January 7th, 2015

Merry Christmas from Addis Ababa! The TC SLP team started off Christmas morning at a leisurely pace (apparently being transported back in time 8 years didn’t make any of us eager to rush downstairs at dawn), spending the morning chatting and enjoying each other’s company. In the afternoon we began to prepare for our upcoming cleft palate workshop at Yekatit 12 Hospital, including a refresher course on feeding considerations for infants with cleft palate led by the indomitable Jayne.

We then set out to begin our Christmas Day festivities in earnest. After a quick stop by a beautiful outlook in the mountains that let us get a fantastic view of the whole of Addis Ababa at dusk (which included a fast dance lesson/party with our bus drivers), we arrived at Soliana’s house to spend a fantastic Christmas night with her and her family.  We all agreed that it was wonderful to spend the night in a joy-filled home surrounded by a warm family, particularly after living in hotels away from our own families for a little bit.

We were warned before dinner started that Soliana’s mother was renowned for her fantastic cooking, and everything was indeed fantastic–easily the best meal we’ve had on a trip that has provided its fair share of amazing meals! Everything from the tej to the injera was homemade and delicious, and the wonderful conversations in between bites was the icing on the cake (or maybe the egg in the doro wat?). We couldn’t have asked for a merrier Christmas in Ethiopia!

[Sorry for the lack of pictures–sometimes you’re too busy having fun to remember your camera!]