tokyo last Tuesday afternoon, she took Malaysia Airlines
to Kuala Lumpur, had a short layover, and then flew to Dubai, a port
city for the Middle East region. Once she got to Dubai, she had a short
flight on Emirates Airlines to Addis Ababa, arriving Wednesday morning.
When she left Tokyo, with the two layovers, she was happy to hear
Malaysia Airlines could check her luggage all the way through to Addis
Ababa, so she only had her hand luggage--a small travel bag with her
travel documents, wallet, camera, glasses, a book of Sudoku, gum and a
chapstick--for the duration of the trip.
I went to the airport at 11am and waited at the arrivals area, and was
relieved to see her through the doors over by the baggage claim. I
wasn't able to enter through the arrivals doors, so we just waved to
each other and she continued to wait for her luggage...for almost an
hour. Eventually she spoke with a baggage services attendant and had to
help them create a file on their system to locate the "delayed luggage"
(apparently, they don't use the word lost anymore). Finally, she exited
arrivals at 12:20 and we were reunited; although there was some sadness
in the air, I was happy she had arrived safe after her long trip. She
showed me the paper they had given her, a simple handwritten form with a
case number, the date, and the name Zeb scrawled at the bottom, who was
the girl who created the system file. J said said that baggage services
would call us when her suitcase arrived.
However, we were due to hit the road and head south to the city of Awasa
immediately, so after a brief stop at the hotel for her to freshen up,
we stopped at the center and I handed off the luggage papers to our
assistant in Addis Ababa and asked her to let me know if she heard
anything. I had packed a bag for our two days in Awasa, but J only had
her carry on bag. Unhindered, we jumped in the car with Dereje; at least
we had a book of Sudoku and some gum.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Orange Juice
Today we have a guest post by my wife, as follows:
This morning I called the restaurant to order room service for breakfast.
I asked him "Do you have over easy?"
He asked "Orange juice?"
I said "No, over easy",
He keep asking "Orange juice?"
I could see he didn't get it, so I changed the idea and told him "just give me an omelet",
He said, "OK!"
This morning I called the restaurant to order room service for breakfast.
I asked him "Do you have over easy?"
He asked "Orange juice?"
I said "No, over easy",
He keep asking "Orange juice?"
I could see he didn't get it, so I changed the idea and told him "just give me an omelet",
He said, "OK!"
Monday, October 19, 2009
Why we like Addis Ababa so much
Last Friday, after returning to Addis Ababa from Awasa, J said she could now appreciate the capital city. Although Awasa is a nice town overall, it pales in comparison to Addis. And of course one of Addis' star features is its plethora of restaurants. So that evening J and I and my two colleagues went to Aladdin (previously here and here and here), one of my favorite restaurants here, which serves great Armenian/Mediterranean dishes. As soon as we walked in, J said how amazing the place looked, with its tables and chairs draped in white cloths showing off the glimmering silverware and glasses, and the small fountain along one wall. I had the pleasure of ordering for us and I didn't hold back, requesting some favorites like the fattoush salad, the mixed kebab dish, fish palak and humous of course, as well as some other selections like an eggplant dish, mutabal and lentil soup. We all loved the food, and after dinner, J and I accompanied my coworker M to Bole Rock, a jazz bar in town, for a glass of red wine and to watch him play a number on the shakuhachi with the band.
Sunday's late lunch
On Sunday we slept in til about 10, had brunch at the hotel restaurant and then lazed around the hotel room for a while. I tried to catch up on some work, but got stir-crazy by the afternoon so we went down to Bole road by mini bus. I always think its fun to ride the mini buses along with the other Ethiopian locals. J even noticed that on the bus we took were a mother and daughter, a couple fashionable girls, and some intellectual looking guys. In fact, one guy who spoke good English helped us tell the driver where we wanted to be let off. When we got to our destination, we crossed the street and went to Makush Art Gallery and Restaurant, a great spot in downtown Addis to see some local artists' works and have a nice Italian meal. We ordered two vegetable soups, a tagliatelle topped with mushroom and zucchini, and a small spinach & eggplant pizza and then browsed the paintings as we waited for our food to arrive.
