Bon Appetite

The closest i have to a routine in Addis are my Saturdays. I go into work around 9 and work through to lunchtime. Ms J is equally as passionate about education as i am, and she often brings her two lovely youngest daughters to school to hang, and if very lucky, they can surf The Net.

Quality English friends, Rob and Anna come by the school and its time for lunch.

Addis has a wide selection of quality and international restaurants dotted around the city, and each week, we take turns in selecting different mid-price venues. I am putting together a good restaurant guide of the city for the visiting gastronome.

The last two Sundays however, Addis has been enjoying two international food fairs and i’ve been woofing down delights from India, Greece, Turkey, Austria, Indonesia and Thai.

The Taste of Addis last week is held every six months. Set in the beautiful gardens behind Paradise the place is packed over the course of the weekend, with local entertainment including live music, dancing and acrobats.

hula-hoop girl

The swanky Diplomatic Bizarre is annually held at Millennium Plaza in Bole. Addis is home to the African union and there are some 125 consulates and embassies in the city. This a gathering for the Addis elite and not surprisingly there are plenty of my kids walking around with their parents. 

There are plenty of stalls to purchase food and handicrafts, but everything is expensive and seriously overpriced. I resist the textiles (Birr 300 – Birr 750) despite my desire to cover the vomit-inducing settees, but i simply can’t resist the Parmesan and Swiss chocolates.

Entertainment is provided by local Addis artists including Hanni, Kenny Allen and Vahe. Ms J’s oldest, Jason, is a radio DJ at Afro AM – Addis’ only English radio station knows all these guys, and they all know Ms J, and i get personal introductions to almost all.