The last few days in Addis Ababa were pretty busy, so I wasn't able to write much on the blog. Most of the time I had to stay in and work on my report, but Wednesday night my colleagues took me out to dinner. I chose the restaurant Aladdin, which serves great Middle Eastern food. We'd gone there about a month ago and I had been meaning to return, so was glad to have some great tabbouleh, fattoush salad, kebabs and fish palak again. We ended up hanging out and chatting over dessert too. I ordered lakma, which is basically a sweet fried Turkish donut hole. Stuffed and satisfied, we shuffled back to Chez Glo through the cool evening, passing through the fruit market where I'd bought my coffee jebana, a place usually packed with people, but now, after hours, was peaceful and quiet. We passed by Rainbow Korean restaurant, where we'd eaten at least half a dozen times. We walked down past AGGE guest house and along the road people call Rwanda, because the embassy is at the end of it. And soon we were back to our guest house and knocked on the gate.
The last day at work I said farewell to the people I saw and took some pictures, but was mostly stuck in my office writing a report about what I'd done work-wise over the past month. My colleague checked my Japanese and corrected the errors, and then I printed out a copy and read it over a few times in the car on the way to our meeting where I had to present the work I'd done and answer any questions about it. The meeting was rather long and dull (is there any other kind of meeting?), but when it was done I had some time to go souvenir shopping.
Dereje drove me to Friendship Square, where they have some pretty good shops. He parked the car and met me in the shop, which was good because he was able to negotiate the prices for me and tell me which items were actually dressed up junk. While I was looking over the items, there was a power outage. No one seemed surprised, and even myself, I hardly missed a beat and just kept on shopping. After shopping, Dereje and I took a picture together in the parking lot and then he surprised me by giving me his Ethiopia Millennium wristband. It's similar to those white poverty-awareness bands that were popular about 4 years ago, except that it says "Ethiopia 2000" on it and it's black. Dereje told me to keep it to remember him, and I replied that I'd remember him anyway but thanks for the thoughtful gift and then I put it on my wrist.
After shopping, I went back to Chez Glo, settled my bill and collected my luggage. The staff gathered out in the courtyard and we took pictures together. Ato Malica, the gardener and gatekeeper, was embarrassed because he didn't have on nice clothes, so I passed him my suit jacket and he put that on; it looked pretty good on him too. Even Max got in one of the pictures. Chez Glo really turned out to be a home away from home while in Addis Ababa. For a while the only guests were myself and my two colleagues, so we would just leave our doors open while we were in there, and people would stop by and say hello. It was almost like a bunch of friends living in a big house together. I told the staff that I would be back to Ethiopia later in the year and would surely see them then. Sintayehu, the manager, gave me his e-mail address and I told them I'd send the pictures when I got back to Japan and then bid them farewell and hopped in the car, headed for the airport.
So far the trip back is going as planned. I watched Quantum of Solace, the latest 007 movie, and ate the roasted duck. They even had the red wine that I liked when I flew Emirates last month and I had a couple glasses of that. In another hour I'll be back on an airplane and headed for Japan, where I have another layover in Osaka before flying up to Tokyo. About 13 hours to go!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Hee Haw Taxi
During my time in Ethiopia I've come to grow exceedingly fond of
donkeys. Yes, I am unashamed to say this. Apparently you can buy one for
3,000 Birr, which is only about $300. If I didn't have to buy an extra
seat on the airplane for it, I might even consider bringing a donkey
back to Japan. But seriously, it is a fine animal if I ever saw one.
First of all, they work harder than any other work animal in Ethiopia.
Horses draw carts and cows may pull plows, but the donkey is the one
that gets huge bundles tied to its back and marched down the side of the
road like a foot soldier.
