Christmas Recap

We survived, perhaps even thrived, this Christmas holiday. With all of the anxiety built around the holidays coming and going without a family member in sight, it was amazing to see that we can, in fact, be adults and celebrate the holidays on our own. Of course, we missed our families immensely and had we an easy alternative, would have been making our annual trek between Charlotte and Texas with glee, but given our circumstances, we did pretty great (insert pat-on-back here).

Here's a quick recap of the Christmas festivities that surrounded our weekend:

December 23

· Perogi Party at our Polish friend's home.

December 24

· Linner with 13 others at a coworkers home

· Mass and caroling at the Embassy of the Vatican

· Long chat with Mark's family via Skype

December 25

· Opening presents (Ryan banked! He scored an REI fleece vest, Smart Wool bootie socks, Lion-themed bibs, baseball socks, a set of cardboard Dr. Seuss books, and a giant sock monkey. Lots of thanks and love to both sets of grandparents and cousins Kohen, Charleigh, Reagan and Maya for their gifts!)

· Church service at the International Evangelical Church - this is our "home church" in Addis.

· Brunch at the Sheraton with a few coworkers

· Cooking at home (including mashed potatoes with bacon and cheddar cheese! yum!)

· Long chats with the Taylors and my mom and dad

· Fancy Christmas dinner at a friend's home with three other couples

· An all too short chat with Meghan. It was about midnight our time and I was so tired I was slurring my speech! I'll have to call again this week to really catch up (and remember!) how her Christmas was!

December 26 (The Embassy had Monday off)

· Hiking Entoto Mountain

Take the word "hiking" lightly. We intended to hike the mountain, but this is Ethiopia so it's not like the trail was marked. Next time we’ll bring someone experienced with us to help us find our way. We ended up driving near the top and walking the road between one large historical church and another. Entoto is the largest mountain in Addis and it sits at the north end of the city. On the top of the mountain (about 10,000 feet above sea level) rests a small village. We arrived as school was letting out for lunch and made far too many friends along the way! The kids wanted pens for school and one little boy needed new shoes, we unfortunately didn't have any money on us (we were anticipating a quiet hiking trail, not an afternoon with shoeless children!) and Mark feels strongly that we should give to parents and the school rather than the children themselves. So we'll be returning to the top of Mount Entoto shortly. Along the way we captured a few pictures - they love the camera and wanted desperately to see pictures of themselves with their friends. We were happy to oblige, though the fight to view the digital proofs was kind of intense. Men here are generally smaller than most – blame a lack of adequate nutrition not a lack of physical labor - and their muscle mass tends to be very lean (remember, this is a land of runners. Long, stringy muscles abound.) so the little boys kept trying to punch Mark in the arm. They were in awe of his muscle mass. You can imagine how ego-boosting humbling of an experience that was for him.

NOTE: Blogger isn't letting me upload pics right now. Mark will try to do this from work tomorrow. Sorry for the tease!

Christmas in Africa

Merry Christmas, y'all!

While we won't receive our HHE shipment (i.e. the big shipment with the majority of our goods) until mid January, we did receive our smaller, UAB shipment just in time for Christmas.  Inside we packed a few important Christmas decorations to help us survive this season without close family and friends nearby.  It's been a great treat! Probably our most important packing decision was the last-minute purchase of a Christmas tree-scented Yankee Candle. Yum!

The garland shown below was used previously in our DC home down the staircase.  Our new staircase will require at least 5x as much. I'm hoping to grab a great deal online for additional garland after Christmas! Next year we're excited to go all-out for the holidays when my family comes to visit!

I picked up a gingerbread kit from Michael's about 3 days before we packed out.  We decorated the house this morning (Dec 24) after a healthy breakfast of JEWISH COFFEE CAKE!!! My grandma, along with rest of the Charlotte crew, sent us the greatest Christmas package we received: baked goods. My grandma's coffee cake is a Christmas staple in our family (don't ask what makes it Jewish - I have no idea - and yes, I get the irony). On Friday we were at the Embassy and I was complaining about the lack of coffee cake in my life and how it just didn't feel like Christmas without it.  Then we went to the shipping room and received our surprise care package! Perfect timing! 

