ETHIOPIA: Time's Up

As mentioned in the first post concerning my arrival to Ethiopia I did not bring a watch with me. For a few days I didn’t mind. I was someplace new, feeling the wonder of it all. The hell with knowing what time it is. After a while I decided there was a certain benefit to actually knowing what time it was. The benefit being that I knew the time. So one day during my wanderings I saw some watches on a stand outside of a small shop.

ME: (Pointing at watch)How much is this watch?
SHOPKEEPER: Birr 20, I mean Birr 100.
M: You said Birr 20.
S: It’s Birr 100
M: But you said Birr 20.
S: It’s Birr 100
M: (pointing to a different watch) OK, how much is this watch?
S: Birr 120
M: (audible sigh)
S: (Silence)
M: (shaking my head in annoyance) What’s the cheapest watch you have?
S: (Picking up a cheap watch) Birr 65.

I am a terrible, terrible haggler. I paid the Birr 65 and asked the shopkeeper the time so I could set it correctly. His cell phone said 11:57 and he told me “Just before six”. It was six in the evening at the time of purchase. In addition to keeping their own calendar, Ethiopians keep time differently as well. In Ethiopia, 6:00 AM is twelve o’clock. The time progresses hourly until 6:00 PM is also twelve o’clock (as indicated on the shopkeeper’s cell phone) and then the evening hours progresses until 6:00 AM is once again twelve o’clock. I was told a formula to use in case I get told Ethiopian time. During the day add six to the time, during night subtract six form the time. That should straighten you out. The rationale is that the sun begins its rise at 6:00 AM and begins setting at 6:00 PM. So time goes with the sun. Not that kooky, really.

Two days later my Birr 65 watch stopped. I haven’t worn a wristwatch in years and I felt as if this low-tech item would be my unraveling. I am embarrassed to say that it took me much longer than it should have to figure out how to wind it. But figure it out I did. It’s still ticking.