Author Archives: lornaofarabia

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About lornaofarabia

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

Where tortoises roam

Posted on 22 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

We have some unusual critters on campus.  Up on the field there are wild tortoises.  They like to eat the grass. I guess they don’t get in the way of the games too much; everyone seems to like having them … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, International Community School | Leave a comment

International Day

Posted on 21 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

It’s kind of a cliché to say that every day is international day at a school like ours.  Even so, many international schools around the world celebrate their multicultural character at an annual springtime event.  International Day is an opportunity … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat experience, International Community School, Teaching | 2 Comments

Take two, they’re small

Posted on 12 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

There’s a problem with unwanted animals in this city. I’m starting to think there’s a problem with unwanted animals everywhere.  In Damascus it was cats, in Sarajevo, dogs.  Here in Addis, it’s both.  This is a very poor country where … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Animals, Expat experience, Home life, Sarajevo | Tagged | 5 Comments

The commissary

Posted on 11 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

The commissary. The place Americans in Addis love to hate. US embassies around the world run commissaries for their employees.  These places are shops, usually on embassy grounds, offering American consumer goods (food, toiletries, and alcohol) for sale to soldiers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Expat experience, Food, Shopping | 2 Comments

Wheels

Posted on 9 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

I know a lot of you have been anxious for me to get to the end of the truck story. The car finally arrived a few days after I left for California, but sat in the parking lot well into … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethiopia, Home life | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Adventures with Wolfy and Balto

Posted on 7 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

My daughter Alekka is away this week on her Grade 10 “Week without Walls” experience in northern Ethiopia.  Alekka took a camera on the trip; if she comes back with some good pictures, I think I’ll ask her to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Africa, Expat experience, Family, Home life, International Community School | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Reentry

Posted on 6 Feb 2013 by lornaofarabia

I feel I should apologize for, or at least explain, my two-month absence from this site.  I haven’t been malingering, not this time, anyway; more like I hit a bump in my life and had to take a break.  I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Family | 2 Comments

Sounds like a problem to me

Posted on 4 Dec 2012 by lornaofarabia

From: ABDULKADER Kedir Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 2:07 PM Subject: Omega transit To: Andreas dear Andreas     this is inform you that we send all relevant document to Djibouti but there is a system problem on Djibouti customs … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethiopia, Expat experience | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Tastes like licorice

Posted on 3 Dec 2012 by lornaofarabia

‘We want two Anis del Toro.’ ‘Do you want it with water?’ ‘I don’t know,’ the girl said. ‘Is it good with water?’ ‘It’s all right.’ ‘You want them with water?’ asked the woman. ‘Yes, with water.’ ‘It tastes like … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Food | Comments Off on Tastes like licorice

Guards! Guards!

Posted on 2 Dec 2012 by lornaofarabia

A few of my Facebook friends are surprised by the presence of guards in our lives here.  What are they guarding?  And what are they protecting it against? Guards are standard faranji household staff in Addis (“staff.” This is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Home life | 3 Comments