Happy New Year !

Happy New Year Everyone!  Officially the new year begins in Ethiopia in September so when the rest of the world rolled their calenders over to a new year on January first 2014 it was December 22 2006 in Ethiopia.....go figure

We had the privilege of spending Christmas day to New Years Day in Dubai UAE.  We really enjoyed the time spent with friends.  I would have to say that the natural excess we saw in one week gave me materialism indigestion!  Dubai has the world's biggest, tallest, mostest, fastest, shiniest EVERYTHING!!  For example:

The World's Tallest Building : Burj Khalifa.  We were told the elevator climbs 10 floors per second.  Considering all my  nightmares include heights and elevators I was not tempted to go in this building!

World's Fastest Car (I actually have no idea if that's true haha) at the Worlds Largest Mall: Dubai Mall.  This would be fun to drive on the world's largest highway with 8 lanes going each way and a speed limit of 220 km/h.  Dubai also has the world's WORST taxi drivers.  They all think they are professional F1 drivers....but when you add in gas pedal spasms and narcolepsy we only almost lost our lives twice!!

Gold Souq at Dubai Mall:  Area in the mall that sells just jewelry 

Worlds only skating rink and ski hill in a mall

Worlds sweetest candy store...maybe possible

Worlds longest taxi line leaving the Worlds largest Mall....seriously it went on for miles....

Worlds largest aquarium

                                          

With the worlds smartest otters.....

We also spent some time at the Mall of Emirates.  Another completely over the top display of retail offerings! With the world's glassiest windows, world's most sparkliest trees and world's most tinkliest fountains

We also wasted (only in my opinion LOL) some time in a mall called Dragon Mart.  It has the worlds largest collection of Chinese made items for sale in one place...I don't think even China has this much Chinese stuff for sale.  I became quite sullen after spending 4 hours there and was ready to join all the children I saw there, throwing themselves on the floor crying, screaming and kicking their feet.....Warren LOVED the place. 

 Now on to the best part of our vacation.  Spending time with friends!!!

One night we went to the sand dunes and did some "dune bashing" in our friends trucks.  When it got dark we built a fire and had a BBQ

Our Friends and children in the distance

On another night we enjoyed a  wonderful supper and evening with Gaith and Glenda Kadir 

Glenda trying to catch supper.....just kidding! We were trying to catch a semi sedated wild cat that kept coming into her house and take it to the vet as it was also sick

 Before supper we went for a quick walk to the beach.

Cam with his new bud Jay.  Cameron ended up spending a few days at Kadir's place.

Beautiful sunset pictures of the Mosque and the Burj Al Arab Hotel

An evening out with Kadir's and also Chris and Jennifer Uzzel.  Uzzels are expats from the States living in Dubai

 The "children's table"

Another quick trip to the beach.  This time with Geraldine Naidoo and her parents.  Kevin was at home cooking us lunch :)  I've met my match in height with Geraldine!  She is actually a few inches taller than me so I made her stand lower on the beach for our picture together haha

Sam and Dheena Govendor

We enjoyed a fun evening playing games and eating at Uzzels on New Years Eve.  It was a mask party :) 

Here is a link to the worlds largest fire works display.  It made the world record...of course!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddGzqO255PI

And last but certainly not least!  We had not had McDonalds for 4 MONTHS! Warren was going through withdrawal haha.  

Our first meal in Dubai

and our last just before we flew back to Ethiopia.

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"