Oh gosh. Three weeks since my lasting posting. Very poor. My target was one blog a week, at least. I’m not sure if anyone is actually reading this blog (it does feel a lot like talking to myself) but to my audience, whoever you are, “sorry for not writing more.”
The last few weeks have shot by. I’ve been trying to understand my job, build contacts, make friends, play sport, find my way around Addis, learn what food to buy, start driving the “Ethiopian” way, and unpack. I still have five boxes (of 43) waiting to be unpacked. They sit in my bedroom, nodding at me every time I go to sleep, noting that yet another day has passed without them being tackled. Margot turns up in less than two weeks (I can’t wait), and there is a real risk that the boxes will still be siting in my/our bedroom.
Two problems best explain why I haven’t written more (apart from not being organised). Firstly, I’ve been told that I shouldn’t write much about my work. The worry is that I write something silly after a bad day in the office, a Daily Mail journalist picks up on it, and the next day I find myself waiting at Bole International Airport for my one way trip home. Secondly, I’ve hoped that Saturday would be my blog writing morning. But a combination of unpacking, sport, lazy mornings, Peter Gill’s excellent book - Ethiopia: Famine and Foreigners since Band Aid, Nintendo Wii, the Times online, “rock cooking” (basically, cooking to loud (often 80s) rock music, with a tea-towel as bandana tied across my head), numerous coffees trying to build friends, and shopping (sadly, Addis doesn’t have a Sainsbury’s all purpose store) has meant that blog typing hasn’t been possible. And Sunday seems to be the same excuse. But I promise, it’s not because I’m lazy.
For the record, I’m sitting in my garden, typing to the beat of Vampire Weekend. It’s ace. The temperature is around 20 degrees, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. Rainy season is still happening. But at least for the last week, the weather seems to be behaving itself much more. Mornings are heavy rain, but afternoons are sunny, fresh and just plain pleasant. Apparently, rainy season (which they call summer here), finishes altogether in three weeks. Hippeee!!!!
Anyway, once a week, I promise.
Well, I for one have been hoping for a blog entry for the last week or so. I'm hooked!
ReplyDeleteMore about where you live please Ben?
Ta!
Alex
Ben dear. We are reading it. Last time I wrote a comment and it failed, I don't know why.
ReplyDeleteYoseph emailed me telling me that he is enjoying reading your blog. Now he has signed in for comments betam tiru now:-)
Ohh, The photos were good too. It did remind me of Addis from last year. I will check the new once. August in London is the same as Addis. You are not missing out.
ReplyDeleteClarify what you can write and what you cannot.
ReplyDeleteYes, recently there was one woman(from FCO) who was accused of her personal blog by the Israeli media. Apparently, she wrote that she respects (I forgot his name)the Muslim guy who passed away in Lebanon. They think he is part of Hamas:-(
I did ont realize that chinese where so présent in E thiopa
ReplyDeleteI can't ait to see all you're talking about
Just promise I won t havé to run with thé athlètes ! Lové magali