Sorry We're Not Sorry :)

Well the weather outside is frightful....Or so we hear in Alberta! The weather is not really something people talk about here as it is pretty much the same year round. Oh we got some rainy days thrown in when we first got here that lasted through September and the first half of October.  But for the most part being the weather announcer here would be a boring predictable job!

Dave and Jackie Connolly from Vancouver Island came for 12 days.  It was so nice to have them!  Here are some of the "winter" activities we did together.

First off : Celebrate American Thanksgiving!  We had a wonderful chicken dinner together.  I did manage to find a 8 lb frozen turkey (from 2011) at one grocery store, but it cost 1700 birr ($100.00 Canadian) We did 3 chickens instead for a third of the cost! Dave and Jackie brought cranberry sauce from Canada YIPEE ! It isn't Thanksgiving without cranberries!

Left to Right:

Abe, Carolyn, Rosemary, Jolena, Mindy and a fellow teacher from school whose name I don't know how to spell :( and Lisa 

Dave and Jackie, Mark and Karol, Warren and Jen, and Cameron were also around :)

We spent one day at the Sheraton swimming.  We hadn't been there before and it felt so strange.  Like we were transported from Ethiopia to the Caribbean!

For a little more Birr you could get the spa package which included access to the Jacuzzi and an hour massage.  Maybe for my Birthday :)

Some Flora and Fauna

They had the Sheraton all decorated for Christmas.  Where's the snow?!  Just doesn't look right without it! 

We spent a day hiking Mt Entoto. 

We met up with some school children on their way up the mountain to school.  We walked with them for about an hour.  They make this trek every day.  They had asked my name so I wrote it in English in one of their school books.  Carolyn then one upped me by writing her and everyone else's name in Amharic...Show Off :)

Playing Football 

On our way up we passed many donkeys, and women carrying things down to sell in town.

                                          

Benjamin our guide said that you do not want to be born a donkey or a women in Africa. These woman carry huge and heavy (trust me I know! Well to be honest I din't get very far with one on my back) bundles of sticks down the hill to sell in town to be used for firewood.  They might earn a couple of dollars a day for their hard work.

Carolyn and I stumbled on a bundle ready to go so I decided to try it on.  They must start young...with little bundles.... I am pathetic.  Dave was giving out very helpful comments like "Maybe you should shake all the big spiders and roaches out first. Ok now jump out of the ditch"...ya right!

Everyone gets their water jugs in line to fill when the water comes on.  Usually once in the morning and once in the evening.

Road side vendors selling food and household necessities 

A traditional grass roof, mud walled home.  LOOK! Traditional children as well! 

A house tucked away in the trees with electricity running to it 

The summit.  There is a palace and church here of one of the previous Emperors.  We were too cheap to pay and go see it!

We decided to walk on a bit further and see some farms

Lunch Break beside a wheat field : Rosemary, Carolyn, Warren, Dave, Jackie and Benjamin

Right across the road from us was this amazing forest.  Thank goodness Hyena's are nocturnal because they were in there....somewhere....

I love this picture of Rosemary.  I wonder what she is thinking about... 

 On their way down to market

Kind of makes Carolyn and my backpacks look a little sissyish!!

Carolyn had a crowd because she speaks Amharic to them :)  They look at her like they are seeing a dog "meow"

                                          

Awesome pic of Dave and Jackie!!

Feeling on top of the world in beautiful Ethiopia.  We are SO glad to be here! 

It's been a while...

To quote a letter from home "at first you will find you take pictures of everything but after a while it is hard to find anything to take a picture of'."  That is a little of how I am feeling now.  Sights, sounds and smells that at first caught my attention I don't even notice now.  These things are now just the "norm". Here is a little of what has happened lately.

We said goodbye to Jao.  He left for Seychelles, then went on to Kenya and finally will end up back in Madagascar.  We will really miss him.  Andy left a few days later for Kenya but we are so glad that he will be back in December.

Gary and Barb Lewis from Alberta were here on a stop over on their way to Tanzania.  We really enjoyed their company!

Once a year in Addis is the Diplomatic Bazaar.  Participating Embassy's and organizations set up tables where they sell things from their countries.  Proceeds go to charity.  Guess what Canada was selling?  That's right!!! Maple syrup, maple syrup fudge, maple syrup suckers, maple butter....The ambassador gave Cameron some free stuff because he spoke to him in french :)  Warren was hoping the U.S. Embassy would be selling Big Macs....Nope just homemade baking :(

Enjoying homemade tortilla chips and guacamole from the Mexican Embassy

Took this one for Jao in case those are some of his relatives :)

This adorable girl was sitting under a table while her mother took care of selling hand made wares.

I bought this table mat from her.  I found these beautiful carnations and roses at a store close by and couldn't resist!

Last but certainly not least! Warren could hear Cameron talking in Amharic and decided to check out what was going on. Andy had left his book titled "Amharic for Visitors" 

Random Day to Day Pics and Videos

Walking distance from our house is a little leather shop.  They make belts, wallets and purses.  I had been looking for a bag since we got here.  One with zippers and flaps to keep curious hands from taking my things. I was so happy to stumble on this shop because they made me a bag exactly what I was needing.

