12 reasons why I love Ethiopia, a land of Ancient Culture

I fell hard in love with Ethiopia in 2007 while building mud huts in Jimma (south-western Ethiopia).  I have returned four times since - 2009, 2012 and 2016, 2018 respectively - with future plans to make her home, exhavier yawkhal.  

This list is by no means exhaustive, here lies in my heart an abundance of reasons but these are the ones that speak to me foremost.



1. Ethiopia makes me FEEL

To quote the great Maya Angelou “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Above all the human experiences on earth, one that sits highly on my list is to feel validated and Ethiopia does that for me. Ethiopia makes ME FEEL HUMAN.  She nurtures my spirit, tantalises my senses, cultivates my human experience and validates my existence. 

She is yene (my) spiritual home.


2. Culture and history

Faithful pilgrims gather at the Rock-hewn churches in Lalibela

Rich, unique and mysterious are a few adjectives that come to mind when I think of Ethiopia.  Mother nature was in a playful mood when she created her!

See why Ethiopia was voted the worlds best tourism destination for 2015 here.

• Cradle of human mankind.

• More than 80 ethnic groups and up to 200 different dialects spoken.  The official national language is Amharic, a complex yet beautiful sounding Semitic language.

• A deeply religious country, Christianity and Muslim are the two major religions, roughly two-thirds to one-third respectively. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the oldest Christian church in Africa and dates back to the 1st century AD.

Ethiopian food

• Food - the spices, the fresh fruit and veges, the injera, the meat stews, the vegetarian food, the way food is eaten and the dishes synonymous with holydays.  All of it utterly delights my senses. The smell of Berbere, a spice consisting of a number of ingredients makes a tasty and hot spice common in Ethiopian dishes, fills my senses with Ethiopian-living nostalgia.

• The birthplace of coffee and beautiful coffee ceremonies - see reason 11.

• The only uncolonised country in Africa to successfully fight of the European and the oldest independent country in Africa with 3000 years of independence.

• Ethiopia has 9 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the most in Africa.

• Ethiopia, then called Abyssinia has beckoned adventure seekers, writers and explorers for thousands of years.

One of my favourite ways to get a hit of Ethiopian culture is to spend an evening enjoying delicious Ethiopian food, drinks and coffee whilst absorbing a showcase of different tribal  music and dance. My personal recommendation is Yod Abyssinia Cultural restaurant on Bole rd.

Dancers in Amhara tribe traditional attire at Yod Abyssinia Restaurant

3. The people

He aha te mea nui o te ao

What is the most important thing in the world?

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

It is the people, it is the people, it is the people

- Maori proverb (indigenous people of New Zealand)

When I think of Ethiopian people, one visual that stands out for me are the elaborate friendly customary greetings...the ritual three kisses (sometimes more) and endless greeting phrases - dana nesh, endet nek, minamen.. and the usual answer - dana exhavier yimesgen (for christians) meaning - fine thanks to god.  The way they greet one another is the way they do life - affectionately and un-rushed.  To me, It is undeniable that their faith allows them to embrace the concept of living consciously through being grateful for each day and encounter.  Ethiopians are grace personified.

The kindness the middle to upper-class Ethiopians show the less fortunate beggars and shoeshine-boys, the respect for elders and affection for children makes one's heart smile.

Friends greeting one another affectionately

The culture and history is something beholding, but ahh the people, now.. they are something else entirely.  A people with a deep sense of identity, grace, beauty, deep patriotism, funny, friendly, respectful, hospitable, tenacious strength, they know how to enjoy the simple things, minamen...I could go on.  

It was the children first, then the adults - on my first visit to Ethiopia in 2007 building mud huts in Jimma - it was then that I lost my heart to this country and the rest is history, and now, my future.  

4. The way Ethiopians speak

I would often just sit in a blue taxi van (the public transport in the capital Addis Ababa), surrender to the present and let the culture fill my senses.  I particularly love the way Ethiopians speak and express themselves orally and I would often find myself passing many hours this way, watching neighbourhoods go by and listening quietly to the van's occupants speaking to one another or on a phone call. 

The soothing eloquent linguistic quality of Ethiopians speaking Amharic has an effect on my soul much akin to a symphony orchestra to a musician -  affectionate, expressive, the titillating undulating tones, the quality and speed of the many sounds are so exciting to listen to, the kkker sounds that originate from the back of the throat, which is near-impossible for the farunge (foreign) mouth; the informal cries of ende! araa! weyee! weynee! abet!  I especially enjoy hearing 'Abet' coming from an obedient childs' mouth, oh so sweet!  

Their humour is all about language.  Deep-embedded oratory familiarity with witty innuendos, sayings, metaphors, allusions and puns that one day I hope to master. 


5. They love to talk!

It's like they lavish everything wonderful about their culture, juice all the goodness and deliver it through their oratory. Ethiopia Telecom is a monopoly and they must make a killing because Ethiopians LOVE TO TALK ON THEIR PHONES all the time!!  Numerous times I encountered this experience of just meeting someone and after one or two days of no communication they would call me and say "Selam nesh Kimiye (greetings Kim), what happened? You disappeared".  I think they just wanted to talk.

