Sucker

Ethiopian kids do this cute little trick where one kid comes up to you and distracts you with something he is selling or saying “hungry” over and over again, while his buddy puts his filthy, sneaky little hand in your pocket or purse.  I know this.  I have been warned about this.

So today I woke up late and enjoyed a nice breakfast across the street from my hotel.  The waiters finally understood my sign language for “jam” on my toast (this took 3 weeks to work out) and all was good.  I then went to the ATM to get money for the week and pay my hotel bill.  After that my plan was to walk down the street to buy a present for some friends (Tim and Burda you better like you stupid gift) and then stop by the hospital and do some work. 

I was walking to the shop when this kid about half my size jumped in front of me with a box of gum.  He was persistent.  I will give him that.  I’ve also been told that avoiding eye contact helps to show your lack of interest.  So I was trying to do my best to look straight ahead and keep my hand firmly over the top of my bag which was carrying my wallet, my passport, one of the 4 backups for my data, and my laptop.  My phone, unfortunately, was in an outside pocket because I had just been texting with a Peace Corps Volunteer in Addis about possibly meeting up. 

It was after a couple of yards that I heard this little punk’s friend coming up behind me and grabbing my arm muttering what I could only imagine was his attempt at “hungry.”  I kept walking with eyes forward trying to shake them without being too rude.  Finally after a block or so, they mysteriously dropped off.  I thought I had just done a good job and looking uninterested.  Once I crossed the street and was about half way up the hill to the shop I reached into the outside pocket to check the time on my cell phone only to discover, you guessed it, no cell phone.  &$%*#@%!!!  Come ON!

I am trying to remind myself that at least it wasn’t my passport or my wallet that I just put $3000 birr in (roughly $200USD) or my computer full of all my data.  But it is hard to be optimistic when an 8 year old just made you a sucker…Damnit!!