Title: Marian Dodds (
Ethiopia)
Status: Active
URL:
http://spiderwebsunite.wordpress.com/
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Spider Webs Unite book published! - 09/Oct/2016 21:04 - 2979 days ago
Finally! The blog becomes a book. Why did I do it? Initially I simply wanted to print my blog from start to finish in hard copy,...
Surprise–SWOTs up for Marian in 2015! - 29/Dec/2014 03:24 - 3629 days ago
How could I resist the call for a self-starter who is self sufficient, self motivated and looking for an exciting opportunity? A...
Surprise–SWOTs up for Marian in 2015! - 29/Dec/2014 03:24 - 3629 days ago
How could I resist the call for a self-starter who is self sufficient, self motivated and looking for an exciting opportunity? A...
Marian’s last post–betam amaseganalo and ciao Ethiopia - 31/Dec/2013 18:35 - 3992 days ago
“In Ethiopia, if we needed to get the waiter’s attention, we simply clapped our hands loudly” “I don’t think that woul...
Marian’s last post–betam amaseganalo and ciao Ethiopia - 31/Dec/2013 18:35 - 3992 days ago
“In Ethiopia, if we needed to get the waiter’s attention, we simply clapped our hands loudly” “I don’t think that woul...
Cultural re-entry and the end of a three-month honeymoon! - 12/Nov/2013 02:23 - 4041 days ago
Trudging through soggy maple leaves in my Vancouver neighbourhod today I had to face the fact – winter is approaching and it i...
Cultural re-entry and the end of a three-month honeymoon! - 12/Nov/2013 02:23 - 4041 days ago
Trudging through soggy maple leaves in my Vancouver neighbourhod today I had to face the fact – winter is approaching and it i...
In the“British context” - 29/Jul/2013 00:35 - 4147 days ago
In Ethiopia a favourite phrase at work was “we need to change this into the Ethiopian context”. And yes indeed, we d...
In the“British context” - 29/Jul/2013 00:35 - 4147 days ago
In Ethiopia a favourite phrase at work was “we need to change this into the Ethiopian context”. And yes indeed, we d...
A fond“ciao for now”to my Haya Hulet neighbourhood! - 19/Jul/2013 18:20 - 4157 days ago
Three years ago when I was new to Ethiopia I hesitated, somewhat fearful of the options before me – a line of blue and w...
A fond“ciao for now”to my Haya Hulet neighbourhood! - 19/Jul/2013 18:20 - 4157 days ago
Three years ago when I was new to Ethiopia I hesitated, somewhat fearful of the options before me – a line of blue and w...
My weekend in Harar = hyenas, coffee, khat, baskets and so on… - 16/Jul/2013 19:50 - 4160 days ago
The Ethiopian Airlines flight landed smoothly and on time and as we stepped out into the sweltering heat of Dire Dawa a man with...
My weekend in Harar = hyenas, coffee, khat, baskets and so on… - 16/Jul/2013 19:50 - 4160 days ago
The Ethiopian Airlines flight landed smoothly and on time and as we stepped out into the sweltering heat of Dire Dawa a man with...
The long and winding uphill road to“engendering”a university - 27/Jun/2013 17:49 - 4179 days ago
On March 15, one week after International Women’s Day, I was amazed to receive an email from Atota Bedane announcing that a gr...
The long and winding uphill road to“engendering”a university - 27/Jun/2013 17:49 - 4179 days ago
On March 15, one week after International Women’s Day, I was amazed to receive an email from Atota Bedane announcing that a gr...
My sheepish silsa arat birthday! - 16/Jun/2013 15:27 - 4190 days ago
The preparations began weeks ahead with the setting of the date (Saturday, June 15th) and invitations issued. This past week inv...
My sheepish silsa arat birthday! - 16/Jun/2013 15:27 - 4190 days ago
The preparations began weeks ahead with the setting of the date (Saturday, June 15th) and invitations issued. This past week inv...
My“visual tizeta” - 12/Jun/2013 17:39 - 4194 days ago
I remember when I first saw his work in a gallery on Bole Road in Addis about 2 years ago. His unique montage technique using ph...
My“visual tizeta” - 12/Jun/2013 17:39 - 4194 days ago
I remember when I first saw his work in a gallery on Bole Road in Addis about 2 years ago. His unique montage technique using ph...
Ethiopia’s secret spice - 08/Jun/2013 17:07 - 4198 days ago
“What is this?” I asked Kamira, owner of the small shop below my Vancouver apartment about 3 1/2 years ago. A 500 ml...