Day at the Museums
After getting back to Addis Ababa Friday night, the next day we woke up early, ordered room service for breakfast, and then headed out to the Ethnological Museum at Addis Ababa University. I had visited it before, in May, and had put it on my list of places to take J when she came. So I was happy to have a chance to stroll through the university campus together on a day with blue skies when many students were out sitting on the campus lawns chatting or reading. We walked to the building at the end of the path, the building which which used to be the palace of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, but now houses the museum, although the Emperor and Empress' bedroom has been preserved for viewing by museum patrons. The ethnological exhibit itself is extremely well done, introducing traditions of the many different tribes in Southern Ethiopia starting with birth rituals, then childhood games and folklore, continuing on to adulthood and marriage, then information about tribal livelihoods, coffee and food traditions, medicine, even warfare and, finally, death rituals.
One museum is usually enough for one day, but it was still early and the National Museum was nearby, where the exhibit of Lucy, the 3.2 million year old fossilized hominid bones, is shown. The National Museum also has some impressive paintings by national artists and other cultural artifacts, but can all be seen in about 30 minutes to an hour.
In between the two museums, we were able to take a stroll about 1 kilometer through town and stop at the cafe next to the National Museum, aptly called Lucy Cafe. I had been there before and had their pizza and a beer, but J recommended that we try their Ethiopian dishes. We ordered marinated lamb tibbs and shiro, a pasty curry made from lentil beans, on injeera bread; I still had a beer--a special export Bedele brew--and J had a fizzy Pepsi. Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed our day at the museums.
One museum is usually enough for one day, but it was still early and the National Museum was nearby, where the exhibit of Lucy, the 3.2 million year old fossilized hominid bones, is shown. The National Museum also has some impressive paintings by national artists and other cultural artifacts, but can all be seen in about 30 minutes to an hour.
In between the two museums, we were able to take a stroll about 1 kilometer through town and stop at the cafe next to the National Museum, aptly called Lucy Cafe. I had been there before and had their pizza and a beer, but J recommended that we try their Ethiopian dishes. We ordered marinated lamb tibbs and shiro, a pasty curry made from lentil beans, on injeera bread; I still had a beer--a special export Bedele brew--and J had a fizzy Pepsi. Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed our day at the museums.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Lunch at Hotel Pinna
We are attending a forum for water supply, sanitation and hygiene today at the Hotel Pinna, where we're also staying while in Awasa. The participants include a number of international aid organizations, in addition to members from the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources. Needless to say, the lunch that was served for the participants was excellent! They had a buffet put out with just about every Ethiopian national dish I'd ever heard of, including an excellent doro kai wat, which is chicken and hard-boiled eggs in a spicy red sauce. J loaded up her plate with that, some veggies and a roll of injeera, and I had the ground beef in red sauce with a roll of red injeera, which is supposedly iron-rich. After lunch, we headed back to the room and I fell asleep for a long nap. I ended up missing most of the afteroon meeting, but will catch tomorrow morning's speakers before we head back to Addis Ababa.
Awasa TEVET College
This morning I visited a vocational training college in Awasa to
interview the instructors in the Water Technology Department. They were
more than accommodating to show me around and explain their curriculum
to me. We ended up staying for about 2 hours, going from the workshop,
to a water reservoir tank, to an outdoor hand-pump well used for
demonstrations, then over to a deflouridation tank, and finally to see
the classrooms before heading to a small room with sofas and low tables
for a round of tea and Sprite.
interview the instructors in the Water Technology Department. They were
more than accommodating to show me around and explain their curriculum
to me. We ended up staying for about 2 hours, going from the workshop,
to a water reservoir tank, to an outdoor hand-pump well used for
demonstrations, then over to a deflouridation tank, and finally to see
the classrooms before heading to a small room with sofas and low tables
for a round of tea and Sprite.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Arrival
Her plane arrived 30 minutes early, but J didn't exit the arrivals area
until almost 90 minutes later. Although her flight from Japan to
Ethiopia, via Malaysia and the UAE, went smoothly, at some point they
lost her luggage. She filled out the paperwork and the airport baggage
department will contact us as soon as they find it. However, in the
meantime, we were scheduled to leave Addis Ababa and head south to
Awasa, a city about a 5 hour drive away. I took J back to our hotel and
she had a shower while I ate a quick lunch and contacted our office in
Addis to ask them to contact the baggage department while we were gone,
and then we hopped in the car and were off.
