Limbo???

There is nothing like sitting staring at a PC monitor tryiing to figure out what to write – writer’s block? Maybe in an attempt to be ingenuous I have now started to grow a beard not long but scarecely covering my face. One thought that comes to mind now is whether I Should caffine to induce though or wait for inspiration to strike?

Good god time does fly

I can’t believe how time flies and how everything seems to change suddenly. A lot has happened in the past months Tilahun Guesses passed away so did Fitawrari Amede Lema and W/o Sinidu. You know it moments like these that make us wish that we could have known or tied to know these people- no doubt with their passing volumes of history has gone as well. It is to their credit that we no hear and read about these legends I wonder how many others still languish in anonymity? That said I would like to dedicate my first entry in several months to a cause so bear with me. Hope to be writing very frequently soon.
“I vote for Global Voices Advocacy, because… (put your own words here).

This blog post is part of Zemanta’s “Blogging For a Cause” (http://www.zemanta.com/bloggingforacause/) campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

Happy Ethiopian New Year

Yes the New Year has come what was I up to since my last blog. Literally running around I started volunteering for this local NGO helping out with content development and writing proposals but the guys there have somehow got it in their minds that I am available 24/7 so I literally get calls at all hours of the day saying ‘eh ****? Can you please come to the office and help us out this project and that’. Don’t get me wrong I do like it when people  put so much trust in my capabilities  [I am trying to boost my ego up a notch so bear with me] but it is really looking like the volunteering work actually becoming my day job. So the easiest recourse is to hide. yes hide, turn off my cell phone and then stare at it wondering if an important call that I was waiting for would never reach me or that job interview who’s ‘Hello Mr. *** congrats we have decided that you join our team. When can you come round and talk?’ or maybe that one fab date you had months ago with this girl that really left an impression with you but never called you back and you didn’t call for the eight straight time ashamed that you had somehow evolved into a stalker.

 

Speaking of romance this Ethiopian year was a long draught for me I think I only had five or six dates that would amount to one date every 56 days. I have admit going on a date isn’t a very enticing prospect for me one I will not have to smoke in front of her so this would immediately lead to constantly excusing myself for whatever reason and getting in a couple of puffs and rejoining her with a large mint chewing gum in my mouth, making small talk usually work, family and dodging landmines such as talking about previous relationships, wondering if she is that nice or playing games, THE BILL yes you read it right it is in caps I tell you one cannot really budget for a date sometimes it ends quickly other times it goes on and on. Plus there is that friend of yours who knows that you will not act as a tight wad in front of a lady and would make himself quiet comfortable dashing all your hopes of privacy as well as eating away your meager money.

 

My idea of a date is meet up in the afternoon say over coffee or macchiato see where the lady sways offer light dinner pizza is great as it kinda sets in a casual setting. Beer is okay after dark but make sure you do not take long after all it is the first date maybe I should look towards movies.

 

Speaking of beer a new bar opened up some 2 meters from my house I am elated. The place is cool, the prices are fair and it has a serene ambiance to it. I have my own perch where I sit alone and enjoy a cold beer away form the hustle and bustle of work and a fast dying love life- don’t you like the term love life.

 

Anyways my New Year’s resolutions are – drum rolls please:

 

• quit smoking
• start doing some sport – pool and  fooz ball don’t count
• be more active in the social scene
• read more books
• try to do something new every day
• and of course buy some furniture I just found out that I need shelves for all my books

I don’t really have much to add I like to aim less and hope to achieve slightly more  J

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

We’re back

I get this eerie feeling whenever I post after a long absence. the problem is that you loose steam or over a case of writer’s block or have too many projects the phrase ‘biting off more than you can chew comes to mind here’. I believe my last blog was in March following the draft media law debate/ monologue that members of the media have been subjected to. The update is that it is no longer a draft law, parliament passed it and its publication on the Negarit newspaper is pending  for it to become law. I prefer not to dwell on this issue because I have been subjected to various opinions on this issue ad nausea but I will concede that the law does spark lively debates. I do not really know what the extent of the law would actually means on the ground since I see nothing on the ground to facilitate what the authors call ‘freedom to information’ my primary concern is that will the media be allowed access to people and information or will the law focus purely on punitive measures to rein in the media that said let me go to other less controversial issue

1. I had a string of part time jobs one was covering the 16^th African Athletics Championship a lively event despite the rains Addis did well the spectators would probably be the bggest satrs of the event as they rooted for athletes that they probably never heard of before even in categories where Ethiopian athletes’ performances were shall we say lack luster.

2. That little stint allowed me to work for a sports media company that led me to cover a football match the funny thing football is not really my thing lost faith in the game in 1996 after Kevin kegan’s Newcastle United lost the premiership to Manchester – being the fanatic football fan I was then I could never recover to put any hopes on another football eam but I do root for Westham United they are the proverbial underdogs and they do make the big teams pay. So I covered the Ethio-Mauritania and the Ethiopia- Rwanda games again I was impressed with eth support football fans give the national team despite its long draught from winning trophies.

3. I rediscovered books and also resurrected the bad habit of going through two-three books at one go. But It does keep me pondering on where the authors would lead me to. I am also contemplating quitting smoking ‘contemplating’ is the keyword I do not think I am ready for it – not  out of weakness but  over the need to have one vice. Will post more soon take care

Draft law meeting

I had an interesting weekend which started off with a long but intriguing meeting at the Hilton. The meeting was supposed to be a stakeholders’ forum on the draft of Ethiopia’s media and freedom of information law. To be frank I have not really looked into the draft much but from my minimal reading there are issues which warrant amendments. And as expected much of the gathering have also presented their views in regards to their proposed amendments and this allowed me to get to know some of the contnetioous issues. My problem with the whole proceeding was the format of the meeting the moderator was the minister of information and the speaker was the government’s broadcasting chief who is also the chief prosecutor which gave little room for rebutalls from the gathering as well as enough time to indicate their reservations in regards to draft law.
For those who have not been following the draft law saga the law was proposed some five years ago which started a tug of war between the government and those seeking greater press freedoms in Ethiopia. Since then portions of the draft press law have been included into the nation’s criminal code and other laws prompting various denouncements. But I do welcome the discussions but would have rathered them to have been more egalitarian. But the fight goes on despite some walking out probably caused by the long talk on genesis of the concept of freedom of press from the Universal Human rights declaration and an article by article elaboration of the draft law, the various sources of inspiration of the draft law from Indonesia, Sweden, Germany, USA, South Africa and a couple of other nations which my limited memory cannot conjure up at this moment. But it was not a total loss some have even provided the gathering with thick documents [I really mean thick] in regards to the shortcomings of the document. ]
My position on this whole affair? Yes there is room for improvements but opting to impose order by laying out an unpopular law isn’t in my opinion the best way to go about it and do not understand the need to rush in the legislation when with the Ombudsman has not yet started discharging in full its duties and we have all not yet reflected on the matters affecting the press in Ethiopia following the 2005 elections.

