Swimming Pools, Ticks, and Vomit on the Bus
(Friday, 04 Nov 05)
Hello again. Sorry for the delay. Life in the "Big City" of Addis Ababa wore me out, and gave little time for proper blogspot posts. But I'm back, and perhaps better than ever.
I left for Addis on October 20, two days before the GRE. I woke up at 5am to be at the bus station by 5:30, but realized while getting ready that I had forgotten my passport at the office. Valid ID is required for the GRE, so I hoisted my 30lb pack on my back and began the 20minute walk to the office. From there I would walk the half hour to the bus station. Halfway there I realized I left my mobile phone at the house, and quickly decided that it too was necessary given I'd be in Addis for nearly two weeks. When I arrived at the office compound it was still dark, and the compound guard was asleep in the guard shack. Not waking at my knock, I threw a stone across the lawn, nailing the shack. He woke up. By the time I finally got the passport from the office I was convinced I would be too late at the bus station to get a ticket. It was now 6am and I am still 30minutes from the station. The buses leave at 7 but often fill long before then. Luckily as I walked the first few paces on the road, the "early bus" came by and picked me up. I ended up arriving in Addis nearly 2hrs before the normal buses.
The husband/father of the family I was to stay with in Addis was out of town on business, so given the culture here it was decided bad form for me to stay in the house. Their compound includes a few back rooms not directly attached to the house, and one of these has been prepared as a guest bedroom. Unfortunately they had just painted the room with a fairly naxeous paint, forcing me to find lodging elsewhere. I ended up at a very nice hotel on the north end of town (they live on the south end) somewhat near the university holding the GRE exam. The day before the exam I found my way to the test site to make sure I could get there the next morning. The day finally arrived, and I showed up early. Stupid American. As if the test would begin on time anyway. We started the test a little after 9 (supposed to begin at 830). During our "ten minute break" they locked up the facilities and everyone disappeared for nearly half an hour. By the time the test was over my ride had come and gone, having waited an extra hour and half for me to show. So the test is finally over and behind me, which does little to remove the nervousness it has caused me for so long. Still have 4 weeks left to find out results, and a fortnight has already passed.
I remained in Addis to attend a training session for the ABC Awareness Campaign Fayyaa is partnered with in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The training session was... informative. I am grateful it was conducted, and believe the two project coordinators from Fayyaa who attended with me were greatly benefited. I, on the other hand, have a difficulty sitting through training of any sort, especially "informal education." Now I know informal or non-formal or "adult" education is the vogue these days, but frankly I find it annoying. Granted, when educating people who left the formal education sector half their life ago or for people who have little or no experience in formal education, the informal setting is perhaps advantageous. In this sense I don't fault those who use informal education - I just don't want to be a part of it. The first half day of the training was spent denigrating formal education and promoting the value of informal education. I suppose in some sense their points have merit, but the truth is that formal education is widespread for a reason: it is by far the most efficient use of time. After the fifth group discussion and eighth memorization helping game I longed for them to just lecture us and get it over with. I am convinced the five day training could be shrunk into a half day lecture and a half day practicum. Oh well.
I did take a break from the training on Thursday to pick up an Ethiopian drivers license. Thankfully the "utility" member of the district team went with me. I doubt if I ever would have figured the process out on my own.
On both the Sundays in Addis I attended an english speaking evangelical church. Felt odd to sit surrounded by white people singing traditional hymns after being the only cracker in site for months. On Saturday we attended the "bizarre," an open air market aimed at foreigners. In general the quality of materials are considerably higher, and so the prices. You can also pick up various items unavailable in local markets, like pre-cut boneless chicken breasts and strawberry jam. What fascinates one about the monthly market is the shear numbers of white people. I asked Sherri where they had been hiding all of them.
The Monday before returning to Jimma we took a holiday and spent the day at the nicest resort/hotel in Addis. We spent the equivalent of about 8USD to swim for the day. The pool and its environ are beautiful. I even ordered an americano coffee and had an individual carafe delivered to my lounge. Can you believe I spent 2.50USD on this little luxury?! This location, like the bizarre already mentioned, tends to attract the foreigners (who else could pay a months salary to swim?). All in all I saw more white people - and spent more money - in two days in Addis than in two months in Jimma.
