Deep from an Ethiopian - An Ethiopian blog

Capt. Desta Zeru: First African Pilot To Command The New Boeing 787 - Dreamliner

2011-12-13T09:40:00.000+03:00

An Ethiopian pilot has managed to bag another first in the aviation industry. Ethiopian Airlines' Captain Desta Zeru has become the first African pilot to fly the new Boeing 787 - Dreamliner. The aircraft on its tour of Africa landed at Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport.

Here are some pictures (click to enlarge):

All pictures copyright of Deep Ethiopian.

Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Inside the First Class, Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Inside Economy Class of the Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Inside of the (Economy Class) Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Entertainment system of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Shaded and un-shaded windows of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

777 (left), 767 (center) and Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Tail of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Underneath the Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Tail of Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

777 and Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Boeing 787 - Dreamliner, at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

eLance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Finding a Job That Requires No Work

2011-11-02T06:29:00.000+03:00

One of the best jobs that any person, Ethiopian or otherwise, can wish for is one that allows the employee an opportunity to do what he or she loves to do. In fact, someone once said something to the tune of: "Find a job that you love to do and you won’t have to work a single day". The joy of being able to do exactly what one wants to do is today coined as "freelancing".

As if working as a freelancer, whether full- or part-time wasn’t enough, being able to do it online – from the comfort of your home, can only add to the pleasure of making money. In a world where jobs are getting scarcer by the minute, being able to work from home and in Ethiopia, indeed Africa, comes with a couple of advantages:

1 – Only an Ethiopian can describe about the complex cultures and traditions that Ethiopians have; as the same applies to each African about his or her country’s culture or traditions. It is only today that website owners are turning to the last frontier in the online domains: Africa (So, what else is new?). And as the owners look towards genuine content for their websites, they are turning to Ethiopian and African bloggers, writers and researchers that can give them content that is as genuine, original and unique as possible.

2 – One advantage any developing country has over the rest of the developed world is the fact that the exchange rates of major currencies (USD and Euro especially) works towards their advantage. At the time of the writing of this article, 1 USD had the exchange rate of approximately 17 Ethiopian Birr. Anyone can do the math.

It is with this in mind that good news is being heard around Addis Ababa. A workshop on freelancing is being planned to be held in Addis Ababa one how to work on one of the world’s most popular freelancing websites: eLance (elance.com). Organized by Pat Walsh, of Sky Business Centers and Diaryplan.com who is also an Irish eLance.com provider and buyer, this two-day workshop will enable Ethiopians, and any other interested expats to be able to grasp the wonderful world of opportunities that online freelancing can open to people that would love to work in almost any profession that can be done online. Writers, IT developers and administrators, researchers and just about anybody that can access the internet and use the basics of Microsoft Office can have a chance at pocketing an extra income.

So, what’s the catch? Well, there aren’t any. It’s absolutely free and all you need to do is fill up a simple form and you’re home free. Attendance of both days (09:00 – 12:00) of the workshop is mandatory, if you do not think you will be able to attend both days then please, do not waste the opportunity for others that would love to be in your seat.

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in attending this eLance workshop here in Addis Ababa, then please contact DeepEthiopian with more information. Registration date is until 09^th November, 2011. Also, as the number of seats is limited, please make sure you hurry as admittance is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Launch your online career today!

Deep Ethiopian - now looking for writers and bloggers

2011-09-13T12:25:00.002+03:00

መልካም አዲስ ዓመት !!!

This blog has been my personal pride and joy for a little over three years now. I love writing posts on it more than any work I do today. What started out as personal joy has moved on to become the ultimate life experience that opened the door to a great writing career. This blog has made me to good for its own good - so much so that it has led to this point. It is with mixed emotions that I say I can no longer keep up the submission of posts to this site as often as I would like to, and would like to have some help from other writers that would love to contribute posts.The only option that is left to me is to open it up for people that have a passion for this beautiful country – Ethiopia.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just passing through, and it doesn’t matter which part of the country it is you are in if you have something good to share about your trip and travel, then please, consider becoming a contributing blogger to DeepEthiopian.com.

As long as you write from the heart and about the truth you have actually experienced yourself you will be a writer that is always welcome. The only rules being:

All content that is published shall be owned by the writer and there will be no copying or even re-writing of other people’s contents no matter what.
There will be no X-rated content no matter what. And
There will be no political topics no matter what.

This blog is, and always will be, about Ethiopia and Ethiopians by people from within the country. It is about telling the world what the country really is about via narrations of firsthand experiences.Geography, history, anthropology etc. are the topics that are usually expected, but what is most important is that it is always the truth.

If you decide to be a contributing writer, you will have the right to have your posts published in your own name. While this site will give you a large audience, it is for the time being a non-paying position.

I hope you come aboard and enjoy the writing as much as I do.

Warmest regards,

Deep Ethiopian

The UN Peacekeeping Missions - A Proud Ethiopian History - Part 1

2011-05-31T16:53:00.002+03:00

One word that is always present with the word ‘Ethiopia’ is ‘war’. The country has been at war at one time or another ever since it came into being. But what most people tend to forget is the contribution Ethiopia and her armies have sacrificed to bring peace to other peoples across the world. We are of course talking about the UN peacekeeping missions that Ethiopia has participated in.

A Proud History

1 – The Korean War

On June 25^th, 1950 North Korean forces gushed over the border to invade South Korea. The United Nations passed a resolution to send peacekeeping troops to restore the status quo. While mainly made up of the US Army, the peacekeeping force also included a battalion of Ethiopian soldiers.

Named the ‘Kagnew Battalion’, its commander was General Mulugeta Bulli. There were anywhere from 1,271 to 3,518 Ethiopian troops in the battalion at any given time. They were attached to the U.S. 7^th Infantry Division. Although they were named the ‘Kagnew Battalion’ they were actually three successive battalions that were drawn from Emperor Haileselassie I’s 1^st Division of the Imperial Body Guards.

The Ethiopians served gallantly in the war – the casualties were 121 killed and 536 wounded. At the end of the war, of more than 16 allies participating in actual combat (there were around 25 other countries supplying logistics and medical support) Ethiopia was the only country to have no prisoners of war (POW) to collect, as not a single soldier had surrendered. That was a mighty feat, considering that of the 238 times they went into combat they had the distinction of coming out victorious every single time! The North Koreans believed they were superhuman because they never saw a single dead soldier – since the battalion never left a single dead soldier behind.

The feats of these legendary troopers were largely overlooked by the western media. But one U.S. Army combat historian, S.L.A. Marshall made sure that they were never forgotten in his book ‘Pork Cop Hill’ which was later made into a movie.

Excerpts from the book include:

Describing the battle at Pork Chop Hill:

"Like Horatius at the bridge or the screaming eagles at Bastogne, it was a classic fight, ending in clean triumph over seemingly impossible odds."

And of another Ethiopian patrol:

"...under full observation from enemy country, eight Ethiopians walked 800 yards across no-man's land and up the slope of T-Bone Hill right into the enemy trenches. When next we looked, the eight had become ten. The patrol was dragging back two Chinese prisoners, having snatched them from the embrace of the Communist battalion..."

Today, in Chuncheon City, Korea, there is a hall dedicated to the soldiers that fought in the war.

2 – The Congo Crisis

The day that the First Republic of the Congo became an independent state was the beginning of one of its saddest times in the country’s history. Dubbed the ‘Congo Crisis’, this turmoil lasted from Independence Day in 1960 until Joseph Mobutu (Mobutu Sese Seko) became the president of the country in 1966.

An army mutiny against its almost entirely Belgian officers was the igniting spark. This led to the military intervention of Belgian forces that went in to extract its citizens in the country. While there was a threat to the citizens it was still deemed to be an illegal act – a violation of the national sovereignty of the Congo.

The Belgian troops and civilians declared an independent state, the State of Katanga, and seceded from the Congo. A close Belgian ally, Moise Tshombe, was made the leader. But before the mineral rich state could even stand on its own two legs, there was another rebellion in the north by the Luba people.

In 1960, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba requested a UN intervention which adopted Resolution 143. This resolution stated that Belgium should remove its troops and that the UN would provide military assistance to the Congolese forces.

Tekil Brigade

Ethiopia was among the countries that contributed to the UN troops that were sent to the Congo. The troops came from the ‘Tekil Brigade’. The first brigade to come under that name was the pioneer Ethiopian force sent to make arrangements for the main force that would come under the same name.

The second Tekil Brigade was commanded by Colonel Teshome Irgetu and went into the Congo on June 14^th, 1961 to replace the previous expeditionary force. The constitution of the battalion was actually 4 different infantry divisions that came one after the other from different parts of the country:

The 8^th Tekil Batallion from Maychew, Tigray: commanded by Lt. Colonel Tezera Gorfe
The 25^th Tekil Batallion from Jimma/Gojjam: commanded by Lt. Colonel Alemu Weledeyes
The 26^th Tekil Batallion from Addis Ababa: commanded by Lt. Colonel Gebremeskel Tesfamichael
The 35^th Tekil Batallion from Asmara: commanded by Lt. Colonel Gessesse Retta

Upon its arrival the brigade was quartered at Stanleyville. Its first job of the day was to establish order, security and confidence amongst the people of the Orientale Province – which it accomplished in a relatively short time. Even when violence broke out, in and around the city on Januray 13^th, 1961, the brigade managed to control and calm things down.

