Ishi Bekka Spring 2014

The Chronicle Ishi Bekka Spring'2014'

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! ! The!!Ishi Bekka!Chronicle!!•!!

Departments*Posta*Bet:*Mail*From%the%Editor%%%%%3%Alyssa!Shumaker!

Ishi%Bekka%Postcards%%%%%3%Forrest!Copeland!

Dear%Zakky%%%%%4%Zach!Morris!*

Get*In!*PCV*Life*Defining%Success%in%a%Peace%Corps%Experience%%%%5%Zach%Morris%This%Sh**%is%Bananas!%%%%%7%Morgan!Davison!

Bloomin’%TP!%%%%%8%Breanne!Lott!%

Go*Wild!*Nature*The%RedJCheeked%CordonJBleu%%%%%9%Chad!Miller!%

Enibala!*Food*and*Drink*Vegan%Brownies%%%%%10%Paula!Baker!

This%Sh**%is%Actually%About%Bananas%%%%%10%Kristin!Rose!

Spanish%Wine%Might%Be%Good,%but%Ethiopian%Wine%is%Gouder%%%%%11%Erica!Lillquist!%

Where*Are*You*Go?*Travel*The%Land%of%Happy%Cows%%%%%15%Jackie!Suits!!

Features*Global%Warming%and%What%it%Means%for%Africa%%%%%12%Shanthi!Purushotham!

!!

!

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*Hard*Drive*Party:*Books,*Music,*Movies*Download%Me%Now%%%%%17%Brendan!Boland!

What’s%Goin’%On%Here!?%%%%%18%Renay!

Defying%Expectations%%%%%19%House!in!the!Sky!by!Amanda!Lindhout!

Marissa!Henderson!!

Facts%You%Don’t%Care%About:%Top%5%Oscar%Moments%of%All%Time%%%%%19%Alyssa!Shumaker!

*

Extras*This%Ugly%American%Visor%%%%%8%Matt!Thorton!

VRC%Style%%%%%%%%9%Matt!Oakley!

Contents

Ishi Staff

!!

!

Jackie*Suits*Column!Editor!

Amanda*Sutker*Column!Editor!

Forrest*Copeland*Photo!Sourcing!

!

Alyssa*Shumaker***************Editor!in!Chief!!!!!!!!!!!

Erica*Lillquist*****************Design!and!Layout!

Get In! Please!remember!that!Ishi,!as!a!scholastic!publication,!welcomes!Letter!to!the!Editor!and!other!submissions.!Please!Correspond!with!us!

[email protected].!

!Feature!and!Department!submissions!are!

welcomed.!Please!also!consider!contributing!to:!

• Facts!You!Don’t!Care!About!

• ShitPShatPChitPChat!(new!)!

• Amaringlish!(photo!submissions)!

For!more!details,!please!contact!us.!!

All!sweepstakes!are!void!where!prohibited!and!

by!prohibited,!we!mean!outside!of!the!48!

contiguous!US!States.!

! ! The!!Ishi Bekka!Chronicle!!•!!!

Posta Bet From%The%Editor%!Friends%and%Countrywomen,%%Here!we!are,!another!Ishi Bekka, !just!in!time!to!take!us!into!our!2nd!All!Volunteer!Conference.!The!

pool!at!the!Ghion!is!just!packed!full!of!inappropriately!

dressed!men,!anticipating!our!arrival!and!poor!Bob!is!

somewhere!shaking!his!head!at!the!cost!of!two!

conference!rooms!along!with!the!dessert!we!were!

promised.!I’d!like!to!give!a!shout!out!on!behalf!of!the!

Ishi !team!to!all!VAC!members!involved!in!planning!AVC.!Especially!one,!Emily!Lounsbury,!who!has!been!

known!to!write!a!“Letter!to!the!Editor”!or!two!in!

Ishi ’s!time.!!!

And!since!we’re!talking!about!Emily,!I!mean…!erm,!of!

Letters!to!the!Editors!and!various!contributionJbased!

columns,!make!sure!to!check!out!our!debut!of!“Dear!

Zakky”!this!edition,!and!then!write!in!your!future!

qualms!for!some!levelheaded!relationship!or!life!

advice!from!Zach!Morris.!Also,!we!are!still!looking!for!

your!stories!for!“ShitJShatJChitJChat,”!and!pictures!of!

inappropriate!English!signs!or!tJshirts.!We!know!you!

have!them–they!deserve!to!be!shared!with!the!world.!!

!

Speaking!of!the!world,!check!out!Shanthi!

Purushotham’s!excellent!feature!for!this!edition!

about!climate!change!and!how!it!affects!our!side!of!

the!world!(that!is,!SubJSaharan!Africa),!and!our!own!

Jackie!Suits’!travel!advice!from!her!recent!trip!to!

India!for!those!adventuring!eastward!in!the!future.!

We’re!also!introducing!Renay’s!musings!on!film!as!a!

new!addition!to!Ishi ,!and!Marissa!Henderson!writes!on!“A!House!on!the!Sky”!for!those!readers!out!there.!!

!

All!of!this!to!say,!this!“sh**!is!good!(not!to!be!

confused!with!Morgan!Davison’s!title!for!this!month:!

“This!Sh**!is!Bananas!”).!Sit!down,!relax,!drink!some!

Gouder!(try!one!of!Erica!Lillquist’s!recipes!in!

Enibala!),!and!enjoy!our!Spring!2014!Ishi Bekka .!And!that!Gouder,!enjoy!that,!too.!!

!

See!you!at!the!breakfast!buffet,!!

alyssa%Editor%in%Chief,%The!!Ishi Bekka!Chronicle

Ishi Bekka Postcards!Are!Now!Here!!Forrest%Copeland% …Because,!well,!unless!you!live!in!Lalibella!or!Addis,!decent!

postcards!are!as!hard!to!find!as!guitar!strings!or!authentic!

Jack!Daniels.!!%!

Download!the!full!resolution!image!by!using!the!link!

below!and!then!take!the!file!to!your!friendly!photo!bet!

to!get!a!15x10cm!print.!!Feel!free!to!send!these!off!to!!

our!friends!and!family!back!home!or!share!them!with!

your!neighbors!here.!!This!issue's!theme!is!Ethiopian!

animals.!!!

!

Please!submit!suggestions!for!next!issue's!

theme!to!Forrest.!!Stay!tuned!for!more,!

and!start!collecting!the!whole!series!today!!

!

Download!@:!www.ishibekka.wordpress.com/page/2!

Mail

Post Bet !


!

Dear%Zakky%Zach%Morris%%!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I,!Zach!Morris,!am!amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!at!giving!advice.!I!am!so!good!at!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!advising,!I!do!it!without!being!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!asked,!at!inappropriate!times,!!!!!!!!!!and!to!people!I!hardly!know.!Now,!I!am!sharing!!!!!!this!gift!with!those!of!you!who!haven’t!had!the!!!!!!!!immense!pleasure!of!forming!a!“friendship”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!with!me.!!!!!!!!!!!What!qualifies!me!to!do!this!job?!I!have!received!!no!less!than!at!least!two!hours!of!(not!very)!!!!!intense!training!from!PSN.!I!have!seen!every!!episode!of!Maury!and!can!guess!who!the!father!of!!!!the!baby!is!4!out!of!10!times.!And!I!have!lived!my!!!!!!!!life!completely!devoid!of!mistakes!(mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!are!for!losers).!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!If!you!are!seeking!advice!from!me!!When!you!!!!!!!!!!!have!the!balls!to!admit!anonymously!that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!you!do,!in!fact,!want!my!advice!on!an!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!issue!send!your!question!to:[email protected].!!

Dear%Shitty,!Wow,!I!mean!wow!!!Now,!I!am!going!to!take!a!leap!of!faith!and!

assume!that!you!did!not!do!this!on!purpose!(Who!needs!a!PhD!

in!counseling!when!you!have!this!much!natural!intuition).!And!

this!horrible!accident!may!lead!to!the!end!of!your!relationship!

with!your!boyfriend,!your!relationship!with!your!itchy!

