I would like to welcome everybody who is reading this post to these words of wisdom from the home of the original, asiatic man, AFRICA! For an African-American such as I ,who sometimes feels like an outsider among the groups of Americans in which I interact with on a day to day basis, Africa has been nothing short of amazing!! As a member of the diaspora, returning to the motherland (although I'm kinda sure I'm "from" the other side of the continent) has been a great experience of coming back to my roots. This is in a very real sense
I really feel accepted by the people here**. I truly been accepted and wherever I go people say that I am "Habishaw" which means an indigenous person. The rest of my team are "ferendie" which means foreigner (I am quite sure that I am butchering these words as I try and spell them). No matter where I go people take one look at me and tell me that I am habishaw. At the airport when I first got here someone walked up to me and asked if I spoke Amharic and I said no. Then my team's interpreter said that I could pass for Habishaw. At first I thought that people were just messing with me and trying to make me feel good but literally everywhere I go, from major city to mudhut village, people refer to me as Habishaw. In fact, last night while I was out someone walked up to me and spoke to me completely in Amharic and walked away. He had no idea that I was from America. As I am told, this will come with a great many benefits, most notably not having to pay any "skin tax" that the rest of my team will have to pay.
I really can't underscore how amazing it is that I'm accepted here. I don't feel like I have to speak a certain way to put people at ease that I "belong" here. I am simply just accepted as a member of the community. There will be no daily reminders that I'm some kind of other, too black for some white folks and too white for some black folks. I mean, I've only been here a week but I figure the more Amharic that I learn to speak the more I will be able to seemlessly integrate with the community.
Since I know some are thinking this, this is not some great slight to Americans or the way I am treated in America. To be honest, it's not as bad as it seems. It's kinda life. The jokes and whatnot that I get roll off my shoulders as what they are, jokes. I love America and Americans. We are the greatest nation on the planet and I would bleed on the flag to make sure the stripes stay red.
**Note: "Here" will be a nebulous place, at least officially. If you manage to put two and two together and figure out where I am, I'm not mad at 'cha I just don't want to make it easy for the terrorists to find me.
I really feel accepted by the people here**. I truly been accepted and wherever I go people say that I am "Habishaw" which means an indigenous person. The rest of my team are "ferendie" which means foreigner (I am quite sure that I am butchering these words as I try and spell them). No matter where I go people take one look at me and tell me that I am habishaw. At the airport when I first got here someone walked up to me and asked if I spoke Amharic and I said no. Then my team's interpreter said that I could pass for Habishaw. At first I thought that people were just messing with me and trying to make me feel good but literally everywhere I go, from major city to mudhut village, people refer to me as Habishaw. In fact, last night while I was out someone walked up to me and spoke to me completely in Amharic and walked away. He had no idea that I was from America. As I am told, this will come with a great many benefits, most notably not having to pay any "skin tax" that the rest of my team will have to pay.
I really can't underscore how amazing it is that I'm accepted here. I don't feel like I have to speak a certain way to put people at ease that I "belong" here. I am simply just accepted as a member of the community. There will be no daily reminders that I'm some kind of other, too black for some white folks and too white for some black folks. I mean, I've only been here a week but I figure the more Amharic that I learn to speak the more I will be able to seemlessly integrate with the community.
Since I know some are thinking this, this is not some great slight to Americans or the way I am treated in America. To be honest, it's not as bad as it seems. It's kinda life. The jokes and whatnot that I get roll off my shoulders as what they are, jokes. I love America and Americans. We are the greatest nation on the planet and I would bleed on the flag to make sure the stripes stay red.
**Note: "Here" will be a nebulous place, at least officially. If you manage to put two and two together and figure out where I am, I'm not mad at 'cha I just don't want to make it easy for the terrorists to find me.
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