AROUND MEKANISSA

Having lived in Bergen and being used to walking most of the time, I feel quite lazy sitting in the minibus taxis here, although I go to gym 3 times a week. Anyway, this Saturday I decided to take a walk around my area, Mekanissa, and take some pictures for you to see more of what my surroundings look like. I picked a bad time, because it was actually very hot, and I had way too much clothes on. But I walked quite a bit, and on my way home I stopped to take some photos. Not everyone here are too keen on being taken pictures of, so I was quite careful, trying not to include too many people in the pictures. But all of a sudden this old man stops me, and points at himself and the camera. Do you want me to take a picure of you? I asked him. He nodded and smiled. I took a picture, then showed it to him. He was very very satisfied, and continued walking with a happy expression on his face. Just close to the road there was a bunch of people watching this happen, and they called me over to take photos of them as well. I took one of the two adorable old men, and when I showed it to the crowd they all had a good laugh:) And then I just had to post some pictures from the fruit shop! Look at how nicely organized it is!! Good thing some things seem to have order and system in this country!

RAINY SEASON IN ETHIOPIA

On the road.....

The president/parliament building

Jepp, that's me, by the pool

The Safari Lodge

Relaxing in the sun

Some monument for the Oromiya region....sorry, should have studied more about this...

Adama town

It hasn't been that bad, the rainy season, I'll admit to that. But last week I decided to take a day off and go with Bjarte and Brita to Adama (Nazret), a little more than one hours drive from Addis. Just to get out of the city a little bit. Adama is the main city of the Oromiya region, and they are building this huge complex for the Oromiya president and parliament...I think.....

It's a very sweet little town, and we had a lovely day there. We booked into the Safari Lodge, which was, by Ethiopian standards, very impressive. I was stunned! The room was so nice, clean and tidy, the service was (more or less) excellent, and the food was also quite nice. And the pool.......awesome! Cold water, but that's just nice when the sun is burning! I didn't put enough sun lotion on, so I got burnt, of course. Other than that, it was just a lovely, lovely day. You don't really need to go that far from Addis to get some more sun! Uplifting information for my friends who are soon arriving:)

Laughing together

Sooooo…..I didn’t know I could be this entertaining. But apparently the combination of being both white, walking and wearing boots seems to be highly amusing to the people around me. They don’t think my boots are lovely. They stare at my feet, smile, and most of them start talking to each other, probably discussing why I would wear these things on my feet.


“Why isn’t she wearing pumps and high-healed shoes like everone else? It’s only men in working outfits who wear boots. She looks funny. And why is she walking? Why does she not have a landcruiser with a driver? After all, she’s faranji. I don’t understand this. She is strange. Hahaha…..:)”

Well, I just smile back, and think my own thoughts. “ Those silly Ethiopians. Why are they wearing high-healed shoes in this mud? It’s insane! Are they not freezing to death? Hah, they are laughing, but I’m the one whose feet are dry! Beat that! And why are they wearing plastic bags on their heads? It looks silly, if you ask me. I’ll stick to my umbrella.”

Oh, well, ain’t the world a magnificent place. Such a diversity.

MY NEW RUBBER BOOTS!

Aren’t they lovely? (notice the fancy yellow details, they are there to warn all the staring Ethiopians that I’m coming!!!). They are going to save me from cold, wet feet for the next couple of months! And I’ll be walking to work, feeling like a Cinderella under my nice green umbrella:)

BACK HOME IN ADDIS ABABA

Ok, I’m back. Strange how this place can make me feel so much at home. It didn’t start off very well though. I had just arranged with a taxi to take me home from the airport, when my friend called me and asked me to meet her at a place on the way home. But when I told the taxi driver to stop, and told him that I would only pay him a quarter of the price since I was going off so much earlier, he refused to accept the price I was giving him. So we ended up having a huge fight at the roadside outside the place where I was meeting my friend, and she even came and joined the argument. So did about 10 street children, and another taxi driver. I was so furious I could have kicked that guy!!! Well, we made a deal, very unfair for me, but he was stubborn ( you can’t blame him, he is, after all, Ethiopian:), so I had to give in. (My suitcase was locked in his car, so I didn’t really have a say, I couldn’t just run off). And I got home safe, eventually:) Yesterday I went off with a minibustaxi to get some food, and everything was just as normal. The roads are a bit more even now, and the sun is shining (I brought it with me:), so it wasn’t that muddy. The weather was more or less the same as it was in Norway when I left. There was only one cockroach waiting for me, water in the taps and in the shower, and only one dead flower. So not a bad welcome, I have to say. More to come.