Goodbye Addis and ICS

Two years and out. Admin. co-workers, friends asked why we left Ethiopia after two years to return back to Alexandria, Egypt. We've had some time to reflect on this question. The most fitting response we could muster was, "Ethiopia wasn't a fit." It wasn't any single event, it was a collection of little things that added up.

For us, Egypt was full of life, movement, and distractions while Ethiopia was like being confined to a monastery. Everything we've said about the people, food, and landscape while living there is true, it was mostly positive. Our students were great, we liked our bosses and co-workers were fun to be around...in the end we were glad the school didn't make much of an effort to retain us. Had our school thrown a carrot our direction it would have been harder to leave. (We requested to move closer to school so Ana could nurse-per school policy no special provisions are made to teachers and to the school's credit they stuck to their word.)

When Ana left to give birth back in the States, the void was exaggerated in an already lonely landscape. If it wasn't for the task of writing a book, I probably would have knocked on my neighbors doors often and medicated myself more than I already did. In short, isolation isn't conducive to a happy life.

Reflecting back on some of the last photos I took below reminds me how compelling the last couple months of isolation can eclipse an overall experience.

My favorite signs in Addis. I think the animal might be a cat or a mutation of one.  The animal has the option of using a paint brush on his right, but decided dumping a bucket of paint would better suit the task. Vandal-like tendencies. 

Kristin, the neighbor upstairs. She was devoted to Cheetos and eating on the floor. No exaggeration.  

More paint store art. Three colors in one can an Ethiopian exclusive.

Nathan was my brewing buddy.  

I made a series of phony "lost" animal flyers. My favorite one was of the lost hyena-a family pet. I taped a couple around town. I also posted one of a lost snake in our building's elevator that caused the building's management to create their own stating not to post posters.  

One of my co-workers thought it would be fun make a response. He made my day. 

Rob had scotch tastings on Wednesday nights. He also provoked people at parties with politics. I'm  sure people thought he was rude, but that's why I liked him. 

Tash spoke whatever they do in New Zealand and made everything sound dirty. I had her name in my phone as "Crotch Rash"  

Two fisted Nik let me beat him at chess. 

Erik, also had a way to weed people out. He could be very off-putting to other adults. I also liked him a lot. 

If you're single (or married) be ready to mingle when Ryan is around. Kudos to Ry for marrying a local (Habesha-not pictured) in record time. Who is pictured next to Ryan is the fabulous Downtown Jackie Brown who will whip you silly with her tongue. Stay out of her way and she won't bite.   

Mooch Goat. Don't leave your food unattended. 

Solomon was my local buddy from the commissary who told me wild Ethiopian stories.  

I had a vision of putting drawings all over the house. Then I thought i should be more responsible than that. This one has several quotes from the movie Apocalypse Now. 

After packing out. Screams Soviet era Eastern Bloc minimalism. 

Fuck yeah, we were.

Brussels and Gent Belgium.

The World Cup had just started and everyone had the fever. We were waiting in line to get our boarding passes at the airport in Addis Ababa when Mexico finished playing. Ana and I were sporting our Mexico shirts when a pair of men stuck out their hands to congratulate us for beating their team, Cameroon. We friended a passenger who was going to be on our flight and he asked us to go hang out with him at the bar to help cheer on his team, Spain. Spain was taken to the cleaners that evening by Holland. Our new friend buried his face in his knees while other patron taunted him in a friendly way. I'm sure most of the world had their eyes glued the screen that night watching the games. The fever had infected most of us travelers waiting to get from point A to B. It was a positive atmosphere and everyone walked throughout the terminal with a sense of hope. Perhaps if the world leaders approached politics like World Cup fans, maybe there would be less of the bad stuff. 

Our ritual of stopping over in Belgium to break-up the flight back home was one we were looking forward to...friends, food, beer and paths winding around old city centers. It wouldn't be the chaos of Egypt or Ethiopia we've come to love and hate. We ventured out of Gent this time and went on a day trip to Brussels, it made a difference tagging along with friends.  
  