When we arrived in Awasa, night had fallen, but there was a shopping
center across from our hotel that was still open. J only had the clothes
on her back, so we walked over and had a look at their shops. Luckily
she found a nice top, a skirt and some slip-on shoes that she liked. She
changed out of her stretchy, velor pants and a tee-shirt I'd lent her
and transformed into a charming young woman again. With renewed energy
we joined my coworker M for dinner, along with three Japanese volunteers
working in Awasa at vocational and prep schools teaching computers. It
turned out to be quite an eventful arrival for J, but a good time in the
end. I joked with her at the end of the night, "So, are you going to
lose your luggage on purpose from now on so that you can buy a new
outfit upon arrival?" She gave me a smack in the arm, but since she was
smiling a bit, I think I understood the real answer.
until almost 90 minutes later. Although her flight from Japan to
Ethiopia, via Malaysia and the UAE, went smoothly, at some point they
lost her luggage. She filled out the paperwork and the airport baggage
department will contact us as soon as they find it. However, in the
meantime, we were scheduled to leave Addis Ababa and head south to
Awasa, a city about a 5 hour drive away. I took J back to our hotel and
she had a shower while I ate a quick lunch and contacted our office in
Addis to ask them to contact the baggage department while we were gone,
and then we hopped in the car and were off.
When we arrived in Awasa, night had fallen, but there was a shopping
center across from our hotel that was still open. J only had the clothes
on her back, so we walked over and had a look at their shops. Luckily
she found a nice top, a skirt and some slip-on shoes that she liked. She
changed out of her stretchy, velor pants and a tee-shirt I'd lent her
and transformed into a charming young woman again. With renewed energy
we joined my coworker M for dinner, along with three Japanese volunteers
working in Awasa at vocational and prep schools teaching computers. It
turned out to be quite an eventful arrival for J, but a good time in the
end. I joked with her at the end of the night, "So, are you going to
lose your luggage on purpose from now on so that you can buy a new
outfit upon arrival?" She gave me a smack in the arm, but since she was
smiling a bit, I think I understood the real answer.
Ohayogozaimasu
This morning we had to go to the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa so I could
exchange money (USD to Ethiopian Birr). When we arrived at the front
entrance, an attendant opened the door to our car and gave me a bright
and cheery "Ohayogozaimasu!", which means good morning in Japanese.
Since it was only me (a white dude) and Dereje (a black dude) in the
car, the attendant (also a black dude) must have been somewhat
surprised, but since I nearly impulsively responded with
"Ohayogozaimasu" right back, and then continued with, "Eh, nande watashi
ga nihongo hanasu koto ga shiteiru?!" (=wait, how come you know I speak
Japanese?!), he asked, "Wait, are you Japanese?" I told him, "No, no,
but, well... kind of." Anyway, it turns out that he could tell from the
license plate on the car that it was used by a Japanese organization
since specific numbers are dedicated by nationality for international
workers. I should have told him, "Actually, I'm a 47."
exchange money (USD to Ethiopian Birr). When we arrived at the front
entrance, an attendant opened the door to our car and gave me a bright
and cheery "Ohayogozaimasu!", which means good morning in Japanese.
Since it was only me (a white dude) and Dereje (a black dude) in the
car, the attendant (also a black dude) must have been somewhat
surprised, but since I nearly impulsively responded with
"Ohayogozaimasu" right back, and then continued with, "Eh, nande watashi
ga nihongo hanasu koto ga shiteiru?!" (=wait, how come you know I speak
Japanese?!), he asked, "Wait, are you Japanese?" I told him, "No, no,
but, well... kind of." Anyway, it turns out that he could tell from the
license plate on the car that it was used by a Japanese organization
since specific numbers are dedicated by nationality for international
workers. I should have told him, "Actually, I'm a 47."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Unappetizing
Today I ordered beef tibs for lunch at the center cafeteria. Tibs are meat cubes marinated in garlic and sauteed with green peppers and onions, and it's always served atop injeera, a crepe-like bread that comes with just about every meal in Ethiopia. I've had tibs at a good restaurant before, and it can be excellent when done well. The cubes of meat are full of flavor, and the injeera, which is slightly sour, is an oddly good match. The cafeteria, however, isn't known to have a rating in the Michelin guide, and you take what you can get. The choice is usually between an Ethiopian dish or soggy sphagetti, so I tried my luck with the tibs.
A few minutes later, the tibs arrived. As usual, the injeera is spead out over a large silver platter, and the tibs were in a silver bowl on top of that. I tore off a bit of one edge of the injeera and scooped up a cube of beef. However, as I ate my first mouthful, I saw a weird bug run from the other end of my plate; it must have hitched a ride on the underside of the silver bowl when they set it on top of the injeera. The bug apparently didn't like the taste of the meal either because it was running pretty quick. My coworker, M, brushed it off the table and onto the floor, where it landed on its back and began waving its legs wildly.
