glimpses of Addis

Walking down the street with my younger daughter past a couple of chickens scratching beside the road.

Watching the giant tortoises in the yard as one tries to climb on top of the other… If either of the children asks what they are doing, I’ll liken it to Yertle the Turtle and his nine-turtle stack.

Being greeted “Hello!” by shop owners standing at the door of their shops, as I walk past.

A schoolgirl shyly coming up to my blonde-headed daughter and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Just because she’s cute and blonde.

Seeing a hair product in a small supermarket called “snake oil”! If it wasn’t such a large container (about a litre) I’d buy one just for the novelty value!

A late night raucous as all the local dogs decide to howl together.

Orthodox calls to prayer at 5am… and throughout the day.

An air raid siren going off in the distance. (No idea what it means yet, but no-one else gets worried, so neither do I!)

Massive traffic jam filling an intersection, where it seems the traffic police like to create a jam, just so they can sort it out.

Cars nosing their way across an intersection. Whoever is boldest gets to go first. Or whoever honks loudest.

Flocks of goats (tails up) and sheep (tails down) enveloping me as I walk down the street footpath.

Donkeys crossing a road in single file. No-one telling them where to go. They just go. And the cars just have to wait.

Street stalls set out on sheets. Potatoes piled high, one on top of the other. Tomatoes carefully and neatly arranged in groups of four.

Street-side butcher stalls with carcasses hanging. Butcher standing waiting for his next customer.

Kids playing happily in school.

Old ladies in traditional white clothing, greeting one another on the street. A kiss to the left, to the right, to the left and to the right again.

Waving to the compound guards and saying “tenastillen!” (hello!)

Buying eggs (ink’oolal) and coming home with 10 eggs in a plastic bag. Some big, some small. Some white, some brown, some speckled. Some with feathers and grass. Don’t trip!

Smoky haze as you look out across the city.

Eucalyptus trees on the hillsides. And everywhere else.

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets, at about 6:30 at either end of the day.