Mental return to Maputo
I had no idea what to expect when going to Lourenço Marques, or modern-day Maputo. I knew it was the capital of Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony where Portuguese remained … Continue reading
Addis Threat
As if we were not restricted enough in our freedom of movement by the limited number of places we can go to, we now have to be extra vigilant because … Continue reading
Addis fatigue
As soon as I got back from a two-week work trip in Mozambique, I got hit by what I call the Addis fatigue syndrome. We all suffer from it from … Continue reading
A week in Rwanda
Since I took on the UN project I am currently working on, I started travelling in the East Africa region to document and compare development projects in agriculture. I spent … Continue reading
Interlude in Zanzibar
We have all heard of Zanzibar, the Indian Ocean island off the coast of Tanzania, famous for its abundance of spices, beautifully preserved beaches, and history as a crossroad of … Continue reading
Light in the house
I am just back from a short trip to Bahar Dar, where I went to visit a land rehabilitation and conservation project in the Lake Tana watershed. I had been … Continue reading
Melkam Addis Amet 2006
This week we celebrated the Ethiopian New Year on 11 September. We are now in 2006 according to the Ethiopian calendar. The whole country came to a standstill in the … Continue reading
Back in Addis
Back in Addis after a two months break in Europe. This time I feel I am coming back to a familiar environment, I can’t quite call it home as this … Continue reading
Embassy life in Addis
As I am preparing to travel to Europe for the summer and momentarily interrupt writing on this blog, I need to mention a few words about the “true expat life” … Continue reading
The Emperor’s old Palace
I am currently reading a fascinating biography of the late emperor Haile Selassie by the Italian historian Angelo del Boca, an author who has written extensively about the Horn of … Continue reading
Salambo in Addis 