Ethiopia was an amazing experience. Since the internet was so slow I couldn't write directly in my blog while abroad. Instead I've copied e-mails and entries from my journal to add some stories and text here. You can view Pam and my photos by clicking on my favorite photo of the girl below and/or view the few I added directly to my blog.

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One of our best days of training was a half day on Saturday trouble shooting with the advanced GIS users. If interested, here is our work-related trip report.

Later in the day we went to one of our trainees houses for a true Ethiopian coffee ceremony, good food and conversation.

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Bizuye pours delicious Ethiopian coffee during the coffee ceremony. First she washed and roasted the beans in front of us. The most important part was smelling the finished roasted beans. Then 3 rounds of strong coffee. They really take their coffee seriously.

A special beer tour from Germany and Ethiopia and our welcome home shots in traditional Ethiopian garb. The outfits were a present from our students. Cheers Pam!

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The training ended very nicely. We're starting our journey back this afternoon (Saturday). A little shopping and packing yet to be done this morning. Think good thoughts for Pam and I as we head home.

It's a roller-coaster ride here in Bahir Dar. One day/hour all we can think about is heading home to all the comforts in the states and the next we feel so blessed and happy to be in such a wonderful place.

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Tonight we ate dinner at one of our student's houses. It was one of the best meals we've had here with injera (traditional flat bread made of teff), great vegetables, lentils, and a special sauce called shiro. The people are incredibly nice here. We of course stick out like soar thumbs as 2 tall white women. We've been hassled some (less than we thought), occasional digestion troubles, soar-throats from talking and dry weather, and training hurdles, but all-in-all an amazing experience. I think the trainees and Pam and I are learning so much from each other.

We have a few more days, but it feels like things are winding down. We leave Saturday from our hotel around noon and will be back in Blacksburg at 7 or 8 (?) PM on Sunday. I think I figured about 40 hours from door to door, but so worth it. I can't wait to share some more stories and pictures.

Pam and I are visiting the monasteries on Lake Tana today:
1. Mariam - Azuwa Monastery
2. Entos Eyesu Monastery
3. Source of the Blue Nile
4. Debra Mariam Monastery
Beautiful murals depicting biblical stories cover the walls. It has been great to explore these historic and sacred places.

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I'm also enjoying being away from town and on the water. There are many birds out on the lake, gulls, cormorants, pelicans, etc. It is cool to see the coffee and papaya along the trails growing amongst the large forest trees.

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We're settling in here in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. I think some other people are waiting for the computer, so I'll have to make this brief. The weather is beautiful here and the people so nice. We have had obvious set-backs with software and our trainees thinking they were more prepared than they truly are, but we're making the best of things and trying to take it slow.

From 200712_Ethiopia

We had delicious traditional food today that we ate with our hands and enjoyed thoroughly. We will continue to try new restaurants at lunch and eat at the hotel for breakfast and dinner. It is amazing how busy this small town is. I thought last night while a generator outside of my window kept me up that people don't sleep in Ethiopia. There is always something going on. The most exciting sounds have been the early call to prayer at the local mosque and the busy streets with happy people playing soccer, going to market, etc.

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Brian looking good on our hike from Barney's Wall to the Upper Cascades.

Thanksgiving at Crystal and Dave's in Grapevine, TX, near Dallas, with the whole family (minus Jacob). Click on the photo to see more.

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A trip to Germany

Mom and I had a great trip to Germany. I put these photos up a bit ago, but wanted to get some captions on them to share our trip. Click on the photo below to go to the full album, stories, and explanations.

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Lots of photos to share!

Click on the thumbnail photos below to go to a full photo album.

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Summer 2007

Wow, what a summer. It's almost over and it seems like it just started. Enjoy the photos. E-mail, call, or stop by anytime.
Lots of love!

Wilderness Road Ride

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Did the 29 mile loop in the Wilderness Road Ride over the weekend.

Hard at work on the paper (Identifying Ideal Sites for Disturbance Dependent Piedmont Prairie Restoration and Oak Regeneration using a Spatial Decision Support System).

Pretty maps.

A break from paper writing and a new haircut.

New friends, Ken and Ginger. Ken is a new chiropractor in town and Ginger is our lovely new fiscal technician at CMI.

When I wrote my last post on Sunday, I had no idea of the horror that would strike my community the next morning. The changes of this week were of course devastating rather than the exciting that I had hoped for. But once again I turn to my family, friends, and faith to pull through. My thoughts and prayers are with all those most directly affected by this tragedy. I saw a glimpse of how strong our Virginia Tech and Blacksburg communities are while attending the convocation (in the stadium overflow) and spending time in and around campus and downtown Blacksburg today. I love this town and the people that make it a unique and special place to live. God bless us all!

May we be safe
May we be happy
May we be healthy
May we live with ease of heart with whatever comes our way in life

Listen to Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist

"We will prevail!"

Moving on. . .

Well, you got to keep trucking on. Perhaps easier when you have such great family and friends, and faith that there is something bigger and better out there. In the last month I've picked up knitting, reconnected with some old friends, and visited family for Easter.
I'm looking forward to finishing my major grad project and moving this summer. I may put an offer on a condo this week. It feels like some exciting changes are just around the corner.

Check out the trendy knitting . . . brother, the iPod was free.

Easter Dorr 2007

The food was delicious . . .

The kids had fun. . .

The adults had their turn. . .

but used their kids for the hard to reach eggs.



Prizes!