Last weekend, as Caroline has already described, we headed down to the coast to the port of Massawa on the Red Sea and then to Gergusum, a beach hotel nearby to try and relax in the infernal heat.
It’s difficult to know how to describe the Old Town which occupies a small island. It looks like what I might imagine an old Arabian port to be but a lot of its buildings were rebuilt by the Italians after a devastating earthquake in 1921. Wile Asmara, with its Italian art-deco glories which are now decaying slowly for lack of investment, avoided war damage Massawa took it in the neck in 1990, during the struggle, and is now almost a ghost city.
I have previously referred to the over-use of the phrase "war-torn" when the media mentions Eritrea, well for Massawa it is appropriate though the use of photos of the city (a barefoot child alongside a devastated building is the usual one) to illustrate current articles is perhaps out of place since Massawa's wounds are old ones.
Incredibly, amongst the ruins, people live a precarious existence with structural collapse never far away. The guidebook we have refers to a couple of wooden structures, a famous balcony and the remains of the canopy from a covered walkway in the bazaar section both of which now seem to have gone. We hope temporarily but, in the case of the former, there seemed to be a lot of old wood piled up behind the building. Given that Eritrea is one of the world's poorest countries it seems that Massawa will never be rebuilt and, like Asmara, its destiny will be to rot away though from a very different starting place.
P
Thursday 31 July 2008
Monday 28 July 2008
A Weekend Away
Just back from a long weekend in Massawa, one of Eritrea’s 2 main ports and beach resorts. Spent a day in the war-ravaged old town, beautiful and tragic at the same time. More of this from Phil later. And a hedonistic day at the beach. Water was an incredible temperature, not just warm, it was hot. Unlike an English beach where the sea is usually an occasion for a quick swim to keep warm and then out, the Red Sea provided the backdrop for social gatherings, Everywhere you looked around you in the water, people were meeting up, shaking hands, and conversing. The hum of conversation was everywhere. The beach was pretty empty, much too hot to stay there (apart from for the camels, which replaced donkeys as the seaside ride of choice) and we spent our day eating drinking, frolicking in the waves and reading.
Talked to lots of Eritrean families from overseas, we were surrounded by American, Swedish and North London accents which we still haven’t got used to and made several new friends. Up early yesterday (Sunday) and were on the 6.20 bus back to Asmara and rain.
C
Talked to lots of Eritrean families from overseas, we were surrounded by American, Swedish and North London accents which we still haven’t got used to and made several new friends. Up early yesterday (Sunday) and were on the 6.20 bus back to Asmara and rain.
C
Monday 21 July 2008
Feeling better
Feeling a lot better today. The black bird has moved away. All part of the the culture adjustment process I'm sure. Thank you for your support.
C
C
Saturday 19 July 2008
ICT Training
I have just come to the end of my first two weeks of ICT training; we taught level 3 of a training program largely initiated by one of my predecessors (Tim Wehrle) and it seemed to be a mainly positive time.
Mostly the training was well received (we will need to make some changes where the course content seemed too diffcult) and my Eritrean teaching colleagues presented most of the course, which seems quite sustainable to me. The format included a lot of hands-on lab work which allowed me to remain fully involved despite my lack of local language and, as I knew, I need to work on my computer hardware knowledge!
The problem for some of the teachers is that they go back to schools which have no computers (and no electricity in some cases - the Solar Power packs are eagerly awaited!) - but the commitment seems to be there to keep investing time and effort in learning computer skills.
P
Mostly the training was well received (we will need to make some changes where the course content seemed too diffcult) and my Eritrean teaching colleagues presented most of the course, which seems quite sustainable to me. The format included a lot of hands-on lab work which allowed me to remain fully involved despite my lack of local language and, as I knew, I need to work on my computer hardware knowledge!
The problem for some of the teachers is that they go back to schools which have no computers (and no electricity in some cases - the Solar Power packs are eagerly awaited!) - but the commitment seems to be there to keep investing time and effort in learning computer skills.
P
Friday 18 July 2008
Rainy Season Blues
I’m feeling a bit down at the moment, maybe it’s the grey skies and rain although I do try to join in the general happiness at the sight of rain. I’m also starting to question just how much difference we (volunteers) can make. All the Eritreans I speak to seem very pessimistic about the future and the longer I’m here the more I agree with them. And we’ve got it easy in comparison.
Having spent four weeks in almost daily trips to the M of Ed., our employers, we’ve been allocated a bottle of gas. Bureaucracy rules here. Suffice it to say that even the Indian teachers here (of whom there are many) complain of it. It’s been a hard slog but worth it to be able to cook again. Stupidly we hadn’t got our ration cards sorted so weren’t able to get any kerosene when it made a brief appearance at the gas stations last week.
Four more vols leaving in the next week, two for ever, two going home for the hols. We’re looking forward to meeting the new volunteers coming in September, there’s fourteen on the list of being offered placements but so far only four have accepted. Don’t let me put you off with my moaning, I’m a slightly depressive sort of person, we’d love to have you here and I promise to be more up-beat when I meet you.
C
Having spent four weeks in almost daily trips to the M of Ed., our employers, we’ve been allocated a bottle of gas. Bureaucracy rules here. Suffice it to say that even the Indian teachers here (of whom there are many) complain of it. It’s been a hard slog but worth it to be able to cook again. Stupidly we hadn’t got our ration cards sorted so weren’t able to get any kerosene when it made a brief appearance at the gas stations last week.
