My hotel has complimentary breakfast. I actually find it better than most
complimentary hotel breakfasts (breakfasti?) in America. There are scrambled eggs and what they
call French toast, but I actually think it is better and sweeter. Plus they have all the Ethiopian
fixings which adds delicious spice and of course coffee….mmm….coffee. At any rate, it’s a pretty sweet deal
and there really is something for everyone, I think. So yesterday this big dude comes in for breakfast right after
I arrive looking like he just got off the boat and is trying to figure out the
deal. I inwardly grin at myself
because it’s nice to finally know what’s going on (sorta). I should also mention that the
staff here at Harambee hotel have been awesome. Many of them speak only a little bit of English, but
we all smile at each other a lot and it’s very pleasant. So anyway, dude is trying to figure out
breakfast and to his credit he smiles and says good morning to me, but then…he
gets stuck on wanting syrup. Then
he does that thing that just makes me want to throw my American passport out a
window, when no one understands what he is asking for, he just says it
louder. And louder. “Suuur-UP! DO…YOU…HAVE…ANY SYUUR-UP?!” Come on man, you are in Ethiopia! Does it look like syrup is served with this meal? And then he does the thing that I hope
none of you will ever do when traveling to a country other than your own, he
lets out this exasperated (and very loud) sigh and demands, “get me someone who
speaks English.”
Allow me a little soapbox time for a minute here. When traveling outside of your home
country, you are guest. It is not
a requirement for everyone in the world to speak English, much less serve you
syrup. Yes, it is frustrating to
not be understood, I’m not claiming that I haven’t been a little frustrated myself
in the last couple weeks, but usually my frustration is with myself for not
knowing the language. I had drinks
with Peace Corps Volunteers last weekend who spoke easy Amharic to our waitress
and I was so jealous to not have that ability in this country. It is just so much more respectful, I
think, to take the time and learn the language, not just demand that someone
speak your own native language.
Ok enough preaching to the choir soaps or whatever, let’s
all just be polite and if you are traveling away from home remember to BYO
syrup! On a lighter note, I
started thinking about different ways to say (or not say) signs of
agreement. For example, in America
when someone says, “Hey man, brats and beer at your place?” One would reply with a “Yeah” or “Yup”
or “Right on” or what have you. In
Samoa (and this is my personal favorite) they don’t reply. They simply raise their eyebrows a few
times. I caught on to this pretty
quick and I actually still catch myself doing this from time to time in
America. It can be a little tricky
though because if you are not looking at the person when you ask, “Is this the
right road to the beach?” and you hear nothing it can be deceiving. But then you look up and see a flutter
of eyebrow activity and you know you are on the right track.
In Ethiopia, I have discovered that the sign for agreement
is a sharp intake of breath. Like,
pretend someone just crept up behind you and grabbed your shoulders. “Huuuhhh!” I don’t even know how to write that, but go ahead and
pretend that happened right now.
Go on – quick breath intake.
Got it. That sound. So I was going through all my data
today with my mentor, making sure I wrote down the right name for diagnoses and
procedures, etc. Which is actually
trickier than it sounds because it involves trying to decipher various doctor’s
handwriting out of a log book. So
I would periodically say something like, “this one here, is this perforated
bowel?” To which he would respond
with a sharp intake of breath (go ahead, do it again so you get the full
effect) to which I would jump (every time!) and be like “What!? Where?! I’ve got pepper spray!
Oh…you mean…yes, bowel perforation, sooo next surgery…” Eyebrow raising was much easier on the
nerves…
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