Ethiopia’s secret spice - 08/Jun/2013 17:07 - 4198 days ago
“What is this?” I asked Kamira, owner of the small shop below my Vancouver apartment about 3 1/2 years ago. A 500 ml...
Lalibela! Lalibela! - 04/Jun/2013 09:38 - 4202 days ago
The bus touts swarmed us at the Woldia manaharia (bus station) but we were experienced enough to play it cool. Whenever foreigne...
Woldia revisited - 03/Jun/2013 18:45 - 4203 days ago
“Oh” said Shelagh “I think he is holding that air filter hostage!” We were enjoying a return visit to Wo...
Our“gender responsive”road trip to Adama - 24/May/2013 09:27 - 4213 days ago
Rocky the pup, snoozing as usual on my doormat, perked up when he saw my packed bag at the door. He looked at me as if to say &#...
Falling in love with an Ethiopian“fool” - 07/May/2013 12:44 - 4230 days ago
What can I say? The first time is the one you remember with the most fondness. Mine took place at the Wow Cafe in Woldia one sun...
Inside stories from my Ethiopian “family compound” - 28/Apr/2013 18:22 - 4239 days ago
“We are keeping the big one,” said Sami a week ago. And so we have added a third dog to our clan on the Kifle compound! “Y...
Risky business at Ethiopia’s Lake Langano - 07/Apr/2013 14:38 - 4260 days ago
Visualize this – someone in a Cuso International t-shirt leaning forward with a piece of raw meat on a stick in his/her mouth ...
Dancing with Ethiopian Mid-Wives - 16/Mar/2013 16:47 - 4282 days ago
Enthusiastic dancing erupted the minute we reached the outskirts of Addis as both buses bounced with a mix of traditional and Et...
An unimaginable Ethiopian“vacation” - 09/Feb/2013 19:47 - 4317 days ago
The loud knock on the door brought me stunning news. I had been expecting my two guests from Australia, who had arrived the prev...
Talking GBV in Awash - 03/Feb/2013 16:16 - 4323 days ago
Out of the blue, my phone rang a few weeks ago. “Hi Marian, a VSO program manger suggested you might be willing to come to...
Top 12 signs of 2012 in Addis Ababa - 08/Jan/2013 18:59 - 4349 days ago
Despite the pollution, potholes, sidewalks that suddenly open up to sewer holes and shockingly unpredictable drivers, Addis Ab...
“Bazaar Season”in Addis Ababa - 18/Dec/2012 17:21 - 4370 days ago
Tis the season for bazaars in Addis. Within the past month I have been to the NGO Bazaar, the German Christmas Bazaar, the Diplo...
My Great Ethiopian Run 2012 - 25/Nov/2012 14:09 - 4393 days ago
Sunday began abruptly with my alarm waking me from deep sleep at 6 am and by 7:15 I was making my way to the VSO office to meet ...
Halloween pumpkins in Addis - 04/Nov/2012 17:06 - 4414 days ago
Walking uphill from the line taxi I spotted an enticing array of pumpkins. Just the thing to ground me after a day of severe acr...
My fifteen seconds of fame - 22/Oct/2012 19:09 - 4427 days ago
After work Thursday my friend and VSO colleague Judy and I were heading up the hill from Arat Kilo to the National Museum for th...
Goonfan induced stories - 09/Oct/2012 18:13 - 4440 days ago
Lying in my bed, wracked by a slight fever and scratchy throat, known here as “goonfan” and explained as “I have the commo...
What’s new in Addis? It’s 2005! - 12/Sep/2012 18:46 - 4467 days ago
After 30 hours en route I peered bleary eyed out the airplane window, surprised to see green fields everywhere when we broke thr...
How much garlic does it take to create an Ethiopian feast? - 17/Aug/2012 02:39 - 4493 days ago
No problem I thought to myself; I will just whip up a selection of Ethiopian dishes, buy some injera from the restaurant down th...
Ethiopian runners at the Olympics - 04/Aug/2012 00:09 - 4506 days ago
The crowd on the line taxi on June 1st, 2012 was totally silent, listening with rapt attention to an Amharic radio broadcast whi...
Surfacing in the British Columbia rainforest - 27/Jul/2012 18:06 - 4514 days ago
To the fish, the water is invisible is a proverb I’ve often used in teaching. Now I am living it myself as I dive back int...