Last Christmas we had two small trees flanking the entrance to our DC home. We packed out one of the little guys into our small shipment. Such a small tree required us to limit our ornament selection so we both agreed that an angel tree was most appropriate.  Each year my Grandma (yup, the same one that makes the coffee cake!) handcrafts an angel for each member of the family. When Mark and I started dating, he began receiving them, too! We packed out all of our angels and it makes for a small but very special tree.

This year my grandma made everyone an Ethiopian Farewell Angel! My grandpa cut out each of the waving bodies and my grandma painted and sewed their decor. Our maid/cook, Emme, got a kick out of this. She is from Amhara, the most traditional Ethiopian region of the country where people still dress like this every day.

We put up as many angles as we could, but we left off some of the more fragile selections.  With such a small tree, the cats can access and destroy anything they set their eyes on.  Frank has been extra destructive in the new home breaking two crystal wine glasses, one new candle holder (I found it at a pottery shop run by women with HIV/AIDS), and one vase.

This is the oldest angel I have, from 1989. 

This is the only ornament on the tree not from my grandma.  Conveniently, it's an angel too! When one of our closest friends Anna was diagnosed with cancer and the doctors thought she would no longer make it, her church held a prayer meeting. At the end of the meeting, each participant left the church with one of these angels in-hand. God worked a miracle and soon Anna will graduate college with a degree in Special Education. Anna's family sweetly sent Mark and I a great Christmas care package and included one of the angels for us to have. It's an amazing reminder of the miraculous nature of our God.  That He sent His only son to show us how to love, that He can cure everything from a bad cluster of cells to a bad heart and that He can give us a son to love and raise and hold each day. We're getting so excited to meet him! We pray that wherever you are this Christmas, you are safe and warm.  We'll be home for Christmas.. if only in our dreams.

We don't live in a hut

Ethiopia is no stranger to wealth disparities and it's an apparent trend when you check out our new diggs.  This is what it looks like when you're a Saudi Princess with African taste...or at least what I think it looks like. There's no telling, really.

Pretty nice, huh? The house comes with 4 bedrooms, a den, office, dressing room, living, dining, kitchen and 3.5 baths. I can't wait to get our own furniture in the house (HHE is set to arrive late January!) and add touches of home.  Of course, such ostentation is not without design mishaps. Welcome to the small pool in our Master bath...

If you're curious: there's not enough hot water in Addis to fill this tub.  I'm not sure what it's purpose is and let's just say there are some interestingly placed jets.  I won't be bathing in this any time soon! Still not convinced? Why don't you come visit us in Addis? The upstairs guest bath is just a delightful shade of pink!

Yup, that's a pink sink, toilet, tub, shelving unit and wall.  Did you see that sexy mirror? It graces every one of our bathrooms. Any suggestions y'all have one what exactly I should do to "tone down" this bathroom are welcome.  Right now, I'm thinking a white waffle weave shower curtain and a long white curtain on a suspension rod covering the shelves (if you click on the picture and view full size, you can see just what terrible shape these shelves are in).  Any other ideas?

Of course, I can't talk about our home without also discussing the nursery.  It's the thing I'm most excited about.  Mark and I have come up with some pretty creative solutions to the problems you can see below.  I think you'll like them. 

I'm not going to share all of the details just yet, primarily because I'm running out of battery and my *darling* husband ran off with the outlet converter, but see that terrible wall of dark built-ins? We're covering them with this amazing removable wallpaper from Trendy Peas:

except in this fun turquoise color:

Not sure what to do with an all-blue bathroom.  Any suggestions?

So we're slowly settling in and getting acquainted with our not-so-humble abode.  More updates (and fun pics!) so share soon! 

Lots of love,

Laurie

Best. News. Ever.

We are getting a house! Here's the run down:

• Tomorrow we're kicked out of the Hilton because ICASA is taking over Addis and there is no room here.
• We aren't sure where we're moving into yet. That's a little frustrating, but we can endure. The cats, we know, will move into a co-workers home for the time being.
• By NEXT FRIDAY we should have a place to permanently hang our hats. Well, at least for the next two years.

Here's what I know about the house:

• It's in a part of town called Meganenya which isn't exactly where we were expecting to live. Most US Embassy employees live either in Bole (for those that are single or have small children) or Old Airport (for those that have school-age children). Our neighborhood is near Bole, but more convenient to the Embassy and we will be less likely to have American neighbors, which I think is great news and will encourage us to branch out even more.
• It's a house that is approved for a family of 4.  That means there are at least 4 bedrooms and a study. The original plan was to put us in a house approved for two and then we would have to reapply after Ryan was born for a larger home.  We're thankful that this tedious step was avoided.
• It's reported to be a very nice home.  We haven't been disappointed with any of the homes we've seen here in Addis, even those described as less than standard, so we're anxious to see what very nice even means in this context.
• It's 500x better than the Hilton.