An investment in ten donkeys will net an Ethiopian entrepreneur about
200 Birr per day, which isn't bad for wages here. Donkeys are used to
transport all sorts of goods from farm to market, store to store, and to
people's homes. A person can buy in bulk at the market and hire a couple
donkeys to bring it all home for you. In the countryside, a farmer will
have his own donkeys and use these to take his harvested produce to
market, sometimes traveling up to 30km to do so. Looking into a donkey's
sad face, it's hard not to feel some pity for them; the white circles
around their dark eyes make them look crestfallen and woeful. But then
you see them trotting along looking purposeful, with dedication in every
step, and instead they inspire a sense of admiration.
donkeys. Yes, I am unashamed to say this. Apparently you can buy one for
3,000 Birr, which is only about $300. If I didn't have to buy an extra
seat on the airplane for it, I might even consider bringing a donkey
back to Japan. But seriously, it is a fine animal if I ever saw one.
First of all, they work harder than any other work animal in Ethiopia.
Horses draw carts and cows may pull plows, but the donkey is the one
that gets huge bundles tied to its back and marched down the side of the
road like a foot soldier.
An investment in ten donkeys will net an Ethiopian entrepreneur about
200 Birr per day, which isn't bad for wages here. Donkeys are used to
transport all sorts of goods from farm to market, store to store, and to
people's homes. A person can buy in bulk at the market and hire a couple
donkeys to bring it all home for you. In the countryside, a farmer will
have his own donkeys and use these to take his harvested produce to
market, sometimes traveling up to 30km to do so. Looking into a donkey's
sad face, it's hard not to feel some pity for them; the white circles
around their dark eyes make them look crestfallen and woeful. But then
you see them trotting along looking purposeful, with dedication in every
step, and instead they inspire a sense of admiration.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The children
Today on the way home I asked Dereje, our driver, if all school kids in
Ethiopia wear uniforms. He pointed to the sidewalk, "There, those four
guys. Those two girls over there. There's another one." I honestly
hadn't really noticed them before, but now that he pointed them out,
they were all over the place. The four boys, for instance, were all
wearing sky blue slacks. Apparently, kids in Ethiopia from grade school
to high school all wear uniforms, although university kids wear their
own threads. Then I asked him if the schools were co-ed or divided by
the sexes. He sort of laughed and said, "No, same school. Boys sit next
to girls. They sit together." From the tone of his voice, I could tell
he was wondering why anyone would ask such a thing. Why wouldn't you
allow them to go to school together, he seemed to be asking with his
eyes. I told him some private schools in America and Japan are all-boys
schools or all-girls schools and usually they were related to churches,
like Catholic schools. Then he said, "Ah yes," and that in Ethiopia
there were some religious groups, like Ethiopian Orthodox or Muslim,
that had their own schools, but that both boys and girls went there.
Ethiopia wear uniforms. He pointed to the sidewalk, "There, those four
guys. Those two girls over there. There's another one." I honestly
hadn't really noticed them before, but now that he pointed them out,
they were all over the place. The four boys, for instance, were all
wearing sky blue slacks. Apparently, kids in Ethiopia from grade school
to high school all wear uniforms, although university kids wear their
own threads. Then I asked him if the schools were co-ed or divided by
the sexes. He sort of laughed and said, "No, same school. Boys sit next
to girls. They sit together." From the tone of his voice, I could tell
he was wondering why anyone would ask such a thing. Why wouldn't you
allow them to go to school together, he seemed to be asking with his
eyes. I told him some private schools in America and Japan are all-boys
schools or all-girls schools and usually they were related to churches,
like Catholic schools. Then he said, "Ah yes," and that in Ethiopia
there were some religious groups, like Ethiopian Orthodox or Muslim,
that had their own schools, but that both boys and girls went there.
Inflight Entertainment
As is my habit, any time I'm about to embark on an international flight I always check the airline homepage for inflight entertainment that will be available. If the Internet connection wasn't so slow here, I probably would have also planned out my meals, perused the wine selection and checked the airplane specs while I was at it. It gives me immense pleasure to plan out 14 hours of airtime where I have nowhere to go except where I'm already headed. I kick of my shoes, tuck a pillow behind my head, order wine and switch on a movie. Ten hours later, when most people have dozed off, it's likely that I'll be on my fourth movie and fifth glass of wine. Anyway, my schedule for my two long-haul flights are addis ababa to dubai: quantum of solace; dubai to japan: city of ember, happy-go-lucky, pride and glory. That leaves me six hours to sleep in the airplane and another 7 hours to zone out in airport lounges, but I figure if you're going to be jet lagged, you might as well have fun in the process!
