(By Frugal Bachelor) – When I was in Ethiopia, the power went off every few days, all day long, from 8:30 AM – 8:30 PM. Not only in the little towns, but even in the national capital. This caused a lot of inconvenience. For example, when I had to confirm a flight (only in Ethiopia – yes you actually have to), I went to the airline office, but the power was off and the one single airline in the entire country (which has a population much higher than California and Texas combined) could tell me nothing about what flight I might be on and whether or not it would still be taking off as scheduled, so I had to come back the next day, and had to spend a day or so completely unaware of when I would be leaving a particular city (the horror! the horror!). Internet communication was of course impossible (an interesting thing I noticed was that most internet cafes were actually open on the days without electricity, leading me to believe that in Ethiopia there was not really very much to do). General businesses were open and generally candlelit if they didn’t have big windows; places like restaurants were always open, but drinks were warm because the refrigeration was down.

The hardest part was the last few hours from 6:00 PM until 8:30 PM after the sun had set. I spent that time inside my room, but with zero light, it was very difficult. The only thing I could do was lie in my bed.

I’ve made the decision that I want to see what it would be like to live in America without power. So, today, at 8:30 AM, I’m going to the circuit box and switching the power off to my apartment. It will stay off until 8:30 PM. I want to live like an Ethiopian. Since it is summer and the sun doesn’t set until 9:00 PM, it won’t be as tough as it was in Ethiopia – I will have to repeat the experiment in the winter. I have a few errands to run today, but I will be home most of the day.

Not sure completely what I expect to learn from this experiment. Maybe I can disconnect electricity from my apartment totally and save a few dollars per month? One thing I want to see is if my lifestyle has become so supersized that I cannot function without power. If nothing else my power bill for this month should be about 1/30’th lower. I will post my key learnings after the power comes back on at 8:30 PM!

(AP) ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Ethiopia’s runners have won at least one gold medal at almost every Olympics since 1960. The country’s other athletes have been shut out.

Now a member of the Ethiopian team for the Beijing Games intends to fight his way onto the podium, against overwhelming odds.

Molla Getachew is Ethiopia’s only Olympic boxer, an anomaly in a country known for its superstar distance runners. His opponents are the last in a long line of problems standing between him and a gold, including a lack of equipment, no professionals to train against and a disapproving mother.

But when the Beijing Games open in August, he will represent Ethiopia in the 112-lb. flyweight division, a weight class dominated by well-equipped fighters from Mexico, Thailand and Japan.

“I feel sad because I’m the only boxer representing my country at the Olympics,” said the 22-year-old, who spends four hours a day training at an airless, grimy gym in the Ethiopian capital.

Boxing is popular elsewhere in Africa – neighboring Kenya is full of boxing clubs and boasts several champions – but Ethiopia’s poverty makes the sport’s equipment inaccessible to many.

Professional fights are nonexistent, so boxers have to leave the country to make a living from the sport. In a country of 77 million people, there are only 300 amateur boxers at the country’s four boxing clubs, yet even that small number strains the available resources.

“The boxers are good,” said Fasil Keita, who heads the Ethiopian Boxing Federation. “The problem is money. The federation doesn’t have money.”

Molla’s intense morning workout is an exercise in resourcefulness. He bobs and weaves between five lumpy heavy bags that hang from the ceiling, peppering them with punches. His trainer, Salamon Zinna, takes him through speed and footwork exercises, as there are no bags designed for speed or coordination, no medicine ball, and only one jump rope between Molla and his partner.

There is no boxing clock to ring the bell between 3-minute rounds, so Salamon keeps time with an old wristwatch. The dilapidated ring, the only regulation ring in the country, is so warped and uneven that fancy footwork would be foolhardy. Instead, Molla and his partner spar on the hard gym floor.

Molla does not even own a pair of gloves, or ankle-supporting boxing shoes. He fights in sneakers and borrows training gloves from the gym’s meager supply closet.

Even Molla’s track record is modest. With just six fights under his belt he is 4-2, with no knockouts. He’s woefully unprepared to meet better-funded, better-trained fighters.