The cracks are showing

We are at the half way mark of the Easter fasting season Menyelenal has so far broken fast in four unfortunate  occasions. I think temptation has gotten the better of me in those rare occasions of weakness but I persist and try to purge those minor indiscretions through a strenuous cleansing ceremony but I am happy to note that I have so far  withstood the lure of alcohol [except for the freak accident when i accidentally drank a friend's drink over a heated argument- hey accidents do happen].

Work wise things are okay I actually have more reserves of strength partly because of the extra rest I got from ‘nocturnal ’social engagements’. I did however inspire two buddies to resist the lure of alcohol one has stayed strong for two weeks another surrendered to the call of alcohol last night – a pity today would have been his alcohol free week I would have liked it if he had focused on our joint project but not everyone can be as strong as menyelenal. I did  notice some others who have caved in last night at one bar I continue to frequent – fear not I only drink tonic and soft drinks.  My new choice of drinks have encouraged a lot of regulars and new comers to speculate on my true motives some have speculated that I have finally found God and others have gone so far as to state that I have lost my marbles.  I actually have become a good tipper so as to get the waiters satisfied with my sudden descent into non-alcohol beverages. I do not know why but I have this crazy craving for milk I rarely drink milk alone usually drinking milk for me would require a generous splash of coffee.

Remember    the dentist appointment that I had been putting off well it became so unberable that I had to drop by at the dentist and had a tooth pulled out. A painful experience that required constant aneastethic shots and a long battle between my tooth that refused to part company with its siblings and an over enthuiastic dentist that refused to give in to that little guy despite my constant appeal to look for alternative means to resolve the matter – my advise would be a a strong regiment of pain killer medication that would help me go through teh pian untill I reach 80 years and the tooth would call it quits after the pain killers numbed me from its contatnt complaints. It is a pity that I had to seek medical attention my last vist to a docotr’s office was on January 18, 2001.

let the fasting begin

The Ethiopian Lent fasting season started today. I don’t know why but something about two months fighting the urge to stuff oneself with meat, poultry and diary products brings a smile. I used to be a devout  faster or abstainer if you like I would growing up me and my siblings would compete against each other on who could out do the other I remeber times where soem of us actually fated or a certain sibling ’sleep walked’ into teh kitchen and devoured a cheese cake. The past two years however temptaton has gotten the best of me and my brief stint at fasting lasted only two weeks- I get rebukes all over.

This year however I have a good feeling about fasting one I do not fast purely for religious purposes but to discipline oneself plus it is a nice opportunity to purge oneself from excesses of gluttony- I say gluttony because there was too much festivities in  my social life two friends and a cousin got married,  not to mention a steady of launches for one book, NGO you name it I just happen to be smack in the middle of things. Plus I have noticeable grown chubbier the last couple of months and have not been exercising that much.

I am now also exploring other part time gigs  the pay  get isn’t helping last week I had a rude awakening a kilo of potatoes now costs 6 birr I remember last year it was around 2.50- 3 birr a kilo, a can sardines is up by to 10 birr from a mere 6.50, beer has also gone up by 2 to 5 birr depending on the establishment  – notice I put down beer under bare necessities . Any way my new partime gig will now have me busy during Saturdays and will entail going outside Addis which i totally love. All I need now is to work around on how I can upload pictures on wordpress. cheers every one

I’m back

Hi long time no blog I know first off the new office has no telephone lines as yet so our cell phones have now become the office’s official telephone it is fun if you look at it I get telephone calls routinely some are funny other are inquiries about matters I do not have any idea of. But it did get the staff together as we would either text message [thank you ETC for coming through finally] each other or call to tell them that their friend called or somebody called enquiring about them. Second no telephone lines implies that we have not internet so we solved this problem by being regulars at this internet café up the road oh did I mention that the new office is somewhat located in a quiet residential area – a far cry from our previous office which was at the center of busting Addis. Then there is the issue of my wordpress account not opening I do not know why [a friend commented that the government has also clamped down on bloggers on wordpress]. true? I do not really know I usually keep my rants about the boring day to day stuff. The office is pretty cool we have kitchen but the only thing we have succeeded in making is tea not a very encouraging prospect with a hotel down the road that make a nice macchiato coupled with a very accommodating staff. The restaurant is not that bad as well they like to give out large portions and they bring the food to the office as well.
Speaking of rants I lost an investment of 500,000 birr!!! -yes you read right I bought the elephant a.k.a zihon special lottery ticket set me back six birr only to end up as a dud. I do not know why but cashing in on a big win through the lotto is a venture that I have yet to build up resistance to. I have been doing this for I don’t know the past eight to nine years I do not buy the regular 1 birr lotto too lame the jackpot is set at 100,000. My friends often snicker whenever I loose out but somehow it has yet to discourage me. I usually have a regular dealer we know each other by name and joke about splitting the win in the likely event I win one of these days. I have also hooked some of buddies on this hope inspired venture we can each buy our own ticket or split the expenses pledging that 10% of our winnings will go towards celebrations and the rest we split 50-50. I do love it when the drawing day comes like the 2 million birr jackpot that was scheduled for September 11 but cancelled to mid November. On that drawing date I was in a taxi and the winning numbers were being read out live on radio the taxi driver who is also into lotto tickets pulled out his ticket and asked me to check his winning as well. We commented on how it was a big move and that the national lottery administrations should increase the winning in some places people actually can win as much as 69 million USD in one winning at oen go. We both did not win anything. Now the 2 million birr was a lotto ticket that one would look forward to with anticipation and dread. Besides the potential to winning- I forget what the odds but I love the moments of hope that come in our way when you are low on cash and go through your wallet desperately looking for that one hundred birr note that you might have put away for a rainy day in some secret compartment in your wallet. You search and make mental calculations about your expenses the past few weeks you use various calculations using your digits on your finger, grab a a piece of paper and add and subtract, calculate how much you could have saved this month had you not succumbed to your erratic spending ways ….. and then you find your lotto ticket at this point you say ‘okay I know I need to save more but once the jackpot comes my way I would not have to worry so much on expenses I could put a chunk of my winnings in the bank and live off the interest- interest rates are somewhere around 3 % in Ethiopia some banks actually pay interest every month.
Incidentally the lottery ticket vendors earn 0.10 cents per regular lotto tickets and 0.35 for special tickets. That is not much incentive from going around town on foot enticing people to buy a ticket but they seem to keep at it and do garner lots of regulars. I think they divide their sales on beats like someone would work around the Dembel area another around stadium but I have yet to see territorial fights as one can see among shoe shine boys. There is this scratch lotto where you can know your winnings on the spot usually they come with a simple game like looking for a certain amount of similar numbers, pictures or and adding game. I do not get my kicks from them because the maximum winning these guys have is 28,000 birr.
Have any of you guys actually been bitten by the lotto bug please share. Oh in the likely case that I vanish yet again happy western Christmas and New Year and happy Ethiopian Christmas. I might attend the Akon and Rhiana concert but I do not think that I can stomach another concert concerts and clubs are not my scene these days. But I still do appreciate the small pubs where the crowd is much tamer and predictable.