Of course, we may begin seeing less white faces. Those of you keeping up with Ethiopian news will have noticed Britain is advising no unnecessary travel to Ethiopia, and the US Embassy directs its citizens to carry international id (passport) at all times. Unrest in the capital continues for the fourth strait day, as opposition members continue to protest what they consider to be fraudulent election results. Though the death and injured tolls continue to rise, it seems unlikely that anything significant will change anytime soon. The opposition does not seem to have the numbers necessary to combat the ruling party. In the last two days nearly 3,000 young people have been jailed on suspicion of unrest.
In any case you needn't worry about me. Some violence has spread from the capital into other parts of the country, but not to Jimma. The people here are openly indifferent to the politics of Addis and the rest of the nation. For the most part they just want to be left alone and live in peace. Ironically, neither the ruling party nor the opposition party represent the majority ethnic population of Ethiopia, the Oromoo. The Oromoo (Jimma included) are cynical about national politics, and fear the rule of the opposition as much - if not more - than the current regime.
I should also add that I am working on a project collaboration with Send-A-Cow. I am impressed with their philosophy and implimentation policies, and they have returned an interest to partner with Fayyaa in the Jimma Zone of Oromia. If successful, I will finally feel as though I have contributed something more to the work here than english translation and polished reports.
All of this, however, took place in Addis, including the meeting with Send-A-Cow. I returned to Jimma on Tuesday, almost simultaneously as violence was breaking out across the capital. My bus had dried vomit on the floor from the previous trip, and the elderly man sitting next to me smelled as though he had an accident on himself while riding the bus (or maybe before). The smell was as bad as I could hope to describe. The man across the aisle from me bought me a lemon to hold to my nose to help with the smell. Add to this that I think we had the slowest bus in Ethiopia. We were being passed by logging trucks loaded full. Not to mention, of course, that we had two flats on the trip. I left Addis at 530am and didn't arrive to Jimma until after 6pm.
As I took my cold shower the next morning (after two weeks of hot in Addis) and pulled a tick off my leg, I struggled with my attitude about life in Jimma vs. Addis. But by today I have had a bowl of golden grams drenched in powdered milk and feel a little more "back at home."
Well I believe we are about to be served our afternoon coffee at the office. Should be going now.
Tell your sister thank you for the cookies - she is ever in my thoughts.
Michael Rodgers
Hello again. Sorry for the delay. Life in the "Big City" of Addis Ababa wore me out, and gave little time for proper blogspot posts. But I'm back, and perhaps better than ever.
I left for Addis on October 20, two days before the GRE. I woke up at 5am to be at the bus station by 5:30, but realized while getting ready that I had forgotten my passport at the office. Valid ID is required for the GRE, so I hoisted my 30lb pack on my back and began the 20minute walk to the office. From there I would walk the half hour to the bus station. Halfway there I realized I left my mobile phone at the house, and quickly decided that it too was necessary given I'd be in Addis for nearly two weeks. When I arrived at the office compound it was still dark, and the compound guard was asleep in the guard shack. Not waking at my knock, I threw a stone across the lawn, nailing the shack. He woke up. By the time I finally got the passport from the office I was convinced I would be too late at the bus station to get a ticket. It was now 6am and I am still 30minutes from the station. The buses leave at 7 but often fill long before then. Luckily as I walked the first few paces on the road, the "early bus" came by and picked me up. I ended up arriving in Addis nearly 2hrs before the normal buses.
The husband/father of the family I was to stay with in Addis was out of town on business, so given the culture here it was decided bad form for me to stay in the house. Their compound includes a few back rooms not directly attached to the house, and one of these has been prepared as a guest bedroom. Unfortunately they had just painted the room with a fairly naxeous paint, forcing me to find lodging elsewhere. I ended up at a very nice hotel on the north end of town (they live on the south end) somewhat near the university holding the GRE exam. The day before the exam I found my way to the test site to make sure I could get there the next morning. The day finally arrived, and I showed up early. Stupid American. As if the test would begin on time anyway. We started the test a little after 9 (supposed to begin at 830). During our "ten minute break" they locked up the facilities and everyone disappeared for nearly half an hour. By the time the test was over my ride had come and gone, having waited an extra hour and half for me to show. So the test is finally over and behind me, which does little to remove the nervousness it has caused me for so long. Still have 4 weeks left to find out results, and a fortnight has already passed.
