THE ART OF WALKING HOME FROM WORK

The end of the road....

Drying....

Cleaning.....!!!

This is just a fraction of the mud that was actually attached to our shoes....

Outside my compound

So, Bernadette was meeting me after work to come visit my place and spend the night there. We met at the main road at the embassy, and started walking towards the junction where the minibuses stop. It had been raining heavily earlier that day, and the roads were already muddy. All of a sudden it started raining again, this time really heavily. We had to stop and just stand at the entrance of one of the shops along the roadside so that we wouldn’t get completely soaked. You can’t believe how it rained. In a few minutes there was a river running along the road. After a while, the rain stopped, and we could move on. When we came to the junction, we realized that we were not going to be able to get to the minibus taxis without having to step in the mud. The company who is building the roads all of a sudden just decided to cut the road off just like that, and now there was this big steep edge that we had to get passed to get down to the road from where the minibuses go. We started moving through the mud, I wearing my high healed shoes that were just completely inappropriate for that kind of weather. Well, I didn’t expect it to be like this - after all, the sun was shining when I went to work that morning. Anyway, after a little while, my shoes were completely covered in this thick, sticky, greasy mud, and I felt that if I didn’t have anybody help me down this edge, I was going to fall and just be completely covered in mud. Wearing my white cardigan and my new purse I wasn’t really ready for that, so Bernadette, who magically managed to get down without too much problems, came to help me. And all of a sudden there was this Ethiopian guy next to me, very eager to help. He grabbed my arm with his muddy hands, so my intention to keep my white cardigan free from mud till I got home just completely failed. Around us there was several groups of people observing my frantic effort to get myself out of this troubled situation. Yes, I guess it must have been an amusing sight, and I can really see that it would look funny and would make you laugh, but I wasn’t really in the laughing mood that day. I was about to resign and just sit down and cry hysterically, I was so mad, but somehow I managed to get down from that awful place, and we could get into the dirty minibus and get ourselves home. Outside my compound there were rivers of water running, it had obviously been raining there as well (rainy showers tend to be quite local in Addis). Well, finally at home we had to start the business of cleaning our shoes. You wont believe how thick the layer of mud was!!!! And so greasy……We spent quite a while digging our way back to our shoes, and then we wrapped them in newspapers and left them to dry. Having calmed myself down, and eaten my dinner, I was able to at least smile at the whole thing. I know one thing, though. I'm definitely going to bring my rubber boots back from Norway. And I used to complain about Bergen.....

OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

Joburg

Home


Me, thinking very hard....

Yum! See, I almost finished it!

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!*

With a week left here in Ethiopia before I board the plane back to Europe, I can’t help but thinking about how fast it really goes….the time of travel, I mean. From one place to another, just like that. Places that are very distanced in so many ways - culturally, politically and geographically, are not so distanced in time anymore. I believe we call it globalisation. You can move so quickly that it’s almost absurd. Visiting South Africa in April, I left Johannesburg (really wanting to stay there longer) and about 5 hours later I was back in Addis. Leaving one world, entering another one. I expected to be more disturbed by the fact that I was moving so fast between these different surroundings, having not done it very often, but somehow it was just very natural. I love being on the plane, looking out the window, feeling somehow tiny up in the big sky, being out of control of my whereabouts and loving the fact that I am on my way somewhere. The food, though…..well, I’m hungry, so I eat it. It could’ve been worse. So next Friday I will be on my way to London, heading for home. Home. Difficult concept. I guess it will always be where I grew up, in the tiny valley full of farms, but I really have to admit that home to me now, is Addis. As weird as it might sound. But this is where I belong right now. My place. As much as I hate taking the minibus-taxis, and stepping in mud, and always get attention (not the good one) – this is still my home. And before I know it, I’ll be back!

*These are the first lines from a children’s book written by Dr. Seuss – sent to my by a friend. You should all read it, it’s lovely!

ARE THEY AMAZING?

Before I came to Ethiopia, all I knew about the country was that they eat injera and speak Amharic there. Pretty much. So I’m always surprised when I meet people on my way around the world who knows things about Ethiopia, maybe having not even been there. And the question I’m most often asked, are if the churches in Lalibela are as amazing as they are claimed to be. Having been so lucky to get the chance to go to Lalibela (on a welfare trip in February), I should really be able to answer the question. The problem is that I can’t really give an affirmative answer, unfortunately. To me the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela weren’t really amazing. They were nice, of course, and I’m glad to have seen them, but I wouldn’t call them amazing. I’m sure people put down many hours of labour, carving these churches out from the mountain, but still……The one that looks like a cross is a very nice one, other than that, they are pretty much looking all the same. But Lalibela is a charming little town (village), located on a quite isolated, but beautiful spot. One of the days we went hiking up one of the mountains close to the town, and the view from there is something I would absolutely call amazing!!! So although the churches aren’t all that amazing, going to Lalibela is definitely worthwhile:)

Sorry about my absence.....

Ok, ok, I know I have been bad at keeping you up to date, but I just had some really busy weeks. European Filmfestival with screening of Buddy, and then preparations for the 17th of May in the midst of unexpected things to do at work which required more time than I thought it would....and not to forget that I spend half of my time in the minibustaxis. My frustration is not exactly diminishing....well, at least my water is back (it disappeared on the 17th of May), and it is not raining anymore. I promise I will post pictures of how my shoes looked like after walking home from work. It was nasty! I will try within this week to tell you a littlebit about Lalibela (and the trip we made in February!!!), a littlebit about salsa, and a littlebit about...hmmm....we'll see. When I say this week, it might mean next week. Or even two weeks. You never know about time here in Africa. But I'm posting a few pictures taken by my colleague from the 17th of May (the same pictures can be found at the embassy homepage!). There's more to come! Be patient!:)