Author Archives: lornaofarabia

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About lornaofarabia

I am a teacher from Medford, Oregon. I currently live and work in Bangkok, Thailand.

Mushroom farmers v. 2

Posted on 26 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

Mushrooms are not a part of the traditional Ethiopian diet.  I base this assertion on 30 years’ experience eating in Ethiopian restaurants in the US; 10 months in Addis Ababa have not revealed mushrooms as a component of Ethiopian cuisine … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Food, Shopping | Tagged | 2 Comments

This is just to say

Posted on 23 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

This is just to say I have eaten the can of American tuna that was hidden at the back of the cupboard and which you were probably saving for lunch on a hard day. Forgive me it was delicious creamy … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat experience, Family, Food, Home life | Tagged | 4 Comments

Lucy: “I’m home!”

Posted on 22 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

Lucy’s back in town. AL 288-1, aka Lucy, was discovered in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia in 1974.  The hundreds of little pieces add up to about 40% of the skeleton of a 3.2 million year old female Australopithecus afarensis.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Background, Ethiopia | Tagged | 2 Comments

Grow your own

Posted on 19 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

I love cooking with fresh herbs. Unfortunately, the selection in stores here is pretty limited.  I can almost always find parsley, cilantro, and rosemary, but that’s about it. The infamous Varnero pot plant delivery included mint, oregano, and thyme.  Our … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Home life | 2 Comments

Sole Rebels

Posted on 15 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

My new kicks: Sole Rebels shoes are made in Ethiopia. They’re fair trade, and comfortable, too. The company is owned by a woman, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, who employs only other women. She pays them a living wage. The materials are … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Shopping | Leave a comment

Kitty litter crisis

Posted on 12 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

We came home one evening before spring break to find this official notice from the Varnero management on our dining room table. (the purple stamp on the signature is what makes it official) All the cat owners in the building … Continue reading →

Posted in Home life | Leave a comment

Orthodox Easter, twice

Posted on 9 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

I’m not a churchy person – my religious affiliation might be described as lapsed Unitarian – but I do get into the pageantry and mood of religious festivals. Maybe even more than some, because I’m not bothered by questions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Background, Ethiopia | Leave a comment

Easter feasting

Posted on 8 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

There is a 55-day Lenten fasting period before Fasika during which Orthodox Ethiopians adhere to a strictly vegan diet: no meat, eggs, or dairy products are allowed.  On top of that, they only get to eat one meal a day … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethiopia, Food | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Debre Zeyit

Posted on 6 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

Today it was back to work after the three-day Orthodox Easter weekend. For Ethiopian Christians, this is a holiday spent at home with family, but for faranji like us it presented a good chance for a short crowd-free getaway. Our … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Ethiopia | 1 Comment

Pirates!

Posted on 2 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

Check out the recycled-materials ship from the school’s pirate-themed spring carnival last weekend. The sails are plastic milk bags. The trim is bottle caps.  The ocean is blue packing plastic. And of course the buoys are plastic water bottles. Never … Continue reading →

Posted in International Community School | Tagged , , | Leave a comment