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Farewell to Ethiopia

2011-08-02T12:57:00.000+03:00

Hi all,

I’m sitting in a very swish restaurant and waiting on what will probably be my last meal in Ethiopia.

All I have remaining to do is collect my police clearance from CSI Addis, and then I’m officially free to go.

The taxi picks me up at 11.30 tonight, and my flight home via Cairo leaves at 4.00 AM.

It’s been an amazing journey, but it’s time to go home.

When I get back I’ll send out more detailed report on my last few months- our trip to Kenya, the mats for the Circus and finishing up at the college.

Thanks to you all for all your support.

Paul

:o)

Paul Stanley.

IT Trainer/Specialist.

VSO Volunteer, Awassa College of Teacher Education.

Landline: +251462206359

Mobile: +251920135542

Skype: tootallpaul67

PO Box 1375,

Awassa,

Ethiopia.

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tootallpaul/

Blog: http://ride-lots.blogspot.com/

Re: Awassa Children's Circus

2011-06-07T20:35:00.000+03:00

Paul,
How much are you looking to raise?
David

From: Paul Stanley <tootallpaul67@googlemail.com>
To: Paul Stanley <tootallpaul67@googlemail.com>
Cc: too_tall_paul.sixtyseven@blogger.com <too_tall_paul.sixtyseven@blogger.com>
Sent: Tue Jun 07 10:04:56 2011
Subject: Awassa Children's Circus

Awassa Children's Circus

Whilst I've lived in Awassa, I've met some amazing people doing amazing work to help their communities, but one of the most inspiring is Mashresha. He runs a circus for poor street kids and orphans. They teach the kids circus skills- the tumbling and juggling they do is just amazing, and they then put on performances to raise money for equipment and facilities. They also have a decent small recording studio and are producing some really good music. Food is also supplied to the kids that need it. They are some of the best behaved children I have come across in Ethiopia, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

We are trying to raise a little money to buy some new tumbling mats for them before we leave- the mats they are currently are actually just mattresses, and in a pretty sorry state. If you interested in donating something, drop me an email and we'll work something out. We have already raised enough money to buy half the mats required- it would be so good if we could raise enough to get them all.

A big thank-you to everyone who has already donated. I hope that the mats will be made before I leave so I can get some photos of the kids in action!

Many thanks,

Paul

Paul Stanley.

IT Trainer/Specialist.

VSO Volunteer, Awassa College of Teacher Education.

Landline: +251462206359

Mobile: +251920135542

Skype: tootallpaul67

PO Box 1375,

Awassa,

Ethiopia.

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tootallpaul/

Blog: http://ride-lots.blogspot.com/

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Awassa Children's Circus

2011-06-07T18:04:00.000+03:00

Awassa Children’s Circus

Whilst I’ve lived in Awassa, I’ve met some amazing people doing amazing work to help their communities, but one of the most inspiring is Mashresha. He runs a circus for poor street kids and orphans. They teach the kids circus skills- the tumbling and juggling they do is just amazing, and they then put on performances to raise money for equipment and facilities. They also have a decent small recording studio and are producing some really good music. Food is also supplied to the kids that need it. They are some of the best behaved children I have come across in Ethiopia, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

We are trying to raise a little money to buy some new tumbling mats for them before we leave- the mats they are currently are actually just mattresses, and in a pretty sorry state. If you interested in donating something, drop me an email and we’ll work something out. We have already raised enough money to buy half the mats required- it would be so good if we could raise enough to get them all.

A big thank-you to everyone who has already donated. I hope that the mats will be made before I leave so I can get some photos of the kids in action!

Many thanks,

Paul

Paul Stanley.

IT Trainer/Specialist.

VSO Volunteer, Awassa College of Teacher Education.

Landline: +251462206359

Mobile: +251920135542

Skype: tootallpaul67

PO Box 1375,

Awassa,

Ethiopia.

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tootallpaul/

Blog: http://ride-lots.blogspot.com/

Monster update!

2011-05-22T17:59:00.002+03:00

I’m sitting writing this in the 5 star “Haile” resort, sipping an expensive macchiato and looking out on an amazing view of Lake Awassa. This volunteer lark is hard work sometimes. I’ve sorted out emailing updates to my blog, so hopefully that will be seeing more activity there over the next few months.

Leaving

I guess the biggest bit of news is that I’ve decided to finish my placement in August. My flight is booked and I’ll be back in the UK on the 3^rdAugust. Home in time for my birthday. It’s been a tough decision, but it is definitely the right one. My main task will be complete by then, and it feels like the right time to be coming home. Ethiopia is a hard place for a “Ferenji” to live and the amount of hassle that you encounter on a day to day basis becomes very tiring. In a way, I don’t like how I have started to react to the hassles- in the beginning, I would just ignore it, but now more often than not it gets to me, and I become angry. And I’m not an angry person. A good friend of mine, Tony, from the US Peace corps left the country very suddenly, and sent an email out to his friends saying his reason for going was “he didn’t like the person he was becoming in Ethiopia”- I really understand exactly what he was feeling. I think if I could have done things differently I would have broken up my stay in Ethiopia, and come home a little bit more, but unfortunately I didn’t really have the funds to do that.

College network

The college network is well underway at last and will be completed by the time I leave. We are in the middle of attaching all the PC’s up and giving the staff access to the internet. It’s been a hard job, and one of the reasons for me deciding to leave early was to help expedite the work. I’ve had nearly a year of waiting for equipment and cooperation from the college, and the only way I could see to get them to cooperate was to give them an ultimatum and a deadline to work towards. And it worked. As soon as they I told them I was leaving, funds became available to purchase all the equipment I needed. There is still quite a lot to be done before I leave, but as Ethiopians like to say “it is possible”. I’ve managed to give them what I believe is quite a sustainable infrastructure- they have redundant firewalls, and a number of backup systems should they run into problems. All that remains now is to get some documentation done, and I will have completed the task that I was given when I arrived in Ethiopia.

Egypt

Just after Christmas, Joanne and I jetted off to Cairo for two weeks in Egypt. It was amazing. We spent a few days in Cairo, visited the Pyramids at Giza and Saqqara, and then headed south to Luxor. We spent a few days cycling round the tombs and monuments that surround the Valley of the Kings on rusty old bikes. After that we went to Alexandria and the Egyptian coast. It was so nice to see the sea again, and also to see Alexandria. My grandfather was in North Africa during the war, and one of the only pictures I have of him from that tome was taken in Alex- we did try to find where the picture was taken, but I’m afraid we had no luck. All in all, it was a truly amazing holiday. It was interesting to visit another African country- Egypt is almost completely the opposite of Ethiopia, so the contrast was refreshing. I must try to get the pictures sorted out and uploaded.

Engaged

Whilst in Luxor, I got down on one knee, and proposed to Joanne, and even more amazingly, she said yes. We have set a date for the wedding- 28^th July 2012. We are to be married in Joanne’s local church in Glasgow. I am the happiest man in the world. (And Joanne is the happiest girl in the world – insert by Joanne!)

In Country Training organiser

In February, I was involved in the training of 20 new VSO volunteers. It was a tough 3 weeks, and probably the hardest work I have had to do whilst in Ethiopia, but ultimately it was very rewarding. I had to push myself outside of my comfort zone and do a number of presentations- not something I usually relish, but in the end I found it a lot of fun. It was nice to be there for the new volunteers and offer advice from my experiences in Ethiopia. Not that they all wanted to listen though- they were a tough crowd sometimes. But I shan’t complain- what happens on ICT stays on ICT.

James and Dom

James and Dom arrived in Ethiopia just as I finished the training for the new volunteers. It was great to see faces from home, and we had a cracking week, though the time just seemed to fly by. We visited Aregash lodge in Yirgellem, and Dom and James cameras were glowing white hot from all the pictures they took. We got to see hyena’s at dusk being fed- or what looked like hyena’s in the dim evening light. They might have just been men in hyena costumes for what we could see. Dom and James stayed around Awassa for the rest of the week, and it was so nice to share my life in Ethiopia with old friends. The highlight of the week for me was definitely the trip on the lake to see the hippos – fantastic, definitely the best time I’ve been out on the lake. I think James and Dom had a great time, and I hope that I was good guide for them.

Joanne moves to Awassa

At the same time that James and Dom came to visit, Joanne finished her placement in Addis and moved to Awassa. The VSO were very accommodating, and sorted everything out so we could share my house. It has been so good having this chance to spend a lot of time together in Awassa. And it is so nice not to be doing the trip all the way to Addis on the bus any more. I think I probably have to make that journey only a couple more times before I leave- I won’t miss that at all.

I’m running away to join the circus

Whilst I’ve lived in Awassa, I’ve met some amazing people doing amazing stuff to help their communities, but one of the most inspiring is Mashresha. He runs a circus for poor street kids and orphans. They teach the kid’s circus skills- tumbling and juggling seem to be the major ones, and they then put on performances to raise money for equipment and facilities. They also have a decent small recording studio and are producing some really good music. Food is supplied to the kids that need it. They are some of the best behaved children I have come across in Ethiopia, and their enthusiasm is infectious. We are trying to raise a little money to buy some new mats for them to do the tumbling on before we leave- if you interested in donating something, drop me an email and we’ll work something out.