All of this means that I'm about to spend the rest of my day packing, I'll be offline for a while (not sure if there is internet where we're going and there certainly isn't any at the house), and it's time I hire some staff. I wish I could explain how difficult it is to accomplish, find or purchase anything here. Without being a local, you have to hire someone who knows who you can buy safe chicken from, where to go for pastuerized milk, how to get safe carrots. Each item you eat, use to clean your home or organize it, requires vast knowledge of the resources available in Addis.  Even more, each item has two prices: a Habesha (Ethiopian) price and a Ferenji (foreigner) price. Ferenji prices for consumables are typically twice what they are in America so in the end, it's a cost-saving measure as well.

We'll be busy packing/upacking (our air shipment is set to arrive next week as well!) and doing the new-house dance in Addis for the next few days. I'll update as soon as possible!

Laurie

Bump Update

5 weeks

12 weeks

20 weeks

Sorry - I know the pic is blown out. We had a hard time getting pics to not be over exposed.

There you have it, folks.  Little Ryan is growing. Now that the top of my uterus is up near my belly button, I'm no longer shaped like a mountain peak which, we think, has the effect of making my tummy look smaller than before. I wish we had captured weeks 15-18. The good news: these cute stickers occur at smaller intervals as the pregnancy progresses so the next pic is only 4 weeks away.

Last night Mark went to watch a documentary as part of a week long series to end violence against women in Ethiopia.  The documentary followed two city-dwelling 20-somethings as they spent 20 days in the Ethiopian countryside living out their gender role. The film was interesting, but even more so were the reactions of the audience viewing the film (I was the only foreigner in the room - thank goodness for English subtitles!). The discomfort among most audience members was apparent with their nervous laughs, much like school children watching a sex-ed video, when the host mother discussed how her husband abducted her into marriage. Her family didn't fight the abduction as they had already promised her to this particular man since birth. "Why fight something when you know you've already lost," she said. The audience also had a few good laughs as the city-dwellers struggled miserably to keep up with their hosts during daily chores. That, however, was really funny.

Today we are applying for driver's permits! Yahoo! The taxis are manageable here, but they aren't like America.  You have to first ensure that your driver is sober and hasn't been chewing chat.  Then you must negotiate prices before entering the car. The cars do not come with seat belts or air conditioning.  The diesel exhaust that the old cars spew is thick, black and intense. I can't wait for my own car with rolled up windows and A/C running. All taxis were manufactured during the Soviet era by Lada.

Once upon a time...we went to Spain

It's amazing how blessed we are.  Mark and I travel so much that I often take for granted the many things that we're experiencing along the way. We spent a week wandering around Spain this past June and until today, I haven't shared a single picture with anyone. For many, that's a trip of a lifetime or rather, a trip that they could never dream of taking.

With my dial-up internet speed in-hand I have uploaded 50 pics to Facebook to commemorate the trip.  We went to Spain on a whim.  I believe I booked the flights 2 weeks in advance.  Mark was coming home after 5 months of separation and his 30th birthday was around the corner. We needed to celebrate. Some do this with cake.

You can jump over to Facebook and check out the pics if you like or you can scroll down and just see my favorites.

Gay Pride 2011 makes DC Pride look like child's play. We didn't plan this, it was just lucky timing. I like this picture because you can tell they are having fun, but that it's empty pleasure. Mark and I pretty much feel like this picture every time we go out to clubs.  It's fun, but it's an empty reward. 

Super sexy Spiderman. I love the minature fat Spiderman behind him.

Spiderman taking a smoke break.

We liked these narrow streets that you could get lost in. Reminds me of Venice.

We don't look our best here, but this was a fun day.  We began eating at a large open food market at 10am and didn't stop until midnight. Gluttony at its best. We made friends, indulged and laughed a lot.

