Our house in Addis Ababa

A drawing of our house, where we lived between 1982 – 1989, made by our friend and artist Jill Last.

We had a large house with three bedrooms, a study and servant quarters. Our car was a Toyota
Corolla and took three months to get from the port in Assab on the Red Sea to Addis Ababa.

The living room

The living room and the openings to the kitchen and bedroom area (left)

The kitchen, Annette and Leila.

Erik’s room

The study, also used as a darkroom.

Erik and our grill

We grew vegetables, like this lettuce after a hail storm.

Bananas that Björn bought when traveling to Southern Ethiopia. Young Erik and Korsa.

We had many animals, including sheep. Our “flock” was let out in the morning, came home for
“lunch”, left again and came back around five. We never lost any animals, without a shepherd.

The hay we bought for the animals was delivered by donkeys. Leila and Erik.

We imported rabbits from Sweden, and gave many away. In the front a Belgian giant.

Erik and domestic rabbits raised by an Italian who served them at his restaurant.

Turkeys on their way to a new home, on one of the last days in Ethiopia. Head gardener
Ato Girma to the left, his son Teswai, and second gardener and night watchman Ato Korsa.

We gave our staff money to buy an animal for holidays. This bull was slaughtered on our drive way. Left: Sisay
who was later hired to assist Ato Hailu the night watchman. Center: Teswai son of Ato Girma, Right: Ato Girma.

Erik watching the butchering of the animal. Left: the son of Litke our maid,
Ato Girma. Centre: Ato Hailo the night watchman. Right front: Ato Korsa.

Our drive way one Christmas, with meat hung up on our gate.

A sheep divided into four portions. Each member of the staff drew a number to choose one pile.

Lake Langano, south of Addis Ababa, a popular resort to relax and swim in the lake.
Weekends were short though, as government offices worked until noon on Saturdays.