First of all to all the couples out there: Happy Valentinesday!
The sun may have started shining for me again but I’ve gotten wet feet =)
It’s literally been pouring here. Up to the extend that when I woke up, a bit nervous for my first real day, at 3:00 on Monday morning and it was still raining, much like when I went to bed at 22:00, the courtyard had transformed itself into a mudpool and the kitchen was lower then the water level, thus a pool as well. Not the best start of my day.
Luckily at school things went smooth and they continued to do so the rest of the week. It’s pretty exhausting, especially now I still live rather far, but fun. My 18 super small students are super cute. Fatoumata can’t sit still and is always up to mischief such as pinching, mixing up puzzles, etc; Delina gets too much food and is therefore overweight and doesn’t like moving too much which was funny on sportsday Friday; Bamlak is hilarious when he shouts along to 5 little speckled frogs but has trouble pronouncing the word;… They are all really adorable!
The only setback was when on Friday it turned out that I was told the wrong wage and get less then Belgian minimum wage after all during these first 6 months. But that’s not the end of the world. It’s still more then 3 times what I had before.
In the mean time I’m arranging as much as I can all my papers again. With the new visa I have to go to the whole process of immigration again before I get a new residence permit. Hopefully I get everything arranged before its expiration date. This past week I’ve been running about to translators and doctors after work hours then I went home to do some preparing and by the time this was finished it was bedtime. It wasn’t the most exciting week, I can’t wait for things to slow down, I need just a little more patience. The lazy weekend I’m having which involves loads of sleep, food and eating out; is doing me good and I feel ready for next week plus there’s a holiday coming up the first week of March.
From now on I have an address again:
Sanford International School
Corine Huyghe
PO BOX 30056 MA
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
I now only have a mobile phone with the number: 00251 912488366
School website: http://www.sandfordschool.org/
zondag 14 februari 2010
zaterdag 6 februari 2010
All's well that ends well!
On Thursday I don’t go to Aaron again and find myself waiting very nervously. I didn’t sleep well and was absolutely exhausted. The boss arrives and greets me, then several people are called to his office, including Solomon who later seems to be dictating a sort of testimony to the secretary. At 9:30, after the meeting was over, I’m called in and told that if I can bring a letter of the school that wants to hire me that they’ll give me a business visa.
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Went out, called Sanford aka dreamjob, and made an appointment. Shortly after I was introduced to my new classroom, students and the teacher that’s leaving because she has started her own school and needs more time for that. On top of that the teachers were having a potluck and I was invited to join them, cool huh, they do potlucks from time to time ( potluck = everybody prepares something and then there’s a buffet with the different dishes). I was also given the letter which I delivered to immigration after their lunch break. After a mere 3 offices my passport was taken and I was given an appointment to come and collect the visa the next day which I did without difficulty.
Friday I got up very early and took 3 minibuses to get to the dream job on time and observe the current teacher on her last day so I could pick up the class habits. It is really cool! Most afternoons are for preparing ( kids leave at 12), I have 2 happy helpers and only 18 kids most of whom don’t speak English at home. They’re super cute and everybody seems really friendly…. It was really hard to tell Aaron’s dad who was quite disappointed especially by the fact that he didn’t get any notice but I explained nothing had been certain until that very morning and that that’s why he didn’t know sooner. I didn’t get to say goodbye to Aaron or some of the people I worked with yet. The idea is to do so on Monday or Tuesday after work.
I will sort of sign until July 2011. My wage is paid in bir but is a low Belgium wage and it includes local health insurance. On top of that I will be given a furnished house in one of the more elite areas of Addis which is closer to the school once they get everything sorted out. ( good thing I still didn’t buy a fridge).
Sort of sign because after August my status will even improve: then they’ll pay for my flight to Addis after the summer holiday plus I get to ship stuff and I can ask to get paid in a foreign currency to a foreign account. Easy for saving which I’ll do seeing as that low Belgium wage I get every month is more then some people earn in a year! Cost of living is really reasonable.
All of it is a dream come true. I’m now officially in the international school network which looks great on my CV and will allow me to be hired under similar conditions in different countries.
I celebrated yesterday evening with some of the ICS teachers and Alix with a “cranium” session, brilliant game, loads of fun especially in combination with some alcohol and nice snacks… So much fun I’m having a quiet day to recuperate from it ;-) However tonight I’m going out with Holger and some other friends to a traditional restaurant ( the one where we ended up on the dance floor a long time ago when I first met Holger and Mohammed!) so that’ll be fun.
I do still have the court case ahead of me but that shouldn’t be too horrible.
What can I say, life is sweet at the moment and it seems the sun has started shining for me again! After all, all is well that ends well=)
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Went out, called Sanford aka dreamjob, and made an appointment. Shortly after I was introduced to my new classroom, students and the teacher that’s leaving because she has started her own school and needs more time for that. On top of that the teachers were having a potluck and I was invited to join them, cool huh, they do potlucks from time to time ( potluck = everybody prepares something and then there’s a buffet with the different dishes). I was also given the letter which I delivered to immigration after their lunch break. After a mere 3 offices my passport was taken and I was given an appointment to come and collect the visa the next day which I did without difficulty.