Getting locked out

The other day I went to leave my office to sort out some network equipment in another building with the electrician, and as I locked up my office the lock broke. Now, there is only one door to my office, and inside the office were my bike, and my bag. And inside my bag were my phone wallet and house keys. I was pretty stuck. So Tadiwos looks at me, with a reassuring look and says “chigger yellum” (no problem) and runs off to get a man with a ladder. Man with a ladder returns, and I’m thinking, what good will that do- there’s no upstairs to my office. Man with the ladder climbs up on the roof, tears off a sheet of corrugated iron, and reappears through the loft hatch. Once inside, he grabs the spare keys off the desk, and opens the door from the inside. Sorted. There is always a way!

Joannes placement comes to an end

Joanne’s placement finishes on the 10^th June, and by the middle of August she will be back teaching in Glasgow (providing Glasgow council get their act together, but that’s another story!) It’s strange to think that I’ll be back on my own in Awassa again, but it’s only for just over a month, so I’m sure I’ll cope.

Kenya

As a treat to celebrate the end of Joanne’s placement we have booked a Safari in Kenya for 10 days in June. We will be visiting Amboselli at the base of Kilimanjaro, Lake Nakaru and Masai Mara. Then we move onto Nairobi to catch up with our ex-VSO Kenyan friend, Mary. It’s really exciting to think we’ll get to see so many animals. In a way, it’s been strange living in Africa so long and not to have seen a lot of animals- sure there are monkeys and amazing birds in Awassa, but its quite hard to see wildlife in Ethiopia without doing a lot of hunting. In Kenya, we should see most of the “big 5” – lions, leapord, rhino, buffalo and elephants, with the added bonus of zebras and giraffes! To be honest, the thing I’m most looking forward to seeing is giraffes- I just think they are amazing!

The Future

On my return I’ll be heading back to Woking and staying with Lisa and Ed (Thank-you Lisa and Ed!) for a little while. As my flat is still under rental contract till next February, I’ll be moving up to Glasgow to be with Joanne. I’m looking for some contract work in Glasgow to keep me going, so if anyone knows any contacts on that front, I’d really appreciate it! I still have a plan for a big bike ride next year, but I’ll have to work out how to fund that first. As well as how to pay for a wedding. But, I’m sure together we shall work it all out...

Sorry this has been so long coming- keep an eye on the blog at ride-lots.blogspot.com as I will be trying to update that more regularly.

If anyone wishes to donate some money for the kids at the circus- drop me an email.

Cheers everyone- speak to you all soon, and see you quite soon too.

Your man in Awassa,

Paul

:o)

Today's interesting Ethiopian Menu entry

2011-05-22T14:45:00.002+03:00

Beef Tenderloin

Marinated beef tenderloin in Armagnac and grilled to your like of
doneness with vegetable chutney and chocolate infusion. 65 birr.

I always want my doneness done right.

:o)

Sunday Morning...

2011-05-22T11:24:00.002+03:00

It's Sunday morning, and I'm sitting in the very swish 5 star "Haile"
resort in Awassa, enjoying a macchiato and the free wi-fi. Joanne is
off playing Tennis, and I'm thinking this volunteer lark isn't that
bad really...

The Haile is probably the second best hotel in all of Ethiopia- it is
owned by local hero and marathon runner Haile Gebreselassie, and in
the lobby upstairs from where I am sitting are his two world records-
I believe the quickest is 2 hours and 4 minutes. Ulp. Joanne had the
pleasure of meeting the man himself last week when she was playing
tennis, and he seems to be a thoroughly nice chap.

The view from the lobby here is just stunning- Lake Awassa is laid out
before you in an almost 360 degree vista. You can see the regal Fish
Eagles sitting in the trees waiting to swoop down on the lake, and the
little Pied Kingfishers darting in and out of the water. Blue lizards
scuttle among the rocks occasionally stopping to bask in the sunlight.

Only real downside to the Haile is the cost- definitely an occasional
treat for a volunteer. A macchiato costs 15 birr- at the college I
only pay 2!

Saying that, as a treat it is well worth the cost. Joanne's placement
is coming to an end in three weeks, and we have booked a weekend here
for a last luxurious look at the way the other half lives...

Have a look here for an idea... http://www.haileresort.com/

Your man in Awassa,

Paul

I'm still here!

2011-05-22T10:50:00.002+03:00

Morning all-

Just to let you know I'm still alive, and all is progressing well.

Loads of news and stories to catch up on, and I will endeavour to post
a little more regularly now.

Cheers
Paul
:o)

PAUL- The Computer Guy

2010-04-16T21:49:00.001+03:00

A little mini update- last night I went to the launch of the English Language Improvement Centre at the college, and was presented with the following by one the teachers, Optamu, who had written the following it as an example in writing a descriptive piece for his students. I thought it was so good I should share it with you all:

PAUL- The Computer Guy

"Paul is a long white English man in his early 40’s. He is from the center of London. Like all white guys he enjoys talking to people. He has a light brown receding hair, always combed. He has a long straight nose with attentive brown yes. Paul has very thin lips with a well arranged teeth and round innocent mouth. All the same, he has a small ear but never failed to listen to what people say all the time. He is always clean shaven. He sometimes has a frowning face. He usually wears a jeans trousers with casual t-shirts. He often wears lovely patterned shirts, mostly quite expensive. He sometimes wears an ad shirt with a slapstick picture of a bicycle. That is because of his love for cycling. He even planned to travel back to England cycling all the way. He is crazy about “tegabino” a traditional food in Ethiopia, and sometimes enjoy eatinf “beyaynetu” too. Paul is very generous and compassionate guy. He is sociable and very extrovert. He always wants to help the needy. He is also cooperative and vigilant. Paul is also very hard working. He is very thoughtful of others. In short, he is very dependable. He is quite shy and very slow at times. Surprisingly, he is learning Amharic language now. He can now say “endemineh?” Endeminseh?” “Shay, buna, selam neh...” and the likes. He is currently working as a volunteer in the ICT department of the college to help establish a networking system in the college. He is very good at computer stuffs; some guys even call him a computer guy. Paul in General is a very good friend and an excellent professional. People enjoy talking to him."

I was taken aback by how accurate and good it was- excuse the odd mistake, but for a guy who I have only met a few times, I think he has got a great insight...

Apart from the receding hair bit ...

Paul

Lessons Learnt

2010-04-15T20:14:00.000+03:00

Lessons Learnt...

It’s taken a while to get round to this update- it’s very hard to find the time sometimes, and then sometimes hard to find the motivation. Life as a volunteer is very tiring- a lot of the tiredness must due to the constant adjustment to living within a very different culture. And, as was pointed out to me the other day, Awassa is at an altitude of 1800m, so this also will be contributing to my need to doze!

Readers of my updates have remarked how its sounds as if I’m on an extended holiday- and occasionally it does feel a little like that. Every once in a while I do think, “I’ll be going home soon”, and then I remember, I’m here for the long term and every once in a while I get an amazing “Oh Wow, I live in Africa now!” feeling- I like those. I think what gets written in these updates is very much the glossier side of my life in Ethiopia- I don’t like to dwell on the more harsh sides of life here, but rest assured it’s not all good. The scale of poverty here is beyond anything I have ever observed- for example, there are children who appear to be living with the drainage system that only really come out at night to scavenge for food and beg. To see them is heartbreaking and they latch on to “Ferenji” like magnets. They act as a sobering reminder that I am living in one of the poorest countries in the world- 77% of the population of Ethiopia live on less than $2 a day...

On a lighter note, Easter weekend saw the Awassa volunteers taking our first trip back to Addis since In Country Training finished way back in February. Thursday morning saw me getting up bright and early (4.30AM) in order to meet up with Laura and Karen to walk to the bus station. After a shower, and a quick bite to eat, I looked outside to realise that near in Ethiopia, at 5.30AM it is pitch black still. Luckily my night guard Taricou offered to walk me down to meet up with the girls, and I was very happy he did. Dark Ethiopian streets are not the place for a Ferenji- we stick out somewhat. After the girls arrived, we headed to the bus station.

Awassa bus station is a daunting experience, and we had all been quite nervous about this trip to Addis, but as we arrived we followed the shouted directions and soon found a non-packed bus. A very friendly man showed us onto the bus, and helped us with our bags- and here lies the first of two lessons I have learnt in the last weeks. After helping us on the man then said “50 birr, ticket”, and like the good Ferenji we are, we paid the man. It was not until a much more official looking chap got onto the bus and started collecting money and issuing tickets did we realise that something was not quite right. We explained with the help of some English/Amharic speaking passengers, that we had already paid. The ticket guy had fetched what seemed to be the boss of the bus station who was now trying to find the guy who had taken our money. In order not to hold up the bus any longer, and get started on the journey we decided to bite the bullet and just pay the fare again. Our fellow passengers and the bus station staff were annoyed that we had to do this, and that an Ethiopian had ripped us off, which in its own way was consolation. So my first lesson learnt is “Never pay your bus fare without getting a ticket!”

