Category Archives: Ethiopia

Beware the ides of March

Andreas led a 6th grade field trip to Menagasha today.  They toured the Born Free foundation, a wild animal rescue non-profit that operates in a number of locations around the world.  Here in Ethiopia they run a shelter for exotic … Continue reading

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Let’s do the time warp again

Remember that post I wrote about the Ethiopian calendar?  It’s a little strange to find ourselves in 2005 again.  Here’s another oddity of the space-time continuum – Ethiopians don’t measure daily time the way we do in the west, either. … Continue reading

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Battle of Adwa

Last night our school commemorated one of the most important events in Ethiopian history: the defeat of General Oreste Baratieri’s Italian army by Emperor Menelik II’s Ethiopian forces at Adwa on March 1, 1896. A little background: By the late … Continue reading

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New After School Activity

Ukulele Club Tuesdays Grade Levels: 6-12 Location: room 67 Learn some basic chords and strumming patterns; play some songs in a group and individually. Ukuleles are fun, so the idea is we will have some fun and make some good … Continue reading

Posted in International Community School | Tagged | 2 Comments

A run for the money

ICS held its 4th annual Charity Walk & Run this last Saturday.  The event is a fundraiser for three excellent local charities.  ICS students and teachers volunteer throughout the year with these organizations, but the annual run is special in … Continue reading

Posted in Addis Ababa, International Community School | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ish

“Ishee” is a word in Amharic.  When spoken, it is usually followed by a sharp, audible intake of breath for emphasis.  Although sometimes it just sounds like “ish”.  And sometimes it’s just the breath. Ish or ishee means something like … Continue reading

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Menegasha forest

Last Saturday we took the faranji-mobile out for a little local exploration.  Our destination was the Menagesha forest, about a 40 minute drive southwest of our home. The forest is Ethiopia’s oldest park – in fact, it lays claim to being … Continue reading

Posted in Around Ethiopia, Ethiopia | 2 Comments

Where tortoises roam

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

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International Day

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

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