Addis Night Life

In addition to questions about food, I am sure that many are also wondering what the night life is like in Addis. I can't claim to be able to give a full overview at this point, but I can share my experiences thus far. First, I'm too old to go out to clubs. If I am not in bed by 10:30pm, then it is highly unlikely that I am going to be able to get up when 6:30am rolls around. This I learned from experience. 

Last Friday night, I met up with a girl from work who is a couple of years younger than me and her friends at a bar called Black Rose. It was very dark inside and had more of a lounge feel. It was a nice atmosphere, but I was quickly reminded how much I enjoy smokeless bars (sorry to those of you who smoke :)). It was a mixed crowd of expats and locals, and was packed full. We then made our way to a couple of other lounges, one which was more casual and a couple of others that were clearly more VIP (I'm not sure how else to describe them). People clearly dress up to go out, which could explain why most stores seem to sell "going out" clothes as opposed to work or normal clothes. In my jeans and black shirt I felt incredibly underdressed and undermakeuped. They weren't exactly my cup of tea, but I don't think that there are more casual lounges.

On Friday I didn't make it to a club, as they start to fill up with people around 1am, and I was home and in bed by that time. Last night (take note that this was Thursday), I found myself at the club in the early hours of the morning. The evening started at the Italian Club, where I was invited by a friend of a friend, Nibret, to watch the European Championship semi-final match between Italy and Germany. Apparently there are similar clubs/hang out spots for most of the European communities in Addis. The crowd was mostly expats, but there were quite a few Ethiopians as well (including the three guys that I was with). The bar got pretty rowdy at times, but it was quite enjoyable to watch a game (when I could actually see the screen) in a room with so much energy. 

After Italy's win, I was convinced to join for the post-game celebration and that is when I found myself at club H20. It's quite a big place, and it took about an hour for the dance floor to fill with people. The crowd seemed to be mostly Ethiopians, with a few expats mixed in, including three awkward white men who were clearly looking for a hook-up. We danced there for a couple of hours (at the side of the dance floor), before one of the guys decided he was hungry. We made a stop for some late nite shiro (delicious at 3am), and they dropped me at home. I had fun, but the struggle to get out of bed this morning was quite unbearable. I was told that most Ethiopians call in sick to work if they have such a night, but of course I made my way to the office, where I quickly ordered some eggs and a cup of tea. So for those of you who say that I need to live a little and have more fun, last night was for you. I can't guarantee that it will be repeated. :)

Smell Before You Buy

Please, take my advice. In a desperate attempt to find an article of clothing to keep me warm in the evenings (given it is often a brisk 50 degrees with no heat), the woman who lives in the main house, Jo, kindly offered to take me to a market. Being my frugal self, I didn't want to pay the price of a sweatshirt in a regular shop. We arrived at the market and I quickly acquired a pair of flip flops for 40 birr ($2.50) and some socks. I then moved on to searching for a sweatshirt. By the time we arrived most of the stalls were closing, so the options were limited. There was a stall selling many sweatshirts, clearly used and imported from the US. I found one that looked suitable (it was the thickest one on the table), and Jo negotiated the price down to 220 birr ($12). I took it home and dropped it in the laundry basket. The next day, my laundry was taken from the basket and I received it back a few days later (yes, there is someone who does my laundry but that requires another blog post). When I put on a piece of clothing that had been washed, I noticed that it smelled of gasoline. I thought it was odd, but as the day wore on, the smell started to give me a headache. I couldn't figure out what might have caused it. Then, that evening I went to put on the green sweatshirt andthe  gasoline smell was so intense that it caused me to cough. Ha. My sweatshirt must have been used to mop up a gasoline spill. I would have never ever thought to smell a piece of clothing before I bought it. Now, it will be part of my routine. 

Update: I have no idea how, but they were able to get the gasoline smell out of the sweatshirt. Yeah!