Ethiopian!blanket,!your!relationship!with!the!bearable!smell!of!

your!room!and,!worst!of!all,!your!relationship!with!your!couch.!!

The!good!news!is!you!get!new!versions!of!all!of!those!things.!But!

before!you!start!a!crazy!shopping!spree!and!hitting!the!coffee!

joints!of!your!town!or!checking!the!Facebook!for!tolerable!

dudes!within!8J12!hours!of!you,!let!me!hit!you!with!advice.!!

First,!clean!your!shit!up,!literally.!Clean!your!house.!Then,!get!

somebody!to!clean!your!house,!and,!finally,!get!somebody!to!

clean!your!house!again.!Take!the!cushions,!the!blanke,!and!your!

clothes!and!clean!the!shit!out!of!them,!literally.!If!the!items!can!

really!be!cleaned!keep!them.!Take!what!can!only!somewhat!be!

cleaned!and,!with!a!smile!and!a!handshake,!give!it!away!to!

someone!in!your!town.!You!don’t!need!that!negativity!in!your!

life,!homie.!!

Lastly,!for!your!boo.!The!moral!of!every!romJcom!is!that!you!

should!be!loved!for!what’s!on!the!inside,!not!on!the!outside.!

Now!that!he’s!seen!your!inside!on!the!outside!and!even!taken!

sat!in!it!you!think!he’s!going!to!turn!and!run.!You!might!be!right.!

But!here,!I!would!say!that!if!your!insides!accidently!finding!their!

way!to!the!outside!gets!on!his!bad!side!then!maybe!his!insides!

are!shittier!than!your!couch.!Accidents!happen!and!we!clean!them!up!and!move!on.!If!he!doesn’t!run!than!you’ll!both!have!a!

funny!story!to!tell!later!on.!If!he!does!run,!then!he!really!wasn’t!

worth!your!time!anyways.!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Keep!your!sphincter!tight!and!carry!on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Love,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Crapped%Out!

!

!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! %

!


Get In! Defining'Success'in'a'Peace'Corps'Experience'Zach'Morris''Feeling!successful!in!my!Peace!Corps!life!has!always!been!a!challenge.!If!I!get!twenty!students,!I’ll!wonder!why!I!didn’t!get!21.!Success!is!like!chasing!the!metaphorical!dragon!that!always!lies!just!out!of!reach.!I!approached!my!projects!in!Debre!Birhan!in!just!this!way.!!!It!didn’t!help!that!all!everyone!could!talk!about!when!I!arrived!to!DB!was!how!much!they!loved!the!past!IFESH!and!VSO!volunteers.!The!sun!shined!out!of!their!asses!and!mine!paled!in!comparison.!Life!in!Ethiopia!is!hard!enough!without!having!to!be!reminded!how!pale!your!ass!is.!I!was!working!hard,!seven!days!a!week!trying!to!get!college!students!into!the!ELIC,!yet!everyday!perceived!myself!a!failure.!!!In!order!to!deal!with!the!stress!of!the!situation,!I!started!running!in!the!mornings.!I!ran!every!morning!around!the!“track”!at!the!college,!timing!myself.!Every!morning!I!challenged!myself!and!could!feel!good!about!accomplishing!something.!Getting!faster!and!faster!and!being!able!to!go!longer.!This!time!cleared!my!head!and!helped!me!accomplish!my!daily!tasks!with!a!better!frame!of!mind.!!Things!were!starting!to!improve!and!then!it#happened.!!!!

PCV Life

Get In! !


(…Cont’d)!There!is!a!house!that!overlooks!the!field!at!the!college!that!I!was!running!around.!In!that!house,!lives!a!family!that!works,!guarding!the!college.!The!family!has!a!small!1st!grade!boy.!This!boy!would!wake!up!early!to!watch!the!white!man!run.!Then,!he!started!running!behind!me!for!small!stretches!of!the!track.!I!largely!tried!to!ignore!him!and!continue!on!my!task!of!getting!better!at!running.!One!day,!however,!he!fell!while!running!behind!me.!He!started!crying.!What!could!I!do!but!stop,!pick!him!up!and!then!try!to!cheer!him!up?!We!played!different!followFtheFleader!type!games.!He!had!a!great!time!and!cheered!up!quickly.!!The!next!morning!he!wanted!to!do!the!same!thing;!then,!the!next!morning!and!the!next!morning!and!the!next!morning.!Throughout!the!week!we!added!to!our!game!repertoire!soccer,!volleyball,!throwing!seeds,!and!many!more!games.!!!The!next!week,!on!Monday,!I!woke!up!earlier!to!get!in!some!running!time!before!games!would!start,!but!he!woke!up!earlier!as!well!and!joined!me.!He!would!stop!me!and!not!let!me!run.!If!I!tried!to!run!past!him!he!would!cry.!He!had!me!and!all!I!could!do!was!play!with!him.!On!Tuesday,!I!woke!up!even!earlier!and!the!same!thing!happened.!I!started!to!get!extremely!frustrated.!That!time!for!myself!was!gone!and!in!its!place!I!was!starting!my!days!with!something!I!did!not!really!want!to!do.!This!minor!inconvenience!was,!to!me,!a!thorn!in!my!side!that!seemed!massive.!!!I!continued!trying!to!get!track!earlier!and!earlier.!I!wanted!to!run!on!the!track!because!it!is!flat!and!I!still!

had!the!dream!of!timing!myself.!I!was!going!so!early,!a!couple!mornings!at!4:30.!Hyenas!were!still!up!singing!alarm!sounds!and!here!I!was!running!around!the!track.!And,!even!at!

this!time,!the!kid’s!mom!would!see!me!and!wake!

him! up.!Eventually!I!accepted!that!I!would!get!in!one!or!two!laps!and!then!I!would!be!playing!with!this!kid.!!!I!accepted!this.!It!pissed!me!off!a!bit,!but!sometimes!it!was!fun!so!I!just!kept!doing!it.!It!wasn’t!really!that!big!

of!a!deal,!to!me!at!least.!What!I!did!not!realize!at!the!time!was,!to!him!and!his!mom,!this!was!a!very!big!deal.!!!Sometime!later!his!mom,!who!spoke!no!English,!gave!me!a!note.!She!must!have!had!someone!translate!and!write!what!she!wanted!to!say.!The!note!was!in!the!confusing!sort!of!Ethiopian!English,!so!it!took!me!some!time!to!decipher.!What!it!said,!essentially,!was!that!because!this!boy!had!a!deformity!in!his!arm!everyone!else!had!looked!down!on!him!and!discriminated!against!him.!He!had!taken!that!view! of!himself!and!was!afraid,!frustrated,!and!alone!at!school.!But!because!I!took!the!time!to!interact!with!him!and!treat!him!like!a!normal!kid,!he!had!begun!to!see!himself!differently,!like!a!normal!kid.!He!wasn’t!afraid!to!be!social!anymore!and!his!mom!believed!this!would!have!a!lifeFchanging!effect!on!him.!!!She!never!asked!me!for!anything—she!just!wanted!to!say!thanks.!Since!then!I’ve!celebrated!the!boy’s!birthday!and!Christmas!with!his!family.!!He!seems!to!be!doing!well!and,!I!have!no!doubt,!will!continue!to!be!fine!long!after!I!am!gone.!!!All!while!this!was!going!on,!I!was!feeling!like!a!failure!with!the!ELIC!and,!therefore,!a!failure!as!a!PCV.!!What!I!learned!the!day!that!I!received!that!note!was!that!what!might!just!seem!like!a!small!inconvenience!in!my!day!might!be!a!lifeFchanging!event!for!someone!else.!Even!if!I!never!got!a!single!student!to!come!to!the!ELIC,!I!could!still!have!an!impact!on!the!community!in!ways!I!didn’t!even!realize.!!!In!retrospect,!my!ELIC!clubs!weren’t!as!unsuccessful!as!I!felt!at!the!time.!And!this!year,!“round!two,”!I!feel!really!good!about!what!the!ELIC!is!accomplishing.!But!still,!I!try!(try!being!the!key!word)!to!always!approach!the!outside!community!with!my!best!foot!forward,!because!I!never!know!what!small!act!of!kindness!might!have!a!major!impact!on!somebody!else’s!life.!•

I"never"know""what"small"act"of"

kindness"might"have"a"major"impact"on"somebody"else’s"

life."!

