Monday 7th April 2003
It's fair to day that Addis is an unusual place to live. Can you imagine how it feels to walk down a "street" and to have everyone stare at you as though you were a visitor from some strange planet? When you meet their glance they immediately look away. Can you imagine the common call of; "YOU,YOU,YOU give me money."? You really can’t avoid feeling like an outsider. But, as with most things, this is only part of the picture and I would be doing a disservice to so many if I didn’t mention the other side of the coin. All of the people that I have been able to form a relationship with, even if it is just buying my daily bread, have been absolutely fantastic. I remember how it felt when the bread shop girls waved to me as I walked by one day – small part of the community at last. I have heard many stories of the generosity of people who willingly give and share their all even though their all is so little. It is amazing and totally humbling at times. My neighbours have just bought me a plate of popcorn (they love popcorn here and eat it with their coffee). So you see people are good. The thing that never ceases to amaze me about life here is the odd way that things just seem to happen. You’ll be thinking that nothing interesting has happened to you for a while when something just crops up. Someone invites you to an Italian cinema that you didn’t know existed. Someone invites you to a meal that ends with a manic line taxi drive across Addis in search of a pub that sells real ale. Last week someone invited me to do a spot of house sitting. Almost as bad, if not worse than joining the crochet club isn’t it? Whatever could be interesting in house sitting? Well, your values change when you live in Ethiopia. The thought of "baby sitting" a house that once (allegedly) belonged to a relative of Haile Selassie, that has a garden as big as a park, a kitchen with an oven, bathrooms (yes, more than one) with proper toilets and when you live in the a house that would give a sea captain cabin fever – then it becomes interesting. I was given permission to invite people over and now know how teenagers feel when their parents go away and they are left in charge – party time begins. It was great and I thoroughly enjoyed a weekend of luxury and stylish living. All good things come to an end though don’t they? I am now back in my tiny little house with my plate of popcorn, my kerosene stove, my squat toilet and my radio for company. oh well, until my next adventure Lin
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