Slow but sure preparation!
It’s now about 3 months before I head off to Ethiopia and everything is slowly progressing. Today I had my final rabies jab, so I’m finally all sorted out with my inoculations (at last!). I had last Friday off work as I had a bunch of property management agents come round to look at the house, ready for me to let it out. I’d already seen a few, but now I’ve seen 9, so think that should be enough to decide between them. Their pricing (monthly management percentage) and fees are all broadly similar, so think I’ll basically have to go with the people I feel most comfortable with. I’ve now got a shortlist of three, which I need to ask more detailed questions of. I excluded the other mainly due to a variety of reasons, some seemed more concerned with making sure I was insured properly (and selling me the relevant insurance obviously!), rather than getting the right tenant. So shall be making decision soon.
I’ve been getting a few emails from other volunteers I was on the Preparing to Volunteer course with, as all their placement details have started to come through now- I think I was quite unusual in that my placement was sorted out very early on. Quite a range of countries… from Mongolia to Vanuatu, but, by coincidence a couple who were on the course are going to be in the same town (Mekelle) that I’m off to!!
My Amharic phrasebook arrived to day, so I shall start trying to learn a bit, but without any CD to give me the right pronunciation, I could get it all very wrong! Sure I’ll pick bits up once I get there…