Success"is"like"chasing"the"metaphorical"

dragon"that"always"lies"just"out"of"

reach."!

Get In! !


This%Sh**%is%Bananas!%Morgan%Davison%%Well,!well!fatties.!We!meet!again.!The!holidays!have!come!and!gone,!and!if!you!are!anything!like!me!you!gained!10!pounds!and!can!actually!see!the!Chipotle!sized!fat!rolls!on!your!stomach.!But!enough!of!that!!It's!2014!and!time!to!get!going!again!!!My!first!bit!of!advice!for!you!is:!easy!does!it.!Don't!go!crazy!trying!to!work!out!everyday!and!cut!out!all!of!the!junk!food.!!Instead!of!going!straight!into!Insanity,!maybe!start!with!some!yoga!or!a!nice!walk!or!jog!in!the!morning.!Get!back!into!your!routine.!And!don't!completely!cut!out!the!treats.!It's!impossible!for!me!to!go!from!eating!crap!everyday!to!just!shutting!it!out.!So,!I!have!treats!now!and!then!and!slowly!decrease!the!amount!of!junk.!Once!you!are!feeling!normal!again,!get!serious.!Get!back!to!that!Insanity!or!P90X!routine.!Find!your!workout!buddy!and!make!sure!you!hold!each!other!accountable.!Just!don't!forget!to!treat!yo'self!!The!more!you!allow!yourself!to!give!in!to!those!cravings!once!in!a!while,!the!less!likely!you!are!to!go!on!a!big!binge.!!One!of!the!complaints!I've!heard!the!most!in!the!New!Year!is!“I'm!bored.”!Tired!of!Insanity!or!your!usual!routine?!Well,!here's!an!idea...change!it!!I!agree!that!Insanity!can!get!boring!on!its!5th!rotation.!But!look!at!the!results.!Forty!minutes!out!of!your!day!to!burn!that!fat!and!get!some!abs.!But!if!you!really!can't!manage!doing!it!anymore,!it's!understandable.!There!are!a!ton!of!options!out!there.!!Go!for!a!run.!Rent!a!bike.!!Just!do!something.!You'll!feel!better!after.!

!!

Do%as%I%say….%

…not%as%I%do.%

Remember,!exercise!alone!does!not!guarantee!weight!loss!!So,!do!your!best!to!eat!as!healthy!as!you!can!and!you!should!see!improvements.!But!one!more!important!aspect!of!staying!healthy!and!losing!weight:!DRINK!!Not!Dashen,!you!boozies.!You!know!you!should!drink!a!lot!of!water.!But!did!you!know!you!should!be!drinking!half!of!your!body!weight!in!ounces?!That!means!if!you!weigh!150!pounds,!you!should!drink!75!ounces!of!water!everyday.!If!you!get!bored!with!plain!water,!try!adding!some!ground!ginger,!flax!seed!and!lemon!for!a!cleansing!tonic!(all!can!be!found!in!Ethiopia).!And!it!tastes!yummy!!!!I!have!a!lot!of!information!on!training,!eating!healthy!(I!choose!to!ignore!it),!and!weight!loss.!If!you!want!any!tips!or!information,!feel!free!to!email!me!!Or,!if!you!want!me!to!text!you!everyday!telling!you!to!get!off!your!ass!and!exercise,!I'[email protected]!

!

Get In! !


Bloomin’(TP!(Breanne(Lott(Why!not!do!a!little!Spring!Cleaning,!recycle!old!TP!rolls!and!make!some!beautiful!flower!decorations!at!the!same!time?!!Create!a!bouquet!for!your!home!or!office,!offer!a!single!flower!as!a!gift!or!hang!flowers!from!string!for!refreshing!springtime!ornaments.!

How?!!

Use!scissors!to!cut!a!toilet!paper!roll!into!strips!(which!are!actually!rings).!The!amount!of!rings!you!get!per!roll!depends!on!the!desired!width!of!each!ring.!Paint!the!rings—inside!and!out—whatever!color!you!want!your!flower!to!be.!Use!tape!or!string!to!attach!5!or!6!rings!together!in!the!shape!of!a!flower.!If!you!want!to!create!stems,!you!can!paint!some!old!twigs!green!again.!Display!your!flowers!any!way!you!like.!

You!know!what!else!creates!great!flower!shapes?!Recycled!water!bottles!!Cut!the!bottom!off!and!bam!there!you!have!it.!Paint!the!inside.!Try!different!sizes!of!bottles!(0.5,!1!and!2!litre)!and!brands!of!water!for!different!shapes.!

This(Ugly(American(Visor!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Just!can't!get!enough!DIY?!Check!out!the!new!Peace!Corps!!!!!!!!!!!!Pinterest!Page!at!www.PCPinterest.wordpress.com!!It's!actually!!!!!!!!a!WordPress!blog!but!is!intended!to!be!a!lowStech!version!of!Pinterest,!specially!designed!for!Peace!Corps!Volunteers!in!Ethiopia.!All!posts!are!things!that!can!be!executed!in!your!site!with!locally!available!materials.!!!!!!!!!Categories!include!Holidays,!Food,!For!the!Home,!PC!Projects,!Goals!2!!!!!!!!!!!!and!3,!and!Miscellaneous.!Anyone!can!post,[email protected]!to!request!to!be!an!author.!Happy!crafting!!

www.PCPinterest.wordpress.com!

!

Achieving PC Goal 2 Thanks,((Matt(Thorton,(for(this(issue’s(visor(photos!(

Bunna?!No,!we!don’t!serve!American!coffee!!

Monkey(

Business!

I’d!let!you!try!

the!visor!on,!

but!you!might!

steal!it!!

Shoe(Shine?!That!is!some!white!calf!meat!!Good!thing!I!have!this!visor!to!shield!myself!from!the!reflection!!


Go Wild! The$Red'Cheeked$Cordon'Bleu!

Chad$Miller!!!I!thought!I’d!write!this!time!about!the!Uraeginthus,bengalus,,since!many!volunteers!have!asked!me!about!this!bird.!Yes,!this!is!the!tiny!stun;gun!of!a!bird!better!known!as!the!Red2cheeked,Cordon2bleu,"and!he’s!well!deserving!of!a!blue!ribbon!for!his!striking!appearance.!I!say!“he”!because!(sorry,!ladies)!the!female!of!this!species!is!somewhat!drab!in!comparison!and!lacks!the!eponymous!red!cheek.!This!is!a!very!common!bird,!widespread!throughout!Ethiopia,!although!personally!I’ve!only!seen!it!in!a!few!spots,!notably!around!Arsi!and!in!Bahir!Dar;!I!never!caught!a!glimpse!of!one!in!Debre!Markos.!!!The!Cordon2bleu!is!a!type!of!waxbill!and!is!a!very!abiding!little!(around!5!inches!long)!creature!–!in!other!words,!it’s!unlikely!to!fly!away!in!fright!when!you!approach.! On!the!contrary,!it!will!probably!just!go!

about!its!business,!feeding!on!the!ground!in!an!open!patch!(alone!or!in!a!small!flock,!possibly!

mixed!with!other!little!ground;feeders).!This!makes!the!Cordon2

bleu,very!easy!to!spot!and!identify.!The!female!is!brown!

above!and!blue!below,!much!like!her!relative,!the!Blue2capped,Cordon2

bleu.!Not!to!worry,!though,!if!you!see!one,!you!can!be!assured!it’s!the!former;!the!Blue;

capped!is!uncommon!and!only!likes!the!habitat!in!areas!of!Ethiopia!that!very!few,!if!any,!

foreigners!step!foot!in.!I!took!these!shots!of!a!male!feeding!in!and!around!a!puddle!in!the!perpetually!

torn;up!sidewalks!of!Bahir!Dar.!Until!the!next!issue,!happy!birding!!!!

