More Than Four Sides

Category: Africa

  • Words of witness

    Today’s training ran us through some very specific medical algorithms about treating patients infected with Ebola. And, then, in the afternoon, we heard from a panel of 6 survivors of EVD (Ebola virus disease). It triggered, for me, memories of the panels of AIDS patients who spoke to us in medical school, and who we…

  • Training Week

    (Written on Monday, but not sent, as I got hit by a wave of jet lag): We did our first day of training today. I didn’t bring a camera, so no photos, but I surely will tomorrow. Our small group of 6 joined several larger groups of trainees, for a total of about 50 people,…

  • A New Adventure…

    Today I spent my first day orienting at Partners In Health, in Boston.  In three days, I and my 1/2 dozen new colleagues, and fellow adventurers, will be travelling to Sierra Leone, to assist with eradicating the remaining Ebola outbreak that was so much in the news last summer and fall (and has so remarkably…

  • Africa! Ethiopia!!

    I’ve been immersed in the connection of our kids to the continent of Africa, for the past month or so. Of course, they are never not connected to their place of birth, but, in the same way that my own connection to Sri Lanka, the birthplace of my father, has ebbed and flowed in my…

  • Mr Anxiety

    I’m sitting in a small room, watching my anxious 5-yr-old mixing up the batter for Chechebsa, a traditional Ethiopian pancake eaten for breakfast. Yesterday, Dad took it screaming child to participate in his age group’s (the Rabbits) activities, and he got stuck all morning, firmly glued by the hand to our son. This morning, it’s…

  • Connecting Cultures…

    Yesterday was a full day. It started with Tot Shabbat, in the morning at Tikvat Israel, and despite following the excellent advice of my friend Mary (Thanks, Mary!), the morning didn’t go much better that last month‘s (separate post on this to come). J and I drove the car to the synagogue, as we had…

  • Sharing our culture

    We have been bringing the kids to Dessie Restaurant in Wheaton, MD since the first week of their arrival in the US. We used to stop there at least once monthly, sometimes twice, but we suddenly realized that it had been months since we had been there. We don’t go out to eat all that…

  • Thats What You Get For Wearing Crocs

    Thats What You Get For Wearing Crocs. I saw this on Facebook yesterday, shared by a friend who spends a lot of time in the sun, and it reminded me of a thought that has been rolling around in my head for awhile (ever since shortly after we returned from Ethiopia with the boys). We…

  • Why Are American Kids So Spoiled? : The New Yorker

    Why Are American Kids So Spoiled? : The New Yorker. this book review hits so close to home!! Madeline Levine, a psychologist who lives outside San Francisco, specializes in treating young adults. In “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success” (HarperCollins), she argues that we do too much for our kids because we overestimate…

  • “In Ah-meri-cah…”

    We started hearing this introduction to observations by S, which we soon figured out were actually memories of his life in Africa! I think he must have heard something along the lines of “You’re going to America with your new family” while at the orphanage, and he interpreted that to mean that “America” means “place…