Addis Ababa University

I spent today doing some research at the University.  After a little bureacracy, they let me in to look at the books.  They had a couple of very helpful resources, and a number of helpful people.  I’ll be heading down to Dila (200 km away) for the wedding and staying there from Thursday until Tuesday.  After that, I should have a couple of days to meet professors and do some more research.  Not sure if Dila has the internet yet…

Mekane Iyesus

I went to Mekane Iyesus Seminary on Wednesday and spoke with a professor there about my research on Islam in Ethiopia.  He gave me a couple of leads, but I guess I can find those books in the US or Europe.  I still have to go to Addis Ababa University.  

British Air Continued

I spent my morning going to the Airport in Bole to recover the bags lost by British Airways .  I ended up finding one bags in a sea of bags lost by the airline…unfortunately, it was not the bag that contained most of the important items for Yideneku’s wedding.  British Airways still will not answer the phone and they have not answered my emails to them.  They offered my 900 birr, which is roughly $100.  Ha!!!

Ethiopia is actually a nice place to lose your bags because they have different expectations for santitation and clothing.  I’m getting used to it.  We travel to Dila (south) next week, so I don’t really expect to have the stuff by then.  

It’s been a nuisance having to spend extra time to shop here because of the lost bag.  But, I’ve met up with most of the people that I wanted to see, and I hope to spend more time with them next week. 

I have a cell phone, so if anyone wants to get a phone card at Zaptel.com  or your local Ethiopian or Arab market, go ahead and call me at 011-251-912-105714  

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa has developed quite a bit since I was last here in 2003.  Prices of many things have increased by double or more.  For a taxi, that’s a difference of a couple of US cents, but for a nice restaurant, prices are comparable to American prices. 

Ferenj

It seems that the yelling on the streets that was so common several years ago has quieted down. Young and old would yell “you” or “ferenj” or “whitey” at us frequently. I’ve only heard it a couple of times on this round. One child made me laugh by calling me “
China”.

No bags

I had a 2 hour layover from London to
Ethiopia, which I thought was cutting it close.  As it turns out, I only had enough time to drink a medium coffee from Starbucks at Heathrow (1.65 British + 17.5% tax = 3.25 American…just double the cost of your Latte and that’s how much you’ll pay there).  I think it’s the largest airport in the world, and it certainly took a long time to get from terminal 1 to terminal 4 (the non-Western terminal).  I guess it would be tough to get the bags from my American Airlines flight to my British Airways flight.  Very few of the people on our flight found their bags at the terminal when we arrived, and it looks like we won’t be getting them until Wednesday.  They also allow only one item on the plane (no separate laptop bag), so I was left with my computer, video camera, and some books.  But, I think I’ve stayed healthy, and as the Ethiopians say, “Wannaw Tena new” (health is the most important thing).