Ethiopia: 13 months of sunshine

Before I came to Africa, my knowledge of Ethiopia was limited to a few impressions: the famine that inspired live aid in the 1980s, a connection to Jamaica and Rastifasim, The colours red, yellow, green and black, and the emotional image of the girl who got up on stage just before Madonna t the Live 8 concert a couple of years ago. I thought she had been scrubbed up pretty well by a stylist and P.R. team. She spoke with sounds I had never heard before.

Well, I'm just filling in the gaps. Ethiopia is staunchly independent and resiliently self centred.. i think we are going to get along just fine. Ethiopia was never colonised (there was a 5 year Italian occupation during WWII, but that doesn't count). They have their own language (Amaric), script (looks like some old alchemy texts), music (made for dancing), dance style (it's all in the shoulders), food (a pancake thing that has a crumpet texture and tastes like sour dough), religion (Ethiopian Orthodox Christian), time (starts at sunrise, so 12 noon is 6am) and calender (13 months). In Ethiopia it's 1999 and the millennium party is going to be in September... God created the Universe in September 3000 years ago apparently.

I'm settling into teaching. I teach 11-16 year olds, very happy I have the older kids... and super happy that their idea of primary school is a lot longer than my idea. I wear a white lab coat as my uniform. I have been told off for wearing too many bracelets, but I have compensated with and abundance of earrings and necklaces. Yes, I am petty.

My accommodation is not yet ready, I am itching to getting my own apartment (which I will share with the other foreign teachers when they arrive next month). I was in a hotel for a few nights. Now I have been moved into the family home of one of the school's owners. Lovely for the experience, but still craving my own space. All in good time.

Long Journey North

Finally made it to Ethiopia. Hurrah!

after that last blog, I was called to the bus for another 3 hours of faffing before finally leaving. It was an hour to get out of the city during rush hour and all the police checkpoints.

I might just add that I was never robbed in Nairobi (although I did lose my wallet on the bus, I have a habit of losing my wallet on buses so I never keep much money or any important documents in it). A waiter informed me that robbery is not a problem anymore, It used to be about 5 years ago, but the latest government increased police wages to double. So since then police are more inclined to be honest and theft has gone down. Don't know what the deal with the road blocks is, We had over 10. I was asked for my passport several times, and many of those on the bus without papers had to pay 'fines'. They guy next to me travelling on a South African passport paid a 'fine' for not carrying his yellow fever vaccination certificate, they didn't need to see mine.

To the border in total it took 30 hours with a few stops for food and toilet breaks. the land went from Savannah to stones, to bleak barren desert again.

I had heard from other traveller that it was a difficult and harrowing border to cross so I linked up with 3 others and agreed to cross with them. When I met them the next morning one had been thrown into jail for not having 'correct' papers, one had his papers confiscated from him by the police and the other (the guy travelling on a South African passport) was sent back to Nairobi because he didn't have a visa to enter Ethiopia... possibly something to do with the fact that he was Somalian by birth, by looks and by accent.

So just me. I decided to hire a broker. I arranged the price in advance for him to assist me though immigration, change money, arrange a hotel on the Ethiopian side and sort me out with a bus to Addis.

He did all that, but I didn't need him at all, and he was more of a pain in the arse than anything. For example the crowded throngs of money changers were about 3 very pleasant and funny men. I thought back to those who warned me about the dangers of the border... yep, people who had never been there. When will I learn to stop listening to the paranoid fears of others who collect their information from the exact same sources as me, but just interpret it differently.

After finally getting rid of my broker who insisted that I really need a guide all the way to Addis Ababa (the capital in the middle of the country where the school is). I was sitting in my hotel enjoying a cup of tea and my book (Divine secrets of the Ya Ya sisterhood) when the money changer I had changed money with stopped by; "Oh hi, Look, I just want to let you know that I gave you a really shit rate. I was paying your broker a high commission, just so you know next time you shouldn't pay that high." An accountability and honesty I have never, never seen since I got to Africa... actually rare anywhere in the world.

I only changed a small amount of money anyway.

Impressed by his honesty we got chatting. He taught me the Ethiopian version of Gin Rummy and introduced me to Ethiopian food.

