BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Kim Seifyu, is Cambodian born, raised in New Zealand. This writer has met her here in the capital, Addis Ababa serving coffee in her restaurant. Her coffee house is called Entewawek (let`s know each other). Kim and her husband Yonas Taye opened the cafe to share positive ideas and experiences with their customers.
Kim visited Ethiopia for the first time in 2007, along with the team of New Zealanders, an organization known as ‘Habitat for Humanity-humanitarian’, which is committed to help people.
On her trip, Kim fell in love with Ethiopia and the people. Her visit to the country has caught her attention. This is especially true for those little children who greeted her in all her way and showed her love. When Kim returned back to New Zealand, she could not forget all the memories she had in Ethiopia.
For that reason, she was looking for another opportunity to come to Ethiopia. Luckily, she got another opportunity as a voluntary English teacher for three months in Adama.
After she spent a wonderful time in teaching English, and when it is time to leave for homeland, New Zealand, she had to spend her last night at a hotel. And she happened to be a hotel where a handsome Yonas, had worked at as a hotel manager.
When Yonas was escorting Kim to her room, she was admiring his handsomeness and seriousness. However, due to professional ethics, Yonas did not respond to her. For that reason, Kim could not talk further.
“A well-suited up Ethiopian man and the only other occupant in the elevator, who happened to be the hotel’s manager on duty, was possibly the most handsome man I had ever seen! I couldn’t look away… I was mesmerized. “Konjo Habesha” I said.
When Kim returned back to her country, she could not forget all her experience in Ethiopia. All the beautiful people and the smile of little children and elders treatment were deep in her heart. Even if her body left Ethiopia, her soul was still in Ethiopia. For that reason, Kim decided to come back to Ethiopia with a new mission of opening a Zumba dance school in Addis.
For about two years Kim and Yonas had barely communicated. For that reason, she had almost forgotten him. However, when she came back to Addis again, she had an opportunity to visit one of the cafes in Bole where her eyes met someone whom she had a sneaking admiration two years ago for him. It was Yonas Taye whom she met at the hotel. It was unbelievable for both.
After expressing himself to Kim, Yonas gave her an address and they started a fresh relationship. When this relationship got deeper, they got married and gave birth to their son- Anbesa- who is now seven.
After the birth of their first son, Anbessa (Literally mean lion in Amharic), Kim and Yonas started living in New Zealand for about seven years. However, the heart of the two lovers was in Ethiopia, they returned back to start a new business and share their talent and life experience.
For Kim, Ethiopia is an amazing place with wonderful people. Despite the cultural and economic differences between Ethiopia and New Zealand, Kim has affection to this Land of Origin-Ethiopia.
“Starting from the day I came to Ethiopia, I fell in love with the people and their way of life. The cultural values, the spiritual practices, the food and the people everything is something great.”
According to Kim, the life style of Ethiopians is very interesting and attracting. While the more developed nations are leading isolated life style, here in Ethiopia, the social bondage is still strong. People eat together using their bare hands without using fork or spoon.
In most cases and situations that globalization is threatening to erode the local culture, cultural practices here are still fresh and not affected by the wave. The people have kept upholding and managing their cultural identity better than any other society.
Asked how she managed to balance the cultural difference of Ethiopia and New Zealand, she said, “Everything is challenging. New Zealand’s life style and the economic standard are totally different from that of Ethiopia. However, my love to Ethiopia overshadowed all the challenges I faced.
It is the beauty of Ethiopia and its people that brought me here. The spirit to be here was conceived from the first time my feet step in here. These all have helped me to overcome my challenges.”
During their conversation, this writer had asked how she interprets love. Love is something great that cannot be explained by word. It is the power of love that brought two souls with different culture and experience together. It is the magnetic power of love that dismantles the differences that exist between us. When we learn to love, to respect and tolerate people, all the walls that stand between us can be removed.
This is not only the love between opposite sexes. It includes all humanity. All the damages, killings and disasters are the result of absence of love. When we learn to love others, peace prevails; when we learn to love others, difference will be narrowed. Whenever we learn to love others, we can spread positivity. That is the great secret of love.
Seconding Kim`s view, her husband, Yonas, also said, there is a great power within love that binds people together. This love is not only manifested in opposite sexes. It exists in everything. When there is love people learn to respect each other. This is what we are lacking these days. Love is an umbrella for tolerance and forgiveness. The more we love others, the more we create smooth ground for peaceful life style. This universe is created with such power.
The Ethiopian Herald March 14/2021
