Happy New year!

Yes, today, on the 11th of September Ethiopia with its different calendar, celebrates new year (2002)!!!! Their slogan is 13 months of sunshine but so far it’s still raining here in Addis. I can’t wait for it to stop. It’s pretty chilly and you never know what’s on next.
We’ve finished our training and all of us especially me are extremely tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. My GYA ( Gison Youth Academy) school is very focussed on rules which doesn’t really help their efficiency. But I guess if I wanted efficiency I should have stayed in Belgium or something. Some examples: we are supposed to be there at 7:45 but even in the planning it doesn’t state we’ll start before 8:30. Obviously people aren’t very motivated to be there on time hence a lecture every morning about being on time whereas they only started ‘the meeting’ at 8:47 or so instead of at 8:30… . Being bored when I could have slept a bit longer drives me up the wall so I tried to do something useful but they wouldn’t allow me to get any material until 8:00 which then obviously means 8:15…I don’t know who I’ll need the most patience for: my little kids or the office.
Turns out I only teach English conversation to all Kindergarten classes ( not to pre-KG nor to Prep) it means I’ll have the full 219 students ( in 7 groups of more or less 31) all of whom with the most impossible names to remember. I spent all Monday writing nametags of different colours for each class that’ll go on a necklace. I expect to be needing them for quite some time.
The good thing is I prepare only 4 lessons a week all of which I teach 7 times . Also even though I stop teaching at 12:00 I can’t leave the school before 15:30 so I have loads of time to make them absolutely fabulous. I’m starting to teach on Monday and my holiday is officially over!
The African colleagues ( all of them girls) seem ok although they keep more to themselves or in their little groups which make sense. I had bad luck because the foreign couple o that also teaches in the KG department( just like me) have been absent often. Jose and Carmelina with their son of 3 have had some problems adapting and finding a home. Seeing as they are a family they aren’t allowed to stay in the guesthouse where I live. It must be hard if you have people to take care of to go abroad. When they are there however it’s fun, they actually have a Latin background and speak Spanish as well so it’s our complain and gossip language.

I came down with quite a cold and am sniffing all the way through this update, so the weather and smog of the city finally got to me as well ( Carmelina has been to the hospital twice and is on all kinds of meds). The smog is actually unbelievable, more then once a car passes you by and 30 seconds to a minute later you can still smell the vile black emission. Gross!

Furthermore I am lowering my intake of dairy products ( my homeopath would be so pleased): I haven’t seen cream here yet, the milk is not as good as in Europe, and yoghurt is tricky to find. Also with the power-cuts you don’t know if it’s going to be any good. I’m starting to drink a lot of tea now which they prepare with loads and loads of sugar…mmmm.
I bought 4 eggs the other day to make some mashed potatoes and French toast and stuff and each and everyone of the was bad: one was green, the other had a recognisable foetus,… . So I told the housekeeper and asked her if she could get me some eggs and that I’ll pay her and she got me 4 perfectly ok eggs. You really have to watch your every step here because if they can and you’re white they will haggle you!
The other day I was waiting for someone who was late in front of a central police station. I think I got an idea of what the first immigrants went through. Everyone but literally everyone stared at me. Various men felt they needed to slow down or ask me if I was fine. A bunch of boys tried to sell me some chive and a police officer came out to ask me what I needed. I was there for a mere 11 minutes. It is so strange to be this different I am constantly reminded of it. Beggars cross the street to ask you for money, or become even more persistent. One time the whole minibus was watching me to see if I would give this old man some money so he’d bugger off. A guy stepped up behind me and put his arm around me, some others will grab your arm when you walk into a bar and make a kiss symbol,… . I am convinced giving in to this is making things worse or keeping them that way so I give my change to people who are asleep who didn’t bother me or I leave it as a tip in the bars. I feel the best thing to do is spending your money in small establishments so it really gets to the people. The guy from the juice bar/ fruit shop up the road knows me by now and tries to teach me new Amharic words every time I go there. He also greets me when he sees me walking. This really gives me a nice feeling.
Kathleen had a guy from an internet café across the road ask her for her mastercard. She pretended not to understand and walked away, she had gone there to try and make a long distance phone call, a service he didn’t provide. The next day as she is walking home this guy is standing outside another shop and starts shouting at her ‘ you bitch, you stupid bitch’… . she was pretty shaken by the whole thing and even reported it to the police. I am pleased I don’t look as young, slim and blond as she does and that I am more or less left alone.
I hope things don’t seem to negative when I write, I guess at first it’s always a bit difficult and I am enjoying discovering this new place a lot, I am still happy to be here.
So far for now. Talk to you soon.