Daniel’s Chronicle of Addis Ababa (Part I)

Dear family and Friends, sorry for not keeping you up to date as I thought I would. However, unfortunately the Internet service here in Ethiopia is not as cooperative; hence, it is good excuse for my ‘better late than never’ update. Rather than attempting to update you all via e-mail and what’s not I figured I would just write a blog post and hope you find it worth the read of what I have to share.

There is something about me and writing, I start writing something and I tend to leave it half done; telling myself this isn’t ready to be shared, it out to be articulated, researched or simply explained better. Then one day at a time, the topic becomes long past overdue and I lose the urge to spend some more time editing and reviewing it before sharing it with others. I am going to try to start a different habit of writing and sharing, that is, I am going to try to share what I find myself writing however brief or inadequate it might be.

Let’s consider this one as the pre-emptive resolution to the new Ethiopian New Year just around the corner. It has been five years since the last time I visited the motherland; and my family & friends ask me very much similar question. Those outside of Ethiopia ask how is it? And those in Ethiopia ask how did you find it? The questions from those in the Diaspora seems to be more or less open ended while the questions from those within Ethiopia seem to have a suggestive tone (as if they have no doubt that I should be witnessing change).

It is not easy to answer the questions with just simple generalized statements. So I thought to myself, why not try to describe things as I am experiencing them by explaining and describing things as accurately as I find it; thus attempt to give people a very small lens to their senses and leave the translation and definition to their own imagination as much as I can.

The nonstop flight with Ethiopian airline from DC to Addis ended with a loud applause by the passengers as our plane smoothly landed at Bole airport. Through out the flight, the flight attendants kept addressing me as ‘antu; “erswo” an Amharic word used to show respect when addressing people who are either older than oneself or to imply respect (given, that I am a young man, I thought it showed the airlines humble customer service and professionalism, although I have heard to the contrary from fellow country man, every time that I have taken Ethiopian I never been disappointed). I don’t really remember Bole airport’s conditions or its set up to know if there is change or not…the process was fast and before I knew it, I was outside of the airport gazing at the plentiful of old taxis and gazing at the city. I don’t ever remember being so alert and eager to soak in anything and everything in details. The whole city seems much greener than I used to remember it, the taxis seem to be much older and worn out than what ever I was expecting.

Driving through the city is much different than how I remember it five years ago. Literally the whole city seems under construction (sometime back when I lived in the outskirts of Houston, Texas, my friends and I used to joke how if you leave your house for a week, when you come back to your home, you would notice new houses next to your house and you would wonder how and when they got built), in Addis Ababa it is as if that thought is on steroid. Some old neighborhoods and blocks are unrecognizable with new buildings and business centers. Yet so many things look incomplete and so much gap to be filled. What seems a barely finished and inaugurated building already has broken edges, non functioning electrical hand dryers, water faucets, doors, and stained walls already screaming for repainting etc.

I was at George Washington University one day for African Business Forum, and I remember one of the panelists Pro. Yohannes Assefa saying when ‘I travel to different countries through out, I try to think of 10 feasible business ideas in the time span that take me from the airport to my hotel’. Here you need not travel from airport to your hotel room for 10 business ideas, you can stand at an intersection survey your area and guaranteed you would think of dozen business ideas that are lacking. The city is heaven for creative and entrepreneurial spirited minds. As I arrived at my temporary home from Bole airport (a nice apartment to my standards) I could not believe the number of vehicles around. Nowhere in America have I seen that many cars in any residential neighborhood. It seems at least in these apartment complexes there are more cars per household than in any apartment settings in the US (perhaps adequate attention was not given to parking spaces when the apartment complexes here were designed). I tried to take shower before heading to work but unfortunately there was no running water (still many weeks later there rarely is running water in the morning after 8am and around 8pm…but that is no problem we have big buckets full of water and my roommates and I don’t seem to be bother by it at all.

Though my body kept feeling it was up for a while and it must been late in the afternoon (thanks to Jet lag), it was only 9:30am local time when I showed up to my workplace office about an hour and half later after I landed.  Just few minutes into it I was asked if I want Coffee or Tea. Thinking to myself I ordered neither I said none. Little did I know, we get free Coffee or Tea at about 9:30am and another one at about 3pm (yes its kind of normal thing in Ethiopia at least in bigger offices). Big smiles. 

I went 6 floors down to one of the cafes for lunch, had Injera firfir and after the very first bite, my thoughts were what the hell is the Injera around DC made of? I must have forgotten how delicious the authentic Injera could be. Thanks to what America has thought me, I asked to take with me my left over (I think the fact that the locals use ‘take away’ as their vocabulary for any order that is to go is indicator of Ethiopians are not accustomed to taking their left over).  I paid about 70-80 Birr, which equates to approximately 4 - 5 Dollars for my one Injera meal with a freshly made mixed juice for drink. There I had completed my first half workday in the motherland.