I know I promised belly pics, but we weren't feeling too great last night so no pics were taken. I think tonight's our lucky night.  We are attending a lecture and then heading to a local spot, Lucy's, for dinner.  When we return home I'll be sure to capture a few pics. Hopefully with a full stomach, it will look like I'm preggo again. Unfortunately, food poisoning led to a significant weight loss that I'll be working on mending over the next few weeks. Apparently pregnant ladies shouldn't lose 10 pounds in a week. We probably also shouldn't move to Ethiopia at 8,300 feet above sea level and inhale diesel exhaust all day, but what's the fun in avoiding that?
I also know I still owe a post on adoption in Ethiopia.  We're still learning more about this issue and I am looking forward to sharing what we do know from locals with all of you, but I want first to make sure that I'm not misrepresenting information. We've recently had some interesting chats with the adoption consular officer here that adjudicates all US to ET adoptions and I fear the worst.

Lots of love,
Laurie & Mark

Get Me Outta Here!

While Mark has seemingly made a miraculous recovery from food poisoning, I have remained on a steady diet of toast and rice that I only occasionally manage to keep down.  This condition has left me confined to a 400 sq ft prison cell better known as a Hilton hotel room. Before you roll your eyes, allow me to explain.

This is not your standard US Hilton with posh lighting and down comforters.  No no.
This Hilton was decorated on a motel budget in 1972.
There is black mold in the bathroom.
The sink is cracked.
The coverlet bedding comes complete with someone else's hair.
It is dark. damp. and due to our two cats, also smells like litter.

Alas, there is hope.

On December 2nd, we are getting kicked out the Hilton.
Why? Good question.
There's this ICASA event and thousands are coming to town.
There's no room at the inn.
So they are moving us into an apartment across town!!
Not just any apartment, but one with a door to the bedroom.
For peaceful sleep without cats. Or mold.

BUT! It gets better.
Before arriving we were told a new home was 2 months away.
Then it was three months.
Now it looks like we may have a place to hang our hats before Christmas.

It won't be my happy colonial, tucked up on a hill:

but it won't be a Hilton hotel room, either.

In even MORE exciting news. I'm half way through my pregnancy (20 weeks!!) and my preggo belly has finally gone from awkward triangular mountain to a typical rounded tummy.  I can also FEEL him KICK! He usually does so when I roll over onto my stomach "hey! hey! I'm upside down!!" 20 weeks gestation and he's already got an attitude. This is my child after all. I'll be posting tummy pics tomorrow.

REVISION: I spoke too soon. Mark isn't doing much better than I. It was a temporary high.

Turkey Tumble

It was a matter of time.  We're told it happens to everyone at least once.  Still, I never anticipated reenacting the food poisoning scene from Bridemaids with my husband (if you have seen the movie, you're laughing/throwing up in your mouth a little.  If you haven't seen the movie you should.)

Thanksgiving was great. We had a nice dinner at the Ambassadors house with about 12 other guests.  We then departed for round two at our friend's home for the large young-dip crowd Thanksgiving where I discovered that my sweet potato souffle (read Miller's - thanks for the recipe!) and green bean casserole had been fully consumed.  We stayed late and enjoyed time with new friends, laughing and eating dessert.

Ambassador Booth

Saturday we went to the NGO Bazaar (it occurs once per month) and the German Christmas Bazaar.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Once a year, the German community in Addis puts on a bazaar where delicious German treats are sold alongside handmade crafts for Christmas such as advent wreaths and ornaments.  We were surprised at both events by the quality and craftsmanship of each item sold.  By the time we left the NGO Bazaar, every family member's birthday gift had been determined for the year. Later that evening, we returned to our friend's home to finish off the Thanksgiving leftovers from the party.

Proof that the event really does occur.

Then Saturday night arrived...

From 2am to 2pm, Mark and I were mindblowingly ill.  Around 1pm, I had been trying to get liquids inside of me for hours with no success.  I would sip, throw up, sip, throw up... you get the picture. We called the after hours nurse at the Embassy, who asked us to rotate sips of apple juice and water and try to get in a few crackers.  Mark had only vomited once, so this was a plausible request. For me, not so much.  By 2:30PM, we were at the Embassy clinic. It's the closest thing we have to a hospital here.  The nurse practitioner met us there. She gave Mark oral hydration packets and hooked me into an IV. She then took our vitals.  Both of us were running a fever and had low blood pressure.  My heart rate was significantly elevated as well.  We looked terrible and felt worse. I stopped and thought about taking a picture of how miserable we appeared, and then thought better of it. I hadn't been able to urinate since 5AM so I warned the nurse that this was going to take a while.  And it did. We went through 3 bags of fluid before I was "functioning" again.  By the time we left the Embassy at 6:30 we were beginning to feel better and could walk without fear of passing out. 

