Trip to the past -
It's difficult to go back in time. What do you expect from such a company? Maybe to be young again. That's hard to do. For me it was a trip down memory lane. I was there maybe 40 years ago. Not on vacation, I worked there. 40 years later I'm back. What has changed, changed?
I've grown old! Although that was not so sure and also not easy. I had to suffer then. Somehow I made it. And now I'm sitting on the plane, next to me the divine, excited as a chicken before slaughter. She is sitting by the window. The plane is full.
I say to the Divine, "That's an old plane."
"Why do you know that?" That would have to come, otherwise she has no rest.
"This is an outdated video device." And that's true, no touchscreen. Here I could remember being thrilled many years ago when I saw these devices for the first time, and on the same airline!
We fly. The divine is very calm, wide-eyed, looking out the window. We are gaining altitude, we have not yet reached cruising altitude. We still have to be buckled up. There, suddenly the Divine turns to me and says, "It really is an old plane."
Friendly as I am, I ask: "What do you mean?"
She replies dryly: "You can't even open the window!"
Good thing the fasten seat belt sign hadn't gone off yet, otherwise I would have fallen on the floor of the machine! Safety first! Did the captain know or suspect that?
Here's how to proceed.
I explain to her: "We'll get dinner soon!"
She: "It is written, snake, not dinner!" Did she get that from the Koran? Everything is written there. She just knows better. Typical divine!
It's gotten dark outside. It doesn't take long before dinner comes. I haven't lost my friendliness yet, I explain to her what's up.
"It's chicken or meat. You have to choose. I drink red wine, it's excellent."
"You have to tell the stewardess!"
What's the matter with her? Madame San gene suddenly so tame? The big mouth suddenly very subdued! Insanity! I should have made the trip earlier. I'm not looking forward to the food, just the red wine! A Carbanet Sauvignon! Not much, but tastes great.
"Would you like something to eat?" I ask now.
“What is there to choose from?”
"Yes or no!"
The food comes. We order chicken. I drink red wine, she drinks a tea! I'm amazed. At home any bottle of alcohol is not safe from her and here she is drinking tea! What a change!
As soon as everything is cleared, the captain begins the landing approach. We have arrived! The stewardess makes an announcement. The plane is still taxiing. Welcome to our destination. please stay
sit buckled until we have reached the final parking position
and the seat belt signs have gone out. Then you can push again and
shove as usual.”
We stay seated. Only the excited chicken wants out. I try to calm her down.
"Once the plane has come to a standstill, it will be at least 10 minutes before the door opens."
Everyone jumps up, takes their belongings, stands in the aisle and waits. I keep watching the movie I've barely seen. It takes time. Some sit down, others shift from one leg to the other. Perhaps it should be noted during the announcement that in the history of aviation a passenger has never managed to reach the gate before his plane. For some it's not fast enough. Then a memory comes to mind. I too was one of the fast band once, I couldn't wait for the door to open, and with good reason. I had had a beer before and it bothered me. I should have listened to the Austrian proverb that says a beer is never bought, only borrowed. I almost peed my pants at the last moment the door would be opened and everyone would rush out. The divine can no longer be held! We throw ourselves into the crowd. I feel like d'Artagnon, sword in hand, defending his beloved against the bishop's henchmen. We're finally out! A long walk. Somewhere a toilet, I use it. Better safe than sorry. I show the Divine the way, explaining that the first exit is transit. I have to go to the second exit. Unexpectedly many people. I've never been here! I just got past it. I've never seen so many people here. Where should we line up? A friendly lady helps. She says in this row, but this row is for local people and people who live here. The next row for foreigners. So what to do? We decide to switch lines have to fight against a stream of people, which is not bad, since we are leaving the health check behind us, quite unobtrusively. The wait begins. Maybe half an hour later we're through immigration.
"What's next?" asks the divine.
"Now we'll get the luggage, then we'll go to customs."
Like I said, I haven't been here yet. I know the old airport, which is still there, today is Terminal 1, domestic flights are made from there. I worked there about 40 years ago. It's a small airport. I think today the airline is the biggest in Africa and the best.
We find our luggage, look for the exit. It will be found soon. Another queue awaits us. line up again! Customs, the well-known creature. What can we expect here? The customs officer may ask: "Alcohol, cigarettes?"
