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Published: October 26th 2008
Sara does Mary Poppins
"A spoon full of sugar helps the Larium go down..."Here we go. After a lull in activity I'm back in full blogging fettle. In fact I'm thinking of having a 'blog week' to catch up on the entries - there is the whole field trip from April that needs doing! Not to mention my (work) day in the life of, Ethiopian names, booze, bugs, absent friends and the musings of a layman on the business of 'development'.
This weekend I have hardly left the house. Work-wise I have been (as Neil would say) 'busier than a one-legged man in an a*se kicking competition' what with preparing and delivering training (that's another story) and so this weekend I wiped the calendar free, cancelled the theatre tickets, postponed the champagne breakfast and sat in front of cable TV with a 6 pack and my favourite Indian take away...
So to cover any topics of vague interest I have to go back to a recent weekend where I
did do something.
Why does it always rain on us? The rain stopped in Addis, as predicted, bang on Meskel. Here in Assosa it, well, didn't.
In fact within a day or two of getting back we had a violent
Mud, mud, glorious mud.
Childhood song warning #2 hailstorm that drilled holes in leaves of my last remaining sunflowers and probably scared the life out of the rats living in our tin roof.
They have little clog parties at night above our bedroom, so to interrupt their daytime slumber with a hailstorm seemed like some satisfying form of natural justice.
Hopefully none of our blog readers still think of Ethiopia as some hostile barren desert, full of decomposing carcasses and sand? Granted parts of Ethiopia might be pretty dry, but here in Assosa we can assure you it ain't.
For the entire summer (or winter - depends who you ask) you stalk around like Ronald McDonald in a pair of T Rex platform shoes, artificially raised 6 inches by 3 or 4 kg of mud attached to the base of each shoe.
The shoe-shine boys love it. Within 15 seconds of a shine, you shoes are quite filthy again and repeat business is very good.
We are told it stops on the 22nd October. I didn't think meteorology was such an exact science but true to the prediction it hasn't rained for 4 days. Apart from last night of course. And a bit
Debebe & Sara
On the new mud road (what else?) past the Police Commission. this morning.
But let's get back on track.
Let's go outside We had heard of some mysterious, privately owned garden, just behind the Police Commission that was apparently a beautiful little oasis of calm where one could go with the Sunday papers and sit quietly in the shade, sipping from a cold drink far from the maddening crowds.
Debebe said he'd take us and well, they weren't wrong!
Mangology is a well kept secret. Nice gardens, big mango wood out back, privacy and a laid back waiter who brought us cookies and beer. No proper grub and only Dashen beer available, but nevertheless very civilized.
We agreed to hold a party and barbeque for the first UK visitors we get in Assosa. There is enough space to invite all our buddies and those with families without sitting on top of one another. Bring a couple of sheep and get a barbeque or two going. Spendid.
The barman even put a bit of George Michael on the speakers in our honour.
Undoubtedly we'll be back.
The New Place By now we were getting peckish so someone suggested the new Island bar
Mangology
An undiscovered little gem - just down from the old Island bar. Sara had been before but I was keen to try out and support any new hostelry in the neighbourhood.
Our arrival was timed to perfection as the rain started.
Very tastefully decorated I immediately felt at home in the new place, but I think it might need to expand it's menu to tease us away from the old Island and Agassi our friendly waiter.
As vegetarians we don't expect much of a choice, maybe plain shiro on a non-fasting day and more choice - tago beano or bayonetu - on a fasting day (Weds & Fri). Some places do spagetti and (cold) tomato sauce. Unfortunately the new place does tago beano and that's your lot.
They do have a fascinating set of fairy lights (see video) that can hold your attention for a happy few minutes. The more you drink, the more attention they hold.
