Monday, my first full day in Adola and my first day at work, did not involve much work or even much time at work.  I was given an induction as required by VSO.  That is to say I was taken on a tour of the college campus, the highlight being a rat running through the drains.  Then on into the town, partly to buy food, I didn’t have any, and partly to set about a few of the tasks needed when setting up a new place.

First stop was the post office and here I was fortunate to make a new friend; the postmaster of Adola, who most helpful in the setting up of a P.O. Box. Ethiopia does not deliver to the door, but relies instead on banks of lockable cubbyholes.  Large parcels are stored behind the counter, small parcels too for that matter.  Not much would fit in one of these little boxes.

The post office has already become, along with the wonderful Abera Hotel (see last post), one of my most visited spots in Adola.  I have not yet dared to peek into the box for fear of opening it and finding it empty, but have managed to make use of the Post office’s services to send a few letters, much to the surprise of the Vice-Dean- “Why don’t you just send an email?”

For those of you who appreciate the merits of more traditional methods of communication here is my address:

P.O.Box 43
Adola/Kibre Mengist Post Office
Oromia
Ethiopia

The postmaster, however, always seems pleased to have me visit and is already ready with a warm welcome and a friendly smile as well as an attempt to teach me a few Amharic phrases.  Each time I entrust my post to him and he somehow manages to attach the plethora of stamps required to send the letter.

Send something!  When I finally check I want the box to be positively overflowing, after all this service is costing me over £2/ year.

The second stop was the shops and I loaded up my bag with items I had failed to purchase in Addis Ababa.  All this was done with the help and negotiating skills of the Vice-Dean.  I am not convinced that he helped me to make a big saving, but he certainly did a better job than I could have done.

The final stop, not including coffee breaks, was at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.  As instructed by VSO I ventured in to open a bank account.  This was after having to leave my bag stuffed with all kinds of goodies with the armed guard at the door.  At least it was well protected.

We had been told during our orientation that all we needed was our VSO card and two passport photos.  Now, I don’t know if it was something to do with the status of my companion, the Vice-Dean (the college seems to have a lot of clout around town), or the fact that I had a copy of my passport with me, but the process seemed much smoother than the experiences of other volunteers.  VSO take heed, the VSO card was of no interest whatsoever to the bank, but the passport copy did seem sufficient.  However, when I attempted to ask about money being paid into the account, the worker at the bank seemed to misunderstand and thought I was talking about money from the UK.  This didn’t seem to be possible.

I have given the details to the VSO finance team and when the first allowance is due to be deposited I shall see if it actually arrives.  If you hear of a foreigner begging in the streets of Adola….send help.

At least I know the method: “You! You! Money!”