Ethiopian bus journeys are an experience to say the least. The journey of just under 300k from Awassa to Addis takes about 6 hours, depending on how bad the traffic on the outskirts of Addis is. The seats are definitely not designed for anyone approaching my height, so I could not say I was particularly comfortable for this time. Halfway to Addis I realised my feet were nudging a pair of live chickens which were obviously on the way to becoming somebody’s Easter Sunday feast. The bus spends 90% of its time on the wrong side of the road- I decided that not being able to see where I was going was probably for the best. Anyhow, we arrived in Addis just after lunch, and after a quick trip on a line taxi we were back at the VSO programme office in Haya Hulet.
Unfortunately, I had a slightly upset stomach for most of the Easter weekend, so maybe I didn’t take as much advantage of my return to Addis as I could have. When volunteers travel we take general advantage of the hospitality of other volunteers, so on the first night I was staying with the delightful Joanne, and then moving over the road for a couple of nights to Colin and Annie’s house with Kevin and Frits, before moving back to Jo’s for the last night. I had only met Jo a couple of weeks before when she was visiting Awassa, but we got on famously, and we spent a lot of the weekend chatting, drinking wine and generally setting the world to rights. Jo has what must be the nicest volunteer house I have ever seen- it’s like an English country cottage has been transplanted into downtown Addis!

I did get out and explore Addis a little and caught up with a lot of volunteers I had not seen since ICT, or had only met very briefly. Returning to Addis was strange- it seemed a very daunting place when I was there during training, but 2 months in Awassa had changed that feeling entirely. It was nice to be in a town where little attention is paid to Ferenji’s and it did make me realise why so we get so much attention in Awassa- I think it’s because we are seen as tourists, and therefore we must be well off.

Easter Sunday was one of the best days I have spent in Ethiopia so far. During the day, Kevin, Frits and I just chilled out and chatted before heading into town for coffee, and then in the evening Jo, Maureen and Tara had rustled up a sumptuous Easter banquet. 11 volunteers sat down to eat that evening, and it was like a big family meal, and a perfect end to a very relaxed weekend.

Monday was an early start, and back on the bus to Sunny Awassa. We didn’t manage to find a straight through bus, so had to change at Sheshemene, and it was here that I learnt my second lesson. We were packed on the bus so tightly that I couldn’t move, and was willing the bus to get us home. A young girl was packed in next to us and all the way to Awassa was attempting to talk to me in Amharic- now my Amharic isn’t good (it’s getting better though!) so the conversation was a little one sided. When we got off the bus, the young girl shot off, and it was only when I got off the bus I realised why- she had scarpered with my phone that she must have lifted from my pocket. I remained calm- not realising straight away it had been stolen I jumped back on the bus to see if I had dropped it on the floor. It was only after Karen attempted to call it to find that it had been turned off did I fully realise it had been stolen. So here is lesson number 2- "Never trust chatty teenagers on buses... And don’t keep your phone in your jacket pocket..."

Luckily for me I had Abrahams help in sorting out a new phone- first thing Tuesday morning we headed to ETC (Ethiopia Telecom) and with his help I came away with a new sim card with my original number for the princely sum of 15 birr. Next I picked up a basic Nokia mobile for 600 birr (£30) and within less than a day, I was back in business. All I need to do now is rebuild my phone book, but at least having my original number means people can still contact me.

And there I think I shall leave it for now.

Week 7/8 or Blimey, 2 months in Ethiopia already!

2010-03-30T21:28:00.000+03:00

Firstly, sorry for the delay in getting this written- It’s been a busy couple of weeks at work, and every time I have wanted to get this done something else has cropped up. So my normal weekly update has become a fortnightly one- I will try to get back to the normal updates after Easter. I’m off to Addis on Thursday for the holiday and a chance to catch up with some of the other VSO’s. It will be nice to get out of Awassa for a little while – it is strange to think I have been in the same town for 6 weeks now.

The small rainy season definitely appears to have begun- there is rain nearly every day now, and when it rains here, it really means it. We have had a number of amazing storms in the last few days, and what consistently surprises me is the lack of any aftermath following massive amounts of rain. In the UK if it rained like it did here, roads would be flooded, and anything like a dirt road would be a quagmire- here, within hours you wouldn’t know it had rained at all! I guess it’s an indication of how dry Ethiopia is. The rain rarely lasts very long- and in between the rains, when the sun comes out it is still very hot. I think one of the big side effects is the evenings have become a lot cooler which is nice.

On a brighter note, work continues to progress well. The bid for suppliers of network cabling services has now been published on notice boards all around the town - this is a major step forward. How long it will take from publication of the bid to the beginning of work is another question entirely. We have also had a door fitted to the server room- hopefully this will make the air conditioning function more efficiently, and make the room a little more secure. The power situation has also stabilised- we still get occasional power cuts, but these have become the exception rather than the rule now. I have been informed by many people that the new hydro electric power station will be coming on line in the next few weeks, and this will signal an end to all the power issues. We will wait and see.

One of the common questions I am asked is what I am missing from home, and after two months a couple of things have become apparent. I’m not really pining for any major foods, though some cheese would not go amiss right now! It seems that dairy produce of any sort is not high up on the Ethiopian diet. I am missing the changing of the seasons- it was strange to think that the clocks went forward this weekend. The days here are a regimented 12 hours all the year round, and I know that I will miss the long summer evenings. I will probably not miss the short winter days and the cold so much though!

I think the main thing I am missing is something I never really appreciated in the UK- anonymity. I can go nowhere here without being stared at continually or greeted with the normal cries of “Ferenji!” and “You, You, You!” I have experienced no malevolence or anger from anyone though- it is all very good natured. It is very strange when you cycle past a group of Ethiopian women and are met with a chorus of “I love you”. Even stranger is when you hear the same from a group of men! It’s hard some days, but I try not to let it get to me. My Ethiopian friends leap to my defence whenever we are out and deflect a lot of comments, which is always nice. What does make it all worthwhile is the sheer happiness that you are met with when you respond to anyone- I was cycling into work the other day, and as I rode by one chap he said “Hello, how are you?” I responded, “Hello, I’m good thank you”, to which he responded, beaming, “Hello, how are you?” The conversation was very short lived- like many Ethiopians the extent of their English comes from watching movies-many only know one phrase.

I continue to adapt to the vagaries of Ethiopian culture- I have come to expect that a lot of my day is now spent shaking hands and greeting people. At college it is quite normal for me to have formally greeted 5 people by the time I get to my office after parking my bike- a walk of about 50 metres. I still find it strange to see men walking hand in hand or with their arms round one another. Unlike Europeans Ethiopian men are a lot more tactile and it is perfectly normal to see straight men walking along hand in hand.

Well, that’s my little cultural examination of life in Ethiopia for the first two months. No doubt there will be many more things to surprise me along the road...

Life continues for the volunteers – our regular Wednesday and Friday evening get together remain a highlight of the week.

The Saturday before last we met up with most of the Southern Ethiopian US Peace Corp volunteers, and it was nice to find some new friends here in Awassa. The Peace Corp guys are all quite a lot younger than the VSO volunteers- most have come to Ethiopia straight from University. It is interesting comparing experiences with other volunteers- they have a 3 month training programme, during which they live with an Ethiopian family for 10 weeks, and because of this all are fluent Amharic speakers. Tesafay, one of our Ethiopian friends was blown away by how good their language skills were. We were really dropped in the deep end! We had a number of beers with the guys as a late celebration of St. Patrick’s Day (with green beer. Erm.), followed by pizza, and then my first taste of an Ethiopian nightclub (not a whole lot different to what I remember of UK nightclubs). The night finished at 11.30PM- which felt crazy and wild compared to our normal nights ending at 9 PM! Sunday was marked with my first Ethiopian hangover... Oops.

The evening with the US guys also gave me a chance to meet John, an ex Peace-Corp volunteer who has settled in Ethiopia. John ran the “The Awassa Children’s Project” and has now married an Awassa girl, Maggie, and has an 11 month old daughter. Because of his work with the project John has access to a recording studio and we are hoping to get together to play some music – I will be getting to play the drums, which I am very excited about. I spent most of last Saturday hanging out with John and talking about music and movies. As soon as the drum kit reappears in the studio we will get to play- at the moment it is on loan to the local Pentecostal church.

On Thursday last week the Awassa volunteers were visited by Wubshet Woldemariam, the country director for VSO Ethiopia. In the morning he came to my office and spent an hour just talking through any concerns or issues that I had with my accommodation, placement and life in Ethiopia. I think he is very keen to be on top of any problems that the volunteers are having, and I found this personal approach very reassuring. In the evening we were taken out for a very nice meal at the Pinna Hotel were Wubshet filled us in what it’s like to work for an NGO in North Korea - not a great deal of fun!