Friday I got up very early and took 3 minibuses to get to the dream job on time and observe the current teacher on her last day so I could pick up the class habits. It is really cool! Most afternoons are for preparing ( kids leave at 12), I have 2 happy helpers and only 18 kids most of whom don’t speak English at home. They’re super cute and everybody seems really friendly…. It was really hard to tell Aaron’s dad who was quite disappointed especially by the fact that he didn’t get any notice but I explained nothing had been certain until that very morning and that that’s why he didn’t know sooner. I didn’t get to say goodbye to Aaron or some of the people I worked with yet. The idea is to do so on Monday or Tuesday after work.
I will sort of sign until July 2011. My wage is paid in bir but is a low Belgium wage and it includes local health insurance. On top of that I will be given a furnished house in one of the more elite areas of Addis which is closer to the school once they get everything sorted out. ( good thing I still didn’t buy a fridge).
Sort of sign because after August my status will even improve: then they’ll pay for my flight to Addis after the summer holiday plus I get to ship stuff and I can ask to get paid in a foreign currency to a foreign account. Easy for saving which I’ll do seeing as that low Belgium wage I get every month is more then some people earn in a year! Cost of living is really reasonable.
All of it is a dream come true. I’m now officially in the international school network which looks great on my CV and will allow me to be hired under similar conditions in different countries.
I celebrated yesterday evening with some of the ICS teachers and Alix with a “cranium” session, brilliant game, loads of fun especially in combination with some alcohol and nice snacks… So much fun I’m having a quiet day to recuperate from it ;-) However tonight I’m going out with Holger and some other friends to a traditional restaurant ( the one where we ended up on the dance floor a long time ago when I first met Holger and Mohammed!) so that’ll be fun.
I do still have the court case ahead of me but that shouldn’t be too horrible.
What can I say, life is sweet at the moment and it seems the sun has started shining for me again! After all, all is well that ends well=)
woensdag 3 februari 2010
Tommorow again... When will today catch up?
On Monday after being with Aaron I set course for Labour. It was a promising start, I had to be there at 13:30 which gave me time to eat something in the teacher’s cafeteria before rushing away. Sadly enough the secretary at labour was absent so my clearance letter that required 2 lines more then the standard one could not be typed and I should come back the next day same time. When I called the dream job I felt like an 8-year-old telling the teacher the dog ate his homework and went home to enjoy the afternoon for a change.
I enjoyed the evening even better! There was a cocktail party at the embassy because the Belgian minister of foreign affairs came to Addis for the African Union meeting. Parties there are never without catering and this time they flew in the delicious grey small shrimps typical for the Belgian coast, besides that there was a whole buffet with other goodies including a dessert of fresh chocolate mouse and strawberries! It was a feast! Holger Saskia and me really enjoyed it. Saskia is even considering to become Belgian seeing as the Belgian community is very sociable and friendly;-)
Between you and me ok ambassadors do get a really nice wage but these things are not obligatory and come out of their pocket so it is really nice of them to do this. The ambassador’s wife is Ethiopian by the way and a really friendly stylish host.
To my great relief I was given the letter promptly by Labour on Tuesday and thus set course for immigration. Dr G thought it would be in my benefit if I went there by myself to apply for a business visa. We’re hoping I will receive one seeing as my court date is only on the 8th of March and the 8th of April and I am telling them I do not have the means to stay here without wages until then… ( The dreamjob would be able to hire me if I get this visa).
I went to the not so nice boss,room 105, I talked to the last time. After an hour queuing he took half a minute to tell me I should go to room 77 downstairs and apply for a visa there like any other person. I called Dr G and he referred me to his friend who made me wait, fill out some forms and then also sent me to 77. When I finally got in I explained my case upon which the guy scribbled down something in Amharic and sent me to room 81. There, there is a nice lady ( I’ve been there before and she’s always been sympathetic to my case) who attended me after a while and then scribbled something on my file and sent me to Ato Solomon , room 80, who is only friendly to me off record and with Dr G present. Solomon made me wait for ages, he’s always being a pain and thus very busy, and allowed people to queue me twice before it was my turn. He then asked me silly questions such as where is your residence permit, you need to give it to us, whereas he knows _or at least should know_ I was fired for asking this permit and that GYA kept it. He scribbled down 3 things in Amharic, all the true and thus wrong answers I gave and sent me to room 95. Room 95 seems to be a different director, one that has refused to talk to me twice before and he was now in a meeting and I shouldn’t wait because it was already 17:15 and everything closes at 17:30 ( immigration doesn’t do overtime like Labour). So I should come at 8:30 tomorrow. I went out drained and super disappointed as usual. Luckily the money bar I mentioned in one of my first blogs is near this ministry and they have some excellent fries with ok tasting mayonnaise which helped to cheer me up a bit.
