I ate lunch with Semira, Tahra, and Bob (the Public Affairs Officer) at the cafeteria inside of the embassy. The food was decent and reasonably priced. There were some western options available (sandwiches and pasta), but Semira and I opted for Ethiopian. We both got beyanetu, but I got the fasting variety (yetsom). Most Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast on Wednesdays and Fridays; it's not a true fast because they still eat, but do not consume meat, dairy, or eggs (fish is okay). Beyanetu means "variety", so this dish is several different stews, or wots, placed on top of injera and served with more injera on the side.
In the afternoon, Semira and I left the embassy to go shopping. I am really not sure what I will need in my new home; I need to wait and see what is there when I move in tomorrow. Also, both of my suitcases are already over the Ethiopian Airlines limit of 20 kg, so I really did not want to buy anything more. One essential item though is a cell phone. In Ethiopia, cell phones are much more ubiquitous than Internet connections and far cheaper. Buying a phone in Ethiopia is a simple affair since most are pre-paid. I paid about $19 for the actual phone and $2 for a SIM card. The phone came pre-loaded with 50 birr's worth of minutes/text messages, but I topped up and added another 100 birr (about $5). I am not exactly sure how long this amount will last me, but apparently, the rates are very low.
Below is a quick video I took on Sunday of one of the wedding parties that I stumbled upon: