Odonata

This was a beautiful dragonfly I found while walking around campus. He/she was sitting on a Geranium. There aren't even close to as many dragonflies here as there are back home and seeing one is something special

Fredrika and Stephanie

On Saturday, Dave and I visited some friends down town. They are volunteering on a Swiss project here at the hospital as a scrub nurse and a traumatology surgeon. They're both really nice, and we had a great day with them.

Buna

This is a cup of coffee I had just outside of campus. The place that we've been going recently makes all their coffee traditionally, they roast the beans on a little fire, grind them with a mortar and pestle and then add hot water. I don't believe there is a filter in any way shape or form, because the coffee is almost "chalky" I don't know if that's the right word for it, because it is absolutely delicious.

Some of our friends - Thursday

These three girls always come out to say "hello" when I walk past. They always come out yelling "Paul! Paul! Paul!" but it sounds more like "Poule! Poule! Poule!". They're very sweet, I have a few little things to give them before I leave for Canada.

Dinner with Sam and Isaac

We had to say goodbye to our friends Samuel and Isaac the next night. They are headed off to Harar (near the Somali border).

Goodbye Biru

We had to say an indefinite goodbye to our friend Biru on Tuesday. He is heading up North for a few months, and we will have left before he gets back. We celebrated the with a nice supper at Temkey with Biru, Dave and Jochen.

Rainy Monday

The rains have started and with a vengeance. It has rained 6-10 hours a day recently. It's a little bit sad, I miss the nice weather of May with rain only at night.

Sunday School

This was a schoolbus that is a recent addition to ABFM academy, a small school a few hundred meters down the hill from Jimma University. I got very excited when I saw it. Normally kids take public transit, or a large blue van which in both cases is the same vehicle. Many children also walk.

Great statue

Saturday,

This is a statue in the alumni gardens which I always liked. It's a little girl standing on a little boy for a drink of water. It's a common theme in sculpture here, teamwork. When visiting the national museum, there were many things representing team work. The other part I like about this statue, is the ring of Osbadian (a volcanic glass) that surrounds it.

Love the Earth

This is a heart shaped leaf on a vine near my room here in Jimma. It looks similar to a morning glory, but a very vibrant green. This was taken after a heavy rain.

Spiny Orbweaver

Thursday,

This is a spider that I found outside in a mango tree. I have the name of it somewhere, it's some type of spiny orbweaver. I don't know the species though...

Deathshead Hawk Moth

This is the moth from Silence of the Lambs. I found it while I was brushing my teeth on Wednesday, absolutely creepy.

Note the skull marking on head.

Day194/265

Tuesday

This year is just flying by. This one is a beautiful pigeon like bird I spotted on the roof of a class room. I got pretty close. The rainy season really seems to have started, as it has rained. all. day.

Leaf

This is a beautiful interior of a cup shaped leaf of some sort of flower in a nearby garden.

Vulture

This is a vulture on top of one of the larger hotels downtown. Spotted him or her when I was out for a walk. Just a little bit creepy non?

Hussein

This is one of my good friends here Hussein, he is shown drinking a nice cup of chai at Variety.

Chegla Tibs

Goat meat, jalepenos, red onion eaten super hot on a little ceramic grill with injera, spicy mustard/horseradish and cayenne. Delicious

Cabbage

Cabbages might just be the worlds most beautiful vegetable!

Tegabino

My favourite Ethiopian dish. Yellow peas, jalepeno, garlic and butter. It's served boiling hot with injera. Delicious.

Day 190

Nothing like a praying mantis chilling on a Geranium to brighten up a Wednesday afternoon!

Ray of Light

As I was walking out of a plant pathology lecture today, I saw a beautiful ray of light coming through the clouds. This was the best shot I could get before it completely disappeared.

Monday Creepy Wattled Ibis

This was a shot I was trying to take of an ibis when it was almost dark. As I got close it was spooked and began to fly away. I got just a bit of him in the photo, but with a chain link background. It's creepy to say in the least

Happy Birthday Mum

It's my mothers 50th Birthday on July 4th, 2010. As I was going to bed last night, the key snapped off in the lock. I wasn't too impressed, but I got it fixed this morning and now I have a new key and a door that locks! Hooray.

Saturday

I had a really nice Saturday, I went swimming at a local hotel then watched football with a few friends in town. It was a beautiful day, and I got a little bit of sun. This is a flower not far from the parking lot of the campus. Anna told me the name when she was here, but I forgot. Looks sort of like a Gerbera.

July 2nd - Friday - Green Building

I don't know the name of this building, but it's where most of the class lectures take place on campus. It has some really beautiful lines. Lovely blue sky in the background as well.

Happy Canada Day!

This was the first July first I ever spent out of the country, which was a little bit sad. However, it was a really nice day. Anna gave me a little bottle of maple syrup and I had a tea sppon of it before I went to bed. We also went out for a nice traditional meal at Tempke. The photo is of a bit of corn I purchased on the way home, as soon as it gets dark many women put ears of maize on little clay grills and blacken them. It's super filling and tastes like popcorn that hasn't popped all the way.

Wednesday 30th

This is a photo of a neat little butterfly I spotted on a daisy in the gardens. He looks almost like a skipper that we have back in Nova Scotia