Ethiopian Amharic Travel Words

Ethiopian Adoption Travelogue

August 21, 2007

Amharic Phrases

Filed under: Misc — by sackrosanct @ 8:01 pm

Last time I was in Ethiopia, all I could say was Selam, Ciao and Amsegenalehu. I decided to be a little more considerate and learn more Amharic this time. These are the phrases I learned. I’m pretty sure they are correct. If not, it’s close enough to probably get people to understand you. Just don’t put up your home up as collateral on wager that these words are exactly correct.

Also, Amharic has different letters. So, the words are written phonetically here. If you see Amharic words written differently with Roman letters, it’s just however the speaker sounds out the words. So, I wrote the word only phonetically. It probably will not match with how you will see it written other places. Example: I wrote “Eh-MY-ay” for mother. However, if you see it written down in other places, it will probably be written emaye.

All R sounds should be rolled. There are also other sounds that are not the same as in English. For instance, tenkahra or terths. The T sound is made by putting your tongue between your top and bottom front teeth and saying “T”. Don’t put the tongue behind your top teeth and say T like we do in English. (And make sure you still roll the R!) The K in Katell or Kai is a very hard K. It starts way back in your throat and sort of sound like you’re trying to get a hairball out. The best thing is to get someone to demonstrate the sound for you.

I tried to write phonetically, but I may have missed a few words. In general,

AH is pronounced like AH•A is short a.•AY is long a.•EE is long e.•E (or EH) is short e•I is long I•IH is short i.•O (or OH) is long o.•OU is like in ouch.•U (or OO) is ooo.•G is a hard G.•EW is eh followed by the consonant W sound (not oo).•R is rolled R (like in Spanish)•ñ is the Spanish N or like the French gn sound or ny (consonant Y) in English•OE is kind of like the U sound in PUT (or the oo sound in HOOF if you pronounce it the Wisconsin way).

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SS just to emphasize the soft S sound. (Just because otherwise I might’ve read it with the hard S sound).

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Y as a vowel by itself will be the long I sound otherwise it is the consonant Y•

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If a word ends with EHU (like Ewedehalehu), slur the eh and oo sounds together. They are not distinct syllables.

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There are different words/word endings sometimes depending if you are talking to a male, female, plural or formal (important person).I also found some vocabulary at the AAI website. I didn’t retype those words here.Get ready to Learn Amharic (my ferengi version of Amharic, anyway). If there are other words and/or phrases you’d like to add to my mini Amharic-English Dictionary/Phrase Page, add your request to the comments section. You can be anonymous if you wish.The right-hand column may have M, F or Pl listed. This indicates the version you should use based on who you are speaking to (not yourself).Words in blue were added most recently.Also, if you go to this entry, there is a file of words that are typically used in the photo albums sent to the children (mom, dad, brother, sister, dog, house, etc.). The downloadable/printable file has the words in English and Amharic. The Amharic is written phonetically with Roman letters and with Amharic letters so the non-English speaking staff at your child’s Ethiopian care center/orphanage will be able to talk to your child about the photos).

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Pronunciation

Meaning

THE ESSENTIALS (in my opinion)

Ah-woh (or OW!) Also, you can do a little intake of breath while you lift your eyebrows to “nod” yes.

Yes

I-deh-LEHM (starts with long I sound) Also can say Iyyyy.

No

Shin-TEH-BAYT? toilet?

Chigger yeh-LEM No problem.

GO behz Clever (or “Good Job!) Often said to a child who does something to please you or succeeds.

Seh-LAHM Hello (Peace) – standard greeting

chou (like ouch) Bye (just like in Italian)

AH-mah-say-guh-NAH-loh Thank you.

