Liz's Blog

Ziway

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:57:58 +0000

Originally written April 2009… just rediscovered, left unfinished and unedited.

It recently occurred to me, that I never actually wrote about one of my favorite experiences so far in Ethiopia—Ziway. Ziway is a town about 3 hrs south of Addis, and happens to be the location of the IDE field office for our project area. The town itself is rather average, but the people in the villages surrounding it were one of the highlights of my trip.

At the IDE project site we work with farmers who earn normally less than $3 a day. None that I recall have electricity or plumbing, and many live in mud/straw huts. If they are higher class, they have a rectangular cinderblock house with two rooms or multiple huts. However, they are some of the hardest working people I have ever met.

They dream of being able to send their children through full schooling and hope that they get jobs working in NGO’s as those positions are generally much higher paying than the wages they receive farming. Most children in the area go to school half days, and then help on the farm and with household chores the other half. However, if the child enters secondary school (equivalent of high school) they have to board in town and only see their families occasionally.

Maize (corn, for the American folk) is a very important staple in this region. Most of the homecooked meals that aren’t injera based are comprised of corn meal, boiled water, and sometimes crushed pepper seasoning. It sits in your stomach like a brick, but is ridiculously filling, especially given the price. Maize is sometimes used as cattle feed, the stalks are found in house construction and used as cooking fuel. Now, if only corn-cob charcoal could be introduced. Yes, I’ve drunk the Amy Smith koolaid.

Looking back: Community in Africa

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:52:39 +0000

It’s no secret that I fell in love with the community in Ziway during my time in Ethiopia. Although part of it was due to the project I was helping with, a huge reason was the community itself. I’ve always struggled to describe why. I’ve recently cracked open the book “The Invisible Cure: Why We Are Losing The Fight Against Aids in Africa” by Helen Epstein. Five pages into the preface, I had to stop and write this down.

“Their [Southern and Eastern African people] story is, with some exceptions, not about the accumulation of great personal fortunes and the founding of cities with palaces, cathedrals, and libraries. It is a story of relatively small groups banding together to survive on a harsh and dangerous frontier, of natural disasters and political and economic crises.

[…]

Faced with such a mutable, dangerous world, the people of East and southern Africa developed a genius for local improvisation, adapting to life in forests, deserts, or lakesides. Cut off by the Sahara from the developing technologies of Europe and Asia, they were forced to innovate and developed their own methods of agriculture, iron smelting, and mining. In a world without the apparent consolations of property and bureaucratic institutions, a powerful sense of spirituality provided moral order and solace to the suffering. Few groups developed writing, but they relied on drumming, the patterns woven into cloth and beadwork, and their prodigious memories to transmit information and an ever-changing repertoire of stories and myths.

On the harsh African frontier, you were nowhere without other people, and this is still the case, even though the crises facing the continent are very different and constantly changing. It is almost impossible to be truly alone in Africa and this has a profound effect on how people see the world and act in it. In remote villages, the poorest families will invite strangers into their houses and won’t let them leave until they have eaten an enormous meal. Most Africans I know live in households that swarm with a vast and changing cast of inhabitants, including grown offspring, nieces, nephews, poor relations, aged aunts and uncles, and innumerable children. You would need a spreadsheet to establish who is related to whom and how.

These societies, wrote the historian Basil Davidson, ‘enclosed relations between people within a moral framework of intimately binding force….an intense and daily interdependence that we in our day seldom recognize, except in moments of postprandial afflatus or national catastrophe. The good of the individual was a function of the good of the community, not the reverse.’ ”

Play Something Country…

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:09:06 +0000

To most, this image typifies a redneck (Daytona 500, 2010)…

…I might not be that redneck, but lately I’ve realized that you can’t take country out of the girl (NH Offroading, 2010).

Click on image for it to actually be scaled correctly. I need to fix some bugs in this template.

Perspective Processing

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:47:06 +0000

The US Government has pledged 6 minutes worth of Avatar funding for Haiti Crisis Relief
…yep, a whole 6 minutes.

The recent crisis escalation in Haiti has left many donating to the cause through various organizations; governments have been pledging as well. Jer Thorp has taken a look at the amount of money pledged by governments as a function of minutes of the movie Avatar (which is considered one of the most expensive movies of all time at a budget possibly exceeding $300 Million USD). Avatar was privately financed (for the most part), the government is fueled by tax dollars. It’s not quite apples to apples, but it does make you think. There is no denying that Haiti has been pounded by tragedy and not just the recent earthquakes. It is interesting to put disaster relief aid into perspective.

Ever since a Processing demonstration a few months at work, I have been longing to make a compelling visualization of my own. It is one thing to see numbers on a page, it’s another to be able to relate to them. Inspiration has yet to come.

On a separate note, I’d be shocked if most people know where Guyana is, let alone that it is a country. Yet it made number four on the list. I must admit that I had to look it up.

Fernweh

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:59:48 +0000

This time last year I was in LA getting ready to head home and blitz pack for UAE, Ethiopia, and little did I know…Kenya and Vegas. Sometimes life goes too fast. Other times I can’t help but to feel like my reference frame is wrong and I’m the blur whizzing by.

print “Hello, World!”