I followed a man from the Nairobi bus and his 9 year old adopted daughter all the way to Addis 12 hour bus ride, stay in a hotel, 5 hour bus ride) He is another kind Ethiopian, he wants to immigrate to Australia, he has all the qualifications and a sponsor, but he is still trying to collect the documents needed for his daughter who, as a baby, was left in a church where he worked. no easy task.

I'm in Addis, and the staff at the school continue to maintain my first impressions of Ethiopians as fun, kind, friendly and generous. My accommodation is not ready yet, but they have put me up in a hotel until it is. I hope to start teaching in a couple of days.

As I entered on a tourist visa there may still be immigration issues. I can not get anything from the Embassy in Melbourne as I am already in the country. We shall try here quoting the information I was given at the Embassy in Nairobi. there is even talk of me going back to UK for a month (August - Yay, Edinburgh festival) getting a business visa in London and returning. It's still up in the air.

Almost left Nairobi... almost

Got to the bus/truck stop yesterday and no bus, and no truck.

They promised one at 4pm today, now it's almost 5pm. I'm obviously sitting at a computer and not on a bus, or a truck.

There is a Bus, it does exist, they are just changing the tyres. It's been sitting in the same place all day, I can't help wondering why they were not changing the tyres this morning.

And I'm told the bus journey to the border is not 15 hours, it's 26 hours on a very rough road. I got it wrong because the times on the ticket are half written in international time and half written in Swahili time.

I don't have a business visa. The headmaster of the school said just to enter on a tourist visa and that we will work it out when I get there. So same as 2 weeks ago. I don't know if it will happen. But if it doesn't I still have enough time to get back to Edinburgh to pick up work for the summer.

How's that bus looking... nope, still has two tyres lying in the mud.

Still in Nairobi

Yep, the pace of Africa races along at the speed of evolution. I'm still here, I'm still waiting. What I am waiting for seems to change daily but the waiting remains the same.

I'm waiting for the Ethiopian Embassy in Melbourne to confirm that I can apply for a business visa after I have already entered the country on a tourist visa. I'm waiting for the bus/truck north not to have 'problems'.

I manage to happily spread out the day with staring into space, playing solitaire, chatting to the residents and guests at the hostel and reading. I am trying to spend as little money as possible. and I'm delighted to discover that the Masai market bead jewellery makers are happy to trade their goods for, well anything. My solitaire has improved since I found the missing 4 cards last night. The hostel guests keep disappearing on safari tours and returning with stories and photos of lions bringing down wilder beast and other magnificent experiences. I'm almost finished 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins, I began reading a friend's copy in Sudan and have now bought the paperback. Good book, I don't know how willing I am going to be to trade it at the scondhand bookshop, but I still won't give up my book on tarot card reading.

Staring into space has been productive too... I now have my guest list for my ultimate dinner party: Missy and Dave, Jonathan Ross and Jane Goldman, Richard Dawkins and Britney Spears, Helen Clark and Marilyn Manson, Derren Brown and Myself. The menu will include at least 3 different kinds of lasagna and 3 different kinds of chocolate moose. I'm still considering my ultimate dead people dinner party... but Muhammad, Jesus and Marilyn Munro would have to get an invite.

When I'm on the bus I ponder random things like what would I do if I suddenly became invisible. I have decided that I'd still have a pretty good career assisting friends in burlesque and ghost tours, I'd make an excellent magician's assistant and maybe move into MI6.

Do you also get the feeling I'm spending far to much time by myself?

Today I lost my keeper. The keeper is also known as a mooncup (http://www.keeper.com/), it's a rubber cup that I use as an alternative to tampons. I served me well for 6 years, I accidental dropped it down the loo in the hostel today (the kind of loo you don't retrieve stuff from). So, back to conventional methods I guess, well at least I can buy tampons here (can't in Sudan). And while I'm expressing loss and you are squirming, I lost my other nipple ring too. *sigh* It got infected and I just decided to let it go. I have made up for it with a collection for Masai beaded belly chains.

Obviously nothing significant to report, but that doesn't stop me.

