Gotta run
On the verge of letting the blog slip into cyber-exile, a friend emailed to say how much he was enjoying it and that I should definitely keep writing. This one is for Mr. D., of Seattle, WA (now Freemont/Phinney).
Sorry for the long gap. I’ve been exceptionally occupied. When I was unemployed, I sowed many seeds, thinking I needed to have my fingers in everything. Well, some seeds are now coming to fruit and are requiring a good bit of time. What’s more, with the baby on the way, I want to clear things from my schedule, not have it get more busy. On that note, however, my wife and I are lucky, as we are planning to hire another househelp.
Ah, the Ethiopian labor pool, so deep, so much potential, so completely untapped. If I spend any time in a pool in the next 2-3 years, other than teaching my daughter how to swim and lazing around Sodere, I want it to be the labor pool. There’s just so much available productivity. Granted, Ethiopia is lacking a level of technological sophistication for high quality manufactured goods, i.e. the labor could make a great shirt if the country could supply a high quality fabric. Well, this must be explored further.
The post-election atmosphere is in tense calm right now. Not too tense, but nothing seems to have been resolved. Documents have apparently been signed by both sides, agreeing to abide by the results and showcased on ETV, but it’s hard to believe the state media at this point. I made the mistake of opening my mouth at a lunchtime discussion yesterday amongst friends, some with particularly strong political views. A girl asked me what my thoughts were on the whole thing, and having listened to the views of everyone at the table, particularly those of my emotional counterpart, I chose to speak. I probably should have stayed silent.
What else is happening? Work is super busy and actually, I’m supposed to be on my way right now, but I’m going to be a few minutes late this morning. That’s all right, I’ve been putting in good time to get a long list of assignments done during this contract.
The rainy season has begun. Within one day, the temperature seemed to drop about 5 degrees Celsius and we broke out the little coal fires. The temperature change was dramatic, but we’d seen the cloud cover coming for awhile. Anyway, recently the clouds have begun to deliver their liquid life and we are all hunkering down in our offices, dashing from building to building to have a lunch or coffee. I, alone, it seems, am enjoying watching the actual rainfall and the lightning that often accompanies it. Last night, a front came in and there was movement overhead that looked vaguely like a tornado forming, but I don’t think those happen in Ethiopia. It was a great lightning show, which I enjoyed as a leaned against the support post for our steel water tank (just kidding).
Speaking of electricity, have your ever seen those coil-shaped electric water heaters? It seems so counter-intuitive, but you plug this thing into the socket and then you leave it sitting in a bucket of water. It takes about 15 minutes for 2-3 gallons to reach bathing temperature. Not being used putting electric items in water, I have shocked myself a couple of times. Not badly – the device must limit the amount of current. But I do know this, an electric shock is enough to mask heat. What I mean is, while my finger was in the water testing for temperature, all I could feel was an electric shock. Mom, you are probably bowing your head in anxiety right now, but trust me, this little habit of mine, just like the fighting, has been taken care of at the household level.
Anyway, our first electric water heater burned out. Despite my noblest efforts to fix it by rewrapping the wire around the grounding points, I failed. My wife asked me to buy one on the way home yesterday, but not finding one in the electric shops, I set home, disappointed. That’s when I was saved by a roving street vendor who caught my eye at an intersection. I spotted the coil, flagged the boy over, indicated that the device probably wouldn’t work and looked like bad quality, and got the price reduced by over half his original offer (a note to would be developing world travelers – use the intersection as a bargaining tool. Vendors, not wanting to lose a customer and fearing that you will drive off at the change of the light, aren’t always in control of their selling senses and may do things they will later regret, but by then, you’ll be driving home with your electric coil, hand towels, or other item, to a happy welcome).
All right, one more paragraph, then I must go to work. The baby is coming along as expected. I am about one month away from fatherhood and very excited. My wife had a solo ante-natal clinic visit yesterday and all looks normal, healthy, etc. We made a quick look last week at some baby supplies – cribs, strollers, car seats (who would have thought it here – all the kids stand in the back seat or between the front seats). Next up is purchasing, wrapping up some work, and getting ready for parenthood. Peace.
