Sketch: Alibaba is Chinese

Today's random sketch. (Illustration for a Hyperbole article.)

I've become an art teacher.

Art school confidential.

I fancy myself an artist, (among other things...), and anyway, we're all supposed to be artists, architects.

Paint Weekend

You talkin' to me? Luscious lips for the girls, Kalkidan and Amen at it.

Inspired by Ronch's lecture on street art and urban planning last Thursday, and the serendipitous (yah, yah...) visit of their artist/architect friend, colleagues were swept into a random (street art - inspired) paint weekend in their compound.

Proposed Auxiliary Student Toilets + Showers

My proposed design for the student showers.

The Scientific Director has again given me a design assignment.

One Sabado Night

So, for the first time in 10 months, I finally hosted a small soirée .

I've been talking about doing it for months. With Gavin, at first. He's been planning to host a party as well for his office mates, and when I got here, he asked me to co-host it with him, invite some of my friends over as well. But then that never happened. Then I took on that idea, thinking of a reason or an occasion to hold the party. Andy was also keen on the idea. He could host one in his house, too. Or something. We kept thinking and talking about it. With other friends. Intermittently. In between sips of beer. And getting by.

Remembering the October 15 Bohol Earthquake

Exactly one year ago, the island of Bohol snapped from beneath, rocking the very foundations of our faith and fate as a people.

In less than a minute, I saw our stone churches reduced into rubble, homes crumbled and toppled, lives lost, families shattered, dreams interrupted.

While today, I shiver still, as I remember the people we lost – the kids crushed by  a falling wall (the only concrete wall of their house), the farmer pinned down by a falling debris from a chocolate hill, the churchgoers buried under centuries-old rubble , fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends, classmates, colleagues, neighbors, strangers – and I shudder still, as I remember the earthquake, the 7.2 magnitude swaying of the ground, the eerie crackle of breaking earth, the raging groan of the tumbling hillside, the fierce seething of the sea waters, and the uneasy trembling of our hearts – I quiver more in rapture of the spirited humanity that engulfed the whole of Bohol during those most trying of times.

Gasa from Cebu!

Oh yeah, chicharon and danggit! 

 Sweet, another gasa aka pasalubong aka travel gift from the Philippines.

This time, they're from Sir Stephen, who hails from Cebu, about two hours (via fast ferry) away from my island province of Bohol.

Proposed Temporary Sports Field

Crêpe Crap

Sugar-sprinkled crepe.

So, I finally got to buy flour last night. Just at my neighborhood souq, too. See, I've been wanting to, and meaning to, for months now, ever since I craved for chocolate chip cookies (pan-cooked, having no oven), pancakes and crepes. I just haven't gotten myself to actually "buy" it. (Like the much more needed filter water gallon.) My excuse? A lot. "Where'd I buy them?" "I don't see them in shops." "I don't really need flour." And the classic. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow." (And me, bursting in Annie's song!)

Anyway, here you go. My crêpes. Sugar-sprinkled as I totally forgot to buy Nutella or its Ethiopian/Arabic equivalent.

Carbonara Craving

My gooey carbonara.

I've been craving for carbonara since I got back to Dire.

Ever since I had it one dinner at Awraris last week, I was like, "Oh, here's another pasta dinner I could make. And eat." The Awraris carbonara was not bad. Not as savory, and I'd say, bland even. But to me, this is good, as it means I could finish the whole serving because I don't have to drink (to drown the flavor) liquids in between swallows. You get the drift.

Meskel

Sharing a light for the Meskel celebration.

Before coming to Ethiopia, I've never heard of the story of the "true" cross being "found" before. That's how bad a Catholic I've. (Still am, I guess, but non-practicing and non-believing for nearly 10 years now.) 

Happy Ethiopian New Year!

Melkam addis amet! Ethiopian kids don their best clothes for Enkutatash where they sing carols to friends and family in exchange for gifts.

To the rest of the world, today is 9/11 aka the day Al-Qaeda terrorists attacked the U.S. But here in Ethiopia, September the 11th, is Meskerem 1 aka Enkutatash, New Year's Day in the Ethiopian Calender (Julian Calendar).

Melkam addis amet! (Happy new year!)

Today marks the beginning of year 2007 in the Ethiopian Calender (E.C.)

Skyflakes and Pancit Canton, yeah!

Goodies from the Philippines! Daghang salamat, Doc Rommel!

Walk This Wadi

It's alive! This mostly dry river (seasonal river aka wadi) has sprung to life with sandy yellow water rushing through.

So Andy and I finally decided to go for a trek towards one of those hills surrounding downtown Dire Dawa.

Trekking Kulubi-Gabriel

Kulubi-high. (Or not.) Chewing on sugar cane, after the climb.

So, colleagues at the university have been talking about Kulubi all week. It's supposed to be a huge Ethiopian Orthodox Church pilgrimage site. And this week is apparently one of the two feast days of the site dedicated to St. Gabriel. 

Kulubi is less than an hour away from Dire Dawa, see, so why not?  But actually, a couple of the other Filipinos (Ma'am Luzzette and Ma'am Ana) and I had talked about going to Harar yesterday but the weather went nasty in the afternoon (rains and thunderstorm) that we decided to cancel and perhaps just join the other friends who've talked about goin' to Kulubi today.