Sometimes, all of the little chemicals in your body strike some sort of glorious sort of pattern; concentrations of oxygen, water, sugars, salts, nitrogen, endorphins and other vital hormones exist perfectly, creating an ideal gradient, resulting in absolutely no hangover after a night of hard drinking. Such was the case in my brief visit to …
Living in Addis Ababa requires that one consider the lives of the injured, the sick, and the deformed. Action is optional, but you cannot spend time in the streets of Addis without imagining the lives of the handicapped and homeless. Lacking the mobility and strength needed for the day-laboring jobs so common in the workforce …
Kidepo National Park in northern Uganda is really a place for the bigger, more charismatic organisms, like lions and elephants and giraffe and things. However, it had an interesting selection of shrubbier flowering plants with inflorescences that were typically small and very close to the ground. The fruit of that star-shaped purple solanaceous flower is …
The construction is still underway on the new AU center in Addis, but its taken enough shape for one to realize that it looks like a launch pad for flying saucers. The big dome is actually the conference complex, which I believe is operational. I also believe that the main tower is now the tallest …
Here is a group of pictures of various individuals climbing relatively hard stuff in and around the New River Gorge, WV. Thats about all that needs to be said. If you can identify the crag/route/climber, leave your answers in the comment section. This way we’ll find out who is spending waaaay too much time climbing …
During most of the day I share my living space with a lively group of Ethiopian welders and engineers. Its their job to design, build, and test prototype versions of low-budget irrigation equipment for rural farming. Presently, this equipment includes manual well drills and a few different kinds of groundwater pumps. We have a small …
Currently its the dry season here in Ethiopia, but the heavens uncharacteristically opened up for almost two days straight last week. The storm ended late on a thursday afternoon, very close to sunset. The combination of the dissipating storm, the waning sunlight, and the lack of out and about people gave the city a eerie …
When I heard that the organization that I’ve been working with here in Ethiopia was going to have an “annual review and retreat,” I did not know what to expect. We have employees stationed all over Ethiopia and for one week everybody was to funnel into a hotel somewhere for a series of meetings, reviews, … Continue reading
I have attempted to buy shoes twice since arriving here in Addis Ababa. About a month ago I decided that I needed a new pair. Up to that point in time I had been wearing a single pair of shoes, almost exclusively. They’re brown leather and belonged to my father before I commandeered them. I’ve … Continue reading
If you may not know (I didn’t until I arrived in the country) Ethiopia functions under a different calendar than most other places in the world. Currently its 2005, and 2006 isn’t going to roll around until September 1st. The reason for the difference lies in Ethiopia’s unique brand of Orthodox Christianity. Check out the … Continue reading
The Slackademic 