A New Week

Today started out in an unusual fashion, and by unusual I mean, I was up @ 6:45 AM.   This is the norm for Paul, but since today I would be going in with him to the office,  unusual or not, I was up.  How soon one forgets the routine of a typical work week.  My last day of work at the Ottawa Citizen was July 12, 2013 and I have, perhaps not surprisingly, slipped into a "work-free" routine. So even though getting up early was a bit tough, I needed to go to the Canadian Embassy which is located around the corner from Paul's office. The purpose of the visit is the first step towards obtaining a Driver's Licence.  It's difficult to reconcile the need for a licence with the quality of driving I've witnessed since my arrival.  Given that I plan on joining the throngs of "licensed" drivers in a city with a population of over 4 million, I need to follow the process. Ethiopia is all about processes and there are no short cuts.  So having survived my early wake up call I now find myself at the Canadian Embassy.  The entry process is likely no different than any other embassy around the world. First you have to show your Passport and then you have to relinquish any electronics (lap top, cell phone, etc). They give you back the Passport, but the electronics stay under lock and key (you are given the key) until you leave. I went through the main door and went to Reception.  An individual sits behind a 3 inch glass so hearing is a bit difficult, but I spoke clearly and leaned closer to hear. I had been told to ask for Rachel.  She eventually came out from an office beyond the reception glass structure to advise me to have a seat and the Consular would come and see me shortly. So I sit down and then the receptionist  immediately calls out that I am supposed to go through the door marked Consular.  Okay, so I do and this leads to a short hallway of around 5 feet to an identical window set- up like  reception. Seriously?  At least this time the "Consular clerk" had a microphone so yelling wasn't necessary and communication proved to be much easier.  Paul's office Administrator, Tsega had provided me with photocopies of all the documentation I would require (passport, Canadian driver's license and my Ethiopian Residency card) and as well told me to bring the fee of $50 US.  I pass all this information under the 3 inch glass and he glances at the contents of the envelope and says: "Originals" and then slides the envelope back to me. Oh yes of course I have the originals and I promptly give them to him and he says $50 Cdn. "Oh" I say, "I thought it was $50 US." Fortunately he gave me the option of paying in the local currency (ETB 920 Birr) He made his own photocopies (not sure why since I had copies) and then asked me to complete this form.  I started to complete the form at the counter, but he directed me back to the foyer. I looked around in surprise as there was no one else there, but I had to leave this little corridor and go back to the foyer and fill out the form while sitting in a chair with no hard surface. Here I am trying to write neatly on a form balanced on my knee.  For those who are familiar with my handwriting, these "conditions" didn't help.  Fortunately it was a short form.  I believe the form is intended to test you as to whether you know what is actually written on your Canadian driver's license.  I go back in and he now compares my answers to my actual license. (Got to love open book tests)  I paid my fee and he gave me a receipt to come back Wednesday. I asked at this point if he needed my picture "assuming" (oh silly rabbit) that on Wednesday I would be picking up my actual Ethiopian license.  "Oh no" he replies "you will take our official letter from the Canadian Embassy to the Ministry of Transport and they will be the ones who issue your license."  Yes, of course, this makes sense, 3 days for the Canadian Embassy to issue me a letter that says the documents I have produced are valid and more importantly I know how to regurgitate the contents of my Canadian driver's license.  Proof positive it would seem that I can drive since at no time during this whole process will I be required to prove I can drive. I just needed to prove that I indeed had a license. So the saga will continue on Wednesday, but I was smart enough to ask whether it was required that I pick up the letter in person.  Oh happy day, Paul is able to do that for me and I can get back to my "work-free" routine.  I'm still not sure how long before I actually have license in hand since TIA dictates that there still may be some more hoops to jump through. Stay tuned, but for now Addis is a safer place without me behind the wheel or is that the other way around?