According to the New York Times, a new movie opened yesterday in Manhattan, a movie in which the Ethiopia coffee trade plays a central role. The movie is called The Global Coffee Trade, a Bitter Brew for the Poor and talks about the need to increase poor countries' competitiveness in the global market. From the NYT article:

The opening scenes examine the coffee-making process, from the harvesting of beans by Ethiopian workers who earn less than 50 cents a day to the movement of the product... more

Shawnda asked me recently which haircare books I have found most helpful. I have 3 or 4 different books, I think, but the two bests ones are Kinky Kreations and It's All Good Hair.

'It's All Good Hair' is nice because it even talks about what to do with a baby's hair. There are quite a few different styles, with diagrams, for both girls and boys. The author also includes a good discussion of the... more

We in America live in a culture where the majority of people that are looked up to are white. Sure, there's Oprah, along with a bunch of sports figures and a few movies stars here and there. But often when kids look around, they do not see lots of African Americans to admire. And when looking at history books, the dearth of African American role models is even more apparent.

When we were waiting for our first Ethiopian daughter to come home, my husband and I found a really neat book called, "Extraordinary... more

When I heard that the book, "A Love Like No Other: Stories From Adoptive Parents" was to be released last winter, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy. First of all, I love collections of stories from adoptive families. But also I was excited about the book because an internet friend, Melissa Fay Greene, has a story in the collection, and I really love her writing.

She did not disappoint. Her essay... more

Bookcloseouts.com is having some really great sales on books during July. Below I've highlighted some children's books that feature African American kids, as well as a bunch of adult books about Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular.

Sweetening this deal even further is the fact that there are coupons!!

$10 off $50+ order password: Bookcloseouts.com coupon code: Summer10

$20 off $100+ order password: Bookcloseouts.com coupon code: Summer20

$5 off $25+ order password: Bookcloseouts.com coupon code: Summer5

All of these books are available in limited quantities, so if... more

I'm always on the lookout for things that give me an insight into life in Ethiopia. So last year when adoptive parents on one of my email support groups began talking about this documentary, "Surviving Hunger", I had to see it.

I've always wondered how people manage to carry on in difficult times. When you're really hungry, how do you find the strength to do all the things that you need to do to survive: cultivate crops, cook food, care for children?

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Sorious Samura (Cry Freetown) spent a month in a famine-wracked Ethiopian village to create an amazing documentary that gives you insight into what it is like raising a family while struggling... more

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you know I am a book fanatic. And an Amazon.com fan. Oh, how I love Amazon. As much money as I have dropped on that website over the years, well, Amazon should love me back.

Another thing that I love is to learn more about the lives of people aroound the world. That is why I was really pleased with a book purchase I made a few months ago. The book is called Hungry Planet.

The authors of this book photographed... more

One enjoyable thing to do while waiting for your child to come home is to begin your collection of books that feature African American kids. Here are some fun ones to get you started. Some of these books have the focus of race, and being proud of who you are. Others just feature African American kids living their lives in charming stories.

I tend to prefer the second kind. However, there is probably a place for at least a few of the former type in the family library. I really wish there were more books that featured multiethnic families-- that type of book is hard to find.

• Baby Dance by Ann Taylor, Marjorie van Heerden (Illustrator). Harper Growing Tree, 1999.... more

Someone asked me what travel guides I found helpful. I think I own most of the ones that are currently out, so I thought I'd run down the list and tell you what I thought of each.

Lonely Planet Ethiopian Amharic Phrasebook (Paperback) by Tilahun Kebede, Catherine Snow I bought this phrase book hoping it would be enough to help me communicate just a little in Ethiopia. It has: --a dictionary with over 1000 words --a pronunciation guide -- basic phrases for travelers --cultural information and basic travel tips (my favorite part... more

If you're trying to pass the time while waiting for your child to come home, you may enjoy some of the movies listed below. Extensive information about most of these movies can be found at The Internet Movie Database from which some of these movie descriptions were taken:

-- Endurance (1999): The gold medal for the men's 10,000-meter race in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics is won by Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie. This is the only movie that I know of on this list that was actually filmed in Ethiopia. Recommended highly by other adoptive families.

-- Beyond Borders (2003) R--Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen story about international aid workers set... more