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:14:22 +0000

Sometimes we all need to escape the city…even if it is freezing outside. Pictures are from a recent weekend girls snowshoeing getaway up at Mt. Cardigan. (The top photo somewhat reminds me of this Radiohead album.)

This blog was initially meant as a travel journal, but now that I am “staying in one place” it’s time to shift gears if there is any hope of me actually updating. A la Brendan and Jackie you can start expecting a lot more photos.

For Your Enjoyment (Part 2)…

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:46:12 +0000

Over a year ago I posted a few creative commercials (and a few non-commercial ads too)that I actually enjoy watching. Enjoying a commercial?…Crazy isn’t it? Here’s to creativity.

*Goodbye* AOL

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:24:11 +0000

Even if you’ve never had the joy of using AOL, with thanks to Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan the friendly yet contemptible AOL voice proclaiming “Welcome!”; “File’s done”; “Goodbye”; and, of course, “You’ve got mail!” is recognized by many. This weekend, it was time to put an end to that voice on my Aunt’s computer.
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It’s easy to hate AOL. It not only takes over your browser, but AOL infests your computer with all their tangentally related software, taking up significant space and slowing it down to a lagging crawl. In fact, just as I thought I had it completely uninstalled, I’d find another program.
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It’s amazing how your environment can really change your perspective on certain technology. While in Ethiopia, dial-up internet (although not AOL) was a lifeline, allowing us to connect during the numerous power outages without a generator. Without it, we wouldn’t have had internet half of the days. It might have been slow, but it was effective. Although Chicago does have its share of power outages, it’s nowhere like the loadshedding in Africa. The dial-up simply isn’t needed, and suddenly I viciously turn on the technology I was so thankful for just a few months ago.
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Despite these mixed feelings, as I hit the uninstall button I had to say “Goodbye” back with a huge smile on my face.

Jägerschnitzel (not the hotdog chain + shots)

admin — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:28:07 +0000

As I traveled this past year, I made sure to learn how to cook a few authentic dishes in each region I lived. I’ve been terrible at posting them (only the Chapatti one so far), but here’s a long overdue entry for Germany.

Jägerschnitzel was one of my favorite food indulgences in Germany. Thanks to its fattening nature, it’s not only tasty but kept me warm on the chilly Düsseldorf days. Thanks to the help of Andy and Phil, my German flatmates, I also discovered it was easy to prepare.

Ingredients

4 Veal or pork cutlets (boneless)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp flour
Salt and pepper (as needed, light)
Vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 lemons
1 medium onion, diced
8 oz. onions, sliced
2 strips of thick bacon
1 ½ cups water
1 cube beef boullion
1 Tbsp cornstarch
½ cup sour cream

Preparation Supplies

Cutting board or other clean, flat working surface
Knife
Meat mallet (or a good fist)
Bowl or plate for breading
Stove
Medium sized skillet and pot
Spatula/Wooden spoon

1. Meat Prep
Trim any excess fat off of the meat and pound it until it is less than 1/4 inch thick. Take out all aggression on the meat, just try not to tear it. Lightly serrate the meat. Pour some oil (1/4 deep) into a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Season and Bread
In a bowl, beat the eggs. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Dip the cutlets into the egg followed by the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat evenly.

3. Fry!
Place cutlets in the skillet and fry until golden (1-2 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

4. Sauce
Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until lightly browned. Pour in water and dissolve the bouillon cube. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir together the cornstarch and sour cream; stir into the skillet. Cook over low heat until thickened but do not boil.

5. Serve
Spoon over the cutlets and serve immediately (preferably with a potato or German dumpling side)…Yum!

In the words of the third (French) roomate, Elodie…
Bon Appetit!

MacGyver Footbal (AfriGadget)

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:29:33 +0000

“Young boys are starting to realize their dreams and do what ever they can to make sure that those dreams come true even if they must get themselves dirty. [...] They don’t have money to buy a soccer ball….. they make it on their own. This how the ball is made: Firstly you look for old clothes or blankets. Then you put a few condoms around, which you blow up with your mouth, but not with too much air. Just so it’s the same size as a soccer ball. After this you put either a plastic bag or a piece of old clothing over the condom. Then to make it strong, you tear up the old clothing or blanket into long strips and tie the strips all around the condom to strengthen the shape of the ball and make it heavier. Once you can feel it bounces well, you take a strong plastic bag and wrap it around the ball. Lastly you reinforce it by wrapping strong rope or tire wire around it.”

Check out the full article at:
http://www.afrigadget.com/2009/06/15/football-handmade-in-south-africa/

		1. Meat Prep Trim any excess fat off of the meat and pound it until it is less than 1/4 inch thick. Take out all aggression on the meat, just try not to tear it. Lightly serrate the meat. Pour some oil (1/4 deep) into a large skillet over medium heat.
		2. Season and Bread In a bowl, beat the eggs. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Dip the cutlets into the egg followed by the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat evenly.
		3. Fry! Place cutlets in the skillet and fry until golden (1-2 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
		4. Sauce Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until lightly browned. Pour in water and dissolve the bouillon cube. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir together the cornstarch and sour cream; stir into the skillet. Cook over low heat until thickened but do not boil.
		5. Serve Spoon over the cutlets and serve immediately (preferably with a potato or German dumpling side)…Yum!