Tonight is my last night in Addis (aside from the 2 more times I'll have to fly through here to get to Malawi and then home again). I think maybe I always start to feel sad when I have to leave a place even when 5 days ago I might have been thinking/feeling 'get me the heck out of here.' Leaving the office today, saying goodbye to my colleague and really I think I can say friend, Aklilu, felt sad. He and Endris (the CPAR chief mechanic and driver) have been so good to us. Acting as chauffeurs and translators. Interpreters and food orders. Water buyers and Teddy Afro players. Answerers of millions of questions. They have been our go to guys so it is sad to leave them and difficult to express our (why am I talking about our?) my gratitude towards them.
I was fortunate enough this time, on this trip, to make it to Tamoca coffee. The mecca of the macchiato. I'm putting in a photo that will probably make you mad at me rather than happy for me. I didn't think we would get here because we had stuff to do at the office and in the end we went after work (poor Endris driving through awful Addis traffic so a couple of ferenjis could buy cheap delicious coffee). Granted, he did find parking and joined us inside so he got a macchiato out of the deal at least...there was also coverage of the shooting in Ottawa on the news - CNN so it was all a strange contrast. [I also heard that someone is using this as an excuse to skip out on a citizenship ceremony with Malala...who only happened to survive getting shot in the face in her attempt to get an education. It just kind of adds to some interesting information we heard from a project partner about how Canadian taxpayers money is being spent to court wealthy extractive industry jerks and combined with that may have resulted in my subconscious typing of democracy as democrazy]
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That's not the real point. This is - I've been so well taken care of by my colleagues, seen such amazing things [both in the good way and in the harsh reality way] that it makes me sad to leave. I never really know who will be here next time (if there is a next time) and how things will go. I am excited to head to Tanzania where I made some good connections with colleagues too so that at least is something to look forward to.
But basically I have the Spice Girls song 'Goodbye' stuck in my head, as well as the parody song some friends and I wrote to Coldplay's Fix You, and don't really want to go to bed because it will bring tomorrow and tomorrow I will leave Ethiopia (at least I don't have to dodge shiro or tibs anymore).
Incoherent babble? I can teach that course!
I was fortunate enough this time, on this trip, to make it to Tamoca coffee. The mecca of the macchiato. I'm putting in a photo that will probably make you mad at me rather than happy for me. I didn't think we would get here because we had stuff to do at the office and in the end we went after work (poor Endris driving through awful Addis traffic so a couple of ferenjis could buy cheap delicious coffee). Granted, he did find parking and joined us inside so he got a macchiato out of the deal at least...there was also coverage of the shooting in Ottawa on the news - CNN so it was all a strange contrast. [I also heard that someone is using this as an excuse to skip out on a citizenship ceremony with Malala...who only happened to survive getting shot in the face in her attempt to get an education. It just kind of adds to some interesting information we heard from a project partner about how Canadian taxpayers money is being spent to court wealthy extractive industry jerks and combined with that may have resulted in my subconscious typing of democracy as democrazy]
Anyway, here is the point. I got an amazing macchiato here today.
The best one around.
That's not the real point. This is - I've been so well taken care of by my colleagues, seen such amazing things [both in the good way and in the harsh reality way] that it makes me sad to leave. I never really know who will be here next time (if there is a next time) and how things will go. I am excited to head to Tanzania where I made some good connections with colleagues too so that at least is something to look forward to.
But basically I have the Spice Girls song 'Goodbye' stuck in my head, as well as the parody song some friends and I wrote to Coldplay's Fix You, and don't really want to go to bed because it will bring tomorrow and tomorrow I will leave Ethiopia (at least I don't have to dodge shiro or tibs anymore).
Incoherent babble? I can teach that course!
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