I really wish I could say something smart and insightful about Addis Ababa. But when you only have 14 hours in a city, and when 12 or more of those hours are spent in your hotel complex (the Hilton Addis Ababa) that is more isolated (but also nicer) than advertised, anything you have to say is going to be pretty shallow. The city is somewhat sprawling and seems boisterous and diverse.
What struck me is that all along the way there were businesses that seem to fall between the formal and informal economy. Many were basically shacks on the side of the road that had been set up to sell everything from fruit to beer to long-distance phone service. We arrived just after 7:00 but it was already dark in Addis Ababa, and the city was bustling — people were on the streets, at bars and restaurants and cafes, finishing up shopping and heading home. At the restaurant where I had a fine meat-driven dinner I read one of the local newspapers, the modesty of which served as a reminder of a smaller-scale world that would shock many Americans.
The Hilton is a self-contained hotel clearly aimed largely at westerners, many of whom will see no more of the city than I will, most of whom, unlike me, seem not to have any interest in seeing anything more than what they must for business, or as they await their own connecting flights, which in many cases are my connecting flight. I cannot imagine that level of satisfied disengagement, but then again, it may not be fair to ask people to have my commitment to the city, the region, the country, the continent. After all — I am just here for a night, and most of that night was spent at the bar talking football with other Americans and some Brits and the occasional Ethiopian.
It is worth pointing out that South Africa’s cultural and economic power is clearly felt way up here in East Africa. On the telly in my room and in the sports bars? An impressive array of channels, but predominant among them are South African tv stations. In the bar? One can easily get Castle and other South African beers (though the best beer here is St. George’s, a local brew). Naturally the tv was tuned to the World Cup Opening party. On South Africa’s M-Net cable channel.
And, from what I can tell, Ethiopia is not quite as consumed by the World Cup as most of the rest of the continent is. This connects to the country’s ability to avoid imperialism (and thus the imposition of football) but also, as one woman told me when I asked if she was interested in this month’s event, because Ethiopians love athletics first and foremost. As a track and field man myself, I found that somewhat heartening. Those who did express an opinion ran a range of passions. A number of people I asked showed enthusiasm for South Africa and Bafana Bafana, which tells me that some Africans are getting behind the hosts. I also heard support for Argentina, Brazil, and England. One man, when I asked about other African teams, explicitly rejected Ghana for reasons he could not or would not say.
The Hilton has a big advertisement for one of its several bars and restaurants being great places to watch the World Cup, but I get the sense that this is one of the few places where World Cup fever has not germinated. I am sure that my perception would change if I could have spent more time here, had I been able to get outside of the bubble that is this Hilton hotel complex.
