A country of religious festivals
Religion plays an important role in Ethiopia. Many days on the Orthodox calendar are a national holiday, and from an outsider’s prospective, it seems that the secular is easily mixed … Continue reading
The largest market in Africa
I had heard a lot about Merkato, the biggest open-air market in Addis Ababa and Africa. Many stories circulate about it; it is known for being a stronghold for pickpockets, … Continue reading
End of week two, start of third week
I have been here for two weeks exactly. I feel much better than in the first week, I only occasionally have that claustrophobic sensation of not being able to breathe … Continue reading
Getting used to a new way of living…
A lot in Addis happens behind barb wired walls and guarded gates, and that’s something we have to get used to. In many places, we have to go through thorough … Continue reading
Discovering the food
We’ve hardly cooked since we moved here. As we’re still waiting for our container (which may take another month), we currently have to use very basic kitchen tools, which include … Continue reading
New Year’s Day
Today is the start of the New Year according to the Ethiopian calendar. Ethiopia never adopted the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in Europe at the end of the 16th … Continue reading
A house in Addis
We live in an area called Old Airport because that’s where the airport used to be before it moved south of the city to Bole. It is considered as one of … Continue reading
Arriving in Addis
Moving somewhere new is always difficult, but moving to Addis Ababa is quite a shock! What struck me first coming from Europe was not the poverty, the chaos or the … Continue reading
Salambo in Addis 