We returned to the hotel, giant bag of meds in hand, and asked for a linen change in our room. This was the highlight of our day.  Not only did we desperately need clean towels and a fresh bed, but we also had the chance to meet Hannah, the after-hours housekeeper on premise.  She's (a) a nurse (b) 9 weeks preggo and (c) an angel.  She came over and wiped me down with a cold compress, cleaned up the room, made sure that room service was bringing us toast and water, and called later just to check on us. For all of the many shortcomings that Ethiopia has to offer, it's people are not it.  They know of few boundaries, embrace everyone as their own, and are so quick to offer support, advice and a warm hug.

We survived our Bridesmaids moment and are able to laugh about it. If you found this post to be a little TMI, you should know that I've spared you 99% of the embarrassing and hilarious details.

We awoke this morning hungry.  That's a good sign.  Mark is going to work for a half-day and I'm continuing to rest and drink fluids.  Hopefully we'll be as good as new by tomorrow.
What about y'all? Any interesting post-Thanksgiving tummy tumbles? No? Hmm. How was Thanksgiving football? We missed that. Black Friday deals?

Happy Thanksgiving

Today, we are thankful for a healthy baby.  We went to the Swedish Clinic in town to check in on him and he is sitting cozy and sucking his thumb.  We're becoming more excited to meet him with every passing day.  We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and safe travels - wherever they may be taking you.

Not sure why this pic rotates funny when I upload it.  Here's the entrance to the clinic.

Only in Africa do clinics come complete with farm animals.

Love,

Laurie & Mark

Maternity

I wasn't sure how to describe this post for the title, but I think "maternity" sums it up nicely. I say this because I want share with you an update about Ryan, info about our tour of the Hamlin Fistula Hospital, and what we've learned about international adoption from Ethiopia.

God willing, Ryan is doing well.  I'm 19 weeks along and I have the tummy to show for it.  I feel as though I grew a lot early on and am now slowing down.  I don't think that my stomach is much bigger now than it was when I left the United States two weeks ago.  We've become a little concerned that I still haven't felt Ryan kick and this past weekend while we were at Lake Langano I experienced considerable cervical cramps.  For these reasons, we are headed to the Swedish Clinic in town tomorrow morning to make sure that Ryan is doing well.  They have an OB there that's apparently very good and also quite aggressive in her efforts to med-evac when necessary. I'll be sure to post what we learn as soon as we get back from the doctor's office.

I have always felt compelled to suggest that our wealth is "comparative" - e.g. we are wealthy when compared to most Ethiopians.  However, moving to Africa and realizing how most of the world lives, I am quite aware how legitimately wealthy we are.  The things we complain about not having and those that we wish we could afford are uniquely affluent desires regardless of where you live in the world.  America certainly skews that perception because there is so much wealth concentrated there.  This was put largely into focus after we made our appointment with the Swedish Clinic (where we will pay out of pocket) and proceeded to visit the Hamlin Fistula Hospital. 

What's a fistula? So glad you asked! Ethiopia has 80 million people and 130 OB doctors to serve them.  Of the 130 doctors, 101 are in Addis Ababa where the population is only 4 million.  That leaves 29 doctors to serve 76 million people, roughly 34 million of those are women, who live in the rural parts of Ethiopia.  Because most women in Ethiopia live in impoverished, rural communities, they never see a doctor or clinically trained midwife during their pregnancy.  Most often women deliver either on their own with the assistance of female family members or with a community midwife who has simply delivered a lot of babies but has no medical knowledge to ground her decision-making. When women go into labor, as also occurs in the US, often the baby is not turned correctly.  Perhaps their back is facing down and they are horizontal rather than head-down and vertical.  In the United States, these women would have a cesarean.  In the rural communities they suffer for 4-7 days of labor where midwives regularly sit on their bellies to try and push the baby out. Soon, the baby dies inside the mother and becomes very small so it is easy to remove.  The mother, however, is left in what seems disrepair.  Her bladder and rectum have lost blood supply for days, resulting in the formation of a single hole through which urine and feces flow uncontrollably.   Unable to endure the constant odor she produces as urine and feces trickle down her leg and infect her leg as well, her family will most often build her a small hut on the outside of town where they leave her and bring her food once or twice a day. The lucky ones are brought immediately to the Fistula Hospital in Addis.  Many however, spend years living in these huts where their legs begin to atrophy from lack of movement.  They stop eating and drinking as that produces waste - the great cause of their pain.  Divorced, isolated, without their children and starving, these women learn of the Fistula Hospital and sell everything they own to make it to Addis. When they arrive at the Hamlin Hospital, they are welcomed by trained psychiatrists and therapists who are previous patients as well.  At the hospital they begin the long process of rehabilitation, surgery, and recovery.  For many, this takes years.