WOO hah Water

GREETINGS/PLEASANTRIES

Seh-LAHM Hello (Peace) – standard greeting

Seh-LAHM neh way? Are you in peace? (a greeting) M



Seh-LAHM nesh way? Are you in peace? (a greeting) F

in-DEM-min ah-DEHRK? How did you spend the night? (greeting) M

in-DEM-min ah-DERSH? How did you spend the night? (greeting) F

in-DEM-min walsh? How was the day?F

in-DEM-min wahlk? How was the day?M

in-DEM-min neh? How are you?M

in-DEM-min nehsh? How are you?F

in-DEM-min NAH-choo? How are you? This is used for plural casual OR plural formal.

Pl

in-DEM-min NOHT How are you? This is formal singular.

Deh-na-NEHSH? Are you fine? (greeting)F

Deh-na-NEH? Are you fine? (greeting)M

Deh-na-NAH-choo? Are you fine? (greeting)Pl

Deh-na-ñAY I’m fine.

DEH-na Fine

If someone asks you How are you? (A sentence that starts with in-DEM-min) then answer Dehna. If they ask you Are you fine? (sentence starts with Dehna) then answer Dehna-ñay.

Formal should be used with old people (grandparent age), people in any job that requires a college degree, politicians, priests, ferengi, etc. However, the “formal people” may tell you to go ahead and use casual with them.

chou (like ouch) Bye (just like in Italian)

NOHR-ee You arrived! It is a greeting said when you enter a room. F



NOHR You arrived!M

Bugs ear. Response to someone saying Noor. “By God” This is actually a contraction/slur of Exabier.

SIH may ___ My name is ___

SIH meh mah no? What is your name?M

SIH mesh mahn no? What is your name?F

Hah geh REH-heh yeht NO? Where do you come from?M

Hah-geh REHSH yet no? Where do you come from?F

In KWAHN deh-na meh TASH WelcomeF

In KWAHN deh-na meh TAH WelcomeM

Yah-YAY-roo hoo-NAY-tah in-DEHT-nehwoo?

How is the weather?

AH-mah-say-guh-NAH-loh Thank you.

ih BAH kesh Please (to a female)

ih BAH keh Please (to a male)

AHZ nah lehu Sorry

YAH suh deh GEH Blessing said for a child that sneezes. (or just a general blessing)

M

YAH suh deh GEHSH Blessing said for a child that sneezes. F

Yeh mah REH Blessing for an adult that sneezes M

Yeh mah RESH Blessing for an adult that sneezes F

AH-bit Said after someone calls your name. Kinda like “yes?” or “What?” or (in my house) “Hunh?”



PEOPLE

Bahl OR bah-lay Husband

Meest Wife

Wehn-DIHM Brother

uh-HEHT Sister

GAH-shay uncle (or a term for man whose name you don’t know)

Feh-REHN-jee Non-black Foreigner

tih-KOOR Black (used for a black foreigner)

AH-beh-shah Ethiopian (and maybe or maybe not the Eritreans)

AHN chee Hey You (don’t be surpised if you hear this yelled at you) F

AHN teh Hey You!M

AH kist aunt

ah GOHT uncle

Shih- MAH-geh-LAY Old man

Ah-roh-GEET (hard G) Old woman

YEH nay LEEJ my child

YEH nay WEHN deh LEEJ my son

YEH nay SEHT LEEJ my daughter

hih TSAHN LEEJ baby

lee JOHCH children

IN-nay Me

eh reh deht helper

Mah-no yeh-nay eh-reh-deht? Who is my helper?

PLACES

BAYT home

mehn yah TAH bayt bedroom

shihn teh bayt bathroom

KOO shihn uh kitchen

SAH lohn dining room

SAH lohn living room



yeh-MAHK-ee-nah BAYT garage (but if you say garage to an English speaker in ET, they will likely think you are referring to a auto repair place)

yeh-MAHK-ee-nah MUHN-gehd driveway

basement basement

tihn-nihsh meh-NAH-feh-SHAH backyard/grassy area (small park)

postah sah-TEHN mailbox

teh MEHR teh BAYT school

yeh-meh-GIHB mahg-JEE-yah-BOH-tah

food store

yeh-lihbs mahg-JEE-yah-BOH-tah clothing store

MAH deh yeh (try to make the consonant y sound the last sound, kind of drop of the last eh)

