So, almost a year after I applied for the job, I started in my new position as an Econimic/Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Exciting beyond words…
I will have to be a bit more careful aout what I post, though (ahem…)…
The wait is over…
Yes – after almost exactly 11 months, I was finally notified I am able to start my new job under the Expanded Professional Associates Program (EPAP). Let me just summarize the stages I went through to get there (and how long it took):
I am very, very happy that this process is over. A huge amount of people helped in the process (will not mention them here, but will thank them personally when I get the chance!)
Conclusion:
Hear ye, EFMs – definitely go after EPAP jobs, they are worth it (I am fairly certain my will be). Be ready for the long haul and the many steps it takes, though…
Some things do change with the New Year – Bambis has milk at the start of 2012! Nicely done folks. (FYI – Novis has no milk, didn’t check the others…)
In the latest shipment from Dubai we received a bit of a surprise. Two prongs: the “long-life” milk has about a month more to “live”, instead of the expected six months. Why would you even ship something with 6 weeks to go? Gimme a break…
What’s more – it is made out of cow milk “powder”, not out of actual milk. I understand a lot of folks like and use it, but we did not plan to buy or use powdered milk – there’s plenty of it here right now!
Luckily, the good folks from the AMCOM will take it off our hands, just in time before it goes. Good save, for sure!
In any case, I’ll certainly check the expiry date and origin of the milk before we buy next time…
So far the best pizza we’ve had in AA is… Metro Pizza in Old Airport. My personal favorite is the four seasons one (which has nothing to do with any other four seasons I’ve ever had anywhere…).
The place inside is as uninviting as most in AA – old rocky tables, simple steel chairs, you can almost miss the place because the entrance is not clearly marked. But the pizza is good, and certainly the best I’ve had so far in AA. Island Breeze was good too, but I had it a while back, so I’ve forgotten the taste…
Other favorites are the margheritta and the same, just with onions and red/yellow/green pepper slices…
Final score – Metro Pizza vs. Abu Goben = 4:1
As I wrote a few weeks ago here, Bambi’s did not have any milk then, which was a total shock for me. Today was the first time I’ve went there since then.
Guess what? Still no milk! I mean, I don’t need to drive all the way there and back for a few kgs of flour…
The star of the show – everyone loved the pumpkin soup. Mark Bittman and his “How to cook everything vegetarian” is da bomb!
Also, our cook/nanny is a one-to-two star chef, so that had a little something to do with it… All told, very good times… Looking forward to the next!
I’ve thought about this a few times so far – why is no-one commenting on any of my posts? Well, today I know – in the settings, I have asked people to register, plus I have retained the rights to moderate the posts.
Gee, I wonder why…
I decided to practice my serve (I know, I’m so bad it’s getting kinda annoying) at ICS Addis Ababa this morning, after dropping the kids off. The coach told me PE would have the courts in a short while but I decided I had enough time for a short practice.
As I was getting into the swing of things, I noticed a sound coming from the speakers, but didn’t think too much of it. There was an announcement in English (totally didn’t pay any attention), then in Amharic.
Then came the beeping sounds again! At this point, I noticed the courts next to me clearing and the people leaving for the exit (light-bulb moment coming… there it is…).
Me gets it man – fire drill is ON! Everyone gathered at the meeting point, and I mean EVERYONE… It was a fairly orderly gathering, everyone being very quiet and following the instructions from their teachers.
And then, one more sound, this time a fire truck siren. It went around the campus and came into the school. And then came the announcement that it was done. Nicely done, Mr. Principal!
It’s good to know they are taking the drills seriously at the school – makes me like it even more!
So, I tried to match up and see what is the difference in speed from the official meter in the EVDO modem application and the actual speed shown by a trusted app like Facebook.
The difference? A whopping 89% (156.58KB vs. 14.14KB). Screenshot below…
Actual vs. official internet speed in Addis Ababa
Who said what when