Category Archives: Uncategorized

safari, so good

Posted on May 6, 2013 by lganjbakhsh

Living in Africa affords one great opportunities for travel, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to take advantage of that. My latest excursion took me to the continent’s south, specifically, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. I spent the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Apartheid Museum, Botswana, bush camping, Business Class, Cape Town, Emirates airlines, Ethiopia, lions, Okavango Delta, overlanding, Peace Corps, safari, South Africa, travel, Victoria Falls, volunteer, wildebeest, Zimbabwe | Leave a comment

home, harlem shaking and harar

Posted on April 2, 2013 by lganjbakhsh

One hundred ninety volunteers. Two days. One hotel. All volunteer conference. Peace Corps Ethiopia held its first AVC over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Surprisingly, it went smoothly (no one was administratively separated anyway). Two kind of awesome things came from … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Addis Ababa, All Volunteer Conference, COS, Ethiopia, Harar, Harlem shake, I'm coming home!, jig or a shake, Peace Corps, The Good Doctor, volunteer, Wisconsin State Fair | 2 Comments

here’s how

Posted on March 12, 2013 by lganjbakhsh

I get asked often about what I’m doing in Ethiopia, in Peace Corps. Not in the “How the hell did they let you in?” way (usually), but “What the hell do you do every day?” er, way. The answer is: … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged donate, Ethiopia, how to help, Kids for Kids, Literacy, Microenterprise, Peace Corps, volunteer, volunteer projects, Youth Center | Leave a comment

highlight of the highlands

Posted on February 18, 2013 by lganjbakhsh

Lalibela. I finally made it. If you don’t know, the rock-hewn churches found in Lalibela are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ethiopia and a UNESCO world heritage site. The intricately designed churches are carved from the rock. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ben Abeba restaurant, Ethiopia, Ethiopian Orthodox churches, Golgotha, Highlight of Ethiopia, Lalibela, New Jerusalem, Peace Corps, Petra, River Jordan, St. George, UNESCO | 2 Comments

welcome to lethiopiah – debub gets down and other cultural craziness

Posted on December 11, 2012 by lganjbakhsh

What a week. Bahir Dar hosted Ethiopia’s annual Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Celebration. I bounced from event to event, enjoying the music, dancing and general merriment. Bahir Dar really spruced itself up for the event. New sidewalks, a mostly finished … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Afar, Amhara, Bahir Dar, Bahir Dar University, Benishangul-Gumuz, debub, Ethiopia, flags, Gambela, Harari, nations nationalities and peoples celebration, Oromia, Peace Corps, Somali, Southern Nations, Tigray | Leave a comment

election dejection (but my guy won)

Posted on November 7, 2012 by lganjbakhsh

It was bittersweet celebrating the election results alone in a hotel room in Addis. My guy (and girl) won, so I wanted to be with people who were as happy about that as I was. On the other hand, if … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2012 election, Addis Ababa, Barack Obama, Ethiopia, George Webb's, Mitt Romney lies, NASCAR, Peace Corps, Scott Walker sucks, Tammy Baldwin | 3 Comments

meskel and more

Posted on October 25, 2012 by lganjbakhsh

In September, Ethiopians celebrated a couple of holidays. The first was the Ethiopian New Year, on September 11. The second was Meskel, or the finding of the true cross, an important holiday for Orthodox Ethiopians. For Meskel, I was in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

the girls of glow (no, not the wrestlers)

Posted on August 14, 2012 by lganjbakhsh

Those of you who know me well, or just know me, or kinda sorta know me, probably know that I don’t much like kids. Of any age. So, naturally, acting as a counselor for a week-long camp with a bunch … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bahir Dar, Bahir Dar University, Blue Nile Falls, camp GLOW, dislike of kids, Ethiopia, I am a strong woman, never again, Peace Corps, pinata, The Good Doctor, Yefikir Design | Leave a comment

one down, one to go

Posted on May 25, 2012 by lganjbakhsh

So, it’s been a year. That’s 366 days. Or 8784 hours. Or 527,040 minu – oh, you get the point. I’ve been in Ethiopia for a long time. To be sure, there were times when I thought I wouldn’t make … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bahir Dar, bajaj, Bobby off the leash, boob grab, broken nose, care packages, crotch grab, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Huruta, July 4, kuriftu, missir, Peace Corps, pre-service training, sneak attack holiday, tej, The Good Doctor, Uno, wat | 1 Comment

of michael scott, blue tears, shinting, peeing, puking, being thrown backwards on a bus crashing into the blue nile gorge

Posted on May 15, 2012 by lganjbakhsh

It’s been about a year since I started this blog, so I thought I’d celebrate by posting a list of the best internet searches that led to this space. Post your favorite in the comments, if you please. Most hilariously, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bahir Dar, bajaj, blue tears in the rain, broken nose, bugs, cravings, Djibouti jokes, Ethiopia, hand sanitizer misuse, killer airplane pictures, Marla Fabishak, Michael Scott, Peace Corps, peace corps volunteer, puke on a bus, random internet searches, shint bet, The Good Doctor, volunteer | Leave a comment