I’m in the last stages of an eight day gender workshop, attending rather than giving. It’s been given by a British Council consultant for all the curriculum panels (covering all the school subjects from kindergarten to secondary) plus teacher training, special needs, technical, and adult education. I started off thinking that maybe I’d covered all the material before in VSO briefings but it’s been really good in terms of considering and analysing how the curriculum material is presented. On the English panel we do give a lot of attention to how gender issues are portrayed, probably a lot more than is shown in some of the other subjects and it is a topic that really does need to be mainstreamed. A lot of girls drop out of education at an early age in Eritrea for a number of reasons - including early marriage, cultural pressure to work at home, and a lack of belief in the importance of education – and it is up to educationalists of all types, teachers, trainers, curriculum writers, to redress this balance. Students of both sexes need to be educated to believe in the right and worth of education for all. I’ve been really impressed by the involvement, contributions and work of everyone at the workshop. It will be a slow process (countries in the west still have a way to go) but I believe Eritrea will get there.
There is corn growing in the garden, well no cobs yet but the plants are coming on, the tallest is about a metre high. Cucumbers and melons aren’t doing so well but they need too much water. Looks like rain so that may help. Looking out at the clouds, I just saw two eagles swooping over, a wonderful sight.
C
Saturday 31 May 2008
Tuesday 27 May 2008
Beer and Football
Football
--------
It's possible to watch live English football in Asmara even if, like us, you don't own a television. It's shown at bars and cinemas - the problem comes when you're looking for coverage of a game which doesn't involve the "big four" (Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool in descending order of popularity).
For example the Champion's League final was available but not the FA cup final and (most definitely) not the most important game of the season - the league one playoff final between The Mighty Leeds and Doncaster Rovers (maybe missing that was a blessing, though).
Last Wednesday, for Man U vs Chelsea, the Cinema Roma was packed to the rafters and rocking even though the game didn't finish until gone half-past midnight Eri-time. Whooping, cheering, shirts coming off and people leaping in front of the screen when the goals went in. But ... no animosity between rival groups and no drunken behaviour. Of course the majority (just) of the people were pleased with the result ... for me, the final was my worst case scenario. Very difficult to pick whom I wanted to lose the most!
The combination of Saudi pictures and English commentary (resulting in a good 10 seconds out of synch action versus voice "Lampard turns, hits the crossbar" - when the ball's already up-field) didn't help much - but great fun all the same.
Beer
----
From talking to a guy who works for an Italian NGO with Eritrean Trade Unionists we now know exactly why there's no beer (it didn't make the hoped-for return over independence weekend) and, as we suspected, it's all due to record grain prices meaning that Eritrea can't afford to buy barley on world markets.
One thing this does show is that, whatever you want to say about the way Eritrea is run in its drive for self-reliance, it seems to have its priorities right, if beer and other grain-based alcohol are the first to go when prices rise, however much we volunteers may complain. The problem is that wheat and rice have to be purchased as well and bread and pasta have already partially disappeared though they can still be obtained at higher prices. So far, rice still seems to be readily available but how long will that situation last?
A note of disagreement with one former VSO volunteer, though - Justin Hill author of Ciao Asmara! who was here in the 90's and who (harshly in our opinion) described Asmara (formerly Melotti) beer as "the worst beer in the world" - well not when it's not there any more it's not!
P
--------
It's possible to watch live English football in Asmara even if, like us, you don't own a television. It's shown at bars and cinemas - the problem comes when you're looking for coverage of a game which doesn't involve the "big four" (Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool in descending order of popularity).
For example the Champion's League final was available but not the FA cup final and (most definitely) not the most important game of the season - the league one playoff final between The Mighty Leeds and Doncaster Rovers (maybe missing that was a blessing, though).
Last Wednesday, for Man U vs Chelsea, the Cinema Roma was packed to the rafters and rocking even though the game didn't finish until gone half-past midnight Eri-time. Whooping, cheering, shirts coming off and people leaping in front of the screen when the goals went in. But ... no animosity between rival groups and no drunken behaviour. Of course the majority (just) of the people were pleased with the result ... for me, the final was my worst case scenario. Very difficult to pick whom I wanted to lose the most!
The combination of Saudi pictures and English commentary (resulting in a good 10 seconds out of synch action versus voice "Lampard turns, hits the crossbar" - when the ball's already up-field) didn't help much - but great fun all the same.
Beer
----
From talking to a guy who works for an Italian NGO with Eritrean Trade Unionists we now know exactly why there's no beer (it didn't make the hoped-for return over independence weekend) and, as we suspected, it's all due to record grain prices meaning that Eritrea can't afford to buy barley on world markets.