I remained in Addis to attend a training session for the ABC Awareness Campaign Fayyaa is partnered with in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The training session was... informative. I am grateful it was conducted, and believe the two project coordinators from Fayyaa who attended with me were greatly benefited. I, on the other hand, have a difficulty sitting through training of any sort, especially "informal education." Now I know informal or non-formal or "adult" education is the vogue these days, but frankly I find it annoying. Granted, when educating people who left the formal education sector half their life ago or for people who have little or no experience in formal education, the informal setting is perhaps advantageous. In this sense I don't fault those who use informal education - I just don't want to be a part of it. The first half day of the training was spent denigrating formal education and promoting the value of informal education. I suppose in some sense their points have merit, but the truth is that formal education is widespread for a reason: it is by far the most efficient use of time. After the fifth group discussion and eighth memorization helping game I longed for them to just lecture us and get it over with. I am convinced the five day training could be shrunk into a half day lecture and a half day practicum. Oh well.
I did take a break from the training on Thursday to pick up an Ethiopian drivers license. Thankfully the "utility" member of the district team went with me. I doubt if I ever would have figured the process out on my own.
On both the Sundays in Addis I attended an english speaking evangelical church. Felt odd to sit surrounded by white people singing traditional hymns after being the only cracker in site for months. On Saturday we attended the "bizarre," an open air market aimed at foreigners. In general the quality of materials are considerably higher, and so the prices. You can also pick up various items unavailable in local markets, like pre-cut boneless chicken breasts and strawberry jam. What fascinates one about the monthly market is the shear numbers of white people. I asked Sherri where they had been hiding all of them.
The Monday before returning to Jimma we took a holiday and spent the day at the nicest resort/hotel in Addis. We spent the equivalent of about 8USD to swim for the day. The pool and its environ are beautiful. I even ordered an americano coffee and had an individual carafe delivered to my lounge. Can you believe I spent 2.50USD on this little luxury?! This location, like the bizarre already mentioned, tends to attract the foreigners (who else could pay a months salary to swim?). All in all I saw more white people - and spent more money - in two days in Addis than in two months in Jimma.
Of course, we may begin seeing less white faces. Those of you keeping up with Ethiopian news will have noticed Britain is advising no unnecessary travel to Ethiopia, and the US Embassy directs its citizens to carry international id (passport) at all times. Unrest in the capital continues for the fourth strait day, as opposition members continue to protest what they consider to be fraudulent election results. Though the death and injured tolls continue to rise, it seems unlikely that anything significant will change anytime soon. The opposition does not seem to have the numbers necessary to combat the ruling party. In the last two days nearly 3,000 young people have been jailed on suspicion of unrest.
In any case you needn't worry about me. Some violence has spread from the capital into other parts of the country, but not to Jimma. The people here are openly indifferent to the politics of Addis and the rest of the nation. For the most part they just want to be left alone and live in peace. Ironically, neither the ruling party nor the opposition party represent the majority ethnic population of Ethiopia, the Oromoo. The Oromoo (Jimma included) are cynical about national politics, and fear the rule of the opposition as much - if not more - than the current regime.
I should also add that I am working on a project collaboration with Send-A-Cow. I am impressed with their philosophy and implimentation policies, and they have returned an interest to partner with Fayyaa in the Jimma Zone of Oromia. If successful, I will finally feel as though I have contributed something more to the work here than english translation and polished reports.
All of this, however, took place in Addis, including the meeting with Send-A-Cow. I returned to Jimma on Tuesday, almost simultaneously as violence was breaking out across the capital. My bus had dried vomit on the floor from the previous trip, and the elderly man sitting next to me smelled as though he had an accident on himself while riding the bus (or maybe before). The smell was as bad as I could hope to describe. The man across the aisle from me bought me a lemon to hold to my nose to help with the smell. Add to this that I think we had the slowest bus in Ethiopia. We were being passed by logging trucks loaded full. Not to mention, of course, that we had two flats on the trip. I left Addis at 530am and didn't arrive to Jimma until after 6pm.
As I took my cold shower the next morning (after two weeks of hot in Addis) and pulled a tick off my leg, I struggled with my attitude about life in Jimma vs. Addis. But by today I have had a bowl of golden grams drenched in powdered milk and feel a little more "back at home."
Well I believe we are about to be served our afternoon coffee at the office. Should be going now.
Tell your sister thank you for the cookies - she is ever in my thoughts.
Michael Rodgers
posted by Michael Rodgers at 4:21 AM
2 Comments:
Normally I delete the commercial/ad spam posts, but this one I'm leaving just because I'm so impressed. Check the time stamps on my post and this response - less than 3 minutes difference. Efficient my cyber friend... efficient.
i started to try and imagine the smell on the bus, and quickly realized that I could not...and more importantly, did not want too. have a good week.
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