Mark and I toured the Hamlin Hospital today and had a difficult time selecting the right words for the most beautiful place in Addis: magical, spa-like, inspirational, rejuvenating, a place where God works.  The small campus is nestled on the backside of a hill overlooking a large river.  While Addis is dusty and full of diesel fumes that leave you gasping for air, the Hamlin Hospital grounds feels more like an enchanted spa retreat than a hospital.  Each of the units appear in separate white buildings tucked into trees and gardens.  The rooms have large windows and plenty of ventilation to prevent the women from enduring further embarrassment from their odor.  We first went to the recovery ward, where we saw women full of hope and excitement as they lay in bed recovering from surgery.  We also went to the building where women wait for surgery. The last three places we visited were both the most difficult and encouraging to experience.  In one small room, full of light upstairs in a building there were 8 beds.  These beds were filled with the women who, for one reason or another, the recovery surgery failed for them.  They either need additional surgery or will need to wear bags for the remainder of their lives.  The latter is much like a death sentence.  At home, they will continue to be isolated. Accessing the funds to travel to one of the five satellite hospitals so they can receive their 6 month supply of bags is nearly impossible to keep up. Remarriage is an almost impossibility for them in this state.  These women gave up everything they owned to make it here and were told of a better tomorrow, that day is not going to come for them and it was hard to watch and will remain difficult for me to accept.  We then went to a physical therapy building. For the aforementioned reasons, women often arrive to the hospital in an unbelievably frail state.  What we saw were five women, all barely resembling more than a skeleton, eating boiled potatoes to gain weight as they participated in physical therapy exercises targeted at building their strength so their bodies can endure the surgery they need.  One woman was left alone for 7 years and has been participating in rehab for 8 months.  She is still a long way from walking. Despite these two difficult stops on our tour, the last stop Mark and I made was the highlight of our trip.  It was the maternity ward.  These women successfully recovered from their fistula surgeries, returned home and remarried.  They are now expecting their second or third or even fourth child and are here to ensure that there are no complications with their baby and to undergo a cesarean delivery.  One woman was feeding her newborn baby and the others were laughing and gossiping with delight - their swollen bellies shaking their entire hospital gowns.

The woman who guided Mark and I through the hospital was Fevan.  She is an inspiration and the kind of woman that passion, heart and servitude flow from without ceasing.  Fevan and I exchanged contact information and she is going to begin the process of finding me the right opportunities to serve women in and outside of Addis.  The nursing staff at the hospital, primarily former patients themselves, Fevan and the doctors are the living hands of God.  It was inspiring and humbling to see them all busily at work.

I've clearly written the longest blog post in the history of blog posts, so I will share what we've learned about Ethiopian adoption later.  In the mean time, if you're thinking about adopting from Ethiopia, you shouldn't.

If you're wondering why I didn't take pictures - the Hamlin Hospital requests that you don't out of respect for their patients.  We were happy to play by the rules. You can learn more about the Hamlin Hospital by reading Hospital by the River, written by Dr. Hamlin herself. You can also donate to the Hamlin Hospital by visiting their website.

Outside Addis

This weekend Mark and I traveled with a large group of friends from the Embassy to Lake Langano.  Langano is about a 2.5 hour drive south of Addis Ababa and known for its diverse population of birds.

Our trip began on Friday at 2:30PM as we began the steep decline into the valley.  The Lake rests at roughly 4,500 feet above sea level, still higher than Denver, but a great decline from our starting 8,300 feet in Addis. Addis is full of cars, people, and smog.  Within minutes, the chaos of the city disappeared and the hillsides brought forth small huts, women working diligently out front to make injera for their family's dinner, and young boys out to pasture with livestock.