The achievements of the Ethiopian troops in the most chaotic of times have been written on the annals of posterity. But to mention a few of their many heroic achievements:

- The 8^th Ethiopian Battalion had its headquarters at Stanleyville. The battalion was order to move out to Leopoldville on October 10^th, 1961. When things worsened in Katanga, the battalion was ordered to move out to Elizabethville, which it did by December 14^th, 1961.

On that very day the battalion was ordered to launch an attack on the enemy. Excerpts from army historians have written:

“ (vi) Immediately upon arrival in Elisabethville the Bn was ordered to launch an attack on the enemy. In spite of the hasty order and lack of sufficient time to carry out a recce of any sort, the Bn moved from the airport towards the town in tactical battle order returning automatic fire delivered from tree tops, bunkers and civilian residences. Besides the task of clearing various enemy-held localities along the main road from the airport to the town, the Bn was given the major mission of attacking and capturing the strongly-defended enemy locality of the Lido Hotel.

On 15 December 1961 at 0430 hrs (local time) an attack was launched on the Lido by one rifle and one heavy weapons coy of the 8th Bn.2 supported by a few Indian armoured oars. Mission was accomplished by 0600 hrs (local time) and objective was captured.

…

(vii) The 8th Ethiopian Bn lost seven of its men while fighting in the Elisabethville operation and 9 men were wounded.

(viii) According to received order, the 8th Bn handed over its areas of responsibility in Elisabethville to the 35th Ethiopian Bn and began its move to its former position in Stanley-tills on 20 Jan 61. When the Bn was fully concentrated in Stanleyville, it resumed its previous duties and took over its previous areas of responsibility.”

- Of the 25^th Ethiopian Battalion it was written:

“(i) On replacing the 1st Ethiopian Bn of the 1st Tekil Bde, the 25th Tekil Bn established its HQ at Kabalo. In spite of the confused and all time unsteady aspect of the situation, the 25th Bn carried out its tasks so well that firm co-operation and good understanding between the force and the native Balubas was created. As a result the Balubas never liked the idea of this Bn being transferred to another place in the Congo.

(ii) On 9 December 61, the 25th Bn sent one of its coys to Manono to strengthen the coy from the Indian Independent Me, already there.

The situation at Manono gradually grew worse and finally the force of one bn of Tshombe's Gendarmerie (which had strengthened its position in the town of Manono and around all the key points) launched an attack on the two coys, which only had four armoured cars for a fire support. The fighting carried on continuously for three days, from 6 to 9 Dec, and the 25th Bn lost one man and three were wounded. Outnumbered by the enemy and after three days of hard fighting, the two coys managed to drive back the enemy from their well-defended areas in Manono to Mitwaba and other nearby areas.

(iii) Due to the uncertainty of the situation at Manono the rest of the 25th Ethiopian Bn was ordered to move to Manono. After handing over the protection of Kabala to the local ANC force, the whole Bn concentrated at Manono on 10 December 61. This Bn is still at Manono making all efforts to establish the peace and order previously achieved in the neighbouring area of Kabalo.”

- Of the 35^th Ethiopian Battalion it was said:

“(vii) Acting on an urgent order from HQ ONUC, the 35th Tekil Bn again moved to Elisabethville where fighting had broken out between the UN and Tshombe's force. On arrival in Elisabethville of only half its force (the rest being airlifted a week later) on 7 Nov. 61, the Bn succeeded in clearing bunker after bunker, which the enemy had taken so much effort to prepare. The old airfied, the police station, Sabena Guest House and the White's Building, were all objectives which the Bn captured. The final objective captured by the En was the Union Miniére - the well-known Katanga mine centre prized by the enemy more than any other place in Elisabethville. During the Elisabethville operation, the 35th Tekil Bn lost one soldier and two were wounded. The Bn is still in Elisabethville on the active task of ensuring safety of individuals and security in the confusion-struck capital of Katanga.”

to be continued...

Mobile blogging from Ethiopia

2011-04-29T21:12:00.002+03:00

One thing that was missing in Ethiopia was the joy of being able to blog from mobile phones. Ethiopian Telecom has granted internet for SOME pre-paid phone numbers. This gives bloggers the opportunity to blog while sipping a cold one.
The configuration on mobiles is quite easy: just use 'etc.com' as access point and you're good to go.
Happy blogging as the cold ones keep coming!

----------
Sent from my Nokia phone

Moving To Ethiopia - There is food and water!

2011-02-25T11:16:00.026+03:00

Are you moving to Ethiopia? Then congratulations, you are embarking on the adventure of a life time. This is going to be the beginning of the stories you will be telling your grandchildren over and over again. This is a land of fairy tales that actually happened.

About Ethiopia

Ethiopia is located in the Eastern part of Africa, more commonly called the ‘Horn of Africa’ because it looks like Africa has a jutting, rhino-like horn. Ethiopia shares its borders with The Sudan (soon to be split into North and South Sudan) in the west, Kenya in the south, Somalia in the east, Djibouti in the northeast and Eritrea in the north.

What You Will Need

The first thing that pops into first time visitors or people that are planning on moving to Ethiopia is that there is no food. Some even go so far as to ask whether they should bring their own supplies of canned food and bottled water. Well, as amusing as it seems the answer is still a big resounding ‘No!’

There is food in Ethiopia. No, seriously! There IS food in Ethiopia. Food, whether traditional or foreign, is served in the overflowing number of restaurants that are all over the city of Addis Ababa. There even international restaurants like Indian, Thai and Korean. There are restaurants that exhibit dishes from all over the world by actually inviting chefs from the respective countries. If you don’t want to eat out, there are supermarkets (Friendship Supermarket is recommended), butchers, vegetable and fruit vendors all over the city.

The same thing goes for watered bottle. There are over five well-known brands of bottled water that are known for their brands and quality. The tap water is can be used for drinking – just buy a $10 water purifying jug and you’re set.

Getting Here

The best way to get to Addis Ababa is to jump on the first available flight. The national carrier Ethiopian Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world and covers around 60 destinations worldwide – this would be the best way to go.

While Ethiopia is known for its ‘13 months of sunshine’ – a slogan for the National Tour Operator, making note of the fact that Ethiopia follows the Julian Calendar and has 13 months – there are two main seasons: from September to May it is mainly dry with some months cold and others hot. And from June to August is the rainy season. Therefore most visitors to Ethiopia would enjoy their move to Ethiopia much more if they didn’t have the rain and mud to dim their views of their new home.

Finding Accommodation

Addis Ababa is a city full of hotels, guesthouses and rooms or houses for rent. From the luxury of the Sheraton to the guesthouses around 22 Mazoria, there are places that can meet each and every single person’s budget. The easiest thing to do would be to search online for hotels. If that doesn’t work out the next thing to do would be to try and contact someone already in Ethiopia to look for a place and/or make a reservation. There are websites that cater to real estate, but the prices listed there are a bit too far -fetched and do not leave any room for bargaining – a must in the Ethiopian market.

Life in Addis

Addis Ababans are usually a relaxed lot. There just is no rush. People can actually sit at a café and sip the same cup of coffee or macchiato for over an hour. After hours the most crowded places are cafes and pubs. Walking along the city’s main road, Bole Road, can prove to be a little difficult once the population hits the streets – but it is a refreshing experience. It is the chance to look at cross-section of the Ethiopian society. The yuppies, the expats, the migrants … everyone can be seen on that single road.

Nightlife in Addis Ababa is truly amazing. When the whole city gears up to party nothing can get in the way! This is especially noticeable on Fridays and eves of holidays. The greatest party the whole city had was on the eve of the New Ethiopian Millennium (Ethiopia has a different calendar – the Julian calendar). Everyone starts heading to his or her favorite waterhole at around 18:00. After a couple of hours getting in the mood, it is off the nightclubs around Addis. The rest, let’s just say, is ecstatic.

Night Life in Addis Ababa

If there is anything to add under this topic it is the fact that Addis Ababa is a city that is growing by leaps and bounds. And as the city grows, so too does the number of night clubs. For any person living in Ethiopia or just coming for a short visit, the best bet would be to find a taxi driver that has been driving for a year or too. They are the best guides to the nightlife in Addis Ababa as people tend to hire them to take them to and from the clubs or even as they go bar hopping. So if you are thinking of having a great night, hire one of the small Lada taxis for the night and just let your driver worry about it all.

Finally, because nightclubs in Addis Ababa keeping opening, closing or moving their premises around the city it would need a dedicated blog to keep track of them.

Mixing With the People

Ethiopians like mixing with foreigners. And unlike most of Africa, there are no colonial hang-ups that create uncomfortable vibes between a foreigner and a local. For the most part what foreigners find a little bit annoying is the shooing off of beggars. It could get a little more annoying when travelling out of the city, like the historical places of Axum and Lalibela, or on the way to the many resorts in the south of the country, like Langano. But, the trick to getting out of it is to simply shake your head as you keep repeating ‘No’, and keep walking. They tend to give up after a few paces.