On Friday I plucked up the courage to get my haircut. It was over 2 months ago that I last visited the hairdressers at home and my hair was getting bigger by the day. I had heard so many horror stories from other volunteers about haircuts by Ethiopian barbers that I was preparing for the worst. The main issue is the differences between African and European hair- and the general lack of fringes. I put myself in the hands of my colleague Abraham and let him make an appointment for me. At 4 o’clock we headed to the “Cozi Beauty Salon” (yes, its a barbers, not a ladies hair salon) and, following a quick beer to calm the nerves, I am placed in the hands of Abraham the Barber. I communicate if my best Amharic/English that I want a short back and sides, and not to short on top. Away Abraham goes with the clippers, and 30 minutes, 2 head massages, a liberal dose of liquid paraffin later, and I have a very neat haircut. And it looks almost identical to the one I had in the UK. But in Ethiopia, it costs 20 birr. Just about one pound. Wow! The only thing that was really strange was at the end of the haircut Abraham proceeded to clean out my ears. Very odd: I decided just to relax, and go with the flow...

Well, that’s me up to date for now. Next week, I will report back on the trip to Addis...

Blue whatted monkeys?

2010-03-19T13:07:00.000+03:00

Morning all- It is Wednesday, and I am writing this in my office, in between working on updating Visio diagrams of the college. Work is proceeding well- we have started to prepare the documentation to accompany the bid for the network cabling which will enable us to link all the college to the servers and the internet. I’m beginning to get to know more of the staff now which is nice- people are now coming to see me with IT problems-mainly viruses! I’m the only Ferenji on the campus, but not the only volunteer- there are three Korean volunteers here. However, only one of them speaks any English- Jo, and he is a really nice guy. Last Thursday, he bought two local Japanese IT volunteers to meet me- Mickey and Masash, both of whom are working in local high schools. I was chuffed to find that Masash is a fellow cyclist who has bought his Gary Fisher mountain bike from Japan to go exploring on.

I decided last week that I will be returning to the UK in May for a couple of weeks to collect my bike- as some of you know; I’m a very keen cyclist! I had been looking into shipping the bike out to me, but the cost was so similar to getting a flight home, it seemed an obvious move to do that instead. My flight is now booked for the 4th May, and I will be returning to Ethiopia on the 13th. I hope to catch up with a lot of you whilst I’m home. I’m looking forward to getting my bike back here- my VSO supplied bike isn’t up to much more than riding to work, and I really want to get out and explore more of the local countryside.

Thanks to Lisa, Joseph, and Cedric for filling me in on “Rupell” from last weeks update- Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell (20 November 1794 - 10 December 1884) was a German Explorer who, in 1830, was the first naturalist to traverse Ethiopia, and in doing so a number of species of birds and mammals are left bearing his name.

I have also discovered that the common local monkey is called the “Vervet” or “Blue balled” monkey, for very obvious reasons that I won’t dwell upon here. The monkey that regularly visits my office is one of these, and yes, they are very, very blue. Enough said on that I think...

As I ride to work every day I have begun to notice how much of the clothing that Ethiopians wear must come from charities in the US/UK, and I am continually surprised and sometimes educated by slogans that I see on T-shirts. This week I have learnt that “Global Hand Washing Day” takes place on October 15th and “World Malaria Day” is April 25th- all from T-Shirts. And one shirt I saw informed me “You have a face for radio”. Thanks. It’s funny to see all these English slogans on Ethiopians as I’m pretty sure not all the wearers have any idea what they mean.

Football shirts from English Premier League teams are worn with pride by many Ethiopian men- the obsession with football here is staggering. Most bars and restaurants have seated areas where you will regularly find rows of solemn Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United fans sat staring at the match in complete silence. It’s like a church of football. Not many other teams/leagues get a look in bar the three above- and don’t ask about the Ethiopian national team, as you will be met with sneers and muffled laughter. On the other hand, ask about Spain’s chances in the World cup and you will be informed of every team member, their current form, and the high hopes of a Spanish victory!

I’ve now been here in Ethiopia for 6 weeks, and it dawned on me the other day that this is the longest I have ever been away from home, and barring a couple of low days, I have had a genuinely terrific time. I think that I have begun to adjust to the idea that this is my home for the foreseeable future, though contact with everyone back home keeps my spirits up no end. The phone calls that I have received from Dom, Sandra, Will, James and Arash have helped immensely- it is so nice to know that everyone is thinking of you and looking out for you. I also spoke to my Mum and Dad on Mother’s day, for the first time in nearly a month, which was great. Hi Mum and Dad! A volunteer I know in Delhi said this the other day “there are some people I really miss talking to and when I do it feels just like the happiness you feel when going home”. I know exactly what she means.

The highlights of the last week (apart from talking to my Will and my Mum!) were Karen and Laura’s little gathering on Saturday. It was declared that we couldn’t call it a party as there were only 6 people, but a great time was had by all. Me and Laura purchased a crate of Dashen beer and managed to get a friendly Bajaj driver to get us almost to the front door, which was great. Buying beer in Ethiopia is not quite as easy as it is in the UK as shops just don’t sell it- it has to be bought at bars, and you have to very solemnly promise to bring back the bottles when you are done as there is a deposit. Proper recycling of bottles- I think it’s great: why did we stop doing this in the UK? Well, as me and Laura were the only people drinking at the party, there is still a lot of beer to get through, but it’s nice to know there is a supply, should I fancy one. I just hope the bar don’t get too worried about the whereabouts of the bottles.

The work highlight of the week was getting one of the two Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) at the college fixed- I had to go into the office on Saturday morning to let in the engineer, and an hour later, the broken unit was up and running. The UPS’s basically are big batteries that supply power if the external supply goes down, and allow the servers to stay up and running. This is a great step forward, especially when you take into account all the power issues that we have been having at the college.

The low point of the week came on Sunday when I came down with a cold. Luckily it only lasted a couple of days, but a cold when its 30 degrees outside is now fun at all. Rather than “man-flu” I decided on Sunday I had a much more African “man-malaria”. And like “man-flu” it was almost entirely gone by Tuesday.

Right- It is time for me to go.

Thanks for all your emails and good wishes -they all mean a lot to me.

Just who is Rupell?

2010-03-11T18:32:00.000+03:00

Afternoon all...Writing this on Thursday afternoon, and trawling through my memory of last week for some gems to enlighten you all with! It will probably be a shorter update this week, as I am suffering a little from the tail end of a migraine.

The second week at work stands out most as it was my first experience of the ups and downs of power in Ethiopia. Wednesday and Thursday saw only a couple of hours of electricity in total and because of this I think I spent more time in the cafeteria garden drinking lemon tea (Shai Lomi) than I did in the office. So progress on my planned work for this week can best be described as minimal...

Tuesday was another Ethiopian national holiday- Battle of Adwa day, celebrating the victory over Italy in 1896. No more extra days off now until the end of May and “Freedom from the Derg” day. A chilled out day off was spent between my house and visiting Karen and Laura. In the evening the slightly early midweek volunteer get together was held at the Sombrero restaurant. It was my first visit, and I was slightly taken aback that such a western looking restaurant was in fact a “habesha” restaurant. No issue at all from me, as I’m still on my journey to discover the best “Bayonet” in Awassa. “Bayonet” for new readers, is a local staple meal which consists of a mixture of different vegetarian dishes served on a large plate covered in “Injera”. Not a bad one was served at all- still not up to my favourite from my local cafe “Logita”. A good evening was had by all- a few beers were quaffed, and as usual we were all home by 9 PM. It takes a while to get used to the early evenings in Ethiopia, but it’s becoming a fact of life for the Volunteers in Awassa- the streets are all completely unlit, and that makes us “Ferenji’s” stand out much more, hence the potential safety issues.

Friday evening was the second volunteer get together of the week and also saw the arrival of our next Awassa visitor, Mary. She is from Kenya and is another IT volunteer, working at the university at Dilla. It was nice to catch up with her and find out her placement was getting on. The “Post Rendezvous” restaurant was the venue for Friday evening again, so pizza all round for hungry volunteers- I was tempted by trying the “Bayonet”, but pizza won the day!

Saturday saw use put on our tour guide hats and showing Mary the delights of Awassa. A walk down by the lake was followed by lunch at the Rastafarian themed lakeside hotel “Circle of Life”. Its a great venue- lovely gardens, and really nice food. After lunch Mary and I headed to one of the other lakeside hotels “Wabe Shabelle 2” where we took advantage of the lakeside seating to chill out and chat. I’d taken my newly acquired bird watching book to see if I could put any names to the hundreds of birds that live round the lake. It’s such a nice place to sit and watch the world (and the monkeys) go by.

I went round to Karen and Laura’s house for lunch on Sunday, which was preceded by a cooking lesson from Mary where we were taught how to make Kenyan style chapatti’s- the results were superb. I must have a go at making them on my own now- will report on the results soon!

Ah yes- “Who is Rupell?” There are a number of birds here in Awassa which carry his/her name Rupells Vulture and Rupells Starling. I must find out who he/she is!

That’s me done for now- time to cook my tea...

“There’s a Monkey on my roof!”