The unique cry of the Addis wayela - 29/Jun/2012 15:31 - 4542 days ago
Yesterday I took my last ride in an Addis line taxi for a while because tonight I fly out for the summer to my hometown of Vanco...
One sheep + good crowd = a memorable birthday in Ethiopia - 17/Jun/2012 15:03 - 4554 days ago
Friday was the night I met my birthday sheep. When I got home from the usual after work gathering of VSO volunteers at the Pride...
A few things you may not know about Ethiopian coffee - 30/May/2012 20:06 - 4572 days ago
In a country where even a football team is named “Ethiopian Coffee” (Bunna in Amharic, pronounced Boo Nah! with emphasis on ...
My Italian Renaissance - 02/May/2012 19:20 - 4600 days ago
Returning to Addis Ababa from Italy last weekend after 3 glorious, rejuvenating weeks of vacation, I found myself weeping with l...
Media advances“the girl effect”in small town Ethiopia - 08/Apr/2012 16:35 - 4624 days ago
Veering off the asphalt road down a bumpy, dusty track I had no idea what to expect this Saturday morning. I had been invited to...
Men make coffee for women’s celebration at Debre Birhan CTE! - 11/Mar/2012 13:32 - 4652 days ago
The overflow crowd was in full, raucous swing when I arrived in Debre Birhan by minibus from Addis Ababa late morning on March 8...
Lalibela’s Ben Abeba restaurant tops the world! - 07/Mar/2012 17:28 - 4656 days ago
If awards were given out for the best restaurant with a view in Ethiopia, Ben Abeba would surely win the gold medal. On the outs...
Tourism in Ethiopia: Awra Amba, Bahir Dar and Debre Zeit- Bishoftu - 26/Feb/2012 15:00 - 4666 days ago
“I think the woman sitting beside me didn’t like the smell of me”, Carol confided when we got off the crowde...
Tourism in Ethiopia: Axum and Lalibela - 20/Feb/2012 19:48 - 4672 days ago
Hopping on another Ethiopian Airlines plane (Q400 bought from Canadian Bombardier!) Carol and I flew off to the furthest point n...
Tourism in Ethiopia: Arriving in Addis and Celebrating Timkat in Gondor - 12/Feb/2012 16:13 - 4680 days ago
“Would you mind if I came to visit you in Ethiopia?” asked my friend Carol. Back home in Vancouver on holiday last s...
Christmas times two in Addis Ababa - 09/Jan/2012 18:06 - 4714 days ago
No sugarplums dancing here! Its sheep, sheep and more sheep being herded through the streets in the build up to the big day. In ...
Excuse me, did you say you were a mercenary? - 01/Jan/2012 18:43 - 4722 days ago
What do you do? I asked the man beside me on the bus. Did you say mercenary? No. Oh, missionary? No again. Third time lucky it t...
WordPress 2011 spider webs unite review - 01/Jan/2012 12:53 - 4722 days ago
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at...
A“spriss”of the last few weeks - 17/Dec/2011 14:47 - 4737 days ago
Immobilized by “Blogger’s block” for the past few weeks, I’ve decided to serve up an Ethiopian spriss of some recent eve...
Sipping“keshir”while the spit dries - 09/Nov/2011 13:16 - 4775 days ago
Sometimes it’s best just to trust your emotions and forget about figuring things out. Thus it happened that I stood on the sid...
This week’s top ten at Shola market in Addis Ababa - 31/Oct/2011 17:35 - 4784 days ago
The cardamom came with a group activity on conflict resolution, the cloves had chemistry and the cinnamon bark seemed to be wrap...
My Addis altitude/attitude adjustments - 16/Oct/2011 17:28 - 4799 days ago
The leopard was spread seductively across my duvet as I returned from my morning shower and I yet again thanked my lucky stars t...
Well come back to our homeland! - 29/Sep/2011 18:31 - 4816 days ago
The email from an Ethiopian friend (Subject: Well come back to our homeland) was a very welcome greeting that rang true on so ma...
In-between time - 12/Sep/2011 01:24 - 4833 days ago
Have had a “blog pause” for the summer in Vancouver, fully enjoying the delights of home with friends and family. I ...
Imagine a circle of fiercely debating adults and an egg that can walk… - 13/Jul/2011 06:14 - 4894 days ago
Imagine a circle of adults fiercely debating which ‘contributor to development’ should be tossed out of the metaphorical hot...
Life spirals and rites of passage - 30/Jun/2011 11:20 - 4907 days ago
“Will you write a poem for her?” I asked Wondale when he told me his wife was expecting a baby soon, knowing our Amharic t...