Places To Avoid

It may seem quite unbelievable, but there is nothing that needs to be avoided in Addis Ababa. You just have to be prepared for it. For example, Merkato is Africa’s biggest open air market. With patience and tenacity, it is said you can find anything you want. But there’s one problem, it is VERY crowded. On shopping days, you could be walking in the middle of a crowd for stretches of time without even being able to see the road or your feet. It is THAT crowded. Now in a place like that, you would expect some mischief to happen. There are pickpockets and purse snatchers. So, if you really want to enjoy the experience go dressed for it. Wear jeans, sneakers that you wouldn’t mind being trod on … and get right into it. But apart from these places, you wouldn’t find any place per se where you need to avoid. So put on your walking shoes and start a’walking.

Other cares that you might need to take would be locking doors to cars and homes when leaving them unattended. If you drive to a place and you see kids playing around the streets call one (only one – dealing is better with one kid than the whole bunch, let them figure out a way to split the money) of the over and say you will give him a couple of bucks to keep an eye on your car. If you come back three hours later, you will still find him there.

Places To Visit

The whole city is a place to visit. Like when going to nightclubs, you might also want to hire a taxi driver for your daily jaunts across the city – at least until you can figure your way around. As for places of interest, any guide book or a simple search on Google can show where you should be and at what time.

Expats and You

Being the center for many international organizations and the home of many embassies from all over the world, Addis Ababa is blessed with a thriving expat community. So, any worries that you might miss speaking your language with your countryman can be allayed. There are hangouts that the expats prefer and to get the inside information all you’d need to do is stop one in the street and ask him or her which is what and where it is – that’s all.

Finally – Closing

If you are planning on moving to Ethiopia, do not change your mind, feel anxious or even think of changing your mind because of what you had seen in on TV in 1970’s. Those images do not exist in Ethiopia anymore – all that cannot be said about the archives of the BBC, which looks for excuses to show it at every possible mention of the word ‘Ethiopia’.

You will find ample food, peace and love and relaxing environment.

So, welcome to Addis Ababa!

Interesting Facts about Ethiopia – Trivia on the Firsts and the Greatest

2011-02-08T18:23:00.002+03:00

Ethiopia is a country that is truly fascinating. Facts about Ethiopia or just mere trivia on the country are a pleasure and sometimes even amazing to read about. Who knew?

- Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet.

- Ethiopia is the only country in the world with 13 months.

- In Ethiopia time is counted on the opposite side of the clock: 6 o’clock is said to be 12 o’clock, and at 16:00 Ethiopians say it is ’10 o’clock’.

- Ethiopia is one of only two countries in the world that have never been occupied. (The other one is Russia, in case you are asked). It managed to stay free by defeating the Italians … twice!

- Although Ethiopia was the first African state to join the League of Nations, it soon became apparent that ‘collective security’ would not be given to an African nation even after atrocities of ethnic cleansing and mass murders were evident after Italy invaded – everyone turned a blind eye and a deaf ear.

- Ethiopia was the birthplace of Pan-Africanism. The belief that Africa should unite and be the master of its own destiny was hailed by Emperor Hailesellasie I. It eventually led to the birth of the African Union of today.

- The hydroelectric dam that was built on the Tekeze River and was inaugurated in November 2009 is Africa’s tallest arch dam standing at 188 meters. Gilgel Gibe IV a dam that will be operational sometime in 2012/13 will be the tallest dam on the continent at 200+ meters.

- Ethiopia and Ethiopians are mentioned in many ancient books. The Bible is one of them. Ethiopia or Ethiopians are mentioned around 40 times in it. It is one of the few countries that are mentioned in both the Bible and the Koran. It is a country where the indigenous people are Christians, Muslims and Jews live together. It was the first country where Muslim prayers were held out of Arabia. Incidentally the first Muslim calls to prayer were done by an Ethiopian. And the first mosque to be built outside of Arabia was the Al Nejashi mosque in northern Ethiopia. When Mohammed and his followers were persecuted, they found solace in Ethiopia.

- The very first and oldest illustrated book on Christianity is found in Ethiopia. This is in the form of a gospel that was written in 494 AD, colors and bindings still intact and was discovered in a monastery – ‘The Garima Gospels’. Abba Garima was a monk that arrived in Ethiopia from Constantinople in the fifth century; legend has it that he copied it in one day.

An Image from the Garima Gospels

- Ethiopia has a long history of war, in Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ in the Trojan War, Memnon was an Ethiopian king. Ethiopia and Ethiopians are also mentioned in his other book ‘Odyssey’. The ancient Greek love for the Ethiopians does not end there; another Ethiopian is in Greek astronomy too. According to legend, Cassiopeia was the queen and consort of King Cepheus in Ethiopia. And long story short, after her death, Cassiopeia was immortalized as a star by Poseidon.

- The name ‘Candace’ is actually the name given to the line of Ethiopian Queens that ruled in ancient times.

- Ethiopia and Ethiopians are usually mentioned with the words ‘athlete’ and ‘athletics’. The first African to win a gold medal in the Olympics was Abebe Bikila in the 1960 Summer Olympic in Rome; he wan the marathon with a record time of 2:15:16.2 – an even amazing thing was the fact that he ran the whole race barefooted. In the next Olympics held in Tokyo in 1964, Abebe Bikila won the marathon with a world record time of 2:12:11:2.4. Making him the first athlete, and as of yet the only African, in history to win the marathon twice in back to back Olympics. As of date, the marathon world record holder is another amazing Ethiopian athlete, Haile Gebreselasie. He holds the record at 2:03:59.

- Ethiopia is the home of mankind. While the most famous ancestors of mankind are Lucy and Selam, archeological digs have and will continue to show that it was the valleys of Ethiopia that man came out of.

- Ethiopia is the homeland of coffee; it was discovered by a shepherd named Kaldi who noticed his goats prancing about restlessly after eating the leaves of the coffee plant. It is thought the word coffee was borrowed from the southern Ethiopian lands of Kaffa.

- The Mountain Nyala and the Walia Ibex are the two most famous animals that are endemic to Ethiopia. The others are the Semien Red Fox, The Chelada Baboon, Menilik’s Bushback, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, Harwood’s Francolin, Rouget’s Rail, Spot-breasted Lapwing, White-collared Pigeon, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird and Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. In January, 2011 a new member was added to the ‘Endemic Ethiopian’ list – The African Wolf.

- Addis Ababa is the highest city in Africa. And many tourists mistakenly think that just because it is in Africa it is a hot place to be. It is amusing to see their reactions to the cold when they get off the plane at Bole International Airport as they shiver in Bermuda shorts and Hawaii shirts. The city was founded by Emperor Menilik II on the Entoto Mountain.

- The Danakil Depression (also known as the Afar Depression or the Afar Triangle) found in North Eastern Ethiopia is the year-round hottest place anywhere on earth.

- Amazingly, Ethiopians have a very impressive history when it comes to flying. The first African woman to fly was Wro. Assegedech Assefa. There is an argument that if it had not been for the Italian invasion in 1936, Wro. Mulumebet Emeru would have been the first licensed African to fly, but that she is the first to fly – the jury is still out on that one. The only jet fighter air-to-air shoot down by a female pilot is credited to Ethiopian Air Force Captain Aster Tolossa, who shot down her Ukrainian trainer who was flying for the Eritreans.

- The first car to reach Ethiopia was Emperor Menilik II's car (plate number D3130), in 1907. He was the first African Emperor, if not plain African, to actually drive a car.

This list will be added on as information is available. Ethiopia is a country with over 3,000 years of history. Any suggestions or additions are very welcome.

Famine in Ethiopia – Can it finally be beaten?

2010-12-03T14:37:00.000+03:00

Sadly, Ethiopia and Ethiopian development has been tied with the words ‘famine’ and ‘drought’. There are even dictionaries that give Ethiopia as an example for definition of the words. There are people, today that cannot help but think of the country anymore than a desert where people die because of hunger. Even first time travelers to Ethiopia come with great trepidation. Even after coming to face with the reality of the country they still think they are missing something or that the whole country is pulling a fast one on them.

Food in Ethiopia - at present

A report from USAID quotes the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) as saying that famine in Ethiopia could be beaten back if recent crop harvests are any indication. As of July, due to favorable conditions the country had had a bumper harvest. And this in turn had contributed to an improvement in Ethiopia’s food security.

The report also shows that not only was the food crisis alleviated, there was also an improvement in the availability of water for consumption as well pastoral purposes all over the usually dry and drought prone areas of the south and southeast of Ethiopia. All in all, drought and relief maps of Ethiopia have shown a very rapid diminishing of food shortages in the whole country.

African food – the future

As encouraging as the report may be the history of Africa and especially the history of famine in Ethiopia has shown that no matter how secure a country may become, there is a high chance of another drought or even famine occurring to derail the slow but definite growth of the newfound Ethiopian development.