Sorry for the long gap. I’ve been exceptionally occupied. When I was unemployed, I sowed many seeds, thinking I needed to have my fingers in everything. Well, some seeds are now coming to fruit and are requiring a good bit of time. What’s more, with the baby on the way, I want to clear things from my schedule, not have it get more busy. On that note, however, my wife and I are lucky, as we are planning to hire another househelp.
Ah, the Ethiopian labor pool, so deep, so much potential, so completely untapped. If I spend any time in a pool in the next 2-3 years, other than teaching my daughter how to swim and lazing around Sodere, I want it to be the labor pool. There’s just so much available productivity. Granted, Ethiopia is lacking a level of technological sophistication for high quality manufactured goods, i.e. the labor could make a great shirt if the country could supply a high quality fabric. Well, this must be explored further.
The post-election atmosphere is in tense calm right now. Not too tense, but nothing seems to have been resolved. Documents have apparently been signed by both sides, agreeing to abide by the results and showcased on ETV, but it’s hard to believe the state media at this point. I made the mistake of opening my mouth at a lunchtime discussion yesterday amongst friends, some with particularly strong political views. A girl asked me what my thoughts were on the whole thing, and having listened to the views of everyone at the table, particularly those of my emotional counterpart, I chose to speak. I probably should have stayed silent.
What else is happening? Work is super busy and actually, I’m supposed to be on my way right now, but I’m going to be a few minutes late this morning. That’s all right, I’ve been putting in good time to get a long list of assignments done during this contract.
The rainy season has begun. Within one day, the temperature seemed to drop about 5 degrees Celsius and we broke out the little coal fires. The temperature change was dramatic, but we’d seen the cloud cover coming for awhile. Anyway, recently the clouds have begun to deliver their liquid life and we are all hunkering down in our offices, dashing from building to building to have a lunch or coffee. I, alone, it seems, am enjoying watching the actual rainfall and the lightning that often accompanies it. Last night, a front came in and there was movement overhead that looked vaguely like a tornado forming, but I don’t think those happen in Ethiopia. It was a great lightning show, which I enjoyed as a leaned against the support post for our steel water tank (just kidding).
Speaking of electricity, have your ever seen those coil-shaped electric water heaters? It seems so counter-intuitive, but you plug this thing into the socket and then you leave it sitting in a bucket of water. It takes about 15 minutes for 2-3 gallons to reach bathing temperature. Not being used putting electric items in water, I have shocked myself a couple of times. Not badly – the device must limit the amount of current. But I do know this, an electric shock is enough to mask heat. What I mean is, while my finger was in the water testing for temperature, all I could feel was an electric shock. Mom, you are probably bowing your head in anxiety right now, but trust me, this little habit of mine, just like the fighting, has been taken care of at the household level.
Anyway, our first electric water heater burned out. Despite my noblest efforts to fix it by rewrapping the wire around the grounding points, I failed. My wife asked me to buy one on the way home yesterday, but not finding one in the electric shops, I set home, disappointed. That’s when I was saved by a roving street vendor who caught my eye at an intersection. I spotted the coil, flagged the boy over, indicated that the device probably wouldn’t work and looked like bad quality, and got the price reduced by over half his original offer (a note to would be developing world travelers – use the intersection as a bargaining tool. Vendors, not wanting to lose a customer and fearing that you will drive off at the change of the light, aren’t always in control of their selling senses and may do things they will later regret, but by then, you’ll be driving home with your electric coil, hand towels, or other item, to a happy welcome).
All right, one more paragraph, then I must go to work. The baby is coming along as expected. I am about one month away from fatherhood and very excited. My wife had a solo ante-natal clinic visit yesterday and all looks normal, healthy, etc. We made a quick look last week at some baby supplies – cribs, strollers, car seats (who would have thought it here – all the kids stand in the back seat or between the front seats). Next up is purchasing, wrapping up some work, and getting ready for parenthood. Peace.
posted by AARFZ at 7:46 AM
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