Life in Addis

On 14th April, I finally put my step in East Africa.

Ethiopia

I started working as an intern at UNICEF Ethiopia office for the next three months.

The work of UNICEF is mainly office-based.

I have had rather field-based experience so I am not sure how much I would like this type of work in development.

But let's see.

I like trying new things and also I think more and more that local people who know the country, culture and language would be more suited for field-based work than absolute foreigners like me.

In addition, as part of UNICEF which supports the country at national level, I can have chance to participate in policy making and a wider-scale development programmes, which can be very challenging but also exciting.

This week is still my second week at office and in the country.

However, I know more or less my main tasks for the coming three months to complete.

This is very different from volunteering experience in Burkina Faso and I am very excited to take this challenge.

I will write about it more later once the work plan is approved/confirmed.

Today, I would like to talk about more off-work aspect.

On my second day in Addis Ababa, I was already invited to an Ethiopian's house because the day (Sunday) was Ethiopian Easter and the guy who is a friend of my 1st house owner is Christian.

I tried the Ethiopian staple food, Injera.

You eat it with the sauce, called wat,  cooked with lots of spicy spices.

The bread on the right side of the photo is a holly bread prepared for such religious occasions.

I also tasted a home-made local alcohol.

  

On this Saturday (1 week since my arrival), I moved to a new house.

You might think I am selfish but I am lazy and do not want to cook every evening after work. Of course there is no convenient store with prepared food although you could eat out.

I prefer rather cooking once a lot and eat for a following couple of days. The 1st house where I stayed did not have a fridge. And luckily I was offered another house with a fridge, a bigger room and cheaper rent.

So I did not hesitate to move.

For the next three months, I am going to live with 2 Germans who work for a private company which is developing a wind power farm in Ethiopia.

I do not know very well the geography of the city of Addis Ababa.

So I am a bit scared of taking public transport such as bus, minibus (with wagon) or taxi (in the order of low price).

At the same time, the city is quite big so difficult to walk from the one end to the other.

I do not even know where I live exactly or which area of the city I want to go...

Besides, not everyone speaks English, which is not a surprise. Like in Burkina Faso, each ethnic group has their own language and the country has an official language called Amharic.

Thus, if people realise that I as a foreigner do not know the area, they could try to rip me off.

But lats week one night, I had no choice but try a minibus to get back home from the area I had no idea where I was.

I was just told that from the spot, I could take a minibus toward the area of my house.

But no bus toward that direction came for 30-40 minutes while minibuses kept passing for other directions.

I could take a taxi but again, I have to negotiate the price and as I know nothing about the city, I am a foreign woman, I did not want to take any risk of being taken to somewhere else.

I started really worrying what to do. So finally I talked to two men waiting for a minibus and luckily they were waiting to take a bus for the same direction.

We waited together but no bus came so finally we took three different buses to get to the area.

They were really really nice and one of them even paid the fee of two buses for me...

I was not even sure of the exact place of my (1st) house so really they saved me!

Of course, not everyone can be so kind and it is risky to trust everyone but I really appreciated their generosity.

On Sunday, another generous Ethiopian who is the other intern in WASH section at UNICEF invited me to her wedding.

Although we have known each other since less than one week, she invited me to her special day of her life and furthermore, she gave me the role of flower girl!

As you can see from the photo below, the role of flower girls is often for very young girls...

However, I would not get such a chance anymore so I was very happy to take that and I could experience the entire day of an Ethiopian wedding from inside.

The bride and bridemaids started the day from 7am for the hairsetting and makeup then some photoshoots at the bride's house.

Then in the afternoon finally the groom arrived at her house with his best men.

The bridemaids and other ladies refused the entry of the men into the bride's house by singing and dancing.

However, the men sang them back and gradually managed to get into the house.

Then the groom offered a flower bouquet to the bride to imply the formal propose of marriage.

More photoshoots...

These days in Ethiopia, at least in Addis, the couple hires a professional cameraman and photographers to take the whole day of their wedding.

Very often they hire several BMWs to drive around the city and stop in front of Hilton hotel (I do not know why this spot but they say because it is nice) then sing, dance, celebrate with champagne and take more photos.