Encouraging news that has been airing around Africa is the publication of a new book ‘The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa’ by Harvard University professor Calestous Juma. The book that is expected to be published on December 15^th has put forward the results of a study stating that not only can Africa feed itself in just a generation, but can also become a major food exporter strong enough to alleviate the ravenous hunger that is slowly creeping up in the rest of the world.

The overall results of the study apparently show that agriculture in Africa has come to a standstill when the rest of the world has been pushing it into the 21^st century. By making agriculture the number one item on their agendas, there is no doubt that Africa can be the breadbasket of the world.

The Ethiopians - why it is good to be one nowadays

2010-12-02T16:41:00.000+03:00

We are facing dire straits globally. Almost everyone is facing the brunt of job cuts and austerity measures. Economies that were once thought to be mighty have been brought to their knees, and only stood up again after substantial aid from neighbors. The price of gas has shot through the roof and it took the other prices with it. Now is a good time to follow the ways and skills of the Ethiopians.

The Ethiopians – why?

That is what most people will be asking when they read this article. Isn’t life in Ethiopia so miserable? Isn’t Ethiopia the country people point to when explaining the effects of poverty on a country? Doesn’t the information on Ethiopia always say that it is the country to avoid?

Well, let us think see what you think after you read what the world has to say about Ethiopia. Below are some facts on Ethiopia that have been reported by international agencies and organizations. As much as possible latest data has been collected from reliable sources that provide the latest news about Ethiopia and other African countries.

The Human Development Index

The human development index is a complex statistical calculation of the improvement of the human development. It is a measure that is used by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to list countries that have advanced or retreated in making their people’s lives better.

In the 2010 report ‘The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development’ the UNDP has ranked Ethiopia as the 11^th most progressive country making it a surprising member of the high rankers despite it not having done so via economic reasons. This means that the achievements were made by doing other things to improve the lives of the people. For example, Ethiopia abolished school fees for primary school students and made a big leap in the number of clinics that were built.

Ethiopia Flower Industry

When people are asked on the latest news about Ethiopia, the majority that has never been here just think of the country being a big desert. It just doesn’t come to mind that the country is the home of many rivers, especially the Nile, and that it is sometimes known as the ‘water tower of Africa’.

The information about Ethiopia that was disseminated during the 70’s and 80’s has left a dark shadow on the Ethiopia new and strong that is emerging. And that news about Ethiopia has had the most effect on the Ethiopian flower industry. People think of Ethiopia last when it comes to the horticulture industry.

The flower industry in Ethiopia has been steadily growing. It is an amazing story considering that Ethiopia is at present the second-most exporter of flowers in an industry that didn’t even exist 20 years ago. The quality of the flowers has been of excellent standards that various exporters have been awarded global stages.

HIV AIDS decline in Ethiopia

Family life in Ethiopia was devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic that had hit the world. The effects of the epidemic can still be seen in the number of orphans that grew up. Ethiopia was one of the most hit countries by the disease.

But it finally seems to have been beaten back. Recent reports have shown that the rate of infection of HIV has been stopped in Ethiopia. Other countries that performed similarly are South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This was done by planning a strategy that would reach even the youngest of Ethiopians. It was mostly thorough education that was aimed at anyone from 6 to 60. All media drilled into the people’s mind that HIV AIDS was real and that the prevention was very easy. Those lessons are now deeply buried in the three generations that have come after the start of the epidemic. It was these lessons that help curb the disease when it is sharply rising in some Asian countries. Even the United States is facing a problem with the prevalence of the disease among its citizens. It was alarmed to wake up to find that the situation in the United States was worse than Africa.

Life in Ethiopia – something to look forward to

While the whole world is in a gloom, life in Ethiopia is amazingly calm and stable. There aren’t any job cuts that have rocked Europe and the US. There aren’t any austerities plans of furtive lending that have been noticed in Europe to the extent that it has become a threat to the European Union as a whole. There haven’t been massive leaps in increase of consumer goods that would have been expected from a third world country.

Au contraire there is a booming building industry that is changing the cities’ skylines almost daily. There are openings of new automotive industries that have already started flooding the roads of the country with Ethiopian made cars. The tourism industry has reached record levels raising the air transport industry so high that Ethiopian Airlines has become a major contender on a world level.

In short, the country is on its way up. The Ethiopians of tomorrow will hopefully have a country that will be a major force in the future world.

Spitting image of Ethiopia – A tuberculosis habit

2010-09-15T14:04:00.006+03:00

Spitting kills. It might not do so immediately but sooner or later it will kill someone, somewhere, sometime. The culprit is not the fluid that is excreted but rather the bacteria it bears – mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause for tuberculosis. . It is a disease that if left unattended can kill very slowly and painfully. Tuberculosis killed 100 million people in the 20^th century and is one of the leading killers of man today.

Tuberculosis and spitting through history

Tuberculosis hit Europe and the United States pretty hard in the early 1800’s. One way for stopping the spread of the disease was to stop people from spitting in public. France was one of the first countries to bring orders against spitting in public. Next to come was New York City, in the USA, where it is still illegal to spit in public today, although no one enforces that law.

Tuberculosis and Spitting in Ethiopia

Currently, Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis infections. In fact it is the 7^th most infected country in the world, and according to WHO, the second most infected countries in Africa. At any one time it is estimated that there are just over 300,000 new cases in Ethiopia. While that may be a scary number the good news is that it is a completely curable disease if treated as early as possible.

Yet, while roaming the streets of Addis Ababa, it makes one wonder whether the people have even heard of the relationship between spitting and tuberculosis. While it was very uncommon to see people spitting in public in the recent past it is now amazingly, and disgustingly, a common sight that everyone of every sex and age seems to enjoy. And similarly while it was considered rude to spit within sight of another person, the ‘spitters’ of today have become very brazen. Some even enjoy the sight of a passerby cringing at the sound and sight show.

A China syndrome?

In China, it is not offensive at all to noisily draw up phlegm and spit it out anywhere at any time. Tourists have written about it all over the net. Incidentally, the number of Chinese living in Ethiopia has been on the increase these past few years. While we have been learning a lot about their working ethics, techniques and disciplines, have we also picked on their spitting habits? If so, we must also remember that not only is China one of the most tuberculosis infected countries in the world but also the country where the recent SARS virus attacked and caused the most damage.

Laws against spitting and Littering

Laws against spitting really need to be brought forward in Ethiopia. And while at it, it wouldn’t kill (no pun intended) anyone to throw in a couple of littering laws too. God knows it is needed!

Ethiopia - The $10,000 dollars phone call

2010-06-16T11:35:00.000+03:00

A friend told me this joke, and I just had to share it. Enjoy!

An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the World. So he bought a plane ticket and first took a trip to China.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read "$10,000 per call".

The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.

Te priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.

The American thanked the priest and went on his way.

Next stop was Japan. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it.

He wondered if this was the really the same kind of telephone as the one he had seen in China and asked a nearby nun what its purpose was.

She told him that it was indeed a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 He could talk to God.

"O.K., thank you." said the American.

He then traveled to Spain, Italy, Russia, Germany and France. In a church in each country he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call" sign under it.

Finally , upon leaving France the American decided to travel down to Ethiopia to see if they also had the phone there.

He arrived in Ethiopia, and in the first church he entered, he saw that there was that same golden telephone. But this time the sign under it said "One Dollar per call."

The American was surprised so he asked a priest about the sign..."Father, I've traveled all over the world and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. All of them were said to be a direct line to Heaven, and the price per call was a ten thousand dollars. But the price here is only one dollar! Why is it so cheap here........?"

The priest smiled and answered:

"Son, you are in Ethiopia now, and this is GOD’s OWN COUNTRY - it's a Local Call".

Keep smiling you are in God's own country!

Daylight Robbery On the Highway - Ethiopian Taxis

2010-05-18T12:43:00.022+03:00

If you are going to take a minibus taxi in Addis and especially if you're going the full distance, you're most probably going to get robbed. Well, more or less.

You see, when you travel the full distance (from the beginning of a route to its end) you have to pay ETB 1.95. The problem arises when you pay ETB 2.00, and wait for change that is ETB 0.5 - you will wait in vain.

The most probable reason you will be given is that the tout has run out of change. And he tells you you will have to wait until the termination of the trip to get your change back.

If you need to get off in the middle of the of the route you will have to forfeit your 5 cents.

But even if you do travel to the end of the route and get off at the terminus, he will either pretend that he has forgotten about your 5 cents. Or go looking for moneychangers who will give him change for his ETB 1.00. He will make a real job out of it: first he will go running to find the furthest one, haggle, chat a bit, tout his route...anything to make you walk away.

But if you just stay put, and want to waste a good twenty minutes, he will eventually come back and grudgingly give you your 5 cents... wondering how stingy you are!

They count on your getting frustrated and walking away. Now the minibus transports 11 passengers, lets not even talk about the ones that are squeezed in, and per trip the tout is going to make at least ETB 0.55. If the taxi makes 20 trips that adds up to ETB 11. Now imagine how many taxis there are in the city and how much is being ripped off...

