This week has been spectacularly busy and full. It has taken me three weeks, but many of the nonsensical trivialities of adjusting to a new environment have vanished. I am finally at home.

Monday night Abdysa called at 10PM to join him in handing out bread to the children in Addis who do not have a home. As we walked, the time of day chosen to hand out bread made sense. All day the children must attempt to obtain money and food. The late night is the only time they are free to be kids and sleep. It was a sight I had not seen as I am ordinarily at work or asleep at 10PM. Groups of five or six children huddled together, sleeping. They were happy to see Abdysa and his kids. At the stadium near the center of town, the kids gathered for a soccer match. It was eye-opening to say the least.

This week has been filled with trauma. The surgical residents have begun to solicit my help in the OR or my consultation for neurosurgical cases. This little boy was a victim of a road traffic accident and had the injury you see here. It was a terrible injury. At night, the operating theater scales down the equipment and instruments available. Hence, there is no bipolar and very few neurosurgical instruments. Regardless, we were able to remove the large contusion (bruised brain) and reclose. I am hoping that he is able to recover somewhat from his injury.

Here is our lady from today. She had come to the hospital about a week ago with progressive weakness that had led to paraplegia. Her x-rays showed that her spinal cord was being affected in her upper back (T4-5). Again, another unfortunate situation of "if only." If only she had come in sooner. If only she could have been able to get an MRI. If only a pathologist could look at the specimen while we operate. Dr. Mersha and I found an intramedullary (inside the spinal cord) tumor. It seemed like an ependymoma - we'll see.

This weekend, the Ethiopian people are celebrating Timkat (Epiphany). It is probably the most important holiday of the year for the Christian population here. I have never before seen a city (nation) unite for one festival. I think the closest I have seen is when the Astros were in the World Series.

Nevertheless, the premise of the festival is the celebration of the baptism of Christ. According the Ethiopian tradition, the Ark of the Covenant was brought from Jerusalem to Ethiopia by Menelik in the first century BC. It now (supposedly) sits in Aksum in the St. Mary of Zion church. Every church here keeps a replica of the tablets contained within the Ark.

On the eve of Timkat each church brings their tabots (the replicas) to the large open ground (Jan Meda) in Addis. The people walk with the processions from each church. The colorful umbrellas are carried by the priests and holy people along with the tabot. The procession, accompanied by singing, dancing, and chanting, continues until Jan Meda, where a ceremony is performed.

The following day, the people once again come together at Jan Meda. Water is blessed and showered upon the people. Following this, the tabots are carried back to their respective churches. Timkat is also a time for people to renew their vows and for new committments to be made. In previous times (not too long ago), men would bring lemons to the festival and present them to the women they desire. If the lemon was accepted, a commitment was made.

While I am thinking about the calendar and dates, I think today is May 11, 1999 according the Ethiopian calendar. The calendar here contains 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of five or six days (depending on leap year). So, by our calendar, on September 10, 2007 the people here will celebrate their new millenium.