gas station

yeh-meh-GIHB BAYT restaurant

library library

sah-GOOR ahs-tah-kah-kY hair salon/barber

yeh-SIH-RAH BOH-tah work (job place)

meh-NAH-feh-SHAH park

meh-WAHN-yah BOH-tah swimming pool

BAYT-tah Christian church

meh KRAHB synagogue

mahs-GEEDT mosque

pohs tah BAYT post office

keh TAH meh city

geh TEHR countryside

yeh-ihn-seh-SAHT BAYT barn

tehl-ihk yeh-EHR-shah BOH-tah farm

MEHR cah doh open market

hah-KEEM BAYT hospital

SOOK local shop (small, small)

FOOD/DRINK/EATING

Waht Stew

DOH-roh Chicken

SHEE-roh Yellow peas

Yeh-meh-SIR Lentils

SIH-guh Beef

DAH-boh Bread

Ah-NAH-nahs Pineapple (Fanta Ananas soda is tasty)

LOH-mee Lemon



BIR too kan orange (color and fruit and name)

Lohz Nuts

Oh choh LOH nee Nuts

KEE tah Flat crispy bread kinda like a pizza crust

WOO hah Water

MAH her ber AH wee Mixed platter (when you order a meal)

beh KOH loh corn

bah KAY lah beans

FAHN deh shah popcorn (or a nickname for a smiley girl)

shy tea

BOO nuh coffee

BIH lah EAT!M

bee EAT!F

SHOO kah fork

SOO kwahr sugar

SIHND eh Wheat

TAH-Fahch (try to emphasize syllables equally)

sweet (or delicious – doro wat can be tafach)

meh RAHB hungry

eh REH boh hahl Are you hungry?M

eh REH boh shahl Are you hungry?F

eh REH boh AH cheh hwahl Are y’all hungry?Pl

meh TEH maht thirsty

TEH-geh-kuñ I’m full.

koh loh roasted barley (a snack)

meh sah lunch

COLORS

BIR too kan orange (color and fruit and a girl’s name)



KI. Long I sound, you really need to force the K sound from your throat.

Red

Seh-MY ah wee Blue

BEECH ah Yellow

Ah rahn GWAH day Green

Nehch White

boo NEE Brown

ti KOOR black

WAY ehn tehj purple

ANIMALS

AH-zoh Crocodile

AHN-behs-sah Lion

Goo MAH ray Hippo

lahm cow*

beh RAY beef (ox)

behg sheep

fee YEHL goat

fah RAHS horse

ah HEE yah donkey

behk LOH mule

DOH roh chicken

WOO shah dog

dih MEHT cat

WOEFF bird*

CLOTHING

Koh FEE yah cap

yeh shoo RAHB koh FEE yah hat (sweater cap)

mah nehs sir glasses

yeh tseHI mah nehs sir sunglasses

yahn get libs scarf

shirt shirt (t-shirt style)

sheh mees button up shirt

kah nah TEE rah short sleeve shirt

shoo RAHB sweater

yeh TOOTS mah see YAH zhah bra (boob holder)

yehj gwahnt gloves

moo TAHN tee underwear (girl or boy)

goord KEH mees skirt (half dress)

KEH mees dress



moo loo KEH mees long dress

soo ree trousers

goord soo ree shorts

jeans jeans

kahl see socks

NEH teh lah CHAH mah flip flops

adidas / sneaker athletic shoes

yeh SOOF CHAH mah dress shoes

kahr ah vaht tie

SOOF suit

yeh bah hel LIBS cultural clothes

yeh moh wah nyah LIBS swimsuit

ye suh HAHT wristwatch

kuh BAHT toh belt

yeh leh leet LIBS pajamas

yeh shint meh teh beh kee yah diapers

jacket jacket

mah lee yah soccer jersey

yeh zeh nah LIBS rain coat

KEES pocket

zih NAHB ring

yahn get necklace

zip zipper

yeh jeh BOHR sah purse

yeh JOH ROH get earrings

yeh KES LIBS priest clothing

NUMBERS

Ahndt 1

HOO let 2

Sohst 3

AH-raht 4

AH-mist 5

SIH dist 6

SAH Baht 7

SIH mint 8

zeh TEHñ (make up some crazy sound between the short e and the long i

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sound. I can’t figure out how to write it.)

