In mid-February 2017 I was officially invited to attend a workshop outside of my country. When I was informed of this I had to consider a few things.
1. Passport
Last time, my friend Lemma was astonished when I told him that I had a passport. Because, I think, you know, I told him that I was once a shepherd. How could he believe that I think of flying – a hick - at least in the way he thinks of me. It was because of my intention to work in Saudi as an English teacher (Don’t confuse it with cheater!) that I had to have a passport, a 600 ETB worth vital belonging! You should be told that the Immigration office in Addis is one of the busiest places. It is a route out of poverty as millions wish to get the hell out of this place!
1. Passport
Last time, my friend Lemma was astonished when I told him that I had a passport. Because, I think, you know, I told him that I was once a shepherd. How could he believe that I think of flying – a hick - at least in the way he thinks of me. It was because of my intention to work in Saudi as an English teacher (Don’t confuse it with cheater!) that I had to have a passport, a 600 ETB worth vital belonging! You should be told that the Immigration office in Addis is one of the busiest places. It is a route out of poverty as millions wish to get the hell out of this place!
2. Visa and Vaccination
These things are what I have to fulfill before I fly. I thought one could feel ill after a vaccination since they give you a germ in small amount. Visa could be accessed by going to the embassy. Do I have to wear professionally?
3. The Travel or the Workshop?
3. The Travel or the Workshop?
I was equally interested in the workshop as I am in the experience of going out of my country.
4. Closed Doors
4. Closed Doors
For most of Ethiopians, the country’s doors to the outside world are almost locked. Friends and acquaintances of mine from other African countries keep telling me that they easily move around the world quite often. Here, we, the common people, are kept aloof from hard currency, flying, meeting foreigners, and everything foreign except for Chinese rubbish. We cannot even purchase online. Cars are very expensive! It is really like living in another planet! I know that this affects us immensely. In case they come to read this account, I’ve a dire warning – woe betide you unless you open the doors wide! We shall grow more savage and eat each other up!
5. Xenophobia
5. Xenophobia
African Immigrants in South Africa are subject to xenophobic attacks this time around. I am worrying if this would affect my travel. They may think that I am an immigrant. My first ever international travel should not be jeopardized by the ignorance such as this!
pic. Inside teh National Bank of Ethiopia
6. My Frequent Facebook Posts
6. My Frequent Facebook Posts
After I posted the above stuff on my facebook wall, I kept updating my status with the following afterthoughts from my smartphone:
Afterthought 1:
The Embassy of South Africa in Ethiopia is near my favorite former work place, Yeneta Academy. Things changed a lot there. At Tele, near Mechare Meda, a statue has been built for Mr. Karl, the famous Swiss, known for his charitable deeds in Ethiopia. This place is one of the best residential areas for rich people. You may think that you are in another country! But, believe me, you are still in Ethiopia. When you see white people taking their children to school, your suspicion could grow, yet it is because the International Community School is there. There are minor changes in my life after ten years of teaching. Anyhow, I completed my yellow fever vaccination at Tikur Anbessa. I hope I will finish the first phase of my application early. Just for a two-day workshop my host paid a lot of money for me. Thanks!
Afterthought 2:
The current children of Africa have the founding mothers at SAIDE, the South African Institute for Distance Education, and people like me who work for the accomplishment of the vision set. Our work is mostly digital telling of stories. Decades ago our teachers toiled for our success under a totally different setting. Thank you all teachers and staff of Sasit School. To mention few: Seble Ashebir, Tenaye Shibeshi (RIP), Anchihugn, Tadese, Abera, Dubale, Yesuf, Mamush, Begashaw, Engidawork Eshete, Getahun, Kefelegn, Dereje, Mariye, Fikru, Dinberu, Abebe Tekle, Tsige, Haileyes, Addisu (RIP), Enku, Debritu, Niguse Biftu ...
Afterthought 3:
I was told to come today when I applied for visa yesterday. I didn’t fulfill all the requirements. The day was lost because I didn't receive the hotel reservation letter from Johannesburg. This morning I walked around Bisrte Gebriel for around 30 minutes in search of a black pen. I knew there were no shops in this neighborhood to buy pens. A black pen which the embassy requires to fill forms in is most often rare. After I got the pen, in the embassy grounds I had to wait for two solid hours. How is the resource of time wasted as such! Just two days wasted so far for a two-day workshop. I met an Indian professor of Mechanical Engineering who has been teaching at Jimma for 17 years. He is a visiting professor including in South Africa and Europe. He has travelled to more than 30 countries. How can one of us compare himself with him!
Afterthought 4:
I met my younger brother, Abush, a third year geology major at AAU. He told me how education is tight there. His looks testify that. Among 40 fresh physics majors, only 12 registered for second semester, while the others failed. Statistics majors lag years behind to graduate. One student spent 11 years to score a pass mark in one course. One teacher is the cause for this - the course is his property and he was the ghost between bread and that student for 11 years. Abush told me that only professors and doctors teach him. Masters holders are there just to serve the doctors. Field researches and trips are common there, so my bro spent time in and around Dejen and Adama. I wish him all the best!