I can only answer: "No, two coffees, please!"
Nothing goes on! Some try to push forward, are sent back. Some succeed! The divine reacts, she pushes herself to the man in front, no sheet of paper fits in between! That's too tight for me.
I ask: "What are you doing? Don't push yourself so close to the man!"
"We do it this way so that nobody can get in the way!"
I have to admit that I know that from road traffic. That's why there are so many traffic jams, because nobody wants to give in.
We're finally through there too. We're in the arrivals hall, it's just huge, maybe that's just how it seems to us, because it's almost deserted. Our driver is supposed to pick us up, no one is in sight. Some men are standing around, one is coming towards us. He asks what we are looking for. We tell him and he says that the driver is waiting outside, in the parking lot, then he shows us the exit, which is barely visible. It doesn't matter, because that was the wrong exit. We go out and have to go back the way. It's raining lightly, it's dark and cold. After a long search, with the help of a few people, we find our driver.
For me, who have been here before, is a shock. A lot has changed. The airport is still standing on the edge, and on the edge, something is wrong. You cross a street and you are in the city. Skyscrapers everywhere, construction going on everywhere, hustle and bustle everywhere. But of that later.
After 5 minutes drive we reach the hotel. It is full. It's a little surprising as our booking has been confirmed. Well, that's Africa! We will be taken to another hotel not far away. We go to the room, settle in, then rush down to the restaurant. The divine is hungry, I am thirsty. We sit in a corner, the waiter comes.
"ምን መብላት አለብህ?" (What is there to eat) I ask the good man. His eyes widen, he's startled. But the divine is even more frightened.
The waiter replies: "I'll bring the card!"
Before he leaves I order: "ሁለት ቢራ አንድ ካልት አምጡልን!" (Bring us two beers, one cold).
Now the waiter grins and rushes off.
The divine is speechless for several seconds. This is truly remarkable, because anyone who knows her knows that she can't keep her mouth shut. Finally the shock is over.
"What, you speak that language?"
"It's been almost 40 years, I've forgotten a few things!" I stack deep, better than show off Not much is left. Time has erased everything. Too bad, but that's life. I've also gotten older, brown hair has turned to grey, and in some places white hair. It got lighter on the head. I just hope this has nothing to do with the memory loss.
Recently I was in the pharmacy. "I'd like a pack of acetylsalicylic acid."
Then the pharmacist: "You mean aspirin?"
"Yes, exactly, I just can't remember that stupid word!"
Luckily, at least at school, I paid attention. And what's nice, I can still remember it.
We order a grilled chicken with rice and vegetables. It tastes good even though it looks strange.
The room is nothing special. I later found out that it costs US $51, much more than the room we booked.
After breakfast we get the message that we are moving to the booked hotel.
The room is huge, nice, with kitchen. We go away. For us everything is new. I am writing to you on purpose. As soon as we leave the hotel, the Divine asks me: "Where is the city?"
"We are here, in the city!"
"It's not the city!"
"Yes, it is the city!"
"I know the city better than you!"
To be honest, I would have been surprised if she had said otherwise. I prefer not to, she knows better!
We are looking for a restaurant. I have to admit, I was really looking forward to the meal here. After some searching we find one. We go in and sit down. The waiter comes running, again I ask him in his own language what's for dinner. He gives me a card. I do not understand a word! Everything is blown away. Two people are sitting in front of us, eating. I point to the two people, then show him I want to eat the same thing. He understood. He asks me if we want something to drink. There is no beer. I order Ambo Woha. (ambo water) The divine grins. "He understood you well!"
She's really great when she's kidding!
The food comes. Her eyes widen. On a huge plate, is it a plate? I don't know.
"That looks like gringo shit!"
"That's right," I reply, "but it's damn good!"
The "dog shit" is called Shiro here. And so that everyone can get an idea, here is the recipe.
Shiro is a lightly spiced mashed chickpea or bean that is especially favored by Ethiopians on fasting days. One of the humblest dishes you'll encounter can seem little more than a slop. Don't be fooled, it's delicious. Shiro is often prepared with the addition of chopped onions, garlic and, depending on regional variation, ground ginger or chopped tomatoes and chillies, further enhancing the flavor. Tegabino shiro is a type of shiro made from heavily seasoned legumes, chickpeas, field peas or field beans, flour, oil or butter and water, which are brought to a boil and then served to the table bubbling in a miniature clay pot.