2010-03-04T20:04:00.000+03:00

Morning everyone- It’s Tuesday, and the second public holiday of the week. Today is “Victory in Adwa” day, celebrating Ethiopia’s victory over the Italians in 1896. On Friday we had “Birth of the Prophet” day- a Muslim holiday that was shrouded in a certain amount of mystery. We were told that the holiday was at the discretion of the Imam, and something to do with the rising of the moon, and because of this would not be confirmed till Thursday evening. Nobody appeared to go to work on Friday, so I would guess the moon rose in the correct manner. I wasn’t going to argue.

Up until now this update has been more a less a journal of almost everything I’ve been up to- now work has started the format is going to change, as I’m sure you all don’t want to hear about my daily grind. So from here on in, edited highlights, rather than a blow by blow account...

Monday was my first proper day in the office, and I was really looking forward to finally starting work. The downtime between VSO training and starting work had been nice, but time had begun to drag, and I was eager to get on with the purpose of my placement in Ethiopia. Monday was also to be my first trip on my VSO issue bike. Abraham collected me at 8.30AM, and we set off for the college, stopping briefly to get my tyres pumped up by one of the many street corner bike repair shops. The college is a 5 minute bike ride from my house, along a flat and straight road. The roads round Awassa are not too busy- the biggest vehicle on the road is usually the small three wheeled Bajaj, and these are slow enough to not be too intimidating. The biggest danger on the roads comes from random donkeys and Ethiopian pedestrians who stop abruptly, amazed to see a “Ferenji” on a bike!

We arrive at the college, lock up the bikes, and head to the IT Department/room. Our room is divided into two areas- a smaller area where the servers and network equipment live, and a larger room where mine and Abraham’s desks and computers are, and some general storage space. The server room has air conditioning, but this is struggling as it effectively has to cool both rooms- one of my first tasks is to get a door fitted to the server room to increase the efficiency of the air conditioning. My first task is to audit the systems and equipment already in place, and begin to work out a work plan. We have a quick meeting with the Dean of the college, and set a meeting up for the following Monday for me to present my plan for my work in the college for the duration of my placement. The first day flew by- there is so much information to try to process, but by the end of the day I was beginning to get some idea of what needed to get done, and the plan was beginning to form.

After my first day at work, I decided to treat myself and rather than cook, headed out to Logita for my new favourite meal- “Bayonet” and a beer. My housemate Lubowa, and Tesafay joined me- mainly so they could watch Sky Sports on the TV at the bar.

Tuesday, and my working day begins to form into a pattern. Wake at 7, shower, breakfast- usually banana, bread and a cup of black tea. Ride to work at 8.30, into the office, check mail, and then onto the days work. Lunchtime is between 12 and 2 for an hour- I jump back on my bike and head home for some food- usually bread and marmite/nutella. Some days I make myself some popcorn as an extra snack. Then back to work till 5. It’s not a bad way to live! Tuesday evening this week is the mid week volunteer get together, as Karen and Laura have an appointment on Wednesday. We head to Logita, and again, I have “Bayonet”. Mmmm. “Bayonet”. Its nice to catch up with Karen, Laura and Joffrey.

Thursday, and work continues, the plan is coming together, and I’m informed that Friday will be a holiday! The highlight of the day is the monkey that appears on the roof of my office- I really am living and working in Africa...

After work on Thursday, I receive a call from Sewit, my VSO programme manager, inviting me out to dinner with the VSO programme office staff. Never one to refuse a free meal, I head down to the “Tadase Enjor”y hotel for a slice of how the other half lives. The Tadase is the most upmarket hotel I have seen in my time in Ethiopia, and I was taken aback at the masses of Ferenji who were there: German’s – thousands of them. Well, maybe not thousands, but quite a few. It was strange to see lots of white faces- I was tempted to shout “You, You, You”, but restrained myself. It was good to catch up with Sewit, and following a short debrief about my time so far in Awassa, we headed to the restaurant for dinner. I yet again had the “Bayonet” and was quite disappointed- nowhere near as good as the 10 birr version from my local “Logita”. And three times the price. Still, it was a nice evening, so no real complaints. The VSO driver took me back to my house at about 9.30, and I was amazed to see how deserted the streets were- its easy to see why the VSO don’t recommend travel late at night.

Friday was the Muslim holiday “Birth of the Prophet”, so no work. That evening was Kaye’s leaving dinner at the “Dolce Vita” Italian restaurant- we were joined by Kaye’s friends Laura and Allie, and a good evening was had by all... It’s strange that Kaye is leaving- she has been a great guide to Awassa for all the new volunteers and an invaluable help for Laura and Karen in her hand over of her work. Its also strange that one of us is leaving- I think it made us all think that at some point we will be on our way too, and that is just too much to contemplate this early in our journey as volunteers...

Following last weekend’s packed agenda, it was nice to be faced with a more chilled out prospect for this one. The major highlight for me was watching the bike racing in Awassa town centre- something I wasn’t expecting to see! I need to find out if its a regular event- maybe I will have a go when I get my bike from the UK.

That’s it for now. Its Thursday afternoon, and I’m sitting on the sofa finishing this off as we have no electricity at the college- one of the themes for this week so far...

Week 3- Ups and Downs in Awassa

2010-02-24T20:50:00.001+03:00

Greetings all. It was a hard week last week, and I’m only just getting round to writing on Monday- up until now I’ve been trying to stay on top of this during the week...

I didn’t give a lot of detail about the house and my housemate last week, so lets start there. The house is situated on a back street just near a cafe called Logita. The street is quite quiet, and not within prayer distance of either the orthodox church or the mosque, so sleep is generally uninterrupted until the cock starts to crow at between 5.30 and 6.00 AM. Swathes of Bouganvilla flowers mark out the gate to the compound. Go through the gate and you are facing our veranda, and the lovely garden. My favourite feature is the Avocado tree that is heaving with fruit- they’ll soon be ripe, and no doubt, forming an essential part of my daily diet! In the through the front door, and you are in the large living room with a number very comfortable chairs, a nice full bookcase, and a dining table. Beyond the living room is the bathroom, kitchen and two bedrooms. The bathroom and kitchen are utilitarian, but completely functional. Mine is the smaller bedroom at the back- I don’t mind as it has the light for most of the day. The other bedroom is inhabited by Luboa, a volunteer from Uganda. Lubowa is great-he spends a lot of time singing Ugandan songs- one of which I’m sure is the same tune as the theme to Coronation Street. The house has a fridge and hot water- both luxuries I was surprised to see, as the VSO do not always provide either.

VSO provide a day and night guard for our security. Almaz, our day guard is amazing- she also acts as mine and Lubowa’s housekeeper- the house is cleaned every day, and all our washing is taken care of as well. We supplement the payment she receives from the VSO for these additional services. I have met our night guard only briefly- I’ve not really been out that late to run into him yet. The guard concept is very strange at first, and I’m lucky in a way that it was all in place when I moved in- Karen and Laura had lots of fun and games sorting out theirs.

I hadn’t felt well all day, and by the evening I was starving, so I jumped in a Bajaj, and headed to the Post Rendezvous, for a Pizza- this was not my best move, as it did not do anything for my stomach problems. My first night in the house was also marred by the fact that I had been unable to find Laura and Karen’s house to pick up stuff from my VSO box- I ended up sleeping under my travel mosquito net, which just didn’t fit very well, and spent most of the night with it just inches from my face.

The next morning I awoke, determined to sort that out, and make sure my second night was more comfortable. I was still suffering from what I shall delicately call “Ethiopia Tummy”, so was not feeling anywhere near my best. I set out early to find Laura and Karens house, and retrieve a few of my things- luckily Laura’s directions were spot on and in no time I had a mosquito net, a hot plate, some sheets, and a few things for the kitchen. I sorted out my proper mosquito net and bedding then headed into town to get a sim card for my CDMA mobile internet device, and get my PO Box registered. Whilst out I picked up some bread and bananas- I was determined not to repeat my mistake of the night before, and was sticking to bland food for the time being. I was a little diossapointed when I got home to find that my CDMA card was not functional, but a quick call to Mike Robei, one of the other IT volunteers, provided a potential solution to the issue. The network of volunteers is an amazing thing.

Wednesday, I was feeling no better, so stayed round the house and made a quick trip into the office to have a look over the server room, and begin to think about plans. Abraham is very well read in IT terms, but has had little practical experience, so I had to reign in some of his ideas, as I believe we need to get the fundamentals working first before we move onto some more complex networking solutions. Above all I would like whatever I do at the college to be sustainable- and If it’s too complicated we may miss that goal. My short time at the college gave me the opportunity to download some software to get my CDMA card functional, and connect me back with all my friends.

I found my first few days in the house very isolating- not that Lubowa isn’t friendly, but he has been here for 18 months, and has his own circle of friends. I got the CDMA card working just at the right time- that along with calls from Sandra and Dom lifted my spirits no end.

