Yesterday I started reading Graham Hancock's classic, The Sign and the Seal, about the Ark of the Covenant--the gold-plated vessel in which Moses placed the 10 Commandments. Back in the 80's, not long after Hancock watched the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark", he was commissioned to write a coffee-table book for the tyrannical Colonel-Lieutenant Mengistu, the then Head of State of Ethiopia. He heard that the "lost ark" was in a chapel in the ancient city of Axum guarded by a monk, and despite the ongoing battle with Eritrean fighters, Hancock and his wife headed to Axum for a single day to photograph the site, and while they were at it, meet with the guardian of the Ark. The Sign and the Seal is the book he published in 1992 after a 9-year quest of his own for the ark. A mix of history and mystery, it is thus far a great read.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Merry Christmas
Today is Christmas Day according to the Ethiopian calendar so yesterday everyone at the Center took a half day in order to start preparations. Everyone gets the day off on both Christian and Islamic holidays in Ethiopia, and everyone seems to enjoy the festive spirit regardless of religion. Christians go to church early in the morning for a service and everyone wears their Sunday Best, which for women is simple, but elegant hand-woven white clothing with decorative hemlines.
Last night my colleagues and I went to a local Chinese restaurant, Da Tang, for dinner. It is a massive four-story building although most guests dine on the second floor which has tables for 4 or 20 depending on the size of your party. A few groups where there, including an embassy group. We were seated by a Chinese waitress and ordered a few dishes such as mapo-dofu, sweet-n-sour fish, and chahan fried rice along with a round of St. George beers, brought out by the Ethiopian staff. During our meal, one of the Ethiopian staff came to our table dressed as Santa Claus. The black belt around his waist was pulled tight showing his slim figure, but he was enthusiastic and jolly enough to play the part well. He handed out red, decorative Chinese knots (zhonguo jie--a series of knots tied into a diamond shape with a single thread which symbolizes harmony, luck, love, etc) and wished us a Merry Christmas.
Last night my colleagues and I went to a local Chinese restaurant, Da Tang, for dinner. It is a massive four-story building although most guests dine on the second floor which has tables for 4 or 20 depending on the size of your party. A few groups where there, including an embassy group. We were seated by a Chinese waitress and ordered a few dishes such as mapo-dofu, sweet-n-sour fish, and chahan fried rice along with a round of St. George beers, brought out by the Ethiopian staff. During our meal, one of the Ethiopian staff came to our table dressed as Santa Claus. The black belt around his waist was pulled tight showing his slim figure, but he was enthusiastic and jolly enough to play the part well. He handed out red, decorative Chinese knots (zhonguo jie--a series of knots tied into a diamond shape with a single thread which symbolizes harmony, luck, love, etc) and wished us a Merry Christmas.
Smooth Arrival
I arrived on time at Bole International Airport and went through Customs
in about 30 minutes; apparently there were more travelers than usual due
to the upcoming holidays. I was somewhat worried because I forgot to
bring my inoculation card, but possibly because of the multiple stamps
already in my passport around my Ethiopia visa, they didn't ask me about
it. I then continued to luggage biting my lip thinking of J's "delayed
bag" last year, but my suitcase came out on the conveyor about 20
minutes later and I headed to the arrivals area where I saw Dereje
waiting for me. A handshake and shoulder bump ensued and then we headed
to the car. After cleaning up at the hotel, Dereje took me to Swiss Cafe
downtown so I could get a sandwich (ham and provolone). He had a Sprite
and we chatted for about 30 minutes, catching up on how the project has
been going while I was gone as well as how J was doing and how his
daughter was doing at school. It was nice to be back.
in about 30 minutes; apparently there were more travelers than usual due
to the upcoming holidays. I was somewhat worried because I forgot to
bring my inoculation card, but possibly because of the multiple stamps
already in my passport around my Ethiopia visa, they didn't ask me about
it. I then continued to luggage biting my lip thinking of J's "delayed
bag" last year, but my suitcase came out on the conveyor about 20
minutes later and I headed to the arrivals area where I saw Dereje
waiting for me. A handshake and shoulder bump ensued and then we headed
to the car. After cleaning up at the hotel, Dereje took me to Swiss Cafe
downtown so I could get a sandwich (ham and provolone). He had a Sprite
and we chatted for about 30 minutes, catching up on how the project has
been going while I was gone as well as how J was doing and how his
daughter was doing at school. It was nice to be back.
