Learning Amharic
I attended my second lesson of Amharic yesterday, which made me feel like a six year child again who is learning to read and write! Everything in Amharic is different … Continue reading
A budding textile industry
Ethiopia has a long tradition of working with textiles, particularly for traditional clothing and household decoration. In my quest for discovering the city, I went on an (organised) tour of … Continue reading
Visiting Lucy…
After a few weeks of trying to establish a new daily routine, I took time to visit the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis, where the remains of Lucy, the famous … Continue reading
Struggling with communications
As we learn to live with power cuts, we also struggle with notoriously bad communications. Ethiopia is known for that. Fixed line phones, mobiles and the internet do not function … Continue reading
Breakfast out, while waiting for the end of the power cut
I finally went to Piassa (from the Italian word piazza), one of the oldest area in Addis, and maybe the only one which still has old buildings dating from the … Continue reading
Risking the road
In many countries, driving is a serious cultural issue. For the British, the Parisians are erratic drivers; the French think the Italians behave madly behind the wheel while for the … Continue reading
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
