Workshop in Addis (part 1)
on Mark Sidey (Ethiopia), 17/May/2009 13:00, 34 days ago
** Thursday 14th MayGot the college car to Chagni arriving around 09:00. I knew I wouldhave to wait until the afternoon to make the next part of my journeyso I checked into a hotel and watched a movie on my laptop. (Theydidn't charge me for the room, which was nice!)The people taking me the rest of the way arrived early (at 12:00)which was good. We ate lunch together then set off for Bahir Dar ataround 13:00. They are part of another NGO (WASH) who Göran has haddealings with. The journey was smooth (well bumpy until Kosober andthe asphalt road) but we made it to Bahir Dar by 16:00.Since then, I've had pizza, lots of peanut M&Ms, ran a short workshopat the catholic school (continuing from the previous workshop we did amonth back) about how to use resources and active teaching with theEnglish department. It went well, and I think I might have convincedthem to spend a week looking at children's books and getting the olderstudents to actually write their own books to then be read to theyounger ones.** Friday and Saturday 15th and 16th MayPretty lazy really, lots of spriz-smoothies (Guava, papaya, mango andavocado) and coffees and a short walk along the lake (fending off theusual "do you want boat?" or "gimme money" etc)** Sunday, 17th MayFlight had been made earlier, but it all went pretty smoothly and Igot to Addis Ababa around 13:00. After a short nap in the hotel I havecome to VSO programme office and after adjusting my proxy settings, Iam now writing this.Tomorrow we have the leaver's workshop which, mostly, we are notlooking forward to. When I asked someone why we were going, they said,well it's sort of like a funeral– you don't really want to go, butyou feel you ought to.Tuesday I plan to have a look round Addis, Wednesday I fly back toBahir Dar at lunchtime and hopefully the college car will be able totake me all the way back to Gilgel on Thursday or Friday.Last Thursday, before I left, was the last time I would ever be in thehouse with Göran. We will meet in Bahir Dar next week before I go backto Gilgel, but then he is off to Asossa in the South to do morecomputer training before he goes back to Sweden for the Summer. Hewill return to Gilgel, but I will be back in the UK by then.So, (and this is for Jorhan:) no more ancient sumera, greenhouseeffect, Oil etc etc!!!!)