Puffy ceiling tiles enhance the resume - 25/Jun/2011 07:20 - 4912 days ago
It is hard to fathom that in two weeks from tonight I will be sleeping off jet lag in my very own soft Vancouver bed! I am joyfu...
Downfall of the dark days in Ethiopia - 16/Jun/2011 05:40 - 4921 days ago
Glimpsing a modern building dominated by a huge sign reading “Red Terror” Martyrs Memorial Museum last September, wh...
M and M celebrate their Ethiopian Mels! - 04/Jun/2011 08:55 - 4933 days ago
“Hurry, hurry to the Lal Hotel or you will miss something special!” Zerefa rushed in to tell us. We had thought we were to...
S and M animal impersonations a big hit with Ethiopian kids - 26/May/2011 20:19 - 4942 days ago
After we managed to force the lock open at John’s place, using his hidden key, the tables told the story of a guy on his o...
The S and M Amhara Circle Tour - 19/May/2011 05:29 - 4949 days ago
“This looks like an OK bus” we said, settling ourselves in on a 24-passenger Level 2 bus after running the usual gauntlet of...
Have you seen my Fasika chicken? - 27/Apr/2011 08:23 - 4971 days ago
“Have you seen my chicken?, asked our landlady Asrebab, popping her head in though our open door Wednesday night as we sat vis...
The thrill of the long distance voter - 20/Apr/2011 18:49 - 4978 days ago
A junkie for election night results, I’ve always enjoyed the drama of tight races and potential impacts of the absentee ballot...
Zooming in on what makes me happy - 17/Apr/2011 16:15 - 4981 days ago
Many have commented on how this blog puts such a positive spin on my experiences in rural Ethiopia. And that is part of the stor...
The week that ChoCho lost his horn and other Ethiopian animal tales - 07/Apr/2011 19:28 - 4991 days ago
When we first got to Woldia, Shelagh and I fell for a goat with the most fantastic long curly horns. We took to visiting him eve...
Ten reasons to fall in love–with a bajaj! - 27/Mar/2011 15:24 - 5002 days ago
1. They are just adorable! Looking a bit like toys cars, they charge around town and can turn on a dime. They don’t take any n...
If the dogs wake you up, it’s time to make Injera! - 21/Mar/2011 18:20 - 5008 days ago
By now I am quite used to the call to prayer from our neighbourhood mosque. But for some inexplicable reason, a chorus of dogs h...
The sparkle in their eyes! - 11/Mar/2011 20:02 - 5018 days ago
One thing I now know for sure. The women of Woldia have a lot to say for themselves! “I gained knowledge from the different ex...
Throngs gather to thank Dr Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi - 06/Mar/2011 15:37 - 5023 days ago
Wandering over to our college administration building I noted an attractive new poster on the bulletin board. “What’s th...
Flags fly for Adwa victory! - 02/Mar/2011 18:21 - 5027 days ago
I never imagined myself being terribly keen on military strategy when I contemplated what I might learn from living in Ethiopia....
Media scanning at the Rama Cafe - 24/Feb/2011 05:25 - 5033 days ago
Heading to Addis Ababa for a VSO workshop last week I treated myself to a few days up front just to relish the capital city. It ...
Goldfish bowls in Woldia? - 10/Feb/2011 19:08 - 5047 days ago
Thanks to the Internet I connect to the wider world outside of Woldia College and this week two news items dropped in my In...
Warning: This story is full of bull—- - 30/Jan/2011 17:46 - 5058 days ago
Attracted by a large and noisy crowd, I crossed the street to investigate. People crowding in meant I had to do some fancy footw...
It was all uphill for Woldia’s Timkat celebrations - 24/Jan/2011 11:33 - 5064 days ago
“Look, a Ferrengi!” I exclaimed to Shelagh, startled to see a white skinned woman push her way through the crowd atop the hi...
You are invited to dip beneath the Woldian iceberg - 16/Jan/2011 17:38 - 5072 days ago
It feels odd to use an iceberg analogy here in sunny and warm Woldia and perhaps it would have been more appropriate as “Under...
A festival of Ethiopian hospitality - 12/Jan/2011 19:41 - 5076 days ago
Thursday night, happily enjoying some quiet time to reflect and relax alone at home with some music on my laptop, the telephone ...
WordPress rates spider webs unite 2010 blog - 02/Jan/2011 18:14 - 5086 days ago
Reflecting back on 2010 I must drink a toast to the blog technology that allows me to connect with people around the planet so q...