AH sir 10

AH sir ah ANDT 11

AH sir ah HOO leht 12

AH sir ah SOHST (keep going for the rest of the teen numbers)

13

HI ah 20

HI ah ahndt 21

HI ah HOO leht 22

Seh LAHSS sah 30

Seh LAHSS sah AHNDT 31

ahr BAH 40

HAHM sah 50

SIHL sah 60

SAH bah 70

sah MAH nee yah 80

zeh TEH nah 90

MEH toh 100

HOO leht MEH toh 200

ahnd eh SHEECH (the CH sound is like the CH in German Ich liebe dich.)

1000

HOO leht SHEECH 2000

SIMPLE COMMANDS

Tew Stop it. (Like “don’t do that anymore”) M

Tay Stop it.F

Nah ComeM

Nay ComeF

TOH-loh na! Come quickly.

Tehn ya Sleep!

Ah tin KAHñ No touching me. (said to a male) M

Ah tin KEEñ No touching me.F



Ah tin KOU No touching him. male to male

In-eh-HEEDT Let’s go.

HEED TEHN yah Go to sleep!

heed go!

wu TAH get out!

Koom stop (like stop walking) – there is some difference between when to use Koom and when to use tew, but I can’t understand it.

M

KOO-mee stopF

mah RAHM ehd Walk!Pl

teh RAHM ehd Walk!M

teh RAHM eh JEE Walk!F

SAH-meñ Kiss me! (Use this at the orphanage!)

MEHM-taht Kick! (casual kick)Pl

MIH-tah Kick! (the same word is used for kick and hit. somehow you are just supposed to know which one you are referring to)

M

MIH-chee Kick!F

Kwahss MEHM-taht Kick the ball!

MAY-ahz Catch!Pl

YAHZ catchM

YAH-ZHJee catchF

MEH-wehr-WEHR (don’t forget to roll all the Rs!)

Throw!Pl



wehr WEHR Throw!M

wehr WEHR-EE Throw!F

mahn-keh-bah-LEHL Roll!Pl

AHN-keh-bah-LEHL RollM

AHN-keh-bah-YEE RollF

meh-ROHT Run!Pl

eh-ROOT run!M

eh-ROO-chee run!F

Beh LOOT KICK! (power kick)Pl

BEH-la-ohw (slur the last 2 sounds together, put the w sound at the end)

KIck! (power kick)M

beh LOO waht KICK (power kick)F

Bell Say (Sort of like Speak Up!)

zihm Bell Don’t say (be quiet).

Sahk Smile!

Ah-tuh SAHK Don’t smile!

BIH lah eat! M

BEE eat! F

ENDEARMENTS

Lehb Heart

YEH-nay hae-waht my life (term of endearment)

Beh-teh-leh-ku Ewedehalehu I love you bigM



TAH-Fahch (try to emphasize syllables equally)

sweet (or delicious – doro wat can be tafach)

yeh-nay tahfach My Sweet (term of endearment)

yeh-nay tseh-HI (long i) My Sunshine

FAHN deh shah popcorn (or a nickname for a smiley girl)

Meh CHEM Ahl rehs SAH shem I never forget about you.F

Yeh-NAY woo-ehd My treasure

Beh TAHM Too much, a lot, very

AHN-chee yeh-NAY nehsh You are mineF

AHN-teh yeh-NAY neh You are mineM

AHN-chee NEHF-say nesh You are my soul.F

AHN-tay NEHF-say neh You are my soul.M

YEH-nay AHN-teh GOH-behz LEEJ-neh

You are a smart boy.

eh wed eh HA lehoo (slur the last part together)