VRC$Style$!Speaking!of!‘going!wild,’!Matt!Oakley!is!this!issue’s!model!for!the!latest!in!magic,!green!suitcase!fashion.!!With!ladies’!zebra!print’!PJ’s!and!a!mock!turtle,!Matt!is!just!as!comfortable!deadlifting!cement!as!he!is!lounging!around!the!‘ole!mud!house.!However,!don’t!be!fooled,!his!footwear!and!facial!expression!clearly!indicate!that!he!is!on!his!way!somewhere!‘dressy.’!!

Nature


Enibala! !

!! !

!!This!Sh**!is!Actually!About!Bananas!Kristin!Rose!!

It’s!that!time!of!year!again.!Tsum%is!upon!us!and!while!the!prices!for!eggs,!milk,!and!other!dairy!products!are!greatly!discounted,!it!also!gives!you!a!great!opportunity!to!try!your!hand!at!vegan!cooking.!Vegan!recipe!substitutes!are!often!healthier!than!traditional!animal=product!based!ingredients.!If!you!are!craving!cupcakes,!muffins!or!other!delicious!carby!treats,!make!a!couple!swaps!in!the!recipe.!Maybe!then!Morgan!will!stop!calling!you!fat.!Extra!bonus:!these!ingredients!won’t!stink!up!your!house!in!the!same!way!as!a!big!block!of!kibbe.%!!Avocado!is!a!great!butter!substitute!in!cookies,!muffins,!or!sweet!breads!(Avocado!banana!bread?!Delicious!).!A!1:1!ratio!swap!for!butter!will!give!your!creation!the!same!moisture!as!butter!(although!not!the!same!flaky!quality!for!things!like!biscuits!and!pie!crust).!!!Oil!is!the!traditional!vegan!butter!substitute.!However,!it!does!have!a!tendency!to!add!excessive!moisture!to!breads!or!brownies,!and!they!don’t!stay!together!as!well.!For!½!cup!of!butter,!¼!cup!oil!is!usually!sufficient.!!!For!each!egg!needed,!heat!1!T!ground.flaxseed!with!3!T!water!until!gelatinous.!Mix!into!recipes!like!you!would!eggs.!This!is!great!for!recipes!where!you!need!things!to!stick!together,!like!lentil!burgers!or!breading!vegetables.!!!For!recipes!with!other!strong!flavors!or!for!things!you!don’t!mind!a!tinge!of!banana!flavor,!the!fruit!helps!food!stick!together!similar!to!eggs.!You!can!swap!out!one!egg!for!one!mashed.tired.banana..!

Food & Drink

From!the!Kitchen!of!Paula!Baker!

Vegan!Brownies!The!best!brownies,!that!happen!to!be!vegan.!

!Materials:!Oven!or!Dutch!oven!Pan!Bowl!!Measuring!cups!!Ingredients!(Makes!16!servings):!2!cups!white!flour!1!½!cups!sugar!¾!cup!cocoa!powder!1!tsp.!baking!powder!1!tsp.!salt!1!cup!water!1!cup!oil!

Directions:!Mix!all!ingredients!in!a!bowl.!Coat!your!pan!with!!oil!and!flour!to!prevent!sticking!and!pour!the!mixture!into!pan.!!Bake!at!350F!for!about!25!minutes.!Cool!10!minutes!before!cutting.!!Variations:!Replace!½!cup!of!sugar!with!brown!sugar.!Use!less!sugar!if!you!prefer.!Add!chocolate!chunks!or!nuts!if!you!have!them.!Halve!the!recipe!for!a!smaller!batch.!The!photo!shown!is!half!the!recipe,!which!fits!nicely!into!the!smaller!Dutch!oven!pan.!!Dutch!Oven:!You!need!two!pans!(one!large,!one!small)!and!an!empty!tuna!can.!Place!the!tuna!can!inside!the!large!pan,!place!the!small!pan!on!top!of!the!tuna!can,!and!cover!with!the!large!lid.!Cook!over!direct!heat!from!electric,!coal,!propane!or!kerosene.!The!aluminum!pans!available!here!can!be!flimsy,!so!rotate!the!pan!and!check!to!make!sure!the!metal!isn’t!warping.!

Enibala! !

! ! The!!Ishi Bekka!Chronicle!!•!Page 1!!

Spanish(Wine(Might(Be(Good,(but(Ethiopian(Wine(is(Gouder(Erica(Lillquist(!

If!you!live!anywhere!other!than!Debre!Birhan!or!Mahel!Meda,!where!it!is!perpetually!cold!(sorry!Zakky,!sweet!D,!

Leslye!and!Mikey)!dry!season!is!probably!marked!with!rising!temperatures!and!the!need!to!quench!your!thirst.!

When!I!was!in!Spain,!one!of!my!favorite!ways!to!do!this!was!botellón,!aka!street!drinking.!On!any!moderately!warm!evening,!filling!the!beautiful!plazas!of!Madrid,!you!will!find!hordes!of!young,!beautiful!(poor)!Spanish!mixing!these!

drinks!in!water!bottles,!plastic!cups!and!even!sometimes!plastic!bags.!!It!was!all!very!classy,!I!assure!you.!

!

Fear!not!!This!luxury!can!too!be!yours!!Just!sit!on!the!patio!of!a!café,!avoid!looking!around,!and!you!might!just!think!

you!are!there.!And!if!you!aren’t!already!convinced,!here!are!some!other!reasons!these!recipes!are!perfect!for!PCVs:!

1. They%are%easy.!Yeah,!we’re!PCVs.!We’re!too!busy!to!let!complicated!mixing!get!in!the!way!of!our!goals!(alcohol!in!belly).!

2. The%ingredients%are%readily%available.!Everything!here!can!be!bought!in!just!about!any!establishment!in!this!country.!

3. You%don’t%have%to%feel%low%class.!True,!the!kalimotxo!used!to!be!called!‘cuba!libre!del!pobre,’!or!‘cuba!libre!for!the!poor,’!but!hey,!Europeans!drink!this!stuff;!it!must!be!good,!right?!But!really,!stop!acting!like!you!are!

too!good!to!put!Coke!in!your!Gouder.!It’s!Gouder.!

4. The%typical%serving%vessel%is%a%‘mini.’!Oh,!those!ironic!Spanish!!A!mini!is!a!liter^sized!plastic!cup.!This!needs!no!further!explanation.!

(

Dry(Season(Botellón((Kalimotxo((pronounced(‘caliCmoCcho’)(

(1(part(((((red(wine(+(1(part((((((Coca(Cola(((

Sure,!Teresa!Giudice!of!RHONJ!might!claim!that!this!is!Italian,!but!Spanish!people!(so!says!the!all!powerful!inter^

webs)!had!it!first.!Originating!from!Basque!country,!this!drink!makes!even!the!worst!red!wine!palatable.!For!a!

twist:!add!a!shot!of!ouzo!and/or!a!lime!slice!!

(Tinto(de(Verano((red(wine(of(summer)(

(1(part(((((red(wine(+(1(part(((((citrus(soda(

In!Spain,!the!most!common!mixer!is!La!Casera,!a!slightly!sweet,!slightly!lemony!soda,!not!unlike!Ambo!Lemon.!

Alternately,!it!is!great!with!Fanta.!This!drink!is!the!slightly!dumber!cousin!to!the!all^famous!sangria!and!while!

foodies!in!America!are!all!about!using!fresh!fruit!juices,!Spanish!people!actually!put!Fanta!in!their!sangria,!too.!If!

your!inner!hipster!just!won’t!let!you!be!so!uncouth,!go!ahead,!throw!an!orange!wheel!in!there!!