Ratatouille Lesson 101
We went for Indian food at Ajanta restaurant Sunday night. They've got great food there, but I decided to just have something simple, so I ordered the dal bhat. Bhat means rice, and dal is a mixture of lentils, tomatoes, onion, spices and herbs. It is about the simplest thing you'll find on an Indian menu. Usually there are dozens of other more enticing dishes that will steal your eye when scanning the menu at Ajanta, but a good restaurant should be able to serve up even the simplest dish in a way that challenges your expectations. It is a lesson straight out of the movie Ratatouille. Well, I don't know if they had Remy under someone's turban or what, but, indeed, the dal bhat turned out to be the best thing I've had so far at Ajanta. I have only ever seen dal served in something that resembles either a gravy dish or a small bowl before, so I was surprised when they brought out a container that resembled a mini champagne bucket and set it on the table. Instead of a bottle of champagne, of course, it was filled with rich colored dal and had a ladle enticingly sticking out. Everyone scooped ample amounts over our steamed rice and began spooning it down. I think we all had to resist the temptation to ransack the kitchen for the recipe.
Clown car
After dinner at a Lebanese restaurant with people from the embassy last
night, we were offered a ride back to Chez Glo in a little yellow Suzuki
hatchback. It was a kind offer so we accepted. However, no sooner had we
accepted the lift than we realized that the two remaining people also
lived in the same area, so we were all essentially headed in the same
direction. We tried to suggest the three of them go in the Suzuki and
we'd just grab a taxi, but they wouldn't have it an insisted that we
could all fit, no problem. All 6 of us piled in: 3 in the back, 2 in the
passenger seat, plus the driver. The sheer weight of six people after
eating a few plates of kebabs and what seemed like half a tub of hummus
must have been quite a shock to the little Suzuki because it murmured
and wheezed before finally turning its wheels and moving forward. It was
just a short drive until we dropped off the first person, and I'm sure
she was relieved to be the first one out of the clown car. Still feeling
crowded, we headed to the next stop and then finally ours. The three of
us filed out of the back seat and said good night. You could almost
imagine the car coming to life, placing a hand(le) on its lower back and
saying "Holy heck, anyone know a good chiropractor?" But the little
Suzuki still managed to sputter up the hill and around the corner to its
home where it could rest for the night.
night, we were offered a ride back to Chez Glo in a little yellow Suzuki
hatchback. It was a kind offer so we accepted. However, no sooner had we
accepted the lift than we realized that the two remaining people also
lived in the same area, so we were all essentially headed in the same
direction. We tried to suggest the three of them go in the Suzuki and
we'd just grab a taxi, but they wouldn't have it an insisted that we
could all fit, no problem. All 6 of us piled in: 3 in the back, 2 in the
passenger seat, plus the driver. The sheer weight of six people after
eating a few plates of kebabs and what seemed like half a tub of hummus
must have been quite a shock to the little Suzuki because it murmured
and wheezed before finally turning its wheels and moving forward. It was
just a short drive until we dropped off the first person, and I'm sure
she was relieved to be the first one out of the clown car. Still feeling
crowded, we headed to the next stop and then finally ours. The three of
us filed out of the back seat and said good night. You could almost
imagine the car coming to life, placing a hand(le) on its lower back and
saying "Holy heck, anyone know a good chiropractor?" But the little
Suzuki still managed to sputter up the hill and around the corner to its
home where it could rest for the night.
FYI about the water
Last night we met with some people from the Japanese embassy for dinner.
They are always well informed so they told us that last weekend the city
waterworks department was working on something and that's why the water
had such low-pressure for a few days. The water has been back on since
Sunday without fail now, but at least it's nice to know what the reason
was for the interruption last week.
They are always well informed so they told us that last weekend the city
waterworks department was working on something and that's why the water
had such low-pressure for a few days. The water has been back on since
Sunday without fail now, but at least it's nice to know what the reason
was for the interruption last week.
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