Wednesday evening I caught up with Karen and Laura at my local watering hole, Logita, and we all brain dumped our first weeks experiences. We had all had our shares of trials and tribulations, but we were all still smiling, and beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Thursday was a very quiet day- I wrote my journal for the week before, posted on the blog and mailed it out to all you good folks. I ventured out shopping and found an excellent grocer/general store near my house. I seem to be paying reasonable prices there- so often in Ethiopia there is a “Ferenji” price and a “Habesha” price. Ethiopians tend to see white and assume rich, so charge accordingly. I picked up my first proper supplies for the house- pasta, carrots, lentils, onions, and some “Ambasha” bread. “Ambasha” is rapidly becoming a favourite- its a local type of bread, and tastes a little like Foccacia. Very nice indeed. That evening I cooked my first meal- pasta with a sauce made from lentils, carrots and onions, and a little too much “burberry” spice... Abraham came round for a chat, and as usual I retired quite early.

On Friday, the Awassa VSO contingent, were invited to a local school, Mount Olive, where Kaye would be judging an English speaking competition. It was a truly amazing experience- we were treated as visiting dignitaries, and the children at the school were fantastic. The English competition consisted of the children reciting speeches from luminaries such as Abraham Lincoln, Linden Baines Johnson, and Barrack Obama. Their English was superb, and what amazed me was the length of the speeches- I’m sure I could never have remembered anything that long. I’m sure I couldn’t now... Kaye had a very hard task judging them, but did a fantastic job. That evening all the volunteers from Awassa gathered at Post Rendezvous for Friday night pizza and beer – we were joined by Maggie, one of our ICT intake, and Tara, who were visiting Awassa for the Interr University football championship that was taking place at Awassa University that weekend. We were also joined by Joffrey- a volunteer from Kenya who hadn’t been around when Laura, Karen and I arrived in Awassa. Our final special guest for the evening was Fiona- an ex volunteer who had lived in my house between 2005 and 2007- she had returned to Awassa on holiday and was catching up with all her Ethiopian friends. A fine evening was had by all, and plans were made to show Maggie and Tara the highlights of Awassa.

Friday was also my Dad’s birthday- I gave him a quick call to wish him an excellent day! Happy Birthday Dad!

Saturday saw the Awassa three, Karen, Laura, and myself have our first bash at being tour guides round Awassa for out visitors- first thing on the cards was a trip to the lake for hippo viewing. Again, it was an amazing experience- if it wasn’t quite so pricey, I think I’d go every week. It’s lovely on the lake- so refreshing, and much cooler than around town. Tara couldn’t get over it-she was totally giddy about the holiday town of Awassa. She and Maggie are based in Ambo, a very small town two hours north of Addis, and the bright lights of Awassa were a world apart from there. It made us Awassa volunteers feel very lucky! After the hippos we went to Dolce Vita, probably the best Ferengi restaurant in town, for some great Italian food- I had an amazing plate of Potato Tortellini with meat sauce. Yum. Probably the first meat I’d eaten in over a week...

The plan for Sunday was a little more energetic- Kaye had offered to guide Laura, Tara and I for a walk up the local mountain,Tabor. It’s not really a mountain- more a large-ish hill, but its worth the climb for the views over the lake and the town. It was a great walk only slightly spoilt by the small group of children that latched onto us for half of it... The smiles of the kids gave way to outstretched hands and requests for 1 birr- annoying, but I am developing strategies to deal with them. I find they don’t give me as much trouble as they do the girls, and if you completely ignore them, they soon lose interest. This sounds a little harsh, but you can’t give all them money... I will try and find a local charity down the line who do something for the street kids, and either donate them some money, or see if I can do any voluntary work for them. On a completely different note- Tabor hill has some cracking looking trails on it that could be an absolute hoot on a mountain bike- I’ve found my first African singletrack! After the walk we retired to Kayes house for a fantastic brunch of Tea, Toast and Marmite, and pancakes. Cracking spread Kaye- thankyou... Kaye is leaving Awassa next week, and has been an invaluable guide to all of us. The others headed to the university football final, and I headed back for a rest, and a shower. Later that day I met up with Tara at my local watering hole for a beer, and an introduction to Habesha food. I’d not really eaten any Ethiopian food since leaving Addis, and I needed a guide to introduce me to it again. We had a dish called “Bayonet” with “Tagabino”. Bayonet is a vegetarian pick and mix-lots of small dishes on a bed of injera. Tagbino is a spicy thick sauce- again vegetarian, and really really tasty. I was so pleased to be eating local food again!

The weekend was great- it really lifted my spirits after a hard week, and reminded me in a lot of ways why I wanted to become a volunteer...

Monday was the first day at work... We’ll come to that in the next update!

Week 2- From Addis to Awassa with Hippos and Pterodactyls

2010-02-18T17:34:00.000+03:00

It is now Saturday and I’m sat at the desk in my hotel room in Awassa, watching The Magic Roundabout movie on the TV and hoping the hotel wireless decides to start working again. It looks like its warming up for a storm outside- the skies are dark and a rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance. So how did I get to here? A little recap of the last few days is required methinks...

Tuesday was the last complete day at the British Red Cross centre in Addis. What had become our home from home for the last nine days of In country training (ICT) was coming to an end. The plan for Tuesday was an all day conference with our partner organisations- for most of us it was the first time we would meet the people we would be working for and with for the next two years. I felt incredibly nervous- probably not helped by having to start taking Malaria medication on the same day. It felt very similar to a job interview- but one you where you already had got the job! Would I get on with my colleagues? Would they like me? Breakfast was eclectic as ever- Fit Fit (Spicy Injera), toast and cheese with Lemon Tea and Orange Juice. After food, we all filed into the main hall to find tables laid out with the names of our respective partner organisations. I headed to the table marked Awassa CTE (College of Teacher Education) to await their arrival. After about 20 minutes, the partners began to arrive. I spotted Abraham almost immediately (having seen his picture on Facebook)- I stood to greet him and Paulos, the vice dean of the college, my new line manager. We had little time to get to know each other as the presentations began almost immediately- we were treated to the Country Director outlining the Country Strategic Plan, a number of others and a workshop on partner/volunteer expectations. The VSO does like workshops!

Following a morning of presentations I had a little more time over lunch to get to know Abraham and Paulos. Both appear to be very friendly and enthusiastic. I was praised for my etiquette when Paulos’ wife joined us for lunch- I stood to greet her, and offered her some of my drink. Ethiopians are sticklers for manners and politeness, and I had paid careful attention in the Society and Culture lectures! They were also impressed that I liked and had tried Injera before coming to Ethiopia. After lunch we had a tripartite meeting between myself, the partners, and Sewit, my VSO programme manager. This laid down a number of guidelines- how much holiday I would be entitled to (22 days + 13 National holiday days), what my induction would consist of, amongst others. Sewit will come and visit in a couple of weeks to ensure that all this is being kept to. I have to write a project plan once I am in place to outline what Abraham and I will be working on. Following the meeting, Paulos and Abraham departed, and I was left with some time before the evening’s festivities.

This being the last evening of ICT the VSO had pulled out all the stops- an Ethiopian cultural evening was planned with an Ethiopian Band, dancing, food, and free booze! It was a great evening, though I wish that I hadn’t been quite as tired as I was. I can’t see how they could have really done the ICT week any better, but it’s an exhausting time- both emotionally and physically. You are coming to terms with the move to another country as well as the actual move itself, language lessons, lectures on Ethiopian Society Culture and History- its a massive amount to take in...

Following the food, and dancing we were moved outside for a bonfire- a very Ethiopian thing to do I understand. There is a festival called Meskel which involves the lighting of large bonfires all over the country, and this seemed to be a mini Meskel for the new volunteers! Following farewells, I retired to bed. I wouldn’t get to see some of the volunteers for a while as they would be heading off in the early hours. Hopefully we will all catch with each other down the line... One of the great things about the ICT week is it gives you a great group of friends around the country- a great thing for weekends away!

I awoke early on Wednesday morning, and packed my bags before heading down to breakfast. The three Awassa volunteers (Karen, Laura and me) were due to depart at 11.00 AM, so a nice slow morning was in store. Breakfast was consumed and after that I had time to have a chat with Mike Robie, a Canadian IT volunteer. I’m looking forward to catching up with him in the future. People began to depart for their placements from just after breakfast, and for the first time we began to experience the frustration of Africa time... One by one all the others were whisked off to begin their respective journeys until all that was left was the “Awassa Three” (Laura’s Nickname for the gang), and Jamie, one of the ICT trainers. The time now was coming up to 1.00 PM, and we got a call saying that Tamarat, our driver had been delayed dropping some other volunteers off in Addis, and we were to get some lunch. This delay seemed to last forever: we were all getting a little exasperated, when finally Tamarat arrived at 14.00 PM. We quickly loaded all our gear in to the truck, and finally we were on our way...