You will be well advised to carry a coin pouch and tender the exact change!

Ethiopian night life...Addis Ababa

2010-02-24T11:39:00.000+03:00

Ethiopians love the night life. Addis Ababa is a party-goers’ paradise. Add those two together and you’ll have the perfect formula for a dusk-till-dawn jamboree. There are bars, pubs and clubs all over the city that cater to every customer’s taste and style. The beauty of it all is that it is easy on the pocket.

Although watering-holes rise and fall with the fads of the moment, here are a few current not-to-be-missed ones:

• Beer Garden Inn

Located in the Bole Medhanealem area, this is the place to start the evening off at. With a choice of beers that is mind boggling; the place is reminiscent of taverns in folklore.

• Black Rose

Need a cozy place to sit and chat while downing a cold St. George beer? The Black Rose on Bole Road is the place. The music is wonderful. It’s a favorite with the local and expat communities.

• Harlem Jazz

This place is for jazz and reggae lovers. There are live bands with the sweetest Caribbean and black tunes. The place starts to jump after 23:00. Every few hours a bonfire is lit, so enjoy a breather during the breaks. The location is right at the end of Bole Road.

• Club Alize

More live shows? From classics to Ethiopian folk to oldies to reggae and rock anything goes here. A walking distance from Harlem Jazz...but up a level.

• Club Illusion

This is the place to end it all. The DJs keep the beat, and the crowd, pumping till dawn. The crowd is on the dance floor, not the bar, here. It's right next to the Ambassador Theater, and like all secret goody-spots it's down in the basement.

Ethiopia…Keeping the Faith

2010-02-12T19:20:00.018+03:00

“The Book of Eli” and “Legion” are two amazing movies. Watch them back to back and you are thrown into deep self-scrutiny. It’s almost 4 hours of staring at the screen, but never are you let to wander away from the story. If one really watches the movie with all senses opened, never are you far from the guilt. It is the audience, each and every one of us that is the cause today of what the stories tell us will happen tomorrow. They are stories of how man loses faith and succumbs to greed. Or keeps faith and is saved.

In “The Book of Eli” it is faith that keeps the story going from one end to the other, literally. And in “Legion” it is the lack of faith and the eventual discovery of it that is at the heart of the story. The first is of a man named Eli trying to restore the old civilization and re-introduce faith into a world that has been forsaken and destroyed. And in the second it is because of faith that the world is saved from total annihilation. Anymore said, and this article becomes a spoiler.

Critics have said that the movies looked like computer games or that it was all too surreal to be capturing and were actually turn-offs. And it’s certain that there will be some religious people that will be offended by one or another part of the movies.But let us look at some quotes from the movies:

From “The Book of Eli”

o “People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn’t. “

From “Legion”

o Gabriel: “I would not have shown you such mercy.”

o Michael: “That is why you failed.”

That being said, the main question remains, is it true? Have we all lost the faith? Is faith dead? Are we getting too greedy? Will the lack of our faith be the end of us? Are we becoming too proud? Can we ignore the fact that whether theologically or scientifically we are paying dearly for our sins? Can we ignore the floods and the earthquakes? … Or are there people that still keep the faith?

The faith is still strong in one country. There are still people who fear God in this country. They still mention God at least once a day when they answer the question “How did you spend the night?” or “Good morning.” The answer is more than likely to be “Egziabher Yimesgen!” which means “May God be Praised!” This land has people that thank God for the needs they have had fulfilled and not for the wants that remain unanswered. These people have absolute faith that they sometimes follow the rules without even understanding it. This type of faith is of the purest one, for it is blind. This land is Ethiopia and the people, Ethiopians.

While there is no evidence that Atheists exist in Ethiopia, the power of faith is abundant everywhere and can be seen without too much scrutiny. From the people who though poorer than dirt, yet give to an even less fortunate soul, to the passerby, upon seeing a church doesn’t pass without obeisance and paying respect. It is in the knowledge that man will be paid back in a hundred fold for each and every favor he does on earth. It’s in the love and brotherhood, in a country where Muslims and Christians live side by side in peace and respect. It’s in a land where religion is a big issue, but not the difference of one’s religion from another’s. It’s the faith one has in his religion that makes it all right about the others’. It is in the tears of millions that are shed at the loss of a few.

Like Eli said: “He just led me there…” Ethiopia is being led out into the light. We need to keep the faith. We must know that it is the faith that has helped us survive. And the day we lose the faith is the day we will fall.

We can all learn a lesson from these two movies, and they are worth an investment of both time and money. It’s the simple things that restore faith, and it’s the simple things that show us whether we have, or not, lost our way.

We need to keep the faith.

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET409

2010-01-25T17:21:00.002+03:00

The author would like to express his deepest condolences to the friends, families and relatives of the passengers and crew of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 409 from Beirut to Addis Ababa.

May their souls rest in peace.

Copyright in Ethiopia…the pauper or the king?

2009-12-15T14:32:00.002+03:00

(Please note that the author does not condone or support copyright infringement in any form.)

One of the hottest issues around Addis Ababa is the problem of solving the rampant copyright infringements that can be seen all over the city. Hawkers walk around the city in broad daylight selling CD, VCD and DVD copies of music and movies (both local and foreign.)

Prices range from 5 ETB for a VCD, 4 or less ETB if buying more, to 25 ETB for the latest movie that was released a week ago on DVD. Meanwhile, the same in original would cost around 25 ETB for the former and 50 ETB for the latter. The mean difference here is 22 ETB. It is this mean difference that is being fought for.

The four main actors in this drama are: the artist(s), the authorized dealers, the illegal distributors, the illegal retailers and finally the purchaser/consumer. Of these the one that makes the most profit in these dealings is the illegal distributor. While the artist loses 25 ETB on every illegal CD sold, the illegal distributor can buy one original work and duplicate it on hundreds, if not thousands, of CDs. He just can’t lose.

Now when it comes to the consumer, there are two options that are available: go legal or otherwise. And from what can be seen in actuality most go for the illegal works. Let’s look at some mistakes that are being done by all sides:

· PRICE: this is the most obvious one. The consumer saves 22 ETB. And that is one reason too many for most consumers, for the simple fact that they cannot afford otherwise. Whereas the artists do not want to budge on the price saying they too can not afford it. The Ethiopian mentality on doing business is ‘going for the highest price possible.’ Every merchant, including the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) have forgotten that or lazily ignore that in the long run and with customer retention and satisfaction:

HIGH PRICE X LESS CUSTOMER
is less profitable than
LOW PRICE X MORE CUSTOMERS

They do not want to put any effort into sales, advertising and marketing. They just do not want to put an effort into covering a higher consumer base and providing their services at an optimal price. The same applies to the artists, they do not want to hear of a price knock off, but expect the consumer to bear the brunt. When asked why not, an answer was given that maybe if the consumer stopped buying the illegal works, they would then consider reducing their prices. Yeah, right!

· AVAILABILTY: walking in any major city in the world you will find salesmen and women trying to sell you products and services ranging from cosmetics, to edibles, to mobile phone services. In Addis Ababa, while there are some products and services being touted, there are no sales persons selling the legal works of the artists. Au contraire, the illegal ones are everywhere! Why would a consumer even bother going all the way to a legal distributor when he can get it right where he is? If they don’t bother, why should the consumer?

· Quality: the main argument that the artists and publishers have, when defending their high prices, is that they provide quality products. There is no question that one must pay a higher price for a superior product. But let’s stop for a minute and ask how many times a consumer is going to watch a movie or drama. And then again let’s ask how badly the quality of a movie or drama would deteriorate when it has been being copied from an original medium. Unless the artist is of a high caliber or a popular veteran in his field, most people will stop listening to a CD in a matter of days, or at the most a couple of weeks. A movie or drama will be seen no more than a handful of times. The quality would not even be taken into factor when the price is considered.

The only option that can solve this issue is to think of the consumer first and then the artist. Not the other way round. The principle of making the customer happy has taken a back seat in Ethiopia. The norm is wresting the money out of the helpless customer by making sure there is no other option available to them.

Maybe it’s time that service providers, of which artists are a part of, understood that the customer really is king and that an unsatisfied king will never be generous.

Driving in Ethiopia…What, a surprise?

2009-12-04T18:27:00.005+03:00

Although Ethiopia has a high mortality rate due to car accidents, there seem to be no documents that actually say ‘Ethiopia has the highest mortality rate in the world.’ Even the United Nations World Health Organization that is said to be the author of the document doesn’t have a report with specific country details. Another site just states it with no proof.

But that doesn’t change the fact that there is a big problem on Ethiopian roads. Every morning there is a report on traffic accidents, by Sgt. Assefa Mezgebu, on FM 97.1. And it is very rarely that the Public Relations officer of the Addis Ababa Police reports there were no accidents during the previous 24 hours.

So what is wrong with Ethiopian drivers? One only has to look around at the traffic that is flowing to see the odd ones out:

Mobile Phones: there seems to be an obsession with being seen driving and talking on a mobile phone among Ethiopians. The amazing thing is, the traffic police do not even bat an eye when a driver crawls at 10 km/hr in an 80 km/hr freeway, yapping on his mobile phone. It might not be illegal but neither would it hurt to ask him to move along and put the phone away for his and other drivers’ safety.

