Day 1

So, J’ai un problème, I have a problem, jag har ett problem. Plusieurs personnes m’ont demandé de ne pas écrire en français parcequ’elles ne comprennaient rien. Någon frågade mig att prata svenska därför jag måste praktisera. Men jag kan inte för att min svenska är för dåligt. I thought about starting in Amharic, but unfortunately, I don’t have the adapted keyboard for that. Tyvärr! So, naturally I end up writing in English. But I’am sure it will be mixed. So sorry par avance för mixade språk.

Welcome to Africa.
First thing coming out of the plane that stroke me was the smell. The air was neither cold nor hot, but loaded with different smells, between burnt tired and dust, fresh mountain air and heavy atmosphere. Yes it was very different and informed me quiet quickly that i was finally arrived (after a Paris-Istanbul flight, 5 hours waiting at the airport before flying above a beautiful sunset towards my final destination, Addis Ababa).
The driver of the UNIFEM came to pick me up in a nice 4*4 of the UN. First appearing difficulty of Ethiopia : names, in Armharic of course. My boss is called Florence, which is easy. But then comes Firdawok, the assistant administration/logistic, « Galidoli » (noticed that i actually still have no idea of what is name is, this try have been composed on memory of the vague sound i got). An other girl of UNIFEM Ethiopia (we share the office) is called « Nojhshifle » and her boss is « Bhzilhsb » (still no idea). Anyways, it is a bit hard!
Bref, on Sunday Fidawok came to pick me up for breakfast. Very welcoming, he invited me to discuss and introduce a bit himself and give me some tips. Then i just wandered a bit in the area to see where i had arrived last night. I like arriving at night in a place. In the morning, you realize that you are in a crazy place and that you didn’t notice the day before, as it was all dark.
I met funny people, everyone says Hello, children ask you for food, guys are selling and chewing khât (activity that shows the extensibility of cheek’s flesh), dogs, cats and goats are running around. The strange mixed between very wide avenues with only cars (no bikes no motorbikes, what a surprise and deception!), high buildings (quit modern with big malls inside) and slumish small houses (with no pavement but dust). All this covered by a huge cloud of dust surrounded itself by nice mountains (Addis is 2400 metres high). Interesting so to say.
I went out on the evening to look for cheaper guesthouse but they all looked a bit gloomy and not that cheap in the end. My guesthouse is in a nice building not far from the centre. It has a roof with a beautiful view, common kitchens and my room is okay, with its own bathroom and cold water. Exclusively, bien sûr. I have electricity from 22 to the morning and a bit in the afternoon.
Food is good and my new kind of friend calls me “Bon appetit”. We went to a restaurant. I had to figure out how to eat with my right hand, knowing that I just cut my right thumb the day before my flight (je sais, c’est nul), and that eating with the left hand is not really well seen. I managed, in the end, even if it was a bit “dégoutant”.
I read my book until too late (that you Mum) before falling asleep with the sweet noise of street dogs. (By the way the book, Americain Darling of Russel Banks, is excellent. Jennie, lis le! C’est une américaine qui retourne au Libéria après s’être marriée là-bas puis enfuie pdt la guerre).