Shopping/Walking Day

Scrumptious ferenji (Amharic, for foreigner) lunch with the newbies and the oldies.

Day 2 of the ICB. We met some of the volunteers. The volunteer committee, represented by Judy (Educ Policy, UK) , had a session with us.

It was shopping day for us as well. Judy and Francis (IT Advisor, Canada) took us shopping for supplies at the Shola (?) market, a good walk from the VSO-E country office. Shola (?) Market is not unlike some of our town markets back in the Philippines, with separate sections for the goods (this row for cutlery, that for textile, etc.), only way bigger.

Doodles from Judy's session.

Stuff here is expensive, the same China-made (or perhaps some are India-made) products easily cost 2-5 times more than back home. I needed clothes hangers, but they were too damn pricey. I ended up buying just some meters of rope (for hanging the mosquito nets). Oh well, Francis actually paid for it. (Salamat! His ethnicity is Filipino, though he's never been to the Philippines, I think. But, at first sight, he looked Nepalese, to me myself. Sorry, Francis.)

It was not market day, I guess. There were very few people around. So our little ferenji gaggle dazzled, thereby attracting a small group of mobile vendors plying their thingamabobs to us. It would've been nice to explore more (take pictures, especially) but we were too scared of pickpockets and what-not's.

After the short shopping excursion, there was more walking. (Oh man, surely, a prelude of things to come.) But we got to get a glimpse of the vicinity, as we took a different route going back. We passed by the area of the former VSO-E country office, even stopped for drinks at a nearby bar, former favorite hangout of volunteers. And guess what's it called? Pride Bar & Restaurant. (It would be funny and comforting! to know that the owner or he who name this fine establishment, was being ironic, considering homosexuality is taboo here, but I very much doubt that.)

It was really nice talking with the volunteers and hearing some of their experiences.

Keeping it real. Pride Bar & Restaurant. 

This would be Royal Tru Orange in the Philippines. Fanta products were phased out a long time ago.