8:30 the next day Wednesday I don’t go to Aaron but set out to immigration. I am kept waiting until 9:15 before I get to see the man behind the secretary in room 95. I explain him my case and he says they will give me a tourist visa upon which I start crying and tell him then I’ll have to go home ( which I mean, I can’t take much more of this) and GYA who’s been mistreating people for the last 10 years will get away with what they did to me and will continue doing this. He gets 2 calls in those mere 10 minutes I’m in there and sends me out twice eventhough it’s clear I don’t understand enough Amharic to make anything out of what he’s sayng. When I come back in the second time he starts calling someone and GYA is named… Then he says: come back tomorrow. No answer, no explanation, nothing.
I rushed to Aaron and had lunch was forced to eat real quickly while he was in recess. After he left I went to court to get the summon for my case. I have to personally give it to the school. Having to go there soon made me call David ( remember ex colleague and first flatmate, the one that got robbed in Merkato) to see what he was up to. Good thing I did because he told me he is eloping tomorrow morning at 8:45 and that the school will be closed until Monday.
We started in September with 8 foreign teachers and 2 American management assistants. Tomorrow a mere 3 out of those 10 continue to work for GYA. 5 of the people who stopped have left/fled the country, the other 2 are me and the witness that saw me get fired who was 1 of the manager assistants, we are still here for the time being.
So here I am waiting for another tomorrow hoping that very soon I can live for today again and be happy.
I enjoyed the evening even better! There was a cocktail party at the embassy because the Belgian minister of foreign affairs came to Addis for the African Union meeting. Parties there are never without catering and this time they flew in the delicious grey small shrimps typical for the Belgian coast, besides that there was a whole buffet with other goodies including a dessert of fresh chocolate mouse and strawberries! It was a feast! Holger Saskia and me really enjoyed it. Saskia is even considering to become Belgian seeing as the Belgian community is very sociable and friendly;-)
Between you and me ok ambassadors do get a really nice wage but these things are not obligatory and come out of their pocket so it is really nice of them to do this. The ambassador’s wife is Ethiopian by the way and a really friendly stylish host.
To my great relief I was given the letter promptly by Labour on Tuesday and thus set course for immigration. Dr G thought it would be in my benefit if I went there by myself to apply for a business visa. We’re hoping I will receive one seeing as my court date is only on the 8th of March and the 8th of April and I am telling them I do not have the means to stay here without wages until then… ( The dreamjob would be able to hire me if I get this visa).
I went to the not so nice boss,room 105, I talked to the last time. After an hour queuing he took half a minute to tell me I should go to room 77 downstairs and apply for a visa there like any other person. I called Dr G and he referred me to his friend who made me wait, fill out some forms and then also sent me to 77. When I finally got in I explained my case upon which the guy scribbled down something in Amharic and sent me to room 81. There, there is a nice lady ( I’ve been there before and she’s always been sympathetic to my case) who attended me after a while and then scribbled something on my file and sent me to Ato Solomon , room 80, who is only friendly to me off record and with Dr G present. Solomon made me wait for ages, he’s always being a pain and thus very busy, and allowed people to queue me twice before it was my turn. He then asked me silly questions such as where is your residence permit, you need to give it to us, whereas he knows _or at least should know_ I was fired for asking this permit and that GYA kept it. He scribbled down 3 things in Amharic, all the true and thus wrong answers I gave and sent me to room 95. Room 95 seems to be a different director, one that has refused to talk to me twice before and he was now in a meeting and I shouldn’t wait because it was already 17:15 and everything closes at 17:30 ( immigration doesn’t do overtime like Labour). So I should come at 8:30 tomorrow. I went out drained and super disappointed as usual. Luckily the money bar I mentioned in one of my first blogs is near this ministry and they have some excellent fries with ok tasting mayonnaise which helped to cheer me up a bit.
8:30 the next day Wednesday I don’t go to Aaron but set out to immigration. I am kept waiting until 9:15 before I get to see the man behind the secretary in room 95. I explain him my case and he says they will give me a tourist visa upon which I start crying and tell him then I’ll have to go home ( which I mean, I can’t take much more of this) and GYA who’s been mistreating people for the last 10 years will get away with what they did to me and will continue doing this. He gets 2 calls in those mere 10 minutes I’m in there and sends me out twice eventhough it’s clear I don’t understand enough Amharic to make anything out of what he’s sayng. When I come back in the second time he starts calling someone and GYA is named… Then he says: come back tomorrow. No answer, no explanation, nothing.
I rushed to Aaron and had lunch was forced to eat real quickly while he was in recess. After he left I went to court to get the summon for my case. I have to personally give it to the school. Having to go there soon made me call David ( remember ex colleague and first flatmate, the one that got robbed in Merkato) to see what he was up to. Good thing I did because he told me he is eloping tomorrow morning at 8:45 and that the school will be closed until Monday.
We started in September with 8 foreign teachers and 2 American management assistants. Tomorrow a mere 3 out of those 10 continue to work for GYA. 5 of the people who stopped have left/fled the country, the other 2 are me and the witness that saw me get fired who was 1 of the manager assistants, we are still here for the time being.
So here I am waiting for another tomorrow hoping that very soon I can live for today again and be happy.
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