Addis and modernization of my Bel-Air neighborhood

My intimate relationship with travelling back and forth to Ethiopia is now a young 2 and half years old- my interest in the country much older.  We have both grown and changed so much in this short time.  She has modernized herself in unexpected.  She is forever surprising me- this year with seat belt laws, cell phone and driver usage laws, rules around “zebra” crossings or pedestrian ways. She is exhibiting improved roadways and many more cars.  There are way more cars and with them traffic- it’s actually difficult to go near bole or around bole these days and the roads around bole are also congested with traffic.  There is traffic school for anyone looking to obtain their license.  Her schools are facing stricter regulations and consistent check lists, private online colleges have been closed, there is a data network for the cellular users, there are ATM machines outside of the banks, the internet is faster overall, there are pedestrian overpasses in Arat kilo that are not yet being used but are an eye-sore  when approaching the circle from piazza or from Amist Kilo.   They block the beautiful monument in the center.  There are new busses and more tractors being imported for commercial and public use.  It is green- very very green- and not the dusty polluted city I am use to seeing in March.  This cleanliness is due to the amount of rain though and not a change.  More homes are using filtered water, there are more banks- many of those are privately held- not gov’t.   They are enforcing copyright and piracy laws so the old music stores and video stores that used copies or rips of the videos or music have closed or are closing.  There was electricity and water for almost my entire visit- a complete but absolutely delightful experience might I also mention-laugh.  It’s amazing to see all of the changes happen in such a short 1.3 years.   Ethiopia feels like she is growing with me.  So many changes, such a short amount of time- it’s difficult to list them all.  I won’t get into the changes I have made- but let’s just say that if who I am today-met who I was 3 years ago- it’s likely we’d decide to be acquaintances instead of good friends-laugh.

I stay in the Bel-Air part of Addis. Hotels and more western homes are popping up everywhere between my visits. 

This road did not exist on my first visit. It was dirt, piles of rocks and the road we live on was a dead end.  Now it's practically a highway.

There's even parking spaces, Zebra crossings and gorgeous sidewalks.