Drunk driving: in Ethiopia it is not illegal to drink and drive. In fact a true story is that a guy so drunk that he cannot stand straight pulls up at a gas station. Behind him comes a police officer on a motorbike. The officer just sits and watches as the driver staggers to the side of the car, fumbles with the gas cap and finally has to be assisted by an attendant. He just lets him drive away without even a warning. After filling his tank, the officer also pulls out of the gas station and spots a driver who has made a turn without turning his car indicator lights on. He stops him and gives him a ticket. While both drivers were at fault, it really needs no imagination to know which of the two drivers the most serious offender was.

Seat belts: it is taboo to wear seatbelts in Ethiopia, although the custom is slowly picking up. Drivers actually used to be ashamed of wearing seatbelts. They used to be so self conscious thinking that they would be seen as less of a driver by others; And so a minor accident would turn fatal because of one simple nylon belt, or rather the lack of it.

Lane straddling/switching: Ethiopians tend to swerve and curve all over the road. There is no such thing as sticking to one lane, or signaling before switching lanes, especially if it’s a city mini-bus taxi. Whoever is in front has the right of all the road ahead and he can keep zigzagging all he wants. He can cover two lanes and not budge if he feels like it. It’s the problem of the driver behind to find a way to go around him.

Not wearing the correct protective gear: The funniest, yet most dangerous sight one can see on Addis roads is motorcyclists zipping around the city wearing helmets. Not so funny, right? But the thing is, the helmets are construction helmets, with no straps whatsoever to keep them on. The questions to ask are: Who do they think they’re kidding? And why do the traffic police look the other way?

Road Rage/Impatience (either with other traffic or pedestrians): this needs no comment. Every Ethiopian thinks he is the best driver. And whoever doesn’t watch out, well, needs to!

Now on the opposite side of the spectrum let’s look at how correcting these minor infractions could actually solve the whole road chaos; let’s have a look at one of the safest countries to drive in: the Netherlands. It is illegal to talk on the phone while driving, unless the phone has hands-off techno. Drinking and driving is not tolerated, and therefore the amount of legal alcohol that can be found during a breath-analyzer test is minimal. Seat belts are required not only for the driver and front-passenger for those in the back too. These are just the things that are needed to make our roads safe and mostly common sense all that’s needed to make these correction, after all lives are priceless.

Ethiopia…colonized or occupied?

2009-09-18T16:56:00.002+03:00

Ethiopians are proud of the fact that they have never been conquered throughout their history. Africans adopted the Ethiopian tri-colours, green, gold and red, as theirs. It eventually became the colours of pan-Africanism.

Yet as can be found on the internet, there are some who find that fact a bitter pill to swallow. They just can not accept the fact that Ethiopia was never colonized. They always refer to the five years from 1936 to 1941 that the Italians were in Ethiopia and say that Ethiopia was colonized for those five years and not occupied.

So let’s start with the definitions. What is colonization? And what is occupation? The Webster-Merriam dictionary tells us:

Colonization: an act or instance of ‘colonizing.’ Colonizing being the ‘establishment of a colony’; and colony in turn meaning ‘a body of people living in a new territory but retaining ties with the parent state.’ Also a ‘territory inhabited by such a body.’

Occupation: the act or process of ‘taking possession of a place or area: seizure’. Also: ‘the holding and control of an area by foreign military force.’ And ‘the military force occupying a country or the policies carried our by it.’

The obvious differences that can be seen are the fact that

1. In a colonization resistance has been eliminated, the colonized have been subdued and the major activity that is going around is done by the civilians. The country must have surrendered.

2. In occupation there are almost no civilians involved because the occupation is being enforced by the invading army. And the need for this invading army is due to the fact that there is still a resistance going on in one way or the other, which in term implies that the army still doesn’t have a 100% control over the territories.

Now let’s have a look at Ethiopian history, specifically the years 1936 to 1941. The second Ethio-Italian war started a long time before 1935. The first Ethio-Italian war, which ended with Italy’s defeat and humiliation at Adowa in 1896, could be seen as the starting point. Italy wanted revenge and started the second war on October 3rd, 1935. It ended on May 7th, 1936 with the collapse of the Ethiopian Army, which had fought bravely but could not stand up to the poison gas and bombs raining from the Fascists’ airplanes. They marched into Addis Ababa on May 5th, 1936. It must be noted that Ethiopia never surrendered.

The first of the Ethiopian patriots to start the guerilla warfare that would continue till victory day was Lij Hailemaria Mamo of Debre Damo. He attacked a convoy of Italians that were heading to Addis Ababa on May 4th, 1936 thus gaining him the name first of the Ethiopian Patriots or “Arbegna.” After him came resistance in each and every part of Ethiopia. The more the patriots fought the harsher the fascists became, and the harsher they became the more people joined the patriots. By the end of 1936, almost all of Ethiopia was up in rebellion and fighting a guerilla war.

To name a very few of the patriots’ leaders:

• Lij Hailemariam Mamo in and around Debre Damo

• Abebe Aregay in and around Showa

• Dejazmach Menegesha and Belay Zelleke in the the Gojjam are and around the Nile Gorge

• Dejazmach Balcha “Aba Nefso” Safo in the Gurage lands

• Dejazmach Hailu Kebede in the Lasta lands

• There were Eritrean deserters who fought on the Ethiopian side, even when the patriots were losing.

• This war was supported by civilians living in the occupied cities, they were called ‘Ye Wist Arbegnoch’ or the “inside warriors.”

At no given time during those fives years were Italians not fighting for their lives. Apart from the cities where they had their garrisons the land a few kilometers away was controlled by the patriots and the vast countryside remained free.

The Allies had only postponed what was inevitable by letting the fascists get away with murder and pillage hoping that the leniencies of France and Britain would not push Mussolini into the arms of Hitler. They, especially the British finally realized the error of their ways when they found out that should the fascists win they could be a threat to their own territories of Kenya, British Somaliland and Sudan and could completely cut them off from the Suez Canal and the Red Sea if they were to create and empire that stretched form Somaliland to Libya!

The war ended after only three months of fighting between Ethio-British forces and the fascists. Addis Ababa was liberated on May 5th, 1941 exactly five years after it was occupied by the Italians.

So, how was this any different than the ‘occupation’ and not ‘colonization’ of Europe? Almost all of mainland Europe except for Portugal, Spain and Sweden were in one way or another under Germany’s rule; Some for more than five years. Some had even completely surrendered and even collaborated and switched sides over to the Nazis. And yet not one of them is mentioned as being colonized.

Well, it is hoped that this article will show that Ethiopia is a nation that has never been colonized… and never will be!

Reference:

• Link Ethiopia – The Pankhurst History Library

• Michael B. Lentakis: Ethiopia: a view from within

• Wikipedia: The second Italo-Abyssinian war

Ethiopian Television…Just Ethiopian

2009-09-09T14:33:00.002+03:00

For the past couple of months the Ethiopian Television (ETV), the state television, has been asking the population to pay the annual tax of around 50 Ethiopian Birr (approx. 5 USD). ETV has had the tax for years and mostly people ignored it. This year was different; ETV pulled up its socks stepped up the ‘pay up’ campaign, so much so that one could almost hear the ‘or else!’ at the end. It must have paid off because there were crowds almost all the time up to the deadline date, which incidentally had been pushed back a few times and now stands at ‘extended till further notice.’

So what are the people paying for? ETV just recently went to 24 hours broadcasting after years of broadcasting from late afternoon to around midnight. And how did they come up with the new programmes to run after hours? They didn’t they just put the studio on ‘repeat’ for the daytime programmes. In between they stuck news in a number of languages that didn’t change for the whole 24 hours, even if there was a major disaster.

Sometime last year, ETV decided that it wanted to go international. So it started broadcasting to countries in and around North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe. There were no changes made to the programmes, what Ethiopians saw the international viewers saw too. It didn’t matter that almost eighty percent of the transmission was in languages spoken only Ethiopia. That severely narrowed down the international audience.

The other twenty percent of the time the broadcasting was done in languages like English, French and Arabic. There are around 375 million English speakers in the world. And if even a slim percentage of that number could watch the programmes, ETV would have had a very good coverage record.

So what’s the problem? The problem is ENGLISH. Apart from reporters like Shimeles Lemma and ‘Meet ETV’ host Tefera Gedamu, who seems to like to ask questions and not hear the answers, there just aren’t any competent reporters. For example, a reporter reporting about a local inventor of machines who built his business from the ground up was reported as having ‘beginned his business from the scratch.’ A couple of years back, a newscaster while reading the news couldn’t decide on whether the news was from New Zealand or the Netherlands so she read it as ‘New-Zerland.’ It makes one wonder whether there even is an English editor when a story is read with such English that knows no punctuation. Full stops are ignored, and the reader pauses in mid-sentences making one wonder if one has to guess the end of the news. A good example would be the programme covers different tourist attractions in Ethiopia. While one wants to really follow the programme, the reporter just goes on and on with this dreary, bored voice that just makes one jump up and switch the TV off.