Most people feel life is expensive and living standard in Addis is very high. I suppose it is a matter of perspective and what the reference is. To me certain things seem to be expensive compared to the Washington DC area, and of course certain things are much cheaper. But there is one thing that is undeniable what ever the reason is; money just seems to be leaving one’s pocket at a much faster rate. I tell my friends jokingly, I frequently have to look back and check to see if money is slipping out of my pocket J Here are sample of things that are much more expensive here, a shoes that I could buy around DC for about 35 - 50 Dollars, here, it is well over 100 Dollars. If you want to dry-clean a shirt it is a bit over 2 Dollars where as in DC you can get it done for less than 2 Dollars. What are cheaper here? Mainly things that are labor-intensive products/services that are Ethiopia based; example freshly made avocado juice, getting hair cut etc…these things would be at least 2-3 times cheaper than what one would pay around DC. Either way you need to carry a lot of cash with you. As one of my friends put it, when you start planning your day, you honestly need to think about do I need to buy anything today? If yes, how many thousands of cash do I need is the next question that needs to be addressed. A shoe that I am wearing was 2,400 Birr (approx $128), wouldn’t have paid more than $35 in the states. If you want to buy a jacket or something else it is going to be a pocket full of cash (you get the point).

  

A lot of rest rooms in the city seem to be designed by the same engineers, unless the door to the men’s restrooms is closed, the Urinals are often times on the wall directly from the door and when people open the doors there is no privacy. The ladies as they pass to their ladies restrooms could have a good view of the men aiming there if they so wish too J. But nothing matches the difficulty of finding restrooms in service facilities that have toilet papers. I only have found few restrooms that have toilet papers; you got to carry one of your own to be safe. What else is somewhat different, well, around here I notice people pick up someone else’s (coworkers, friend and families) phone calls with out hesitation and answer the call. It seems normal and they do it so genuinely. For the whole time that I have been here, I think it has at the very least rained once a day and the 13 months of sunshine is being waited on patiently. Café’s are everywhere and full of customers at least on the weekends, during lunch and after work hours. I am not sure how it is like in between the rush hours, but I wouldn’t think it changes much. People are chill and when you go to restaurant and like places, you will have to wait for sometime unless you ask for services yourself…in most places the bill is only brought to you once you have asked for it (the gap regarding customer services or the lack of it as I see it actually needs its own topic…coming soon)

What has been the most surprising thing for me is, I used to follow the Ethiopian current events/politics fairly close while living in the Diaspora; but around here not so much. Why? Because, there is not as much catalyst as there is when you live in the Diaspora. In the Diaspora, certainly in DC there is nonstop discussion of topics related to Ethiopian politics or current events. Perhaps people lean towards that as a way to stay connected and feel close to home. Around here, people go about their daily lives and there seems very very little talk about politics. Even though I am in the heart of the land I have never felt so distanced from Ethiopian current events due to the lack of access to information of variant viewpoints. The Internet is slow or sometimes just doesn’t work at all, so it certainly discourages you from having to Google online news. I interact with people a lot but they neither seem to be concerned nor interested to discuss politics. Except two things many residents are convinced standard of living is very expensive, but I am not sure if people over look the other side of the equation, why things are expensive? To me there seems to be unlimited demand and people seem to be spenders but no one discusses that side of the equation. The second one is corruption, a topic that circulates a lot even in Azmari bet (who can help me define Azmari bet in English) as jokes and satires.   

The other thing that I have notice is how people seem to be so relaxed and walk with their heads help up high no urgency in their steps and seem to be living in the moment. People walk slowly and cheerfully as if they have no place to be at a specific time they would just get where ever they are going when ever they get there. It makes you a bit jealous but living here you adopt quickly to the circumstances.

All and all if I had to choose one thing to use as a sample to reflect or summarize the status of Addis Ababa, I would say the road system epitomizes life and everything in general in the city. In some areas it is quite wonderful and very nice. Yet, even in those nicely built roads including the newly inaugurated Bole road, so much work is still needed, the drainage on the side of the road for instance are wide open as can be seen on one of this picture and very dangerous for people walking in the dark or even during the day, but possibly not paying attention to their steps. Some roads in the city terribly need repair and redesign. Addis Ababa is a city that defines ‘Work in Progress’ and certainly its worst days seem long behind it. 

Disclaimer, this is just bit of my observation, on my next post I will share my experience about services from government offices or off there lack of and promise to keep it to a specific topic. Share whatever view comes to mind as you read this.

 

Warmly from the Motherland,

Daniel