The drive from Addis to Awassa takes about 5 hours for the 275 kilometres. It takes a long time to escape the traffic of Addis and it’s only when you turn off the Djibouti road after 70 kilometres that you really start to make time. Its also when you make this turn that you really realise that you are in Africa. The grubby industrial estates of the outskirts of Addis give way to more typical African scenery- the flat topped acacia trees, and the vast plain of the rift valley stretched out before us. Either side of the plane the sides of valley rose sharply to mountains, and cliffs. And for my game playing friends, yes, it was like something out of Far Cry 2. Alongside the road communities live in traditional African mud dwellings with conical thatched roofs. The poverty that was evident in Addis shifts with the more rural locations, but is still very prominent. Most of Ethiopia is based on rural subsistence farming. There is little evidence of very much organised farming bar the massive flower farms that have begun to spring up. Our driver, Tamarat delivered a great commentary all the way to Awassa- we found out that donkeys and goats have a great homing instinct - I couldn’t understand how all the donkeys that we saw got back to their owners! At one point we saw camels wandering through a field- a real sign of where we were. The donkeys are one of the reasons the journey takes so long- they just wander out into the road all the time, and you are continually delayed. We arrived in Sheshemane, 30 kilometres north of Awassa just as it began to get dark. African roads in the dark are not a good place to be- no street lighting here, and lots of random livestock to avoid. Paulos from the college rang to check we were OK, and I arranged to catch up with him and Abraham in the morning. By the time we arrived in Awassa, it was in complete darkness and about 8.00 PM. We dropped off our VSO supply boxes at the girl’s house, and then headed to the Hotel Pinna- my home for the next 6 days. My room was a little disappointing- the lock hardly worked, and everything was not in the best state of repair- however, Tamarat assured me it was only a temporary measure- I would be able to move to my proper room the next day. We all headed to the hotel restaurant for a quick bite to eat, before retiring for the night.

A little aside- all Ethiopian restaurants server very good Pasta, and Pizza is not at all uncommon. We have been told this is a legacy of the Italian occupation during the Second World War. It’s worth remembering that the pasta dishes have been “Ethiopianised” and tend to be a little spicier than there European equivalents.

After a not particularly great night’s sleep I awoke for my first look at Awassa... I stepped out onto my balcony, only to see a vulture fly by! From there the town looked a lot greener than Addis for a start. Abraham called and said they would be round to pick me up shortly, so I headed downstairs to the pastry shop for a cup of Lemon Tea. Abraham and Paulos arrived after a while and we set off for a whistle stop tour of the town and then onto the college. The town was everything I imagined it would be much more laid back than Addis, less dirty, and with a real charm. Awassa has wide boulevards round the centre of town, and a great central road that goes from the Lake to the principle Orthodox church, Saint Gabrielle at the top of the hill. We stopped by one of the growing number of lakeside hotels to see the swimming facilities- I didn’t have the heart to say that I’m not a big swimmer. We then headed to the college, and Abraham showed me his ambitious plan for the network, and we walked round the amazingly tended gardens that the college lies in. I was introduced to so many people, it all became a bit of a blur. Abraham and I then headed to his house for lunch where I met his wife and his one year old daughter- I think I confused her somewhat- I may have been the first white person she had ever seen! My VSO house is just opposite Abrahams, so we popped in there to have a look. The house appears quite basic, but I liked it. After a little break in the afternoon, Abraham collected me at around five for a trip to the Wabe Shebelle 2 hotel to see the lake at a little more length, and see my first African monkey! The hotel is a really nice place to sit and watch the lake, the sunset and the amazing birdlife. Very chilled out. Abraham dropped me back at the hotel, and I went straight to the restaurant to grab some food before settling down for the night in my much improved new hotel room- this one had a semi working television!

Friday was my first really slow day since arriving in Ethiopia, which I think I needed. In the morning I headed out for my first solo wander around Awassa- it will take a while to get used to how much I stand out here. People stare continually; kids shout many things, the favourite of which seems to be “You You You” or “Ferengi”. Ferengi, for the Star Trek fans amongst you, has nothing to do with the large lobed aliens, but is a derivative of “Frenchie”. Similarly, in Cambodia and Thailand Caucasians are referred to as “Farang”, which I understood was just a corruption of “Foriegn”. The attention isn’t too bad- its never been threatening in nature but can get wearing at times- you begin to miss anonymity of walking the streets in the UK. For lunch I headed to one of the many cafes that Awassa has to offer- in search of a little “Ferengi” treat, I sat down to a “Special” burger and a bottle of St Georges beer. The burger was indeed special: cold and what appeared to be raw in the middle! I quickly stopped eating, glugged down my beer, and returned to the hotel. I need to find out the best places to eat- the burger may have been completely OK, as I didn’t feel any ill effects that day. This will undoubtedly come with time. In the evening I met up with Laura and Karen, and an existing volunteer, Kaye, who was dealing with their induction and handover. I had rang Lubowa, my VSO housemate to be, earlier that day to get him to meet up with us too. We met at the Post Pizza cafe (next to the post office!) and settled down for a catch-up over a beer and pizza. Lubowa arrived, and I got confirmation that my room would be ready to move into on Monday, as Julius, the current occupant was on his way back to Uganda that morning. The Pizza was superb- much better than I was expecting, and only 40 birr (£2). It will have to be an occasional treat though- must remember my daily budget is only 70 birr a day!

On Saturday, Abraham had arranged for a trip to Wondo Genet, a hot spring, about 40K from Awassa. I was picked up at 10.30 by Abraham, his friend from the college, Mulageta, and the college driver. The drive to Wondo Genet took us back up the road towards Addis, and into Sheshemane, then up into the hills- I assume, the edge of the Rift valley. It was great to see more of the African countryside- its hard to describe how big it feels here. The skies as soon as you get out of town are massive, 360 degree panoramas. The other thing that is hard to comprehend, is the level of poverty in Ethiopia- it’s even more apparent when you hit rural areas. Sometimes it is overwhelming. When we finally arrived at the springs, a friendly guide, offered to take us on a short hike to see the hills, springs and wildlife. An important tip- never set off with a guide, before you discuss a price. This would come back to bite us later. We set off up the hill to see one of the hot springs- water comes up from the ground at 85 degrees- hot enough to cook in! The Rift Valley is a hot bed of such volcanic activity- there are many such springs throughout Ethiopia. The walk through the hills was great- we were shown a number of different springs, including one that Haile Selassie used to bathe in. Colobus monkeys and Baboons were sighted at a distance, as were many amazing birds. The guide was very informative, and told me that there was a four hour walk that could be done to the top of the nearby mountain to see the waterfalls- worth bearing in mind for the future.

Unfortunately when we returned to where the car was parked, things turned a little sour with the guide, as he demanded 150 birr (£7) from us. This doesn’t seem a lot in UK terms, but in Ethiopia, its a months wages for many, or for me, more than 2 days allowance. Abraham tried to reason with the guide, but he was having none of it, and walked away. I decided to give the guide 100 birr, mainly to ease my conscience, but it left me with a valuable lesson learned. Always negotiate a price before going anywhere with a guide.

We then proceeded into the main hot spring area- this is a very popular spot for Ethiopians. It comprises of a shower area fed by the hot spring, and a swimming area. Unfortunately, I had not been briefed that we would be going in, so had no trunks/towel, and was suffering from a terrible attack of British shyness so decided to sit out the we part. I will have to revisit when better prepared. Abraham and Mulageta had a cracking time!

The highlight of Sunday was a trip on the Lake with Kaye, Laura and Karen. It was a scorching day, and after a spot of lunch at a rooftop cafe, we headed towards the lake to meet up with Kaye. The rooftop cafe is above the Dashen bank, and affords amazing views over Awassa. It also lets you see the amazing birdlife of the town from eye level so to speak- as soon as I can get an Ethiopian bird guide, I will be able to report on what the hell some of the birds are. I’m sure they aren’t really Pterodactyls, but thats what they look like. We met Kaye en route to the Wabe Shebelle 2 hotel where the boats depart from. Before getting to the boat we are treated to a preview of the new Lewi Resort that is being built on the lakeside- it looks amazing, and I’m sure when some of you come and visit, you may be staying there. Very plush, and being Ethiopia, the prices are amazing... Check out http://www.lewihotel.com/ for some more details.

We head to the lake next, and after a quick cup of tea, jump on a boat. The boat heads out across the placid waters of Lake Awassa in a cooling breeze. Low flying birds skim just above the water, and in the distance we could see the fishing boats. We arrive at the far end of the lake and the reed beds and for the first time spot Hippopotamus heads just above the water- its an amazing sight, and slightly scary, as the boat appears to be drifting towards them! They duck under the water occasionally, and resurface, little pink ears wiggling. Its hard to comprehend the size – the heads appear massive! A fantastic thing to see...

Monday is moving day, and unfortunately I awoke with my first case of African tummy. Moving day was not going to be easy... Abraham arrived at 10 and we move all my stuff to my new house. Its such a nice thing to unpack after over 2 weeks living out of a bag. My room is nice, and will become nicer as I personalise it. More on the house in the next update...

The British Red Cross Compound, Addis Abbaba 01/02/2010 - 08/02/2010

2010-02-12T16:29:00.000+03:00

Flight over was uneventful- met a few of the VSO crew on the first leg from London to Cairo, and by the time we had boarded the plane for Addis, all 11 of the UK contingent had found one another. Landed at Addis at just gone 4AM Ethiopian time, and was greeted by the very cheery In Country Trainers- it’s strange walking out of arrivals to find 5 people all waving and saying “Hello Paul!”. Addis airport was a surprise- startlingly modern. For some reason I was expecting a shack in a field, with elephants grazing next to the runway!

