http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Al-and-Sara/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Al and Sara en-us Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:19:07 +0000 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:19:07 +0000 So here is the news though I guess most of you know this by now Sara is pregnant and going to have a baby We are both delighted as we were led to believe it was not medically possible.For many years we had hauled ourselves through the NHS infertility system not much fun lovely nurses less lovely consultants without success.After years of poking prodding samples scans http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-451360.html So onto ICT or InCountry Training.Where three current volunteers and two PO staff offer to welcomeherdbriefassistlecture and generally introduce 36 new Ferengi volunteers to the people's customs traditions language and culture of Ethiopia.Surely an easy task Er not really So why exactly did I agree to do itWell firstly I am a volunteer. I guess volunteering is my thing....and also t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-441051.html Tafa or Tafash if you are good friends or femaleRough Translation where have you beenI've been in Addis helping train the 36 new volunteers well 33 volunteers and 3 accompanying partners though that's another story For now I'll stick to nonICT InCountry Training news only.Holy Light BatmanBefore I flew to Addis we had been enjoying the extra power in Assosa. Instead of be http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-440078.html ...dtruit par un idiotC'est une entre trs spciale de blog au sujet d'un jour trs agrable dehors pour tous les nous Dave Dee Sara et Alan dans la ville franaise de La Rochelle. Pour honorer nos amis de l'autre ct de la Manche que j'essaye de crer un blog crit entirement en franais Malheureusement mon Franais d'OLevel est trs trs rouill et plutt que passent 2 semaines rech http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-428998.html Well I'm kind of responding to the blog seems to be stuck in Europe comment from one of my good blog reading customers...... and as I'm providing a service here I guess I ought to be sensitive to my consumers wishes and do a blog from where we are supposed to be blogging from EthiopiaApologis to Christine to whom I promised that the next blog would be about our day in La Rochelle. That will http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-430293.html ...and the Ferengis are in the pool Dave and Dee had very kindly rented both a gite and a car for the week in France. The main reason was Ondine's wedding of course but we were also really looking forward to a true blue skies and beer trashy novel by the pooltype holiday We also were keen to enjoy the variety of food and drink tastes that are generally so limited in Assosa. Apples golf c http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-428700.html Billy IdleMay the fleas of a thousand scabby camels infest the underwear of my children's children for being so slack on the blog front. Not because I haven't done enough entries over the last month it's just I still haven't finished the updates from our trip the UK and France I know. What a slacker.I could use the excuse that the power here is still only available 50 of the time......so h http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-417243.html Banksy vs Bristol MuseumSo I'm sitting here in Assosa. It's a dark and stormy night. No chance of a burglary the three robbers are sat in a cave telling tales.We just spent the afternoon waiting at the airport for a flight to Addis that never came. Delayed from 12.30 to 2 then 3.30 then 6. Right on cue at 5.15 just as the plane left Jimma the sky goes black and we huddle in the departure lo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-417233.html If you go down to the woods todaySo we were back in the glorious motherland once more Having been back at Christmas we kind of knew what to expect this time. Apart from seeing friends and family again we were looking forward to all the amenities we had missed electricity hot water drinking water from a tap flushing toilets fully stocked fridges huge choices of food and drink TV broadban http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-421411.html Breathing OutWe made it to Addis but then the problems really startedOn the Tuesday night we Sara Allan Clare me and a lady called Jill who does the weekly homeless person food run in Addis and is quite famous for it all headed off to the Armenian resturant in Arat or Sidist Kilo I can't remember which.Food was great but my guts spent the next 5 days fighting a running battle with so http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-417226.html Going JackanoryWe arrived in Addis feeling pretty breathless after our English exam shenanighans yet we still had 60 or so papers to mark as well as a host of other tasks to complete before flying on the Friday. Allan the final survivor of the St George Beer Lodge aka The Gin Palace had kindly agreed to put us up for the time. As he is off back to Scotland to start teacher training in ear http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-420383.html What's the story...The last 3 days in Ethiopia before travelling back to Europe for Sara's sister's wedding were pretty horrendous. In fact the final week in Assosa was well challenging...Sara Lesley and I had been asked as native English speakers to prepare and deliver an oral and written exam for the 100odd applicants from BeneshangulGunmuz who had applied to become a University Lectur http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-420241.html You are a lazy Ferengi. You should not be in EthiopiaThis was the cry from one of the two adolescent boys walking behind Sara as she made her way back from the sigga Bet Butcher or 'meat house' with cat meat last week.Sara seems a bit unlucky at times. It seems the weirdos and rude kids gravitate towards her whereas I rarely get any trouble.Maybe because I am 15 stone and don't look much like http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-411249.html So what does it feel like to hit the milestone 40At 30 I gave up smoking which was a pretty big deal both for me and Sara who kind of had to give up too.At 40Well I was going to give up biting my nails. But then that seemed a bit insignificant. Maybe I should give up picking my nose but then again in Ethiopia that may be a bit difficult. It is a national pastime during the dry season and http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-405931.html Er thanks. That was the assessment of one of Sara's colleagues from the Education Bureau about my passing of the middleage milestone. People say things here like you look like a baby when what they mean is you are very young looking so I hope he got his adjectives muddled but maybe not...I'm not a vindicitive sort who remembers such slights but he can forget any PC support he needs on HIS http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-407633.html Halellujah The power is back Well for tonight at least.It's been really shocking recently one day on one day off which has kind of made it hard to find time to update the blog. When we do have laptop battery power we use it for emails banking tasks ok ok eBay and preparing for our trip back to the UK in oh under three weeks nowIn fact is the power is worse than last year which is http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-406276.html Sorry for the silence We've been in Addis for a oneday workshop that resulted in a pretty stressful 9 days away. While we were away it was my big 40 birthday and I'll cover that one in the next entry hopefully later this weekend power permitting it has got pretty damn bad lately one day on one day off.We flew to Addis on Saturday 16th and had a birthday lunch planned the next day follo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-402978.html Yo Yo Yo homies sorry been watching too many episodes of The WireHerewith Dave's second and I am guessing final guest blog entry from Ethiopia. It's a good one Remember you too can take advantage of Al Sara Tours Ethiopia Inc. and make a guest blog entry...On the moveOur plan or lsquoprogrammersquo is to do a week of tourism with Al n Sara so itrsquos back to our friendly Fokk http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-397360.html The Drums that roll upon my Soul...It is early morning. I feel like I have been asleep for a total of 20 minutes. My head is thumping.Not because of a large quantity of rather nasty ontheturn cheap red wine mixed with white wine when the red wine ran out that passed my lips the night before but because our neighbour has put on her holy drum music yet again.BONKBONKBONK pause BONKBONK http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-378117.html We're back Our holiday with Dee Dave in Addis Awassa Wondo Genet Arba Minch Konso Addis again and Wenchi Crater is finished but what a holiday it was The trip reaffirmed to us and confirmed for Dee and Dave how wrong the western perception of Ethiopia is. It really is NOT some arid desert full of animal carcasses and flycovered children. It has mountains lakes grasslands forests http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Benishangul-Gumuz-Region/Asosa/blog-382235.html