I love you.M

Eh wed eh SHAH lehu I love you.F

ah FIHK er HAH lehu I love you – ROMANTIC! (Don’t say to your kids.) M

ah FIHK er SHAH lehu I love you – ROMANTIC! (Don’t say to your kids.) F

yeh-nay FIHK-er My Love

yeh-nay MAHR my Honey

wair -AYN-yah Chatterbox (Ok, not really an endearment but it is a nickname.)

yeh-NAY nih-gist My Queen

yeh-NAY nih-gooss My King

OUTDOORS

tseh HI sun

DAH mehn nah cloud



koh KOHB star

CHAH rah KAH moon

seh MY sky

sahr grass

zahf tree

ah behb bah flower

ze nahb rain

wehnz river

HYK (long I) lake

tah rah rah mountain

ah fir dirt

beh reh HAH desert

mahn get road

CHAH kah forest

koot kwah toh bush

yah til kilt boh tah garden

beh reh doh snow

HOLIDAYS/CELEBRATION

ah dees ah met New Year’s

en koo tah tahsh New Year’s

fah see kah Christian – Easter

geh nah Christian – Christmas

yeh lih deht kehn Birthday

mehl kahm lih deht Happy Birthday

tim kaht Orthodox – baptism

may day Liberation from Italians (May 23 – ET calendar)

gehn BOHT hI ah first day of new governmental regime (ehadige)/ end of Dergue

mes kel Orthodox cross was found Day

eid al adha Muslim – Festival of the Sacrifice

eid al fitr Muslim – end of Ramadan



ADJECTIVES/DESCRIPTIONS

Tin-nish Small (a little)

Tell-ick Big (a lot)

MEHT-foh Bad

ehbdt-deh-SOU Crazy (psychiatrically) Don’t use jokingly!

Tehr OO Good

Tehr OO Beh-TAHM Very good!

TOH-loh Quick/ly

Mook Hot

MAH zihn sad

meh KOH taht mad

dih KAHM tired

HI lehn yah wide awake (have strength)

I nah fahr shy

KOO roo proud

meht-FOH SHIT-tah stinky (Bad smell)

MAH fer embarrassed

KAHZ kah zah cold (temperature)

Tehn-KAH-rah Strong

Dess TEHN ya Funny or Happy

DEHS tah Happy or funny

Kuhss Slowly (Patiently)

KOHN-joh Beautiful

GO behz Clever (or “Good Job!)

ah HOON now!

BODY PARTS

tsah GOOR hair

RAHS head

I-n (long I) Eye

Ah FENCH uh Nose

CUHM for Lips

ahf Mouth

Terths Teeth

Goonch Cheek

JOH-roh Ear

ahn GEHT neck (front)



ehj arm

meh DAHF palm

yehj eh TAHT fingers

Lehb Heart

Hoed Stomach

jahr BEH back

KU lah Circumcised penls (adult)

KEET butt

eh GIHR leg (includes leg and foot)

eh GROHCH legs

yeh gihr TAHT foot

TAH tohch toes

Hoed ayn ah meh MEHñ My stomach hurts.

_____ ayn ah meh MEHñ My ______ hurts (is sick).

yeh TOOTS b00bs

KOH dah skin

ahn GOHL brain

meh LAHSS tongue

mahn JEH RAHT neck (back side)

ahn JET intestine

gool beht knee

ehmss girl privates

MISCELLANEOUS

ZAHR ay Today

NEH geh Tomorrow

teh LAHN teh nah yesterday

Kan (short a) Day

ah HOON now

Kah -tell-OH Next

Ehn-DEHG-uh-nah Again

ChAH mer More

BECK ah Finished (enough)

eh REHF Drop it/Leave it/It’s over (used when having a conversation that you want to be finished)

In NUH And

Kayss Orthodox priest



Soft Toilet paper (even in English it is called “Soft”)

ah-MOHN-yahl I feel sick.

BIHCH uh Only

Yet? Where?

