I meant to get this posted in time for Canada Day but I'm still struggling to get decent internet access, so here it is, just a few days late :)
Canada and Ethiopia have a very close relationship - how else can you explain Ethiopian Airlines' direct flight between Toronto and Addis? Over the years many Ethiopians have immigrated to Canada and the country is one of CIDA's key priorities. But while there are a number of Canadian partnerships and NGOs operating in the country, I have yet to meet many Canadians during my ventures into Addis' expat community.
So with Canada Day weekend upon us, myself and a few of the other CIDA interns I have connected with in the city, headed out to celebrate. We could think of no better place to go than the "Oh Canada Cafe and Restaurant"
Born and raised in Canada, the owner is one of the many members of the diaspora who has decided to move to Ethiopia and set up shop. The country has ambitious goals to be considered middle-income by 2025 and has identified the Ethiopian diaspora as a key force that will drive it's economic growth and development.
The burgers are named after hockey teams, the pizzas after Canadian musicians (none of us could quite understand why Avril Lavigne was the Margherita) and the menu is interspersed with large glossy photos of the parliament buildings and Canada's olympic gold medal hockey team. It's pretty cheesy but while it's often possible to find Irish pubs or American burger and steak houses in capital cities all over the world, it's pretty rare to find a Canadian one, so we decided to embrace it.
Amidst the German bakeries and Italian pizzerias, it's nice to know Canada has its own little place in this crazy international city of Addis Ababa.
Canada and Ethiopia have a very close relationship - how else can you explain Ethiopian Airlines' direct flight between Toronto and Addis? Over the years many Ethiopians have immigrated to Canada and the country is one of CIDA's key priorities. But while there are a number of Canadian partnerships and NGOs operating in the country, I have yet to meet many Canadians during my ventures into Addis' expat community.
So with Canada Day weekend upon us, myself and a few of the other CIDA interns I have connected with in the city, headed out to celebrate. We could think of no better place to go than the "Oh Canada Cafe and Restaurant"
Born and raised in Canada, the owner is one of the many members of the diaspora who has decided to move to Ethiopia and set up shop. The country has ambitious goals to be considered middle-income by 2025 and has identified the Ethiopian diaspora as a key force that will drive it's economic growth and development.
The burgers are named after hockey teams, the pizzas after Canadian musicians (none of us could quite understand why Avril Lavigne was the Margherita) and the menu is interspersed with large glossy photos of the parliament buildings and Canada's olympic gold medal hockey team. It's pretty cheesy but while it's often possible to find Irish pubs or American burger and steak houses in capital cities all over the world, it's pretty rare to find a Canadian one, so we decided to embrace it.
Amidst the German bakeries and Italian pizzerias, it's nice to know Canada has its own little place in this crazy international city of Addis Ababa.
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