1. who insure your equipment? what does it cover and how much does it cost ?
It's a normal State Farm personal items policy. I can't tell you the exact cost, as due to the nature of my funding, all the financial matters are dealt with by my father (he receives funds on my behalf--the program cannot send funds to an overseas recipent). It's a low percentage of the value of the items, and does not cover cords, cards, and other miscellaneous good (that sadly add up).
2. i have a nice apc ups in canada, but i really don't think i'll bring it (weight). also i'm going to be using a labtop so i should be fine. however, will a good surge protecting power bar work instead of the stavol?
You can get an APC UPS here for about $120 (there is a 95% tariff on most imported goods). Like mahleu said, you can hack the cable--I have someone who is going to do it for me, but I have not bothered to get the correct (U.S.) plug for him to put on it. Electricity in areas of the city really varies, and the power-grid is taxed. Current fluctuates, independent of surges. I think it may be a bit hard on the power cords, so bring an extra one, just in case.
3. sites are blocked eh? who blocks them, the gov't ?
Yes. Pornographic material, material critical of the government, lots of arbitrary sites, too.
4. i went though your weblog, some really nice protrait work there. what is your relationship with the church, if you don't mind my asking?
Thanks. I am a PhD student at the Centre for Medieval Studies, the University of Toronto, and am here on a Fulbright scholarly exchange from the U.S. Dept. of State. Locally, I am a researcher with the Institute for Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University, and also have the sponsorship (permission and formal letter of support, but no resources or position) of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, through the Archbishop of Canada, Abunä Mattias and the Patriarch's office here in Addis. Note that the EOTC is split in three parts: Ethiopian Patriarch, Eritrean Patriarch, and a schizmatic Ethiopian patriarch who lives in Georgia. My work involves interviewing traditional church-people, and my host can help me out with photographic permissions and the like, too. Keep in mind that there is very little formal exertion of authority, and the value of any kind of affiliation varies from person to person, and negotiation (and usually money) is required. Clergy in the countryside can be very paranoid and xenophobic, especially regarding secret or sensitive matters.
lastly, thanks for the help, it is a huge bonus to be in contact with somebody on the ground. what is the photographic climate like there? many photogs around ?
Yes and no--there is a booming portrait business in the country, and there are a number of journalists here at any particular time. There are always tourists, including a handful of serious or professional photographers, mostly in the Omo Valley region, photographing the tribal peoples. I have not come across a particularly strong community, and parts and repairs can be rather difficult without sending the pieces out of the country. UPS and DHL both operate out of Addis and some other cities, so this is possible. People are generally tolerant of photography, especially if you share prints or even let them see the work you are doing on the LCD. People in the South can be hard to deal with due to the payment system, but they make a lot of their income from photography, so are used to it. In the North, you generally do not pay people unless you are asking them to pose or model, and priests are very used to cameras in churches, so long as you are not very obnoxious. Festivals and church services are very permissive towards photographers, who generally can wander around a bit (even though it seems like it gets in the way of the enjoyment of the event by locals).
Your equipment looks good, so long as you are not hoping to photograph birds or the simien 'fox' or the like. A T/S and a 300mm might have some good applications here, but neither is necessary.
