how to conjugate them!) Before lunch we had a break and a few of us
walked up the nearby hill (like we did the other night). The view was
really good – lots of green. There were also lots of large cacti. On
the way back we went past a village where all the houses were
"home-made" from mud bricks and corrugated iron. It's funny here:
there are areas that are really poor with shack houses, then only a
few hundred metres away, posh skyscraper buildings.
In the evening, a couple of the volunteers had organized a "pub quiz"
and we answered questions on a variety of subjects. Our team which
included a Finn and a Kenyan, came second out of nine which wasn't
bad. It was really funny being in the middle of Africa doing a pub
quiz!
This morning we were shown what VSO will be giving us to take to our
placement. We will have a mosquito net, a single electric hot plate
and a very dodgy un-safe-looking kerosene stove. We have to put the
flammable liquid, kerosene (like petrol) in and it has about six
string wicks which you light with a match. When you blow it out at the
end, you have to put it outside or it will stink the house out. The
reason I will need this is because sometimes I will not have
electricity. Also Kerosene is cheaper than electricity for cooking.
The "highlight" of the day was going to Addis to shop for things we
need in our placements. Some people will have lots of things they need
already in place, as they are taking over from other volunteers. I
will be going into a house with nothing but the basic furniture and
have to buy everything. I was led round by a volunteer who first took
me to the "Hilton" Hotel. It was really weird, even after only being
here for just over a week, to go into an air-conditioned, luxury
hotel. I had to go through a metal detector and my bag went through an
X-ray machine – personal first for a hotel! There I had one of my
dollar travellers cheques changed into Birr cash (they're the only bank
open on a Saturday in Addis) and I used the posh loos – the first time
I have been able to dry my hands in a public loo since I got here
(mostly at the uni you shake and drip dry!)
Next we hit the supermarkets and shops (again, it was weird to have a
cash-till and aisles of food and products. If I'm like this after a
couple of days, I wonder what I will be like after staying in Gilgel
Beles for a few months.) I managed to get a knife and fork, mug,
plate, big cooking pot and frying pan, bedside light, sheets for my
bed etc. I will also be getting a stabilizer (for the electricity – it
is a big box that makes sure the electricity stays at 240 volts. The
mains can vary a lot from 160V to 280V and the stabilizer makes sure
my laptop doesn't blow up by keeping it constant!)
No comments:
Post a Comment