Away

Hey guys

So I'll be M.I.A for a few days. I had tons of new pics to post but I'm having technical difficulties up here. I'll try my best to post asap. I'll be going on a trip tomorrow. Will be back on Friday. Until then, stay safe and hydrated.

More of Dire

View from my balcony at Blossom Hotel.
Chemin De Fer Djibouti-Ethiopien
Public Health in Action: Wall painting for HIV Awareness
Camels on the Streets
Camels Taking a Break


Hey, my peeps! Back from my journey through northern Ethiopia. Hope you are all doing great. I have TONS to share but I also have a backlog of other pics so I'll try to post as much as I can today. So without further delay, here are a few pics from my last few days in Dire Dawa.

Pretty Gutsy Men

Here are a couple of pics of my colleagues enjoying raw meat the old fashioned way. Apparently, it is addictive and delicious... I didn't want to risk getting some parasites so I stuck with cooked tibs.

Harar, Harar, Here I come!

Just wanted to post that I am heading off to Harar today! I'm very excited.. It is one of the places I've wanted to visit since forever. I'm going to take many pics and I'll share them ASAP. My travel list for next week includes all (most) of Northern Ethiopia. I'll visit places I've always wanted to visit... I'm sooo excited! I'll have great things to post.. Also I wanted to mention that I have given up my flight from Dire to Addis in order to drive up. I figured it would be a great opp to see the country by car. Anyway, peeps, love hearing from all of you and thanks so much for all the love and support! Bisous!

Room with a View

Just thought I would share my view from the room I have. It is a great view and very beautiful..

I love it!! and the sky changes every minute and it's amazing!! The only negative is that since I am four floors up, the wind is crazy loud at night. It howls the entire time but the view more than makes up for that tiny problem.

Hospital life

Before Entering the O.R

After the O.R

So, here are the anticipated hospital pictures.. as most of you already know, I've been doing some night shift work at the Ob/Gyn department at Dil Chora Referral Hospital. I've met some amazing people here and they are teaching me so much. Of course, I'm not even going to discuss the obvious drastic difference in the healthcare facilities here and in the U.S. but I've learned and seen so much more than I have expected during my 2 weeks here as a student. Here are some pics right before entering the O.R and also in the nurses lounge where we sleep at night. The nurses here are sooo great. They are so open to teaching and pushing me beyond my limits. Pictured are Rahel, Keltum, T.G, Kal, and Meri.

Apologies for my absence

Hey folks,

Sorry for disappearing. After my arrival to Dire Dawa, I haven't been able to find an adequate internet service which allowed me to log onto the blog and post.. I guess it finally worked... I have been working at the obstetrics ward at the main hospital here, mostly the night shifts, and helping deliver babies.. it's been fun! I will post pics regarding that soon (whenever I get good connection). However, here are pics of the main shopping area here also known as Taiwan. Enjoy!

View from the top

Went to one of my favorite places in Addis on Sunday and enjoyed some quality time. This place is so great. You can practically view the whole city from an elevated area. It has improved so much since the last time I was here and has become a tourist hot spot. It was great to be back regardless.

No! We don't live in trees... or huts! Part I

I was once asked whether we lived in trees in Africa... So, here are some of the beautiful houses I have come across in Addis so far. Each very different and unique from the rest.

Cool Gate!

Hope you all had a great weekend. I'm back and ready to share some things I saw this weekend... I'm gonna pace myself cus I don't want to run out of things to post. Anyway, visit to dentist went well... enjoyed face paralisis for half a day. Now back to the pictures at hand.. these beautiful gates are of an orphanage found by the Kotebe/Gurd Shola neighborhood. The place was closed when I went but I heard great things about it. Apparently this orphanage/children's home is very self-reliant. They generate income by selling some home-made spices and dairy products... there is also a small restaurant where people could come and eat... It's always great to see forward thinking organizations like this. Anyway, I fell in love with their gate. I'd never seen anything like this before. I want one! or two...

Where I Work

These pics are long overdue but this is where I work, on the second floor. This whole building is the site for the TUTAPE project. It's a great neighborhood and a very convenient location. I have practically been to every restaurant around here for lunch. I will try to rate them as well in my later posts. Have a great weekend, all, and since I may not have internet access for the weekend, tune back in on Monday for more pics.
P.s I will be practicing medical tourism on Monday as I will be visiting a dentist here. Deets later.

Bole Bole Bola

Pics from the Friendship Building in Bole which is right in front of my office. Loving the mountain views which serve as the background for the houses and buildings. As you can see, many buildings are in progress and like I said, once these are done, this place is gonna look soo good.
Besides that, weekend coming up... feeling excited to explore the town a bit more. Definitely going to Dire next week so I'm gonna try to make the best out of my stay here!