I was walking down the street here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and I heard a guy yell “hello” at me. If you’ve never been out of the states before, it is very common for locals to greet you or want to practice their English with you. I have had many many people come up and try to talk to me even though they only know two or three words in English. It’s endearing, in a way.
I usually keep walking if people try to get my attention by yelling because 9 times out of ten they are trying to sell me something. But I decided to respond and say “hi” back. He asked me where I’m from and I said “America”. So far, it is a very usual conversation with a local. But then he says “ah America. I’m not from here. My name is Sh’mu’el. I am Israeli! I’m here visiting for a few days.” I know a little Hebrew so I decided to try it out! The conversation was very short lived but that has been my favorite interaction here in Ethiopia. Everyday I walk down the street seeing if he’s there so we can talk some more.
Ethiopia is a mixture of middle eastern and African life. It is truly a awesome experience. I’ve tried some of the best food I’ve had on the race so far. Chicken fir fir is my favorite FYI. I can’t wait to experience even more of Ethiopian life in the coming weeks.
