Man Tired of Seeing Off and Receiving Friends At Addis Airport

Ethiopian Man Says He Is Tired of

Seeing Off And Receiving Friends

At Bole Airport

By WT  (CHEWATA’s Reporter in Addis Ababa)
CHEWATA NEWS

A man named Ashagre Mulatu in Addis Ababa, also known by his nick name as “Gash Airport”, says that he is sick and tired of seeing off friends who travel abroad and receiving others who come to visit from various countries at Bole airport and says, for once, he wants to be on the other side of “Yeshegniwoch Mesmer” at the airport.

Ashagre, according to our reporter who interviewed several people that know him well, has tried to get a visa to travel to so many countries, but always comes up short.  A very close friend of his told CHEWATA, “Ashagre yetewoldedew beka guadegnochun lemeshegnet ena lemekebel bicha new !”

Mr. Ashagre says almost all of his close friends and most family members have traveled abroad on one type of visa or another and he, on the other hand, has tried to go abroad and see life as  an immigrant but all his attempts of getting a visa had been denied by the various foreign embassies in Addis.  ” I have tried to get a student visa, immigrant visa, non-immigrant visa, professional visa, poor people’s visa, invitation (meshewoja) visa…all denied.  Just recently I desperately tried to get  a male-maid visa to Dubai and to my surprise that was also denied, ” he bitterly told CHEWATA.   “Beka sew eyeshegnehu ena eyetekeblku arjeche lemot new?”

An immigration expert CHEWATA talked to at Addis Ababa’s Immigrant and Migrant Institute, Ato Mehari Chekol, said Ato Ashagre should try his visa luck first with nearby and smaller countries.  “He should try Djibouti first,” he said angrily.  “I have seen his record and he has been trying to get  a visa to the United States 35 times and to Australia 27 times just this year alone!  These economic power house countries are not just going to grant their visas to any old joe whose proven profession is Chat Eyekamu Bole Sew Meshegnet!”

A friend of Ashagre, who asked that his name be hidden for this report said, ” Yene Ashagre Serategnam bekedem wode Dubai visa agegneta letehedilet new. Esuwanem yaw bole hedo shegneto yemelesatal!”

Despite his many set backs, Ashagre says he will not give up trying to get a visa to any country abroad because, as he put it, “I am tired of being the last  sad face my friends see as they disappear with other passengers at bole airport and being the first eager face they see when they arrive at Bole Airport from abroad!”

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Ethiopain Movies and Their “Englizegna Birku”Makers

Ethiopians are making lots of movies these days in Ethiopia, targeted for Ethiopian audiences.  The dialogues are in Amharic, the actors are Ethiopians, and the stories are mostly Ethiopia-based.  So why is it necessary for the movie credits or descriptions of the movies be written in English, which most Ethiopians won’t understand anyway?  It looks like these days, most movie makers think their Ethiopian movie will be more “hip” if its announcement posters or rolling descriptions on the movie itself were written in English, rather than in the Ethiopian language that the movie viewers in Ethiopia understand.   It even seems like the movie makers have word for word copied the styles of Hollywood in advertising their movies.   The catch phrases of “a Kebede Dinku film”, “Director Alemu Bishaw”, “Produced by” are used widely in English in movie announcements, as if equivalent words of Amharic are not available for it. It seems as if Ethiopian movie makers Englizegna berk yehonebachew” !. My humble suggestion to them is to stop over using English words unnecessarily as if to show off their English language knowledge, and use the Ethiopian language for their Ethiopian audiences.  What is the point of using English for audiences whose primary language is Amharic and the movie’s dialogue is also in Amharic?  Subtitles in English are understandable, but throwing English words around in the middle of an Ethiopian movie, made in an Ethiopian language, directed at Ethiopian audiences seems very amateurish, at best.  Are Ethiopian movie makers trying to impress tourists in Ethiopia by throwing around English words on their movie posters?  If the role of the Ethiopian movies is to enrich Ethiopian culture and reach Ethiopian audiences, then the dialogue and all the writings should be in Ethiopian language.  Hollywood has more than adequately used English in its countless movies, thank you very much.   I have seen many Ethiopian movies who use unnecessary English words even when there are perfectly good Amharic equivalent words.  Even famous Ethiopians seem to easily mix English words when being interviewed by Ethiopian media people preparing programs for Ethiopians.  Why the need to use English when the Amharic equivalent words are available?
Examples of English words used (written using Ethiopian fonts, no less)
“Move producer” — Film azegaj

Ethiopian movie makers  unintentionally seem to work hard to make English words a permanent substitute for Ethiopian words.  Please be proud of your own language and stop pandering to a non-existent English audience for your Ethiopian movies.  Ethiopia is not India and English is NOT a second language for Ethiopians. Stop imitating other people’s culture and language when you can enrich and expand the Ethiopian language.

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