Recovering from the millennium fever

Sorry for vanishing, well celebrating a new year and a new millennium does take a toll on one’s energy things are gradually settling down. One should never underestimate the power of a new year, people are talking about resolutions, some turning over a new leaf,  some brooding over marriage. And what is funny is that the mood is contagious I don’t know if it is my imagination or not but people are becoming friendlier. This week I found myself chatting away with people I don’t even know their names and reminisce and share our observations regarding the holiday.

On Tuesday I was in a cafe tired from a brisk walk sipping on some machiato  and nibbling on my donut. It was a hot day I was tired and was reading up on some material a lady and a young kid were sitting at a table a cross the room. The woman kept looking at me  at first I thought I knew her but finally convinced myself that she was not looking at me but beyond me. So I continue into my reading the lady pays her tab approaches the cashier whose cubicle is a meter from me and has a whispering exchange  coms up to me and places her hand on my shoulder. By this time I ma convinced that tehlady is relative or an aquaitance that I had forgot I make ad effort to stand she says no and tells me ‘Don’t worry everything is in Jesus’  hands and I paid for your tab’.

Me in between trying to speak and chew the donut make a feeble attempt at saying no and end up staring at the woman. After   a few minutes I garner my wits and ask that i reciprocate the woman refuses I call the waitress to have her take her order but to no avail. I was surprised but pleasantly surprised I still have this lingering wish that I should have ordered kitfo that day

 Oh I nearly forgot I got quoted by TIME magazine

Yes meneyelenal has been quoted by TIME magazine of course I did not get my picture taken nor my full name I was referred as ‘Sammy, a journalist for the Sub Saharan weekly newspaper’ I liked the piece but did not know I was being interviewed but  I would be lying if I said I am offended. In fact it was an ego booster now I can come up with a conversation starter in a pub it would go like ‘you know TIME did quote me once …’ or ‘I remember TIME quoted me. It was on a Thursday ….’. any way this is the extract from TIME  in my brief 64 words of fame:

 

One Western musician definitely not invited is Sir Bob Geldof. Partly this is a matter of musical preference. “We never really knew who this guy was anyway,” says Sammy, a journalist for the Sub Saharan weekly newspaper as he sips Arabica in one of Addis’ smart streetside cafés. “We never knew any of his tunes. And then suddenly he was here to save us.”

 You can read the whole extract here.

Well this happens when there are too many receptions

The past three weeks were crazy I do not know hoe but there are too many social engagements be it business or just social. This weekend was no exception ‘graduations’ I had to go to two of my friends graduation [I later canceleld the trip called them and postponed for a party later in the week] in addition to my unlcle’s, visit my aunt who is visitng from the US. Play host to my counsin which my sister ad family abandonned on Saturday, a friend was having anxiety attacks from teh looming millenium so I needed to calm his nerves by drinking with him- hey I am an understanding friend. I also have a sprianed finger compliments of a heated pool game.
My Birthday is fast approaching and I did make my own resolutions which I have yet to achieve but I still have time and can pull it off. I am slightly depressed thta one my favorite pubs will be closing down and teh other has turned into a hang out of young kids who have nothing to do but yell, swear and fight I am disappointed because I used to like that stuff but I have aged. All of these strict regime of social engagements in additon to my nightly discussions with memebers of our ‘Kircha’ is really takinbfg atoll on my sleep time. Well enjoy yourselves.

Yes prices may hike

Funny how people agonize about expenses as holidays approach everyone knows that last minute shopping entails lots of hassles and rapid depletion of the wallet. Me and some friends after going through the cycles have come up with a fool proof plan to beta the holiday  blues.  We started collections for  our kircha [ rough translation: a group of people pitching money together to buy a bull and share the meat usually for holidays] a month ago.

Getting  people to commit financially was a challenge but extreme situations do require extreme measures so our venue for collecting dues was put at the local bar where people come to frequent for a constant reminder the pub owner chastises guys who pledged to pay in installments whenever they were late. Your truly, moi have already paid the whole amount and plan to slaughter the bull at my parents’ house- slight complication is that my parents know there is meat coming to them but have not yet been told that the party is at their residence. We plan to buy the bull in pagume the last month of the year and the bull might be housed in my parents’ home till new year’s eve.