(Clara((aka(shandy)(

(1(part((((light(lager(+(1(part(((((((citrus(soda(

I!used!to!work!at!a!Silvio!Berlusconi^owned!(don’t!judge!me;!I!was!poor)!media!company!in!Spain!where!the!

employee!café!was!always!packed!at!7:30!am!with!people!sipping!their!claras.!Spanish!love!to!say!that!they!drink!

claras!because!they!have!less!alcohol!and!can!therefore!justify!drinking!at!inappropriate!times!and/or!for!longer!

periods!of!time.!Well,!that!works!for!me.!The!clara!is!especially!good!on!hot,!sunny!days.!The!Portuguese!take!it!a!

step!even!further!with!the!“Diesel,”!which!is!beer!and!Coke,!but!we!have!to!draw!the!line!somewhere,!right?!


Global Warming

Africa !The!past!couple!decades!have!been!marked!by!concern!over!the!striking!and!increasingly!evident!effects!of!global!warming.!Al!Gore’s!documentary,!An#Inconvenient#Truth,#captivated!audiences!through!its!vivid!and!shocking!imagery!of!destroyed(ecosystems,!communities,!and!wildlife,!educating!the!international!community!

about!the!repercussions!of!irresponsible(human(behaviors.!While!global!warming!was!traditionally!seen!as!a!problem!of!wealthy!countries,!the!ones!responsible!for!excessive!carbon!emissions,!greater!focus!is!now!being!placed!on!developing!countries!–!both!their!increasing!role!in!contributing!to!the!problem!as!well!as!their!vulnerability!to!being!hardAhit!by!the!effects!of!global!warming!induced!climate(change.!Countries!in!SubASaharan!Africa,!particularly!in!east!Africa!have!gained!special!international!concern!primarily!because!they!lack!the!resources!necessary!to!effectively!withstand!the!diverse(effects!of!climate!change,!which!are!projected!to!be!severe!given!the!geographic!and!economic!realities!of!the!region!(2).!!!

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and What it Means for!

Climate!refugees!in!the!Horn!of!Africa!(Source!#2)!

!

Shanthi(Purushotham!


(…Cont’d)!By!the!end!of!the!century!global!temperatures!will!have!increased!close!to!four!degrees!causing!catastrophic!changes!including!extreme!heat!waves,!declining!global!food!supplies,!and!rising!sea!levels!(World!Bank).!Such!effects!have!already!been!felt!in!Africa!with!reduced!rainfall!in!the!Sahara,!melting!of!the!Mount!Kilimanjaro’s!ice!cap!by!more!than!80%,!and!extreme!droughts!in!eastern!Ethiopia!and!Somalia!(4).!The!weather!in!Ethiopia!and!Somalia!has!become!even!more!erratic!than!ever!with!a!combination!of!extreme!droughts!and!flash!floods,!effecting!thousands!of!people.!Such!weather!changes!have!contributed!to!a!mass!migration!of!Somalis!to!eastern!Ethiopia,!which!is!equally!waterNstarved.!As!international!aid!and!food!rations!deplete!in!the!area,!it!may!be!only!a!matter!of!time!before!violence!and!other!problems!ensue!including!potential!famine.!!

For!the!most!part,!the!western!world!possesses!the!money!and!resources!to!effectively!tackle!global!warming.!Their!issue!simply!lies!in!finding!the!necessary!motivated!and!talented!people!willing!to!dedicate!their!time!and!effort!to!addressing!the!cause.!Africa,!however,!lacks!such!luxuries!and!will!need!close!to!$200!billion!to!adapt!to!the!effects!of!a!mere!two!degree!temperature!increase!(1).!International!assistance!for!climate!change!has!been!sparse!with!the!United!States!and!other!developed!countries!more!focused!on!using!their!money!to!address!domestic!issues,!such!as!the!repercussions!of!a!growing!aging!population!(1).!In!fact,!many!of!these!wellNoff!countries!have!been!behaving!stealthily!by!merely…!!!!

!

Food$distribution$centers$to$compensate$for$lack$of$crop$production$(thought$to$be$partially$due$to$effects$of$climate$change)$are$running$out$of$food$(Source$#2).$

!


!(…Cont’d)!relabeling!preexisting!aid!as!assistance!allocated!for!dealing!with!global!warming.!This!is!a!shame!considering!that!a!mere!two<degree!increase!could!result!in!a!25%!to!90%!increase!in!the!number!of!Africans!labeled!as!malnourished,!a!calamity!that!would!require!far!more!international!help!and!resources!to!rectify!in!the!future!(1).!!

With!the!growth!of!international!trade!and!the!outsourcing!of!production!to!developing!countries,!greenhouse!gas!emissions!in!essence!have!also!been!outsourced!(3).!As!Africa!increasingly!becomes!a!hotspot!for!international!investments!this!is!something!many!African!nations!will!have!to!be!wary!of.!Globally,!there!is!a!far!greater!focus!on!subsidizing!fossil!fuels!than!switching!to!clean!energy;!governments!of!developing!countries!are!more!likely!to!be!susceptible!to!utilizing!cheaper!fossil!fuels!as!a!way!to!quickly!and!more!cheaply!spur!their!economic!growth!(3).!However,!letting!such!practices!slide!will!result!in!the!need!for!urgent!and!extremely!innovative,!not!to!mention!expensive,!technologies!to!be!developed!in!order!to!remove!greenhouse!gases!from!the!atmosphere!and!preserve!the!livability!of!the!planet.!!

Interestingly,!compared!to!its!Sub<Saharan!neighbors,!Ethiopia!is!doing!surprisingly!well!in!its!effort!to!curb!its!carbon!emissions.!The!country!has!made!an!effort!to!harness!indigenous!energy!(evident!by!the!dozens!of!

wind!turbines!erected!south!of!Addis!Ababa)!and!has!incorporated!renewable!energy!into!its!economic!plan,!emphasizing!green!growth!and!clean!energy!in!its!strategy!to!reduce!poverty!and!spur!national!development!(6).!Ethiopia!has!diversified!its!modes!of!renewable!energy!in!order!to!deal!with!its!highly!vulnerable!and!extreme!weather!variability,!which!it!realizes!will!only!get!worse!as!the!effects!of!global!warming!deepen!(6).!Equal!effort!has!been!made!by!Uganda!through!its!promotion!of!agro<forestry!and!conservation!agriculture!throughout!the!country,!which!is!helping!to!improve!soil!fertility!and!increase!crop!yields!and!diversification!(2).!!

Ultimately,!although!largely!ignored!by!the!media,!the!effects!of!global!warming!in!Sub<Saharan!Africa!are!proving!to!be!dire.!International!assistance!to!deal!with!climate!change!has!been!bleak,!so!it!is!up!to!developing!countries!themselves!to!invest!in!indigenous!forms!of!energy!and!make!it!a!fundamental!part!of!their!plans!for!economic!development!and!growth.!Ethiopia!and!Uganda!are!good!examples!for!how!developing!countries!are!capable!of!utilizing!their!existing!resources!and!talent!to!create!preventative!measures!and!technologies!for!independently!and!locally!addressing!climate!change.!Both!have!made!a!genuine!effort!to!monitor!their!carbon!footprint!and!should!be!viewed!as!models!for!their!equally!vulnerable!Sub<Saharan!neighbors.!•

Works&Cited&(1)&UN:&Africa&needs&$200&billion&a&year&to&fight&global&warming&http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/19/un<africa<needs<200<billion<a<year<to<fight<global<warming/&(2)!Africa&and&climate&change:&What's&at&stake?:&http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/09/2013919141924283498.html&(3)!U.N.&Says&Lag&in&Confronting&Climate&Woes&Will&Be&Costly&http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/17/science/earth/un<says<lag<in<confronting<climate<woes<will<be<costly.html?_r=0&(4)!Global&warming&threatens&Africa':&http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2204756.stm&(5)!Drought&in&east&Africa&the&result&of&climate&change&and&conflict:!http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/04/drought<east<africa<climate<change&(6)!Ethiopia's&renewable&energy&revolution&shouldn't&fail&to&empower&its&poor:!http://www.theguardian.com/global<development<professionals<network/2014/jan/30/ethiopia<renewable<energy<project&

!


