One of the things that American tourists may not be familiar with is the practice of bargaining while shopping. Except in the case of yard sales or big ticket items, in America most people assume that prices are non-negotiable. But in Ethiopia no shopkeeper will be suprised if you haggle over prices. In fact recently I read somewhere that in Africa a person is sometimes insulted if you don't bargain a little. Bargaining in Africa is a form of sociability and the feeling is, 'What? You don't want to talk with me?'

However, there are definitely two schools of thought among tourists. The... more

When waiting for the referral of a child or for news that finally they can travel to get their child, many parents like to spend some time learning a little bit more about Addis. Recently I found a website called What's Up, Addis? that is a nice resource for adoptive families.

The website features pages about many different topics. There's a page of frequently used phone numbers. Here are some of the ones most likely to be useful to adoptive families.

HOSPITALS (in case of illness) Black Lion 001-5511211 Hayat Hospital 001-6624488 (This... more

Sometimes, despite your best efforts at caution in Addis, you succumb to the dreaded stomach crud. Because of this, it is wise to come to Ethiopia prepared.

When your stomach starts rumbling, your first line of defense should probably be something like Pepto-bismol or Tums. If the stomach upset is mild, this treatment along with very cautious eating and maybe some lemon-lime soda will probably get you back to normal within a few hours.

Imodium?

If... more

Along with all the normal moments that parents treasure, like seeing our kids for the first time, catching first smiles, first steps, first ice cream cones, and first days of school, we're also visiting their homeland maybe for the only time in our lives, seeing their caregivers, and possibly even meeting members of birth family. Darn tootin' we want to get good pictures of these precious events.

I recently made the switch from film to digital cameras. The more I know about digital, the more I am convinced that digital cameras were made for travelers. Picture cards are much easier... more

I mentioned in my previous post that I was planning to bring Benadryl strips in my carry-on luggage to and from Ethiopia. Sandra asked some questions about the Benadryl strips and since I figured that others might have questions as well, I thought I'd bring the answers to the top of the blog.

What is it?

Benadryl strips are a fairly new form of Benadryl that is equivalent to liquid Benadryl. The strips look to me like a very thin piece... more

I have been hard at work on the mother of all Ethiopia packing lists. I thought I'd share it here in case others might find it helpful.

MARY’S PURSE Passports/tickets Water bottle/ sippy cup (fill after security checkpoint) Snacks in no-spill cups: Fruitio's, Cheerios,Goldfish Bib, wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer Notebook/ sheets of stickers Pipe cleaners/ beads (easy beading activity for small hands) Tiny story books Tiny dolls Benadryl strips Chapstick, Gum iPod Uno Sm. trash bags for keeping our area on the plane neat while waiting for flight attendant to collect trash. (Will also... more

We've gotten travel permission, and are delighted to be expecting to have our girls home with us by the middle of August. That knowledge has pushed me into high gear, thinking of all the things that need to be done within the next few weeks. I decided to share my to-do list with you, in case some of the items on my list might help other families with their own preparations.

PAPERWORK/LOGISTICS Arrange airfare Arrange lodging in Ethiopia Fill out I-864... more

I was excited to hear about two families currently in Ethiopia who are blogging their trips. The Henn family is there adopting two little boys, and the Waal family is adopting a pair of girls. They arrived in Addis on the same flight, have already each picked up their children, and will be heading back home soon.

The Waal family has already shared lots of detail about their experience. They took a couple of fun pictures at the airport in Addis that brought back fond memories. I've mostly seen that airport at night, so it was different to see it in daylight.

An especially... more

Many families consider bringing another child along with them on an adoption trip. Here are some things you should think about when you are making your travel decisions.

What's Your Child Like?

One big consideration is probably the age of the child. In my experience, kids over 10 or so tend to do really well with this type of trip. A younger child is going to be more needy and take more of your time, especially when jetlagged. With younger kids you'll want to take a hard look at their personality before you decide to bring them.

For example: -- Is your child fairly easy-going? -- Can she fall asleep in unusual places? -- Is she... more

The other day at the clothing store I spotted two adorable little green and pink sleeveless dresses for my preschoolers. They were on the clearance racks for $6 each. I brought them home, happily imagining the girls looking utterly adorable wearing them at their big sisters' embassy appointment in Ethiopia.

But then I remembered what our agency had told us about clothing in Ethiopia. No shorts. No dresses that show off the knees. No tank tops. Nothing sleeveless. Ethiopia, you see, is a very conservative country, and all of these things are considered immodest-- on adults anyway. Suddenly wondered if the adorable dresses would really be okay. I tossed off a question to our... more