I am not worried  I will however need to negotiate with my parents on how to go about the whole affair. Plus I never hosted a party at home so it would be a nice experience to see if I have in me to be host at a social function plus if a success I would have enough fodder for bragging to my friends that have not yet decided what to do for the holiday and the bonus? I beta the holiday blues with not even a dent on my monthly finances.

In other news we finally have water in our home for the past four months my neighborhood’s pipes were broken due to a construction of a proposed road. i say proposed road because construction started, the earth was turned and suddenly someone remembered that roads are not during the rainy season. At first we started borrowing water from neighbors that were not affected later on we started using water from the remains of the mangled pipes it was easy the guys just plugged in pieces of wood to stop teh crazy water works. I never knew water was so precious  plus taking a shower  was becoming an applied science of measurement  where you had to put  the right proportions of hot and cold water  to take a bath using a pitcher- A friend calls it enashenifalen- like when people chant slogans with their fist in the air.  I never imagined listening to your toilet flushing would be music to your ears.

Oh I so love coffee

I often go into mood swings throughout the day I am quiet, grumble to myself and am irritated by anything be it the dull shade of the carpet, the fonts on the screen you name it I can come up with a kazillion number of things I hate about anything. But after say a good dose of caffeine  at the right time I am as perky as  the kid that can’t wait  to go to school early in the morning. Coffee has now become an integral part of my  state my old boss would literally order me to go out and have coffee if he sees me brooding miserably in the office ‘hey ****** for god’s sake get out and take some coffee you are killing the ambiance at the office’ would be some of the yelling I get if I start of with a bad day.

Ironically I always forget that coffee does miraculously cheer me and it is just after a few sips that a grin would emerge on my face. teh waiters i the cafe near my office smile when i come with a dark face sit down light a cigarette and tensely wait for one of them to take my order they come with a grin say ,”**** coffee right?”  I nod and presto a nice steaming cup of coffee appears. After a few minutes I love the world no task is difficult I could take on the world in fact I feel like I am answering Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” song [I know what you are thinking an 80s freak] but helps keeps me in balance. Well I cannot express anger I cannot yell, the last time I was in a fight was in seventh grade the dude I fought became my best friend, never fired a person [btw my boss wants me to work on that area] I can debate but cannot argue and worst of all I cannot come up with a glare but I try to come up with a weak excuse for a gilmicha. Oh got to go caffeine beckons. The downside  however I can’t go to sleep before 3:00 past midnight hey you got to pay the piper.

Did you know I met Tsehay Yohannes?

A few weeks back – June 14 , 2007 to be precise I met with one of my favorite Ethiopian singers – Tsehay Yohannes. I will tell you the whole expereicne took me by surpirse. I love Tsehaye’s songs a lot especially his old works the lyrics, his gestures on stage all allow him to have this uncanny affect on the crowd. My particular liking towards Tsehaye started way back in the days- you see I practically grew up with his songs being constantly being played at home and suddnely come the 1990s and people at home rarely open his songs.

For me being a creature of habit this sudden absence was unbearable- I like to cling to routines a lot. Plus I cannot get myself to play the radio, the stereo or any type of music at home- weird right? So usually someone has to open it for me so – ergo why I love bars and pubs non-stop music, no inner debates regarding what to play or the volume of music etc etc. So, it is me an my man Tsehay we chat a little I ask him some really ridiculous question [It dawned on me that they were ridiculous after making a fool of myself] we take pictures and he autographs his new CD. Tsehay came off as a cool guy , mellow and that je ne sais quo feel about him. Anyways cheers hope you all get to meet some of the people you admire. If you want to see me at least most of me click here Sorry for blurring out my picture I also do get bouts of shyness once in a while.

At a crossroads

I’m back to that eerie feeling about whetehr I should continue at my current job or move on. I so love my current job even though there had been some rough rides along the way, I have probably been assigned to all the jobs conceivable in this place, love the people but I think I have stayed on long enough. I think the millenium bug bit me I will sorely miss the gang but the gang always meets somehow. decisions, decisions, decisions….

updates

Just wanted to update my very minute readership

1. I met Tsehaye Yohannes, my music idol got his autograph and  picture. Will disclose details in later blogs
2. Had lots of fun with friends went to pubs and even dabbled at dancing until a friend politely told me I need to get some new grooves
3. I have a sore tooth I am putting off going to the dentist till the pain moves from causing a series of migraines to agonizing pain
4.  One of my friends got married and the marriage bugs have not yet gotten me
5. work seems to go on in a cycle preparation-more preparation-warning staff on deadlines- preparation- crisis- damage control- frustration-erratic series of using nicotine and caffeine to get you through crisis-exhaustion and then emergencies. Of course the cycle is not without trips to pubs with friends and merriment.
6. I also learned recently that I have been neglecting people I complain that is because of my tough work regime but I have a lingering doubt that not all of it is. memo to myself: see more people
7. I have learnt [or at least] not to sweat the small stuff and focus on the big picture. That means not getting irritable easily when people do not do their job or people, the taxi is too slow, the waiter is deliberately ignoring me, that it rains deliberately when I am outdoors without an umbrella or a jacket
8. Enjoy myself and occasionally treat my self, i have recently found out that I can beat some of my friends at pool
9. expand my library of book. Last time I bought a book 9 months ago
10.  I do not really have anything else to add but I like to make lists that are at least 10 points long. You could tell I tried stretching this list.

RVPs

Funny thing happened this Saturday I along with others were invited to a birthday bash very different from mine. The set up was excellent the host had waitresses standing by your every wish, the cake was immaculte, nice buffet, drinks were availabel [but nothing alcoholic not even beer], smokers could go out and light, music  was playing but only one glich- there was only two people beised the birthday girl, her friend and her brother.

When I reached at the place, there were  between 8-12 people and they were there as cusotmers of the place not birthday invitees, as I enter I look around for familiar faces but find none except the birthday girl, we greet I am a little uncomfortable since I did not get her any gifts. I did not know what to bring her a book” too nerdy,  jewelry? to pretentious,  a VCD? no way, clothing? don’t know her size and her style, cake, cookies? hello it was a party cookies would have been there,  wine? she does not drink.