14th Day Reflections

I have now worked at ECA for 14 days, and I think it's time to share some thoughts about the work that I am doing. My first task was to compile all of the guidelines that have been created for the clusters and sub-clusters of the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) into one document. I have also worked on some concept notes and the editing of documents. This week I summarized sections of a longer document so that the summaries could be incorporated into a report. And today, I researched and reported on various entities that provide financing for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Yesterday, I sat in on a meeting of the Gender Sub-cluster (which is part of the Social and Human Development Cluster). Just a reminder, in case this is not your area of expertise :), the clusters are groupings of UN agencies that are part of the RCM. They work to support the African Union Commission (AUC) and NEPAD in accomplishing the NEPAD agenda. Present at the Gender Sub-cluster meeting were UNAIDS, UNWOMEN, UNDP, ACGC, FAO, WFP, etc. Their discussions centered around joint activities that they had agreed to undertake as part of their yearly work plan. They are in the process of planning a gender audit of the different clusters, and organizing a retreat to increase coordination between the Gender Sub-cluster and the Agriculture, Food Security, and Rural Development Cluster. Clearly, the purpose of the sub-cluster and thus the meeting is to enhance coordination between the agencies around gender issues in support of the AUC and NEPAD agenda. However, it just seemed that they were meeting to arrange other meetings to discuss more about coordination. I didn't quite understand (although this was my first introduction to this sub-cluster) how what they were doing was improving development. However, their discussions did indicate the work that they are doing to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in agendas and present in discussions at important meetings, etc.

I am certainly learning a lot about the work of my department, the RCM, NEPAD, the AU, etc. However, I am finding it difficult to understand how all of the work being done in this department is ultimately contributing to better development outcomes. I understand the importance of ensuring that agencies are working together, and the importance of increasing the capacity of the AUC so it can better support and carry out the objectives of NEPAD. But I think I would learn a lot about how this is/is not working by meeting with those working in government tasked with incorporating the NEPAD agenda into their National Development Plans. What challenges do they face in ensuring that their NDPs are aligned with the NEPAD agenda? What do they see as the benefit of the work of the RCM? Does it really work to have a unifed development plan for the entire continent? 

I still have a lot to learn and understand about how this process actually works, but the glimpse that I have had so far raises many questions about the resources devoted to these activities and what they are ultimately accomplishing. Today I will go to the African Union with my team for the presentation of the Ten Year Capacity Building Work Programme to the AUC. It is a plan to enhance the capacity of the AUC which was created based on a review of the AUC's capacity needs. I'm very excited for this field trip! :)

Side note: I apologize if these ramblings are not your cup of tea...I will try to intermingle them with discussions of much more juicy subjects like advice on buying used clothes in the market. And I have tried to link some stuff which could better explain what I'm talking about just in case you're interested. :)

If you have delicious honey, you must eat pancakes.

According to The Guardian, Ethiopia is Africa's biggest honey producer. Bee products including honey and beeswax are a major contributor to the economy, and there is a special white honey that is produced from flowers at high altitudes. Ethiopia's national drink, Tej, is a honey wine. More importantly, honey is cheap and delicious. I bought this small jar at the supermarket, and plan to try a couple of other varieties while I'm here. I would even love to visit somewhere where they are harvesting honey. But of course when you have honey, you must find a way to eat it. I put a teaspoon in a cup of hot water every night to try and get myself warm before I go to bed. AND I eat it on homemade pancakes. The pancake pictured was without a doubt the best pancake I have ever had.

Lunch at the UN

I know that people are always interested in food. And I'm sure when I get home everyone will ask, "So what did you eat in Ethiopia?" So, the purpose of this post is to help answer this question (and I'm sure this post will be followed by many other posts about food). During my first week here, a fellow in my office (who is on vacation this week) from the UK took me to all of the eating establishments within the compound, in addition to a couple of places that are close by. Here is a rundown:

• Kaldi's Coffee - Has pizza, sandwiches with fries, coffee, fruit juices, etc. I have not been impressed by the food, although the oatmeal I had from there yesterday was quite good, and the homemade fruit juices are delicious!
• Bon Cafe - They seem to have a mix of traditional food and pasta dishes. I ate the tibs there and it was quite good.
• Sheraton - I went there for an incredibly overpriced buffet (130 birr or $7.50). I was not impressed and won't be back. They have pasta, rice, salads, dessert, etc. Apparently they also have a cafeteria but I haven't tried it yet.
• Lalibella - This is a cafeteria and they serve an "international dish" and a "national dish" designated by two very prominent signs. It's cheap and convenient because I can grab my food, eat, and go, without having to wait to be served.
• Lime Tree - This place is outside the compound and has an eclectic mix of food, from pita wraps to Indian food. I had the chicken tahli and it was amazingly delicious. I wish I would have had my camera because it came with all of these cute small dishes with different things in them. The only drawback is that it is a bit of a walk, but I will definitely be back.
• The Greek Club - Ok, this place is not nearby but I was taken there during my first week so I'm including it here. It is an exclusive club-ish place that definitely struck me as something that you would find at a country club in the US (I even think that there is a tennis court there). It's not that expensive (I think my food was 75 birr), but I have no idea where it was and I probably won't be back. I had some chicken with watery mashed potatoes.