Four more vols leaving in the next week, two for ever, two going home for the hols. We’re looking forward to meeting the new volunteers coming in September, there’s fourteen on the list of being offered placements but so far only four have accepted. Don’t let me put you off with my moaning, I’m a slightly depressive sort of person, we’d love to have you here and I promise to be more up-beat when I meet you.
C
Saturday 12 July 2008
Another Saturday in Asmara
The big rainy season is here and it’s wet. There’s a huge difference in temperature as soon as the sun goes, due to the altitude I guess. I’m wearing fleeces and a jacket and it’s supposed to be the middle of summer in Africa.
Beles everywhere.
Not many other vols around, most of them were working in or with schools and have come to the end of their postings. They’ve either gone back to the UK for good or for a two month break. Phil and I continue to work!
C
Beles everywhere.
Not many other vols around, most of them were working in or with schools and have come to the end of their postings. They’ve either gone back to the UK for good or for a two month break. Phil and I continue to work!
C
Saturday 5 July 2008
More about global economics
An article from this week's Guardian prompts more naive analysis of what's going on. According to a leaked World Bank report it appears that I was wrong to give the turning over of agricultural land to the production of biofuels such a minor role in the current world food crisis it seems that it's responsible for a 75% increase in food staple prices since 2002. Remember this has a real and immediate impact on African countries which have no economic safety buffer - should biofuels lose their "sustainable source" label?
So what to do about it? At a simplistic level it seems to me that the economic model espoused by the US and it's economic followers is premised on growth ... forever. But agricultural land, fossil fuels and potable water are finite and, as more countries develop, there is more pressure on them and we seem to have reached some sort of turning point.
Eritrea, along with other African nations, is feeling the effects right now with shortages in fuel, bread, milk and (perhaps less importantly) beer ingredients already evident. The developed countries will hardly suffer in comparison.
But really is it not time for developed countries to feel a prolonged and deep recession? Is it not logical that development on the one hand must be matched by shrinkage on the other (given limited resources) if we are to achieve a more equitable balance?
To change the subject we now have more photos on the albums site – please take a look!
P
So what to do about it? At a simplistic level it seems to me that the economic model espoused by the US and it's economic followers is premised on growth ... forever. But agricultural land, fossil fuels and potable water are finite and, as more countries develop, there is more pressure on them and we seem to have reached some sort of turning point.
Eritrea, along with other African nations, is feeling the effects right now with shortages in fuel, bread, milk and (perhaps less importantly) beer ingredients already evident. The developed countries will hardly suffer in comparison.
But really is it not time for developed countries to feel a prolonged and deep recession? Is it not logical that development on the one hand must be matched by shrinkage on the other (given limited resources) if we are to achieve a more equitable balance?
To change the subject we now have more photos on the albums site – please take a look!
P
The beles are in town, in more ways than one.
Beles is the Eritrean (Tygrinya I think but I’m not sure) word for prickly pears. They come into season for a short time in the summer and have suddenly appeared in piles on every street corner. Often on all 4 corners of an intersection. You can’t move for beles. For 50 santeems your beles will have the top chopped off and be peeled and held out to you, often by a small child, and it’s absolutely delicious. Sweet, juicy and just what you need on a hot walk back to work.
However beles is also the word Eritreans use for members of the diaspora, returning for a visit to friends and family for a short time in the summer. I can’t vouch for them being sweet and juicy but there does seem to be a lot of them and I guess they will only be around for a short time. Judging by their accents a lot have come from North America. They bring a much-needed source of revenue into the country.
Although as one of my Eritrean colleagues remarked yesterday, the money is no good if there’s no availability and there certainly isn’t much availability here. She’s recently returned from her first visit to England (working) and was recounting her amazement at the abundance of foodstuffs available. And we’re not talking luxury items here, she has two very young children and talked about wishing she could have set up a pipe line to send milk and bread back to them. Apart from the milk and bread shortage, there now seems to be an acute shortage of cooking fuel, there’s no gas, kerosene or charcoal to be had. Our gas cylinder will run out this weekend and that will mean no more cooking until supplies become available. Rumour has it that supplies are being stockpiled but who knows.
C
Beles is the Eritrean (Tygrinya I think but I’m not sure) word for prickly pears. They come into season for a short time in the summer and have suddenly appeared in piles on every street corner. Often on all 4 corners of an intersection. You can’t move for beles. For 50 santeems your beles will have the top chopped off and be peeled and held out to you, often by a small child, and it’s absolutely delicious. Sweet, juicy and just what you need on a hot walk back to work.
However beles is also the word Eritreans use for members of the diaspora, returning for a visit to friends and family for a short time in the summer. I can’t vouch for them being sweet and juicy but there does seem to be a lot of them and I guess they will only be around for a short time. Judging by their accents a lot have come from North America. They bring a much-needed source of revenue into the country.
Although as one of my Eritrean colleagues remarked yesterday, the money is no good if there’s no availability and there certainly isn’t much availability here. She’s recently returned from her first visit to England (working) and was recounting her amazement at the abundance of foodstuffs available. And we’re not talking luxury items here, she has two very young children and talked about wishing she could have set up a pipe line to send milk and bread back to them. Apart from the milk and bread shortage, there now seems to be an acute shortage of cooking fuel, there’s no gas, kerosene or charcoal to be had. Our gas cylinder will run out this weekend and that will mean no more cooking until supplies become available. Rumour has it that supplies are being stockpiled but who knows.
C
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