It is not surprizing to see many children who have lost their family in different situations being adopted by people from the cultures of distant worlds and raised by new parents. As a kid, finding oneself in a new country, a new family, and a new culture may not be much difficult to adapt with. Meanwhile, things may become different when the child grows up because he or she would desire to find out or learn about his or her ancestors.
Raim (insisted on not giving his second name for personal reasons), a German citizen whose roots are from Ethiopia, is a twenty-eight years old sportsman who was adopted by German parents when he was three. He considers his adoptive parents as saviours. He came to Ethiopia two weeks ago, searching for a certain identity that his ancestors left. When The Ethiopian Herald approached him for an interview, he barely speaks his first tongue, Amharic, but he was so fluent on his German and speaks good English with a German accent. He sounds like a typical German in his English. There seems to be nothing African left of him except his strong spirit, brown skin, tick black hair and Ethiopian bone structure.
Meanwhile, Raim is also trying hard to get back to his roots as he manages to learn and speak some Amharic words and keep on being sociable with young Ethiopians he meets in the capital Addis. When he speaks of his feelings about being here, in his birth place, one could observe a very transparent excitement in his eyes. He also said when the plane he was on-board arrived at Addis Ababa airport and as soon as he alighted from the plane, the first thing what he did was taking a deep breath of the cool air.
“I am so happy that I have returned home. I’ve been missing the ancestral bondage and the culture for many years,” he said. According to Raim, cultural values may differ from place to place, but they also have their own unique image and beauty as they are. He also said that he had been to the National science Museum, Unity Park and other places and was astonished by the things he had observed. As he visited the museum, he was not only seeing old materials but also learning about the history of his ancestors. “I have learnt about the history of the Adwa victory. I have seen Lucy’s skeleton and other heritage. I have observed how our ancestors were strong,” he noted.
When Raim spoke of the cultural difference between the western world and Ethiopia with his little experience here in the City, he said there is much difference. For instance, in Germany, Catholic and Protestant religions are more prevalent, and in Ethiopia, Orthodox by itself is like one big culture, based on his observation. He also said the Ethiopian Orthodox church traditions are also appreciated in German.
Some traditions could be considered as culture for the fact that people see them as normal even if they are medically harmful. Ethiopians may enjoy their local drinks like Araki, Tella and Tej while Germans like their beers. This similarity of culture reminds the writer of this article a journalist author’s experience in German. This Journalist, who still is the Editor in chief of the Addis Admas newspaper on his book that narrates his travel story to the western world, wrote about a special situation that he observed in a famous German bar.
His close female friend invited him to that bar, saying it is the best place to find a good beer in town. However, the way the beer was served was strange for the journalist. His glass was filled with a little liquid, and the rest of it was filled with the foam of the beer. He just finished the beer with one shot and asked his friend to order another one for him. His girlfriend was shocked by the way he drank but had no choice except to ask for more beer for him. But the waiters were too busy rushing around to serve here and there and nobody heard her call. When she looked up, she would see a bell above her head.
She thought of it as something helpful and rung the bell. Immediately, the whole bar was full of applause and the owner of the bar came straight to the Ethiopian woman and journalist. “Did you won a lottery or is it heritage money?” said the owner. The poor girl, so nervous and confused, replayed “I am sorry but I thought the bell was to call on the waiters.” However, ringing that bell meant that “everything in the house is on me or I will pay for all the customers in the house!”
“Well, the owner has understood the situation and told the crowd there was a mistake, so the girl was pardoned to walk out free with me”, as the journalist wrote on his book. The girl has been in German for many years and the fact that she has been working hard and spending less time around made her strange to the custom or tradition in that bar even though she knew it was the best in town. In this case migration is supposed to be one of the natural platforms for human beings to share and develop culture, wisdom, civilization etc.
It was indicated that the past few years have been immigrants difficult times for wars, illegal human trafficking and boat accident were at high level claiming the lives of millions of migrants traveling to host countries. This way the positive images of migration have been shadowed by terrible stories.
Even though Rami is not an immigrant, he strongly believes that black people are very tough and smart outside their homelands as long as they support each other and work together. He also said the built up and on-going projects of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are signs of a better progress in Addis Ababa.
Raim is a sportsman who eats only once a day and he says, “It’s good for his health.” For him, eating many times or too much a day is not healthy or does not give strength. This perspective of his seems to have been recreating the bondage with his ancestors, who may have lived with religious fasting, praying the whole day and eating little. This life of the monks in monasteries has long-lived in Ethiopia and their strength with health has always been a proof.
Somehow, there is one thing that he wants to be spread as a culture in Ethiopia, which is sport. He wants to create a healthy way of life for the youth living on the streets and help them with all his full capacity. Yet there is much to do with the ancestral bondage and he is still on his journey to the centre of the roots.
BY NAOL GIRMA
The Ethiopian Herald March 27/2024
