... is the best medicine

Fill in the blank ... it could be anything for anyone. Most of the time my blank would be filled in with "Getting and giving pleasure to people who are close to me that matter". However lately in Addis it has been my git-box. Some nights I do not start playing until late (for me that is 9PM now) and when I pick it up I cannot stop. Got some bad news for S&B. I thought I might be able to part with this axe that I bought in Addis but alas I cannot; Steven B. we will have to get you something else (I hope) 'cause you are still my infantile progidy. I went for a late bite at Blue Drops then played and played.

I had a lovely chat with Shauna tonight as well as left a message with Bear and Anita. I tried Nathan but never got through. I chatted up BJ Comberflab (aka Ben) on MSN and that was nice. Tomorrow I have my third of three meetings with people at work on a fact-finding mission concocted by my employers. I am dying to take another trip to merkato this weekend and will, except I do not want to push my foot so maybe I will wait another week. Speaking of foot, it is now ~97% better (maybe 97.3 :)).

At a goodbye party I am throwing on December 29, I will do the two songs I have written while here. The last time I wrote a few songs, it all started sitting in my cab on a wet dark weekday morning at 25 Cartier in centre town, and I got inspired to write a song about driving cab called "Leaf Covered Boulevard". The refrain was ...

Numbers break the lengthy silence
Wheels and gears spring into flight
Piercing the night a streak of light
Moves on towards selected spots ...

The songs I wrote are called New Flower and THO. The title of the former is a literal translation of Addis Abeba and the latter is initials for Thank-you Hello OK, a little ditty that covers these 3 very important words in about 10-12 languages, for example ...

Amesahgenalu, salem, ishi
Works in Addis or Tigray
Multumesc, bunizoowah, dah
Heard in Bucharest hah hah hah
Todah rabh, shalom, cayn
In Tel Aviv heard in the main
Thank-you, hello, OK.

(Pardon the spelling above it is designed to phonetically correct, whatever that means :)).

The musings of Michael Abbey, or I should say michaelabbey. Then there was the time Paddy asked his Ma "what's michaelabbey's last name" (I think it was Paddy). I do not remember how the exchange went but it got back to asking him what he thinks it is, and he confidently announces "Kronick". I know Paddy and Sean are looking forward to our reunion ... the only thing I suggest Mr. Half Bass and Mr. Traps ... lots of towels 'cause there are 3 1/2 months of wet kisses coming.

It's been a dream ... Africa ... who would'a thought. It is surrealistic and, just like ANY other society, if you can strip all the BS out and the nonsense perpetrated by systems (yes in Canada as well as Ethiopia) and just concentrate on the people, everywhere is the same. I close tonight offering suggestions for making ferenge (at least the MSA version thereof) happier in Addis:

1) The Addis Sweepers NHL expansion team
2) Soya sauce on every corner
3) St. George beer fountains at every intersection
4) Golden Palace Addis
5) Algonquin College School of Hospitality starring you know who
6) Something other than close to as fast as dialup internet
7) Guaranteed someone to jam with
8) Food for ALL
9) Reduce the salt in just about everything at every restaurant
10) Affordable tune-ups and baby seats for automabiles