So fidgeting I greet her, exchange plesantries and look around the place at this point I am told I am the first invitee to come,I,  humbled smile and wait around for people I know to make a showing, so after a few minutes of agony I make apologies and step out for a quiack smoke, then finally a face I recognise waves at me for a distance I was elated, i felt that i was saved, se we both come in wait a few more agonising minutes [32 minutes to be precise] and start attacking the buffet …. another half hour passes and we finally understand that nobody is goinbg to show up and encourage her to blow out the candels and cut the cake. She does this we wait and leave.

Leaving the party I felt really sorry for the girl guys would have handle sit easy [that if they like the pomp and ceremony that comes with birthday parties] but girls take the offense really hard. RSVPs (Répondez s’il-vous-plaît” or “Réservez s’il-vous-plaît”, a French phrase that translates to “Please respond” or “Please book your place” or “Response Shall Verify Presence”, an English substitute for the meaning of “R.S.V.P”) are not really common here and people either opt to call ahead and say  sorry or have someone pass on their  excuses fro them or simply don’t come and give their excuses when they are caught some other day.  I left that party with a promise to myself to make sure I inform of my absence for future engagements.

Unexpected visitors at the office

Often visitors come to the office with proposals that boggle your mind. Yesterday morning I had a visit by a designer who came from Hong Kong looking for Ethiopian businessmen who would like custom made designs from fabrics ‘from world famous manufacturers’. Initially I thought he was looking for an ad placement or being given contacts of possible distributors in Ethiopia. I readily opened up my phone book and started going through names and contacts that might be interested in including his products in their shops. The salesman said no he caters to individuals only. Intrigued I asked him how he came up with this marketing pitch he tells me that he came in yesterday to Ethiopia after a three day stay in Zimbabwe and that he is thinking into tapping into the African market.

I was completely impressed by his wit and drive but could not help him. I could have bought some of his items [payday was on Monday so their was no inhibitions as far as my budget was involved]. Slightly disappointed he tells me how big is Addis I tell him okay but could get hectic for first time visitors with no guides. He then tells me where he could get potential clients I give him a name and a telephone number of a friend that works in the fashion business that is ‘in the know’. Satisfied he leaves with his suitcase of samples

After his departure I started thinking about the trials this guy has faced and would surely face on his travels. All sorts of people often drop by our office some just say hello and ask to see our archives read, do not give much info in regards to their pursuits but please us by telling us that they so love our newspaper which prompts us to offer them coffee/macchiato/tea or even lunch [depending on the compliments]. Some visitors include marketers from other newspapers that offer us subscriptions or sometimes even ads. And of course there are those that come to the office sit stare back at you until you ask what they are looking for and sometimes go off with the telephone, calculator or some item which you cannot find missing but get vibes that something is out of place.

My favorite salesman would be this guy that used to frequent the office in September he would come with brochures of all sorts of appliances and offer installment packages for all those interested. He had an uncanny way of creating competition among the office workers edging the reluctant ones to invest in one appliance or the other. He almost got me hooked on this electric shower head that heats water. I was really interested in it but had fears that electrocution might occur.

Wedding Blues

Yes, this past week was all about wedding  blues for me everywhere I go there is either talk or activiites related to weddings. It is hard enough taking stock of the fact that three of my buddies are getting married making me one of their best men but too much talk or activiites related to weddings does get tiresome. I am not attached and do not plan to any time soon but people all around me seem to be going through some sort of day dream about matrymony.

Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy wedding, the clan gathering, little kids dressed up running around, good food, good drink, good company, the songs, the customary sneeking out of parties for more drinks and smoking but weddings do get testing. Delays, unnecessarily driving  by ever possible round about in town, irritating car horns, paked cars, people who take so much food stuffs from the buffet that they eventually leave the dish untouched, the occasional fighting or scuffles, over crowded halls etc etc. But the thing that tops it is when an elder from the family comes up to you and says, ” So when is your big day?”, “You know you are not getting any younger”, ” There is nothing like settling down” … Of course your initial resisitance to these pressures withers away leaving you anxious and go on a quest seeking ‘Miss Right’, the first or rather the first less intimidating girl you meet you decide to court, lavish her with gifts, be attentive to her every needs all the while you have no idea about the girl but that she somehow fits the profile. That road has been frequented by so many poor souls and leads to heart break hotel. Anyway enough of the rant nothing like a good rant to dispell boredom.

Well, What do you know?…

I was researching movies about Ethiopia and ran across this Bacula movie, a  name of a fictional character that appeared in two blaxploitation horror films produced for American International Pictures in 1972 and 1973, respectively. The character was portrayed by William Marshall. Both films deal with the character of Mamuwalde [does this sound familiar?],  an African prince vampirized and imprisoned in a sealed coffin by Count Dracula, who finds himself released in the 1970s. The first film was produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff and Joseph T. Naar, directed by William Crain, and written by Raymond Koenig and Joan Torres. Blacula won the “Best Horror Film” award at the 1972 Saturn Awards.

There is also another character that makes you go hm??? Rasulala strange character names? Anyways this movie has a sequel ‘Scream Blacula Scream‘ anyone out there that has sene the movie. I would really like to see this one.

Going through the cobwebs

Hi people, sorry for vanishing [I think I say this phrase a lot]. I am busy at my new job things are okay but I still have not gotten accustomed to the highs and lows of the newspaper. The staff are cool and I realy like the extra hours I get. This week was all about the 8th AU summit lurking around the lobby of the Sheraton to find  and  corner a minister. I have not yet received my press ID  and have had my first encouter with angry security people.

It  all started when  I was trying to take pictures of Robert Mugabe  but one irritating hotel security guy  almost had me beaten up. You see while I was taking pictures this guy comes up to me and starts yelling, saying that my taking pictures of Mugabe in the hall which is a public domain jeopardises the hotel and that their customers could sue them for millions because their privacy has been infringed on. I found that a little too much with other foreign  media people snapping away witrh their cameras and some curious bystanders doing the same with their cell phones. I suspect the guy was on a power trip and wanted to give someone a piece of his mind, apparently I was the nearest guy to him that understood amharic.