If you are playing the Battleship:

AHL-tah meh TAHM He was Missed.

Tem-meh-TWAH He got Hit (actually Kick)

YAHN-tah-TEH-rah Your turn

Tah-kah-TAH-tah-yaht Watch her (if she is cheating!)

Tah-kah-TAH-tah-yewu Watch him!

LIB-dahsh F.U. (male to female) Apparently this can only be used in the mode of actual physical command for the specific action, (someone will F you, not a general “sod off”)

F

Menalsh? What did you say?F

Menalk? What did you say?M

Chigger yeh-LEM No problem.

Chigger AH-leh There is a problem.

en DEHT How?

AHL geh-BAHN yehm I don’t understand

HOO loom all

MAH-kee-nah Car

gih deh GIH dah Wall

teh MER teh bayt school

OW toh boos bus

dih BOOL bool circle

ahr rah toom gohn eh kool yeh hoh nah (OR you can just say SQUARE)

square

sost mah EH zehn triangle

guhn ZEHB money

kwahss ball (but everybody knows this refers to a soccer ball or toy ball – but not volleyball or tennis ball)

balloon



eh-GEHR Kwahss chah-WAH-tah Soccer (directly translated it means Feet-Ball-Play)

WAY-yah Ah-beh-sha neh-gehr Oh, the ways of the Abesha!!

WAY-yah Ferengi neh-gehr Oh, the ways of the foreigners!

EH shee OK (you’ll hear this a lot)

EHM bee Not OK

LEH mehn tah lihk SAH leh (exhale a heavy H sound at the end)

Why are you crying?M

LEH mehn tah lihk SHAH lesh Why are you crying?F

IN-nay ih-FEHL-ih-gah-loh… I want…

mihn tih-FEHL-ih-gah-leh What do you want?M

mihn tih-FEHL-ih-gee-ah-lesh What do you want?F

MIHN ihm Nothing.

GO behz Clever (or “Good Job!)

eh-nih-GEH-nah-ñAH-lehn We will meet.

MEHL-kahm GOO-zoh yeh-HOON-eh-lih

Have a good trip.M

MEHL-kahm GOO-zoh yeh-HOON-eh-lesh

Have a good trip.F

beh AH mah REEN yah in Amharic

geh neht heaven

SCHOOL

teh-MAIR-teh-BAYT school

ahss TAH mah REE teacher

keh fill class

teh MAH ree students

hee sahp math

ehn glee zee ñAH English

science science

tah reek history

ah mah reen yah Amharic

hah bah rah TEH seb geography

moo zeek ah music

sport sports/gym



eh rehft break (recess)

keh fill gee zee class period

black-board chalkboard

chalk chalk

meh seh hahf text book

err sahss pencil

eh skrih bee toh (sounds like Spanish to me!!)

pen

shahn tah backpack

mahss-tah-wah-shah dehb-ter notebook

yeh BAYT seh RAH homework

yeh dehm beh libs uniform

ah leh kah monitor

gwah dehn yah friend

gwah dehn yohch friends

meh geh rehf beating with a stick after making a mistake

QUESTION WORDS

Mah no? Who is that?

Mah no goh-behz/tehn-kah-rah/kohn-joh?Start with Mah-no and fill in an adjective afterwards.

Who is clever/strong/beautiful? substitute whatever adjective you want after who is

Yeht no? Where is it/he? (male or objects)

M

Yeh TAH lah? Where is it/he? (I can’t figure out the difference of when to use yet no or yet tahla. They seem to be interchangeable. If you want to ask about a person, start with his name or position first. e.g.

M

Abaye yeht no? Where is Dad? M

yeh-nay mah-KEE-nah yet no? Where is my car?

Yeh TAH lehch? Where is she? F

Mommy yeh-TAH-lehch? Where is Mommy?

Yeht neh? Where are you? (Like if you are talking to a person on a cell phone)

M

Yeht nesh? Where are you? F

mah chay When?

leh mehn Why?

sint no? How much?

yeh-HAY min-deh-NO What is this?