No one at ETV seems to care that the English spoken there is very drab. In fact, nobody seems to even want to hear about it. On a web site launched by ETV, references were made to the poor language and how it was turning people off. What happened? Nothing! ; The posts got deleted. No wonder people would rather pay 2000 ETB and get satellite TV coverage than pay the measly 50 ETB. It’s considered throwing good money away. Unless something is done ETV will remain just that…Ethiopian.

How uncivilized is Ethiopia?

2009-08-24T15:42:00.007+03:00

Ethiopia has been in existence for more than 3 millennium. The country is rich with history and culture. It’s had its glory days; but the 1970 to mid 80’s have been the lowest the country has ever gone. Up until that time the terms Aid Organization and NGO were rarely heard of. Some worked on food aid, some on health and welfare and others on ‘civilizing Ethiopia’: bringing it out of the dark-age.

So how ‘uncivilized’ is Ethiopia? And how effective was the ‘civilization’ work done by the various organizations? What type of education worked? And what type was absurd? And in some cases, who was the ‘civilized’ and whom the ‘civilizer’? Let’s have a look:

Most of the agencies that worked on training and education worked out of the capital, Addis Ababa. The most they had heard or seen of the indigenous people they are supposed to help is on poster or brochures in travel agency offices. All the fieldwork is monitored and ordered from the cozy office in the capital. The agents in the field are like puppets whose strings are pulled according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that had been written in the head office, in Europe or America, and hasn’t changed since 1980.

One thing some westerners always state as a symbol of backwardness is nakedness: The amount of skin that is bared is proportional with the backwardness of the people. They seem to forget that the whole concept of clothing came not from modesty, but from the need of defense from the elements especially cold, when started to migrate from Africa. Modesty didn’t come until very, very recently.

A typical example would be of the aid worker that goes to the southwest of Ethiopia. When leaving from Addis Ababa, he’s starting from 2,355 meters above sea level. He’s dressed for the cold at that altitude. When he ends his trip he’s somewhere around a couple of hundred meters. Now, the main reason he was sent there was to teach the natives about wearing clothes; after all its taboo in the ‘civilized’ world to bare one’s body. As he’s being led into the village he asks the local why they do not dress or cover up. The local turns around, laughs at him and says “You’re the one that looks the fool. You are so uncomfortable in your clothes that you’re dying to take it all off.” The aid worker got rid of his clothes.

Another thing is thinking that the locals are just uneducated and hence stupid. If a person hasn’t completed the mandatory 12 years of schooling and or some college courses doesn’t mean he’s not life-savvy. Au contraire, he’s living in conditions that would actually kill most people. He’s adapted to whatever lifestyle and is actually happy with it. His senses of contentment and tranquility have been fulfilled 100%. So what gives an outsider, let alone a foreigner, the right to think he’s miserable and hence needs saving. It’s so fascinating to look at tourists arriving at the remotest part of Ethiopia and seeing the villagers for the first time. A local tour guide says it all;”They are so shocked by what they see. Their expressions are first of amazement, amazement at how little these people have. Then it slowly changes to shock as they realize that all their problems, all their headaches at home, REALLY don’t matter. That all the stress they go through daily is REALLY not necessary. In this material world they realize that it’s actually the one with least who is happiest.”

Take the aid agency that wanted to bring modern day education into a village. They chose children from the village and took them to be ‘educated.’ That being formal education. They spent their childhood and youth in schools. After completing high school they found that there were no options of employment open for them. When they tried to go back to their villages they found that they had lost precious time where they should have been learning skills like hunting, cattle rearing, martial arts and getting married to start a family. These children were lost to two worlds, for the sake of ‘civilization.’

Ethiopian Customer Service is LOUSY…Why?

2009-08-12T12:31:00.003+03:00

Ethiopians are known for their hospitality. Ethiopians are a kind, giving and sharing people. No matter how destitute an Ethiopian may be, no one turns away from a person that is worse off. That helping hand is given with great joy and a sense of obligation to God and man. That’s one reason. The other is that since nothing is guaranteed in a third world country, one does it to cover the base in case fortune looks away and the one on top suddenly finds the base very close.

Now what is really amazing is, when Ethiopians are asked to give that same helping hand behind a desk or wearing a uniform and getting paid for it, it just all becomes a different story. Once the novelty of a new job wears off the service goes downhill. It is a well known fact that to get the best food and service in Addis Ababa, the best bet would be to go to a restaurant or café that has just recently opened its doors. They will be good for at least a couple of months. The service is quick, the quality is at its best and all amenities are at tip-top levels. If there are any deficiencies in customer care and handling they are honest errors or things that were never intended to be there in the first place.

But then again, there are some customers that just ruin it for us. These people are the ones that the service-providers most often see and are hard to forget. They come out of nowhere, turn everything upside down, inside out and topsy-turvy and like a hurricane leave the mess and debris for the rest of us regulars to deal with.

These service-nightmares dampen the atmosphere for the rest of us. You might be one of them if you can identify with any of the following people or their thinking:

-The flashier you are, the better service you get: mesmerize them with car keys, jewelry, perfume and a top of the line cell phone. Doors will open where you never expected them. If you are better dressed than the person next to you, you’ll get preferential treatments.

-The louder you are, the better: speak loudly, whether to the person sitting next to you or an imaginary person on your flashy phone. It helps to mention a business deal that involves at least a million birr’s worth. Make sure the waiter is around. He’ll spread the news. Be as obnoxious as possible, you’ll get served quicker either because they are impressed or because they want to get rid of you.

-If there’s a queue, try to jump to the head of it: if you’re brazen enough to jump ahead of a few people, then it means you are an important person and your business is more important than the others’ waiting patiently.

-Treat them like they are little people: if you can look down at them, boss them around like they are not important. After all you are. Belittle them in small ways; take shots at them with petty jokes. Keep grinding away at their security and dignity, and when they are in their place, ask exactly what you want.

-Leave more than 60% as tip: this is a two bladed dagger. First you make sure that the waiter never forgets you, and like Pavlov with his dog he’ll be waiting with a watering mouth for the next visit. Second you ruin it for the rest of us, since we know that we would never give that much when he certainly didn’t deserve it.

-Ask for service that is not available or prohibited: ask to smoke in a non-smoking café. Send the waiter out to get the cigarettes, the other customers can wait. In a no-dance night spot, dance any ways. Park right in front of the entrance, when there is no parking space; People can squeeze by, and the probability of an emergency requiring a fast exit is very low. After all you’re the most important person in there. Go to remote villages and ask the whole village to perform rituals that are respected and are done on sacred occasions so you can get a YouTube video with snide remarks about ‘these savages.’ In fact throw the little money that you have knowing that it’s more than they will see in a long while. Corrupt the people into your ways, after all money is your god; preach it.

Globalization has their benefit, which is undeniable. But when it is misused it can be an uncontrollable monster than can never be stopped. Already old traditions and values are being lost. Ethiopians who have left and returned cannot believe how much we have changed. I pray that we learn to hold on despite everything.

And to my people:

“…don’t gain the world and lose your soul,
Wisdom is better than silver and gold…”

Bob Marley, “Zion Train”

Bruce Parry…an Ethiopian son

2009-07-01T14:52:00.005+03:00

Sadly, the image that comes to the mind of many people when they hear of the word ‘Ethiopia’ is a very dark one. And even if they have been to Ethiopia, some people go back with images in their heads from what they’ve seen but not understood.

Enter Bruce Parry – ‘explorer and expedition leader.’ Bruce is an ex-Royal Marine, among many other things. But the documentary series ‘Tribe’ that he produced is, by far, the work he’ll always be remembered for. The documentary is about how Bruce travels to the remotest parts of the world, including the eastern and south eastern part of Ethiopia, seeks the most isolated people living there and how he becomes ‘one of the Tribe.’ He stays for one month amongst them eating, drinking, dressing, hunting (sometimes being hunted) with the people. For once, here’s an honest outlook from an honest and humble man.

In the series Bruce visits four tribes in Ethiopia: the Mursi, the Dasenech, the Hamer and the Nyangatom. The videos show the way Bruce won the hearts of the young, the old and all in between. From chiefs to toddlers they all fall in love with him and he is very touched and at times surprised by the amount of love and respect that comes from the humblest abode. Some issues that really need kudos:

- Although Bruce is a physical education man from one of the best trained and toughest armies in the world, he bows down and is thrown around by the warriors. The respect and honour he shows the young warriors is commendable.

- Again, coming from a military background it’s very funny to see him fidgeting with an AK-47 and the locals commenting “he doesn’t know much about guns.”

- It really takes a great deal of courage to run around naked with body parts swinging left, right and all over, especially when there’s a camera that’s going to show it to the whole world.

- Especially endearing is the way he eats what the locals eat, with gusto, and gives an honest opinion. From the pancakes finger –fed to him, which was delicious, to the local beer that tasted like ‘paint-stripper.’

