Darling Mom,
In a few days, I'll be going out to Ghana. I couldn't phone you today (Sunday) because our phone is out of order. Perhaps Tony managed to make a quick call to you from work - yes, he was in the office all day again today, preparing for the arrival of some journalists who have been invited to Addis to write about the new developments in the ECA [Dad was in charge of restructuring the communications side of the ECA.] - that's the UN's Economic Commission for Africa. I'll try to phone you from my office tomorrow. I've been working all day to, but at home, all kinds of last minute things to do before I leave on Thursday morning.
To had a good birthday - cards and letters from all the family, and two birthday "parties": an impromptu celebration at the office, organised by his cabinet office colleagues, with a cake and presents. And on Thursday night we invited a group of people (mainly To's work colleagues) for dinner at Castelli's, do you remember it? A lovely old wood panelled Italian restaurant, with food as good as you'd get anywhere, and marvellous Piedmontese wine (To had half a glass for the Birthday toast). Really nice, everyone said how much they enjoyed it.
Next on the agenda is the two week trip to Ghana for me, from 20 June to 5 July - I'm going to "The First Global Women Entrepreneurs' Trade Fair" , in Accra. The ILO regional office (in Abidjan) is paying for me to go, along with my old Zambian pal Chuma (she who sent me to Nigeria all those years ago) and we will be setting up the ILO exhibition stand together, most of which will centre round my project. I am taking an entire suitcase of project samples, as well as photographs and other exhibition material and our project film.
I persuaded the Dutch embassy to cover the costs for three of my project people too - so Zelalem (our Project Officer) and the women leaders of the two handicraft groups, Etenesh and Tsehay, will be joining me there a couple of days later. I have never been to Ghana, so I'm quite excited, everyone says it's a lively and interesting place; and I'm hoping that we will get some good export orders for the projects products.
No sooner back to Addis, than off again on 14 July. Our itinerary is: To London on 14 July, we'll arrive in the evening. Then off to Mexico on 18 July (brilliant timing! a day before the Olympics start, when all the world will be bound for that part of the world!). In Mex until 14 August, when we will fly to New York, to stay with Josiah and Catherine Jele for 4-5 days - do you remember him from South Africa - the large Zulu with the French wife? He is now SA ambassador to the UN in New York and they have a wonderful flat in Park Avenue, where they have invited us to stay for a few days; when will we ever get to stay in Park Avenue!
We go from NY to London on 21 August, . I must fly back to Addis on 1 September - unless I have to go to Geneva for a couple of days.
Sadly, we will miss the twins birthdays (though we'll be in Mex for Tere's). But we haven't seen our Mexican beloveds for such a long, long, long time, me especially, NEARLY THREE YEARS! Carmen still a baby then, J.A. not much more than a toddler, and we must get to know our new Eve Julia... so forgive us if we only spend a week with you darling. We have a plan that maybe you could join To and me for a trip, over Xmas and New Year, in Eygpt. It's good weather there then, and we would do the trip in tous comforts.
I am so looking forward to our retirement (or semi, anyway) when we can set our own timetable. We are both pretty work weary, and looking forward so much to the holidays - though there will be a lot of flying, which I don't enjoy (Chris would be disgusted with me if he heard me saying that!).
The rainy season started a month earlier than normal, and the weather is absolutely horrible, rain and damp. But Ghana will be hot and so will Guadalajara, thank goodness. I need some really serious heat in my bones.
Love to Valerie - I hope she got my letter. Take care, look after yourself. I'll phone you as soon as I get back to Addis.
Your Evechen
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