Where Are You Go?

Before&You&Go&Amazing!food.!Beaches.!The!Himalayas.!Culture.!Religions!and!spirituality.!Beautiful!architecture.!Hiking!and!rafting!and!bungee!jumping.!Camel!safaris.!Forts,!temples,!palaces.!National!parks.!Big!cities!with!shopping!malls!and!chain!restaurants!!!Seriously,!our!last!meal!was!at!a!Chili’s!and!I!definitely!had!a!Starbucks!(or!two).!India!is!a!HUGE!country,!so!you!should!do!the!research!before!you!go!to!decide!on!all!the!spots!you’ll!hit!and!to!know!the!distances!between!places!so!to!account!for!travel!time.!Also,!you!check!what!the!weather!will!be!like!in!those!areas!at!the!time!you’ll!be!visiting.!!!!

Travel The&Land&of&Happy&Cows&Jackie&Suits& Namaste.!!During!the!break!between!semesters,!I!took!about!a!month!to!wander!northern!India.!It!could!take!a!year!to!explore!the!entire!country,!so!I'm!no!expert.!What!I!got!to!see!and!do!was!all!incredible!and!from!that!limited!experience,!here's!a!smidgen!of!information.!

&Getting&the&Visa&Since!the!Indian!visa!is!a!bitch!to!get!(you!may!get!conflicting!information!when!you!call!the!embassy,!or!when!you!go!there,!or!when!you!check!their!website),!here’s!what!you!need:!!Your!passport,!a!passport!copy,!your!Yellow!Fever!card,!a!Yellow!Fever!card!copy,!the!visa!application!(https://indianvisaonline.!gov.in/visa!/indianVisaReg.jsp)!with!your!passport!photo!uploaded!to!it!(photo!must!be!a!JPEG,!minimum!10!KB!and!maximum!300!KB!in!size,!and!minimum!350!X!350!pixels!and!maximum!1000!X!1000!pixels!in!dimensions),!fee!of!1720!ETB!cash!only!(they!don’t!have!change),!a!copy!of!your!bank!book,!a!copy!of!your!Red!ID,!your!flight!reservation,!a!hotel!reservation,!and!the!form!for!foreigners!living!in!Ethiopia!(they’ll!have!this!at!the!embassy).!!The!embassy!is!tricky!to!find,!so!I’d!say!it’s!worth!it!to!just!take!a!taxi.!They!accept!applications!Monday!through!Friday!from!9:30a11:30!am!only!and!make!sure!you!go!early.!Try!to!go!within!a!month!of!your!departure!date;!they!may!refuse!you!if!you!try!to!apply!too!far!in!advance!of!your!trip.!You!are!allowed!to!apply!and!pick!up!for!your!friends.!Also!make!sure!to!apply!for!a!threeamonth!tourist!visa.!You!have!to!drop!off!your!application!and!supporting!documents,!they!give!you!a!receipt,!and!then!a!few!days!later!you!can!pick!it!up.!

What&about&the&Harassment?&Considering!I!had!to!punch!a!man!(okay,!maybe!two)!in!Kaliti!the!day!after!I!got!back!to!Ethiopia,!it’s!not!bad.'No!one!yells!at!you!and!the!staring!is!fairly!minimal.!The!worst!is!that!Indians!love!to!have!their!photo!taken!with!you,!but!at!least!they!ask,!“Can!I!have!snap!with!you?”''''I!think!the!media!focus!lately!on!violence!towards!women!(stemming!from!the!dowry!system!and!female!infanticide)!is!because!everyone!knows!it’s!a!problem!and!wants!it!to!stop.!I!never!felt!unsafe!in!India.!Y’all!know!how!to!be!smart.!!!!!!

Where Are You Go? !


!

Getting'Around'My!best!advice!is!to!have!a!plan!or!a!schedule,!but!be!flexible.!!It!is!fairly!easy!to!get!around,!so!don’t!stress.!Obviously!if!your!destinations!are!really!far!apart,!you’ll!need!to!fly!and!I’m!too!cheap!to!give!much!advice!there.!Trains!can!fill!up!quickly!and!it’s!difficult!to!get!tickets!ahead!of!time!because!most!websites!only!let!you!purchase!with!an!Indian!credit!card.!If!you!want!to!take!trains,!maybe!go!a!day!early!to!India!and!get!train!tickets!at!a!tourism!company.!For!a!small!fee,!they!will!book!your!tickets!for!you.!!!!I!would!also!caution!you!not!to!get!roped!into!taking!any!private!cars!or!tours!until!you!check!around!for!other!prices.!If!all!else!fails,!takes!buses!!!They!have!private!and!public!buses.!Private!buses!you!may!need!to!book!in!advance,!but!hotels!and!tourism!companies!can!help!you!with!this.!I’m!here!to!tell!you!that!I!survived!three!public!buses!alone!through!the!Himalayas!and!they!kept!the!windows!open!!Let’s!not!even!talk!about!that!one!time!I!took!three!public!buses!through!the!Blue!Nile!Gorge....!!!!!!Also,!make!sure!to!wear!those!haggling!pants!you’ve!nearly!worn!out!here.!There!are!lots!of!pretty!things!to!buy!and!bajajes!(autoLrickshaws)!to!take.!A!good!rule!of!thumb!is!to!bargain!them!down!to!half!their!original!asking!price.!!!!

Where'to'Stay?'I!stayed!with!four!families!and!at!three!hotels.!If!you!are!able!to!set!up!any!homestays,!do!it!!Indian.!People.!Are.!So.!Nice.!You’ll!be!doing!the!adorable!Indian!head!bob!(it!looks!like!no,!but!it!means!yes)!in!no!time.!It’s!a!wonderful!way!to!really!experience!the!culture.!Homestays!seem!to!mostly!be!wordLofLmouth,!so!show!up!and!ask!around,!or!post!to!online!forums!such!as!Trip!Advisor!and!India!Mike.!There!are!of!course!great,!affordable!hotel!options!everywhere!and!Lonely!Planet!is!a!good!source.!At!every!hotel!I!stayed,!the!staff!was!super!helpful!and!friendly.!It!is!easy!to!make!reservations!online,!but!I’d!eLmail!or!call!a!day!in!advance!to!confirm!and!make!sure!they!don’t!give!away!your!room.!WiLfi!is!pretty!available,!as!are!internet!cafes!and!random!people!on!the!street!that!you!can!ask!to!borrow!their!cell!phones.!!'!

Just'Ask'Personally!I!spent!a!month!travelling!around!Delhi,!Jaipur,!Udaipur,!Amritsar,!Dharamsala/McLeod!Ganj,!Fatehpur!Sikri,!and!Agra.!Delhi!was!very!polluted!and!hectic,!but!there’s!Starbucks!and!sushi,!etc…!!My!favorite!place!was!McLeod!Ganj,!home!of!the!Tibetan!exile!(where!the!Dalai!Lama!lives)!located!in!the!Himalayas.!Jaipur!was!great!for!nice!architecture!and!the!beautiful!Amber!Fort!where!you!can!ride!elephants.!Udaipur!is!known!as!the!lake!city!where!you!can!take!boat!rides,!view!an!amazing!nightly!cultural!dance!show,!find!good!shopping!and!the!nearby!Kumbhalgarh!fort!and!Ranakpur!Jain!Temple.!Amritsar!was!awesome!for!the!Sikh!Golden!Temple!(go!during!the!morning!or!evening!prayer!times),!to!see!the!odd!borderLclosing!ceremony!between!India!and!Pakistan,!and!the!delicious!Punjabi!food.!Agra!is!where!you’ll!find!the!Taj!Mahal!(worth!it!!Try!to!go!at!sunrise!to!avoid!crowds!and!you!don’t!need!a!guide!rushing!you!through)!and!if!you’re!going!there,!I’d!recommend!you!also!see!the!ruined!city!of!Fatehpur!Sikri!about!an!hour!away!which!was!my!second!favorite!spot.!!!!There!are!plenty!of!other!PCVs!that!!have!been!to!different!places!in!India!!(or!are!planning!to!go),!so!feel!free!to!ask!me!anything!or!just!ask!!around!!•!!!

