It’s been a busy 7 days

---

I finished attending a 2 day UNICEF review meeting and was asked to write a report after the meeting - a novelty for me to be asked to do something, made all the more interesting as the whole meeting was in Amharic!

Al flew off to Addis on Saturday and arrived safely (well just, so I hear) ready for an IT workshop and he's also doing some work for VSO, so won't be back for about 10 days - the longest time we've been apart in a long time, I am sure it will be a novelty for a few days then we'll really miss each other!

I went walking with Mulatu, Andreas and Ant on Sunday, we wandered up Inzi, a different route to the last few times, so it’s always interesting, very, very sadly the tree that was on the top that you can see from Asossa town had fallen down, it was probably from the storms or just old age, I don’t know, Andreas told us that there are lots of Berta folk tales about the tree, unsurprising really as it was such a beautiful and striking landmark.

We ended up spending a nice long relaxing time just sitting at the top in the peace and quiet overlooking the town, watching the monkeys and lizards and Antero was kind enough to share some Addis chocolate with us (I had half a Mars bar with Mulatu, what a luxury!) Unfortunately I sprained my ankle on the way down, quite badly so it’s been ugly and swollen all week, I can’t seem to stay upright when I’m out walking! When I went into work everyone wanted to know what I’d done, where was my husband etc etc. After my explanations I got those looks, you know the ones, like ‘well if crazy ferenji’s will go off roaming the countryside without your husband…’ Al asked if I had mentioned the 10 shandy’s I drink before I go on my hikes.

The UNICEF meeting was followed by a big bureau education conference which started on Monday, lots of people from all over the region, prize giving. reviews, planning, I managed to sit through some of it, but I thought three more days of Amharic was probably a bit too challenging. As with all conferences there was the usual conference dinner, slightly different from the ones I’ve attended in the UK, but lots of similarities, there was the pre-dinner speech, good grub and a steady flow of beer, sitting outside and the bonfire maybe not so similar to the UK!

The week ended with the Meskel festival -an Orthodox Christian festival which I went to with Lesley, Belatu from the office and Zinash a representative from UNICEF, it was held in the town square. According to Wikipedia Wikipedia and Zinash, The festival is the celebration of finding the true cross, by a women called Queen Eleni (Saint Helen), Eleni found the cross after being told by god that the smoke would show her where it was. So the celebrations culminate it a big bonfire being lit and the same happens all over town in everyone’s back garden. It was a really interesting festival to watch, Zinash, pushed us to the front so we had a good view, but unfortunately also meant we were really conspicuous - but I suppose that’s the way it always is! There was lots of singing and chanting, some prayers and a short sermon. It was interesting to be there, rather than just hearing the churches from a far as the noise drifts through the windows at home. It sounded better up close! The drumming was great and the fire afterwards was good fun too.

By the way not all the pictures were taken by me, I was far to shy to stand in the middle of a religious festival taking snaps. But a nice man in the crowd took the camera and took them for me. Zinash actually gave the guy my camera then asked me if I was worried about giving my camera to a stranger (who disappeared into a crowd I might add) I said she didn’t seem worried, so I wasn’t.
That’s Asossa for you 😊

---

Photos

The Inzi Tree
As it was

Andreas and Mulatu
On the way up

The Inzi Tree
A sad sight

Millennium Trees
Planted by the government bureaus in Asossa

On the way down
Still standing

Belatu
In her traditional Ethiopian outfit for Meskel

Watching the ceremony
and the ferenji's

Ethiopian Umbrellas
For rain and shine..... and holy ceremonies

Comments

[gashaw]

Sad the inzee tree is down.
Oh.. the inzee tree.. I grew up hiking up inzee and taking a break under that tree. that was 30 years ago! Thanks for the great blog. I stumbled on it today and have been on it the past 6 hours.

[Al and Sara]

Glad you enjoy the blog!
We are enjoying Assosa :) Salam na to you Gashaw!