I enjoy the food! it tastes good The divine tastes, grimaces.
"No Ugali there?"
"Not here! Ugali eat the chickens!"
"I can't eat that!"
"Then leave it! A few pounds less will do you good!"
I can be tough too.
Because we're about to eat. In the evening we go to a specialty restaurant. I want to do something good for the divine. Yes, it's an Ethiopian restaurant, with small chairs and small tables. I order doro wot, the national dish.
Wot is Ethiopia's version of curry and the ubiquitous companion to injera. While beef and goat are often used with wot, chicken — Doro in Amharic — reigns as the wot champion. Doro Wot is made from chicken drumsticks or wings and served in a spicy sauce made with butter, onions, chili, cardamom and berbere. Incongruously floating in the middle of this stew is a hard-boiled egg. It proves a delicious side dish - typically offered to a guest as a mark of respect. For Ethiopians, doro wot is the most popular celebratory meal during national and religious festivals (the day before, women carrying upside-down clucking chickens on their feet can be seen everywhere).
The Divine wrinkles her nose again, finds a chicken bone, wants to gnaw it off, but there's no meat! The meat is in Wot! I like it very much. The divine wails.
"There is nothing to eat here!"
I'm full!
As she whines I remember. My people used to take me to the hotel for lunch. One of those impossible sheds. That soon got on my nerves, not only that, the food wasn't great either, so I ask people if they could take me out? They took me, the restaurant was called or still is called Finfine. We sat at a table. Tesemma asked me : "What would you like to eat?"
Like the Divine, I had no idea, so I replied evasively, "What you eat, I eat too!"
"Can you do that?"
"I'll try it."
The waiter comes with this huge plate and puts it on the table in front of us. Something gray was up there. Everyone looked at me curiously.
Tesemma breaks the silence. "Do you know what that is?"
In the meantime I can imagine it.
"This is bread!"
Everyone is amazed that I know that.
Tesemma then told me that there was an American there recently who thought it was a napkin and stuffed it down his throat!
This is Injera. It's a sourdough flatbread like no other sourdough. It initially looks like a crepe, but then develops a unique porous and slightly spongy texture. The thin batter is poured onto the cooking surface, traditionally a clay slab over a fire but now more commonly a specialized electric injera stove, and the bottom remains smooth while the top develops many pores, making it ideal for ladling stews and sauces. And this is exactly how injera is used as a tableware. And as a plate. And often instead of the tablecloth. A variety of stews, vegetables and/or salads are placed on a large piece of injera and diners use their right hand to tear off portions of the injera used to grasp the food.
That's how it was back then. We always went out to eat together. After work for a beer. Everything was different then. It hadn't rained in two years. The beer was running out. lack of water. We always sat on bricks, looked at the sky, waited for rain. Nobody came. It's different today. It's been raining every day since we've been here. It doesn't stop raining anymore. It's getting more every day. The sky is gray in gray, hardly any sun, but if it does come out, I can be happy. But that only lasts a few minutes, then it rains again.
The next day we go to another restaurant. On the main street, Cameroon Avenue, which nobody knows but is very popular. I order tibs. An excellent meal. A simple meal, but extremely good. Sauté some onions in a pan, add seasoned butter, some pieces of lamb, a few chillies. Dip a large spoonful in our house spice blend, toss, toss, toss. A few tomatoes, a splash of red wine. Cook like a volcano for just a minute and you're done. The Divine also costs. She likes it. She is surprised that the beef is soft here and not as hard as in Kenya.
The food! Always eat! The next day, a new dish. This time Kitfo, a dish made from raw minced beef, is one of the most beloved local dishes in the entire country. It's a food that's often eaten on special occasions, with good friends or family. You can either order leb leb, which is very slightly cooked, or the normal kitfo which is completely raw. The minced meat is mixed with mitmita, a blend of spices, and niter kibbeh, the Ethiopian herbed butter, and that's it. The meat is served with injera, and at a nicer restaurant I also got a bread called kocho. The divine eats nothing! "It's raw meat!" Damn it, I know it! It tastes great.