YAH min-deh-NO What is that?

Update 1/19/09: Here’s another good resource for learning Amharic online. http://ethiopia.limbo13.com/index.php/amharic/

Comments (74)

August 20, 2007

Ethiopia or Adoption Related Books

Filed under: Observations — by sackrosanct @ 8:00 am

My reviews of some of the books I’ve read are given below. I’m no literary scholar. I don’t want to have to concentrate too hard when I read a book at home. Keep that in mind when you determine the value of my reviews. And, these are all MY opinions. Generally the books have gotten positive reviews from others (otherwise I wouldn’t have read them in the first place).

Fafi’s Sheep by Netsanet Kidnemariam. A children’s book. It was OK. It took an awfully long time to get through the book and the life lessons that seems to be, “listen to your mother!” I think because it took so long and wandered, it lost its potency. Recommended after you finish the others.

Held at a Distance: My Rediscovery of Ethiopia by Rebecca Haile – The author immigrated to America as a child and the story is of her return to Ethiopia for the first time twenty-five years later. She does a great job of incorporating a lot of different things into the story. She gives historical



information (political and religious), her life as an Ethiopian child in Minnesota, her life as an Ethiopian child in the American School in Addis, the contrast between her father the historian/academic and her uncle the engineer/road builder. I think one of the most impactful aspects of the book is what seems to be the conflict within herself about being an Ethiopian returning to her home and having been in America for so long that she is sometimes a Ferengi in her home country. I think the reason I like this is because this resonates so greatly with me about fears, concerns, and hopes of how it will be for my son to return to Ethiopia as an adult and/or teenager. Really recommended.

Love in the Driest Season by Neely Tucker – A couple’s process of adopting a child from Zimbabwe. I enjoyed this book. It was a quite easy read. I had a lot of “oh yeah” type of moments from my time in Zimbabwe…from mannerisms to references to geographical features. It also had the side benefit of making me appreciate the ease of an Ethiopian adoption. Recommended.

Silly Mammo by Gebregeorgis Yohannes. A children’s book. I hated it. Not recommended.

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu – An Ethiopian immigrant’s experience in America. I don’t understand why this book got good reviews. Usually I read a book in 2-5 days, depending on my life events that week. This book took 4 weeks. Why? Because every time I picked it up, I put it back down shortly thereafter due to boredom. Maybe I don’t understand the literary aspect of it, but I expect a book to evoke emotion. The only emotion I got out of this was apathy. Even the narratives about violence barely made me react. Not recommended.

The Beekeeper of Lalibela by Cristina Kessler. A children’s book. I liked it a lot. It had 2 great lessons for kids to learn. And it is written in Amharic and English. Really recommended. Get it from www.Ethiopiareads.org.

The Hospital by the River by Dr. Catherine Hamlin – The story of the Hamlins, both doctors, who eventually build the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa. I know this book was written as a pseudo-autobiography, but the title of it made me think it was supposed to be mostly about the Hospital. The first few chapters retelling the Hamlins’ geneaology bored me a bit, but I really enjoyed how historical events of Ethiopia were made more real by presenting her take on them. Examples of this include an account of weekly forays of food delivery to the people that were thrown in jail by the Derg or hiding to avoid being his by bullets flying during the seizures of people/buildings. The best part of the book, for me, was the stories of the women (and pictures) who had fistulas and how the repairs affected them. I’m very glad she didn’t candy-coat everything and told of some of the women they were unable to help due to the severity of the fistulas. The name dropping (I knew Ambassador XX, we had dinner with Princess YY, we stayed at the home of Gajillionaire ZZ, etc.) was tiring. Recommended, but don’t put it on your priority list.

There is No Me Without You by Melissa Faye Green – The story of a woman, Haregewoin, who works to take care of HIV+ children in Ethiopia. This book was easy to read and did a good job of presenting facts about HIV/AIDS by humanizing them into one person’s story. There were some instances of poor editing. I actually had to check my spot in the book to see if I had accidentally lost my page or if I was reading the same thing twice. Beware, though, this book will make you want to go and scoop up all the kids you can. I got this book as a gift from a friend, a very good choice for a gift. Recommended.

