Content: Life Matters
-
Love Bugs
As many singles in the city are tying the knot, it has left me to wonder why many have opted for the married life. I believe love to be such a beautiful thing. The idea that one person could meet another and deem them to be their partner in life is lucky. Being an adult […]
-
Adapt to Adopt
I got a text last Friday from one of my closest friends. “Did you hear that adoption by non-nationals has been banned in Ethiopia?” Coming from a friend who had grown up in Europe because she was adopted, this question made me wonder at great length. She was one of many adoptees who had returned […]
-
Build Inward, Not Just Upward
I once walked into this restaurant that uniquely incorporated the Ethiopian tradition with that of the West. It was a beautiful place. I wanted to dine there even though the prices were a little steep for my purse. I was served with the meal of my choice along with ketchup. And as I dipped the […]
-
Strength in Vulnerability
It is almost 8pm. A little boy comes close to the car and asks for money. He does not look like the street kids that are usually roaming the main streets of Addis Abeba. My brother asks, “Why are you asking for money? Why do you not try and join Don Bosco, the street children […]
-
Survivor’s Guide to Education System
I took my exam like all the other hopeful Ethiopians eager to join higher learning institutions. I went to one of Ethiopia’s finest universities, Addis Abeba University (AAU). My four years at the school were educational, though not in the ways I had hoped. Nonetheless, there was some consolation in the fact that it was […]
-
Big Fat Ethiopian Weddings
It is almost that time of the year again. The fasting season of the religion with the most significant share of the Ethiopian population will soon wrap up. Perhaps more importantly, the sun is shining bright, patronage of the sunny season. Thus, wedding vibes are running high. A wedding day is an essential rite of […]
-
In the Now
Do people make the culture, or is it the other way around? What it means to be Ethiopian is continuously changing. In light of the many unrests in Ethiopia, I feel I am not alone in querying the meaning of the Ethiopian identity. It raises the question; who regulates Ethiopian culture? I often hear people […]
-
Him Too
A year ago, I was a panellist on a discussion concerning sexual harassment against women in Ethiopia. I discussed the many cases of abuse women face, at home and office, in almost every step they take in the city. When the discussion became open to audiences, some were offended. In my opinion, there is no […]
-
Carols from an African
Did I watch what I just watched? I was sitting in the living room of my grandmother’s house with friends as Coke Studio, broadcast by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS), was beginning. I am not much for TV, but I was curious this time. Based on the promotional adverts, it seemed decidedly pan-African. To my […]
-
Hair Politics
It is official. The sun has been joyfully shining on us for the past few weeks, marking the end of the rainy season. Couples are tying the knot, and outdoor events are taking off. As farmers rejoiced in the rainy season – the rain feeding their lands – the city folks have been depressed with […]
-
Dilemmas While Walking
A child shakes uncontrollably: the plate with which he carried his kolo (an Ethiopian snack) face down, with its content emptied out on the gravel-filled earth. People from a nearby café watch on as this child, no more than nine years of age, convulses in an epileptic fit. More and more strangers stop and look […]
-
To Procreate, Not Procreate
A friend, who was about to get married, once confessed, “I just want to have children”. I admit I was sceptical about her getting married, but some things are not even a friend’s place to say. Marrying for the sake of procreation is a bit linear for my taste. Yet, it is reflective of the […]
-
Tale of Two Cities
The development of Addis Abeba as a metropolitan city has brought with it a version of ‘development’ that is distorted. The interpretations of “development” are open to anyone who would like to create a sense of modernity. With these definitions, elitism has been on the rise. These states of minds have created divisions among people […]
-
Kindness Lives
Many, in these past years, have made selfishness their mantra. Throughout the day, people tell each other that everyone’s hearts have hardened and that kindness is no more. But kindness is not dead. Even in Addis Abeba, where life moves fast, kindness lingers. Resources are scarce for the residents of Addis. Taxi queues are long, […]
-
Value Addition
A few years back, when the streets of Addis Abeba started to be covered with cobblestones, it was all anyone would rave about. Politicians patted themselves on the back at the brilliance of a project that created job opportunities for young people, while the populace celebrated the end of muddy roads. An overflow of encouragement […]
-
With Art, Without Witness
As the rainy season has come to an end, the expats that call Addis Abeba home have come back from their vacations. But while they were gone, many of the attendees at galleries as well as the cultural activities like the jazz and Ethio-color at Fendika – one of the very few cultural centres run […]
-
Race to the Grave
In a matter of seconds, one’s entire life could change for the worst. The drivers of our city seem hell-bent on decreasing the population of Ethiopia or at the very least creating inconveniences. Driving a car in Addis Abeba is not just an easier way of getting by, but an exercise of privilege. But drivers […]
-
Manners Maketh Nation
My cousin and I sat and talked about the horrible Meskel’s eve he had. He relayed to me with annoyance how a small incident with an easy fix had escalated to a night of unfortunate events. Within a few minutes, others joined in with stories of aggravation faced within the realms of our city. From […]
-
10 Br Vs Women
As I take the first steps out of my house on my way to work, or to see my family or friends, I brace myself. I cannot afford to be off guard, as I must stay alert. This is the constant apprehension felt by women going about their daily business in a society where boys […]
-
Unit of Success
Most of us think that in order to be successful, we need to be highly educated, own a fancy house, drive a luxurious car, have huge deposits in our bank accounts and acquire the latest smartphone. Generally, success is confused with having huge material possessions that we can flaunt infront of others. Do we not […]
-
Unhealthy Competition
Are all sorts of competition negative? I would say no, because I have seen competition drive people to strive hard and achieve the best they can, especially in sports. But there is also another form of competition that makes people unsatisfied, nauseous, unthankful and bitter about their lives – comparing their achievement, economic status, material […]
-
Science Absolves
On August 21, 2017, all the live broadcasts of media the world over and the internet were preoccupied with a single astonishing event up high in the heavens. Some part of the earth had gone dark for minutes, uncharacteristically in the middle of the day, in a phenomenon that is known as a total solar […]
-
Almost Metaphorical Public Spaces
How often do we ever feel like meeting with people or friends, not inside a restaurant, bar, pub or cafeteria, but at a green open-air public space where we can have inner peace of mind, look at a blue sky, smell the fresh air, surrounded by happy kids and couples running around and playing their […]
-
Who is Responsible?
Recently, I met a school principal with whom I started conversing with about the influence of nature and nurture on human behaviour. He shared with me his personal childhood experiences and told me that he believed nurture has a bigger effect even though nature has its own influence. The issue of nature versus nurture has […]
-
Tradition “Shmadition”
Ashenda, also known by the name Shadey in the Agaw society of Amhara region, is a unique traditional festival, mostly yearned by women, which takes place in August to mark the ending of an orthodox Christian fasting season and the Annunciation, the announcement by Gabriel of the incarnation of God to the Virgin Mary. This […]