In the evening around 6-7pm, finally the wedding dinner party.

Her wedding was relatively small for Ethiopians with 120 invited.

In general, approximately 300-400, or even 700 people can be invited.

The food for celebration is also Injera!

At such a special day, there were so many different types of sauce for it.

Only at the wedding, people can enjoy fresh meet (often beeef) hung and a chef cut some for you.

However, other Ethiopians told me that people ate them with lots of spice to kill bacterias so I did not try it to avoid any risk...

After meal, let's dance!

In West Africa, including Burkina, the main part of body with which you dance is your hips while in Ethiopia, it is your sholders! They move them very quickly or in different ways.

I could not even imitate them...lol

It is hard to see how they dance on static photos but you see people's armes put on their hips and more their sholders.

While a break from the dance, the parents of both side offer bottles of wiskey to the newlywood.

Why? I do not know...

Then cakecut then more dance.

It lasted until 11pm.

I was very very happy to see a beautiful couple who seemed so happy and also to be part of such a special and cultural occasion.

I wish them a happyand long married life☆

Easter holiday

The month of March passed so quickly although I was not particularly busy of anything...

Yes, a shame,

I did not write even a blog during the month...

BUT!

This blog is the 100th blog since 2008!

So this is a sort of accomplishment, isn't it ?!

I have the will to keep writing this blog thanks to YOU who tell me that YOU look forward to reading my blog regularly and YOU are interested in following my life!

Thank you so much for your support!

April normally indicates the arrival of spring.

This year, yes in England, it has been so sunny and warm since a couple of weeks while in Japan, no, the winter does not seem to want to leave from the country... 

Nevertheless in Japan, in April, a new year starts for (most of) all companies and schools.

People take a sort of new resolution of this year and start working fresh.

My spring is also approaching.

Although my job hunting has not brought any fruit yet, I got the chance to do a three-month internship with UNICEF.

So mid-April, I am heading to Ethiopia to gain more work experience, particularly in the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) sector. 

What exactly I am going to do there?

I do not know... So keep following my blog, please!

I will surely talk about my life and work there (more frequently than once a month, I promise.)

While preparing my trip, my best friend from University in Japan came to Brighton to visit us with her family.

I attempted to visit them several times but every time, it was bad timing and I have never made it.

So I was really happy for their visit. 

During their stay in Brighton, they were sooooo lucky to have always nice sun above us!

We took them to beautiful Seven Sisters

with our homemade Afternoon Tea picnic

Enjoyed the sun at the Brighton Beach

Had fun at the attraction park on the Brighton Pier like children

Me and my friend got on a roller coaster of a ghost house. At the beginning, it was a bit scary but suddenly the coaster stopped and we were stuck for about 5 minutes.

In the end, a technician came over and told us that the operation computer broke and we needed to get out by emergency exit.

Well, this gave us the impression of how old all the machines in this park are...
 

Anyway, I am quite sure that they got the best impression of Brighton from this visit ♪ 

From 6th until 9th April, it is the Easter holiday and a long weekend in England.

We have had several Easter eggs before this holiday..

Instead, on 6th as the start of the weekend and my birthday, Ben prepared an excellent dinner for me :)

With the arrival of spring, I get older.

This year,  I put much more efforts to advance my (professional) life with my age!

This winter

Before talking about today's topic, as I promised it in the last blog,

Here is some photos of Taco Rice!

Below the layers of these vegetables, there are seasoned soya mince and rice.

It was very delicious as always♪

So, (Let's get back to the today's topic)

This winter, it was so mind in the UK whereas in Japan, it has been (still today!) very very cold and severe winter.

Last year, the UK was often covered by snow and all the transports were blocked.

So, with a friend couple, we planned a canal boat trip in Lincoln for a weekend in early February.

Then on that week, suddenly the real winter hit the UK...

On one hand, such coldness showed us a nice winter phenomenon:

Rare snow crystal on our house windows☆

On the other hand, however,

The canal got frozen very thick and it become impossible to move the boat!

The lowest temperature went down to -13 degrees!

At least the weather was nice. So we changed our plan to the sightseeing of the town of Lincoln.

Ducks and swans were walking, well rather sliding on the ice or,

Some got stuck between some melted ice...