Sitting on the Fence

I was not so happy about the possibility of not being able to take up the job in Ethiopia on a tangle of red tape. But upon thinking about it I thought it would be really nice to go to the Edinburgh festival again, and wonderful to catch up with a few friends in Scotland (a couple of friends in particular). I was considering waitressing work there over the summer. I started remembering things like the smell of hair dye and the sensation of walking in heels. I miss a few things that I just don't get here.

But I also want to really spend some more time in Africa and I find East Africa just a little bit too easy. If I could take up the job (by getting the correct entry visa) I'd have the opportunity to go to Djibouti and from there it's possible to get into (safe - Rosa) areas of Somalia, Eritrea and Yemen. Also I'll make money, not much, but enough so that I could visit Palestine and a few places in Europe that I missed out on or need to go back to. And after working a summer in Edinburgh next year I'll be able to go back to Aus and NZ with a bit of cash to travel around, hopefully I'll go back with a friend too.

So swings and roundabouts. The grass is green on both sides.

As it stands, I have met the man who recruits for the school who is on his holiday here with his family. he has given me an email from the Ethiopian Embassy in Melbourne that says the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya should definitely issue me with the visa. If that doesn't work then I'll see if I can post my passport to Melbourne. They don't do email visas (understandable) and I don't do long haul flights for a bit of paperwork.

I got to the snake park, the national archives and Carnivore (a restaurant that specialises in exotic game meats) but went into none of them as they were all too expensive and in the case of the latter they only had ostrich on the menu (aside from standard chicken, pork, lamb, goat and beef). I did however get to the giraffe centre, I even paid the entry fees and fed the giraffes. Chilled animals, much nicer than horses.

I'm now staying over the dodgy end of the city. still haven't been robbed but I also haven't been out by myself or with a bag after 11pm... Nairobbery is thankfully not really living up to it's reputation.

Raelene!

I got a comment on my last post from this ace chick from high school who I haven't seen in over a decade. So excuse me while I just take the opportunity to send her a personal message...

Raelene! can't believe you found me... can't believe you were looking! It's been too long. Congratulations on all your babies. I don't think you can leave your email address here without getting a million unwanted emails. I have changed my email address from lycos.com to myway.com. you can also find me on facebook or myspace (www.myspace.com/youngcrone) or you can send an email to rat.bat.cat@gmail.com ...I only use it for internet registration so don't care if it gets spammed. Looking forward to being back in touch. XX

Ok, for the other three of you... I'm still in Nairobi. the latest update on the business visa situation is that it is only possible for a New Zealander to get a business visa from Melbourne (there is no Ethiopian embassy in NZ) and nowhere else including Ethiopia. The School is trying to apply on my behalf by computer. If that is not possible they say I must apply in person. The contact at the school is coming to Nairobi this weekend, so I hope to meet up with him to discuss options.

If I have to go to Aus just for a visa: I won't. I can't afford to go to Aus to go to Ethiopia when I'm a short 13 hour truck ride from the border. If I can't get this job I'll most likely go to Addis Ababa (the Ethiopian capital) anyway (as I already have a tourist visa) and then as I'll be out of money by then, return to Edinburgh for summer work, and most likely back to NZ. In which case I hope to bring back my friend David, to give me needed purpose and direction to returning, and cause he's cool.

Hanging out in Nairobi

It looks like I might be hanging out here for a while longer. I got confirmation from the school that I should get a tourist visa as long as I email an image of my passport info page first. So I did that, took two days and a bit of money. 5 mins ago I checked my email and they say not to get a visa as they need to get me a business visa first... hmmm. Why didn't they phone?

Flic is heading back to Aus tonight. She has her very own Aussie nurse and doctor to accompany her (as well as her mum) and also her bike Edward. I thought he was stolen, but I was happily mistaken. She is no longer so stressed and anxious. the doctors are really pleased with her recovery.

So I guess I'll hang out here for another while, but without the free accommodation, free breakfasts and cheap hospital food. I suppose I'll get a chance to go to the snake park, giraffe centre and other touristy things which I've been too lazy to see yet.

Then I'll make my way North to the border town where I'll wait for the go-ahead from the school which in turn is waiting for documents from immigration to get me through. aaugh, paper work. it's all so ridiculously and inefficiently officious.