Afterthought 5:
I have been wasting my time in the capital yesterday and today. The embassy officials gave me an appointment for yesterday, the 13th, and I came to Addis from my home in Debre Bihan, a two-hour drive. I came but they told me to come today to take my passport. I came, yet they extended the appointment again. Do I have to wait more? No. I will call them another day and come. All in all, so far this embassy killed my four days. Money, confidence and much more I lost. Alas!
Afterthought 6:
Pilgrimage coordinators filled the city with their notices. The fashion of the day - buildings are popping up everywhere. Dozens of people were waiting impatiently at the embassy. Regarding the costs I incur in Addis, I can't collect every voucher, since, at least it is shameful to me to claim refund from SAIDE for every meal I had. Almost I incurred a hundred Birr per meal since they don't even serve water with the meal – they sell you. Bedroom costs 250 Birr to the least. I had to withdraw 1000 Birr a day from the bank because I also buy items I see in stores. My university work is in jeopardy since there were mandatory meetings I had to attend. On the other hand, staying in Addis is really tiresome. I have to pass various places and walk long distances in chaos. It takes a long time to go from one place to another because of the congestion. Often I stay just around the embassy not to miss my appointment for transportation inconveniences. I can't read because there is no mental readiness. I saw an Indian reading a big book on embassy grounds. Regarding the time I’m killing, I just remember a quote from local taxis, which literally can be translated as, "Don't keep worrying for three solid days just to live one day." This is what I am just feeling now – for a two-day workshop I am losing a week! The quote sums up my situation. How is the situation of processing international travel where you are - visa, vaccination, transiting, accessing hard currency etc?
7. The Waiting Days
On Monday, Mar 20, 2017, a day before my scheduled flight, I had to go to Addis to check whether the embassy issues me the visa.
I was ready on the eve of this travel day. At home in Debre Birhan I woke up at 6:45 AM, bathed and headed to the bus station. I met Addisu and Hana there. Addisu, my friend, colleague and PhD candidate, was on his way to AAU thinking that his professor may start class that day since the national university meeting may be over then. Hana, who worked hard as an Amharic teacher at Melikt academy for a few years, got a job at the Management Institute. Luckily she has joined Coca Cola as a promotion expert. Even she didn’t work for six months at the Institute. Beauty is as such important if mixed with skills. All of us were talking about the danger of traveling by minibuses in Ethiopia these days since we saw accidents on the road among others a car owned by the university we work in.
We dispersed to the places where we would go and I headed to the embassy area. I went to a café and had breakfast and coffee. Then I went to an internet café. After that I came to Yeder Lounge, opposite the embassy. Cars flock. Massage rooms, the Chinese Consulate, Supermarkets, the Austrian Embassy – attractive places invaded the area. A cyclist and her trainer were there. I talked to them to find out some information. They were talking in Tigrinya, yet I had to interrupt and ask them in Amharic. My intention was to find out about the procedure if things failed. I succeeded. The woman coach of cyclists told me she asked for their passports back if they do not give them on time for the training and competitions, yet the embassy woman threw it and the couch had to beg her again. They were asked to bring the profile or proof of other cyclists who went to South Africa and came back. They told me that their training and competition time has already passed.
African Union and South African flags were waving outside the compound of the embassy, which, I guess, might be around 3000 square meters. They have a three storey building.
Somali refugees are everywhere in embassies, however, they are rare here. At the gate the guards kept my laptop. We went in and started to wait for the officials to talk to us. I didn’t’ hear the names they called well as the women who sat beside me were talking. I waited. We waited for more than an hour. Some people were called and they were told that they were rejected. Bank statement is one of the reasons why they are rejected.
“You deposited money at bank recently for visa purpose only, so you are rejected.
What about the money I paid for visa?
It is already deposited in the government’s account.
Which government? What sort of thieves are you?”
A UNISA student was asking that his air ticket has been extended once and he is required again to pay 100 Dollars fine for extension.
“We didn’t tell you to buy a ticket; booking only. Don’t buy ticket before you make sure that you get visa.”
I noticed how people try to go out of their country aspiring to try another angle of life. The embassy requires money deposited before three months to make sure that you will come back to your country. I was not required because I brought a letter from the university.
Finally, I asked the woman working there what happened with my visa. She said she knows nothing. I asked if I could get my passport without visa. She said I could come the next day. I told her the situation I was in and I expressed my desire to go back to Debre Birhan on that very day. She told me to come at 4:00 PM on the same day. I was about to go out of that place when an idea stroke my mind, “How would she know my name? Let me tell her!” I went back and told her my name. Immediately she remembered that my visa was ready and she gave me. I felt happy. I discovered that applying early for visa is a must. Other embassies interview, yet here we were not interviewed. I wished all the other guys seeking visa at the embassy all the best and started to fulfill the next steps.