But during the following week, the temperature went up to above 10 degrees!

How changeable!!!

We should have planned this trip a week later...

Oh well, we will replan it in summer!

2 weekends before, Ben and I went to Devil's Dyke by bicycle, about 10 km away from our house.

Dyke or Valley??? well, both seems very similar...

Why "Devil's" Dyke?

Long long time ago, there was a devil in the area of Sussex who wanted to make a flood from the hill area in order to destroy many churches located at its downstream.

So he started digging a trench to make the flood then the dyke was formed.

In the end, the flood did not occur because while he was digging, he stubbed this toe and then stopped the operation...

It is a funny end of the legend...

It seems that there is another myth about how the Dyke was made.

If you are interested in it, please refer to the Wikipedia Devil's Dyke.

In reality, the Dyke was formed due to the result of solifluction and river erosion on the frozen chalk, which does not filter water to the soil.

Anyway, on the way, the route was constantly going up.

It was quite tough but a great exercise.

This place has not only beautiful landscape,

But it is also well known for one of the best spots for Hang gliding.

There were quite many people enjoying the wonderful weather with a quite reasonable wind.

No thank you for me though...

After filling out our empty stomach with sandwich (as always), we walked around the Dyke.

On the way back, it took only about 15 minutes!

The march is just there now, which means the spring is approaching!

I really wish the spring comes to my job hunting as well... :(

New menus

Already one month has passed this year.

I have quite well started realising the resolutions that I had written in the last blog.

①Yoga
Once a week, I started going to yoga class nearby my place.

I have not been too crazy of it to practice at home though...

I chose a unique yoga class with the mixed style of yoga, pilate and stretching, using weights. 

Once I tried beginners yoga class, where I could relax but get nothing more than that...

Then the following week, I tried the yoga with pump (using weights) organised with the same teacher.

This is not an easy class. But I like doing exercise and challenging my physical capacity.

So it was the one for me :)

I enjoy the muscle pain next day of the weekly class...

However, unfortunately, I have not succeeded to make 'friends' from the class...

②Kitchen garden

They have been growing up very well!

Can you see some little sprouts on the photo?

After a few weeks, they have grown up till this stage.

Everyday, I take photos of them and feel happy of their development like your own kids growing up :)

③Job hunting

Hmmm, no fruit yet...Finally I could go to the interview stage for a couple of organisations.

But because of my insufficient preparation and knowledge about the interview system and common questions, I could not express myself concisely but well at each interview...

Well, now I know better how an interview works and I 'finally' started reading a book about job interview (I should have done from the beginning) so if I get another one, I will do better for sure!

In such frustrating or difficult time, my pleasure is to eat! (Well, this has been and will be always my ultimate pleasure!)

This month, we got three new recipes in our family menu.

1. Tajine

Yes, it is the Tajine that Ben and I enjoyed so much in Morocco. We have bought a proper tajine pot without coating in a local market in Marrakesh.

So we tried to recreate the local taste at home.

As the pot is not coated, it risks of getting cracks very easily.

To avoid that, the pot preparation took long time...

First, you soak the pot in water for 30-60 minutes.

After drying them, you cover it whole with olive oil then put it in the oven for 2 hours with very low heat.

After cooling it down, you again cover the inside of the pot with olive oil then finally it is ready to use for cooking.

Additionally, you cook ingredients for Tajine in a flying pan then cook them in the pot for about 2 hours in the oven.

When it was ready, we were really tired of the whole process.

But the very tender lamb meat with various spice taste and melting veggies made us forget the long preparation time and gave us the desire to make it again!

We enjoyed it in the very orthodox way with couscous :)

2. Fish pie

Well, if you are British, this is a very common pub or home dish.

But for non-British, it is a very new thing, including me.

I have tasted it a couple of times in pubs and I loved it.

The other day, at a supermarket, I found a bag of "fish pie mix" on sale.

So I said to myself why not to try to make it at home!?

Why I said it is a quite new for non-British?

This is because although it has the name of "pie", it does not use pie sheet!

Every time I ordered it at a pub, I realised later that oh yes, this dish is not covered with pastry that I love! but with mushed potato!

