Final tasks at SELAM and returning to Switzerland

My last two days at SELAM were colorful and filled with a lot of work. In between, there were meetings with college management Ato Girmay and Ato Bogale. And the plasma cutting machine in the metal workshop was waiting for me to find the error. First, I had to loosen what felt like 72 screws to get the machine open. Then I figured things out and checked all the fuses and connections. I tried two different hose packages, and when I was stuck, I thought I'd start with the parts that didn't look new anymore. So I cleaned the electrodes, and lo and behold, the machine is running again 🤭

But then it was already closing time, and with a little delay, I treated myself to a beer in the village. Back at the guesthouse, I packed my bags since I would leave SELAM on Tuesday after lunch.

On Tuesday, I swapped my work clothes for regular jeans. Today was all about the conclusion; I had a long conversation with the head of the Electrical college, Dereje Duefera, and said goodbye to the instructors appropriately with Swiss chocolate.

For my farewell lunch, the instructors and the vice dean Ato Girmay, and my colleague Tobias joined me. Sara, the good soul of the two guesthouses, had prepared a sensational buffet with injera, doro wot, alicha, and much more. The obligatory conclusion with bunna was a dignified end to my working time here at SELAM.

In the afternoon, I returned to the family in the Gulele district, where I used the remaining time before my return journey for shopping; a few pieces of jewelry, honey, and other delicacies still needed to be bought. For lunch, I tried a specialty, kurt speciale, which is the raw meat eaten with a spicy sauce.

On Friday morning, I landed in Zurich on time and was able to accomplish a lot throughout the day after a shower, fresh clothes, and a short nap; the suitcases are unpacked, laundry washed, and the empty suitcases already stored back in the attic. (There are still a few things lying around here and there, but only because they are very special items that deserve a special storage place... 😂)

I got to visit Christoph Zinsstag from SELAM at the Schwertstrasse stand and already had a brief recap with him. The short trip to the Siblinger Randen then definitely brought me back to Schaffhausen in my mind.

It feels good to be back home

Outlook: now I enjoy two weeks of vacation and then in January, I continue with an internship week at CERTUM Elektrokontrollen.

I will get in touch again and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year