The old Island have fought back and installed a cracking arrangement of multi-coloured fairy lights that run the length of three sides of the open frontage of the place. Sara and I sat there last week, open mouthed and mesmerised until Agassi
More mango trees...
than you can throw a stick at came and pushed our jaws closed. It's odd what you find to fill the visual gap left by the absence of a televison set. And much cheaper than Virgin Multimedia or Sky TV.
Paying our respects When someone dies over here, or there is a death in the family it is a much bigger thing than in the UK. We have a church/crematorium service, say a few nice words, eat a few sandwiches and go home. Leave the bereaved to it.
Not so in Ethiopia.
The traditions vary slightly between Christian and Muslim (and probably between types of Christian - the Orthodox, Protestants, Pentecostal, Jehovah's Witness and Catholics; 'catholics' being the group of Christians who do not fall into any mainstream of Christianity, or so I am told).
People certainly get more involved. Everyone is expected to visit people who have suffered a death in the family - even if it is a work colleague's distant relative. You all must visit the bereaved during the 15 day period of mourning, ideally taking a gift. The standard gift is a kilogram of coffee and a kilgram of sugar.
And you must cry!
People would
Bekema joins the party
Abo! Salam-nesh? (Hey dude! Peace bro') often rub onion or chilli into their eyes to start up the crocodile tears, or (the smart option) wear a headscarf and hide your eyes, but do a lot of wailing.
Wailing is important. You can actually rent-a-mourner - women who will come and wail for money in case the family aren't sufficiently motivated.
Luckily for me, my first experience of this was with Hamid, my IT colleague from the Capacity Building Bureau. His mother had died while I was in Addis and to show correct respect you must visit within the 15 days (although this may be a muslim thing).
So after our food at the New Place we headed back home to pick up the coffee and sugar, met up with Getnet (another ex-Capacity Building guy who organised our field trip in March/April) and head across town to Hamid's house in the old Berta/muslim area of Assosa.
Hamid's house had been cleaned of all furniture - nothing but mats on the floor. People sleep on the floor during this time and I fear we woke him and his elder family member up from a late afternoon nap. Sitting on the floor we passed on
The New Place in Assosa
Called something like the "Hut Houses". Sounds reasonable... our gift and condolences for Hamid's loss. Hamid introduced us to the elderly guy next to me and it turned out to be his father, the widower.
As it was day 15 of 15, the atmosphere was not as sombre as I expected and Hamid's mother had lived to 76 - a pretty ripe old age for an Ethiopian (average life expectancy = early 40's). His father was into his eighties and still looked bright eyed and with it.
A gag for every occassion You know me. I couldn't resist it.
We were sitting down enjoying the most amazing tea I have every drunk (has some root or herb added from Sudan) and Hamid goes off to grab his new son (born just after our arrival in Assosa) from his wife who was discreetly hidden in the other part of the house with the other women
The child is very cute and relaxed and he hands him to us all to hold.
Happy as Larry with Bekema and co, the poor mite gets a bit agitated when he catches a proper look at me - a strange white geezer? What the hell is wrong
Very colourful!
I like this place with this dude?
I pick him up and he is like, not sure I'm cool with this one. Hamid catches his attention with his mobile phone (kids start early these days) and the strange Ferengi is forgotten.
- So, says Hamid. Do you want a baby? (the often asked, baby-zone couple question that you really do tire of)
- I sure do, I reply, but I couldn't eat two! (grin)
(silence)
(nervous grin)
(more silence)
..get it? I couldn't eat TWO! (big smile)
(baby girgles)
- You want to eat a baby? Says Debebe. Everyone is now looking at me expectantly.
- Er, no. Um, it like, kind of an English joke. You know. Um. This tea is GREAT! What's the secret ingredient?
The conversation moves on, more tea arrives, baby returns to centre of attention. Phew I got away
with that one.
We leave, all smiles. See you at work tomorrow Hamid and hope all goes well with the family...
As we make our exit Debebe leans over
- I don't understand? You want two babies to eat in England?
- Look Debebe, I'll, er, explain later...
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