Although, at times the slower pace of life in Ethiopia can be frustrating, there is a value in the time people take to enjoy spending time with others and having a macchiato in the afternoon. I have (slowly) grown to appreciate taking time to enjoy simple things and have also had the ability to engage in activities I never had time for back home.
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The holiday season has officially come and gone. In Ethiopia, it seems a little longer for those who observe the festive Timket, or Epiphany. This holiday is held in mid-January, elongating an already packed month touting New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Gena, or Ethiopian Christmas. Being here for the Fellowship keeps me far away from the familiarity, and the sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday season – the garland and tinsel, packed shopping malls, eagerness to welcome the upcoming new year, delicious leftovers, and more.
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EDM tracks, beatboxing, singing at karaoke night, and poetry night…this is Addis.
I attended performing arts schools throughout my primary and secondary school. I studied music, dance, and drama alongside traditional subjects such as English, History, Math, and Science; an educational anomaly amongst Ethiopian-Americans.
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How do you define the term active citizen? Based on your definition, would you consider yourself an active citizen? In my opinion, an active citizen is an individual that believes he or she has a responsibility to take on a role in his or her community; active citizens are engaged advocates for themselves, as well as other members or groups in society. They do many ‘things’ to be advocates through activities ranging from volunteering, to recycling, to donating, to voting. In short, active citizens work to improve the lives of others and contribute to social justice in their community by taking action on issues in order to make a positive difference. They question the way things are done to ensure that all members of a community are following practices and supporting systems that foster a fair and inclusive society.
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This past September, as part of my fellowship with St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, I had the chance to travel to a few cities outside of Addis Ababa, including Mek’ele, Axum, Gondar, and Bahir Dar. It was an incredible experience. After a bit of reflection, I wanted to share the top three moments from my travels with you, the reader and share some professional tips (pro tips) for adventures in Ethiopia with you, the future visitor. For those who know me, being brief is… practically impossible, but I always enjoy a good challenge – so here goes and hope you enjoy this short read!
Ever since I arrived to Ethiopia, I have noticed that public spaces are predominantly occupied by men. Whether it is the streets I walk on, the taxis I take, or the cafes I go to, I’ve noticed that men tend to outnumber women. I have also noticed that women are often expected to behave passively. So I was quite surprised when I heard about an active feminist group here in Addis Ababa called Setaweet.
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By Meron BegashawAs a member of an active immigrant Ethiopian community in Los Angeles, I have had the opportunity to experience the pleasures of our culture, traditions, and, with much fervor, our holidays on the grandest of scales. As an Orthodox Christian, I can, for example, attest to the elaborate, deeply spiritual, and somewhat comparable-to-Ethiopia experience that is the Timket holiday in Los Angeles. This annual celebration of Epiphany is arguably one of the largest – in both the number of partakers and the scope of festivities – in the Diaspora. In my imagination, nothing can compare to celebrating holidays in the land that originated the ornate practices we replicate in the Diaspora. This is one of the reasons why I was so excited to celebrate Meskel, the holiday whose devotees commemorate the finding of the Christian True Cross, for the first time ever in Ethiopia.
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By Eden Mekonen
At the start of our pre-departure training in Los Angeles, we learned about the “Four H’s of Acculturation” – these being Honeymoon, Hostility, Humor, and Home. As someone who’s admittedly oscillated between humor and hostility, I sometimes feel as though a fifth “H” should be included for “Humbled.” Addis Ababa, and Ethiopia in general, has truly been a humbling experience for a compass-dependent and GPS reliant person, such as myself. I like to think of Google Maps as the reliable friend who you can always count on to help you out when you literally don’t know which way to turn; the friend you could always depend on to guide you whenever you take a misstep. However, as GPS isn’t widely used or accessible in Addis Ababa, navigating around the city has proven very challenging for me.
While this isn’t my first stay in Ethiopia, in previous visits I’ve often relied on directionally-savvy family members for geographic guidance. However, having come back to Addis this time around as an Ethiopian Diaspora Fellow,
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It’s hard to describe my connection with Ethiopia as a Diaspora. I was raised to love my Ethiopian culture, history, and heritage since the day I was born. Yet, my only memory and my first trip to Ethiopia was five years ago – when I went to bury my mother. My tie to Ethiopia was embedded in my mother’s passing. However, I found that although returning to Ethiopia would be painful, it was something I desperately wanted and needed. Coming to Ethiopia would begin a new chapter of my identity as an Ethiopian.
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