The socialist-leaning government means almost everything is state-controlled, from property (government owns everything and leases to the people) to phone lines to cell phone sim cards (only available to people who are officially registered as ethiopian residents/citizens) to television stations and newspapers. Makes it that much harder to get things done here, but we get around….like registering things in our local staffs’ names and sub-leasing office and residence space. Just another layer of bureaucracy to get used to!!
Still in the midst of meeting different people and trying to figure out how we’re going to get everything we need to get done in the next few months!! Even though I’m not staying through the elections, a lot of the foundation has to be laid now…meeting with the electoral board, political parties, media groups, civil society organizations, and other government representatives/donors. For someone who’s not a fan of networking in general, keeping all these people straight and figuring out their “angles” is starting to become torturous!! Still, events do have their up-sides, like getting to meet the U.S. Ambassador and other high-level government officials at the Embassy National Day celebration this afternoon. Apparently the Embassy here doesn’t celebrate Independence Day on July 4 because the rains here are so heavy here during the summer, and most people leave town then anyways…so they hold their “National Day” in February….isn’t that hilarious?! I was looking forward to hot dogs and hamburgers (I know, I know….my all-organic diet has definitely gone out the window since I’ve been here, considering African diets are very meat and starch-heavy!)…but no such luck. Still, the food was excellent, catered by the best restaurant in town, and we had a mix of different ethnic foods, from Mediterranean to Tex-Mex to Italian (of course!), plus an array of drinks (I’m starting to become a gin-and-tonic girl…heehee) and delicious chocolate cake!! I could get used to this… Plus the U.S. Embassy compound is gorgeous, with huge eucalyptus trees (brought over from Australia) and an expansive lawn and tons of flowers. As lavish as the U.S. Embassy is, the Brits have it even better, complete with the best medical clinic and a private golf course on the grounds!! Think the Ethiopian government strategized and decided to grant these huge tracts of land to foreign countries to appease them and discourage them from colonization….just a theory though.
Anyways, it’s been a packed week, and think I’m going to have a quiet day of reporting and phone calls tomorrow. Plus I have yet to spend more than one hour on my exercise bike!! Need to stop eating so much and start exercising more…
No comments:
Post a Comment