You, you, you YOU!

Locals are everywhere, and we fear we have not seen the worst of it.  Children continue their hooting of You you you you you you! and have added, Where’s my money.  Give me Burr [rolling the ‘rr’ it is the local currency].  Census results vary, but most agree the population is over 75 million people.  The two days of cycling into Gonder have been relatively peaceful. Ethiopia is notorious for the highest amount of stone throwing [scarily accurate, as children throw rocks to herd sheep and to hunt] and theft.

 

As one can imagine, they are masterful of English’s profanities.  After having a stone thrown at you, the verbal response is an irrepressible reflex: What the fuck!? Fuck you!  To which they somewhat innocently repeat, What the fuck? Fuck you!  Their insults are the most entertaining, from an American perspective, when they draw from British exclamations: Piss off! You Wanker! Bugger Off! You Bloody Muppet!

 

I’m still trying to put my finger on Ethiopians.  I’ve been told by others that they are impossible to understand (not unlike the Chinese).  For example, my boss once ran an NGO here.  Many of the Ethiopian staff were stealing and were soon fired for stealing.  When my boss brought them to the office to fire them, they innocently asked, “Why am I being fired.”  “You stole from me,” my boss said.  “No, you gave me the opportunity to steal, therefore it is your fault,” they replied.  After this happened several times, an Ethiopian friend of his told him, “Stop firing people when they steal from you.  Each new staff member will steal, because they think it will be the only chance they have.  If they steal and there is no consequence, they won’t steal anymore because they can steal at anytime.” 

 

I mentioned their time and calendar in a previous entry.  Driving to dinner last night, I saw another banner for the Ethiopian Millennium.  Joking with everyone in our car, I said, “On right, I forgot, happy millennium everyone!”  Our Ethiopian guide (and driver at the time), angered by the laughter, told me not to joke about their millennium.  I asked for the date of New Years Day.  He replied, “You should already know.”   

 

All I can say after three days in Ethiopia: the Ethiopians are a very proud people.