I looked at the bug, then at my meal. I was done, but in an attempt to be polite, I poked at my food for the next five minutes until I could escape when nobody was looking.
A few minutes later, the tibs arrived. As usual, the injeera is spead out over a large silver platter, and the tibs were in a silver bowl on top of that. I tore off a bit of one edge of the injeera and scooped up a cube of beef. However, as I ate my first mouthful, I saw a weird bug run from the other end of my plate; it must have hitched a ride on the underside of the silver bowl when they set it on top of the injeera. The bug apparently didn't like the taste of the meal either because it was running pretty quick. My coworker, M, brushed it off the table and onto the floor, where it landed on its back and began waving its legs wildly.
I looked at the bug, then at my meal. I was done, but in an attempt to be polite, I poked at my food for the next five minutes until I could escape when nobody was looking.
Meeting Hardship
I had an unexpected occurrence just before heading to the cafeteria for
lunch here. I was finishing up some work when I heard someone speaking
English down the hallway. A few moments later a tired-looking white
woman with long graying hair and a somewhat rugged jacket came to my
office. She had been talking to our receptionist, so when she asked me
if she could have 2 minutes of my time, I thought she was somehow
involved at our center. I invited her to sit down and she began,
nervously, to introduce herself as Barbara and tell her story. It didn't
take me long to figure out where it was heading. About a minute into her
talk, she showed me a picture of her two kids, so I figured she was soon
going to ask me for money (and I admit I was pretty annoyed at the
concept of a stranger coming to my office to hit me up for cash).
However, with some dignity, she explained that she was trained in
agricultural engineering back in her native Hungary, and her husband,
who had worked as a civil servant with the Ministry of Agriculture in
the past, was now training in Kenya on a scholarship. She was looking
for work while he was away and said she would even be happy to do even
office work if there was any to be had. I told her politely that this
center is for water supply technology and, although agriculture uses
water, we train people to drill 150 meter wells, not produce food and
that I didn't have any advice for her. She continued that she had been
living with relatives of her husband's nearby, and then, looking rather
desperate and her heart pounding, apologizing profusely, she, finally,
did ask me if she could have some money to buy food for her children.
She seemed sane but at her wits end. She didn't seem like a schemer,
although she had a "sob story". But I could see how being a foreigner
here didn't seem to be making things any easier for her. She had, in a
sense, gone native by marrying an Ethiopian man, having kids and living
here for the past 8 years or so, but wasn't accepted at all as an
Ethiopian by anyone, so she seemed to have no real support system. So I
leveled with her and I told her that, really, she shouldn't have even
been let into the front gate and if she came here again she would
probably be ejected. Then I explained to her that people are struggling
here at our center too; that the extreme inflation Ethiopia is now
experiencing is causing our staff just as much trouble. As I walked her
to the door, however, I did give her some cash that I had (equivalent to
what I spent on dinner last night), and wished her good luck, shaking
her hand. She thanked me profusely, and then quickly headed out with her
head down.
I remember when I was about 15, I got duped by some woman in Chicago who
said she needed $5 to get home, or some such story she had concocted. I
wasn't old enough to know that scam then, and although it was only $5, I
ended up being short $3 for my own train ride home that evening. Not
realizing the ticket office was open, I bought a ticket on the train,
which costs double in that case. At a complete loss, with an angry
conductor looking like he wanted to throw me off at the next stop, a
kind African-American couple interceded and lent me the money to pay the
conductor. I did what I could and thanked them profusely, and they
responded, "Don't worry about it. Really, that conductor was a complete
jerk."
I generally don't give cash handouts when there are other ways to help a
person, but as in my experience on the train, sometimes it is money that
a person needs. I'm not cold and heartless to the point that I can't
help someone who is obviously in dire straits and trying to make ends
meet with her dignity in tact. If I had known of a job opportunity for
her, maybe I would have tried to do something more (although I doubt she
had a resume hidden in her coat). So I did what I could do and gave her
some cash hoping that she'll make the most of it, and that eventually
Barbara finds a solution to her current troubles.
lunch here. I was finishing up some work when I heard someone speaking
English down the hallway. A few moments later a tired-looking white
woman with long graying hair and a somewhat rugged jacket came to my
office. She had been talking to our receptionist, so when she asked me
if she could have 2 minutes of my time, I thought she was somehow
involved at our center. I invited her to sit down and she began,
nervously, to introduce herself as Barbara and tell her story. It didn't
take me long to figure out where it was heading. About a minute into her
talk, she showed me a picture of her two kids, so I figured she was soon
going to ask me for money (and I admit I was pretty annoyed at the
concept of a stranger coming to my office to hit me up for cash).