But what he lacks in equipment and experience, he makes up for with sheer determination.

The right-handed fighter throws textbook-perfect punches with lightning speed, never seeming to tire as he jabs at his opponent, ducking before throwing a jaw-crushing uppercut. During breaks, he paces, not stopping to drink water.

“He’s good, strong,” Fasil said. “But he lacks experience. He went with me to Egypt, to Algeria. He lost in the first round. But he keeps fighting on. He has courage. He has fire.”

Molla said he was inspired by his neighbors to pick up boxing six years ago. Molla’s mother, he said, was always wary of the sport, even after he beat five other boxers to qualify for the Olympic team.

“My mom doesn’t know anything about boxing,” he said. “She thinks it’s violent and doesn’t want me to continue with this career. She doesn’t know anything about the Olympics. She only accepts it because she knows it’s a source of income.”

He earns about $70 a month from the boxing federation, which he gives to his mother for the care of his four younger siblings. In the unlikely event he wins a gold medal at the Olympics he hopes to pass on any rewards to his mother.

Aside from a medal, the normally quiet fighter has just one other wish.

“My father used to give me a lot of moral support, but he passed away,” he said. “I wish he could see the level I am at now.”

Los Angeles
Ginbot 7 Movement officials Ato Andargachew Tsege and Ato Muluneh Eyuel will hold a town hall meeting in Los Angeles on July 20.
Place: Aroma Wilshire Center, Sky Hall
Address: 3680 Wilshire Blvd. #501, Los Angeles CA 90010
(Intersection of S. Sorrano Ave and Wilshire Blvd.)
Date/Time: Sunday, July 20, 2008, 2:00 PM

Dallas
UDJ representatives Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam and Ato Asrat Tasse will be in Dallas, Texas, for a public meeting.
Place: The Radisson Hotel
Address: 1981 N. Central Expressway, Richardson TX 75085
Date/Time: Sunday, July 27, 2008, at 3:00 PM
More info: Tel 972 375 1334 or 972 333 5466

San Jose
The Committee will hold a public meeting in San Jose, California, on Saturday, July 26
Guest speakers: Dr Daniel Kindie and Prof. Alemante Gebreselassie
Place: 2500 Massonic Drive, San Jose, CA 95125
Date/Time: Saturday, July 26, 2008, at 3:00 PM
More info: (408) 874-5168 or (408)719-0631

Seattle
UDJ Public meeting
Guest speakers: Prof. Mesfin Woldemariam Ato Asrat Tasse, Ato Obang Metho, and Prof. Alemayehu Gebremariam
Place: Garfield Community Center
Address: 2323 E. Cherry Street, Seattle WA 98122
Date/Time: Sunday, July 20, 2008

Executive Committee members of the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) have decided to take a 3-day retreat in Debre Zeit, a small town about 45 km south of Addis Ababa, from July 25-28.

According to ER sources, the retreat is for the executive committee members to attend a training course on organizing, managing and leading a political party.

Meanwhile, the Woyanne-controlled National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) told UDJ leaders that they are not allowed to use the name “Andinet.” The NEBE secretary said that since there are individuals who are named “Andinet”, it cannot be used for an organization. (Don’t laugh yet. There is more.)

The UDJ executive committee is now conducting emergency meetings to try to come up with another name that the NEBE will accept. One of the suggestions they have received from Addis Ababa residents is “Union of Dancers and Jokers” (UDJ).

Meanwhile, the UDJ executive committee has appointed a 6-person inquiry committee to investigate who leaked to the media the party top leadership’s recent secret retreat in Sodore.

Going back to Debre Zeit, some council members who have found out about the planned retreat are angry that only executive committee members are going… stay tuned for more.

By Alysia Patterson, The Medill Reports

WASHINGTON — In the world of African affairs, Ethiopia and Eritrea are historically unfriendly neighbors. But in the fashion world style transcends geopolitical tussles. Three young African immigrants — one from Eritrea and two from Ethiopia — joined forces to create a t-shirt line that fuses together their old and new cultures. And they’ve just found out it’s a winning combination… Watch the video below >>