Next day stomach ache, diarrhea. I am not feeling well. OK, I'm sick, apparently I've been given an old meat. That's the downside of the main street. Every 100m a hotel, shopping malls and lots of shops.
What I still have to tell you is that we only booked a hotel for three days. We have to look for another accommodation. This isn't quite as easy as it sounds. It's raining. The Land of Rain! Unusual for this country, I don't know it.
We walk down the street, searching the houses with our eyes for clues as to where we can find something. On the Djibouti Road we find the Daisy Hotel. There are many hotels here, the only problem is that the prices change almost every hour. The Daisy Hotel charges $40, when they hear how long we're staying, they give a $5 discount.
"Still too expensive!" means the divine.
Of course, by our standards that's too much. The Divine has found a guesthouse, that wib guesthouse. It's somewhere up the mountain, in Kazanchis. Not that far away, about 4 km. I hail a passing taxi. I show him a screenshot and say to him: "Take us there!" We enter. I used to think that taxi drivers would find their way around town, but this guy can't even read the map or follow google directions. Now it's taking its toll that I didn't buy a local SIM card. It's raining, what else? We're circling somewhere. The taxi driver doesn't know where he is, neither do we. All we know is that the guesthouse is somewhere behind the Lancet. We get out, there's no point with the guy anymore. We ask around. As before, you don't need to ask for street names here, nobody knows them! We search, run in circles, the rain gets heavier. A bench! It has a roof, people crowd under the protective roof. I'll take the opportunity and ask security. The security asks the next security, but nobody knows the street to the guesthouse. I'll keep it short, we didn't find it! we are wet We go down the road we came on.
"I'm already wet!" wails the divine. She doesn't even think about me! I'm wet too, only I'm a mzungu, French here, not black, all of whom are afraid of water. I'm cold, but I don't say anything.
"It's not far, only 4 km!"
"4 km! I'll die! So far and the rain!"
We pass a kiosk. The Divine falls down, asks, "Are there taxis here?"
What am I supposed to write around, the good man calls a taxi. Ten minutes later we are home. Disadvantage of the whole story is that in addition to diarrhea I also caught a cold.
Now I want to get to this crazy building activity. I'm well aware that a city needs to evolve, but what I've seen here is just insane. Demolition and reconstruction are now the most common sights along Addis Ababa's defaced skeletal skyline. The collateral damage is the city's legacy. While tourism organizations boast that Ethiopia is the cradle of mankind, the capital city is being robbed of its past. Heritage defines a city and shapes it socially, historically and culturally. Athens is unimaginable without the Parthenon, Cairo without the pyramids, Rome without the Colosseum. While Ethiopia's national heritage of dramatic ancient sites is cherished and largely protected,
This city doesn't go 'modern' by negating its past and separating it from everything that made us with bold Dubai and Hong Kong-inspired aesthetics. There is much to learn from traditional architecture and design that reflects culture and collective behavioral patterns when it comes to how we build communities. What surprised me is the number of conspicuous apartment buildings. When I was here for the first time, my people earned 200 birr a month. Curious as I am, I research how much Birr such a new apartment is to rent. The cheapest apartment costs 80,000 Birr per month. Doesn't say much yet, everything stands or falls with income. I will look. The highest salary here is officially 33,000 Birr. Only 2 percent get it. Most of the population gets 7000 to 8000 Birr. So I'm wondering why are apartments like this being built? The price exceeds 10 times the income of most of the population. What is also noticeable, the streets are full of beggars. So who are these apartments built for? Let's take a closer look. Surely everyone has noticed that everything is getting more expensive. Bread, oil, transport and of course the apartments. Why is that? A simple answer is inflation. In short, the money we hold in our hands depreciates. It is precisely here that inflation has been particularly high in the last 4 years. This is a result of various influences. The country is floundering with the forex crisis. Example. When I first came here the birr was pegged to the US dollar, $1 was 2 birr. Today it's $1 53 birr. Then there is the civil war and natural disasters. Of course also the Covid-19 crisis. When investors see that inflation becomes prevalent in society, they escape to physical assets. They invest in gold, silver, commodities, and real estate. Because these assets hold their values. And that is happening here. The ETB has devalued by 100 percent in the last years.
