Addis Ababa was named in 1886 when Taitu, the Empress of Menelik II, was given land to build in a place called Filwoha (or “boiling water”), which she then renamed - Addis Ababa meaning “New Flower”. Menelik eventually moved the capital here. The hot springs still exist at the Addisu Filwoha Hotel, where the natural hot mineral water is piped in for hydro-massage. So, that is where we planned to go - just right for a cold day in the rainy season! Clare and I had also invited Anoushka, who works at the Bale Mountains National Park, in Dinsho. We met [View Full Entry]

---

---

The next part of the celebrations involved a party at the Ethio Millennium traditional restaurant. The idea was that volunteers, who were in Addis, could bring an Ethiopian guest as a way of thanking them for their help. It was a great idea and worked very well. Clare invited Kalkidan, one of the trainers on the course she is organising. Kalkidan came to our house to get ready, and have a pre-party glass of wine, and then stayed the night too. I had invited Tesfaye, my line manager in Robe, but (understandably) as it is a day’s journey, he couldn’t make [View Full Entry]

---

---

This year sees the 10th anniversary of a VSO Programme Office in Ethiopia (although there were volunteers here before that). VSO Ethiopia is now one of the largest volunteer programmes in the world, and worth celebrating! I had been asked to put together a cheap and cheerful (my words, not VSO’s) display for the events happening this week and to help set it up at the British Embassy for the first event. We ended up hanging it between two pillars in the entrance hall to the Ambassador’s Residence, where it hung in front of a portrait of the Queen. Seven volunteers [View Full Entry]

---

---

Shopping has never been my favourite pastime, but in Addis it is certainly an amusing experience. We didn’t need to buy much, but what we did want managed to cause many problems. The main theme is for shop assistants to randomly select an item that they think you should buy -usually bearing no resemblance, at all, to the first item that you looked at in the shop or on the stall. So, on Saturday we were in Shola Market where Clare wanted to buy some shoes in preparation for the VSO Ethiopia 10th Anniversary celebrations later this week. In one shop, [View Full Entry]

---

---

As part of my short term placement at the National Road Safety Coordination Office, based in Addis Ababa, I was taken to Debre Zeyit (Bishoftuu) to observe the organisation of the speed project that Sesibe, one of my colleagues is responsible for running. The project works with the Traffic Police to enforce speed limits along the Southern route from Addis to Awasa - which is a road with a high crash record (see my previous diary - Travels between Robe and Addis Ababa (3)). We set off at 9.30, a mere 30 minutes later than planned, and the first stop was [View Full Entry]

---

---

Clare and I moved into David and Nadia’s old house in Addis Ababa. We are both working in the capital over the summer and VSO have given us a very nice house to live in. My summer job is working for the National Road Safety Coordination Office. The organisation of road safety in Ethiopia is excellent and they are doing much of what is recommended to improve road safety in a developing country. So far, I have been very impressed. There are many benefits to living in Addis Ababa (or Finfinne - the Oromo name) - nice restaurants (Indian, pizza, croissants [View Full Entry]

---

---

Clare and I moved in David and Nadia’s old house in Addis Ababa. We are both working in the capital over the summer and VSO have given us a very nice house to live in. My summer job is working for the National Road Safety Coordination Office. The organisation of road safety in Ethiopia is excellent and they are doing much of what is recommended to improve road safety in a developing country. So far, I have been very impressed. There are many benefits to living in Addis Ababa (or Finfinne - the Oromo name) - nice restaurants (Indian, pizza, [View Full Entry]

---

---

2nd - 13th July 2007 I have been learning Afaan Oromo since living in Robe, as the majority of people in the town are Oromo. Amharic is the national language, and is the first language of 32.7% of the population. Afaan Oromo is the first language of 31.6% (according to the World Factbook from the CIA). VSO organise a 2-week intensive language training course for volunteers, held at the Fura Institute in Yirgalem, half way between Awasa and Dilla, south of Addis. Most of the participants were learning Amharic, but two of us (me and Jane from Nekemte) were taking [View Full Entry]

---

---

2nd - 13th July 2007 I have been learning Afaan Oromo since living in Robe, as the majority of people in the town are Oromo. Amharic is the national language, and is the first language of 32.7% of the population. Afaan Oromo is the first language of 31.6% (according to the World Factbook from the CIA). VSO organise a 2-week intensive language training course for volunteers, held at the Fura Institute in Yirgalem, half way between Awasa and Dilla, south of Addis. Most of the participants were learning Amharic, but two of us (me and Jane from Nekemte) were taking lessons [View Full Entry]

---

---

What is the point of having access to a horse and walking yourself? Apart from the fact that it would be faster! Daamaa is the slowest horse in Robe, and possibly in Ethiopia - old women on foot overtake us! Being a Sunday, I decided that we should go out for a trip, especially as I would be away from Robe for the summer. I chose Hora Boka as one of the schools I will be working with next year is there and it was as good a destination as any. The ride there was very pleasant … and very [View Full Entry]

---

---