Live In-flight Entertainment
I remember when I was in my early 20s I always talked with people on
airplanes; I found it interesting to meet new people and fellow
travelers. However, over the years, I gradually began to keep to myself.
That could have been the result of living in Japan where people tend to
think it more polite to be courteous but not overtly friendly with
fellow travelers. It could also be that I'm an in-flight movie maniac
and since most international flights now offer seatback entertainment I
have been rather absorbed in movies, meals, drinks and dozing during
flights as of late. However, after my nearly 10-hour, 2-meal and 3-movie
flight from Osaka to Dubai, I was rather pleased to talk to the guy in
29B for most of the flight from Dubai to Addis Ababa. He was continuing
on to the flight's final destination of Entebe, Uganda for a 2-week
stint there as a volunteer for a charity to do survey work at a 100-year
old hospital site. He hailed from Bath, England and this was his first
time out of Europe at age 52, and really seemed to be enjoying the
adventure. We talked about Africa, Europe, America and Japan sharing
travel experiences, tips and some political talk and had quite a good
time. He told me that his wife, a school teacher, speaks German and
French so they often travel in Europe for exchange programs and have
exchange students visit them as well. Bath also sounds like an
interesting and pleasant town, and a UNESCO Heritage site to boot, so we
exchanged e-mail addresses at the end of the flight. "Let me know if you
ever have a chance to visit with your wife and we'll show you around,"
he said. "Great, and let me know how you find your first trip to Africa
and what Uganda is like."
airplanes; I found it interesting to meet new people and fellow
travelers. However, over the years, I gradually began to keep to myself.
That could have been the result of living in Japan where people tend to
think it more polite to be courteous but not overtly friendly with
fellow travelers. It could also be that I'm an in-flight movie maniac
and since most international flights now offer seatback entertainment I
have been rather absorbed in movies, meals, drinks and dozing during
flights as of late. However, after my nearly 10-hour, 2-meal and 3-movie
flight from Osaka to Dubai, I was rather pleased to talk to the guy in
29B for most of the flight from Dubai to Addis Ababa. He was continuing
on to the flight's final destination of Entebe, Uganda for a 2-week
stint there as a volunteer for a charity to do survey work at a 100-year
old hospital site. He hailed from Bath, England and this was his first
time out of Europe at age 52, and really seemed to be enjoying the
adventure. We talked about Africa, Europe, America and Japan sharing
travel experiences, tips and some political talk and had quite a good
time. He told me that his wife, a school teacher, speaks German and
French so they often travel in Europe for exchange programs and have
exchange students visit them as well. Bath also sounds like an
interesting and pleasant town, and a UNESCO Heritage site to boot, so we
exchanged e-mail addresses at the end of the flight. "Let me know if you
ever have a chance to visit with your wife and we'll show you around,"
he said. "Great, and let me know how you find your first trip to Africa
and what Uganda is like."
Fourth Time's a...