While waiting for me in the leather shop Warren got his shoes (and toes) washed.  There are thousands of these children in Addis who carry around a jug of water and a sponge and maybe some shoe polish.  Sometimes they set up little kiosks on the street.  This little guy was irresistible.  Probably one of the most beautiful children we have seen here.  I think it was the dimples that did us in :)  Warren just had sandals on but this little guy wanted so badly to "shine" Warren's shoes.  He was very meticulous in scrubbing each little strap of sandal! Warren's feet were nice and clean too :) 

Warren and I have spent some time lately going to different markets looking for a few furnishings and curtains. We have moved to a new location into a house with a bit more room. (Lots of room for company :) So the other day we spent an unexpected few hours walking all over an area of the city looking for a certain store that sold traditional furniture.  We were sent all over the place and never did find the store we were told about.  A couple of very common English words they know here are "maybe" and "possible"  Now Warren and I joke and will say "Maybe this way, possible?" and point our hands in opposite directions.  

We did end up finding a workshop where they make traditional style furniture.  Here is the first thing we purchased (after mattresses to sleep on that is!)

This is one of the leather workers that makes the cushions for the couches and chairs.

Some orders ready to be picked up.  The backs of the chairs is leather handwoven.

I had assumed that the carving on the tables, chairs, and couches etc, was done by machines, but we were shown into the shop where the carving is done...By HAND! Picture men sitting at different tables on stools, with wood shavings all around them on the counter and floor.  The sun shining through the tall windows showing  the dust in the air and the wonderful smell of wood.  Pieces of furniture spread around partially finished or done and ready to be assembled.  They sit at their tables using a utility knife to carve out designs that are stamped onto the wood.  One man had been working there for 35 years. They are very proud of their work and want to show it off.  It is very very beautiful.  There is also a shop where they make hand woven cotton garments, blankets and window coverings.

This is where ladies are making Injera, the traditional bread that they wrap pieces of around their food and eat with their fingers.  It is a large crepe like bread made from sourdough teff.  I''m not quite sure how to describe the smell in this factory. It alternates between the yummy smell of fresh baking bread and something sour .....not quite sure what!

 Here is the taxi driver that we use to get us all over Addis.  His name is Abote.  One of the reasons we use him is that he actually has working seat belts in his car!! AND working door and window handles AND you can't see the road through the floor boards!  He drives Cameron to and from school every day.  After a long day of taxiing us about we all went for lunch to a popular burger place just down from the Canadian Embassy.

This has to be my favorite video yet. This sight is more common that you would think.  Abote said that if it had been a goat there would be a ruckus, but a sheep has a very different nature.

This is what woke me up at 2 am last nite! Turn your volume up nice and loud and then try to go to sleep.....This same song had at least 8 verses of the same thing.  Needless to say I was NOT amused but had to record it to play at the breakfast table the next morning and for future laughs.... I am not laughing yet

Last but not least: Comedy hour at the Kipp dinner table.  Carolyn is always quick to say something that gets us laughing.  This night she had brought her extendable fork to supper.  Cameron was late to the table so we had time to set up a video.  Rosemary was sitting between Cameron and Carolyn so you can imagine how long this fork is :)

Another Week Finished

Sometimes it is hard to believe that we have been here for almost 2 months! At other times it seems like we have been here forever...

Sorry I'm not sorry that soon you will be shoveling snow and we get to wear Tshirts, shorts and flip flops all year :)

This is the puppy that Cameron and Carolyn want us to adopt.  There are 5 of them so it's hard to pick a favorite!!

Get ready to say "AWWWWW"

          This is a young Ethiopian artist we met in a shop.  His name is Emanuel and he brought us to his tiny studio to show us some of his paintings. I find them beautiful.

He took us to a wood, leather and ceramic working shop where we bought some handmade furniture

This is also a work of art!! These smoothies are very common here.  We go to the little market where I get all my fruits and veggies and enjoy these.  The layers from top to bottom: Mango, banana, guava, papaya and avocado.  You squeeze the lime on top and then eat the smoothie with a spoon.  These cost only 70 cents Canadian.  We will not get scurvy here.

Can you guess the most common flavor of cereal in Addis Ababa? The dentists must make a mint here! I challenge you to make up and post a name for a  chocolate cereal that hasn't already been used below...

Cameron playing some football aka "soccer".  Football is a huge passion in Africa.  Everywhere you go there are people sitting in restaurants and shops watching games.  Children use whatever is at hand for a ball.  I have seen them use plastic water bottles, rag bundles and all shapes and sizes of deflated and half inflated balls.  There is so much razor wire surrounding houses and buildings that they are constantly getting holes in them. In the video you can hear one of the guys yelling "Baby!" "Baby!"

Last but not least.  Warren downloaded all the Astrix and Tintin comics. Jao had all the Lucky Luke's in French so they are all enjoying some down time reading comics