Chapter 1: Page 11
Will Aster listen to Jember? Only time will tell…
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Hey y’all, hope everyone has been doing well during Pride month. I’m going to be dividing this update text into sections, as there is a lot to discuss!
The world sucks and I’m sorry
I know things have been pretty crazy in the news lately, so I want to say first off that I and this comic support reproductive rights and access to healthcare for all. Stay safe out there y’all.
Life updates (The good!)
Now that that’s out of the way…some personal life news. I did indeed go to Ethiopia and had some good times. We did some sightseeing- went to the National Museum there (saw Lucy aka. Dinkanesh in Amharic), went to a park that had a zoo, went hiking 9500 ft above sea level, etc. We also visited a LOT of family…like a lot I had no idea I had so many relatives. And we also intimately learned just how much government bureaucracy sucks (my parents were doing a bunch of legal stuff there). I learned a lot about my culture, heritage, and my family, and in that sense I’m glad I traveled there. Also I have so many reference photos you have no idea–
Life updates (The bad.)
ANYWAYS, my family and I returned from Ethiopia almost two weeks ago, but I have not gotten back to my regular life (or this comic) until this week because…I had COVID! Yayyyyyyyyyyy.
(Please note the sarcasm displayed here).
My entire family (including my immunocompromised grandmother) got sick with it while we were in Ethiopia, as we arrived in the middle of a wave and the majority of the population is unvaccinated and does not mask, lol. We’re all okay in the sense that nobody is currently hospitalized or dead, and I’m testing negative now and am mostly recovered. However, I’m still definitely suffering from the effects of it (mostly fatigue and the most annoying cough known to mankind).
I am also having some other major life changes atm (mostly grad school related) that are gonna be taking up my time this month. If the COVID after effects/life stuff persists I may have to change the schedule a bit. Just a heads up!
And last but not least…this week’s fun fact!
Did you know that there is a species of baboon called the Gelada baboon that is indigenous to Ethiopia only? There’s a group of them that have been living near my dad’s hometown since he was a kid (so over 60 years lol) and we saw them on our way out. It was pretty freaking awesome ngl.