As the ‘discussion’ lingered on and more people got involved he calls a security guy who threatens to beat me up and sned me to prison I tell him to explain and he says ‘You know what you have done!!!’. My boss and another individual   which had some clout intervene and teh thing ends with warnings and frustrations [I at teh momenet was terrified]. The next day I ran intot eh same security guy but this time he was chummy and tried making jokes, I could not se the humor he was trying to enlighten me with but his sudden change in demeanor sure made me smile. I Still throw menacing startes towards the hotel security guy.

I had a Birthday bash

I just had a birthday bash yesterday and I am paying for it now at the office. It was an impromptu affair in fact none of my friends were there me, the pub owner, a nice guy from the DRC, five girls [which all danced with me], and some  seven or eight other guys. It started out slow I left the office around 12:00 [that is midnight] went to the pub to have a quick one -two then people started coming in so I took a seat at the corner minding my own business. Then this kid [I call him kid because he is much younger than me I knew him since he was a Kid] who used to live in my neighborhood sees me says ‘I know you’ and I said yes we chatted he invits me to join the crowd I did [there were two beuatiful girls ] . So we are chatting and a fight starts with two guys in the pub [not from our group] but we did become involved with the pushing and tugging so the bouncer comes his first reaction was to strike the intimidating character and kick both out, his only problem was the initmidating guy was more than a handful. The guys including me [by this time I was one of the guys] interceded talked it out, made peaceand went back to the pub. As we are dancing I say can ’I buy you guys a round’ [I am not rich nor generous but the drinks were relatively not expensive- notice I dodge the word cheap] so I did. One of the guys met me on Tuesday so he complains ‘you bought me beer on Tuesday no you can’t’  so  I try telling him it is no biggie and I start rambling ‘I got paid’, ‘I got a raise’ and  ‘my birthday was on Sunday’. Mind you I told this to only one guy and suddenly there was a flurry of Italian [the guys had went to the Italian School] and the bartender is opening Stevie Wonder’s ‘Happy Birthday’.  I was beyond words I think I contemplated having tears in my eyes but the beer was taking its effect. So after three birthday songs I am dancing with every girl in the pub [the sad part of it was all of them were spoken for]. I vow to see them toorrow i.e. today but I do no think I can muster the strenght I feel like Danny Glover In Lethal Weapon saying ‘I am too old for this S***’. So I make a whole group of friends I look at the time it is 3:45 I am due at the office at 8:30 so I bail out giving peopel my number promising to meet up and get a standing invitatin to chew chat on the weekends [unfortunately I am a coffee guy]. Incidentally I turned 62 on October 1st, at least that is what I feel now. See you and have fun. And to my friends who I don’t know forgot my B-DAY there is still time I consider that every day I am one day older just kidding

Hi all

Sorry I had to vanish I just got my SIM card ETC was ratehr quick this time and it took me rather my friend tosort out the reapplicaiton in leass than 20 minutes my SIM card was active within 12 hours and presto I’m on the grid. People started calling and I met practically most of the people I wanted to get nad then some more. Anyways things were really good some good developments had occured. 

Appointments

I do not want to complain but people do not seem to take appointmetns seriously. Me I am not that lucky, the sacredness of appointements has been instilled into me by my father. growing up my dad wouldpace around the house reminding us that we are late for so and so function usualy my job would be to go my mom and sister to and tell them to speed up things, you know make up and all. My dad will draw out an ellaborate schedule and explain to great detail that precision is everything. So when i have appointments to keep I usually come 15 minutes early [mostly because my watch runs 5-10 minutes early]. Today  was no exception I was ready and was waiting for a friend to help me get out my SIM card. Did he come on time Nooooo, so I was pacing up and down the parking the guards at Leghar were really uneasy about my presence [prbably to do with my talking to myself] and tehn when i call him he does not pick up his cell phone. I only wish that people tell you how to do in regards to appointments early onso that you can expect these things. Chiao for now.:)

Cupid got me!!!

Yes it is a sad day for bachelors and party animals around the world. Menyelenal has been ensnared by cupid’s trap to squash resistance towards his vision of a world of love and couples, popularly known as a cynic towards courtship, love, romance and all things associated Meneyelenal battled cupid at every turn often having to dodge cupid’s unfair onslaught of arrows. Bachelors around the world especially those in Addis, where Menyelenal is based expressed their sorrow by wearing blank bands on their arms.

Pubs and Bars where menyelenal would often hang out with friends debating and theorizing on the problems of monogamy and love have been left to idle talk such as the World Cup matches, the weather, childhood pranks and similar talk that are unfitting to establishments of such repute.

Menyelenal has opted not to make any public apperances but word has reached this blog that an antidote is being sought the world from yet another man in his prime form becoming a love sick poodle. friends and family are bracing themsleves for possible love ballads, songs, dinner parties and [God forbid] cuddling that meneylenal might be going through. The world anxiously awaits word of any change of teh state of affairs. In related news menyelenal’s friend & buddy who has been afflicted with Cupid’s continous onslaught and have succumeed to it seems to be bringing on some form of resisitance towards love with continous fighting and arguing with his loved one.

Industry experts are divided over the outsome with modest prediciotns stating that there is 50 -50 % chance of finding an antidote. Follow this blog for breaking news about meneylenal’s fight against love. GOD HELP US ALL!!

