Last Canada Post

Hi,

Todays photo is of my rock collection and my favourite salt shaker in the whole world. A few things that I group in with home, and Canada.

This is my last post before I head out to Ethiopia, however I do have a blog going when I am in Ethiopia if you are interested in learning more about that. That can be accessed here.

It's been a lot of work to pack, but have been getting through it all. Dad's case ended so he was able to come and say goodbye, which is super great. I just have a few more little things to do before departure. So pleased about that.

Once again, this might not be updated as frequently while away. But there will be a photo taken each day. Thanks for your patience, have a great summer wherever it might take you.

PM

This one is a bit old,

I had two really good ones the other day, and I thought the weather was more important. This one is of my brother Ian finding the worlds ugliest (and most interesting) table on the beach. Half table, half lobster trap. I'm pretty stressed out, still packing and such. It's going to be a bit of a hassle. But SO excited nonetheless.

"Tine and Mum are home"

Tine and Mum got home from Domincan today, and Tine got cornrows. Had a really nice dinner with my friends down the road, and it was absolutely delicious. Still a little stressed about Ethiopia, have a lot to do. But still very excited

and then the sky BURST into flames

Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous.
Coming in from a walk on a calm evening, the winds picked up and then clouds started flying ridiculously fast. Then the weirdest light happened. Reds and oranges, but so intense. SO INTENSE. So sudden. This is a raw image, nothing changed these are the colours out on the river. Breath taking.

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This Friday I am leaving for Ethiopia, for any regular readers who know that this blog has been updated daily with a photo, this may not continue to be the case due to connection difficulties in Ethiopia. I ask for your patience and understanding during this point, as it could mean days or even weeks without new photos. I will still be taking a photo each day, and writing about it. However it will not be posted every day (naturally).

Here's a little about the trip, just a letter I have been sending out to friends and family.
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Hi Everyone,

I’m just posting this to let people know about my trip to Ethiopia. On May 7th, 2010 I will be on my way to Jimma, Ethiopia. I am going on a three and a half month work term for a project entitled Post Harvest Management to Improve Livelihoods (PHIML), sponsored Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) and McGill University.

Post Harvest management is a critical practice within agriculture. Post harvest management is basically the way that people take care of agricultural products after they have been harvested. Ethiopia, is a nation that is highly dependent on agriculture. Approximately ninety percent of Ethiopia’s GDP comes from Agriculture, however Ethiopia continues to lose a huge amount of crops due to problems with post harvest management. These losses may come from; rodents, microorganisms, moisture, fungus or other factors.

McGill and NSAC have partnered with CIDA and an Ethiopian University (Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine JUCAVM) to start a project, developing a program at the university to increase the resources regarding post harvest management. As students from across Ethiopia, and other parts of Africa study at the school they can bring back what they have learned to other communities and reduce the amount of harvest losses by implementing the knowledge from the program through community based education. The projects goal is to create programs for post harvest management at the undergraduate and graduate level at JUCAVM.

I am one of two students from NSAC that will be working in Ethiopia this summer, as well as various members of the faculty that will be in and out throughout the summer. My roles as an intern aren’t completely clear to me yet, but they will become so as I begin my placement upon arrival. However, it is fair to say that this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am beyond ecstatic to have been selected for such a great first step; a first chance to experience international development, an interesting and new way to learn about the importance agriculture in both a local and international context, and finally finding out a little more about what I want with my life.

I leave Canada on May 7th, 2010 and will return the 20th of August, 2010. I’ll be gone around 100 days. It is a possibility due to unforeseen circumstances that communication between me, and my friends and family back home in Canada may be infrequent and sporadic. I am hoping to compile a list of friends and family email addresses. So that I might be able to send out a mass email when I do have news, a few minutes to write and access to internet.

I will be living in dormitory style residence, and it is unclear at this point whether or not I will have a roommate. It is highly likely that I will be sharing a room with my friend David, who is the second student intern going. I will be sleeping, and eating at JUCAVM.

One of the tasks that we are asked to do while away, is keep up a blog. Where internet connection is limited and unpredictable, this may prove to be difficult. However, I hope that our blog will be up and running soon after arrival. I plan to send out the URL of that, so if interested people are able to check it out.

I also took on a project for 2010 which was to document the year in photos, one at a time. This is hopefully going to continue in Ethiopia. However, once again because of internet connections and problems this might not be the case. I will still be taking a photo each day, and I will continue my resolution of a photo each day. I can promise this.

If you’re interested in hearing about my trip, as it progresses. Just drop me an email to manningp@nsac.ca, this should be a fairly reliable server that doesn’t take too long to load. It will serve as my main connection to communicate with others. I will add you to the list, and my wishes are to send out periodic bulletins of how the summer is progressing, what I have been seeing, what I have been doing, who I have been meeting.

I would like to thank everyone for their support and understanding for me as I take on this new adventure. I wish everyone a happy and healthy summer.


Sälam,

Paul

Year two, now has a nice new schedule

Woke up at seven this morning for some strange reason. And tried to do something useful, so I did up my schedule for next year. I think this is as organized as I have ever been. Man am I ever excited for some interesting classes!

Erythronium americanum

Feeling a lot better today. Dad and E convinced me to go for a walk, then I came home and slept/read a little. Found a neat flower on the walk today called Erythronium americanum which is commonly known as a trout lily. It is a pretty cool flower, I identified it using a neat little web tool which is really easy to use: Wildflower ID

Oh, and I am also posting a photo of a red-backed salamander I took, because I just think they're the neatest things ever.

Food poisoning

Woke up at four this morning. Spare you the details I have food poisoning. Had some pepto, and went back to bed. Woke up at four in the afternoon. Had a piece of dry toast, then went back to bed until nine. Sorry about the mediocre photo, don't have too much energy to do anything else.