For Japanese, I describe it as seafood or fish gratin with mushed potato on top.

For other nationalities, I have no idea if you have any similar dish. Well, at least for certain Europeans, I assume that the dish gratin is quite common...so this might help you to get some ideas of this dish.

Sorry, but I took only the shots form the top so you cannot see the layers of white cream sauce and mushies.

I love well cooked fish with the creamy white sauce and soft mush.

It is a very heavy dish but I do not think the calories are that high because I do not use any cream but only flour and milk with a little oil and butter.

3.　Taco rice

This is a specialty of my husband.

We love Mexican food and often make it, including Taco and Enchilada at home.

But these dishes reminded him of an extended dish, called Taco rice that he had in Japan.

So he decided to make it by himself.

Taco Rice is a dish created in Okinawa (the far south island of Japan), using rice instead of tortilla.

He made it with Taco(s) spice mix and soya mince, instead of beef mince to make it healthier.

The recipe is very simple but so good.

We were so hungry that I forgot to take a photo of the beautifully presented ball of Taco rice...

Sorry, maybe next time! 

New year resolutions

Happy new year 2012, everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful new year's eve and new year holidays with lots of nice food, drinks and smiles.

Mine was very quiet like the one with my parents in Japan, but without watching TV, especially the music show on the national channel.

We were just at home and heard of fireworks outside.

In fact, we planned to go to the centre of the town to join the party atmosphere of other people but it was very windy and raining.

Although it was not cold, Ben was exhausted by working on his assignment whole day and the tiredness took over me, too...

Last year very early morning of 2nd January, I remember...

I had to, well Ben took me to the emergency hospital because of my very very bad stomachache.

Contrary to that, this new year's quiet holiday was not bad ;)

Do not worry, please. It was just because I had been eating too well (very rich or sweet) and drinking around that time (from Christmas in Paris and NY in Oxford).

Anyway, people often make their resolutions at the beginning of the year.

Personally, I do not do such things so much but this year, a little bit in a passive way, I did some...

1. Make friends in Brighton!

Since last August, I basically live in Brighton (I know this is an excuse) but I was stuck in the house for my dissertation then I traveled a lot.

So to be honest, I do not have any friends on my own, apart from Ben's friends!

At the same time, I am not brave or open enough to ask people on the street "Can you become my friend?" like Burkinabés (people from Burkina) do so :D

I have wanted to start yoga for keep myself in good shape physically and mentally. Luckily, Ben got me a yoga mat as one of Christmas presents.

So I decided to start making friends from Yoga class.

Last week, for the first yoga class, there was only one another girl in the class...

I was too shy to talk to her a lot.

Oh well, from the next week, I will try harder and also there will be more people hopefully!

2. Kitchen gardening

I have been regenerating salad onion that I buy at a supermarket with roots. (They regrow about 3-4 times after cutting and using for cooking)

Such my attitude gave Ben an idea!

As the second surprise gift, he gave me Herb kitchen garden.

He repeatedly asked me "when are you going to start the garden?"

So today, finally I did.

The herbs are basil, chives, coriander and parsley.

I can't wait to see them growing up♪

This much is the ultimate goal of my garden.

We live on the second floor without balcony or garden. But this mini-garden can be made inside the house as well as outside (from March).

Very handy!

This encourages me to cook more, too :)

3. Find a work

I should put this as the first or prior resolution probably...

In the current difficult economic situation, it is not at all easy to find a job in my interests with my preference of the geographical places and of the tasks.

Certain friends tell me that the life is very long (well, particularly for Japanese about 80 years...), I should take time to think what I really want to do and decide.

But how long?

How can I know what exactly I want to do???

I am not someone who can just stay at home all the time and do only housework as housewife...

So I feel sometimes or often I want to find a job of whatever the conditions are.

However, the compromise can be made only at a certain limit.

So until this spring, I will still stick to the area of my interests and preference for job hunting.

If nothing comes out by then, I have to make another move, maybe look for volunteering work to develop further my capacities and/or find a job of whatever I can get...

The pass of my near future is so unclear yet.

But I will not give up and step forward with positive thinking (in Japanese, we often say "let's walk by looking up") !!!