What can be expected? Construction price will go up; property prices will go up; rents will increase; fixed debts will become cheaper; higher increase rates which may impact demands.
That reminds me of Arefine. At the time, he was the agent for the company that brought me here. His sister was Minister of Education under Hailu Selassie, and his brother was a director at the IMF. How am I supposed to describe him? He hardly cast a shadow, he was so thin. When he was young, he wanted to be an aviator. The military rejected him because he was too skinny. Somehow he had made it. He became a pilot in the military. When I saw him for the first time, I was from Lusaka. My luggage was lost. That wasn't a problem for Arefine, he called. We were at the Hilton Hotel, I had a beer. A member of the Ethiopia Airline came and got instructions. Next day I had my luggage.
One day Dr. Daniel Tefera to me and picked me up. We went to Kazanchis. At that time I still thought I knew everything in Kazanchus, but far from it. On the left side of the street coming from the stadium was the Yugoslav Embassy. Behind it, not visible from the street, was a bar, not big, a small cozy bar. We went in and sat down at a table. A musician played on this 3-stringed instrument, whose name I forgot, he also sang. It didn't take long for me to notice that everyone was looking at me and smiling, grinning. The musician had to sing something about me. I asked Daniel what he was singing. He laughed.
"He's making fun of you!"
"What is he singing that makes everyone laugh?"
"He's an impromptu poet. He sings: the Farench is sitting there drinking a beer and while he's drinking his hair is falling out!"
I had to have natural answers to that.
"Tell him when the Farench has finished his beer, he can put his teeth back in his mouth!"
Dr. Daniel done too. Everyone laughed, some applauded.
It was a funny evening. Maybe that's why I remembered him.
The last day has dawned. God didn't take us into his heart because he sent us rain every day. It doesn't matter, it was still nice. I was curious about the city, now I know that I didn't belong here. It is no longer what it was today. Has it gotten better? Hard to say. When I think of the beggars I've seen here, I have to say yes, it's gotten worse. When I look at this construction madness, I have to say it has gotten better. Someone will have money to afford it, I'm not one of them.
The divine is glad that she can go home. She grumbles every day, nothing really fits. Everything is better at home. For me it doesn't matter
Here is a small overview of Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest countries, its territorial extent having varied over the millennia of its existence. In ancient times it remained centered on Aksum, an imperial capital located in the northern part of the modern state, about 100 miles (160 km) from the Red Sea coast.
Addis Ababa, capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is situated on a well-watered plateau surrounded by hills and mountains, in the geographic center of the country. Addis Ababa has only been the capital of the Ethiopian state since the end of the 19th century. Its immediate predecessor, Entoto, was situated on a high plateau and proved unsatisfactory because of extreme cold and an acute shortage of firewood. Empress Taitu, wife of Emperor Menilek II (r. 1889–1913), persuaded the emperor to build a house near the hot springs at the foot of the plateau and to allocate land in the area to members of the nobility. The city was founded in 1887 and called Addis Ababa (“New Flower”) by the Empress. In the early years, the city was more like a military camp than a city. The focus was on the Imperial Palace, surrounded by the dwellings of his troops and his innumerable followers. As the population increased, firewood became scarce. In 1905 large numbers of eucalyptus trees were imported from Australia; The trees spread out and formed a forest cover for the city. Addis Ababa was the capital of Italian East Africa from 1936 to 1941. Modern stone houses were built during this period, especially in the areas of European residence, and many streets were paved. Other innovations were the construction of a water reservoir at Gefarsa in the west and the construction of a hydroelectric power station at Akaki in the south. There were limited changes in Addis Ababa between 1941 and 1960, but the development since then has been impressive. Addis Ababa is the educational and administrative center of Ethiopia. It is the site of Addis Ababa University (1950) and contains several teacher training colleges and technical schools. The city is also home to the Museum of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and the Yared School of Music, both run by the university. the National Library and Archives; palaces of former emperors; and ministries. Several international organizations have their headquarters in the city, notably the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, which is located in Africa Hall. Addis Ababa's manufactures include textiles, shoes, food, beverages, wood products, plastics and chemical products. Most of Ethiopia's service companies are also based in the city. Banking and insurance services are concentrated in Addis Ababa and the country's main newspapers are published there. Most of Ethiopia's export and import trade passes through Addis Ababa on its way to or from the ports of Djibouti on the Gulf of Aden or Asseb, Eritrea. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. and the main newspapers of the country are published there. Most of Ethiopia's export and import trade passes through Addis Ababa on its way to or from the ports of Djibouti on the Gulf of Aden or Asseb, Eritrea. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. and the main newspapers of the country are published there. Most of Ethiopia's export and import trade passes through Addis Ababa on its way to or from the ports of Djibouti on the Gulf of Aden or Asseb, Eritrea. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. Most of Ethiopia's export and import trade passes through Addis Ababa on its way to or from the ports of Djibouti on the Gulf of Aden or Asseb, Eritrea. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. Most of Ethiopia's export and import trade passes through Addis Ababa on its way to or from the ports of Djibouti on the Gulf of Aden or Asseb, Eritrea. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. The city is also the collection and distribution center for much of the country's domestic trade. The Mercato in the west of the city is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Downtown Piazza and Bole Road in the southeast offer pricier European-style malls. Addis Ababa is the hub of the national transport network. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport. Several roads connect it to other major cities; The only railway goes to Djibouti. The city is served by an international airport.
