Life has a propensity to mold and transform us. There are more things which change in our lives than constants. Facebook has recently evolved into a new behemoth to me. I admit, its sudden take-over of this globe gives me great apprehension. It’s potentially an unchecked baby monster… like a gremlin before it touches water at midnight, or eats a cupcake in a full moon, or whatever it was they had to do to change into those relentless little devils. I will not delineate the mundane details of the possibilities I conjure up in my head… but just picture- hideous uniforms, bad ID pictures tattooed on foreheads and tomato wars on leap years… I know. Terrifying.

Perhaps I am externalizing an…

Ethiopia is one of the most stunning places on earth. Our motto is “13 Months of Sunshine” because of its wonderful, sunny climate–even during the couple of months during the rainy season. Travelers marvel at the incredible greenery, majestic mountains, and—most of all—Ethiopia’s beautiful people. Ethiopia’s existence dates back almost 3,000 years. Here, in fact, is where the legendary skeleton of Lucy was discovered. She is evidence of one of the earliest traces of our hominid ancestors—she is slightly older than 3.2 million years old.

However, more than anything else, the beauty of Ethiopia is…

Observing social Ethiopian-American phenomena does not end on American soil. As any member of the Ethiopian Diaspora can attest, my first trip back home after a long absence was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. Through a comedic procession of social mistakes which would have mortified anyone else, I learned about daily life in my homeland. No matter how many stories you hear or how many shady video tapes you watch of Gash so and so’s wedding, you will not truly get the experience until you go home again. Today, I will share one such occurrence which stands out in my mind only because I hardly get embarrassed and to hopefully make you smile…at my expense.

Though I am not religious myself, I am quite captivated with…

I once heard a theory supposedly based in rocket science about what exactly we are; ‘we’ as in this earth, all which inhabits and surrounds it. Everything can be measured in units of energy. Here is the kicker. The source of this energy is not disconnected from the entities around it. Everything that exists is just an extension of this huge energy ball; you, me, the trees outside, the pen and paper on your desk and the stars in the sky. Now I am no rocket scientist, but I understand the gist of this theory says that we are all one. Our tools of perception may make it appear as we are separated. Our two eyes can only see the skin and bones of our brothers and sisters. Our single nose and tongue only tastes and smells the meal we will soon consume. Our skin only touches those things around us which are tangible, and our ears only hear vibrations of air. But we all have that sixth sense, don’t we?

Sometimes we feel a connection between…

Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true.” It’s a saying that ought to be embroidered on a pillow or at least posted on the refrigerator. Just as o two snowflakes are alike, God created each of us differently from all others. Therefore, when it comes to style, you can’t be afraid to simply be yourself. You can only radiate outwardly what you feel inside—and that is your style. Once you know what that is, you can build an entire wardrobe with clothes that flatter you most.

You’ve seen women dressed in designer clothes, maybe carrying an expensive handbag and walking in uncomfortable stiletto heels. As costly as their outfits were, though, they didn’t look quite right in them because essentially their clothes were …

Want to hear a joke? An Ethiopian couple drive by a car that is in the ditch, and the husband says to the wife, honey, call 911! At which point, she says *mts* Thus the joke, what is the Ethiopian 911? *mts* Make that sound effect and you will hear what I am talking about. At this point, you either laughed, or you got upset, either way, this little joke evoked an emotion in you. Why? Is it because it is true, because our concept of helping someone in need is to in fact say *mts*? They say behind every joke…

One of the exciting things to look forward to when entering a new culture is acquainting oneself with a whole set of new holidays. Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s day, and April Fools. I remember learning how to celebrate these events and taking a few years to ‘get it right’.

A close friend of mine who was born in Eritrea, lived in Kenya and then migrated to the U.S. told me about his first Halloween in the States. He did not believe his friends when they told him that everyone would dress-up as someone else and ask the neighbors for candy. First, if neighbors were actually willing to oblige to give the naughty kids anything where he came from, it would have been…