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Ethiopia

WELCOME TO ADDIS ABABA
Nothing could have prepared me for living in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. I arrived late at night and drove through what seemed like a jungle, and finally arrived at my “four star” hotel within walking distance of the African Union, my new employer, in 2007.

When I woke up the next morning and looked outside my window, I realised that it was no jungle I had driven through, just a makeshift road with giant craters. On taking a walk down the giant crater road, I was delighted to discover a shopping centre with the best coffee in the world and a few really nice boutiques to boot. This sums up Addis - a shiny shopping centre at the end of a rocky road.

Since I had accepted a job at the African Union to work in its peacekeeping department, I was living in the ancient land where the people take pride in doing things differently. From celebrating Christmas on 7 January and New Year in September to calculating time in 12 hour cycles, Ethiopians continue to draw on their ancient culture and traditions, and to live as their forefathers did many years ago.

This, of course, can be frustrating to foreigners even at the best of times. Imagine my shock when I ask my taxi driver to pick me up at 07:30 for work; he doesn't show and I end up taking a “blue donkey”. The blue cold war era Lada's are used mostly as taxis, usually without brakes, side mirrors, head lights, working wipers and seatbelts bumbling along on the Addis roads. He, however, calls at 14:30 and tells me he is at my house. It was then that I realised that 07:30 to an Ethiopian is 14:30.

Everything in Addis has its own time, and traffic is no different. No drive, however long or short, can be undertaken without at least one driver deciding that he or she will stop in the middle of the road to take (or even make) a call on his or her mobile phone. This happens while the other drivers politely wait for the culprit to finish his or her conversation with no obscene signs pointed, no hooting and no anger. This is indeed a testament to Ethiopians' enduring patience, and the belief that a higher power determines their destiny.

After a hard day, waking up at 04:00, slogging your way through traffic and being accosted by beggars, don't be tempted to lock your door and sit in front of the TV. Addis at night is vastly different from Addis by day. Now all the beautiful young and old came out to play, and all dressed up too. All the old grey buildings light up and you barely notice cracks in the pavement. Ethiopian women are truly beautiful and hardly any woman will be seen without stilettos.

With many drinking holes, traditional restaurants offering traditional dancing to entertain you while you eat, to jazz venues and cuisine from all over the world and some good dance clubs too, Addis has something for everyone. Ethiopian food, however, is an acquired taste. Consisting of injera, flat bread made at least two to three days in advance and left to naturally ferment, a variety of sauces such as lamb, chicken or beef. An entire group of people will eat from the same vessel, a round serving plate lined with injera, sauces of meat cut into strips (tibbs) or a dish that is similar to chicken curry called Dorowat.

Besides pride in their food, culture and traditions, Ethiopians take pride in being the only African country not to have been colonised, although it suffered a brief occupation by the Italians. The only Italian impact visible is the number of Italian restaurants found in the city. 

During the famines of the 1980s, more international NGOs started to operate from Addis and now is one of the countries with the most NGOs. In Addis Ababa you can see Robert Mugabe, Madagascar's DJ President and Colonel Gaddifi's motorcade drive past you, or see them having dinner together. All this is what makes Addis Ababa a truly African capital and an interesting holiday or business destination.

Brenda Kok, BSocSci, MPhil, is a former AU employer.

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from the pen

- July 2010
In the most recent month's column, I shared with you that I was hopeful of Africa's emerging role in what is termed the ‘new financial world order'. After all, as explained, ‘Africa is well placed to take advantage of any global economic recovery, especially because it is relatively less exposed than the other emerging markets'.

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