A glass of Orval and a bag of cashews seemed like the right way to start off a Sunday. 

The Sunday Market in Brussels is a way to get to see and experience the vast variety and cultures of the city.  

Since we more or less balked on the concept of breakfast, lunch at an old Greek Cafe where you get to walk into the kitchen and choose your dish sounded like the perfect idea. 

The place was packed and the food delicious.

Ana destroyed her meal.

A view outside.

Outdoor flea market, yes please. 

This could be your new trophy.

Shopping makes people thirsty.

Apparently, I picked-up a German hunting hat. 

Home decoration idea #41.

If you plan on buying items, you need an old lady cart to carry your goods.

Manneken-Pis and waffles, doesn't get more Brussels than this.

I was on a Geuze kick.

Looking up our friend's street at mid-night.

Looking down our friend's street at mid-night.

World Cup fever pouring out into the streets. Belgium beat Algeria, which always makes me happy. In fact I root for any team that plays Algeria. Ana and I encountered Algerian fans 4 years ago in Brussels and the ones we saw were awful. They took to the streets after their team lost and were taunting and physically harassing non-fans. Algerian fans also did some stuff to the Egyptian football team when we lived in Egypt. This is the root of our prejudice.  

9 pm and it was still light outside.

BFFs.

Timket Celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We were warned not to go driving during the parade times of the Timket celebration. Timket celebrates and reenacts the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. On the first day, the procession travels from the church with a model of the Ark of the Covenant (see my next post on Aksum) to a nearby river. The following day the Ark is returned back to the church. Below are some of the rituals associated with celebration.    

Decked out horses pulling fancy carts lead the way. Note the Safeway supermarket in the background. 

The most intense part of the celebration was the carpet rolling. Teams of participants carry and roll out the carpets for the priests. When the procession passes, the carpets in the back are rolled-up and brought to the front to be rolled out again, this process is repeated until the destination is reached. 

Additionally, keeping the grass on the carpet is also important task. 

Dancing, singing, and music were very much apart of it. 

Museums, Thanksgiving, Shipping, Hiking....all this and much more in Ethiopia

The day finally arrived. Our shipment with our car and household goods made it-most of it. As many of you know homeland security rifled though our goods looking for "weapons of mass distraction" and only found a bottle of laundry detergent and packed it with my beer making supplies. It spilled, resulting in a moldy sugar detergent soup that would make anyone vomit after a quick whiff. The added bonus was our repacked truck with a guitar and amp on bicycles. No consideration for other people's property.  

Not pictured is the flat tire.

5 months later. We were also charged a extra. The school messed up on our paperwork-so we get to pay. I think this is how the shippers, school, etc. makes extra money. They aren't incompetent, just smart business people who know how to shakedown customers. 

"Hey boss, there might be AK-47's in dat der painting, let's cut it open!"

Thanksgiving with our neighbors. 

A gigantic art billboard made of circuit boards.

We finally got around to visiting the National Museum. Olmeca Head. There is a roundabout called Mexico, and I think this is where it came from for safekeeping with all the construction. Olmeca is also a duty-free tequila that should be avoided.

Haile Selassie 

What we once looked like.

Lucy and not Ricky Ricardo's media naranja (better half)

Haile Selassie's chair

Better than live sheep's wool. 

You'll have to come and visit for yourself to see the cool artifacts and art. 

Communist era art.

Meskel

Ethiopia is this scenic.

If we grew up being a punker in the 80's, I bet your first thought is the Bad Brains. 

This why we moved here... 

...and this too.

We stopped by the annex building for the Nigs exhibit by Mezgebu-a heavy hitter in the Ethiopia art scene. Think hyper realism.

Another afternoon out-of-town adventure. We parked at a spot and noticed several men leaning against their cars sitting on the ground chewing qat (chat). That seemed like a good spot to hike. 

Qat power! Monica in the middle is holding a rock, we've been chased by dogs during our past two outings.