Monday, August 30, 2010

World Heritage Sites within Ethiopia

Within Ethiopia there are eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, equal to or more than any other country in Africa. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) selects sites that are of special cultural or physical significance.

Below is a listing, by category, of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia with the dates that they were inscribed.

CULTURAL:

Askum, Tigray Region, 1980
The ruins of the city of Aksum, dating from the 1st to the 13th century, mark the heart of ancient Ethiopia and what was the "most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia". It includes monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs, and ruins of former castles.

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar, Amhara Region, 1979
The fortress was the residence of the Ethiopian emperors during the 16th and 17the century. The city remains, surrounded by a wall and featuring buildings with a Hindu and Arab influence, later transformed to a Baroque style by Jesuit missionaries.

Harar Jugol, Harari Region, 2006
The city is located on a plateau and surrounded by gorges and savanna. It contains 82 mosques, three from the 10th century, 102 shrines and exceptional interior design in the townhouses. It is said to be the fourth-holiest city of Islam.

Lower Valley of Awash, Afar Region, 1980
Palaentological findings from at least 4 million years ago, such as Lucy, give evidence of human evolution.

Lower Valley of Omo, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region, 1980
The prehistoric site near Lake Turkana is the location of many fossil findings, such as Homo gracilis.

Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Amhara Region, 1978
The site contains 11 medieval monolithic cave churches from the 13th century.

Tiya, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region, 1980
The archaeological site contains 36 monuments, including 32 carved stelae covered with symbols.


NATURAL:

Simien National Park, Amhara Region, 1978
Massive erosion on the Ethiopian plateau has created a spectacular landscape of jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and sharp precipices dropping some 1,500 m.


Saturday, August 28, 2010

Saturday Snapshots

A day late but these IAN cuties are so worth the wait!











Monday, August 23, 2010

School, letters to teachers, ELL

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY DAISYJ ON THE WAYFARER

WOW! It is time for school already! I am getting my four kids ready for school. I have a 7th grader, a 5th grader, a Kindergartner and a Pre K. Well, I have written my 4th annual letter to the teacher regarding Asperger's and now I am getting ready to write the first of many annual letters to the teacher regarding adoption. So, I thought I would post about resources on that topic.

Here are some sites that deal with school readiness for your recently adopted school age or pre school child.
http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/School-Readiness-and-School-Placement-of-a-Newly-Adopted-Post-institutionalized-Child/36

Helping your child answer odd and intrusive questions from peers, when you are not there to help:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1003
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=441

Language and getting ELL services:
http://www.bgcenter.com/language.htm
http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/Internationally-adopted-post-institutionalized-students-in-an-ESL-class/261
http://www.adoptionarticlesdirectory.com/Article/Specific-Features-of-Cumulative-Cognitive-Deficit--CCD--in-Internationally-Adopted-Children/17
http://www.state.tn.us/education/speced/doc/QAs_ESLSpEd_MythFact.pdf
http://www.4j.lane.edu/instruction/gp/ell/assessment?printme=y
ELL program to use at home? http://www.gemmlearning.com/english_second_language.php

Some other sites that talk about school interaction and teacher letters.
http://www.examiner.com/international-adoption-in-national/back-to-school-for-adoptees-101-how-do-i-educate-my-child-s-teacher-about-international-adoption
http://older-child.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/a-letter-to-the-teacher
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/DearTeacher.pdf
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/Adoption_School.pdf
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1546
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/school
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1455

if you need to inform teachers about attachment issues:
http://www.attachment.org/pages_teachers_letter.php

more hand outs for teachers:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/clip.phphttp://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/MemoToTeachers.pdf
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/pdf/Assignments.pdf
http://www.adoptioninformationinstitute.org/education.html

In my opinion the following link is the ONE STOP for all adoption and school related information:
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/school
Hoping this gives you somewhere to start and great resources for Back To School!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Foto Friday

Rain or shine, IAN kiddos are happy, healthy and loved!













Friday, August 13, 2010

Foto Friday

Happy, healthy, smiley IAN kiddos!















Monday, August 9, 2010

Grief, acting out and anniversaries

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY DAISY J ON THE WAYFARER

Well, I am once again reminded of the good advice so many parents and therapists give adoptive parents. Watch out for anniversaries. Why? Well, the anniversary of the adoption and the anniversary of their arrival in the orphanage or any other significantly traumatic event is likely to trigger a reaction. No, they don't know it, they are totally unaware. But, if your son or daughter is suddenly acting a bit jittery, not sleeping well, extra needy, or just plain naughty with no apparent cause........ ask yourself if this is a significant anniversary time frame for them. They likely just need a bit of extra attention, love and care and a good dose of security, attachment and encouragement.

I was just musing over the sudden and unexplained naughty and jittery (minor stuff, but more than usual) behavior of my boys and asked my Bible Study ladies to pray for us as there is just something up, but what. Well, in saying it out loud I realized that we are a week away from the day we picked them up from the orphanage two years ago. Joyful event for us, certainly traumatic for them. Either way, a big huge change, a good change, for them also a scary change. They did this last year, so why did I not expect it this year? Silly me. One of our sons also does this in January, which is the month he was taken to the orphanage. I had a little chat with them about how they may be feeling and why and gave them more encouragement and reassuring. They were pretty good the rest of the day. They just need an overdose of love and affection twice a year and they are fine. If I can just remember this next time!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Foto Friday

It's Friday and I'm in love...with beautiful IAN babes!