braindrain sucks.

I’ve said it before.
I say it again.

Is it OK that there are more ethiopian doctors in US than in Ethiopia?
Is it OK that the brain-drain seriously is slowing down the development of a country that really needs to develop?

I say NO.

Almost all young people I meet desperately want to leave Ethiopia. Desperately want to try their luck in whatever country they may get visa for. Desperately want to leave.

Personally I think it is stupid. Yeah. I understand the part of wanting to leave to get a chance to get real money and live a wealthy life bla bla but seriously – take my home country for example: we have extremly well educated taxi drivers and burger flippers. People who could be in their (poor) home countries and be a part of the change, the development, the prosperity of their beloved home countries they are instead driving my old uncle back and forth in a taxi.

Is it really money that is everything?

Why should countries like Ethiopia “feed” US and european countries with their educated people?

Sorry to say it, but if there is ever going to be a change you need to stop complaining and stop trying to get out of this country and instead start to work.

I am absolutely sure that Ethiopia has a bright and prosperious future.

But then you have to stay and build it.

dead computers, blaha and aid

My laptop got what turned out to be an ever-lasting black out. It just died on me one sunny day, without much of warning. (Of course there was a lot of signs of what was coming, but I am to incompetent to understand computer-dying-on-me-signs.) And so I was left without access to the cyberspace for a while.

I’ll get back here soon, with fresh ideas and inspiriation to enrich your lives with my bla-ha-bla.
Until then, spend your time reading the linked articles below.

First this
Then this
At last this

What do you think? Who is right?

about the concert (the very thin ice)

Forgive me for not updating so often, the reason is that I pretend to have a life.

But this is supposed to be about the concert:

I was there. I was early. Because I didn’t want to miss it. So I was standing in the rain for two hours and then waited four more hours. For you Teddy, so for God’s sake, read this.

The people love him. It is not all people in this world who can keep a crowd of many thousand people waiting in rain a whole day, and then enter and being welcomed with a never-ending shouting “Teddy Teddy” that probably was heard all over Addis. He managed it.

The concert ifself wasn’t either bad or good, it was more like a huge sing-along for some hours. Sometimes you couldn’t hear Teddy singing because the crowd was also singing. Everybody knows all songs and even me was standing there shouting “LAMBADIIIIIIIINA”.

But he didn’t sing yasteseriyal.

Which was what we were all waiting for.

I hoped that he would… change his mind. Sing it anyway. Say “what the heck…”

But he didn’t.

And then I left the Stadium. Feeling a little weird. A little sad.

The reason is clear: the ice is very thin under his feet. It is not easy being Teddy Afro nowadays.

 

And we’ll have to wait and see. Hero or not?

nothing, really

Not a sound, nothing from Teddy so far.

And that is not very surprising.

Me on the other hand, keep my self busy in injera-land. And try to figure out what things like these means.

And enjoy life, enjoy the ethiopian rythm of life. Eat my injera and drink my tea.

A tea that nowadays is pure and only ethiopian which I am proud to tell you.

That was it for today. I am too tired to think.

yeTeddy Afro hager

I read this article, of “Teddy Afro’s joyous welcome” and it is a lovely description of the habesha culture.

I was amazed the first time I visited a hospitalized friend and found that he was surrounded by family and friends 24/7 and that even when he was so tired and the only thing he did was sleeping… people were still there. It is charming, but would probably drive me crazy if I ever become so sick I need to be in a hospital. Where I come from, only the closests relatives and friends visit in hospital, and then only for an hour or two per day.

And the same thing with Teddy. He just left a prison were he most likely hasn’t been alone for one single moment and what happens when he comes home to visit his mom? They of course arrange a welcome home party. Lovely. But hey, the guy is tired. Want to lay down in a sofa, watch a film and meet with his closest friends and relatives. Wants to be free, do whatever he wants without policemen watching him. Instead:

(…) Most of the ladies wore traditional dresses and expressed their gratefulness for Teddy’s release by saying “Elelelele…” His sisters and relatives were busy serving lunch, soft drinks and coffee for every guest whom they knew or never met before.

Many people made the artist busy by asking lots of questions and requesting to be photographed with him. Everyone seems to be in some small wedding party without a bride, as the groom is kissed and hugged by everyone all day.

Though Teddy appears to be very exhausted, he tried his best to be part of his “welcome home party”.  He welcomed and thanked everyone who came to his mother’s place.

One thing that I found very interesting was that he was just saying “okay” to everyone and all kinds of questions, trying to satisfy everyone at the same time.

He appears to have gained a bit of weight, although some of his fans I met in his mom’s house told me that he had gained more than this in prison and this is just his normal weight. (…)

Lovely, isn’t it? Especially the last part about his weight. I love it: “Wow, you are SOOO Fat!” they shout to me when I come back from four weeks vacation in hagere, where I have struggled and fought hard to gain four kilo and only succeded with half of it. It is a compliment. It is common, it is OK to discuss and comment on people’s weight. (so, if you ever go to Ethiopia: be prepared and take no offense.) 

And I guess you were prepared for all of it, Teddy.

As I said, it is charming. Opening your home for fans and unknown people. I would have escaped to a secret place if I were you. And if it had been in any other country it wouldn’t have happened. Which famous popstar would open his family’s home for fans if he were not ethiopian? This is one reason why some love this country so much. And one of the reason why some ferendjis go crazy after some time.

no ferendjis

I celebrated Teddy’s freedom with… working. No stalking at his mothers house, no giving flowers, no waiting outside Kality.

I actually didn’t find out that he was free until late last night since I was, as usual, busy… working and since I had no time checking internet and since I never ever watch ETV.

But what really made my day was tonight, when on my way home in a “contra” taxi, the driver speaks to me about how good the business are other times when the ferendjis are up late in the night dancing and drinking. I tell him that they all went back to their countries since it is kremt and that no one wants to be here in kremt. We discuss the situation, in amharic, and he never even consider me as a… ferendji.

Teddy is free and I am not a ferendji.

kremt = rainy season

Congratulations!

Teddy is a free man.

Now I’m looking forward to see what happens next. I still believe in happy endings, so go be that Hero now!

today’s story

You find it here.

comparing

She is good, but the remix is terrible:

She is good and the remix is lovely:

try try try

I try to, not like him, but not judge him completely. Try to think that he is not entirely bad, that he is doing his best trying to improve Ethiopia.

But so far I’m not impressed.

One of the reasons is that me and him define democracy in very different ways.