The French in Ethiopia: story of the Addis-Djibouti train line
Ever since the French poet Arthur Rimbaud became a trader in the Eastern city of Harar, Ethiopia has captured the imagination of the French people as an exotic land boasting … Continue reading
The expats
As we’re getting close to the end of the school year, many expats are getting ready to leave Addis to move to new places. To get rid of unwanted stuff, … Continue reading
The artisan and designer market at Tropical Gardens
Just a word abour the Tropical Gardens bi-annual artisan and designers market in Addis, as this is such an event in the local calendar….Every year, in May and November, a … Continue reading
Addis 6th International Film Festival
A great number of cities want to have their own film festival, and Addis is no exception. Addis International Film Festival tends to specialise mainly on documentaries from Africa and … Continue reading
Addis Ababa’s contemporary art scene
When it comes to contemporary art, Addis Ababa is a thriving city with a good number of art galleries and exhibition spaces. Its art scene cannot be compared to the … Continue reading
Ethiopian Easter
Today is the start of the Holy week according to the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar. It is a very devout week for the Ethiopian Christians who are found mainly in the … Continue reading
From cattle to handbag
With one of the largest herds of cattle in the world, Ethiopia has a long tradition of working with leather. There are many tanneries in the country producing very fine … Continue reading
The gem in the gemstones
I have to start talking about the people I meet in Addis. Like many foreigners, we tend to regroup together at the start, but slowly we “branch out” to get … Continue reading
Contemporary dance made in Ethiopia: the great Melaku Belay
As I discovered since moving here, Ethiopia has a unique dance culture…..Dance is everywhere. A dinner in a traditional restaurant is always accompanied by live singers and musicians known as … Continue reading
The contrasting land of consumerism
When people in Addis, expats and Ethiopians alike, need to seriously shop, they go to Dubai. It is the nearest Westernised city, which serves as a shopping hub for Africa … Continue reading
Salambo in Addis 