A quick bus ride delivered us to our new home for the next 9 days, the British Red Cross Training centre on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. We were quickly dispatched to our rooms, and told that proceedings would not begin until 14:00 the next day. I find I’m sharing a room with Kees Schippers- a veteran volunteer from the Netherlands. It’s his third time with the VSO in Ethiopia. He’s an excellent room mate- I believe he is a retired teacher, and he is an invaluable source of information on life in Ethiopia.

I found it very difficult to get off to sleep- a blend of nerves and excitement, and the call to prayer from the mosque next door kept me awake for a while. Eventually I managed a few hours sleep, and awoke about 9. A quick cold shower helped me awake- quick tip, before you assume there is no hot water, check the water heater is turned on... whoops. No more cold showers since.

Off to the canteen for my first breakfast in Africa, and my first chance to check out the Red Cross Compound. Its a great environment to start you off in Ethiopia, very safe and secure, nice gardens, great friendly staff, and lovely food. Oh yes, and the weather is lovely. The altitude of Addis means not too hot, but it is so nice to be in sun again. First breakfast was uneventful- spotted the Injera straight away, and dove in. It looks like that is going to be my staple diet for the next couple of years, so time to get used to it... The other volunteers arrived throughout the morning, and we all started to get to know each other. The group is great- 24 in total representing the UK, America, Canada, Kenya, Uganda, Holland, Australia and the Philippines.

After lunch (more Injera) we are greeted by the VSO’s Ethiopian Country director, and a traditional coffee ceremony. Then its straight into the first batch of a lot of form filling- a necessary evil.

We are advised to stay on compound the first night, and everyone is so tired from their journeys, there are no disagreements...

Next day begins the In Country Training proper. We start the day with 2 hours intensive Amharic- I’m picking it up, but its very hard to learn such an alien feeling language. Still, I’m determined, and I’m enjoying it so far. As are all the Ethiopians whom I try my language skills out on...

I won’t go into the in’s and out’s of all the other training- but suffice to say the VSO know what they are doing, and I feel they are preparing us well for the journey ahead.

There are three of us heading to Awassa- myself, Laura from the UK and Karen from Australia. We think we will all be living fairly close to each other. Karen and Laura are sharing a house, and I will be sharing with a volunteer from Uganda, Lubowa. I won’t be moving in straight away as Julius, the current resident hasn’t left yet- so for the first week or so, I will be in a hotel. I’m trying to get into one of the five star ones by the lake, but I think its unlikely!

On the Tuesday evening the volunteers headed out to the local quiet bar for our first taste of life on the streets of Addis- and our first Ethiopian bar! Its a nice little place- very basic, but the staff are very friendly and the beer is cheap (9 birr a bottle/less than 50p)

Wednesday sees us travel to the VSO programme office in Addis, and our first real taste of Ethiopia proper. In country training spoon feeds you Africa- I think it’s a great way of not overwhelming the incoming volunteers. We are dispatched on to the streets of Addis on a scavenger hunt- a chance to use our 2 days of Amharic, and see a little of the city. The first trip on a “Line Taxi” (small minibuses used to get round Addis) is thrilling to say the least! It’s a crazy city- the poverty is as I had expected, but I was pleased that we were not hassled very much- and a white newcomer stands out a lot! What struck me most was what a gracious and friendly people the Ethiopians are- I had learnt this a little from the staff at the Red Cross, but it was nice to see similar on the streets as well. We return from the Scavenger hunt to the Pride Bar, a VSO haunt, and await the return of the other volunteers from their adventures. Some of the existing volunteers join us at the bar, and everyone I tell I’m going to Awassa responds the same way- “Awassa, you are so lucky!”. I think I’ve come up trumps with my placement! Once all the volunteers return, we had back to the compound- and also find our team have won the Scavenger Hunt. Woo hoo!

Ethiopian food, for those who haven’t tried it, is unique to say the least. It revolves around a pancake like bread called Injera- which various volunteers refer to as “Bath Mat” or “Grey towel”. Myself, I really like it. Onto the Injera is served various types of Wat or stew. These are either spicy or mild, and may or may not contain meat of some description, usually chicken or goat. The Ethiopians also like pasta- but it usually comes with a spicy kick.

Thursday, following the days training we are dispatched to the British Embassy to meet the ambassador- this I was not expecting! The embassy is amazing- a massive, heavily guarded compound in the hills surrounding Addis. It’s an old palace that Hailie Selassi gifted to the British, and is every inch what you would think a colonial embassy should be- it even had a giant tortoise! The reception for the volunteers was amazing- champagne, beer and gin and tonic was flowing, as were the hors d’ourves! I was disappointed at the lack of Ferrero Rocher though. The Canadian, Dutch, Irish, Indian and US ambassadors all arrived to meet and greet us and an excellent time was had by all. I had a lengthy chat with Norman Ling, the British Ambassador- nothing like I imagined at all!

Friday was a relatively quiet day- there were a few hangovers following the Embassy trip... hic! Training continues- language is coming along, but I am glad I can employ a language tutor when I get to my placement for some extra tuition. We have a good meeting with Margaret Happy, a volunteer from Uganda who is also at Awassa, who fills us in on the situation in the town- It sounds better and better all the time... We find we will all be living fairly close together and the compounds have guards day and night- security is paramount for the VSO, though it sounds like there are very little problems in Awassa. We all head out in the evening to the quiet bar for the Volunteers Pub Quiz, our team (Team Meta Beer!) come in second place- not too bad.

Saturday is shopping day/equipment day. The VSO provide us with a box of essentials for our placements- it contains a blanket, pillow, water filter, mosquito net, electric hotplate and a kerosene stove. Ato Demis from the VSO programme office gives us a demonstration of how to set up the water filter and kerosene stove. Then a demonstration of cooking Ethiopian food on the kerosene stove by one of VSO staff follows. Once we receive our equipment grant from the VSO, and head out in small groups with a couple current volunteers into the streets of Addis. I’m accompanied by Margaret from Kenya, and Kevin, a UK volunteer, and we head to Shola market. Shola is one of the smaller markets in Addis, but is known for being safe and a friendly place for “Ferenji” (Foreigners) to visit. The big market “Mercato” in Addis has somewhat of a reputation for pick pockets and inflated prices. In Ethiopia haggling is key- one of the first language lessons we had taught us the term “Wid now! Qonis!” (Too much! Lower!) and the theatricality that accompanies haggling. There is Lots of walking away in mock disgust. I don’t have too much to pick up for my placement as I’m staying in hotel to begin with and Awassa has most stuff available there, but a lot of the volunteers are going to far more remote places where household equipment is scarce. I pick up some storage containers, sheets and a can opener. Oh, and some “soft” which is Amharic for toilet paper. I venture into the spice section of the market and purchase some “Barbary” spice- unfortunately the spice fumes are somewhat overpowering and I’m left coughing and spluttering for half an hour.

Saturday evening we have been invited to a social event at the Kenyan embassy- drinks, dancing and a BBQ. Ethiopian Lent starts Monday, so everyone is feasting this weekend. Ethiopian Christians fast Wednesday and Friday so no meat, fish, eggs or dairy produce. I really like the fasting food- it’s a vegetarians dream. The Kenyan embassy is no vegetarian’s dream- the food consists of two very freshly slaughtered goats. And that’s it. Not even a bun. It’s a very strange place- like a very heavily guarded working men’s club really. The biggest feature is a giant screen showing British premiership football- which appears to be Africa’s national sport. The evening culminates with dancing- which as far as I can see is the national obsession of the Kenyans: at least those with the VSO!

Saturday and Sunday see no let up in language training- its coming along slowly, but its hard to absorb all the information. What with the language and the other training, its quite relentless. And on Sunday, it all caught up with me and I had a migraine. I made it through language training, but had to bow out of a couple of training sessions whilst I put my head down for a couple of hours. However, I was determined not to miss the afternoon attraction- the Addis city tour. Mary, one of the VSO trainers wife (known as accompanying partner in VSO parlance) acted as our tour guide, and did a sterling job. Up until this point our main experience of Addis has been the part between the Red Cross, and the VSO Office- and that’s not the most attractive part of the city at all. The tour was superb, even with a Migraine- we headed up into the eucalyptus shrouded hills north of the city to the Intoto hills, for a visit to an ancient church, and some amazing views.

Sunday night, I retired early in an attempt to shake the remnants of the migraine- unfortunately, the “Little Rains” have started and the tin roof of the accommodation didn’t lend itself to a particularly restful night... There are two rainy seasons here- one in February/March (Little), and one in September/October (Big). Both are characterised by the rain mainly coming at night!

It’s now Monday afternoon, and in a way, ICT has drawn to a close. Language training is over, and the last training sessions are complete. Tomorrow, we meet our partner organisations during an all day workshop, and that is the next part of the journey really...