! ! The!!Ishi Bekka!Chronicle!!•!Page 1!!

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Download(Me(Now(Brendan(Boland(!With!All!Volunteer!Conference!around!the!corner,!many!still!living!in!the!bush!are!diligently!planning!the!perfect!meals,!favorite!happy!hour!cocktails,!and!preferred!discotheques!to!frequent!during!their!brief!sojourn!in!Addis.!Personally,!Gande&di&Pepe!(Italian,(Signal,($$)(and!Belvedere!(Italian,(Top(View,($$$)!may!be!the!best!eats!in!Addis,!Black&Rose&(Boston(Day(Spa(Building)!has!the!cheapest!cocktail!hour!on!Fridays!from!5–7,!and!Jubilee!(Hiya(Hulet)!has!recently!been!renovated!to!add!a!new!sound!system!and!patio!hookah!lounge.!!!More!importantly,!All!Vol!is!the!perfect!time!to!catch!up!on!all!your!missing!music!downloads.!This!year!(and!last)!has!been!stocked!with!some!major!releases–Daft!Punk,!Bruno!Mars,!Beyoncé,!to!name!a!few.!!!Outside!of!the!major!releases,!some!truly!excellent!free!EPs!have!hit!the!net,!especially!from!Chicago.!In!2011,!SXSW!was!taken!by!storm!by!Kids&These&Days.!Imagine!a!New!Orleans!jazz!band!playing!over!your!favorite!90s!station.!By!combining!a!full!R&B!brass!section,!the!group!weaves!together!pop!samples,!rock!chords,!and!hipZhop!beats!to!create!a!truly!fresh!sound.!However,!their!recordings!are!rough!and!the!vocals!are!often!lost!behind!the!big!sound!of!the!band.!The!group’s!latest!and!last!EP,!Traphouse(Rock,!is!perfect!for!a!Saturday!afternoon!jumbo.!!!!

Books, Movies, Music

Best&free&EPs/Mixtapes&(2013/2014):&1. Donnie&Trumpet–“Donnie!

Trumpet”!2. Kids&These&Days–“Traphouse!

Rock”!3.&&&&Save&Money&Crew–“Fake!Shore!!!!!!!!!!Drive!Mixtape”!3. Odezza–“Summer’s!Gone”!4. Action&Bronson&&&Party&

Supplies–“Blue!Chips!2”!5. Killer&Mike&&&EIRPZ“Run!the!

Jewels”!6. CMJ&Monthly&Mixtape!(free!14!

track!sampling!of!college!music!every!month)!

&For!all!you!Texans!out!there!missing!SXSW,!head!to!NPR!Music!(npr.com/music)!to!pick!up!Bob!Boilen’s!100&Songs&from&SXSW&Mix.!!!

Kids(These(Days(!

Save(Money(Crew(

Donnie(Trumpet(

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!…!(Cont’d)!the!best!element!stems!from!the!instrument!for!which!the!project!is!named.!The!first!notes!of!“Zion,”!erupt!with!smooth,!PhillyBstyle!jazz!only!to!later!cover!the!Fugee!classic.!Adding!“Pasedena”!and!“Players!Holiday”!to!

the!mix,!Donnie!Trumpet!paints!a!syncopated!sunset!cool!enough!for!both!coasts.!The!project!features!fellow!Chicago!artists!Chance!the!Rapper,!Vince!Mensa,!and!Kiara!Lanier.!•!

!

What’s!Goin’!On!Here!?!Keepin’!It!Reel:!Movie!Reviews!by!Renay!!From!The$Wizard$of$Oz!to!The$Great$and$Powerful$Oz,!from!New$Jack$City!to!Jack$and$Jill,!from!True$Grit!to,!well,!the!other!True$Grit,!I!have!been!drawn!to!the!stories,!images,!and!music!that!come!together!to!form!motion!pictures!of!emotions,!strung!together!in!the!hope!of!bringing!together!an!audience!of!admirers.!But!some!movies!just!outright!suck,!hence,!the!birth!of!a!nation!of!movie!reviewers.!I,!on!the!other!hand,!do!not!seek!to!be!critical!of!the!filmmaker’s!artistic!attempt!at!telling!a!story.!Keep!in!mind!that!I!am!a!filmmaker,!and!I,!like!Erykah!Badu,!am!sensitive!about!my!artBish.!So,!how!does!one!keep!it!real!without!being!critical?!Beats!me,!but!I’ll!have!something!figured!out!by!the!next!edition.!For!now,!here’s!a!real!reel!commentary:!

!Let’s!begin!with!a!film!that!rivals!all!

films!from!the!beginning!of!time!to!the!here!and!now.!A!tale!that!expresses!the!animalistic!nature!of!earthlings!to!dominate,!even!if!doing!so!brings!their!demise.!A!film!that!spotlights!the!ageBold!question:!Am!I!my!brother’s!keeper?!The$Lion$King.!The!aforementioned!description!is!

no!doubt!relevant!to!the!plot!of!the!film,!but!let’s!keep!it!real!!There!are!other!issues!that!need!to!be!addressed.!For!starters,!it!was!widely!accepted!in!Pride!Land!when!Rafiki!extended!newborn!Simba!over!the!edge!of!Pride!Rock!for!all!to!adore,!but!it!was!considered!reckless!when!Michael!Jackson!showed!off!his!baby!by!extending!little!Prince!Michael!II!from!a!third!floor!balcony.!Were!they!not!both!princes?!Were!they!not!both!mammals?!Were!they!not!both!descendants!of!an!African!tribe?!Yes,!yes,!and,!theoretically,!yes.!So,!c’mon!humans,!lighten!up.!

And,!remember!how!cute!it!was!to!see!Simba!and!Nala!on!an!adventure?!What!an!adorable!reaction!to!Zazu’s!news!of!his!betrothal!to!Nala!!Simba!had!the!right!idea!to!protest.!However,!instead!of!exclaiming!that!marrying!Nala!was!impossible!because!she!was!his!friend,!he!should!have!been!appalled!because!she!was!his!sister!!The!same!lion!impregnates!all!lionesses!in!a!pride,!thus!making!all!cubs!siblings.!So,!that!would!have!meant!that!before!his!death,!Mufasa!was!every!lioness’!baby’s!daddy.!At!least,!that!is!what!I!gathered!after!watching!National!Geographic’s!African$Cats.!In!The$Wolf$of$Wallstreet,!Jonah!Hill’s!character!was!bombarded!with!questions!regarding!his!marriage!to!his!cousin,!but!no!one!dared!to!question!the!union!of!Matthew!Broderick!and!Moira!Kelly’s!characters!in!The$Lion$King.!Like!TImon!said!to!Simba!when!Pumbaa!almost!got!eaten!by!Nala,!“WHAT’S!GOIN’!ON!HERE!”!Hey,!I’m!just!keepin’!it!real!and!waggish.!

Full!Albums!Worth!the!Bandwidth:!Cults–Static!Rhye–Woman!Valerie.June–Pushin$Against!A$Stone!Childish.Gambino–Because$the$Internet$Africa.Express.Presents–Maison$Des$Jeunes$Jagwar.Ma–Howlin!BadBadNotGood–BBNG$/$BBNG2$Washed.Out–Paracosm!Fuck.Buttons–Slow$Focus!Arcade.FireBReflektor$Danny.Brown–Old$!