I have decided that Lalibella is my preferred locale for lunch. This is where I had lunch today and is pictured above. As always, my frugality wins out, and this lunch only cost 22 birr or $1.50. Today I splurged and added a Coke Light and a piece of bread, so it set me back 32.50 birr or $2. What you are looking at is shiro and some kind of greens and seasoned tomatoes and onions. The shiro is made with chickpeas, spices, and sometimes onion and garlic. Yesterday, they had shiro plus some reddish dish with lentils and injera that was soaked in something delicious. It was fantastic. It is my go-to lunch as I have decided against making the effort to bring my lunch (especially when there isn't a fridge or microwave in the office and sliced meat costs $35 per kg). And aside from the injera (which I can never finish), I think it's rather healthy?

Full Fat Deliciousness 

This post might seem random. It is. I just thought I would share how much I love drinking full fat milk. Luckily for me, I have only once seen low fat milk, and it was very expensive, so I will gladly continue to drink the full fat variety until I come home and am forced to return to drinking skim.

Note to Self: Walk = Hike 


So...I'm trying to meet people in Addis, preferably interesting and friendly people. A friend from UT suggested I get in touch with a girl who was here last summer. I emailed her and she suggested I join something called the Hash Harriers walk/run group on Saturdays. She connected me with her friend, Nibret, who filled me in on the details. I showed up on Saturday at 2:00pm at the Hilton parking lot, and had absolutely no idea what to expect. The first thing I noticed was that I was early, but it gave me ample time to meet and greet, and it was an interesting mix of people who were there for the run and those that came for the socializing. The second thing I noticed was that this was not your typical run/walk group. There were whistles being blown to call us to attention and a couple of the older men were wearing kilts and tall socks. I quickly learned that this was a walk/run/drinking group. :)

After everyone had gathered (it was quite a large group), we headed outside of town. It was so wonderful to get outside the city and breathe some fresh air! We divided into the walk/run groups and followed our hares (leaders) for our "walk." However, this was not a walk. It was a very intense hike often at very steep inclines through the forest. There were many prickly bushes that I had to avoid, branches to step over, cliffs to descend. Thank goodness I dressed appropriately and was wearing sturdy shoes. Along the way, we encountered many adorable goats (and children), and stopped in holds to enjoy the gorgeous views.

Upon completion of the 1.5 hour "walk," we returned to our starting point for beers and coke, and as I quickly learned, to participate in the Hash rituals. I was called into the middle of the circle as a Hash virgin, and while they sang a song, I had to drink a cup of beer. Any I didn't finish had to be thrown over my head. Luckily, I finished the whole glass. :) Now that I have been officially inducted, I think that I will have to return. They do a different route every Saturday, and I would love to leave the city for another "walking" adventure! And next week, I will bring my camera, so you can share in the gorgeous views.

Oh yeah, I have a job :)

So the reason I am in Addis is to complete an internship with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. I am working with the Economic Development and NEPAD Division, and have at the moment been assigned to the NEPAD Support Section. The office is located in a very large UN compound, along with other regional and country UN offices. 

I spent most of my first day waiting, but things have slowly picked up. The office is quiet, very quiet. It is filled with smart academics producing very long and important documents. So far, I have been tasked with working on a few of those documents. 

I will explain a bit about what the NEPAD Support Section does...but since I don't want to bore you...I will try to keep it brief. In order to support the NEPAD (The New Partnership for Africa's Development) agenda for development in Africa, a Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) was designed to improve coordination between UN agencies. It organizes the agencies into clusters based on the topic areas of NEPAD (i.e. Governance, Social and Human Development), and these clusters work to support the NEPAD agenda by increasing the capacity of the AU and NEPAD to carry out their agenda. So, essentially, the RCM coordinates UN support to the AU and NEPAD.

