St George

This is a local beer that is brewed in Jimma, it's very similar to beer back home and costs about $0.35 CAD a bottle.

ABFM Academy

I got to visit a local school on Monday morning w/ my friend Charlotte. It was super fun, the kids were very sweet. Even the three year olds had to write exams which I thought was a little bit extreme and very funny. This is my friend Charlotte with a huge group of the little kids.

Kids in Seka

These are some of the little kids that followed us down the hill to the Gibe Falls in Seka. Doing some sort of power ranger pose.

Little Mantis

This is a lovely little mantis that appeared as I was enjoying my breakfast on Saturday morning. I'm never going to get over seeing these little guys.

Friday Goat

This is a photograph of one of the numerous goats that are around everywhere. It's not uncommon to see a boy of about six years of age walking with ten or twenty goats. I really do enjoy having all the goats around.

Praying Mantis

I was reaching for a pen which I keep on a table under my desk, and touched this mantis. It had came in through the window, and was slowly dying. It really just spun around in circles, and ended up passing away atop a bubble sheet. I feel badly for the poor little guy, but maybe I can bring it back home for my insect collection for entomology.

Hibiscus with water

I tried earlier this summer to get a nice photograph of a hibiscus on campus. I got a better one this week, with water drops. Still haven't been successful in getting a photo of one of the nectar sucking birds. There don't seem to be humming birds, but instead wonderful little coloured birds with long curved beaks.

This spider is found around campus, and is absolutely terrifying. It looks poisonous, I don't want to even know if it is or not... but is at least the size of a Canadian loonie.


Ouch

DAY 174 (47.6%)

This is a shot I took outside of the beautiful morning sky on campus. It's worth waking up early, to see the mist over the mountains. But a sleep in with Lariam dreams is almost as beautiful. *** I DO NOT RECCOMEND LARIAM*** it's crazy. I have the most messed up dreams ever, some are cool. Some just creep me right out.

Nests

These colonies of nests were very common on the drive through the valley. Sometimes up to thirty or forty individual nests were observed. Unsure of what bird makes them, maybe it's multiple types. However, in this case the bird was yellow. (I saw one popping out)

Great White Pelicans

Can you see how they get their names? (they're about four feet tall)
Here are a few fighting over a piece of rotten fish in Hawassa, I have a few wicked shots of them. You can see them on my other blog, I have it linked ... RIGHT HERE

Friday; Boys at Lake Hora

This is my favourite photo from my turip down the Great Rift. Two young boys running near the Lake. They had just been swimming but ran out to greet us. This is actually the photo from Thursday, it is switched out of order with the previous Acacia photo.

Acacia tortilis

A "lion king" tree. Actually a type of Acacia Acacia tortilis of the Fabaceae family. It is very common throughout the drive, we drove through HOURS and HOURS of savana with millions of these trees. Very beautiful

Mt. Selam

Located between Jimma and Addis Ababa, this mountain (which is a part of The Great Rift) seemingly appears from nowhere. It is breathtaking.

Birr

I love the Ethiopian 100 birr note, this is my favourite part of it a man with a microscope. I thought that it might have been a famous Ethiopian scientist, but it turned out that I can't find out who it is... maybe just a symbol of Ethiopian ingenuity?

Drawing

This is my first installment of what happens when people are late. I try to relax and draw, this was with felt tipped pens. It took a while.

Neat Insect

We found a really interesting insect outside campus, it has a almost lacelike structure on it's anterior end. Can anyone ID it?

Our friends Isaac and Samuel

Some local boys took us to the palace in Jimma.
The palace was dwarfed by the view from the mountain

just a little guy

Today when washing my hands, I found the tiniest praying mantis ever. I wonder if it's a baby or another species altogether...

Peep Peep

Dave and I inoculated 600 chickens today, 400 being chicks. Here is a photo of a few of the chicks chilling after we gave them the medication.

This is a wild spider with a huge padipalp, it was super cool. I think it might be poisonous based on it's scary appearance.

Alcohol Sterilization

Dave and I volunteered in the local hospital today for a few hours, just observing surgeries really. It was one of the most interesting mornings that I have ever had. It was so much fun. This is just some purple alcohol sterilizer that was quite nice to look at.

Midnight frog

Last night as I was going to bed, I came across this beautiful golden/yellow frog... I think it's a banana frog. But I'm not certain. It was in the corner high above the shower, so Dave and I climbed the shower to get a photo. Much to the amusement of the girls in residence, who flocked in to gape and laugh at us.

My new favourite snack

Barley and peanuts, a deadly combination. I recommend it to anyone. If you have it with beer, it's like washing down barley with more barley.

Seka Falls

This is a picture of a beautiful waterfall, about 18km from Jimma. We had a really nice trip with both locals and other 'farenjis'

Toad

I found an amazing toad, and got a wicked photo of him. We found him under the macadamia tree.

DOnkey

Another thing that I've been enjoying immensely since arrival in Ethiopia are the donkeys. They're super scraggly, but are everywhere and seem very friendly. I don't get too close, but they are nice to look at. That is for sure.

This is a beautiful bird that eats nectar, still haven't been able to get a flattering picture. But, it's very vibrant blue/green gloss on black, has a hooked beak and a yellow breast

I doodled today, and I drew an acacia tree. It rained torrentially today, and it was very. very. cool.
Wish I could have been home for AB though.

2. This is a hibiscus outside the horticulture building. Lots of very colourful nectar sucking birds around, but have been unsuccessful at capturing their photo.

1. This is a praying mantis I found last night on the way home from the garden. He flew onto my jacket, and then I played with him for 20 or 30 minutes. They're super cool.