- While the whole world thinks of Ethiopia as a war-torn, famine-ravaged cess-pit, Bruce could see that these people were forced to fight to protect their livelihood, he brings all the ‘chaos’ that any other tourist would see into a pin-pointed perspective: at the risk of being painted as savages, these people have to fight to live. He saw deep inside them and found the beautiful part of them. Another example would be the whipping of female relatives of a person who is having his initiation ceremony. Again to the average outsider what would appear as pure abuse or cruelty, he got to the core of how that simple show of faith and love would be translated later and would be paid back with love and care.

Drinking blood, hunting crocs, eating the ickiest part of an animal and enduring some of the most embarrassing situations like a true Ethiopian in the end open the door to Bruce being adopted by many people as their son over and over again.

This is a DVD collection worth keeping and watching over and over again. On behalf of Ethiopia and Ethiopians this author bows low and says ‘Bravo! And thank you!’

Michael Jackson, Ethiopia and Ethiopians...

2009-06-27T08:36:00.007+03:00

Michael Jackson has passed away. If there is any person that isn't feeling pain, then they must have not heard about it.

This generation of Ethiopians will feel the loss of what was the image of grandness. Ethiopians will never forget "We are the world." No Ethiopian grew without trying to moonwalk. The zippered jacket were once a fad that wny child would kill to get. His music was on every teenager's lips.

We will miss you. May you rest in peace, Michael. Deepest and heartfelt condolences to your family.

You MUST be an Ethiopian if…

2009-06-20T10:01:00.001+03:00

1. You drive straddling two lanes. To most Ethiopians, the lines that are drawn on roads are either for decoration or just by employees of the Ministry of Transport having fun.

2. You think you’re worth more if you buy an expensive cell phone. This is even amazing since the most you can do with your cell phone is talk and send text messages. Only a few months back was 3G even started. The cell phone costing 350 ETB sometimes out-performs one that costs 3000 ETB.

3. You live in a hovel that charges 100 birr rent and park this year’s BMW outside. Many Ethiopians seem to have their priority wires in a tangle.

4. You are embarrassed to put on your seat belt while driving, but flaunt your thing as you pee in the streets. Many drivers in Ethiopia prefer not to wear seatbelts stating that people would call them show offs. But those same people would forget about people’s opinions when they had to go number one in public.

5. Pronounce ‘the’ as ‘ZE’, spell ‘welcome’ as ‘WELL COME’, forget how to spell words with the ‘e’ at the end and add it when not required. Examples would be “Well Come to Peac Hotele.”

6. You can spell your name, and have documents to prove it, in at least 5 different ways. Example: Biruk, Bruck, Birook, Brook, Beruk, Berook …

7. You open a new business and name it after the city you used to live in while you were in the United States. Addis Ababa is full of cafes, hair salons, hotels and other businesses with names of US states or cities. It wouldn’t be safe to mention them here.

8. You, while in Ethiopia will spend tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands of birr to get out and once out whine about how you’d rather be back home…

9. …and when you DO eventually come back home you brag about how good you had it in the west.

10. You kiss up to anyone that is better dressed than you, drives this year’s BMW and owns the cell phone in number two. It’s a sad fact that customer service givers, from guard to the highest manager will judge you by what you’re wearing. I’d really recommend that if you were having a bad hair day, were tinkering with your car’s oily and greasy parts and were wearing cutoffs, scraped boots and a filthy cap… you’d better change all of it before you answered that door bell. Whomever you might meet my ask you to go get the master of the house.

11. You can’t tell the difference between New Zealand and Netherlands. It was really embarrassing when a newscaster reading the news couldn’t make out which country was being mentioned, she decided to play it safe…so she said that the news was from, this is not a joke, “Newzerland.” EDIT: On the news on 19/06/2009 the commentator read news from "Swizland." It's not clear if Switzerland or Swaziland was the intended country.

12. You would rather dehydrate, sweat and stink up a storm, on a hot day, in a crowded car or bus, than to open a window, because you think the draft would kill you…

13. …and if at home, you still believe the old wives’ tale that the draft from two opened doors will make you sick. From the way some Ethiopians react when a window whether at home or in a car is cracked, you’d think it were bullets coming in rather than plain air. It would have been tolerable if the person asking that the offending window be shut were reasonably clean and had remembered to wash his feet this month or change socks since last week.

14. You cannot see the irony in drinking, eating and fornicating sinfully for the few days before Lent and thinking that you will make up for it all during the following 40 days. Two or three days before the fasting begins people go crazy bar-hopping till all crazy hours. They stuff themselves with all the food they can get their hands on.’ Sex and the City’ is really on! When asked, Ethiopians tend to say that it is to keep them stronger during the fasting, to help them make it through and to lessen the temptation. Isn’t this all against the Passion of Christ? Isn’t the whole idea of fasting to weaken one’s self and to fight the temptation…? Why bother if one is packing and storing for the ‘long haul’?

15. You think some job is below you while in Ethiopia, but would beg and grovel to do it in the US or Europe, but still not tell your family or anyone who knows you back home what it is exactly you do. You create fancy job titles like ‘Sanitation Engineer’ when you’re a plain old janitor. You say you work for ‘a large American company that has over 31,000 branches.’ You don’t exactly hint it but encourage people to think that you’re a shareholder in that company. It is a sad day when people find out you only work at McDonalds and the only share you hold is your share of the scoop… the fries scoop that is.

Damn… These Ethiopians fly high!

2009-06-02T17:04:00.005+03:00

Famous Ethiopians , to a non-Ethiopian, would highly be personalities like H.I.M. Hailesellasie I, Abebe Bikila, Emperors Tewodros and Menilik II, Haile Gebresellasie, Kenenisa Bekele, the Dibaba sisters and Meseret Defar. There are thousands and thousands more Ethiopians worth mentioning but below are the ones that held, to me, the torch a little higher but aren't as famous because they didn't get the right media coverage. Links are provided at the end for further reference.

1. Selam – Ethiopia’s earliest citizen. While many people may have heard of her famous distant cousin Lucy a.k.a Dinkinesh, Selam (Australopithecus afarensis) was discovered in Ethiopia in 2006 (which incidentally was Ethiopia’s New Millenium) by DR. Zeresenay Alemseged.

2. Kaldi – Ethiopia is the home of coffee. And a young goat herder called Kaldi is credited with the discovery, after he saw his goats dancing. He deduced that it must have had something to do with their eating from the coffee tree.

3. Etegue (Empress) Taytu Bitul – was the wife of Emperor Menilik II. While she was a strict ruler in her own sense, and had a big say in the day-to-day running of the Empire, she was also known for her love of nature. She discovered the site for the foundation of the capital city and named it "Addis Ababa" (New Flower). She was also the one that identified the mistranslation done on purpose by the Italians which would have made Ethiopia a colony of Italy. The most amazing fact is, she led an army and fought the Italians alongside her husband. That makes her the only black Empress to have defeated a modern army – at the battle of Adowa.

4. Wro. Asegedech Asefa - Is the first African woman to pilot an Airplane in or around 1962. When most of Africa was still getting used to the buzz of aircraft Wro. (Amharic for Mrs.) Asegedech had learnt to fly, and gotten her license after joining a civilians club that was run by Ethiopian Airlines.

5. Captain Alemayehu Abebe - the first African commercial jet pilot and the first African to command a commercial jetliner across the Atlantic. He was Ethiopian Airlines’ first Ehiopian pilot after getting his command in 1957.

6. Dr. Aklilu Lemma – winner of The Right Livelihood Award (1989) with Dr. Legesse W/Yohannes for the discovery of the preventive for schistosomiasis (bilharzia). Bilharzia is a disease that is uses the snail as a vector before passing on to human beings. It was Dr. Aklilu’s research that found a way to break the cycle, he used a plant that grew near the rivers – the Sarcoca plant (‘Endod’ in Amharic).

7. Engineer Kitaw Ejigu – was a prominent engineer and scientist that worked for NASA, Rockwell International and Boeing. He was Africa’s only and one of the world’s most renowned aerospace scientists.

8. Captain Aster Tolossa – Is an Ethiopian Air Force pilot. She is the only female pilot to have shot down an enemy aircraft in air to air combat in the jet age. She shot down a MIG-29 from her SU-27 during the Ethio-Eritrean war. The irony is that the pilot flying the Eritrean MIG was her former flight-school instructor, a Russian, flying for the Eritreans.

9. Dr. Belay Abegaz – a Pediatric Cardiologist, is the founder and current Board Chairman of the Children’s Heart Fund which opened a Cardiac Center in Ethiopia for treatment of children with heart diseases. He has made it possible for Ethiopians and the rest of Africa to be treated without having to travel half across the world at exorbitant prices.

10. Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged – discoverer of Selam (Australopithecus - look at number 1) he is the curator and chair of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences.

Many more unsung heroes will be added in later blogs. Comments and corrections are highly appreciated.

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Abebe_Alemayehu_670075517.aspx
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_189.shtml
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=1459681013849477496&hl=en
http://www.rightlivelihood.org/lemma.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selam_(Australopithecus)
http://www.chfe.org