The hiatus is over.
It's time for everyone's favorite blog segment...SPA farewells! I know, I know two weeks with no blog and then I open with the segment that I'm sure only I find interesting. Makes you wonder about our friendship, doesn't it? :)
Two weeks ago Ravi and Omondi left ATA. Ravi was the Seeds SPA and sat across from me. His departure has led to a significant decrease in the sarcastic humor between our desks. Omondi was the Program Manager for the Value Chains teams. As Omondi came only a couple weeks after Sid and left a couple months after him, Omondi might be the longest tenured SPA to ever be at ATA.
Ravi at Family Restaurant (ain't no Mexican food like Addis Mexican food).
Omondi cornered for a picture at ATA.
Both Ravi and Omondi are staying in Ethiopia (which is uncommon for former SPAs). Ravi is going to keep working in development, and Omondi is going to work for Diageo (a beer company). Ravi wins!
Last week, Nicky (the Markets SPA) also left. Nicky is frequently the "life of the party" in Addis, so she will be sorely missed.
It's possible that Thursday night (after Nicky's last day), there was a karaoke party at the Korean restaurant...possible.
I was so upset about Ravi and Omondi leaving that I went to Lalibela and Bahir Dar so as to miss their farewells. Either that or it was because my sister Emma came to visit. Unclear.
That's got to be another post because I forgot (even in my last post) to wish you all a Happy Ethiopian New Year. Happy 2006! That's right, the Ethiopian calendar is about 7.7 years behind, so if you made any major mistakes in 2006, come visit me and redo the year.
ATA had a little celebration in the office.
Coffee ceremony. Coffee's big in Ethiopia, and...yeah, that's really all I know about coffee.
Names were drawn for the traditional gifts...
...which turned out to be food ingredients (potatoes, eggs, onions, etc.). My buddy Esayas got a bottle of wine, and Ravi got a chicken. And lest you think that's just a picture of a chicken, there was a real one outside to accompany it. Apparently the office building didn't want the chickens and goat in the building (for some strange reason). Given Ravi's a vegetarian, he traded with Tefera, who won the eggs.
Some of the women in the office dressed up in traditional dress and sang (major props to Nicky for fully participating and Jenn for partly participating).
It's time for everyone's favorite blog segment...SPA farewells! I know, I know two weeks with no blog and then I open with the segment that I'm sure only I find interesting. Makes you wonder about our friendship, doesn't it? :)
Two weeks ago Ravi and Omondi left ATA. Ravi was the Seeds SPA and sat across from me. His departure has led to a significant decrease in the sarcastic humor between our desks. Omondi was the Program Manager for the Value Chains teams. As Omondi came only a couple weeks after Sid and left a couple months after him, Omondi might be the longest tenured SPA to ever be at ATA.
Ravi at Family Restaurant (ain't no Mexican food like Addis Mexican food).
Omondi cornered for a picture at ATA.
Both Ravi and Omondi are staying in Ethiopia (which is uncommon for former SPAs). Ravi is going to keep working in development, and Omondi is going to work for Diageo (a beer company). Ravi wins!
Last week, Nicky (the Markets SPA) also left. Nicky is frequently the "life of the party" in Addis, so she will be sorely missed.
I was so upset about Ravi and Omondi leaving that I went to Lalibela and Bahir Dar so as to miss their farewells. Either that or it was because my sister Emma came to visit. Unclear.
That's got to be another post because I forgot (even in my last post) to wish you all a Happy Ethiopian New Year. Happy 2006! That's right, the Ethiopian calendar is about 7.7 years behind, so if you made any major mistakes in 2006, come visit me and redo the year.
ATA had a little celebration in the office.
Coffee ceremony. Coffee's big in Ethiopia, and...yeah, that's really all I know about coffee.
Fitsum, our new director of administration, led the festivities.
Names were drawn for the traditional gifts...
...which turned out to be food ingredients (potatoes, eggs, onions, etc.). My buddy Esayas got a bottle of wine, and Ravi got a chicken. And lest you think that's just a picture of a chicken, there was a real one outside to accompany it. Apparently the office building didn't want the chickens and goat in the building (for some strange reason). Given Ravi's a vegetarian, he traded with Tefera, who won the eggs.
Some of the women in the office dressed up in traditional dress and sang (major props to Nicky for fully participating and Jenn for partly participating).
Most important part of the New Year's celebration (by far) is that yellow package.
"What is that?" you ask.
It's a gigantic loaf of bread! Bread, bread, bread, bread! I love bread! Both of us couldn't co-exist in that room for more than a few minutes...I won.