MINOR NUISANCES


MINOR NUISANCES

Urbanites patiently queue up for taxis around the Casanchis area drenched in heavy rainfall. Addis Abeba's acute transportation ails have created a resolute populace capable of enduring the harshest of weather conditions and the most crowded accommodations for daily commutes. Hunted by double-digit food inflation rates and cornered by stagnant wages, the rainy days add to the residents' woes with limited transportation. While taxi-hailing services have proliferated over the past few years, they are out of reach for city residents with a 26pc poverty rate. Mass exodus from regional states as the country hosts above three million internally displaced people has created a population boom desperately needing a census after 16 years.


In-Picture

BOOK NOOK

A recessed section of the wall of Prosperity Party's HQ building is just the place for an outdoor bookstall in the vicinity of Arat Kilo roundabout, on Queen Elizabeth St. Arat Kilo is famous for its confluence of administrative, religious, and educational centres. With Brehanena Selam Printing Press also nearby, newspaper and books sales were naturally drawn to the area. This seller captures a unique way of displaying and selling printed material in an outdoor setting, though rain would be a ca...


In-Picture

LION'S LAIR

One of Addis Abeba's emblems, the distinctive lion statue looks towards the 53-storey tall Commercial Bank of Ethiopia HQ building, juxtaposing heritage and contemporary architecture. The black stone monument, sculpted by French artist Maurice Calka, commemorated the Silver Jubilee of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1955 and sits adjacent to the National Theatre, formerly Haile Selassie I Theatre. CBE's HQ, costing 304 million dollars, is the tallest in East Africa at 209 metres. It has joined the l...


In-Picture

GLASS GLEAMERS

A long pole is used to clean the exterior windows of Best Western Plus Pearl on Cameroon St in the Bole Brass neighbourhood. The adjacent road is currently under corridor development project and would suffer from heavy dust, adding burden to the gentleman's work. Three Best Western hotels are conveniently located within five kilometres of each other in Addis Abeba. The Best Western Plus is situated near Edna Mall roundabout, while the Best Western Premier Dynasty is found in Wello Sefer, across...