This traditional Ethiopian home is called a Tukul and is made of straw, sticks and packed mud

Along the drive we saw acres upon acres of greenhouses producing roses, one of Ethiopia's largest exports. We also passed busy small towns with people and livestock roaming the streets.  It was rush to beat the sunset as driving on these roads is impossible at night.  We swerved to avoid cattle, goats, donkeys, and children at least once every 5 minutes.

Then my camera died. Poop!

We stopped once on our drive to Langano after seeing two women carrying heavy loads of wood on their backs.  We needed fire wood and were able to buy two evenings worth of wood from them for 200birr, roughly 12 USD.  As soon as our car pulled over, children swarmed the vehicle.  What happened was different from what I anticipated.  The children weren't exactly sweet in their pursuit of our belongings.  They attempted to pick-pocket each of us, break in to our cars, etc. all with a smile on their face.  It was odd.  We handed them blow pops, but they didn't understand when we ran out that there was no more to give and they continued to beg.  In most third world countries, people wouldn't consider begging so bluntly or obtrusively.  Certainly there are occasional beggars, but not an entire town's worth of children.  It was odd because you want to help them, but their behavior makes it difficult.  I'm excited to learn Amharic so that on our next trip I can speak with the children.  It was obvious there was great need for access clean water, clothes, nutrient-rich food, and soap.  Basic needs were not being met and when observing their behavior through that perspective, it's easy to see why the kids would behave as they were.

The drive was beautiful.  Mark and I shared the thought out loud that "now it feels like we're in Africa." We made it to Langano just before sunset (it goes down early here, around 6PM).  The lake is home to many camp "resorts" and Embassy campsites.  The lake's popularity comes from its silty (and therefore brown) water that prevents snails from living in it.  Snails carry bilharzia, a parasitic disease commonly found in water throughout Ethiopia.  We stayed at the US Embassy campsite that had a generator that ran for a few hours in the evening, a small working kitchen, plumbing for a bathroom, covered concrete slabs facing the water for sleeping, a small beach, and a fire pit.  For the remainder of the weekend, we split our time between laying out, swimming, reading books, and chatting by the fire.  It was delightful and a great way to get out of Addis and see a different side of Ethiopia.

At night I saw more stars at one time than I have likely ever collectively seen in my life.  It was amazing and held us captivated for hours.  The fascination that early astronomers held with stars is no longer a mystery to me.  Without any light pollution to speak of, the African night sky is mesmerizing.

This area is full of dead, dormant and active volcanoes. The kids at the campsite spent their time collecting old volcanic pumice and on our drive home we stopped and collected large, ornate pieces of shiny black volcanic rock.  It's been fun to learn about geology - it makes me look forward to sharing these experiences with Ryan when he's old enough to understand.

This Week
We made it back to Addis late on Sunday and grabbed an Italian dinner at the Sheraton, just a short walk away.  Today I am attending a New Spouses Orientation at the Embassy and then meeting with my Amharic tutor at 1PM to sort out cost, frequency, etc. Later, Mark and I are having dinner with a friend from our church in DC, Craig.

Tomorrow I have a luncheon with the Community Liaison Office at my friend Alek's home and my meeting with my Amharic tutor.  Wednesday we are travelling to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital to learn about the volunteer opportunities available there, another Amharic training, checking out yet another car on the local market, and preparing for our Thanksgiving feast. On Thursday we are attending two Thanksgiving dinners.  First, we were invited to attend dinner at the Ambassador's house (we're new to the area so I think it's a pity invite. I promise, we're not that important.) from 4-7PM. Don't worry - I will give a FULL account of what the Ambassador's residence and furniture looks like. We can't wait to check it out! After that meal, we head to a friend's home here in Addis with about 30 others for a Thanksgiving feast. Since there will be 15 foreigners attending the meal, we're doing a Thanksgiving skit for them that I am in charge of coordinating.  It should be entertaining and I'll be sure to grab a bunch of pictures. For this feast, I'm cooking sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole (provided I can find someone who will lend me two cans of Cream of Mushroom).

Pictures I Managed to Capture While Driving Before My Camera Died

Nicer homes with corrugated roofs have security fences built around them.

Dormant volcano.  Apparently there is a lake at the top. It's hard to see the scale of this giant from  this photo, but imagine Stone Mountain made 800% bigger.

Shops ("Souks") sell small goods.