I’m feeling really happy

after more than three yeras on the job my bosses have finally taken me seriously [of course the fact that most of the managemetn had to go overseas was a factor] to manage teh newspaper for a week. This is probably a big step proffessionally I have shunned party for a week and already there is a rumour going around that either that i’ve died or in jail. For once I’d like gossip to think the best rather than the worst case scenario one reason I suspect is that i promised a certain lady that I’d call her everyday of this week to call her. i had to she was telling me how she had been nursing my love for months I think I have been doing the same as well. Believe me this is a first. Can’t talk now see you later

Some Lyrics I’d like to share with you guys

"Samson"

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met

Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of wonder bread and went right back to bed
And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us
And the bible didn't mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads
But they're just old light, they're just old light
Your hair was long when we first met

Samson came to my bed
Told me that my hair was red
Told me I was beautiful and came into my bed
Oh I cut his hair myself one night
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I'd done alright
And kissed me 'til the mornin' light, the mornin' light
And he kissed me 'til the mornin' light

Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
Ate a slice of wonderbread and went right back to bed
Oh, we couldn't bring the columns down
Yeah we couldn't destroy a single one
And history books forgot about us
And the bible didn't mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first
REGINA SPEKTOR LYRICS
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reginaspektor/samson.html

I think I am finally growing up

After partying like there were no tomorrows [believe me there are plenty of them] I decided to take breather this past weekend. I went to the office on Saturday did some paperwork, played spider solitaire [the stats do not work] , went to my friends office helped out and started taking a short walk because thanks to the World Cup most of my friends were busy glued either to TVs or projectors [I love it since I'm not big on soccer]. On my short walk I run into my ex, an interesting experience that still keeps me smiling we chatted and parted promising to call each other [its been two years since we last saw each other].

I then went home had doro wot, loved every morsel of it and started playing with my little cousin he’s six years old and a very good conversationalist, he scares me a bit because he imitates adult talk a lot. he is soon going to be a big brother and his parents decided that he spend time with me to help him adjust to kids [mind you I'm 25 years old and my family takes me for a kid, ironically that makes them look out to be in their 60s or 70s]. The kid finally goes to sleep and I start watching movies it has been really a while since I last spent Saturday nights at home and did not have any beer. So, I’m hooked on the TV [the soccer games have finally finished and the family decided to call it a night] cruising 29 channels almost everything is cheesy, one channel was showcasing the lives of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, another channel had this wacky sci-fi movie called “Event Horizon” that was not even scary except for the sudden bursts of the music.

After probably hours I listen to the Church bells yes you guessed it it was 5:00 in the morning i drag myself to sleep wake up and do the same thing all over again [except for the part where I do any work]. I think I should make a habit of this. I did also have time to brood over whether I should intervene and tell a kid from my neigborhood to start being smart i keep seeing him drinking and hanging around with the wrong crowd frequently. he’ll probably tell me that its not my business and stop snooping [i know because I used to that] oh the follies of the youth [Just kidding] I think he will eventually do the right thing I have faith in him, I really do.

There are more than 20,000 brands of beer

Worldwide, 20,000 brands of beer are brewed brewed in 180 styles, from ales, lagers, pilsner and stouts to bitters, cream ales and iced beers.

Beer has been a popular beverage for a long time. Babylonian clay tablets show detailed recipes of beer making in 4300 BC. Beer was also brewed by the ancient Chinese, Assyrians and Incas.

An Egyptian text of 1600 BC gives 100 medical prescriptions using beer. A few years ago, the New Castle Brewery in England brewed 1,000 bottles Tutankhamun Ale from a 3,200-year old recipe found in the sun temple of Queen Nefertiti.

Commercial beer making was established in 1200 AD in present-day Germany. In 1506, the German Purity Law is issued, specifying that beer ingredients must only be water, barley, wheat and hops. Bottling of beer started in 1605.

Making beer
Brewing is the process of changing water and grain into beer through a yeast catalyst. The quality of the water is extremely important. Hard water produce a bitter ale, soft water produce bitter lager. Barley or hops, or a combination of them, is used for the grain.

Getting dry grain ready for fermentation is called malting. The grain is steeped in water until it sprouts. The sprouting or germination is not allowed to end naturally but is interrupted either by drying or roasting in kilns.

Barley
Barley has been a grain of choice for thousands of years. The longer the roasting of the malted barley, the darker the beer. Barley, or wheat beers have a sweet taste.

Hops
Hops are herbaceous climbing vines and look like a cross between pine cores and artichokes. The bitter, dry flavour of hops counterbalance the sweetness of malt.

Yeast
Sugars in the malted grains are converted into alcohol by yeast. Different yeast ferment sugars into different flavours. For ales, top fermentation yeast is used, while bottom fermentation yeast is used for lagers.

The beer making process starts by germinating the grain, then steeping the resulting malt in hot water to get the wort. Base wort contents means the percentage of wort in the beer before fermentation. The alcohol contents is roughly one third of the base wort contents.The wort is boiled (brewed) and hops are added. After brewing, fermentation starts by adding yeast. After fermentation, the wort is drown into tanks where it is allowed to condition or age. Yeast and hops are sometimes added in a secondary fermentation process.

Ales and Lagers
Ales, stouts and several other types of brews, like porter, are top-fermented. The top-fermentation yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, usually produces stronger alcohol contents than the bottom-fermentation yeast, Saccharomyces carlsbergi, but the latter produces more quality-consistent brew. Lagers are bottom-fermented.

Ales usually are heavily hopped, and include bitters, brown ales, cream ales, mild ale, pale ale, India pale ale, barley wine and several other types. There are two types of the aboriginal ale still brewed in Europe. They are Belgian "lambic" and Finnish "sahti", which is brewed from rye malt. They are brewed on wild yeast and spontaneous fermentation. Both have very distinct tastes.

The word "lager" is German and means "storage", which refers to the lager (storage) fermentation. The main fermentation of both ales and lager are done on the similar temperature for 7-14 days. After that time the ale, depending on the type, may be ready for bottling. With lagers, this is only the start. After the main fermentation the beer is pumped into lager (storage) tanks with temperature some 10 deg C lower than room temperature. It is then let to mature and ferment for several weeks, usually 6-10 weeks. At 270 days, the longest lager fermentation is for that of Budejovicky Budvar brewery's Bud Strong.

Best taste
The best taste usually is acquired at an alcohol contents of 4.7% ethanol per volume. Less than that results in a beer with a bland taste. More than that and the higher alcohols (butanol, pentanol etc) become overpowering and spoils the taste.

The strongest beer type by alcohol content is doppelbock, which is usually 8%-10% ethanol by its volume content. The strongest beer brand in production is German "Eisbock", with some 14% ethanol by volume.
                                  http://www.didyouknow.cd/beer.htm

Ethiopic SMS makes debut, ETC continues stoppage of SMS service

 The ancient Ethiopian script, Ethiopic – one of the world's oldest living alphabets – has now been mobile-enabled allowing users to send Ethiopic SMS anywhere around the world.