Honorable!Mentions:!M&O–The$Joy!DisclosureBSettle!!The.Civil.Wars–Barton$Hollow!!Dawn.of.Midi–Dysnomia$!Laura.Marling–Once$I$Was$An$Eagle!Sun.Ra–The$Futuristic$Sounds$of$Sun$Ra$Blood.Orange–DCupid$Deluxe.!

Okay!

Not!Okay!

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Defying(Expecations(House&in&the&Sky&Book(Review(Marissa(Henderson(We!have!all!been!warned!of!what!could!happen!if!we!get!too!close!to!Somalia.!Kidnapping,!murder,!and!dropping!off!the!radar!are!all!possibilities!we’ve!seen!over!and!over!on!weekly!updates!and!State!Department!warnings.!!Amanda!Lindhout’s!memoir,!A"House"in"the"Sky,!is!a!terrifying!example!of!what!can!happen!as!a!foreigner!in!Somalia,!chronicling!her!fifteen!months!of!captivity!after!being!kidnapped!while!in!Mogadishu!for!work.!

A"House"in"the"Sky!briefly!describes!Lindhout’s!volatile!childhood!in!Canada!and!how,!from!a!young!age!she!escaped!school!bullying!with!dreams!of!going!somewhere,!anywhere,!else.!As!Lindhout!enters!adulthood!she!finds!she!can!fund!her!travels!by!waitressing!a!few!months!a!year!and!travelling!frugally!the!rest.!Through!her!early!twenties!she!goes!from!the!girl!who!is!too!afraid!to!eat!local!fruits!to!the!girl!who!is!hitchEhiking!through!Pakistan,!being!robbed!at!gunpoint!in!a!Kabul!market,!and!finally!experiencing!her!dream!continent,!Africa.!!Lindhout!transitions!into!trying!to!make!her!travels!a!career,!buying!a!camera,!and!getting!her!start!in!journalism!in!Baghdad.!Her!journalism!aspirations!are!what!lead!her!to!Somalia,!where!she!is!taken,!held!in!captivity!for!fifteen!months!throughout!the!country,!converts!to!Islam!and!experiences!an!array!of!horrific!abuses!before!finally!being!released.!

A"House"in"the"Sky!defied!my!expectations,!proving!to!be!fastEpaced!and!interesting!throughout.!As!someone!who!reads!a!fair!amount!of!memoirs,!I!typically!find!they!can!get!boring!and!repetitive;!often!the!author!can!come!across!extremely!selfEinvolved.!I!typically!try!to!avoid!memoirs!of!kidnapping,!because!although!I!commend!the!person!for!going!on!to!write!about!their!experience,!there!is!really!only!so!much!you!can!say!about!being!held!captive.!!A"House"in"the"Sky!was!a!different!kind!of!memoir.!!By!allowing!the!reader!to!get!to!know!Lindhout!as!a!young!woman!with!dreams!of!making!a!career!in!travel,!she!becomes!relatable!and!likeable.!The!way!her!experience!in!captivity!is!portrayed!allows!you!not!only!to!learn!about!the!life!of!a!hostage,!but!to!see!some!of!the!cultural!norms!and!gender!issues!in!Somalia.!I!appreciated!the!tone!throughout;!Lindhout!never!has!a!“poorEme”!attitude!when!recounting!her!experience,!instead!she!tells!what!happened!and!expresses!her!emotions!about!each!significant!event!in!a!matterEofEfact!way.!!Despite!the!horrific!things!she!experienced!she!never!seems!judgmental!about!Somalia’s!people!or!culture,!which!in!my!opinion!gives!her!more!credibility!when!she!goes!on!to!talk!about!gender!and!education!issues!in!the!country.!

Facts(You(Don’t(Care(About:((Top(5(Oscar(Moments(of(All(Time(Alyssa(Shumaker(While!I!toyed!with!doing!this!edition’s!“Facts!You!Don’t!Care!About”!concerning!the!Winter!Olympics!in!Sochi!that!took!place!Feb!7–21,!I!went!with!something!much!more!important!to!my!personal!lifeE!that!is,!the!Academy!Awards,!taking!place!on!March!2.!If!Oscar!was!a!real!man,!he!would!be!my!boyfriend,!and!probably!my!mother’s!boyfriend!as!well.!This!is!kind!of!weird!to!think!about,!but!hey,!since!this!list!mentions!Woody!Allen,!maybe!it’s!only!appropriate.!!

Provided!by!“E!!Le!Tapis!Rouge!Live,”!a!French!website!that!my!computer!had!issues!translating,!here!are!the!results!that!showed!up!first!on!my!search,!with!my!commentary.!!!

*These!facts!are!assembled!by!clicking!on!the!first!article!in!a!Google!search,!regardless!of!origin.!

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(…Cont’d)!!

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5.!Martin!Scorsese!Wins!!Finally!!

Getting!an!Oscar!for!The$Departed!in!2007,!I!do!have!to!admit!that!this!was!a!

pretty!big!moment.!Having!garnered!11!

nominations!including!this!years’!“Best!

in!Directing”!for!The$Wolf$of$Wall$Street,!you!have!to!wonder!what!the!Academy!

had!against!him?!The!white!hair?!The!

wideSrimmed!glasses!predating!

hipsterism?!Who!knows.!!

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4.!Melissa!Leo!Loves!Kate!

Winslet.!

When!Melissa!Leo!won!

Best!Supporting!Actress!

for!The$Fighter!she!used!the!ohSsoSlimitedSinS

media!“FSword”!when!

discussing!the!merits!of!a!

previous!winner,!Kate!

Winslet.!!Is!the!FSword!

that!big!a!deal!nowadays?!

Apparently!it!is,!because!

“she!later!apologized.”!!

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!

3.!Woody!Allen!Makes!a!

Rare!Visit.!

I!guess!he’s!too!busy!

with!his!weird!

relationships!with!

muses!and!wife!that!

used!to!be!the!adopted!

daughter!of!his!former!

wife!to!come!to!the!

Oscars,!but!in!order!!to!

commemorate!9/11,!he!

tore!himself!away.!

!

2.!Adrien!Brody!Steals!a!

Kiss.!

When!winning!Best!

Actor!for!The$Pianist!in!2013,!Brody!planted!

one!on!his!presenter,!

Halle!Berry.!I!mean,!

wouldn’t!you??!She!

looks!the!same!as!she!

did!at!freaking!19!!!

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1.!Heath!Ledger!Wins!posthumously.!

While!I!can’t!say!that!I!actually!

witnessed!this,!because!I!think!that!it!

occurred!after!I!came!to!Ethiopia,!it’s!

pretty!much!impossible!to!make!fun!

of.!His!family!accepted!his!award!for!

The$Dark$Knight!on!his!behalf.!But!for!me,!I’ll!forever!think!of!Heath!from!A$Knight’s$Tale.!

I’m!surprised!that!this!list!doesn’t!

contain!what’sShisSname!standing!up!

on!his!chair!after!winning!Best!

Foreign!Film,!or!when!Halle!Berry!

was!the!first!black!American!to!win!

Best!Actress!and!famously!said,!“This!

is!so!much!bigger!than!me,”!after!

being!unable!to!speak!for!nearly!a!

minute,!but!hey,!it!was!French.!

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So,$starting$at$No.$5:$

Then,$some$female6on6female:$

!

Next$a$person$whose$movies$I$love,$but$whose$choices$I$question:$

And$then,$at$no.$2,$something$we$all$would$do:$

And$coming$in$at$$Number$1,$$apparently$the$$French$are$just$$as$much$fans$$as$the$rest$of$us.$$That$is,$the$female$population$of$the$United$States.$$

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Ishi Bekka Spring 2014

Entertainment & Humor

Transcript of Ishi Bekka Spring 2014