However, with some dignity, she explained that she was trained in
agricultural engineering back in her native Hungary, and her husband,
who had worked as a civil servant with the Ministry of Agriculture in
the past, was now training in Kenya on a scholarship. She was looking
for work while he was away and said she would even be happy to do even
office work if there was any to be had. I told her politely that this
center is for water supply technology and, although agriculture uses
water, we train people to drill 150 meter wells, not produce food and
that I didn't have any advice for her. She continued that she had been
living with relatives of her husband's nearby, and then, looking rather
desperate and her heart pounding, apologizing profusely, she, finally,
did ask me if she could have some money to buy food for her children.
She seemed sane but at her wits end. She didn't seem like a schemer,
although she had a "sob story". But I could see how being a foreigner
here didn't seem to be making things any easier for her. She had, in a
sense, gone native by marrying an Ethiopian man, having kids and living
here for the past 8 years or so, but wasn't accepted at all as an
Ethiopian by anyone, so she seemed to have no real support system. So I
leveled with her and I told her that, really, she shouldn't have even
been let into the front gate and if she came here again she would
probably be ejected. Then I explained to her that people are struggling
here at our center too; that the extreme inflation Ethiopia is now
experiencing is causing our staff just as much trouble. As I walked her
to the door, however, I did give her some cash that I had (equivalent to
what I spent on dinner last night), and wished her good luck, shaking
her hand. She thanked me profusely, and then quickly headed out with her
head down.
I remember when I was about 15, I got duped by some woman in Chicago who
said she needed $5 to get home, or some such story she had concocted. I
wasn't old enough to know that scam then, and although it was only $5, I
ended up being short $3 for my own train ride home that evening. Not
realizing the ticket office was open, I bought a ticket on the train,
which costs double in that case. At a complete loss, with an angry
conductor looking like he wanted to throw me off at the next stop, a
kind African-American couple interceded and lent me the money to pay the
conductor. I did what I could and thanked them profusely, and they
responded, "Don't worry about it. Really, that conductor was a complete
jerk."
I generally don't give cash handouts when there are other ways to help a
person, but as in my experience on the train, sometimes it is money that
a person needs. I'm not cold and heartless to the point that I can't
help someone who is obviously in dire straits and trying to make ends
meet with her dignity in tact. If I had known of a job opportunity for
her, maybe I would have tried to do something more (although I doubt she
had a resume hidden in her coat). So I did what I could do and gave her
some cash hoping that she'll make the most of it, and that eventually
Barbara finds a solution to her current troubles.
Changing Places
For this assignment, I chose to stay at Emmad, a monthly apartment
rental with suites for a reasonable price. There is a living room with
sofa and television, plus a large work desk against one wall, a bedroom
with dressers, wardrobe and queen-size bed, a restroom with a full bath
unit, and a small kitchen replete with pots, pans, knives and even a
coffee maker. It is clean and the staff are very polite, so I'm sure
this will work out great.
However, yesterday, before heading back to Emmad, I went to Chez Glo,
where I've stayed the other times I was here, to talk with M, a
coworker, and then go out to dinner later in town. Everyone at Chez Glo
seemed very happy to see me and I felt a little bad that I'm not staying
there this time. They actually made some improvements there too, such as
turning one of the large rooms on the first floor into a dining area,
and expanding their kitchen area. That really improves the
atmosphere--although it had a nice "homey" feeling before, now it feels
like a B&B. I gave the gardener and one of the housekeepers pictures we
had taken together back in March. They thanked me and told me to come
visit them again. However, staying at Chez Glo, I must use a slow
dial-up Internet connection, and since they lack a generator, when the
power goes out, everyone relies on candles. Actually, as M and I were
talking, the room went black and we used our cell phones to light the
room until the housekeepers brought the candles. We headed over to
Rainbow, the Korean restaurant nearby, and had dinner by candle light
too, until the power came back on about halfway through the meal.
rental with suites for a reasonable price. There is a living room with
sofa and television, plus a large work desk against one wall, a bedroom
with dressers, wardrobe and queen-size bed, a restroom with a full bath
unit, and a small kitchen replete with pots, pans, knives and even a
coffee maker. It is clean and the staff are very polite, so I'm sure
this will work out great.