One thing this does show is that, whatever you want to say about the way Eritrea is run in its drive for self-reliance, it seems to have its priorities right, if beer and other grain-based alcohol are the first to go when prices rise, however much we volunteers may complain. The problem is that wheat and rice have to be purchased as well and bread and pasta have already partially disappeared though they can still be obtained at higher prices. So far, rice still seems to be readily available but how long will that situation last?
A note of disagreement with one former VSO volunteer, though - Justin Hill author of Ciao Asmara! who was here in the 90's and who (harshly in our opinion) described Asmara (formerly Melotti) beer as "the worst beer in the world" - well not when it's not there any more it's not!
P
Friday 23 May 2008
Independence
It’s Friday of Independence week and holiday euphoria is definitely in the air. If anyone is thinking of coming to visit next year, this is one of the (many) good times to come (although I guess the downside is that it would be difficult to travel outside of Asmara). We were invited to a Ministry party last night as part of the Independence celebrations and afterwards we walked along Harnet Avenue and watched the parade, crowds of people (I’ve never seen so may people in Asmara), floats, dancers, lights and everyone so happy. Phil thinks he saw the President wandering in the crowds, I feel it may have been a look-a-like but Phil is good at spotting people so who knows. There’s more of the same tonight, this time with the addition of fireworks.
This has been Bethan’s (my VSO colleague in the office) last week at work (boo-hoo, I’m sorry to see her go, I’ll miss her, hooray,I can move onto her computer which has Internet access.) We all went out for a traditional goodbye meal with injeera and zigni and lots of good things on Tuesday. Drank mess, a traditional drink made with honey, similar to the Cornish mead. It’s a very good drink which unfortunately slips down a bit too easily.
C
This has been Bethan’s (my VSO colleague in the office) last week at work (boo-hoo, I’m sorry to see her go, I’ll miss her, hooray,I can move onto her computer which has Internet access.) We all went out for a traditional goodbye meal with injeera and zigni and lots of good things on Tuesday. Drank mess, a traditional drink made with honey, similar to the Cornish mead. It’s a very good drink which unfortunately slips down a bit too easily.
C
Saturday 17 May 2008
It’s Independence Day on May 24th, a week today, Saturday. This year it’s the 17th anniversary of the end of the thirty-year struggle against the neighbours. This weekend marks the start of a week of celebrations – floats and parades building up to a firework display next weekend. It also means a big security presence, the number of police with sticks, and soldiers with AK47 submachine guns, walking the streets has increased dramatically in the last couple of weeks. Phil came out of our front gate as we left for work last week and found himself looking down the barrel of a machine gun casually slung over the shoulder of a soldier chatting to his mate. Lot of the soldiers are only just out of boyhood, when you say good morning you get a cheery greeting and a big smile back, however I’m under no illusions, they mean business. Young Eritreans are constantly being stopped on the streets and their papers checked, and no travel permits (needed by foreigners to travel outside Asmara) are being issued until after Independence Day.
However there is talk of beer being stockpiled for next weekend. Could be a great party.
The wife of Serebe (one of my work colleagues) has just had her first baby (a boy). Serebe is euphoric about it. In keeping with tradition his wife has gone with the baby to live with her mother for a month where she will be fed porridge (an Eritrean variety, not quite as we know it) for 40 days. For a girl, it’s 80 days. It’s supposed to buils up your strength.
C
However there is talk of beer being stockpiled for next weekend. Could be a great party.
The wife of Serebe (one of my work colleagues) has just had her first baby (a boy). Serebe is euphoric about it. In keeping with tradition his wife has gone with the baby to live with her mother for a month where she will be fed porridge (an Eritrean variety, not quite as we know it) for 40 days. For a girl, it’s 80 days. It’s supposed to buils up your strength.
C
Saturday 10 May 2008
Una giornata italiana
The other day was an Italian day - a reminder of Eritrea's colonial past. On my way for the afternoon cappuccino e dolce I passed four really quite old men working on digging up the pavement, so preparing a "kemay we'elkum" (well you have to say hello to people in this town) I was a bit taken aback by the barrage of Italian "Buongiorno, parla italiano? Come si chiama?" this is from guys with hugely infectious smiles but hardly a tooth between them - "Mi chiamo Phil e non parlo bene italiano, sono inglese" my usual response to all that ... but it didn't deter them.