Tsehai Loves Learning. OK, this is not a book, but… This is a DVD of some puppets that sing and dance in a low-budget version of Sesame Street. I think it’s a good deal for the money. And, mostly because of this DVD, my 2-year old can count to ten in Amharic. They do have a clip on the internet that you can watch as a preview.



Let me know if there are other books you think I should read. I’m pretty frugal, so the books really need to be worth it (or available at the public library).

Added 8/14/07:

28 Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. Very powerful book. The author does an amazing job of giving uniqueness and similarities to each person’s story. She makes each person’s life and life experience matter. It was hard for me to stop reading even though I was overcome with a huge range of emotions. Best book I’ve read this year, by far. Most recommended.

Added 8/20/07:

Digging to America by Anne Tyler. This is the story of two American families (one is American WASPy-like, and one is of Iranian heritage) that adopt two Korean baby girls. The story hits on a lot of different subjects, adoption, first generation immigrants, second-generation families, and a lot of relationship stuff. I found myself smiling about the different types of people I recognized from the book in our own adoption journey. If you read the book and don’t know anybody who is a Bitsy, then it’s you! Recommended.

Exotic Ethiopian Cooking by Daniel Mesfin. This is a cookbook of Ethiopian recipes. It is written, I think, for Westerners. There is a lot of really interesting stuff in the beginning of the book about Ethiopian culture related to food, coffee, and social situations. (I actually think that is the best part). The book also has a lot of vegetarian recipes. It must be a good book because I was just planning to show my friend the book, but then she appropriated it as her birthday present (that’s fine, I just expect some homemade treats from the book’s recipes in return). I have 3 other books with Ethiopian recipes, one in Amharic that my husband somehow thought would be helpful to me (?), one that is basically a Home Ec book for Ethiopians (has a few good recipes but also includes how to prepare Cornflakes), and the Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors (I like the variety of international recipes and the few Ethiopian recipes are pretty good). Plus, I also look up stuff online. I think I will buy a few more of the Exotic Ethiopian Cooking though, with the intent to keep one for myself (with my name written on the book edges!) and the rest to give as gifts. Recommended.

Comments (1)

July 20, 2007

Shinshicho and Hadero Photos

Filed under: Travel — by sackrosanct @ 10:05 am

Links below will take you to full-size photos of images taken in the towns of Shinshicho and Hadero in the Southern Region of Ethiopia.

Hadero photos were taken in October 2006. When opened, click on the link “Hade.” 32 photos available.

Shinshicho photos were taken in May and October 2006. When opened, click on the link “Shin.” 18 photos available.

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January 25, 2007

Amharic Words for the Photo Album

Filed under: Misc — by sackrosanct @ 11:54 pm

The linked documents list common words that you might want to use to label the photos in the photo album for your new child. (Link is at the bottom of this entry.)

Left column is the American word, middle is the phonetic pronunciation of the Amharic word and the right column is the word in Amharic letters.

You will find the Amharic words for

Mom Mother Dad Father Brother Sister Grandma Grandpa Aunt Uncle Cousin Our Family Our Home Your Bedroom (M) Your Bedroom (F) Our dog Our cat Your new school (M) Your new school (F) We love you. (M) We love you. (F)

It should make it easier for the nannies with limited English skills to explain your photos to your new kids. MS Word Version:

http://ethiopianadoptiontravelogue.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/amharic-words.doc

Adobe Acrobat Version: http://ethiopianadoptiontravelogue.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/amharic-words.pdf

If you have other words you’d like to see, leave a comment and I’ll ask my husband to translate.

(And, yes, I know one column is entitled “American word.” Sorry, I can’t help it. I’m an egocentric American. )



Update 9/18/07: I was given the wrong translation for grandma and grandpa before. (The old version was actually step-mother and step-father). It is corrected now.

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