So...what does this mean for development? This what I'm still trying to figure out. The idea is that improving coordination at the regional level and supporting the AU and NEPAD will ultimately improve development work on the ground. Currently, this is happening in some countries through an increase in the incorporation of NEPAD into National Development Plans. The goal is that all National Development Plans would reflect the NEPAD agenda...and that this will lead to better development outcomes.

Anyways, I'm still figuring it all out as I read and read and read. Right now it all seems very abstract. Hopefully by the end of the internship I will be able to better articulate the work that is being done and my thoughts on this work.

City Planning?

Addis is very different from any place that I have visited before. Before I came, I knew that it was the headquarters of the AU, UNECA, etc., and hosted many important conferences. I was shocked to discover that the area around the UN compound was in such disrepair. I have also never seen so much construction. I’m still not sure what is going to fill all of these buildings, but hopefully I will figure that out while I’m here. I know that Addis is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa, but many of the completed buildings seem to be empty. 

Also different from other cities I have visited in Africa is that there is informal housing (i.e. shacks) right next to 5 star hotels. There doesn’t appear to be much segregation throughout the city. I’m clearly not opposed to this, but it’s an interesting mix which creates a number of challenges. When I mentioned this to my mom, she replied, “well at least the British were good city planners.”  Very good point, mom. Apparently the Ethiopian government has pushed a lot of people out of certain areas to make way for new buildings, etc., but clearly not with the same vigor as some African governments. I'm interested to learn more about the history of Addis to better understand why it is set up the way it is and how it has evolved over time.

Arrival

It is day 14 of my adventure in Ethiopia. Realizing that I have been here for two weeks makes me question why I haven’t accomplished more, but I’m starting to realize that I should be proud of the small accomplishments that I have made, like figuring out how to walk home and mastering the names of my regular taxi drivers.

I arrived in Addis at night, and I think there were more people working inside the airport at 11pm than got off the plane. My flight from Amman to Addis only had maybe 20 people on a plane that seats 200. I spent more than an hour looking for the taxi driver from the guest house, only to discover that he had the sign with my name on it in his pocket. He was supposed to be standing on the exit ramp with the sign, but maybe he found it amusing to watch me walk from one side of the parking lot to the other, clearly lost and exhausted.

The guest house was nice, and had very fast internet. The staff were friendly, and I spent my first day walking up and down the street. Exploring on my own was a bit daunting at first, and I quickly discovered that I would have to reject the pleas of children over and over again. However, by Sunday, I was able to find the mall where I watched a movie, Men in Black 3 (don’t waste your money).

I really only looked at one place to live and decided to stay there. In hindsight, I wish that I would have spent more time looking, but I suppose that my sparse digs are forcing me to live with less, which may not be a bad thing. I’m living in a compound that is owned by a couple (the woman in British and her husband is Ethiopian). They live in the main house with their two adorable children, and there are multiple living areas around the main house. There is an older American couple who are here volunteering that live in the nice guest house, and I live in a two room area that is connected to the housing where the staff of the house live. I won’t elaborate on my living conditions, but will just say that I have a bed, couch, and have finally acquired hangers.

If you ever want to visit Ethiopia, don’t come in June, July, or August. It’s cold and rainy! And when I say cold, I mean it’s actually cold. Last night was the first night that I didn’t wake up cold, thanks to the kindness of the American couple who shared with me one of their heavy blankets. You should also not trust historical weather data found on random websites. I was expecting highs in the mid-80s, but have found highs in the low-70s and lows in the 50s. That’s cold when you don’t have heat and never see the sun (although as I write this the sun has appeared as if to taunt me). If you've never lived in the cold without heat, I don't recommend it. It's not as cold as it was in Namibia, but I also didn't bring any warm clothing.

I have slowly discovered the area around where I live, and I think that people are starting to recognize me as I walk from my house to the main shopping area (about a 5 minute walk). I rarely see other foreigners walking anywhere, so at first I think people couldn’t understand why I didn’t need a taxi. I was taking a taxi to work, but have met a guy who works in my building that lives rather close to me. He is now giving me a ride in the morning, and I walk home in the afternoon (it takes about 30 minutes). I decided that it would be better for my health to only inhale excessive amounts of exhaust and dust once per day.

Thus, I have arrived. I have a place to live and a cell phone (feel free to fill my inbox with low cost text messages from skype: 251912626902), and am slowly learning about how to negotiate my temporary home.