The Nature of Man
Once upon a time, God ordered all the animals
to gather in a field: all birds and mammals
created from His breath, from mighty strongbones
to the smallest gnat sat down before his throne.
He called Monkey to account: "Look, Monkey,
here are all my creatures from humble Donkey
to the haughty lion, tell me if you think their beauty
exceeds yours, don't be afraid to speak truthfully,
I will correct whatever you see as your defect."
But Monkey answered like a shot: "Defect?
My face is ruggedly appealing, my chest is manly
and my hands and tail are simply heavenly!
Why should I beg you for a change, when here I stand
on two of the shapeliest legs in the land?
If you are looking for a project, Lord, I'd begin
with Hyena's slanted back, his foolish grin!"
Hyena sidled up to answer the same question.
He simpered that he knew his education
was a little basic but his dusty spots
could tie a young hyeness' heart in knots.
Much better, in his lispy view, to overhaul a beast
like Elephant, whose ears could use a cut and paste
and stick the trimmings to his scrawny tail!
So Elephant appeared to wail
of laughter, everyone expected he would rush
to ask the Lord to wield his broadest brush
and reinvent him. But all he did was praise
our Great Creator for his delicate greys:
"I never saw a single fault in my appearance!
It's whale who waddles through the sea and flaunts
her shapeless bulk, why not remodel her
and put a stop to all our laughter?"
But Whale was just the same.
Every animal thoroughly enjoyed to name
the flaws in others, to snicker, scoff
and pride themselves as superior stuff.
So God dismissed them all. As I do now,
but I would like to show you how
we can be different: by telling our defects
as humans examine how imperfect
our paper generosities, lush-sounding words,
when look! we are such small mean lords
pumped up with self-importance,
empty and rude-fingered sycophants!
We humans should tell the Earth and Sky
how cruel we are, but it comes as no surprise
when our strutting tongues collapse
and will not say a word. Our mouth traps
open for gales of mockery: liars laugh
at blind men who hear well enough
to snigger at peg-legs, and peg-legs like to jeer
at baldies, baldies at the stutterers who empty
at pompous clerks who themselves ridicule
the hatless customer, and hatless makes a fool
of silly face and silly face laughs at ugly
and ugly mocks a leper for his leprosy -
and who will the leper find to criticize?
oh yes, a cuckold racked with jealousies!
Man, strange being, uncorrectable,
two-faced but strangely simple,
continues his own bad example.
Generations come and go, we stay the same,
like passengers on a commuter train.
We're all alike in this, just different
in superficialities. We were always meant
to give ourselves a long hard stare
and see the library list of imperfections there.
That's why I think it would be so much better,
if we all agreed, not to laugh at each other.
dr Kebede Mikael
I'm away from home where I'm fine and where I feel comfortable. When I started this work, my father gave me something to take with me. He said, "Wherever you are, do what you see!" And then I directed myself. It was damn good advice.
Today I feel like a citizen of the world who has a passport from a country that is important for me to travel, but not otherwise.