As I think we've said before children always want to practice a little bit of English with us even if it's only "Hi, how are you?". That same evening we were walking our usual route home across Avenue BDHO, weave a bit, turn right at the donkey track, pass near Alfa Romeo and the San Francesco church and on a bit - when there was a 'hi' from a small girl in a gateway just at the side of Den Den school. An old lady who was with her explained that the girl "parla un poquino inglese ma e alluna alla scuola italiana di Asmara". It really was an Italian day it seemed.
She then went on to tell us something of her own story delivered, a little surreally given she was in traditional dress, in fluent Italian. She explained that Asmara in the past was much more beautiful, that the schoolchildren were more polite (not sure how that could be, they seem so polite now) and that there was no crime (there's very little now compared to almost anywhere in the world). Also how she had lived in Rome for 30 years and now comes and goes from time to time, how she has had the same house in Asmara for 50 years and how Den Den school was once covered in marble (as Il Collegio La Salle) - it does have a rather unfinished air about now, so now I'm keen to know it's history.
And then ... the sad part - how one of her sons was killed in the war, how two (I think) were wounded, how one of then now lives in "Germania" as a member of Eritrea's diaspora. For all that history she still seemed very cheerful, and her story is common amongst older eritreans I'm told, furthermore we are invited for a coffee at her house "un giorno" - this will happen since we walk past her door four times a day and such invitations are meant.
P
As I think we've said before children always want to practice a little bit of English with us even if it's only "Hi, how are you?". That same evening we were walking our usual route home across Avenue BDHO, weave a bit, turn right at the donkey track, pass near Alfa Romeo and the San Francesco church and on a bit - when there was a 'hi' from a small girl in a gateway just at the side of Den Den school. An old lady who was with her explained that the girl "parla un poquino inglese ma e alluna alla scuola italiana di Asmara". It really was an Italian day it seemed.
She then went on to tell us something of her own story delivered, a little surreally given she was in traditional dress, in fluent Italian. She explained that Asmara in the past was much more beautiful, that the schoolchildren were more polite (not sure how that could be, they seem so polite now) and that there was no crime (there's very little now compared to almost anywhere in the world). Also how she had lived in Rome for 30 years and now comes and goes from time to time, how she has had the same house in Asmara for 50 years and how Den Den school was once covered in marble (as Il Collegio La Salle) - it does have a rather unfinished air about now, so now I'm keen to know it's history.
And then ... the sad part - how one of her sons was killed in the war, how two (I think) were wounded, how one of then now lives in "Germania" as a member of Eritrea's diaspora. For all that history she still seemed very cheerful, and her story is common amongst older eritreans I'm told, furthermore we are invited for a coffee at her house "un giorno" - this will happen since we walk past her door four times a day and such invitations are meant.
P
Friday 2 May 2008
bits
We’re still in the small rainy season, so named because the rain only happens every two to five days as opposed to the big rainy season in June and July when it’s daily. We’re told it’s been a good season this year, the rain has been heavy and has been around for the last month or so which is good news for the crops. My own crops consist of some popping corn kernels, and some cucumber and melon seeds donated by a friend, all planted in a corner of the garden. There’re lots of little green leaves sprouting but whether they’re corn, melons, cucumbers or weeds is anyone’s guess.
Food prices on the world markets seem to be reaching record levels. Pasta is the latest casualty here, doubtless due to rising wheat prices. I’ve been putting off getting a ration card (which allows you to buy staple foods like oil, rice, pasta … from government centres at reduced prices) on the basis that the majority of Eritreans have a much greater need of this then we do but it may come to it yet.
I’ve been editing some units from the Grade Four textbook before they go to be printed. One story in the unit entitled Safety tells of two children walking home from school who decide to take a different path to usual through the countryside. They come to a sign saying “Danger!” and warning of land mines. Sensibly they decide to retrace their steps and take their usual path. When children of eight or nine need to have warnings like this it’s a salutary lesson as to how good most children in the west have got it.
C
Food prices on the world markets seem to be reaching record levels. Pasta is the latest casualty here, doubtless due to rising wheat prices. I’ve been putting off getting a ration card (which allows you to buy staple foods like oil, rice, pasta … from government centres at reduced prices) on the basis that the majority of Eritreans have a much greater need of this then we do but it may come to it yet.
I’ve been editing some units from the Grade Four textbook before they go to be printed. One story in the unit entitled Safety tells of two children walking home from school who decide to take a different path to usual through the countryside. They come to a sign saying “Danger!” and warning of land mines. Sensibly they decide to retrace their steps and take their usual path. When children of eight or nine need to have warnings like this it’s a salutary lesson as to how good most children in the west have got it.
C
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