Addis Adventures

This weekend was pretty amazing. By the end of this blog you will understand why I say I have settled into my home.

Friday night Laura and I went on an adventure to acquire outside patio furniture for our verandah and get groceries for the house. It was such a missed opportunity that you couldn't dine outdoors in this amazing weather. Once we had made the purchase and installed it on site...we broke it in with our first lunch!

Tuna and Fruit Salad over Greens

Then we went into the office for meetings and to finish out the week with exhaustion, we run into SHOA, the western style grocer to pick up the last few things, and head to the house. After talking through several options we landed on the most amazing dinner...

Tofu Pad Thai

Saturday morning was an early day as Laura, her friend Paul, and I set out to explore the ongoings of the International Women's Day festivities. We met up with several groups of Peace Corps and otherwise expats here in the country. We had two destinations and each would allow us insight into lives of Ethiopian women.

The first was a panel discussion facilitated by the Center for Creative Leadership which brought university age young women to debate on a selected topic. The topic was "Sexual Harassment is about Power". One group support that statement while the other stated "Sexual Harassment is about sex". It was a great opportunity to have these girls speaking in front of large mixed gender crowds about sex and respect. There were several places were some of those the debate could have been strengthened by more context around defining the key terms in this argument, but we agreed the youth were incredible.

Laura and Paul with students from their Peace Corps Youth Leadership Camp

The second event of the day was at the French Cultural Center (it has a French name that I don't remember nor could I probably spell). There were panel discussion about social and economic issues impacting the women of Ethiopia. It should be noted they were also serving hero/submarine sandwiches that were delicious! We also walked through an onsite market filled with NGOs that either provided training and support or a co-op space for women artisans and entrepreneurs to develop their craft and market their merchandise.

Despite Carmen's facial expression, these subs were GREAT!

Women in my life take note of the types of gifts to be brought back :)

The afternoon was spent enjoying our home in Addis while I prepared dinner and then we sat outside for a comfortable and conversational meal together. Cooking, eating and cleaning in candlelight. There is a quiet simplicity about this that I really enjoy.

Paul and I at Chateau de Glimmer

Yes friends, that is chocolate and custard filled pastries!

Enjoying the use of a great camera while here. These are fresh roses from the corner market

Sunday was an early start as we headed out to the International Women's Day 5K for the Peace Corp gals to hoof it around Addis while us guys sipped on some Ethiopian coffee. It was a great morning. To look out across a sea of yellow and see the faces of empowered women celebrating the value and contribution of their lives was quite moving.

Dance! Dance! Revolution!

Laura, Helen and Kim

lil' Diva

Lisa, Beth, friend of theirs, Carmen and Erika

Then Funday a la Sunday continued with an afternoon of pizza, beer, mafia, gonzo, baseball, homemade cookies, fridge leftover clean out and bananagrams hosted at our wonderful house. It was epic to the extreme and I struck up quite the friendships with Laura's amazing group of friends here in Addis. This weekend was me settling in at "home".

For Amanda Baker....Gonzo has arrived in Addis

Me and Laura! shout out to T. Burkly

I can't wait to continue my Addis adventures on the weekends!

Til then,
Atto Tim!