However, yesterday, before heading back to Emmad, I went to Chez Glo,
where I've stayed the other times I was here, to talk with M, a
coworker, and then go out to dinner later in town. Everyone at Chez Glo
seemed very happy to see me and I felt a little bad that I'm not staying
there this time. They actually made some improvements there too, such as
turning one of the large rooms on the first floor into a dining area,
and expanding their kitchen area. That really improves the
atmosphere--although it had a nice "homey" feeling before, now it feels
like a B&B. I gave the gardener and one of the housekeepers pictures we
had taken together back in March. They thanked me and told me to come
visit them again. However, staying at Chez Glo, I must use a slow
dial-up Internet connection, and since they lack a generator, when the
power goes out, everyone relies on candles. Actually, as M and I were
talking, the room went black and we used our cell phones to light the
room until the housekeepers brought the candles. We headed over to
Rainbow, the Korean restaurant nearby, and had dinner by candle light
too, until the power came back on about halfway through the meal.
Good to see you again
I was greeted by a smiling Dereje at the airport when I arrived. When we
shook hands, we leaned in and did a shoulder bump, and he patted me on
the back with his other hand. In the four months since I was here last,
he hasn't changed a bit.
The sky was a bit overcast, and the weather is cooler here than I
expected. Dereje said it was the first time he can remember that the
rain and cool weather has persisted into October and blames climate
change, saying, "We are already seeing the effects now".
I stopped at my hotel and checked in, cleaned up a bit and changed
clothes before heading out to the office. When I got back outside, the
sun was shining and quite warm--this is the weather I was expecting.
Arriving at the training center, I saw many of the instructors and other
staff, and there were many hand shakes and shoulder bumps to go around.
shook hands, we leaned in and did a shoulder bump, and he patted me on
the back with his other hand. In the four months since I was here last,
he hasn't changed a bit.
The sky was a bit overcast, and the weather is cooler here than I
expected. Dereje said it was the first time he can remember that the
rain and cool weather has persisted into October and blames climate
change, saying, "We are already seeing the effects now".
I stopped at my hotel and checked in, cleaned up a bit and changed
clothes before heading out to the office. When I got back outside, the
sun was shining and quite warm--this is the weather I was expecting.
Arriving at the training center, I saw many of the instructors and other
staff, and there were many hand shakes and shoulder bumps to go around.
Monday, October 12, 2009
In-Flight Entertainment Aplenty
Emirates Airlines really does deserve the award for their "award-winning in-flight entertainment". There is a huge selection of good movies, and not only the usual top-hits, but a broad range of flims. I ended up watching a John Malkovich movie also starring Colin Hanks (and Tom, briefly) called "The Great Buck Howard", which was interesting. After that I watched the latest installment from Woody Allen called "Whatever Works", which is of course full of ironic, sarcastic and slightly embittered, yet endearing monologues and dialoges. After a bit of sleep and then a few episodes of The Simpsons (almost felt like Saturday morning as a kid to wake up and watch cartoons), I watched half of the new documentary "Food, Inc.", which stars Eric Schlosser, who wrote Fast Food Nation to great acclaim a few years ago. I plan to watch the rest of it on my next flight, which is about 4 hours, so I might also fit in the new Travolta and Washington movie (the one about the subway) or maybe "Angels & Demons".
Third Time's a Charm
Heading back to Addis Ababa for another 30-day stint, and there are no doubt a few more vignettes to be posted during that time.
This trip is also for business, but I've arranged to have my wife join me, so should add a nice new dynamic to exploring our surroundings, or just showing her around, and hearing her reactions.
Also, I expect later this week that we may go to Awasa, another city not too far from Addis, but one I have not been to yet.
For now, I'm in Dubai airport, which I have so say, is one of the most accomodating airports I've ever been to. Not only is there extensive shopping and restaurant selections, they have massive lounges with free wireless Internet and battery charging stations, decorated not with adverts but with Gate number signs and arrows, clocks and information flatscreens; everything posted in Arabic and English.
This trip is also for business, but I've arranged to have my wife join me, so should add a nice new dynamic to exploring our surroundings, or just showing her around, and hearing her reactions.
Also, I expect later this week that we may go to Awasa, another city not too far from Addis, but one I have not been to yet.
For now, I'm in Dubai airport, which I have so say, is one of the most accomodating airports I've ever been to. Not only is there extensive shopping and restaurant selections, they have massive lounges with free wireless Internet and battery charging stations, decorated not with adverts but with Gate number signs and arrows, clocks and information flatscreens; everything posted in Arabic and English.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)