Happy New Year

The VSO party was held on Christmas eve and, despite minimal alcohol, went very well (secret santa, a Christmas quiz and carol singing being the highlights). On Christmas day itself about twenty of us went to the Albergo Italia, formerly the Keren Hotel, for a meal (not a traditional Christmas one but really good all the same).

On Boxing Day we headed out to spend a couple of nights in Massawa on Eritrea's Red Sea coast. We splashed out and hired a private minibus for our group of 10 (8 volunteers and two visitors) and we travelled via Filfil, Eritrea's cloud-forest area and most spectacular route.

Down at the coast it's much warmer than in Asmara just now, a very pleasant 30C, and we found the Red Sea easily warm enough to swim in and to snorkel around the small coral reefs adjacent to "Green Island" just off Massawa.

We also spent one evening eating fresh fish in the open air at the Salam Restaurant, Massawa. Selected individually, gutted, then cooked over an open fire before being served whole, the fish was absolutely delicious, although one of our number (who shall remain nameless) had to cover the eye of hers with a piece of bread before she could eat. For some reason the greater part of Massawa's cat population was in attendance at our table, all adding to the atmosphere.

We're getting close to the end of our first year in Asmara and, of course, it's nearly 2009 so all the best to everyone for the New Year and let's hope everyhing gets better in terms of the global economy.

For ourselves we don't really have much in the way of wishes for the New Year it's just that we hope to be able to continue here until the end of our respective placements (end of 2009 or early 2010) and after that who knows? It looks as if I may have to accept that there won't be another City of London job, so more volunteering / NGO work may be on the cards.

For Eritrea it's more difficult to express wishes for the New Year without overt criticism and that we're not going to do in accordance with our wish to remain here in 2009. So we'll just say that we hope for some reverse in the current downward trends, that we hope that Eritrea's youth will have more opportunity to use their education in their home country, that we hope that Eritrea's people will be allowed to follow their faith (no matter which one,) that we hope that there will be more freedom of expression allowed and we hope that everyone in the country will have enough to eat in 2009.

Rhus Hadish Amet!

P and C