6. Haile Selassie

If I could meet any Ethiopian - dead or alive - it would be this man, the late Haile Selassie, the Lion of Judah, born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael - the last emperor in the 3000-year-old Ethiopian monarchy, defining figure in both Ethiopian and African history, the inspiration and namesake behind the Rastafari Movement and my son Ambessa's namesake (Ambessa means Lion in Amharic). 

Upon living in Ethiopia for one year, after talking to many Ethiopians and learning more on the happenings during his 44-year reign, I found myself guilty of being innocent to the once-revered emperors' prestige and power and all that he did for his country, among those his modernisation efforts i.e he had an instrumental role in establishing Ethiopian airlines (the most profitable African airlines), Addis Ababa university and the African Union to name a few, it became evident that views on Haile Selassie were divided, nevertheless I remain on the 'for' side, taken by his charisma, intensity, strength of character and vision.


7. Weyelas in the blue public taxi vans

Blue taxi van Weyela on the job in Ethiopia

Bole bole bole!! Megenanya megenanya!! Gergi gergi gergi!! Just some of the destinations heard from the deep throated cries of weyalas hanging half emerged out of the sometimes near-defunct taxi van doors and windows, a crazy and wonderful sight!  They also do a pretty good job keeping tabs on all their passengers comings and goings.

8. Remnants of the Italian occupation

Ethiopian Shoeshine boy or 'listro' with his work materials on the streets of Addis Ababa

• One of the best things the Italians left behind is their legacy of food.  Addis Ababa boasts some of The BEST Italian restaurants - simple and freshly made pasta, pizza etc and the quality and freshness of ingredients almost always of fresh organic quality.  

• Shoeshine kids or formally known as 'Listro' derived from the Italian word 'Lustro' meaning 'to make something shine'.  Being a Listro is a stepping stone for many rural migrants into an urban life.  Row after row of shoeshine boys and girls (usually boys) line the busy city streets with their wooden cans filled with kiwi shoe polish, brushes and assorted other instruments.  They are apart Ethiopian society effecting their part in making some money for themselves, their education, family or sometimes all these reasons.  I loved how each kid was in effect a "business owner" and learning valuable ways of the "street" yet in essence just children thrust into an adult life.

• Piassa - A chaotic yet charismatic Italian-inspired part of Addis Ababa, an area I would often find myself.  The name is a legacy of the Italian occupation era where you will find Italian cafes and restaurants and my most favourite place to chill, Taitu Hotel - the first hotel in Ethiopia. It has character in spades.

9. Meaning-full names

My self-given Ethiopian name is Tigist, meaning Patience.  I named myself this after living in Ethiopia for sometime, I was feeling challenged and felt it was a virtue I wanted to culture within myself.  

Names are given to children for one reason or another, for virtuous qualities the family wants bestowed upon thee e.g. Tigist; or a circumstance the child has been born into e.g Kasahun meaning replacement, usually following the death of a previous sibling; or the significance of the child to a loved one e.g Setota meaning gift or Desta meaning happiness; or derived from Christian or Islamic roots e.g Kidus meaning blessed one in Christianity.  

I got into the habit of always asking someone upon meeting "What does your name mean?" in amharic "yanchi seme menden new?"  (to a female).  Ethiopian names always piqued my curiosity.  Isn't this method of naming so precious and intriguing? 

Once the childs' name is chosen she then takes the fathers first name as her surname.  Many Ethiopians, such as my husband Yonas, can recite their lineage up to ten or more generations back! Let me use my husband as an example, his name is Yonas Taye Seifu, three generations in his name - his given name is Yonas, his fathers' name is Taye and his grandfathers' name Seifu, and so forth.

10.  No McDonalds or KFC!

Recently, Ethiopia has been coined the "Dubai of Africa" due to the developmental boom she has been and is currently experiencing.  Nonetheless she remains undiluted by large food chain corporations such as McD's or KFC, and more importantly the local small businesses are sustained, this means the backbone of society - the people - are supported and this agrees with me.  For this reason she radiates the feeling of being a foreign faraway land untouched from the gluttonous so-called "developed" world and I hope this never changes.  

Coffee being poured from a Jabena

11.  Coffee ceremonies

I always cherish a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, so very intimate and usually performed by a female.  

Holding a coffee ceremony is a way of welcoming and showing a guest hospitality and is probably one of the most celebrated Ethiopian traditions and a lifestyle - in which most Ethiopians can identify with.

The care and attention that is put into each step captures my imagination.  Often I've been invited to someones home where they would spend their meagre earnings on buying coffee beans from the local shop, popcorn and a fanta or sprite.  Hospitality is a well-known quality of Ethiopians and one that will never be lost on me.

12. My Sunday morning ritual 

Macchiato and Ethiopian gazettaoch (newspapers), in particular Reporter, Capital and Fortune.  I always favoured Capital because the other two were more political and business based.  I would find a newspaper vendor boy around Bole Delde (bridge), pay the 5birr and simmer for 1-2hrs in a cafe sipping on the best coffee in the world whilst divulging on local news.