My bluebird-blessed chickpea and angel Christmas! - 28/Dec/2010 11:21 - 5091 days ago
On the “possibell curve” the odds of rain on Christmas day were o%. Here in sunny Woldia we like to use the word “possible...
The high road to Addis - 20/Dec/2010 19:34 - 5099 days ago
Transportation in Ethiopia is not for the faint of heart. The Lonely Planet refers to Ethiopian roads as “butt-clenching” an...
Inconvenience, immersion and irritation on the international development frontline - 05/Dec/2010 17:43 - 5114 days ago
From the micro to the macro, at times the problems of the world feel insurmountable. This was my week to contemplate global issu...
Raining donkeys welcome new students - 26/Nov/2010 19:31 - 5123 days ago
It was a hectic week at Woldia College of Teacher Education with the arrival of about 360 new first year students to our campus....
A taste of the dining spots of Woldia - 21/Nov/2010 19:18 - 5128 days ago
We were enjoying an avocado juice at the Extreme Café, a Muslim establishment known for its cakes, when out of the blue, a man ...
Doing chicken charades while awaiting a hot shower - 15/Nov/2010 18:35 - 5134 days ago
Making up a grocery list (gamash kilo timatin, and dabo, sidist inkelau, etc) we got stuck on “6 eggs” until Shelagh leapt u...
Excuse me, how do I get to the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia? - 07/Nov/2010 18:23 - 5142 days ago
The dialogue was lively in Ato Wudu’s language class at Woldia College as small groups practiced asking for and giving dir...
Breaking news from the maternity ward(aka our back yard)! - 03/Nov/2010 16:44 - 5146 days ago
“Dimit – babies” said Dirib when she opened the gate for us at lunchtime today. Dimit means cat in Amharic and...
How many beings does it take to change an Ethiopian light bulb? - 31/Oct/2010 19:53 - 5149 days ago
“Do you know what a pie is?” I asked my class at Woldia College of Teacher Education. Blank looks all round told me ...
Wots for dinner–eating to live in the Ethiopian highlands - 24/Oct/2010 15:58 - 5156 days ago
We sit down to our usual meal of something starchy flavoured with a sauce made from tomatoes, onions, garlic and hot green peppe...
Welcome to our Ethiopian home! - 17/Oct/2010 15:07 - 5163 days ago
Shocked out of my sleep by a man shouting what seemed to be some kind of orders while horns blared loudly in the background , my...
Three times lucky at the Woldia police station - 09/Oct/2010 14:00 - 5171 days ago
Gentle chanting from the Imam at the nearby mosque, backed by the twittering of small birds, announces the Woldia Saturday morni...
First week in Woldia - 03/Oct/2010 15:08 - 5177 days ago
Lying in my bed serenaded by a chorus of birds cooing, cawing, squawking and twittering, my mind wanders though the events of ...
Meskel fire lights up Woldiya skies - 27/Sep/2010 18:58 - 5183 days ago
The burning cross fell toward the west last night, a good omen for the crops we are told. Today is Meskel, the second largest ho...
Woldiya by the light of the full moon - 26/Sep/2010 09:54 - 5184 days ago
Our living room floor was covered in fresh green grasses when we finally arrived in Woldiya by the light of a full moon, after 1...
The necessities of life in Ethiopia - 21/Sep/2010 15:06 - 5189 days ago
The deluge began just after Shelagh and I had gone into the photo shop for yet more passport sized photos, needed here to purcha...
Landing in Addis trumps Sudoku - 15/Sep/2010 19:17 - 5195 days ago
I have jetted across the planet and landed in a whole new world. Flexibility, patience and adaptability are the requisite surviv...
En route to Addis Ababa, I found a lion king! - 10/Sep/2010 17:52 - 5200 days ago
Stopping over in London en route to Addis, I got an enhanced history lesson, courtesy of the British Museum. The collection of E...
Ruminations on the things we carry - 05/Sep/2010 22:03 - 5205 days ago
I had told the salesclerk I was going to work in Africa and asked for help finding a conservative but professional looking skirt...
Webbing means never having to say goodbye - 18/Aug/2010 04:22 - 5223 days ago
Call it a cop out if you will, but I think I have found a way of never having to say goodbye. With three weeks till take-off, my...
History with a sprinkle of herstory - 03/Aug/2010 00:10 - 5238 days ago
Say the word “Ethiopia” to most Canadians and odds are the first word that comes to mind would be “famine̶...
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