"Coming at the time when many web blogs and English SMS have been banned by the government, we think our technology which actually breaks the barrier and enables users inside Ethiopia to use SMS (this time with added advantrage of using Ethiopic script) has an interesting solution", writes Samuel Kinde from Feedelix.

The earliest use of Ethiopic lettering has been traced to before the fourth century, reports Wired. Today the letters are shared by a range of languages spoken by millions of people across the Horn of Africa and hundreds of thousands of emigrants settled in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe:(

Much Ado About Nothing

Ethiopia: Oil Exploration Well Turns Out Dry

May 27, 2006
The oil exploration well drilled in the Gambella region in, west Ethiopia has turned out dry, it was learnt.

The Chinese Petroleum Company, Zhougyan Petroleum Exploration Bureau (ZPEB), which has been contracted by the Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas, has been prospecting for crude oil in the Gambella basin for the past two years. Petronas, one of the top ten leading international oil companies in the global oil industry, signed a petroleum exploration and development agreement with the Ethiopian government in June 2003 that enabled it to explore the Gambella basin, near the Sudanese border.

Ethiopia: Major oil exploration deal

 ADDIS ABABA, 16 Jun 2003 (IRIN) – Ethiopia could start exporting oil within four years after signing a multi-million-dollar exploration deal, Minister of Mines Ambassador Mohamoud Dirir told IRIN on Monday.

Ambassador Dirir said the newly signed agreement with Malaysian oil giant Petronas would provide a major financial boost for the country. “This would be a breakthrough for the Ethiopian economy,” the minister told IRIN. “This will also bring about a positive change in the image of Ethiopia.”

“This is a region closely related to the Sudan oil fields,” added the minister. “The potential is obviously there.”

The oil company, which currently ranks among the Fortune Global 500 companies, has to invest US$5 million in developing the infrastructure and employing local staff. A further US$1 million will be spent on boosting the skills of the ministry and another US$1 million on improving the facilities of the local community in areas like health.

Ethiopia will also receive royalties from any oil that is produced in the region. According to Ambassador Dirir, this could mean that if the company is producing 30,000 barrels of oil a day then Ethiopia would receive some 5 percent in royalties – approximately US$1.50 a barrel. If production increases, so do the royalties, under the 25-year licence. Each exploration licence is renewable every four years, he said.

Ambassador Dirir also dismissed claims that ethnic conflict in both regions would disrupt any kind of exploration work. He said that clashes in Gambella had been resolved and that rebel groups in Somali Region posed no threat.
To whom does Ethiopia’s Gambella oil belong
Thursday 9 March 2006 21:05.
"… history amply illustrates that the once oppressed will eventually be emancipated from the grips of the oppressors and become antagonists of those who empowered the oppressors."

By Idris Shaankkore*

…The dire poverty of the Gambella peoples, formerly pejoratively referred to as "Shankella" is a legacy of Abyssinian colonial history and exploitation, and sinister schemes under the Feudal, the Mengistu Haile Mariam and the present EPRDF Governments to settle Northern Ethiopians in the fertile ancestral lands of the indigenous population. Many of the indigenous Peoples of Gambella are internally displaced people and many indeed reside in refugee camps in their own land and in neighboring Eastern Sudan.

The crimes suffered on the Gambella by the Abyssinian colonizers and the and subsequent Ethiopian regimes is nothing short of acts genocide and dispossession of these peoples for the benefit of Abyssinian settlers, who received protection and assistance from the Ethiopian State. The indigenous people of Gambella have often sought, since the birth of the Ethiopian State, to preserve their identity and their land. In Gambella, the agriculturist Anuak minority (also known as Anywaa or Anywak) number over 100,000 people in Ethiopia and Sudan. Anuaks are the predominant landholders in the region of southwest Ethiopia. Anuaks have a long history of sharing the land with the pastoralist Nuer people, even though their relationship has been intermittently problematic.

Multinational corporations have now set their sights on the natural resources of the Gambella region. Petroleum (oil & gas), water, tungsten, platinum and gold are the principal resources in the Gambella region that are of interest to international financial and extraction corporations. Ethiopian government authorities thus have powerful economic incentives to seek control of these resources.

The Anuak situation has grown markedly worse since oil was discovered under Anuak lands by the Gambella Petroleum Corp, a subsidiary of Pinewood Resources Ltd. of Canada, which signed a concession agreement with the Ethiopian government in 2001. In May 2001, however, Pinewood relinquished all rights to the Gambella oil concession and pulled out of Ethiopia and on June 13, 2003, Malaysia’s state-owned petroleum corporation, Petronas, which has been exploring and developing oil fields in Sudan announced the signing of an exclusive 25-year oil exploration and production sharing agreement with the EPRDF Government to exploit the Ogaden Basin and the "Gambella Block".[http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=14457]

I’m back

Hey friends,

I'm back I cannot really say I missed you guys because I was having a blast of course there was a case of diarrhea which I am slowly [painlessly] recovering from. But it the price you pay from traveling and seeing Ethiopia. My first stop was in Mekelle very cool place lots of pubs, friendly people, preety girls the only downside is I went there accompanying a football tem which we were thrashed 3-1 .  But we I'm not complaining because the bosses decided that there was a need to boost  morale so were went o Atse Yohhannes Hotel [a very cool hotel] dined and stayed form three more days you rememeber that I told you I went with a football team so drinking alcohol , smoking or even soft drinks were off limits. Me since my job was to observe and root for the team I would sneak out and party coming late inteh evening. Luckily form me I ran into friends tehre and one of them was chummy with the hotel manager so I was preety much tolerated next stop for us then was to Axum, Adowa, Dessie, Kombolcha and Debre Birhan. After this trip I was allowed to rest for two days and then got sent back this time to the east in Dire Dawa everything was cool I cannot say much because certain things are best not posted but it was really an experience, diarrhea caught up with me on my way back to Addis at Metahara