Addis Ababain elites who travel to Washington DC for vacation are rare but over the past several months I’ve have the pleasure of entertaining a few. I really do enjoy it. I get to see their perspective. How disillusion their viewpoint is? How care free and ambiguous the sociological outlook is? How unobloquious life has been for them?
Well, there two types of people, there is yagere suew which encompass 99 percent of the population and ‘oblivious’ 1 percent walking on clouds and frequenting five coffee shops a day. If for some reason you are reading this from Addis Ababa, you are the ‘oblivious’ I’m referring to. Seventy thousand dollar salary here in the US can’t buy you the life the ‘oblivious’ are living in the Bole suburb of Addis Ababa.
Without digressing too much I asked her what she would like to drink. Gin & Tonic! And surprise surprise, no Tonic water. I can’t believe they don’t have tonic water; any bar in Addis would have it. Eshi Yene ChemlaQa! Yalesu MeteT ataqime ende? I didn’t know they Tej beToch served Tonic water with Brele.
Tonic water is not a drink its medicine. Tonic water contains Quinine, which was used to prevent Malaria.
Quinine, is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic, anti-malarial with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste.
Gin & Tonic was invented by the Brits in India so that the quinine in the Tonic goes down easy. It’s a preventive medicine anti-malarial.
Unless you are Merkato Negade, and its your gideTa a bottle of JW Black Label Mawred; the drink of choice for these ‘oblivious’ elites is Gin & Tonic.
Published by August 17th, 2006 in Social.Send this post to a friend
coca cola was also invented in a pharmacy and was used for digestive problems…see where it ended?
“Coca-Cola was initially sold as a patent medicine for five cents a glass. Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured myriad diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence.”
they say on wikipedia.
Hi Nole,
Reading between the lines, it looks like you are jealous. Is it really about the tonic water or the way of life in and around Bole? I am sorry but ….” ?? ???? ??????”. Did she remind you of the life you could have enjoyed if you were in Addis?
ahaha, good one senay. i like you. nolawi, minew…chemlaqa set yemitewd meslogn neber? smh, you’re too funny.
hmmm…
I have seen quiet a few “oblivious Bole people” in D.C. recently, one was complaining that she was booked in a four star hotel while she was in transit as opposed to 5 stars like she wants. The repeat of a revolution is quiet near in Ethiopia.
Menew Senay, do you think I want to be a oblivious bosene. My life hasnt been easy, but I wouldnt change it. After all it brought me to this very moment, being able to share my thought with wonderful people like you.
Although sometime they doubt my sincerity!
Nolawi
I do enjoy a Jin & Tonic very much, that’s my drink. I don’t know if that makes me an ‘oblivious’ elite. Don’t slam the drink. The girl, slam all you want.
Am sorry Nole,
“?? ???? ??? ??” I just couldn’t stop my self from imagining you missing the life in Addis. Specially frequenting the famous cafés and indulging yourself with the tasty macchiato or Royal tonic. But believe me, it wouldn’t mean that you are ‘???’.
“?? ?????? ??? ??…????”
lol @ eshi yene ChemlaQa.. lol. Gud. anyway, I wouldn’t put everyone who has internet access under that category. people could be surfing from school or work eko. the way you started i thought you were going to talk more about this ‘oblivious 1%’.. I was hoping you’d give us answers to these questions ‘How disillusion their viewpoint is? How care free and ambiguous the sociological outlook is? How unobloquious life has been for them?’
Speaking of drinks in Addis, Is it me or there is something wrong with the drinks you get in almost all of the bars and clubs? seriously though, it doesn’t taste right and it doesn’t do the job it is supposed to do. I was asking ppl what was wrong with the drinks, and they were telling me “Yetewega New”. figure out what that means., but it is so Wrong. You pay 25 Birr for a screw driver and you think you get 1/4 vodka and 3/4 OJ, but you get 1/10 god knows some Katikala with lots of OJ.
munit the secret is you drink at a cheaper place before you go to the club, tej bet is one birr be berele
???