The noises in the roof

My worst fears confirmed this morning regarding the noises I had been hearing in the roof at night.
In the bathroom my bar of soap had large gnaw marks on it and next to it was an unmistakable rat dropping.

I'm pretty live and let live about these things and was fully aware that there would be rats around but I'm not prepared to live with them in the house! After much frantic signing and failing to communicate ( although I learnt that Amharic for rat is ayitt) I managed to find a shop selling rat poison. Now the roof space is well baited I'm hoping the current noises above are rodent death throws. Sadly more humane methods, I'd prefer traps, were not forthcoming and I'm afraid I've had to throw my principles out with the soap!

In happier news that is only exciting to me today I managed to buy a fridge after persuading the shopkeeper that I was not going to pay the ferenji price of double the sticker. It is now humming away reassuringly, inside are a few bottles of water and a St George's beer to take my mind off the rats (I fear the singular is unlikely).

On Friday I had a brief look around the hospital and met many of those I will be working with. That deserves more than this quick update.

Bahar Dar

Today I said goodbye to the red cross centre that has been my home for the last 11 days. It's been useful and fun, I've met a lot of great people but I was starting to feel institutionalised and am glad to move on. Addis is an exciting town but I was also keen to leave the dust and smog behind.

After getting up at the unreasonable hour of 4:30am we were driven to the airport with a ludicrous amount of luggage. To add to me 2 large bags I had acquired a huge box from VSO full of vital equipment such as water filters, electric cooking plate and a paraffin burner. After manhandling everything to check in I was a mere 40kg over my limit, no Ryanair like excess fees though - an entirely reasonable 240birr (just under £10).

Bahar Dar is set on the southern shore of Lake Tana, a vast freshwater lake in the north of the country and is one of Ethiopia's most pleasant cities. We were met at the airport by the vice-dean of the medical school and given a quick tour. We stopped for coffee in a lovely hotel on the lake and were surrounded by weaver birds and parrots in the trees.

I have a huge house all to myself with an entirely empty spare room (perfect for visiting guests) and a small garden complete with banana and papaya bushes. It could do with a spring clean and the plumbing needs some TLC but I'm happy and it's great to finally unpack. Tomorrow Ruth (a consultant obstetrician) and I visit the hospital...

More photos - training in Addis and new house

Tena yisTilign

Time for a first blog update. I'm not labouring under the misapprehension that I have anything interesting to say or that I can write well so updates may be sparse to none existent.

I've been in Addis now for just over a week and I depart for Bahir Dar in 3 days time.

We have been staying in comfortable seclusion at the red cross training centre. Each day has been packed with a combination of adminstrativa, political and cultural education on Ethiopia and Amharic language training. The latter is brining back bad memories of high school French lessons, only more so. So far I can (just about) count to 100, buy fruit and vegetables, order at a restaurant and talk about my family. Hopefully tomorrow we won't be learning to talk about what we did during our summer holiday!

One of the most bizarre experiences was a trip to a private clinic to get a mandatory health check in order to be licensed by the ministry of health. After a cursory but friendly once over from the doctor I emerged clutching a sheaf of coloured pieces of paper for tests which to my surprise included an ECG, CXR, fasting lipids and ESR. Some might say this was a bit over thorough (cynics may have other explanations).

The weather in Addis reminds me very much of home, cool and rainy with lots of clouds. There are even beautiful roses growing in the garden here, not something I expected so close to the equator! Only during brief breaks in the cloud cover does the strong sun remind you that you are in Africa.

This week I've also been reacquainted with two old friends. It was lovely to catch up with Million who was a schoolboy in Gondar when I last met him, now he has graduated university and works for a tour company in Addis. My other, not quite so positive, reunion has been with injera, the staple carbohydrate in Ethiopia. Made from teff, a local grain, it resembles an old grey flannel or pancake, has the texture of a crumpet and a vinegary taste not unlike sour dough bread or perhaps spoiled milk.

It's been a busy and very useful week but it has also at times left me feeling a bit like I'm imprisoned behind a bubble with only brief glimpses of the real Ethiopia. I'm looking forward to heading off and starting my placement. Next stop: Lake Tana.