Stools

April 30th, 2011

Sentayehu Teshale is a true craftsman. One of my workshop students, Mulugeta Gebrekidan, came up with the idea to film him at work. Sometimes you can see Sentayehu working in public around Addis Ababa.

Djourney to the Salt of the Earth

April 10th, 2011

From Lac Abbe and Lac Assal in Djibouti. Highlights of this country include excellent fish, great landscapes, and cool old Djiboutians calling you “chef.” The balls of salt in the plastic bottles form naturally due to bacteria that live in the lake. Special thanks to Wagner and Cristina of Brazil. Let’s Be Still by Yo La Tengo.

Afar Away Land

April 6th, 2011

From the Afar region in northern Ethiopia in a place called the Danakil Depression. They say it’s the hottest place on earth but they are full of superlatives. The sulfur pools are called Dalol and the lava lake is Ert’Ale. Traditional Afar story told by Halima Hadji. Music by Goblin. Special thanks to Salem Dawit for excellent translation. If you can guess the moral of this tale (there is one) I will do something nice for you.

The First Taxi in Ethiopia

February 20th, 2011

In the last two days I’ve seen a mythical white horse wandering the freeway and a guy riding a bike with a goat tied around his back like a messenger bag. The unique traffic situation in Ethiopia has its own creation myth.

Camera help and narration by Eskinder Fasil. Music is “Tezeta” by Mulatu Astatqé.

New Zealand!

February 15th, 2011

A very special thanks to Janet, Lesley, Janice, and Freda the bus for the excellent coffee and vocals.

Sweeter than Fruit Salad

February 8th, 2011

A few years ago, when Ben first moved to Asia, we went to the table tennis superbowl in Guangzhou, China. It’s hard to believe that anyone who would get on a plane to attend such an event could secure a marriage partner, but Ben is that exceptional exception. He’s blogged his experience in Asia and you can read the complete history of this relationship here. As a fan of weddings in general, this was one of the best!

Hanoi Crossroads

December 26th, 2010

A brief primer designed to keep you alive. You can thank me later.

Music by Goblin

Halong Bay Is a Chinaman

December 23rd, 2010

On a recent treasure hunting expedition to the heavily pirated waters of Halong Bay, Open Road Movies discovered nothing but a dog corpse.

Hanoi Sweetness

December 14th, 2010

Welcome to Fruit Salad Street. Everything in Vietnam is broken into districts. Fruit Salad Street is the most delicious cluster of the lot. This video is best watched while (or prior to) eating a fruit salad.

Sapa-calypse Now

November 28th, 2010

The area surrounding Sapa, Vietnam is home to terraced crops lining the hillsides, various ethnic minorities, and the towering Mt. Fansipan, the tallest peak in all of Vietnam.

Note: Mt. Fansipan is not to be confused with Mt. Fancypants, a stop I’ll make at a later date.