Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW EVERYBODY!!!!!
 
Sorry its just a quickie, but I have been back at work since Monday and with the Ministry Newsletter deadline today (last day of December!!!) and me as Editor-in-Chief!!!!! its been pretty busy!!! (Only 3 Birr for anyone who wants an online version!) I have even been told to edit some 'sensitive' information in case it lands me in jail - no kidding! No criticism of the Government here.
 
Hope you all have fantasic plans for Hogmanny. I am off for an Indian meal after work and then a few drinks at a friends to hopefully see in the New Year and then work tomorrow. I am so missing a proper teacher's holiday at this time of year.
 
May all your dreams come true in the new Year!!
 
Lots and lots of Love and warm hugs from Joanne in a semi-sunny Addis Ababa

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Christmas in Africa

Christmas in Africa

 

My dearest bloggers as Christmas approaches I am filled with a multitude of emotions. This is my first Christmas ever away from home so it is all a little strange. Firstly Ethiopia celebrates Christmas around the 7^th on January (our Epiphany, their Epiphany is at the end of January and they just celebrated their New Year in September) so forgive me if I am a little all over the place. It doesn't help that the cd I have on is currently playing 'Caledonia' you are calling me home, and if I should become a stranger you know it would make me more than sad….. yadda yadda. Also I hear that it is snowing in Britain and could be the first proper white Christmas in years. The BBC website is rubbish for photos! I was hoping to brag about having a warm, sunny Christmas with the possibility of a BBQ, but it is unseasonably cold in Addis for this time of year. I am using two thick blankets and a hot water bottle and African houses are not designed for the cold. I did manage to burn my shoulders walking up the hills around Addis on Saturday for a picnic for Maureen's birthday though.

 

But it is strange here, hardly a decoration to be seen, except in ferengi restaurants, which I can no longer afford to eat in and after my marathon trip I can eat and pee anywhere now!! So no real sense of Christmas here and all my colleagues will be working on Friday. I miss hearing carols on the radio, seeing the shops decorated (no real shops here, only shacks – must get a camera - ) trashy Christmassy films on the t.v. my fire roaring while I wrap presents at the last minute, whisky and a good glass of red wine. But of course I miss family and friends most of all. It doesn't help that Frances sends me emails and cards from Hannah telling me she cries as she misses me so much. But to get an email or a card through the post keeps my spirits up. What I missed most on my Grand Ethiopian Tour was emailing. I thought that strange till I realised that what I miss most is sharing my experiences with those who are interested in my life. And emailing and blogging keeps me connected to you all, which is so important. Sharing and communicating with each other is what counts.

 

So I have to thank you all for your communication and a special thank you to those of you who have already sent stuff for my ELIC schools. It's brilliant. There are doublers of cds which is brilliant as I am trying to furnish two different schools (outside of my Ministry duties) which will make it easier to divvy up the goods if there are doubles. Films, audio and music cds are all welcome as are posters. When I am missing home (as I am right now greatly) knowing you are sharing in my experiences and supporting me in my work gives me great strength. Have no doubt about that. I am discovering that the most difficult thing about my placement here is being on my own. I don't mean lonely – I am not lonely, I have great friends and a happy and healthy social life (getting tennis racket soon too – yippee) but being on my own. My colleagues are infuriating, but I must have patience and learn to work with them in their environment and not 'impose' my ways on them, and the difficulties of the environment, like sanitation etc, are not that difficult. What is hard is to find the strength in myself to keep positive in the tough days. It can be difficult to have a bad or frustrating day and come home and find the power is out, or my vegetables have gone off, or there is no milk or teabags and I have to go out and speak in what little Amharic I have just to get a cup of tea. I cannot simply go round to my mums, or Gill's or Clare's for a 'free' dinner and chat and let off steam. Also as I am the only ferengi in my department I have no-one else who can understand my frustrations at work. So when I get an email or a little something through the post it gives me joy and great strength and I feel less alone. So a very special thank you for all my little cards and gifts. If I am this thoughtful over the Christmas period, heaven help what I'll be like when the New Year comes in!!!

 

So just to finish (finally) I will be having Christmas dinner with my friends: David and Maureen, Nancy, Trish, Tara, Vicki, Jamie and Mary, Mary's brother, Adam and Jillian and Me. We are having a secret santa and cooking a couple of chickens. I think we'll buy ours at the ferengi supermarket as usually folks get their chickens live from the markets and I am not sure I am all that good at plucking feathers or strangling necks, unless it is my colleagues!!!!

 

So: HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

Lots of Love Joanne x

 

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Grand Ethiopian Tour

Dear All
 
my apologies for the lack of blogs. I have just returned for my 18 day trip visiting educational institutes around Ethiopia which was amazing. There is so much to share with you and I will get a blog done soon. Just one thing to say - I can't believe how green and luscious Ethiopia is - a far cry from the dry arid land we see on the news, it truly is a beautiful country. I have tales to tell of pink bottomed baboons, herds of camels, cheeky monkeys and drizzling waterfalls. All of which made up for having to share the small confines of a car with the most irritating colleague in the world and the appalling sanitation; well what can a girl expect from a 20 Birr 'hotel' (£1!)? I look forward to sharing my stories with you.
 
I am a little jealous of your Christmas preparations - there is NONE here - in fact their Christmas is not until January - the feast of the Epiphany. But us ferengis will take the day off and have dinner together. If you feel sorry for a poor VSO and wish to send me some goodies for Christmas the postal address is Joanne Cairns, VSO Programme Office, PO Box 23531, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This is also the address to send your cds and posters for my school project. Sending stuff for them could be your Christmas present to me. Thanks so much.
 
I'll be in touch soon. But just want to say the emails I have been getting have been brilliant - I missed emailing during my visit, but it is good to be back in touch. Thankyou to all of you who keep up with the emails, you have no idea how much it brightens my day. I am still enjoying the challenges of my post here, but feeling just a tad homesick with Christmas looming. Still I have my Addis family here: David, Maureen, Nancy, Trish, Vicky, Mary and Jamie all to keep me company. Tales of Christmas in a foreign land to come.
 
Love to you all
Joanne xx
 
p.s thanks for the PJs - you know who you are - I love them!!!!!

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Hi All

Dear All
 
I am now ten days into my grand tour of Ethiopia. So far it has been an amazing experience - seen herds nad herds of camels, baboons with pink bottoms, ibexes, strange houses, strange people and amazing countryside, from desert to driving through clouds. Ethiopia is so green and lucios, nothing like the pictures on the telly. I am so lucky to have a chance to see all this.
 
On the other hand I am ready to hand in my resignation at the Ministry or kill my colleague. He is proving to be a real trial to work and travel with. I just want to get back to my home in Addis and for the first time I am really missing home and all my friends and family. I will email you all when I get back around the 9th of Dec.
 
I will blog the more interesting things later when I get baack to my office, but am thinking of you all and can't believ it is December already and talking about Christmas!!!!!!!
 
Lots of love for now
 
Joanne xxx
 
 

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