February 28, 2007
A rudimentary state of construction
Just been re-reading Evelyn Waugh's account of his visit to Addis Ababa in 1931 to attend Haile Selassie's coronation (published in his book When The Going Was Good).
Here's his first impression of the city:
Addis Ababa is a new town; so new, indeed, that not a single piece of it appears to be really finished.The first, obvious, inescapable impression was that nothing was ready or could possibly be made ready in time for the official opening of the celebrations six days hence. It was not that one here or there observed traces of imperfect completion, occasional scaffolding or patches of unset concrete; the whole town seemed still in a rudimentary state of construction. At every corner were half-finished buildings; some had been already abandoned...
Today, 76 years on, can anyone think of a single block in the city that you could point to and say 'Yes, that's done'?
Posted by aheavens at February 28, 2007 6:29 PM
Comments
:)
Posted by: James Dobson at March 1, 2007 12:18 AM
haha, yes majority considered new beginning took decades to complete that when it's finally complete it's crumbling due to lack of maintnance.
Look at side walks, pot holes, public phones, government buildings, public washrooms, traffic lights, etc etc....old infrastructure where maintenace is absolute neglected
Posted by: Tyrel at March 1, 2007 1:36 AM
Thanks for the blog Andrew. Yes Addis seems to be going under a major face lift, and reconstruction. But as the previous poster said, maintnance is severly needed to make what Addis has better. Here is a biz opportunity.. :)
Posted by: eyeonethiopia at March 1, 2007 6:21 AM
That was a nice one :-)
I wonder if Ethiopia can maintain these huge new buildings that are being erected. I've always wondered if the country has the capacity of controlling a major fire break on one the top floors, God forbid.
Posted by: Tazaebo at March 1, 2007 8:07 AM
There was actually a time when there was no construction in Addis Ababa. That time was during the dergue period.
I know what you mean how nothing getting finished though. Everyone I know who is building a house tells me that their contractor abandoned them for another project before he finished their home because the new contract is more money.
Posted by: safiya at March 1, 2007 1:57 PM
May be they should start with the name - Instead of ADDIS ABABA ( new father ) - change to - ADDIS ABEBA ( New flower ).
Posted by: tom at March 1, 2007 2:28 PM
Mr. Waugh was a notorious apologist for the fascist invasion and occupation in 1936, and applauded the Italian's "civilizing mission" in Ethiopia at the time. He met with Badoglio shortly after the occupation of Addis Ababa and congradulated him. Waugh also had a reputation of being a terrible snob. Aparently at a dinner in London, Ras Kassa Hailu, then President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia, and a senior Prince of the Blood, complained to Princess Alice Duchess of Gloucester about Mr. Waugh's arrogant and rude behavior towards him. The Princess is said to have replied to the Ras "Oh don't pay any attention to him, he's much to good for any of us."
Posted by: Solomon Kibriye at March 6, 2007 3:46 PM
mr. Kibriye l've enjoyed your writings of the royal family for years. Can you direct me to a biography of the life,times and thoughts of Empress Zewditu.
Posted by: kirikur at March 20, 2007 10:42 PM