A few days after New Year's, on January 4th, I headed back to Ethiopia
for my fourth visit/assignment. Since my first visit in February 2009
I've gotten to know the country and culture somewhat and really enjoy
it. They say the third time is a charm, and it certainly was, so I
suppose the fourth time is, well, a pleasure to be back.
for my fourth visit/assignment. Since my first visit in February 2009
I've gotten to know the country and culture somewhat and really enjoy
it. They say the third time is a charm, and it certainly was, so I
suppose the fourth time is, well, a pleasure to be back.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Backtracking
After Addis Ababa, I flew to Dubai to catch my connecting flight to Sao
Paulo, Brazil. What I didn't realize until I looked at the flight map on
board was that we flew from Dubai, south over Ethiopia, passing right
over Addis Ababa. The plane shifted southwest around Tanzania and then,
after flying over Angola, crossed the Pacific towards Brazil. It was a
long flight, but Emirates has a lot of great movies, which I took full
advantage of:
Management, X-Men Originals: Wolverine, Up, The Ugly Truth, Winged
Creatures, Adam, Wall-E, and a half-a-dozen TV shows. Oh, I also read a
magazine.
Anyway, my trip to Addis has come to an end and the next trip begins,
but I do have some Harar Ethiopian buna beans in my carry-on and plan to
share some of the most excellent coffee on earth with my coworkers in
Brazil.
Paulo, Brazil. What I didn't realize until I looked at the flight map on
board was that we flew from Dubai, south over Ethiopia, passing right
over Addis Ababa. The plane shifted southwest around Tanzania and then,
after flying over Angola, crossed the Pacific towards Brazil. It was a
long flight, but Emirates has a lot of great movies, which I took full
advantage of:
Management, X-Men Originals: Wolverine, Up, The Ugly Truth, Winged
Creatures, Adam, Wall-E, and a half-a-dozen TV shows. Oh, I also read a
magazine.
Anyway, my trip to Addis has come to an end and the next trip begins,
but I do have some Harar Ethiopian buna beans in my carry-on and plan to
share some of the most excellent coffee on earth with my coworkers in
Brazil.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
4 Hours to Dubai
On the flight from Addis Ababa to Dubai we had just enough time to watch
one movie and J and I selected "Julie & Julia". I have to say, it was a
great movie and Meryl Streep is outstanding in the role of Julia Child.
It had us laughing a few times, and we only stopped the movie once in
the middle--to scarf down our dinner. It was nothing like the recipes we
were watching be prepared in the movie, but the shrimp salad, lamb curry
and apple strudel (while not the most brilliant combination of food I've
ever experienced) were pretty good. After the movie, we had about 30
minutes, so J showed me her strategy to play Chinese Checkers, which
they had on their seatback entertainment system. A pretty fun flight all
around.
Arriving in Dubai, we dove into the extensive airport looking for J's
check-in counter, which we finally found at the other end of the
premises. The airport is absolutely massive, like a small city in and of
itself. It took some time, but we got her boarding pass and found the
right gate and I bid her adieu as she headed to Guangzhou on her way
back to Japan.
As for me, I took a seat in the lounge since I had about 10 hours until
my next flight, this time headed southwest. Nevertheless, I'll be back
in Ethiopia sometime early next year, so until then...
one movie and J and I selected "Julie & Julia". I have to say, it was a
great movie and Meryl Streep is outstanding in the role of Julia Child.
It had us laughing a few times, and we only stopped the movie once in
the middle--to scarf down our dinner. It was nothing like the recipes we
were watching be prepared in the movie, but the shrimp salad, lamb curry
and apple strudel (while not the most brilliant combination of food I've
ever experienced) were pretty good. After the movie, we had about 30
minutes, so J showed me her strategy to play Chinese Checkers, which
they had on their seatback entertainment system. A pretty fun flight all
around.
Arriving in Dubai, we dove into the extensive airport looking for J's
check-in counter, which we finally found at the other end of the
premises. The airport is absolutely massive, like a small city in and of
itself. It took some time, but we got her boarding pass and found the
right gate and I bid her adieu as she headed to Guangzhou on her way
back to Japan.
As for me, I took a seat in the lounge since I had about 10 hours until
my next flight, this time headed southwest. Nevertheless, I'll be back
in Ethiopia sometime early next year, so until then...
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